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

• US 8,505,488 B2
• Filed: 07/30/2012
• Issued: 08/13/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MWI Veterinary Supply Incorporated
• Original Assignee: MWI Veterinary Supply Incorporated
• Inventors: Pratt, William C.
• Primary Examiner(s): PRICE JR, RICHARD THOMAS
• Application Number:
  US13/562,117
• Publication Number:
  US 20130113622A1
• Time in Patent Office: 379 Days
• Field of Search: 119 1401- 1403, 119/51.01, 119/51.02, 119/174, 119/906
• 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. Identification data and location data for animals is entered into a computer system. A data service provider may collect this data and transmit it to a data trustee. The data trustee may filter the data into official and non-official data, and send official data to an official database. When a public health issue arises, the government may use an identifier for a diseased animal or a location identifier to request a trace report. 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 animals can be treated, quarantined, or slaughtered. The disclosed embodiments also may be used to facilitate commercial transactions by providing data that validates an animal'"'"'s health and food quality.

Claims

1. A system for tracking an animal, comprising:

a physical identifier to transmit animal data for an identified animal, wherein at least a portion of the animal data comprises an animal identifier;

a data reader to read transmitted animal data from the physical identifier;

a GPS device for transmitting location data for the identified animal;

a data service provider to store received data from the data reader, wherein the data service provider adds to the animal data a premises identifier that corresponds to a location, wherein the data service provider correlates the animal data according to an animal identification value; and

a data trustee to receive at least a portion of the animal data from the data service provider, wherein the data trustee is configured to

store received animal data,

apply a filter to the stored animal data to filter confidential information from the received animal data, thereby providing filtered data including the animal identifier, wherein the confidential information includes the premises identifier,

receive a request for a trace report, wherein the request includes the animal identifier, a data record address corresponding to the stored animal data, or a combination thereof, and

generate a trace report based on the received animal data, wherein the trace report lists one or more locations that the identified animal has occupied without disclosing the premises identifier; and

a database maintained by the data trustee.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a computer system comprising one or more various computers, the computer system configured to:

store characteristic data concerning an individual animal;

correlate the characteristic data with the animal identifier; and

transmit at least a portion of the characteristic data to the data service provider.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a premises allocator configured to provide the premises identifier, a premises identifier repository, an animal identification repository, or any combination thereof.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a web-based interface for correcting the trace report.

5. The system of claim 1, where the data trustee further is configured to transmit to a government-accessible database at least a portion of the filtered data including the animal identifier and the data record address.

6. The system of claim 1, where the data trustee further is configured to:

apply a filter to separate the animal data into official data and non-official data;

transmit the official data to an official database; and

subsequently filter the official data to provide the filtered data.

7. The system of claim 6, further comprising the official database.

8. The system of claim 6, further comprising a secured database in which the non-official data is stored.

9. A method for tracking an animal, comprising:

receiving, by a data trustee, animal data and an animal identifier for an identified animal, wherein the animal data comprises location data including a premises identifier for a location presently or previously occupied by the identified animal;

storing the animal data and the animal identifier in a database maintained by the data trustee;

filtering confidential information from the animal data to provide filtered data, wherein the confidential information includes the premises identifier;

transmitting to a government-accessible database at least a portion of the filtered data including the animal identifier and a data record address corresponding to the stored animal data for the identified animal;

receiving a request for a trace report for the identified animal, wherein the request comprises the data record address for the identified animal;

generating a trace report for the identified animal that lists the location that the identified animal has occupied without disclosing the premises identifier; and

providing the trace report to an authorized user.

10. The method of claim 9 where the trace report further comprises a date the identified animal lived at the location, a group identifier associated with the identified animal when the identified animal lived at the location, or both.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the location data includes premises identifiers for a plurality of locations presently or previously occupied by the identified animal, and wherein the trace report lists locations that the identified animal has occupied without disclosing the premises identifiers.

12. The method of claim 9 where generating the trace report further comprises:

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

generating a report of shared locations where the identified animal commingled with other animals.

13. The method of claim 12 where the trace report includes animal identifiers for the other animals that commingled with the identified animal.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

applying, by the data trustee, a filter to separate the animal data into official data and non-official data;

transmitting the official data to an official database; and

subsequently filtering confidential information from the official data to provide the filtered data.

15. The method of claim 14 where the official data comprises a premises identifier for each location occupied by the identified animal, a group identifier, a lot identifier, a date and time the identified animal was at a premises, when a tag was allocated to the identified animal, when a tag was applied to the identified animal, when a tag for the identified animal was lost, when a tag for the identified animal was replaced, when the identified animal was moved into a premises, when the identified animal was moved out of a premises, when the identified animal was imported or exported, sightings of the identified animal, when the identified animal was slaughtered or died, veterinarian inspections, drug information for the identified animal, or any combination thereof.

16. The method of claim 14 where the non-official data comprises height, weight, size, age, sex, species, color, feed type, or any combination thereof.

17. The method of claim 9 where the animal data and the animal identifier are received from an animal producer or a data service provider.

18. A method for tracking an animal, comprising:

receiving an animal;

storing in a computer system a unique animal identifier for the animal from a physical identifier for the animal;

entering into the computer system animal data relating to the identified animal and correlating the animal data with the animal identifier in the computer system;

entering into the computer system location data for the identified animal for a location occupied by the animal, wherein the location data includes a premises identifier;

correlating, by the computer system, the location data for the identified animal with the animal identifier;

transmitting, by the computer system, data for the identified animal to a data trustee comprising a database-and storing the data in the database, wherein the data comprises at least the animal identifier and the premises identifier;

transmitting, by the data trustee, to a government-accessible database filtered data including the animal identifier and a data record address corresponding to the data stored for the identified animal in the data trustee database, wherein filtered data is obtained by applying a data filter to filter confidential information including at least the premises identifier from the stored data;

receiving, by the data trustee, a request for a trace report for the identified animal, wherein the request comprises the data record address for the identified animal;

generating, by the data trustee, a trace report for the identified animal that lists one or more locations that the identified animal has occupied without disclosing the premises identifier; and

enabling an authorized user to view the trace report.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising entering into the computer system a group identifier for the animal.

20. The method of claim 19 where the group identifier for the animal represents a feed pen where the animal is contained, a premises arrival date for the animal, or a combination thereof.