IES20030262A2 - A livestock monitoring system - Google Patents

Abstract

A livestock monitoring system has animal tags (2) which include GPS capability for real time monitoring of animal location. Animal identifiers and locations are uploaded in a local area wireless network to a receiver (3). The receiver (3) in turn uploads the data to a Web server (5) linked to a host processor (7) for database (7-10). These databases are also updated by external system (12-15) with medical and regulatory data. This provides for comprehensive real time animal monitoring. <Figure 1>

Description

The invention relates to monitoring of livestock for disease control and administration generally.

Conventional tagging systems for cattle are open to abuse such as by animal smuggling and are difficult to manage at a national and, indeed between farm levels.

Disease control among livestock is important to regulate efficient markets, and to safeguard the interests of animal health and the welfare of the consumer. Animals move quite frequently in their lifetime, and existing systems often do not adequately record key data. For example, movements of certain livestock is not adequately recorded. Veterinary surgeon treatments of anti-biotics to specific animals is often not adequately recorded or accessible to regulatory authorities, nor to purchasers or sellers of livestock including factories, marts, and retailers. Tracing and identification of key health impacting information is difficult. Hence control and tracing issues can arise from identifying healthy from unhealthy livestock, farms, farmers, transporters, and processors.

The invention addresses these problems.

Statements of Invention According to the invention, there is provided a livestock monitoring system comprising: a location input interface for automatically capturing animal location data in real time; OPEN TO PUBLIC INSPECTION j UNDER SECTION 28 ANO RULE 23 , JNL No. -2an animal data input interface for dynamically receiving animal health data in real time; a host processor connected to a storage device for maintaining an animal database containing said data; and an access interface for allowing controlled access to the database.

In one embodiment, the location input interface comprises means for capturing geospatial co-ordinate location data of animals.

In another embodiment, the system further comprises animal tags, a receiver for receiving radiation transmissions from the tags, and the receiver comprises means for transmitting location data to the location input interface.

In a further embodiment, each tag comprises a GPS circuit and a processor for including location data in transmissions.

In one embodiment, the receiver comprises a data validation function for verifying the location data according to pre-set conditions.

In another embodiment, the receiver comprises a memory for buffering received animal identification and location data for onward transmission to the location input interface.

In a further embodiment, the receiver comprises means for filtering location data to minimise data traffic. -3In one embodiment, the receiver comprises means for uploading only exception data determined using configurable herd data.

In another embodiment, the range for communication between the tags and the 5 receiver is the radius of a large farm.

In a further embodiment, the animal data input interface comprises a Web server executing data access and writing control processes for remote access.

In one embodiment, the control process prompts double entry of data by a user.

In another embodiment, the host processor automatically maintains a table of exception events based on processing received data and comparing relationships between data fields with pre-set conditions.

In a further embodiment, the host processor comprises means for automatically generating a movement history log on a per-animal basis.

In one embodiment, the host processor comprises means for automatically 20 generating a movement history log on a per-location basis.

In another embodiment, the host processor comprises means for automatically generating alerts according to received data.

Detailed Description of the Invention The invention will be more clearly understood from the following description of some embodiments thereof, , given by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which :30 -4Fig. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a livestock monitoring system of the invention; and Figs. 2 is a diagram illustrating data transfers and accesses of the system.

Referring to Fig: 1 a livestock monitoring system 1 manages data concerning livestock of different types. Each animal has a tag comprising an electronic circuit having a processor and an RF transmitter with RFID capability to transmit: (a) a unique animal identifier, and (b) the animal’s location.

This data is transmitted in a radiation signal in a wireless local area network having a range sufficient for coverage in the local area of a large farm. The transmissions are in asynchronous bursts at regular intervals. Because each transmission is relatively short there is little chance of interference.

The location data arises from GPS circuits in each tag 2 having GPS capability for continuously determining location. This technology is of the type already known for other applications such as wrist watches.

A receiver 3 located at a fixed position at a farm building picks up the transmissions. It performs basic data verification such as checking data word lengths. The received data is buffered in the receiver 3 for a configurable time period and is then updated via an Internet 5 TCP/IP link to a web server 6. The receiver 3 performs data filtering operations to both discard erroneous data outside tolerances and to minimise data traffic to the server 6. The filtering function populates an update file with only exception data such as if an animal of a configured herd is outside range. In this embodiment, the upload is asynchronous, however, it may be made in response to a polling request from the server 6. -5The web server updates a range of database tables, grouped in one embodiment as follows: 7, animal identification data; 8, animal medical data; 9, animal location; and , animal herd data.

