Granted Patent B2

US 12,635,673 · App. 18/575,735 · Granted May 26, 2026

Inventor: Peter Bahlenberg (Tumba, SE)

Assignee: DeLaval Holding AB

A01K29/005A01K11/006A61D17/002

Abstract

Claims (70)

1 . A system ( 100 ) for determining a respective walked distance of animals ( 101 , 102 , 103 ) within a barn ( 200 ) during a predetermined time period, the barn being divided into a plurality of areas, the system ( 100 ) comprising:

a tag ( 110 ) associated with each of the animals ( 101 , 102 , 103 ), each said tag ( 110 ) comprising:

a memory ( 530 ) storing a tag identity;

a radio transmitter ( 520 ); and

a processing device ( 510 ) configured to transmit a radio signal via the radio transmitter ( 520 ), repeatedly at a regular time interval; wherein each said radio signal comprises the tag identity;

a processing controller ( 150 );

a database ( 140 ), comprising historical trajectories ( 430 ) of the animals ( 101 , 102 , 103 ), associated with respective said animals ( 101 , 102 , 103 ), wherein each of the historical trajectories ( 430 ) comprises position coordinates;

a positioning controller ( 130 ); and

at least three receivers ( 120 a , 120 b , 120 c ), each of the receivers positioned at a respective predetermined position in the barn ( 200 ), each of the receivers configured to:

receive the transmitted radio signals; and

communicate information related to the received radio signals with the positioning controller ( 130 );

wherein the positioning controller ( 130 ) is configured to repeatedly:

obtain the information related to the received radio signals, received from the respective receivers ( 120 a , 120 b , 120 c ), for each said tag identity;

calculate a set of said position coordinates of the tag ( 110 ) comprising the respective said tag identity based on the information related to the received radio signals of the radio transmitter ( 520 ) received by the receivers ( 120 a , 120 b , 120 c );

provide data entities ( 301 ), each data entity ( 301 ) comprising the calculated position coordinates of the tag ( 110 ) associated with a timestamp and/or an index number to the processing controller ( 150 ); and

wherein the processing controller ( 150 ) is configured to:

determine the walked distance of a given said animal ( 101 ) associated with the tag ( 110 ) comprising the tag identity by estimating a walked trajectory ( 450 ) during the predetermined time period, by:

detecting whether a gap ( 420 ) exceeding a threshold time, of a plurality of missing or incomplete said data entities ( 301 ) in sequence among the obtained data entities ( 301 ) exists;

if the gap is not detected,

establishing the walked trajectory ( 450 ) based on the obtained data entities ( 301 ), and

storing the established walked trajectory ( 450 ) in the database ( 140 ) associated with the given said animal ( 101 ),

if the gap is detected,

establishing the walked trajectory ( 450 ) by inserting a replacement distance data in the detected gap ( 420 ) exceeding the threshold time, of a plurality of the missing or incomplete data entities ( 301 ) in sequence among the obtained data entities ( 301 ), by

 determining an area ( 440 ) of the barn ( 200 ) wherein the gap ( 420 ) exceeding the threshold time, of a plurality of the missing or incomplete data entities ( 301 ) in sequence among the obtained data entities ( 301 ) is detected;

 determining a segment of the historical trajectories ( 430 ) associated with said position coordinates within the area ( 440 ); and

 obtaining the replacement distance data based on the determined segment of the historical trajectories ( 430 ) in the area ( 440 ); and

storing the established walked trajectory ( 450 ) in the database ( 140 ) associated with the given said animal ( 101 ); wherein a length of the established walked trajectory ( 450 ) is determined to be the walked distance of the given said animal ( 101 ).

2 . The system ( 100 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the processing controller ( 150 ) is configured to:

obtain the replacement distance data by calculating an average of segments of the historical trajectories ( 430 ) associated with said position coordinates within the area ( 440 ).

3 . The system ( 100 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the historical trajectories ( 430 ) extracted from the database ( 140 ) relates to the same individual animal ( 101 ).

4 . The system ( 100 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the historical trajectories ( 430 ) extracted from the database ( 140 ) relates to a plurality of said animals ( 101 , 102 , 103 ) in the barn ( 200 ).

5 . The system ( 100 ) according to claim 1 ,

wherein the barn is configured with walls and movement restrictions,

wherein the database ( 140 ) comprises a virtual representation ( 300 ) of the barn ( 200 ) wherein the walls and movement restrictions ( 210 , 220 , 230 ) of the barn ( 200 ) have a corresponding virtual restriction ( 310 , 320 , 330 ) with corresponding positions; and

wherein the processing controller ( 150 ) is configured to insert the replacement distance data in the detected gap ( 420 ) exceeding the threshold time, of a plurality of the missing or incomplete data entities ( 301 ) in sequence among the obtained data entities ( 301 ), based on knowledge about positions of movement restrictions ( 210 , 220 , 230 ) in the barn ( 200 ), extracted from the database ( 140 ).

6 . The system ( 100 ) according to claim 5 , wherein the processing controller ( 150 ) is configured to, when the gap ( 420 ) exceeding the threshold time, of a plurality of the missing or incomplete data entities ( 301 ) in sequence among the obtained data entities ( 301 ) is detected:

determine a segment of the movement restrictions ( 310 , 320 , 330 ) corresponding with the area ( 440 ) of the barn ( 200 ) wherein the gap ( 420 ) exceeding the threshold time, of a plurality of the missing or incomplete data entities ( 301 ) in sequence among the obtained data entities ( 301 ) is detected; and

obtain the replacement distance data based on the determined segment of the movement restrictions ( 310 , 320 , 330 ) in the area ( 440 ).

