JP2004222519A - Animal managing system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an animal managing system which can save the electric power of devices for obtaining and transmitting the individual related information of an animal, can control the moving range of the animal, and can effectively/efficiently manage the animal. <P>SOLUTION: In this animal managing system, CPU 37 is operated with a low speed clock 37A to save a consumed electric power, when a special process is not performed, and when a process for obtaining an individual-related information is carried out, the low speed clock 37A is switched into a high speed clock 37B. The power source of a communication means such as S.S. communication device 36 is switched on or switched off in a constant cycle, and with a wake-up signal from a communication means received a signal from the outside, the CPU 37 switches from the low speed clock 37A to the high speed clock 37B to transmit the individual-related information. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a biological management system that collects information about living things and manages the living things, or stimulates the living things and manages the behavior of the living things, for example, using spread-spectrum communication or mobile phone lines to control the living things. Collectively collects various individual-related information such as individual position information, physiological information, peripheral image information, peripheral micrometeorological information, etc. and performs various processing such as monitoring, analysis, surveys, etc., forestry, fisheries, livestock industry, etc. It can be used for applications in various fields, such as the use of communication processing technology to regulate the range of movement of living organisms, to control wildlife damage to agriculture and forestry, and to control grazing livestock.
[0002]
[Background Art]
Conventionally, "telemetry (tracking radio waves from transmitters attached to animals with an Yagi antenna)" for wildlife and grazing livestock has been used in the fields of ecology and animal husbandry as a means to know the position and movement route of individuals. It has been used frequently. However, since it is necessary to approach animals to the area where radio waves can be received (usually at a distance of about 4 to 5 km), it is necessary to monitor wild animals with a large moving distance and livestock raised on a large pasture. In addition, long-distance tracking by a car or a Cessna machine must be performed, which requires a great deal of labor and cost. In addition, information that can be obtained other than the "point" indicating the position at the time of the survey is limited, and it is virtually impossible to grasp details of animal movement, land use, etc. in real time or in the past.
[0003]
In contrast, in recent years, instruments incorporating the Global Positioning System (GPS) have been marketed, and the accuracy and convenience related to animal monitoring have been significantly improved. And it is also possible to remotely obtain GPS information using VHS or UHF. However, (1) transmission / reception of “complex information” including the position of the animal, its surrounding image, micrometeorology, physiological condition, etc., has not been achieved. (2) sensors, communication devices, batteries, etc. according to individual needs. (3) The specifications of equipment manufactured overseas do not conform to the Japanese ecosystem, grazing system, or the Radio Law, etc. (4) Remote information acquisition by VHF or UHF is expected The problems, such as that the distance is limited to about 500 m and (5) remote information acquisition is not automated, remain unsolved. For this reason, recently, a system aiming at solving some of these problems has begun to be proposed.
[0004]
For example, as a system for monitoring animals by incorporating GPS, a collar is attached to a wild animal such as a deer, and a GPS is attached to the collar to grasp the current position of each individual such as a deer, and a CCD camera is attached to the collar. There is a wildlife ecology observation system for photographing the surrounding environment of a deer or the like by attaching a camera (see Patent Document 1). This system uses a SS (spread spectrum system) radio to transmit a measured position data from the GPS and an image data from the CCD camera to a monitoring center station at a remote location (a predetermined number of locations in a predetermined vicinity area covering the wildlife's range of action). Or a ground mobile station installed on a vehicle that moves on the ground in a predetermined nearby area that covers the range of wildlife, or a helicopter search station installed on a helicopter flying in the air in this area) To be sent to. At this time, it is determined whether or not polling is received from the monitoring center station, and when it is determined that communication is possible, the measurement position data and the image data are transmitted to the monitoring center station. Also, a GPS antenna is arranged above the collar so as not to obstruct reception of radio waves from GPS satellites, and a GPS device body is arranged below the collar so as not to obstruct deer or the like. In addition, a CCD camera is arranged at one of the left and right positions of the collar so that the surrounding environment of a deer or the like can be photographed. Further, power supply to each device such as a GPS, a wireless device, and a CCD camera is time-controlled by a timer.
[0005]
In addition, as a system for detecting the physiological state of a human or animal, for example, a sensor for detecting a physiological state is attached to the human body, a sensor signal is transmitted by sensor signal transmitting means attached to the sensor, and the sensor signal is transmitted. There is a state information collection system in which a sensor signal receiving means of a personal information terminal fixed to a waist using a belt or the like is received, and a sensor signal is wirelessly transmitted from the personal information terminal to a base station (base unit) (Patent Document) 2). In this system, in addition to the detection of the physiological state, the posture and behavior of the human body are also detected by an acceleration sensor, a gyro sensor, and the like. Although the position of the human body is also detected, it is not based on GPS, but based on image processing or radio wave transmission from the human body.
[0006]
On the other hand, it is becoming possible to control devices already mounted on animals by two-way communication.However, at present, systems that can control the behavior of animals themselves by electrical stimulation or the like have not been developed. A simple animal guidance system has been proposed (see Patent Document 3). In this livestock guidance system, a stimulus generator for stimulating the skin of a livestock is mounted on one or more or all selected livestock herds, and the stimulus generator is controlled by wireless remote control. By stimulating the livestock and guiding only the livestock that has activated the stimulus generator, congestion in the feeding area and the milking area is reduced. The operation start time of each stimulus generator is set to a different time for each stimulus generator or for each group, and is managed by the system.
[0007]
[Patent Document 1]
JP-A-11-248816 (paragraphs [0026], [0028] to [0031], [0036], [0038], FIGS. 1 to 4)
[Patent Document 2]
JP-A-2002-119485 (paragraphs [0037], [0039], [0044], [0064], [0072], FIGS. 1 and 2)
[Patent Document 3]
JP-A-2002-101780 (paragraphs [0005] to [0008], FIG. 1)
[0008]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, all of the various problems that must be solved when collecting information about wild animals and understanding their ecology and managing wild animals are described in the systems described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 described above. Is not completely eliminated.
