Patent Application
20220159933
The present disclosure relates generally to devices, systems, and methods for managing livestock, and more specifically to devices, systems, and methods for livestock monitoring.
Monitoring livestock can provide valuable information regarding various livestock assets. Livestock information can be applied to benefit the health and well-being of the assets, and/or improve efficiency of livestock activities.
For example, monitoring livestock for breeding-related information can provide improved likelihood of healthy breeding. However, accurately monitoring livestock assets can present challenges in obtaining cost-effective, accurate information.
The present disclosure may comprise one or more of the following features and combinations thereof.
According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a method of operating a mobile platform for monitoring breeding periods of livestock including receiving indication of mount activity of an individual asset of livestock, determining an optimal breeding time of the individual asset of livestock based on the received indication of mount activity, and presenting, on a display screen, the optimal breeding time of the individual asset of livestock to a user.
In some embodiments, receiving indication of mount activity of an individual asset of livestock may include receiving indication of time of mounting activity of the individual asset of livestock. Determining an optimal breeding time of the individual asset of livestock may include determining a time in the future based on the time of mount activity as the optimal breeding time for the individual asset of livestock. Determining the time in the future based on the time of mount activity may include forecasting the time in the future as the optimal breeding time. Determining the time in the future based on the time of mounting activity as the optimal breeding time for the individual asset of livestock may include determining a window of time as the optimal breeding time for the individual asset of livestock. Determining the time in the future based on the time of mounting activity as the optimal breeding time for the individual asset of livestock may include defining a beginning of the optimal breeding time by a predetermined period after the time of mounting activity of the individual asset of livestock.
In some embodiments, receiving indication of mount activity may include receiving indication of one or more mount incidents of the individual asset of livestock. Each indication of one or more mount incidents of the individual asset of livestock may include indication of time of the respective mount incident. Presenting may include presenting an indication of each mount incident to the user. Presenting may include indicating to the user one or more of the mount incidents as being presently selected for consideration in determining the optimal breeding time. In some embodiments, the method may further include enabling user input selection of one or more of the presented indications of the mount incidents for consideration in determining the optimal breeding time.
According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a mobile platform for monitoring breeding periods of livestock may include a display, and a communication system including a processor configured for executing instructions stored on the memory. The communication system may be configured to receive indication of mount activity of an individual asset of livestock, determine an optimal breeding time of the individual asset of livestock based on the received indication of mount activity, and/or to communicate with the display to present the optimal breeding time of the individual asset of livestock to a user.
In some embodiments, the communication system may be configured for receiving indication of mount activity of an individual asset of livestock by receiving indication of time of mounting activity of the individual asset of livestock. The communication system may be configured for determining an optimal breeding time of the individual asset of livestock by determining a time in the future based on the time of mount activity as the optimal breeding time for the individual asset of livestock. The communication system may be configured for determining the time in the future based on the time of mounting activity as the optimal breeding time for the individual asset of livestock by determining a window of time as the optimal breeding time for the individual asset of livestock. In some embodiments, the communication system may be configured for determining the time in the future based on the time of mounting activity as the optimal breeding time for the individual asset of livestock by defining a beginning of the optimal breeding time by a predetermined period after the time of mounting activity of the individual asset of livestock.
In some embodiments, the communication system may be configured for receiving indication of mount activity as one or more mount incidents of the individual asset of livestock. Each indication of one or more mount incidents of the individual asset of livestock may include indication of time of the respective mount incident. The communication system may be configured for communicating with the display to present an indication of each mount incident to the user.
In some embodiments, the communication system may be configured for communicating with the display to indicate to the user one or more of the mount incidents as being presently selected for consideration by the communication system for determining the optimal breeding time. The communication system may be configured for enabling user input selection of one or more of the presented indications of the mount incidents for consideration in determining the optimal breeding time. In some embodiments, the mobile platform may include a personal mobile device.
In some embodiments, the communication system may be configured to communicate a breeding instruction to conduct breeding based on user input. The communication may be configured to present with the display a breed button for user selection to indicate breed instruction. The communication may be configured to present with the display at least one of an artificial insemination button for user selection to indicate artificial instruction and/or an embryo transplant button for user selection to indicate embryo transplant, responsive to user selection of the breed button. Responsive to user selection of one the at least one of an artificial insemination button and/or the embryo transplant button, the communication system may be configured to communicate the breed instruction indicating the corresponding artificial insemination or embryo transplant instruction according to user selection.
