Animal identification, measurement, monitoring and management system

摘要

A highly automated system and method for acquiring animal consumption and behavior data including stations where consumables are fed to animals. The stations being equipped with RFID equipment for reading RFID tags in close proximity to the station, and weighing devices for measuring the weight of the consumables. The RFID equipment and the weighing device are connected to a computer which calculates the weight of the trough at specific times by using weight data collected before and after the specified time to enhance the accuracy of the weight measurement. The computer uses a “mathematical weighted filter technique” to estimate the weight of the trough before and after a consumption event. The computer uses a method to divide the reduction/increase in weighed matter between the RFID tag last seen and the next RFID tag appearing, providing the reduction/increase in matter is less than a specified amount.

主权项

1. A method for automated acquisition of animal consumption data utilizing a system comprising a plurality of consumption stations with each of the plurality of consumption stations comprising a separate radio frequency identification detection antenna, a separate feed trough for containing a desired amount of feed, an associated weighing device for weighing at least the feed contained within the feed trough, and at least one control panel being coupled to each of the radio frequency identification detection antennas and the weighing devices for receiving data therefrom, and the at least one control panel being coupled to a processing computer for processing the collected data, the method comprising the steps of:
measuring a weight of the feed contained within the feed trough with the associated weighing device; periodically transmitting weight measurement data from each of the separate weighing devices to the processing computer; periodically transmitting identification data from each of the separate detection antenna to the processing computer; collecting and storing the weight measurement data and the identification data together with time stamp information indicating when the weight measurement data and the identification data was collected; eliminating, with the computer, inaccurate weight measurements of the feed from the stored weight measurement data prior to processing of the stored weight measurement data; processing the stored weight measurement data once a sufficient amount of data is collected to determine subsequently a starting weight of the feed within the feed trough and an end weight of the feed within the feed trough in order to determine an amount of feed consumed by the animal during a consumption event to monitor multiple behavior, health and efficiency parameters animal.