[0009]
For example, in the wildlife ecology observation system described in Patent Document 1 described above, position data by GPS and image data by CCD camera are acquired, and a distant base station (fixed station, ground mobile station, helicopter search) is obtained by an SS radio. Station), so remote acquisition of information is automated. However, from the viewpoint of acquiring composite information, only positional information and peripheral image information are acquired. Micro weather information etc. cannot be obtained.
[0010]
In the state information collection system described in Patent Document 2 described above, physiological information is relayed by a personal information terminal mounted on the waist, and at the same time, posture / action detection and position detection are also performed. As for the acquisition of location information, which is important for understanding the ecology of wild animals, the location of the wild animals moving in a wide area is determined by image processing and radio wave transmission from the human body. There is a problem that it is not suitable for grasping information.
[0011]
Further, it is conceivable to increase the acquired information by combining the systems described in Patent Literatures 1 and 2. However, even if the system is simply combined, a sensor for acquiring the information or a wireless communication for transmitting the acquired information may be used. It becomes difficult to secure power supplies for various devices such as machines. This is because long-term power supply is indispensable to collect information on wildlife that moves over a wide area, but as the types of information to be acquired increase, it becomes more difficult to secure the necessary power supply. is there. In the wildlife ecology observation system described in Patent Document 1, the power supply to each device is time-controlled by a timer. However, when the type of information to be acquired increases, the time by such a timer is controlled. Control alone does not mean that sufficient measures have been taken.
[0012]
In the wildlife ecology observation system described in Patent Literature 1, a GPS antenna is provided at a position above a collar. However, the length of the neck of wild animals varies widely (depending on the type, gender, and season), and unless the collar is just the right size, the collar rotates during the movement of the animal and the GPS antenna May not come to the upper position, which may hinder position detection. In addition, there are many collars that can be adjusted in size according to the length of the neck around each animal, but usually only one adjustment point is used. However, there is a problem that the GPS antenna does not come to a predetermined position. It should be noted that it is difficult to prepare a collar having a different size according to the length of the neck of each animal each time, because this leads to an increase in manufacturing cost and labor. Further, in the system of Patent Document 1, since the CCD camera is disposed at one of the left and right positions of the collar, the weight balance of the left and right of the collar is lost, and the GPS antenna may not come to a predetermined position due to the rotation of the collar. There is also.
[0013]
On the other hand, in the livestock guidance system described in Patent Document 3 described above, the behavior of the animal can be controlled by electrical stimulation or the like, but only time control for adjusting the timing at which each livestock is stimulated is performed. Therefore, it is possible to control the timing of starting the action of each livestock, but it is not possible to regulate the moving range of the livestock. Therefore, it is insufficient from the viewpoint of controlling agriculture and forestry damage by wild animals and managing grazing livestock.
[0014]
An object of the present invention is to reduce the power consumption of equipment for acquiring and transmitting and receiving individual-related information of living things, or to regulate the moving range of living things, thereby effectively managing living things. It is to provide a biological management system that can be efficiently performed.
[0015]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The present invention is a biological management system that collects information about a living thing and manages the living thing, and is mounted on an individual living thing, and the position information, physiological information, peripheral image information, or peripheral micrometeorological information of the moving individual is provided. An individual mounting device that acquires individual-related information including at least one of the information, and an individual-related information collecting device that collects the individual-related information acquired by the individual mounting device at a remote location. A processing unit that performs processing using a CPU having a high-speed clock and a low-speed clock; and a communication unit that transmits and receives a signal including individual-related information to and from the individual-related information collection device. An individual-related information acquisition processing means for switching from a low-speed clock to a high-speed clock to acquire individual-related information; and a wake-up signal output from the communication means. For individual-related information transmission processing means for transmitting individual-related information to the individual-related information collection device in a state switched from the low-speed clock to the high-speed clock, and for communication means for controlling the power of the communication means to be turned on and off at regular intervals Power on / off control means, wherein the communication means receives a signal from the individual-related information collection device when the power is turned on by the communication means power on / off control means of the processing means. The wake-up signal is output to the processing means.
[0016]
Here, the “creature” includes animals (including not only land animals, but also fish and birds) and humans.
[0017]
The “position information” is data on the current position of the individual, and may be only planar position information (latitude and longitude) or three-dimensional position information including altitude. Good. “Physiological information” is data such as body temperature, heart rate, electrocardiogram, myoelectricity, pH (in the rumen) and the like, and “peripheral image information” is image data (color or black and white) around the individual. ), And “surrounding micro-weather information” is, for example, data such as outside air temperature, humidity, and atmospheric pressure. The “individual-related information” further includes, for example, information on various pollutant concentrations in the air, seawater, and freshwater around the individual, or information on biological activities such as acceleration and vibration of the individual. .
[0018]
In the present invention as described above, the processing means switches the low-speed clock to the high-speed clock by the individual-related information acquisition processing means to perform the individual-related information acquisition processing. On the other hand, in parallel with this, the power of the communication means is controlled to be turned on and off at regular intervals by the communication means power on / off control means of the processing means, and the communication means is controlled by the communication means power on / off control means of the processing means. When a signal is received from the individual-related information collection device while the power is turned on, a wake-up signal is output to the processing means. Then, the processing means performs transmission processing of the individual-related information to the individual-related information collecting device by the individual-related information transmission processing means in a state where the low-speed clock is switched to the high-speed clock by the wake-up signal output from the communication means. Do.
[0019]
For this reason, it is possible to realize the information acquisition processing and the transmission processing thereof with the minimum necessary power, thereby achieving power saving. Therefore, it is possible to maintain power supply to each device for a long period of time, and it is possible to minimize the occurrence of a situation where measurement becomes impossible due to running out of battery, and efficient and effective management of living organisms. And the above-mentioned objects are achieved.
