Determining the location of an animal
Approaches for determining a location of an animal based on RSSI. An embodiment includes a method, comprising: receiving a first reading of an electronic animal identification tag attached to an animal from a first electronic tag reader; calculating a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) for the first reading; and determining a location of the animal based on the RSSI. Another embodiment includes a method, comprising: receiving a first reading of a first electronic animal identification tag attached to a first animal; calculating a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) for the first reading; receiving a second reading of a second 10 electronic animal identification tag attached to a second animal; calculating an RSSI for the second reading; and determining the location of the first animal based on the RSSI of the first reading and the RSSI of the second reading.
1. A method, comprising:
(a) receiving, from a plurality of electronic tag readers located within a plurality of animal races, a plurality of readings of an electronic animal identification tag attached to an animal, wherein a given electronic tag reader of the plurality of electronic tag readers is allocated to a given race of the plurality of animal races,
and wherein the readings of at least one electronic tag reader of the electronic tag readers is provided with a weight based on the electronic reader's reliability;
(b) calculating a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) for each of the plurality of readings; and
(c) determining within which race, of the plurality of races, the animal attached to a given electronic animal identification tag is located;
wherein the determination is based, at least in part, on a combination of the weighted readings and the calculated received signal strength indicator.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining within which race the animal is located is further based on one or more of:
a configuration of the electronic tag readers;
a configuration of other infrastructure, other than the electronic tag readers;
the output of one or more physical sensors;
a previous location of the electronic animal identification tag; or
a time since a last determination of the location of the animal.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein each reading of the plurality of readings comprises an animal identifier.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein a shield is provided between neighbouring races of the plurality of races.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of races are in a multiple-race tag reader system, and wherein, after all animals have passed through the tag reader system, the readings are analysed to determine the race through which the animal passed.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the readings are analysed after some delay to determine within which race, of the plurality of races, the animal attached to a given electronic animal identification tag is located.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining within which race the animal is located is further based on a time since a last determination of the race of the animal.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the weight is independent of the RSSIs.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reliability of a given reader is determined based on technical or structural differences between the plurality of electronic tag readers.
10. An electronic tag reading system, comprising:
a plurality of animal races;
a plurality of animals;
at least one electronic animal identification tag attached to each of the plurality of animals;
a plurality of electronic tag readers located within a the plurality of animal races, wherein a given electronic tag reader of the plurality of electronic tag readers is allocated to a given race of the plurality of animal races; and
a controller communicatively connected to the plurality of electronic tag readers;
wherein the system is configured to perform a method comprising:
receiving, from the plurality of electronic tag readers, a plurality of readings of an electronic animal identification tag attached to the animal, wherein the readings of at least one electronic tag reader of the plurality of electronic tag readers is provided with a weight based on the electronic tag reader's reliability;
calculating a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) for each of the plurality of readings; and
determining within which race of the plurality of races, the animal attached to a given electronic animal identification tag is located;
wherein the determination of which race is based, at least in part, on a combination of the weighted readings and the calculated received signal strength indicator.
11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the reliability of a given reader is determined based on technical or structural differences between the plurality of electronic tag readers.
12. The system of claim 10 , wherein the determination of within which race the animal is located is further based on one or more of:
a configuration of the electronic tag readers;
a configuration of other infrastructure, other than the electronic tag readers;
the output of one or more physical sensors;
a previous location of the electronic animal identification tag; or
a time since a last determination of the location of the animal.