Activity measurement

• US 6,104,294 A
• Filed: 06/29/1998
• Issued: 08/15/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Delavan Limited (Enpro Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: ALFA Laval LUND AB (ALFA Laval AB)
• Inventors: Andersson, Peter, Li, Jianning
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Daniel J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tai T.
• Application Number:
  US09/101,064
• Time in Patent Office: 778 Days
• Field of Search: 340/573.3, 340/825.54, 340/539, 340/573.4, 340/531, 340/669, 340/689, 340/687, 340/686.1, 119/712, 119/719, 119/14.14, 119/51.02, 600/549
• US Class Current: 340/573.3
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 11/006 Automatic identification systems for animals, e.g. electronic devices, transponders for animals identification systems for access to feeding pens A01K1/0209; ear tags with electronic identification means A01K11/004
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 29/00 Other apparatus for animal husbandry
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 29/005 Monitoring or measuring activity, e.g. detecting heat or mating
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2503/40 Animals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1104 induced by stimuli or drugs; A61B5/1102 takes precedence; investigating medicinal preparations G01N33/15

Abstract

A motion sensor unit (11) is intended to be carried by a domestic animal. The motion sensor unit (11) operates in parallel to and independently of a conventional transponder unit (1). The motion sensor unit (11) contains a motion detector (14) for measuring the activity of the animal by providing electrical pulses when the animal moves. Each hour is subdivided in a number of intervals in each one of which it is determined if the activity has exceeded a certain threshold. If it is the case, a count value is incremented. The count value is then transmitted once each hour and in addition also the count values of all the 23 previous hours. By transmitting repeatedly such information a good safety is obtained in the reception of the information signal, and this information can be used for complicated evaluation processing in a processor (7) or a supplementary personal computer (9).

Claims

1. A method of monitoring the motion intensity of a domestic animal, the animal being provided with sensor means for different motion states including a first, normal state and a second, particular state, and a transmitter operatively connected to the sensor means, comprising the steps of:

determining by the sensor means, at periodically repeated times having time intervals therebetween of a first predetermined length, whether the animal during a next time interval has adopted the second, particular state and upon determining that the animal has adopted the second, particular state, counting the number of the first times; and

transmitting from the transmitter, at periodically repeated times occurring less frequent than the first time and having time intervals therebetween of a second predetermined length that is greater than the first predetermined length, information to an evaluation station, the transmitted information including the counted number of the first times corresponding to how many times after at least one previous transmission that the second, particular state has been adopted.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein at the periodically repeated times, when the information is transmitted to the evaluation station, the information also includes the counted number of the first times corresponding to how many times the second, particular state has been adopted during a plurality of prior second time intervals.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein at the paretically repeated times, when information is transmitted to the evaluation station, the information also includes identification information for identifying the transmitter, the sensor means and the animal wearing the sensor means, and the transmitter means.

4. A device for monitoring the motion intensity of a domestic animal, comprising:

sensor means attached to the animal for sensing different motion states of the animal, the motion states including at least a first, normal state and a second, particular state;

transmission means for transmitting information to an evaluation station and operatively connected to the sensor means;

timer means for providing first clock pulses of a first predetermined rate, the first clock pulses having first time intervals therebetween of a first predetermined length;

memory means for storing at least one counted number;

determining means coupled to the sensor means and the timer means for receiving the first clock pulses and for determining, at the reception of each first clock pulse, whether the animal during the first time interval from the next previous time when a first clock pulse was received, has adopted the second, particular state, the determining means also being operatively coupled to the memory for storing therein the number of such first times, when the second, particular state has been adopted; and

control means coupled to the memory means, the timer means and the transmission means for transmitting, at periodically repeated times less frequent than the first times and having second time intervals therebetween of a second predetermined length larger than the first predetermined length, information to the evaluation station including the counted number stored in the memory means.

5. A device according to claim 4, wherein,

the memory means are arranged for storing a plurality of the counted numbers, the determining means being arranged for storing the counted numbers for at least two successive second time intervals the second predetermined length, and

the control means are arranged for transmitting, at the periodically repeated second times when the information is transmitted to the evaluation station, information including the counted numbers during a plurality of prior second time intervals having the second length.

6. A device according to claim 4, wherein,

the memory means are arranged for storing an identification sequence, and

the control means are arranged to transmit to the evaluation station identification information derived from the stored identification sequence for identifying the transmitter and thereby the sensor means and the animal at the periodically repeated second times.