[0020]
Further, in the above-mentioned organism management system, the individual-related information collecting device is provided at or near the predicted movement path of the organism and automatically collects the individual-related information from the individual mounting device. And a base station for receiving the individual-related information collected by the collecting device from the automatic data collecting device.
[0021]
Here, the “movement prediction route” is, for example, a drinking fountain where wild animals gather, a tunnel or a bridge provided for wild animals to cross an automobile road, and the like.
[0022]
The location of the “automatic data collection device” may be one location or multiple locations, but is preferably multiple locations from the viewpoint of improving the reliability of data collection.
[0023]
When the individual-related information collecting device is configured to include the automatic data collection device and the base station as described above, the individual-related information acquired by the individual mounting device is relayed by the automatic data collection device and transmitted to the base station. Therefore, data can be automatically collected even when the transmission range of the transmission means of the individual mounting device is relatively narrow.
[0024]
The “individual-related information collection device” in the present invention is not limited to the above-described configuration, and may be a searcher that is used by researchers and managers while carrying and moving, or a mobile phone. When communication is performed using a line, the base station may directly receive a signal from the individual mounting device without using an automatic data collection device.
[0025]
Furthermore, in the above-described organism management system, the individual-related information obtained by the individual mounting device includes physiological information, and the individual mounting device has an implanted portion embedded in the living body and a device mounted outside the living body. The body implanting unit transmits physiological information detecting means for detecting physiological information of an organism and a weak radio signal of physiological information detected by the physiological information detecting means to the external mounting part. A physiological information transmitting unit, the extracorporeal mounting unit includes a physiological information receiving unit that receives a weak radio signal of physiological information sent from the implantable unit, a processing unit, and a communication unit. The individual-related information acquisition processing means of the processing means is configured to acquire physiological information as individual-related information from the weak radio signal received by the physiological information receiving means. Be configured to transmit the physiological information acquired by the individual related information acquisition processing means from the weak radio signal received by the receiving means to the individual associated information collection device is desirable.
[0026]
Here, the “extracorporeal wearing part” is, for example, a collar worn around the neck of a living organism, a bracelet worn around the arm, a bracelet worn around the wrist, a belt worn around the waist, a corset worn around the waist, or a finger. Rings and other rings attached to the tail, ankles, wings, fins, etc., which can be attached so that the GPS antenna is always at the upper position when acquiring position information by GPS. It is preferable that
[0027]
In the case where the physiological information detected by the implantable part is relayed by the extracorporeal mounting part and transmitted to the individual-related information collecting device, the physiological information transmitting means of the implantable part outputs a weak radio signal. The transmitted physiological information can be transmitted to a remote individual-related information collection device.
[0028]
And in the above-mentioned organism management system, the individual-related information acquired by the individual mounting device includes position information, and the individual mounting device is mounted in a state of orbiting the individual of the living being and is vertically divided into two parts. At a position directly above the upper portion of the mounting device, at least the antenna portion of the global positioning system as position information acquisition means for obtaining position information is provided, and the upper portion and the lower portion of the individual mounting device Are configured so that they can be connected to each other while being slid vertically evenly at each of the left and right positions. The individual mounting device can be adjusted by sliding adjustment when connecting the upper portion and the lower portion. It is desirable to adopt a configuration in which the size can be adjusted in accordance with the circumference of the attachment site of the individual organism to which the object is attached.
[0029]
Here, "wearing around a living individual" refers to, for example, wearing around a predetermined site of the living individual around the neck, around the waist, around the waist, etc. It means to do.
[0030]
Here, the “upper part” and “lower part” mean parts that come to an upper and lower position while being attached to a predetermined part such as a neck and a waist of a living thing. Similarly, “left and right positions” and “up and down directions” also mean positions and directions in a state where the creature is attached to a predetermined site such as a neck circumference and a waist circumference of a living thing.
[0031]
When the individual mounting device is configured as a ring type that can be slid and connected at each of the left and right positions, it is possible to arrange the GPS antenna so that it is always positioned directly above the ring. Therefore, the position information can be obtained more reliably.
[0032]
Furthermore, in the above-described organism management system, the individual-related information obtained by the individual mounting device includes position information, and each device constituting the individual mounting device is divided into a plurality of units to be modularized. The unit includes a GPS antenna unit having an antenna portion of a global positioning system as position information acquiring means for acquiring position information, a battery unit having a battery for supplying power to each device, and a global positioning system. The main unit, which is a device other than the antenna part and the battery and is indispensable for the individual mounting device, and the optional units, each of which individually arranges the devices selectively installed as options on the individual mounting device. It is desirable that there is.
[0033]
When each device constituting the individual mounting device is divided into a plurality of units and modularized, compatibility between the modules is ensured, providing a rich product lineup according to the needs of the user and providing It is possible to realize a customized system. For this reason, the required sensors, information communication method, data capacity, data size, battery life, etc. vary widely depending on the type of the target organism, survey conditions, etc. Be able to respond quickly.
[0034]
Also, the present invention is a biological management system that manages the behavior of a living organism by stimulating the living organism, wherein the position information acquiring means is attached to the individual living organism and acquires the positional information of the moving individual; Virtual fence storage means for storing a virtual fence for regulating the movement range; and determining whether or not a virtual fence stored in the virtual fence storage means has been exceeded based on the position information obtained by the position information obtaining means. Movement permission / refusal determination means for determining whether or not movement is permitted; stimulus command processing means for issuing a command to give a stimulus to an organism when it is determined that movement of the organism is not permitted by the movement permission / prohibition determination means; A stimulus applying means which is attached and stimulates an organism based on a command from the stimulus command processing means.