These and other features of the present disclosure will become more apparent from the following description of the illustrative embodiments.
For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the disclosure, reference will now be made to a number of illustrative embodiments illustrated in the drawings and specific language will be used to describe the same.
Monitoring livestock, such as cattle, can be challenging. The number of livestock of typical commercial livestock operations, together with the amount of land area that livestock may require can present challenges in communication of monitoring information. Among other parameters of interest for monitoring in livestock, monitoring livestock for preferred breeding periods can assist in determining and/or selecting opportune breeding conditions. For example, monitoring estrus cycles for cows/heifers (cattle) can indicate a desirable time period for insemination, increasing the likelihood of healthy breeding. Systems, devices, and methods for overcoming the challenges of livestock monitoring are discussed herein.
Referring to
The patch 12 illustratively communicates indication of mount activity to a mounting platform 16. The mounting platform 16 is illustratively embodied as a mobile device including a display 18 and control system 20 comprising processor 22, memory 24, and communication circuitry 26. The processor 22 executes instructions stored on memory 24, and sends/receives communications signals via the communication circuitry 26. Examples of suitable mobile devices may include smartphones, tablets, portable computers, and/or wearable computing devices.
The patch 12 may communicate indication of mount activity to the mount platform 16 directly and/or indirectly. For example, the patch 12 may communicate with the mount platform 16 a network 28, such as a mobile network, or other intermediary, and/or by direct transmission to the mount platform 16. Examples of mobile networks may include 3G/4G/5G wireless networks, and/or any other suitable communications architecture or network.
Referring to
Referring now to
In box 36, the mobile device 16 presents the optimal breeding time to the user. In the illustrative embodiment, the mobile device 16 presents the optimal breeding time to the user by presentation on the display 18. In some embodiments, any suitable presentation to the user may be included, for example but without limitation, projecting and/or transmitting an image and/or audio indicating the optimal breeding time 30, for example, by a remote display.
Referring to
The initial page includes a menu button 40 for user selection to present menu options as discussed in additional detail herein. The initial pages includes a scanner button 42 for user selection to allow scanning of patch information to register patches 12 with the mobile device 16 as active patches 12. Selection of the scanner button 42 illustratively activates (with user authorization) a camera of the mobile device 16 to permit visual scanning of associated information of the patch 12 to be registered, such as by 1 or 2-dimensional barcode having identifying information of the associated patch 12. Upon scanning the information of the patch 12, the mobile device 16 can activate registration of the associated patch 12, with pre-populated information, within the base application and/or through designated registration device, such as a website.
In
In the present status as shown in
In the information section 48 for the Cycle 2 line item, an optimal breeding time 50 is presented. The optimal breeding time is presently indicated as a time window from 9:40 AM on May 14 to 3:40 PM on May 14. The information section 48 indicates mount activities line items 52. Each of the mount activities line items 52 indicates a time of mount activity, for example, a first mount activity 52A at 9:40 PM on May 13, and second mount activity 52B at 9:55 AM on May 14. The indicated time of mount activity for each line item 52 is associated with an indication of mount activity provided by the associated patch 12, here the patch 12 corresponding with test 01. Within the information section 48, a show more button 56 is presented for user selection to display additional mount activity, such as less recently mount activity of the Cycle 2.
Each line item 52 includes an activation indicator 54 indicating whether the line item 52 is presently selected. For example, in
The mobile device 16 determines the optimal breeding time based on the presently selected primary mount activity. In the illustrative embodiment, the mobile device determines the optimal breeding time as a window of time in the future after the time indicated by the primary mount activity. In the example as depicted in
In the illustrative embodiment, the mobile device 16 determines the optimal breeding time as predetermined period of time relative to the selected primary mount activity. In some embodiments, the mobile device 16 may determine the optimal breeding time based on any suitable manner in consideration of the mount activity indication, for example, by weighed analysis considering the frequency of mount activity indications within a pre-determined time period. For example, the mobile device 16 may determine that greater frequency of mount activity within a rolling 4-hour time period indicates greater likelihood that the corresponding cow is in heat, and therefore may apply a greater weighting value to mount activity indications within the rolling 4-hour window in determining the optimal breeding time.
