EP0758752A1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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An implement for localizing an animal
Assignee: Maasland NV
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Filing: 1996-08-06
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2016-08-06
Abstract
Abstract The invention relates to an implement for localizing animals, such as cows. Said implement comprises localizing means (8, 11, 13, 14, 17, 18) for tracing the location of an animal selected out of the group of animals. By means of acoustic and/or optic signals, supplied by the localizing means (8, 11, 13, 14, 17, 18), there is obtained an indication regarding the location of the relevant animal. The localizing means (8, 11, 13, 14, 17, 18) comprise at least one transmitter and receiver unit. The transmitter and receiver unit is adapted to read out a code of a responder (11) of a cow identification system and thus to determine the location of the animal.
Inventors
- 👤 Olaf Van Der Lely
- 👤 Alexander Van Der Lely
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-07 14:15
CPC Classifications
A; A01; A01K; A01K11/00; A01K11/006; A01K11/008; A01K29/00; A01K29/005; G; G01; G01S; G01S13/00; G01S13/87; G01S13/878; G01S13/88; G01S15/00; G01S15/87; G01S15/876
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
59 words
An implement for localizing animals, such as cows, characterized in that the implement comprises localizing means (8, 11, 13, 14, 17, 18) for tracing the location of an animal (10) selected out of the group of animals and whereby by means of acoustic and/or optic signals an indication can be obtained regarding the location of the selected animal (10).
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
27 words
An implement as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the localizing means (8, 11, 13, 14, 17, 18) comprise one or more transmitter and receiver units.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
29 words
An implement as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the receiver unit is adapted to read out a code of a responder (11) of a cow identification system.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
83 words
An implement as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that the localizing means (8, 11, 13, 14, 17, 18) comprise a number of lamps (8), which are arranged in the neighbourhood of the animals and whereby the lamp (8) arranged in the immediate vicinity of an animal (10) to be traced is activated by the responder (11) of the relevant animal as soon as an operating person retrieves the location of the animal (10) by means of the transmitter unit.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
38 words
An implement as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that at least one lamp (8) is designed as a searchlight, by means of which a beam of light is focussed automatically on the animal (10) to be traced.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
85 words
An implement as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the localizing means (8, 11, 13, 14, 17, 18) comprise a number of loudspeakers, which are arranged in the neighbourhood of the animals and/or are disposed on the animals and whereby the loudspeaker arranged in the immediate vicinity of an animal to be localized and/or disposed on the animal is activated by the animal's responder as soon as an operating person retrieves the animal's location by means of the transmitter unit.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
27 words
An implement as claimed in claim 4, 5 or 6, characterized in that the lamps and/or loudspeakers are fixed to the ceiling (9) of a cowshed (1).
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
76 words
An implement as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the localizing means (8, 11, 13, 14, 17, 18) comprise sensors (14), arranged in a grid pattern in the neighbourhood of the animals, and whereby the sensor (14) disposed in the vicinity of an animal (10) to be traced supplies a signal to a computer (13), after which the computer (13) shows the position of a relevant animal (10) on a display.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
23 words
An implement as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that the sensors (14) are disposed on the ceiling (9) of the cowshed (1).
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
47 words
An implement as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the localizing means (8, 11, 13, 14, 17, 18) comprise a movable transmitter and receiver unit (17), by means of which a responder (11) of an animal to be traced can be localized.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
67 words
An implement as claimed in claim 10, characterized in that the movable transmitter and receiver unit (17) includes a directional aerial (18), while the movable transmitter and receiver unit (17) supplies acoustic and/or optic signals, which intensify as the directional aerial (18) is moved further in the direction of the responder (11) and the distance between the responder (11) and the transmitter and receiver unit (17) decreases.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
57 words
An implement as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the localizing means (8, 11, 13, 14, 17, 18) are connected with the computer (13) of a milking robot (4) in such a way that the location of an animal put on the attention list by the computer (13) can immediately be determined.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
22 words
An implement as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the localizing means comprise a Global Positioning System.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
20 words
An implement as claimed in any one of the preceding claims and/or as represented in the accompanying description and drawings.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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