[0035]
Here, the “virtual fence storage means” may store only planar position information (latitude and longitude) or three-dimensional position information including altitude as a virtual fence. The shape of the “virtual fence” is mainly a polygon (closed line) or a refraction line (unclosed line) in which a plurality of points are connected by a straight line, but is not limited thereto. May be a closed curve or a bent line (a line that is not closed) in which are connected by a curve, a circle centered on a reference point, or a combination thereof. In addition, the storage method of the “virtual fence” may be such that, for example, the latitude and longitude or altitude information of each constituent point (point at each corner of the polygon) of the virtual fence may be directly stored, or The position of a point may be stored as latitude and longitude or altitude, and the coordinates of each constituent point of the virtual fence (such as points at each corner of a polygon) may be stored as a relative distance (m) from a reference point. Further, in the case of a circular virtual fence, the position of the reference point is stored as latitude and longitude or altitude, and the radius distance (m) from the reference point to the virtual fence is also stored. It may be.
[0036]
In addition, "determining whether or not the virtual fence has been exceeded" includes, for example, determining whether the vehicle is inside or outside the virtual fence, determining whether the vehicle is inside the virtual fence, This includes determining whether the user is outside the virtual fence, determining whether the user is outside the virtual fence, determining whether the user is outside the virtual fence, and the like.
[0037]
Furthermore, the “virtual fence storage means”, “movement permission / non-permission determination means”, and “stimulation command processing means” may be attached to the individual together with the “position information acquisition means” and the “stimulation applying means” (in the individual attachment device). Installation), or may be provided in a remote place (installed in an individual-related information collection device). However, it is preferable to attach it to an individual in terms of simplification of the configuration and processing, simplification of securing real-time stimulus application, and the like.
[0038]
The data of the virtual fence stored in the “virtual fence storage means” can be freely changed regardless of whether the virtual fence storage means is attached to the individual or provided at a remote location. In this case, for example, in such a case, the virtual fence is gradually changed, and wild animals are guided to a favorable environment area such as an area rich in bait or an area low in harmful substances. It can also perform advanced creature management such as doing. When such management is performed, the surrounding situation of the individual is grasped based on the individual-related information (for example, peripheral image data, peripheral contaminant concentration data, and the like) acquired by the individual mounting device, and virtual management is performed. It is preferable to perform a fence change process.
[0039]
In the present invention as described above, when a moving creature attempts to enter the entry-prohibited area beyond the virtual fence stored in the virtual fence storage means, the stimulus is given to the creature by the stimulus applying means, and the invasion of the creature is prevented. Will be blocked. For this reason, it is possible to regulate the movement range of living things, for example, control of agriculture and forestry damage by wild animals, management of grazing livestock, management of wandering demented elderly people, and walking control of blind people (however, there is no adverse effect on the human body) Stimulus to the extent that it does not affect the stimulus is applied effectively and efficiently, thereby achieving the above object.
[0040]
In the above-described organism management system, the stimulus command processing means calculates the relative distance of the organism from the virtual fence based on the position information acquired by the position information acquisition means, and directly calculates the moving speed of the organism from the position information acquisition means. Or the moving speed of the creature is calculated based on the position information obtained by the position information obtaining means, and the amount of the stimulus is determined based on the relative distance and the moving speed from these virtual fences. Is desirable.
[0041]
In the case where the amount of stimulation is determined based on the relative distance from the virtual fence and the moving speed in this manner, the deeper the creature enters the intrusion prohibited area from the virtual fence, the more the creature enters the intrusion prohibited area. The faster the speed moving toward the inside, the stronger the stimulus can be given, so that it is possible to cause the creatures to go out of the banned area by the virtual fence. In addition, from the viewpoint of preventing animal welfare and adverse effects on the mind and body, a breaker function to cut off stimulation when the amount of stimulation exceeds a certain amount or a limiter function to limit the amount of stimulation so that it does not exceed a certain amount is provided. It is preferable to keep it.
[0042]
Further, in the above-described biological management system, the biological management system further includes physiological information detecting means for detecting physiological information of the moving individual attached to the individual of the living organism, and the stimulus command processing means based on the physiological information detected by the physiological information detecting means. Desirably, the amount of stimulation is determined. The "physiological information detecting means" here includes not only an in-vivo sensor embedded in the body but also an extracorporeal sensor worn outside the body.
[0043]
In the case where the amount of stimulus is determined based on the physiological information as described above, for example, the case where the organism is pregnant or weakened is grasped, and the stimulus application according to the physical condition of the organism is realized. It becomes possible.
[0044]
Further, the present invention is a biological management system that manages the behavior of a living being by stimulating the living being, which is installed in an area where it is desired to prevent the invasion of the living being and forms a virtual fence for restricting a moving range of the living being. A radio transmitter that transmits radio waves, a communication means that is attached to a living organism and receives radio waves from the radio transmitter, and a living organism within a virtual fence formed by the limit line where radio waves from the radio transmitter can reach Stimulation command processing means for issuing a command to stimulate living organisms when the communication means receives radio waves from the radio wave transmitter by invading, and stimulating the living organisms based on the instructions of the stimulation command processing means attached to the individual of the living organism And a stimulus providing means for providing the stimulus.
[0045]
In such an embodiment of the present invention, a radio wave is transmitted from the radio wave transmitter, and a limit line in a range where the radio wave reaches is a virtual fence. Then, when the creature enters the virtual fence and the communication means attached to the creature receives the radio wave from the radio wave transmitter, the stimulus is given to the creature by the stimulating means, and the invasion of the creature is prevented. For this reason, it is possible to regulate the movement range of living things, for example, control of agriculture and forestry damage by wild animals, management of grazing livestock, management of wandering demented elderly people, and walking control of blind people (however, there is no adverse effect on the human body) Stimulus to the extent that it does not affect the stimulus is applied effectively and efficiently, thereby achieving the above object.