The web server 6 allows various remote systems to have access to the database tables for reading and in some cases writing data under controlled conditions. By way of example Fig. 1 illustrates health regulator 12, Department of Agriculture 13, mart 14, and veterinary surgeon 15 external systems accessing the database via the web server 6.

Data in the database tables is managed by a host processor 11 on the basis of a unique animal identifier being indexed as a primary key and the data associated with a particular animal being linked in related tables using relational database methodology. Some data fields have strict read-only status, such as the animal identification and other fixed data. All other data may be updated, but only under strictly controlled conditions with authentication of the external system. The types of the data updating are shown in more detail in Fig. 2 in which the record for a particular animal is indicated by the numeral 30. There are three categories of external access system as follows. 31: Health authorities and veterinary practitioners. These can update the data to ensure that all medical history data is complete. 32: External systems which may both read and write data, but on a less frequent basis. These include systems for marts, hauliers, slaughter plants, owners, and food safety regulators. -633; Systems which are not allowed to write data. In this example they include retailers, agriculture departments, financing bodies, and auditing bodies.

The data records 30 are maintained by the systems 31, 32, and 33 and they are coupled with the real time location data received from the tags 2 via the receivers 3, the Internet 5, and the web server 6.

The system 1 thus obtains in real time multi-dimension data on livestock units, relating to (a) precise animal location, (b) health status, and (c) lifetime movement history. The system 1 is a complete animal identification, herd registration, tracking and tracing system that includes animal movement, animal health surveillance and public health monitoring data. It provides an epidemiological surveillance network for food safety and animal movement control.

The system collects the data from a number of sources including veterinary officers, health officials, marts and factories through a computer system interfacing with users through a number of channels including use of computers, servers, telecommunication devices, internet, internet-type protocol, and verifiers and identifiers.

The system not only records the births and deaths of animals, it also records all movements of animals between locations. Accurate data entry is verified by editing control functions managing a double entry system. A loop process linked to the host processor 11 can test the data and reject a movement that is not in accord with the locational identification for any specific animal. A temporary record is thus created by the processor 11 pending next location data, for cross-checking. The GPS element of the tag’s microprocessor can pinpoint the location in terms of latitude and longitude with an accuracy level of a few metres. -Ί The system 1 records per individual livestock unit, and also per herd, data concerning animal disease occurrences, health treatments, vaccinations applied (including market withdrawal periods), animal health test results and public health test results. The system can conduct backward and forward tracing of individual animal movements, movements in and out of herds, and can reconstitute the composition of herds at any given point in time. The purpose of this is to assist epidemiological control of health hazards or diseases in animals and the food chain. Data integrity is assisted by operation of a verification function which ensures that there is a location change corresponding to a herd change.

The system tracks and traces all significant veterinary events in an animal’s history, providing a means of faster and more complete surveillance for national health authorities. The system also accommodates additional controls that can automatically impose movement and slaughter restrictions on animals, herds, holdings, and geographical areas based on test results and outbreaks. This enables movement control to be effected as distinct from simpler movement recording systems. The host processor executes control rules concerning imposition and lifting of movement restrictions and ensures that movements are allowed. It automatically generates alerts when location changes exceed an allowed limit or if they are not compatible with other data of the animal’s record.

Because the data contains the geo-positioning data, it can deliver real-time locations for livestock represented geographically on digital maps, according to a wide range of identifiers. This uses a central Global Positioning System (GPS) interfaced electronically with mapping systems. GPS receivers receive signals transmitted by GPS satellites (24 in all currently orbiting the earth) and monitored by groundstations located worldwide. Using the receivers 3, the location of an animal can be determined with great precision. GPS systems are superior to radio-based systems because the latter either cover a wide area with poor accuracy, or cover a small area -8with accuracy. High-frequency radio waves (like UHF TV) can provide accurate position location but can only be picked up in a small, localised area. The GPS satellites transmit high frequency radio waves with special coding signals covering wide areas, overcoming the “noise” factors on the ground, with very high degrees of speed and accuracy.

The data acquisition receivers 3 and functions of the host processor 11 perform a series of data validity checks to ensure overall data integrity.

The processor’s trace function comprising means for identifying the information linked to a specific geo-spatial co-ordinate and means for identifying health and other related information per animal identifier conveyed via electronic transmission from a user’s, regulator’s or veterinary inspector’s input. It generates trace outputs on a per-animal basis and a per-location basis.