In some embodiments, the user may select and/or adjust the predetermined period of time relative to the primary mount activity for the optimal breeding time, for example, the user may adjust the pre-determined 6-hour window to be a 4-hour window or a 6-hour window, and/or may adjust the beginning of the window of time, for example, to begin 8 hours or 13 hours after the time of the primary mount activity, and/or may adjust the ending of the window of time, for example, to begin 16 hours or 20 hours after the time of the primary mount activity. In some embodiments, the user may be permitted to select more than one line item 54 as a primary mount activity and the mobile device 16 may determine the optimal breeding time based on each primary mount activity for the corresponding patch 12, for example, by average of the times, and/or by weighting of the times of the primary mount activities.
The information page includes a remove button 60 for user selection to remove a presently selected device from activity. The information page includes a reset button 62 for user selection to reset the mount activity line items 52. The information page includes an edit button 64 for user selection to allow the user to edit the tag name and/or the assigned group of the presently selected patch 12. The information page includes a cancel button 73 for closing the top level menu 70. The information page includes a back button 66 for user selection to return to the initial page.
Returning briefly to
User selection of the create cow group button 72 causes presentation of the create group page as suggested in
Returning briefly to
Each line item 82 includes an alert button 84 indicating a present state of alerts. In the present example depicted in
The group page includes an edit group button 88 for user selection to edit the presently selected group. User selection of the edit group button 88 presents a text entry box with the group name for user selection for editing, and confirmation button for user selection to confirm changes to the presently selected group name.
Returning briefly to
Responsive to user selection of the embryo transplant button 96, the display 18 presents an ET page as suggested in
From the breed option window 92 as shown in
Responsive to user selection of the save button 106, 116 for either of the AI or ET pages, the communication system 26 communicates a breeding instruction signal indicating either the AI or ET selection according to the user's input. The breeding instruction is embodied as a communication signal indicating either the ET or AI selection, identifying information (e.g., tag number, group (if assigned), heat time), and/or the information entered into the respective fields 96, 102, 104, 112, 114. The breeding instruction is illustratively communicated to remote systems, such as a cloud-based computer system, via network 28, but in some embodiments may be communicated with any suitable remote device, including but not limited to a centralized computer and/or personal mobile devices. The breeding instruction can be communicated to others, for example, by viewing via a display, and/or implemented as wholly or partly automated, for example, by configuring access of the asset to relevant farm areas (e.g., allowing electronic gate access to confined spaces or certain fields) as a command for breeding of the particular asset.
Responsive to successful saving of a new breeding instruction (and/or responsive to selection of the breeding list button 128 on
Returning briefly to
Accordingly, within the present disclosure monitoring of livestock can be achieved including determining and/or presentation of optimal breeding times to a user. In some embodiments, determination of optimal breeding time may be conducted remotely and communicated to the mobile device for presentation to the user. In such embodiments, mount activity may be presented to the user for user selection of primary mount activity and communicated remotely for determination of optimal breeding time. Within the present disclosure, examples of suitable processors may include one or more microprocessors, integrated circuits, system-on-a-chips (SoC), among others. Examples of suitable memory, may include one or more primary storage and/or non-primary storage (e.g., secondary, tertiary, etc. storage); permanent, semi-permanent, and/or temporary storage; and/or memory storage devices including but not limited to hard drives (e.g., magnetic, solid state), optical discs (e.g., CD-ROM, DVD-ROM), RAM (e.g., DRAM, SRAM, DRDRAM), ROM (e.g., PROM, EPROM, EEPROM, Flash EEPROM), volatile, and/or non-volatile memory; among others. Communication circuitry 58 includes components for facilitating processor operations, for example, suitable components may include transmitters, receivers, modulators, demodulator, filters, modems, analog to digital converters, operational amplifiers, and/or integrated circuits.
While the disclosure has been illustrated and described in detail in the foregoing drawings and description, the same is to be considered as exemplary and not restrictive in character, it being understood that only illustrative embodiments thereof have been shown and described and that all changes and modifications that come within the spirit of the disclosure are desired to be protected.