[0046]
In the above, as the “stimulus”, for example, stimulation by electricity, vibration, pressure or force, sound or voice, light, smell, heat, or a combination thereof can be employed, but with a simple configuration From the viewpoint that effective stimulation can be provided, the stimulation is preferably an electric stimulation, and the virtual fence is preferably a virtual electric fence. However, when the creature to be stimulated is a human, for example, a vibrator for giving vibration, a speaker for giving voice notification, or the like is also effective as the stimulus giving means.
[0047]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows an overall configuration of a biological management system 10 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a device configuration diagram of the implantable body portion 20 of the individual mounting device 50, and FIG. 3 is a device configuration diagram of the extracorporeal mounting portion (collar portion) 30 of the individual mounting device 50. FIG. 4 is a device configuration diagram of the automatic data collection device 60 configuring the individual-related information collection device 80. FIG. 5 is a device configuration diagram of the base station 70 configuring the individual-related information collection device 80. FIG. 6 is a device configuration diagram of a searcher 90 which is an individual-related information collection device of a different system from the individual-related information collection device 80. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing various processes performed by the processing means 43 in the extracorporeal mounting section (collar section) 30 of the individual mounting apparatus 50. FIG. 8 shows the extracorporeal mounting section (collar section) 30 as viewed from the front. FIG. 9 is a partially enlarged view of the extracorporeal mounting part (collar part) 30 as viewed from the side, and FIG. 10 shows a process of applying electric stimulation to the deer 11 by the virtual electric fences 100 and 111. FIG.
[0048]
In FIG. 1, a creature management system 10 is attached to an individual creature (in the present embodiment, a wild animal such as a deer 11 as an example), and the position information, physiological information, peripheral image information, And an individual mounting device 50 that collectively obtains the individual-related information including the surrounding micro-weather information, and an individual-related information collecting device 80 that collects the individual-related information acquired by the individual mounting device 50 at a remote place. . In addition, the organism management system 10 includes a searcher 90 that is an individual-related information collection device of a different system from the individual-related information collection device 80.
[0049]
The individual mounting device 50 includes an in-vivo embedded portion 20 embedded in the body of a wild animal such as a deer 11 and an extracorporeal mounting portion (in the present embodiment, as an example, around the neck) which is mounted outside the body (this embodiment). In the embodiment, a collar portion is used as an example.) 30.
[0050]
The individual-related information collection device 80 is installed on or near the predicted movement path of a wild animal such as a deer 11 (in the present embodiment, as an example, near the drinking fountain 12). And a base station 70 for receiving the individual-related information collected by the automatic data collection device 60 from the automatic data collection device 60. I have.
[0051]
In FIG. 2, an implantable body 20 includes an in-vivo sensor 21 serving as physiological information detecting means for detecting physiological information as individual-related information, and a weak radio signal of the physiological information detected by the in-vivo sensor 21. And a battery 23 for supplying power to the in-vivo sensor 21 and the physiological information transmitting unit 22. As physiological information, data such as body temperature, heartbeat, and, if necessary, electrocardiogram, myoelectricity, etc. are detected. As the physiological information acquired by the individual mounting device 50, not only the physiological information detected by the in-vivo sensor 21 but also the physiological information detected by an extracorporeal sensor attached outside the body may be added.
[0052]
In FIG. 3, an extracorporeal mounting part (collar part) 30 includes a GPS 31 that is a position information acquisition unit that acquires a current position of a wild animal such as a deer 11, and an outside air temperature sensor 32 that detects an outside air temperature as peripheral micrometeorological information. A physiological information receiving unit 33 for receiving a weak radio signal of physiological information sent from the implantable body 20; and a small camera 34 such as a CMOS camera or a CCD camera for acquiring peripheral image information (color or black and white). And a low-frequency electric stimulator 35 that is a stimulating means for applying electric stimulation to wild animals such as the deer 11.
[0053]
The extracorporeal attachment unit 30 is a communication unit that transmits and receives data to and from the automatic data collection unit 60 or the search unit 90. S. A communicator 36, a central processing unit (CPU) 37 for performing various processes required for organism management including an acquisition process of individual-related information, a data transmission / reception process, and a stimulus giving process, and various information required for organism management. And a memory 38 for storing.
[0054]
Further, the extracorporeal mounting unit 30 includes a battery 39 that supplies power to each device configuring the extracorporeal mounting unit 30, a DC-DC converter 40 that converts a fluctuating voltage into a constant voltage, and various components that configure the extracorporeal mounting unit 30. A power supply controller 41 is provided for turning on / off the power of the device.
[0055]
The GPS 31 has a GPS antenna 31A that receives a radio wave from a GPS satellite (not shown), and outputs the current position of a wild animal such as a deer 11 as latitude and longitude and, if necessary, altitude information. Further, the GPS 31 outputs information on the moving speed (instantaneous value of the speed vector in units of one second) used for the determination processing of the amount of the stimulus by the stimulus command processing means 43E.
[0056]
S. S. The communicator 36 transmits and receives data by spectrum spread communication, and has antennas 36A such as pencil-type antennas attached to the left and right sides of the extracorporeal mounting part (collar part) 30, respectively. I have. In addition, S.I. S. The communicator 36 receives a signal from the data automatic recovery unit 60 or the search unit 90 when the power is turned on by the communication unit power on / off control unit 43C (see FIG. 7) of the processing unit 43. And a process of outputting a wake-up signal for switching the CPU 37 from the low-speed clock 37A to the high-speed clock 37B to the processing means 43 (CPU 37).
[0057]
The memory 38 is, for example, a flash memory which is a rewritable and non-volatile memory, and preferably has a capacity of about 1 to 2 megabytes, for example. The memory 38 functions as an individual-related information storage unit that stores the obtained individual-related information (including image data) and a virtual electric fence storage unit that stores the virtual electric fence 100 (see FIG. 10). The programs for various processes may be stored in a read-only memory (ROM) or the like.