An alarm function generates an alert when a pre-configured alarm condition arises, such as disallowed animal movements.

Real-time results arising from tracking, tracing, or geo-spatially identifying can be obtained through asynchronous processing of input data employing a data expansion algorithm employing animal identification core data such as registration numbers, date of birth, and place of origin and attaching the variable positioning and/or progressive health status data to such core data.

The trace function interfaces with three (or more) primary records that include geospatial and related data, which are initially input into the microprocessor by means of digitised signals from the data entry devices. These three primary records can include data from the following - registration number, date of birth, place of birth, species, sex or other characteristics. The function processes the data contemporaneously to produce further movement control or identifier records in a -9predetermined format substantively interlinking the livestock geo-spatial record number one, creating a real-time trace record two, with the movement record number three. A by-product of this process is to produce additional data for use in other data algorithms which the microprocessor digitises into control focused information with real-time interfaced results.

The system 1 is particularly effective at handling the real-time processes, in which results are capable of being reviewed in situ depending on variations in respective inputs. The stored data can be progressively added to, but not overwritten so that the data is continuously updated, yielding geo-spatial trace unique identifiers at points in time, and thereafter capable of being related to tracing animal movements.

The invention can facilitate a wide variety of identifier, trace and geo-spatial data from different sources in general, its limits being determined by a minimum volume of geo-spatial or unique identifier data rather than the specific source of that data or the specific algorithms to be used in processing the data. Part of the process can be used to activate a block and eject aural and/or visual warning signal.

The system facilitates identifying, monitoring, geo-spatially controlling, recording livestock related data including movements, and status data for food safety. The system performs real-time monitoring of dynamic parameters, for example differing strains, or increasing health applications by veterinarians to accommodate less time consuming track and trace, identify and verify, block and eject measures.

The benefits offered by the present invention include the ability of veterinary officials to trace the precise whereabouts of specific animals. This also extends to specific animals that may have received a particular anti-biotic treatment, or that may have obtained a definite type of inoculation. This would assist identifying the location of other animals that have not yet received such treatment - thereby assisting the eradication of hazardous diseases. It also helps to locate animals that may be -10required for destruction as in the case of the recent foot and mouth disease outbreak. This could reduce the spreading of contagious diseases, or identifying the sources of infection.

In another embodiment, programmable microchips, with ability to send/receive electronic data including, inter alia, geo-positioning data, are attached to or implanted in animals. Just like the ability to receive text messages in mobile phones, the devices can receive additional data over the live-stock units lifetime. Such data relates to health status, location, movements, and can be transmitted to the chips using a network of technology including telecommunications, data entry boards connected to computers, and a dedicated internet system that controls access to specified users at differing levels. The system can be configured to a verification and identification central computer system or integrated circuit, such that veterinary officials and health officials can check the animal’s health status, treatments given, and the precise location of each livestock unit.

It is envisaged that the receiver may have GPS capability instead of the tags. Thus, the location of an individual tag is known as being in a cell centred at the receiver’s location and having a radius of the transmission range of the tags. While accuracy would not be as good as in the embodiment described above, the cost would be lower and the accuracy may be sufficient.

The invention is not limited to the embodiments described but may be varied in construction and detail. For example, the receivers may communicate with the control server being a different suitable technology such as a mobile network GSM or CDMA protocol.

Claims (5)

1. A livestock monitoring system comprising: 5 a location input interface for automatically capturing animal location data in real time; an animal data input interface for dynamically receiving animal health data in real time; a host processor connected to a storage device for maintaining an animal database containing said data; and an access interface for allowing controlled access to the database. .

2. A livestock monitoring system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the location input interface comprises means for capturing geo-spatial co-ordinate location data of animals; and wherein the system further comprises animal tags, a receiver for receiving radiation transmissions from the tags, and the receiver 20 comprises means for transmitting location data to the location input interface; and wherein each tag comprises a GPS circuit and a processor for including location data in transmissions.

3. A livestock monitoring system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the 25 animal data input interface comprises a Web server executing data access and writing control processes for remote access; and wherein the control process prompts double entry of data by a user.

4. A livestock monitoring system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the 30 host processor automatically maintains a table of exception events based on -12processing received data and comparing relationships between data fields with pre-set conditions; and wherein the host processor comprises means for automatically generating a movement history log on a per-animal basis.

5. 5. A livestock monitoring system substantially as described with reference to the drawings.