7 . The system ( 100 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the processing controller ( 150 ) is configured to:

compare the determined walked distance of the animal ( 101 ) with a threshold walked distance and conclude that the animal ( 101 ) is in heat when the threshold walked distance is exceeded.

8 . The system ( 100 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the radio transmitter ( 520 ) is configured to transmit the radio signal in an Ultra-Wide Band.

9 . The system ( 100 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the threshold length of the gap ( 420 ) exceeding the threshold time, of a plurality of the missing or incomplete data entities ( 301 ) in sequence among the obtained data entities ( 301 ) corresponds to at least 10 seconds.

10 . The system ( 100 ) according to claim 1 , further comprising an output device ( 160 ); and wherein the processing controller ( 150 ) is configured to:

output a representation of the determined walked distance of the animal ( 101 ) on the output device ( 160 ).

11 . A system ( 100 ) for determining a respective walked distance of animals ( 101 , 102 , 103 ) within a barn ( 200 ) during a predetermined time period, the barn being configured with walls and movement restrictions, the system ( 100 ) comprising:

a tag ( 110 ) associated with each of the animals ( 101 , 102 , 103 ), each said tag ( 110 ) comprising:

a memory ( 530 ) storing a tag identity;

a radio transmitter ( 520 ); and

a processing device ( 510 ) configured to transmit a radio signal via the radio transmitter ( 520 ), repeatedly at a regular time interval; wherein each said radio signal comprises the tag identity;

a processing controller ( 150 );

a database ( 140 ), comprising historical trajectories ( 430 ) of the animals ( 101 , 102 , 103 ), associated with respective said animals ( 101 , 102 , 103 ), wherein each of the historical trajectories ( 430 ) comprises position coordinates;

a positioning controller ( 130 ); and

at least three receivers ( 120 a , 120 b , 120 c ), each of the receivers positioned at a respective predetermined position in the barn ( 200 ), each of the receivers configured to:

receive the transmitted radio signals; and

communicate information related to the received radio signals with the positioning controller ( 130 );

wherein the positioning controller ( 130 ) is configured to repeatedly:

obtain the information related to the received radio signals, received from the respective receivers ( 120 a , 120 b , 120 c ), for each said tag identity;

calculate a set of said position coordinates of the tag ( 110 ) comprising the respective said tag identity based on the information related to the received radio signals of the radio transmitter ( 520 ) received by the receivers ( 120 a , 120 b , 120 c );

provide data entities ( 301 ), each data entity ( 301 ) comprising the calculated position coordinates of the tag ( 110 ) associated with a timestamp and/or an index number to the processing controller ( 150 ); and

wherein the processing controller ( 150 ) is configured to:

determine the walked distance of a given said animal ( 101 ) associated with the tag ( 110 ) comprising the tag identity by estimating a walked trajectory ( 450 ) during the predetermined time period, by:

detecting whether a gap ( 420 ) exceeding a threshold time, of a plurality of missing or incomplete said data entities ( 301 ) in sequence among the obtained data entities ( 301 ) exists;

if the gap is not detected,

establishing the walked trajectory ( 450 ) based on the obtained data entities ( 301 ), and

storing the established walked trajectory ( 450 ) in the database ( 140 ) associated with the given said animal ( 101 ), and

if the gap is detected, establishing the walked trajectory ( 450 ) by inserting a replacement distance data in the detected gap ( 420 ) exceeding the threshold time, of a plurality of the missing or incomplete data entities ( 301 ) in sequence among the obtained data entities ( 301 ), based on historical trajectories ( 430 ) extracted from the database, and

wherein the database ( 140 ) comprises a virtual representation ( 300 ) of the barn ( 200 ) wherein the walls and movement restrictions ( 210 , 220 , 230 ) of the barn ( 200 ) have a corresponding virtual restriction ( 310 , 320 , 330 ) with corresponding positions; and wherein the processing controller ( 150 ) is configured to insert the replacement distance data in the detected gap ( 420 ) exceeding the threshold time, of a plurality of the missing or incomplete data entities ( 301 ) in sequence among the obtained data entities ( 301 ), based on knowledge about positions of movement restrictions ( 210 , 220 , 230 ) in the barn ( 200 ), extracted from the database ( 140 ).

12 . The system ( 100 ) according to claim 11 , wherein the processing controller ( 150 ) is configured to, when the gap ( 420 ) exceeding the threshold time, of a plurality of the missing or incomplete data entities ( 301 ) in sequence among the obtained data entities ( 301 ) is detected:

determine a segment of the movement restrictions ( 310 , 320 , 330 ) corresponding with the area ( 440 ) of the barn ( 200 ) wherein the gap ( 420 ) exceeding the threshold time, of a plurality of the missing or incomplete data entities ( 301 ) in sequence among the obtained data entities ( 301 ) is detected; and

obtain the replacement distance data based on the determined segment of the movement restrictions ( 310 , 320 , 330 ) in the area ( 440 ).

Assignments (1)

Priority Claims (1)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (53)