[0058]
The battery 39 includes a GPS 31, an outside air temperature sensor 32, a physiological information receiving unit 33, a camera 34, a low-frequency electric stimulator 35, S. A power source for each device of the communication device 36 and the CPU 37, for example, a lithium battery is preferable. The number and capacity of the batteries may be determined according to the type of wild animal for which information is to be obtained.
[0059]
Each device constituting the extracorporeal mounting unit 30 is divided into the following first to seventh units, each of which is physically housed in a separate box and modularized. That is, (1) the first unit includes the CPU 37, the memory 38, the DC-DC converter 40, the power supply controller 41, the main body of the GPS 31 (a part excluding the GPS antenna 31A), and S. (2) the second unit is a GPS antenna unit provided with a GPS antenna 31A, (3) the third unit is a battery unit provided with a battery 39, 4) The fourth unit is an optional unit provided with physiological information receiving means 33, (5) the fifth unit is an optional unit provided with a camera 34, and (6) the sixth unit is an external temperature sensor 32. (7) The seventh unit is an optional unit provided with the low-frequency electric stimulator 35. The number of wirings connecting the devices of each unit may be, for example, about two to three.
[0060]
Of these, the first and second units are essential units, and are always provided in the extracorporeal mount 30. Further, since the third unit is a unit of the battery 39 which is a consumable item, the unit can be replaced with a new one as appropriate according to the life of the battery, and a unit having a different number or capacity of the battery 39 according to the type of the target animal. (The size of the unit is the same even if the number and capacity of the batteries 39 are different.) Further, since the fourth to seventh units are optional, the user can select whether to equip these units or not, and if any of the fourth to seventh units are not provided. This does not hinder the operation of the equipment of other units. Even if any of the devices in the fourth to seventh units is changed to another type (for example, a device of another manufacturer, a device having a different characteristic or performance), the type of the device of the other unit is changed. There is no need to change the layout. In addition, it is easy to add units that were not initially equipped afterwards, and to remove units that were originally equipped afterwards. There is no need to change the placement. Further, it is possible to easily add a new unit having a device (for example, a barometric pressure sensor, a pollutant concentration sensor, or the like) having a completely new function or application not shown in FIG. 3. However, it is not necessary to change the type and arrangement of the devices of other units. Also, for example, the size of each box of the first, fourth, and seventh units is made the same, and the size of each unit is shared, or the size of each unit (any one of width, height, and depth) If the size can be substantially multiplied by an integer, etc., it is possible to improve the storage efficiency when each unit is installed, and to improve the degree of freedom of arrangement and compatibility.
[0061]
In FIG. 4, the automatic data collection device 60 transmits and receives data to and from the extracorporeal device (collar portion) 30 of the individual device 50. S. A long-distance S.R.C. that transmits and receives data between the communication device 61, the recovery device main body 62, and the base station 70. S. The communication device 63 and these S.S. S. The communication device 61, the recovery device main body 62, and the S.V. S. And a power supply 64 for supplying power to the communication device 63.
[0062]
S. S. The communicator 61 transmits and receives data by direct spread (DS) spread spectrum communication, and is a collinear fixed to a pole 65 (see FIG. 1) erected near the drinking fountain 12. An antenna 61A such as an antenna is provided.
[0063]
The recovery unit main body 62 is configured to include a CPU and a memory for storing automatically recovered data. The CPU periodically sends an inquiry command to the extracorporeal unit (collar unit) 30, collects data when there is a response from the extracorporeal unit (collar unit) 30, and stores the data in the memory. . This collection device main body 62 and S.I. S. Communication device 61 and S.L. S. The communication device 63 is housed in a box 66 (see FIG. 1) fixed to the pole 65.
[0064]
S. for long distance S. The communication device 63 transmits and receives data by spread spectrum communication of a frequency hopping / direct spreading (FH / DS: Frequency Hopping / Direct Spread) system, and is used for long-distance transmission such as a Yagi antenna fixed to a pole 65. It has an antenna 63A.
[0065]
The power supply 64 includes, for example, a solar cell (see FIG. 1) fixed to the pole 65, a battery, and the like.
[0066]
In FIG. 5, the base station 70 transmits and receives data to and from the automatic data collection device 60 for long-distance S.R. S. A communicator 71 and a computer 72 for performing various processes such as a transmission process of a data collection request signal, a reception process of the collection data, and a display, output, storage, analysis, analysis, investigation, calculation, management and the like of the received collection data; It is comprised including.
[0067]
S. for long distance S. The communicator 71 transmits and receives data by spread spectrum communication, and has a long-distance transmission antenna such as a Yagi antenna fixed to a pole 73 (see FIG. 1) erected near the building of the base station 70. 71A.
[0068]
The collection of data by the computer 72 may be performed by activating a program (dedicated browser) dedicated to data collection, or by activating HyperTerminal (trademark) which is a program on Windows (trademark). Is also good.
[0069]
In FIG. 6, a searcher 90 is used by an individual such as a researcher 13 who investigates, researches, and manages the ecology of a wild animal such as a deer 11 by using the individual-related information acquired by the individual mounting device 50 on an external body mounting unit (collar). In order to collect the information from the section 30, it is operated and used while carrying a mobile phone while tracking wild animals such as a deer 11. The searcher 90 transmits and receives data to and from the extracorporeal mounting unit (collar unit) 30 of the individual mounting device 50. S. A communicator 91 and a computer 92 which performs transmission processing of a data collection request signal, reception processing of collected data, and various processing such as display, output, storage, analysis, analysis, investigation, calculation and management of the received collected data. It is comprised including.
[0070]
S. S. The communication device 91 transmits and receives data by DS spread spectrum communication, and has an antenna 91A such as a planar antenna (diversity) used by the researcher 13 or the like to set and use the direction. .
[0071]
The computer 92 is, for example, a portable personal computer or the like. The data collection may be performed by launching a program (dedicated browser) dedicated to data collection by the computer 92, or by launching HyperTerminal (trademark) which is a program on Windows (trademark). Is also good.
