Method and system for tracking and managing animals and/or food products

• US 7,681,527 B2
• Filed: 01/19/2006
• Issued: 03/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MWI Veterinary Supply Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Micro Beef Technologies Ltd (MWI Veterinary Supply Incorporated)
• Inventors: Pratt, William C.
• Primary Examiner(s): PRICE JR, RICHARD THOMAS
• Application Number:
  US11/336,638
• Publication Number:
  US 20060201432A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,524 Days
• Field of Search: 119 1401- 1403, 119/51.01, 119/174, 119/906, 119/51.02
• US Class Current: 119/174
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 29/00 Other apparatus for animal husbandry
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0833 Tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/02 Agriculture; Fishing; Forestry; Mining
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/40 for data related to laboratory analysis, e.g. patient specimen analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 15/00 ICT specially adapted for medical reports, e.g. generation or transmission thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/26 at least one of which is mobile
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 90/10 Information and communication technologies [ICT] supporting adaptation to climate change, e.g. for weather forecasting or climate simulation

Abstract

Embodiments of a method and system are described for tracking and managing animals and/or food products. These embodiments can include entering into a computer system identification data for animals and location data for locations occupied by the animals. This data can be collected, for example, by a data service provider and transmitted to a data trustee. The data trustee may filter the data into official data and non-official data. The official data may be sent to an official database. When a public health issue arises, such as an occurrence of mad cow disease, the government may use an identifier for a diseased animal or a location identifier to request a trace report from the data trustee. The data trustee may then use the official data to provide a report showing, for example, which animals have commingled with the diseased animal. Based on this report, other sick or potentially sick animals can be treated, quarantined, or slaughtered. As another example, the disclosed embodiments may be used to facilitate commercial transactions by providing data that validates, for example, an animal'"'"'s health and food quality.

Claims

1. A method for tracking animals destined for commercial food production, comprising:

receiving animals in a feedlot, where the animals have been commingled by mixing from different groups of animals;

identifying the animals using a physical identification device, where each animal is individually associated with a physical identification device;

entering into a computer system location data for locations occupied by identified animals;

correlating in the computer system each identified animal'"'"'s location data with its identification;

identifying in the computer system one or more locations occupied by an identified animal;

enabling confidential information to be filtered from data entered into the computer, wherein the confidential information includes a previous location identifier;

allowing a user to review a record for an identified animal that includes a location identifier for a present location of the identified animal and that the identified animal occupied a previous location without disclosing the previous location identifier;

recording at least one characteristic of identified animals, including a measured weight for identified animals, and matching in the computer the characteristic with an identified animal'"'"'s identification;

feeding identified animals with a group of other animals;

storing in the computer a projected limit or condition for identified animals; and

making a computer projection of an estimated time or date for an identified animal to achieve the projected limit or condition based at least in part on the characteristics.

2. The method according to claim 1 further comprising determining from data in the computer system a location or locations occupied by an initially identified animal.

3. The method according to claim 1 further comprising identifying in the computer system a subsequently identified animal that shared a location with the initially identified animal.

4. The method according to claim 1 where the record further includes a movement destination location of the identified animal.

5. The method according to claim 1 further comprising:

requesting a trace report from a data trustee upon discovering a diseased animal;

generating a trace report that filters confidential information; and

identifying locations of identified animals that have commingled with the diseased animal.

6. The method according to claim 5 further comprising implementing a treatment strategy for the identified animals that have commingled with the diseased animal.

7. The method according to claim 6 wherein the treatment strategy comprises treating the disease, quarantining the identified animals, slaughtering the identified animals, or a combination thereof.

10. The method according to claim 1 further comprising enabling a seller of an identified animal to review a record of the identified animal that includes a location identifier for the present location of the identified animal and that the identified animal occupied a previous location without disclosing a previous location identifier.

11. The method according to claim 10 whereby the seller makes available the identification and location data for the identified animal to a buyer.

12. The method according to claim 10 whereby the seller provides information to a buyer to help the buyer make a purchase decision concerning the identified animal.

13. The method according to claim 1 further comprising enabling a buyer of an identified animal to review a record of the identified animal that includes a location identifier for a seller location of the animal and that the identified animal occupied a previous location without disclosing a previous location identifier.

14. The method according to claim 1 further comprising enabling a buyer of an identified animal to review a record of the identified animal that includes a location identifier for a location of the identified animal when owned by a seller and that the identified animal occupied a previous location without disclosing a previous location identifier.

15. The method according to claim 1 further comprising entering into the computer system the identification of each animal from a physical identifier selected from the group of an RFID device, retinal scan, DNA profile, visual device, bar code device, brand, and combinations thereof

16. The method according to claim 15 wherein the REID device is recyclable.

17. The method according to claim 15 wherein the RFID device is an RFID ear tag, RFID implant, RFID bolus, or combinations thereof.

18. The method according to claim 15 further comprising entering into the computer system multiple identifiers for the identified animal.

19. The method according to claim 18 wherein the multiple identifiers include an REID device, a visual device and a DNA profile.

20. The method according to claim 19 wherein the REID device is an ear tag.

21. The method according to claim 15 further comprising enabling a buyer of an identified animal to review a record of the identified animal that includes a location identifier for a seller location of the animal and that the identified animal occupied a previous location without disclosing a previous location identifier.

22. The method according to claim 1 further comprising entering into the computer system data for animals commingled from different locations.

23. The method according to claim 22 further comprising identifying in the computer system a subsequently identified animal that shared a location with an initially identified animal.

24. The method according to claim 23 further comprising entering into the computer system the identification of each identified animal from a physical identifier selected from the group of RFID device, retinal scan, DNA profile, visual device, bar code device, brand, and combinations thereof.

25. The method according to claim 24 further comprising entering into the computer system multiple identifiers for each identified animal.

26. The method according to claim 25 wherein the multiple identifiers include an RFID ear tag, a visual device and a DNA profile.

27. The method according to claim 1 wherein the location data comprises location data generated by a GPS device.

28. The method according to claim 1 where the computer system includes a feedlot business system (FBS) computer capable of performing feedlot accounting functions.

29. The method according to claim 28 where the computer system further comprises a computerized animal drug inventory control and animal health history and drug treatment system, a computerized feed additive delivery system, a computerized bunk reader system, or each and every combination thereof.

8. The method according to 5 wherein requesting a trace report from a data trustee comprises:

determining an animal identifier for the diseased animal;

performing a data look-up in a public sector database to retrieve a data record address that stores diseased animal data; and

retrieving the diseased animal data from the data trustee using the data record address.

9. The method according to claim 8 wherein generating the trace report comprises:

performing a search on official and non-official data stored at the data trustee for location history data, wherein the search is performed using the animal identifier of the diseased animal;

compiling the location history data for the diseased animal;

comparing the location history data of the diseased animal to the identified animals; and

generating a report of shared locations where the diseased animal commingled with the identified animals and wherein non-official information is filtered from the report.