Unmanned vehicle comprising a protection device

• US 9,622,452 B2
• Filed: 04/15/2011
• Issued: 04/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lely Patent N.V. (Lely)
• Original Assignee: Lely Patent N.V. (Lely)
• Inventors: Van Den Berg, Karel, Van Meurs, Matthew, Van Kuilenburg, Jan Martinus
• Primary Examiner(s): WALTERS, JOHN DANIEL
• Application Number:
  US13/087,406
• Publication Number:
  US 20110185975A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,195 Days
• Field of Search: 180169, 180271, 180274, 701 23- 28, 15319, 153401
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 1/01 Removal of dung or urine, e.g. from stablesA01K1/015 takes precedence; from poultry houses A01K31/04
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 1/105 Movable feed barriers, slides or fences
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 15/029 Electric or similar shock devices, e.g. prods
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 5/0266 with stable trolleys, e.g. suspended

Abstract

Unmanned vehicle to carry out an animal-related action, provided with a frame and a control device to control the vehicle and a locomotion device to move the unmanned vehicle, and with a protective device to protect the vehicle against obstacles, wherein the protective device includes a touchable electrical conductor which extends on the outside of, advantageously around, the vehicle, and a voltage source to supply voltage to the conductor under the control of the control device.

Claims

1. An unmanned vehicle to carry out an animal-related action, comprising:

a frame,

a control device to control the vehicle,

a locomotion device to move the unmanned vehicle, and

a protective device to protect the vehicle against obstacles,

wherein the protective device comprises a touchable electrical conductor which extends on the outside of the vehicle, and a voltage source to supply voltage to the conductor under the control of the control device, and

wherein the control device is configured to activate the voltage source during performance of a predetermined action,

wherein the electrical conductor extends around the vehicle.

2. The unmanned vehicle according to claim 1, comprising a bumper in which the conductor is disposed.

3. The unmanned vehicle according to claim 1, comprising a plurality of conductors which extend over a part of the circumference of the vehicle, and which are configured to be supplied with voltage by the voltage source, independently from one another and under the control of the control device.

4. The unmanned vehicle according to claim 3, configured to be supplied with voltage by the voltage source depending on the animal-related action or a driving manoeuvre.

5. The unmanned vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle comprises an orientation mechanism to at least one of:

follow a route in space and determine the position of the vehicle in a space.

6. The unmanned vehicle according to claim 5, wherein the space is a stable or a pasture.

7. The unmanned vehicle according to claim 5, wherein the control device is configured to de-activate the voltage source depending on the determined position.

8. The unmanned vehicle according to claim 7, wherein the control device is configured to activate the voltage source on only a predetermined part of the route.

9. The unmanned vehicle according to claim 8, wherein the control device is configured to activate the voltage source if the orientation mechanism determines that the unmanned vehicle is located on the predetermined part of the route.

10. The unmanned vehicle according to claim 5, wherein the orientation mechanism comprises a floor-detection mechanism to at least one of detect openings in the floor and to detect a guide in the floor.

11. The unmanned vehicle according to claim 10, wherein the guide comprises at least one of:

a core rod in the concrete, an electrically conducting wire, an ultrasound detector, an optical detector and a GPS detector.

12. The unmanned vehicle according to claim 5, wherein the orientation mechanism comprises a wall-following mechanism to detect and follow a wall.

13. The unmanned vehicle according to claim 12, wherein the wall comprises a fixed stable wall or the edge of a lying box.

14. The unmanned vehicle according to claim 1, comprising a detection mechanism to detect an object within a predetermined distance from the vehicle.

15. The unmanned vehicle according to claim 14, wherein the detection mechanism comprises a contact detector which is disposed in the bumper.

16. The unmanned vehicle according to claim 15, wherein the control device is configured to activate the voltage source if the contact detector detects a contact.

17. The unmanned vehicle according to claim 14, wherein the control device is configured to activate the voltage source if an object is detected within the predetermined distance.

18. The unmanned vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the control device is remotely controllable.

19. The unmanned vehicle according to claim 1, comprising a manure-removal mechanism.

20. The unmanned vehicle according to claim 1, comprising at least one of a feed-pushing mechanism and a feed trough.