[0072]
In FIG. 7, a processing unit 43 that performs various processes necessary for managing wild animals such as the deer 11 is configured by the CPU 37 and a program 42 that defines an operation procedure of the CPU 37. The CPU 37 has a low-speed clock 37A, a high-speed clock 37B, and a timer 37C. The timer 37C may be realized by either hardware or software.
[0073]
The processing unit 43 includes an individual-related information acquisition processing unit 43A, an individual-related information transmission processing unit 43B, a power-on / off control unit 43C for a communication unit, a movement permission / non-permission judgment unit 43D, and a stimulus command processing unit 43E. It is configured.
[0074]
The individual-related information acquisition processing means 43A switches the low-speed clock 37A to the high-speed clock 37B by the timer 37C and performs the individual-related information acquisition processing. That is, the individual-related information acquisition processing unit 43A acquires the position information from the output signal of the GPS 31 at a timing of, for example, once every 30 minutes, and obtains the position information from the output signal of the outside temperature sensor 32 at a timing of, for example, once every 30 minutes. Acquires outside temperature data, which is a kind of peripheral micro-weather information, and acquires physiological information from a weak radio signal received by the physiological information receiving means 33 at a timing of, for example, once a minute. A process of photographing the surrounding environment by 34 and acquiring surrounding image information from the output signal, and recording each of these acquired data in the memory 38 functioning as an individual-related information storage unit is performed.
[0075]
The individual-related information transmission processing unit 43 </ b> B S. A process of transmitting the individual-related information recorded in the memory 38 to the automatic data collection unit 60 or the search unit 90 in a state where the low-speed clock 37A is switched to the high-speed clock 37B by the wake-up signal output from the communication unit 36. Is what you do.
[0076]
The power-on / off control means 43C for the communication means transmits the S.P. S. A power ON / OFF signal for the communication device 36 is sent, S. This is a process for controlling the power of the communication device 36 to be turned on and off at a fixed cycle (a process of turning on the power for a fixed time at a fixed cycle). Note that S.I. S. Even when the power of the communication device 36 is turned on, the CPU 37 operates with the low-speed clock 37A when no special processing such as data transmission / reception is performed.
[0077]
The movement permission / non-permission determining unit 43D determines whether or not the vehicle has passed the virtual electric fence 100 (see FIG. 10) stored in the memory 38 functioning as the virtual electric fence storage unit, based on the position information acquired by the GPS 31, and performs the deer 11 operation. And the like to determine whether or not the movement of wild animals is permitted.
[0078]
The stimulus command processing means 43E issues a command to give an electric stimulus to the wild animal to the low-frequency electric stimulator 35 as the stimulus giving means when the movement permission / non-judgment means 43D determines that the movement of the wild animal is not allowed. Processing is performed. The stimulus command processing unit 43E calculates the relative distance (vector p) of the animal from the virtual electric fence 100 based on the position information obtained by the GPS 31, obtains the moving speed (vector v) from the GPS 31, and obtains the relative distances. And the amount E of electrical stimulation is determined based on the moving speed. That is, E = f (vector p, vector v). Here, the amount E of electric stimulation can be, for example, electric power (voltage × current) or the like, and may be an amount in consideration of the energizing time. More specifically, the amount E of the electrical stimulation is determined in a range of, for example, about several milliamps or less and about 6000 to 9000 volts. The energization time is, for example, about 2000/3000 second or so. In addition, from the viewpoint of animal welfare, in order to prevent excessive energization or prolonged energization, a breaker device or limiter device that operates when the voltage or current exceeds a certain amount, or when the energization time is reached, is incorporated. Is also good. In addition, in order to operate the battery 39 with a limited capacity for a long time, intermittent energization or pulsed energization may be used instead of continuous energization.
[0079]
Further, the stimulus command processing unit 43E determines the amount E of the electric stimulus based on the physiological information detected by the in-vivo sensor 21 which is the physiological information detecting unit, in addition to the determination of the amount E of the electric stimulus based on the relative distance and the moving speed. Processing is also performed. For example, when it is determined based on physiological information that the animal is pregnant or weak, the amount of electrical stimulation E is uniformly reduced or the application of electrical stimulation is stopped. I do.
[0080]
Further, the stimulus command processing means 43E determines that the S.C. S. When the communication device 36 receives a radio wave from the radio wave transmitter 110 (see FIG. 10), it issues a command to stimulate the animal.
[0081]
In FIG. 8, the extracorporeal mounting part (collar part) 30 is configured to be vertically splittable into two parts, and an upper part 30A and a lower part 30B are connected at left and right positions to form a closed ring. The GPS antenna 31A of the second unit is disposed directly above the extracorporeal mounting section 30 (the center position of the belt-like upper portion 30A that is curved upward in a substantially semicircular shape). On the other hand, devices other than the GPS antenna 31A constituting the extracorporeal mounting unit 30 are located just below the extracorporeal mounting unit 30 (the center position of the belt-shaped lower part 30B curved downward in a substantially semicircular shape in a convex state). A lower cover 30C is provided for housing, and the first, third to seventh units are housed in the lower cover 30C and serve as weights. Therefore, the weight is maintained and the rotation of the extracorporeal mounting unit 30 is prevented, and the GPS antenna 31A is always at a predetermined position. Further, the camera 34 is arranged at a position where the front can be photographed.
[0082]
The upper portion 30A and the lower portion 30B of the extracorporeal mounting portion (collar portion) 30 are configured to be connected to each other at the right and left positions while being slid evenly in the up-down direction. The size of the extracorporeal mounting part 30 (collar circumference) can be adjusted accordingly. Therefore, the GPS antenna 31A always comes to a position directly above even if the size of the extracorporeal mounting part 30 is adjusted, and keeps a good reception state of the radio wave from the GPS satellite.
