METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PREDICTING CALVING
A method and a system for predicting a calving date of an animal comprises monitoring a behavioral pattern of an animal, determining a given change in the behavioral pattern, and predicting the calving date responsive to the given change in the behavioral pattern.
1 . A method for predicting a calving date of an animal, the method comprising:
monitoring a behavioral pattern of an animal based on a pattern of leg postures of the animal with a calving sensing device configured and adapted to be attached to a leg of an animal;
determining a given change in the behavioral pattern while the calving sensing device is positioned on the leg; and
predicting the calving date responsive to the given change in the behavioral pattern.
2 . The method according to claim 1 wherein the behavioral pattern is an activity pattern.
3 . (canceled)
4 . The method according to claim 2 wherein monitoring the activity pattern of the animal includes monitoring at least one of a laying time of the animal, and a laying frequency of the animal.
5 . (canceled)
6 . The method according to claim 2 wherein monitoring the activity pattern of the animal includes monitoring at least one of a number of leg movements of the animal, and a number of leg movements per hour of the animal.
7 . (canceled)
8 . The method according to claim 2 wherein monitoring the activity pattern of the animal includes monitoring a standing time of the animal.
9 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein monitoring the behavioral pattern of the animal includes monitoring a frequency of passes by a central communication unit.
10 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein monitoring the behavioral pattern of the animal is performed at a specified time period of a day.
11 . The method according to claim 2 , wherein the given change in the activity pattern comprises a change in at least one of a laying time of the animal, and a change in a laying frequency of the animal.
12 . (canceled)
13 . The method according to claim 2 , wherein the given change in the activity pattern comprises a change in at least one of a number of leg movements of the animal and a number of leg movements per hour of the animal.
14 . (canceled)
15 . The method according to claim 2 , wherein the given change in the activity pattern comprises a change in a standing time of the animal.
16 . The method according to claim 2 , wherein the given change in the activity pattern is a change in a ratio of a number of leg movements of the animal and a laying time of the animal.
17 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the given change in the behavioral pattern is a change in the behavioral pattern over a day divided by an average of the behavioral pattern over a number of previous days.
18 . The method according claim 1 , wherein the given change in the behavioral pattern is a change in the behavioral pattern over a day divided by a standard deviation of the behavioral pattern over a number of previous days.
19 . The method according claim 1 , wherein the given change in the behavioral pattern is a change in the frequency that the animal passes by a central communication unit.
20 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the given change is a change over a defined threshold.
21 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the calving date is predicted as being a day after the given change in the behavioral pattern.
22 . (canceled)
23 . The method according to claim 1 wherein the calving sensing device is operative to sense a tilt in an orientation of the leg of the animal.
24 . The method according to claim 23 wherein the calving sensing device includes a tip-over switch.
25 . The method according to claim 24 wherein the tip-over switch is omni-directional.
26 . The method according to claim 24 wherein the calving sensing device includes an ID tag.
27 . The method according to claim 1 comprising transmitting a monitored behavioral pattern to a central communication unit.
28 . A system for predicting a calving date of an animal comprising:
a calving sensing device configured and adapted to be attached to a leg of an animal and operative to monitor a behavioral pattern of the animal based on a pattern of leg postures of the animal while positioned on the leg of the animal; and
a processing unit operative to predict the calving date based on the behavioral pattern of the animal.
29 . The system according to claim 28 wherein the behavioral pattern is an activity pattern.
30 . The system according to claim 28 wherein the calving sensing device is operative to sense a laying time of the animal.
31 . The system according to claim 28 wherein the calving sensing device is operative to sense a number of leg movements of the animal.
32 . The system according to claim 28 wherein the calving sensing device includes at least one tilt switch to sense an orientation of the leg of the animal.
33 . The system according to claim 32 wherein the tilt switch is a tip-over switch.
34 . The system according to claim 33 wherein the tip-over switch is omni-directional.
35 . The system according to claim 33 , wherein the tilt switch is configured to sense laying time.
36 . The system according to claim 33 , wherein the tilt switch is configured to sense number of leg movements.
37 . The system according to claim 28 comprising a pedometer.
38 . The system according to claim 37 wherein the pedometer and the calving sensing device are integrated into a single housing.
39 . The system according to claim 28 comprising a central communication unit, central communication unit comprising a central receiver to receive data from one or more of the calving sensor devices.
40 . The system according to claim 39 wherein the central communication unit includes a central transmitter operative to transmit a signal to the calving sensing device.
41 . The system according to claim 40 wherein the signal operative to be transmitted to the calving sensing device is operative to wake-up the calving sensing device.
42 . The system according to claim 39 wherein the central receiver is an RF receiver.
43 . The system according to claim 39 , wherein the central communication unit is configured to be positioned in a passage way through which the animal passes at least once a day.
44 . The system according to claim 39 , wherein the central communication unit is configured to communicate with the calving sensing device at a distance of approximately 30 cm or less.
45 . The system according to claim 39 comprising a central processing unit, the central processing unit comprising:
a central processor operative to predict a calving data based the behavioral pattern of the animal; and
a central interface unit operative to relay information to a user regarding a prediction date for calving.
46 . The system according to claim 45 wherein the central processing unit comprises a personal computer operative to communicate with a central communication unit and to process data received from the central communication unit.
47 . The system according to claim 45 comprising a plurality of central communication units in communication with a single central processing unit.
48 . The system according to claim 45 , wherein the central processing unit is to display data corresponding to calving date prediction.
49 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the calving date is predicted as being at least 8 hours after the change in the behavioral pattern and within a day after the change in the behavioral pattern.
50 . The method according to claim 1 , comprising indicating that calving is to occur within 8 to 24 hours or within a pre-determined time range between 8-24 hours.
51 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the predicting occurs between 8 to 24 hours prior to the calving date predicted.
52 . The system according to claim 28 , wherein the processing unit is operative to predict that calving is to occur within 8 to 24 hours or within a pre-determined time range between 8-24 hours.