[0083]
9, a plurality of belt holes 30D penetrating the front and back sides at predetermined intervals are provided at the lower end of the upper portion 30A (lower left and right lower ends in FIG. 8), and near each of the belt holes 30D. In the figure, the circumference of the extracorporeal mounting part (collar part) 30 is displayed. In the illustrated example, the display indicates that the circumference is 70.0 cm and 72.5 cm. Then, a connecting bolt 30E is inserted into the belt hole 30D corresponding to any of the circumferential length indications, and the lower end of the upper portion 30A and the upper end of the lower portion 30B are overlapped and sandwiched by the metal plate 30F. By tightening the bolt 30E and the nut 30G, the upper portion 30A and the lower portion 30B are connected.
[0084]
In the illustrated example, the collar circumference can be adjusted by moving the upper portion 30A up and down. However, which side of the upper portion 30A and the lower portion 30B is movable is arbitrary. In the illustrated example, a belt hole 30D is provided in the upper portion 30A, but a belt hole 30D may be provided in the lower portion 30B, and these may be the size of the extracorporeal mounting portion (collar portion) 30 or the user. May be determined appropriately in response to the request of the above.
[0085]
In such an embodiment, wildlife such as deer 11 is managed by the creature management system 10 as follows.
[0086]
First, the acquisition of the individual-related information by the individual mounting device 50 is performed as follows.
[0087]
In FIG. 7, when no processing is performed by the processing unit 43, the CPU 37 performs a loop processing including no special processing with the low-speed clock 37A and is in a standby state. The individual-related information acquisition processing means 43A grasps each timing of acquiring the position information as the individual-related information, the outside air temperature data, the physiological information, and the peripheral image information, which are the peripheral micrometeorological information, by the timer 37C. At this time, after switching from the low-speed clock 37A to the high-speed clock 37B by itself, the GPS 31, the outside air temperature sensor 32, the physiological information receiving means 33, and the camera 34 are turned on, and the output signals of these devices are output. The individual-related information is acquired from the memory 38, and the acquired individual-related information is stored in the memory 38 functioning as individual-related information storage means. After that, the power of each device is turned off, and the device switches to the low-speed clock 37A by itself and returns to the standby state.
[0088]
Next, collection of the individual-related information by the individual-related information collection device 80 (the automatic data collection device 60 and the base station 70) or the search device 90 that is the individual-related information collection device is performed as follows.
[0089]
In FIG. 1, the automatic data collection device 60 periodically sends an inquiry command to the extracorporeal mounting part (collar part) 30. The inquiry command reaches, for example, a range of about 300 m. Accordingly, when a wild animal such as a deer 11 arrives at the drinking fountain 12, an inquiry command from the automatic data collection device 60 can be received by the extracorporeal mounting unit 30.
[0090]
In FIG. 7, the communication means power on / off control means 43C sends the power to the power controller 41 by the timer 37C. S. The timing of sending the ON / OFF signal of the power supply for the communication device 36 is grasped, and the S.D. S. The power of the communication device 36 is controlled to be turned on and off at regular intervals. In the extracorporeal mounting section 30, S.D. S. Only when the power of the communication device 36 is turned on, the inquiry command from the automatic data collection device 60 is transmitted to the S.C. S. Received by the communication device 36. Therefore, the transmission of the inquiry command from the automatic data collection device 60 is periodically repeated, so that the inquiry command can be received within a predetermined time. For example, S. When the power of the communication device 36 is turned ON for 6 seconds every minute, the transmission of the inquiry command from the automatic data collection device 60 is repeated every 6 seconds, and the external device is attached to the external data collection device 60 in a maximum of 1 minute. The unit 30 can be connected.
[0091]
Then, at the extracorporeal mounting section 30, S.P. S. When an inquiry command is received from the automatic data collection device 60 by the communication device 36, S.P. S. A wake-up signal is output from the communication device 36 to the CPU 37. Note that S.I. S. When the power is turned on, the communicator 36 first goes into a sleep state, operates when a signal is received from the outside, and outputs a wake-up signal to the CPU 37. When receiving the wake-up signal, the CPU 37 switches from the low-speed clock 37A to the high-speed clock 37B, and in the state of the high-speed clock 37B, the individual-related information transmission processing means 43B records the individual-related information recorded in the memory 38. Is S. S. The data is transmitted from the communication device 36 to the automatic data collection device 60. Thereafter, when the transmission ends, the CPU 37 switches to the low-speed clock 37A and returns to the standby state.
[0092]
1, 4, and 5, the automatic data collection device 60 transmits the individual-related information transmitted from the extracorporeal mount 30 to S.P. S. The data is received by the communication device 61 and stored in the memory of the collection device main body 62. Subsequently, the computer 72 of the base station 70 is operated at an appropriate time (arbitrary time), and the automatic data collection device 60 is sent to the S.A. A data collection request signal is transmitted from the S communicator 71. In the automatic data collection device 60, the S.V. When a data collection request signal from the base station 70 is received by the S communicator 63, the individual-related information accumulated and stored in the memory of the collector body 62 is transmitted to the long distance S.S. The signal is transmitted to the base station 70 by the S communicator 63. Then, the base station 70 uses the accumulated data of the individual-related information transmitted from the automatic data collection device 60 for the long-distance S.S. The data is received by the S communicator 71, and the computer 72 performs various processes such as display, output, storage, analysis, analysis, investigation, calculation, and management. The long-distance transmission of data between the base station 70 and the automatic data recovery unit 60 is performed, for example, in a range of up to about 10 km. Also, one or more relay stations may be installed between the base station 70 and the automatic data collection device 60 to extend the transmission distance. Further, when transmitting the data collection request signal to the automatic data collection unit 60, the computer 72 of the base station 70 is not operated at an appropriate time (arbitrary time), but the data for operating the computer 72 at all times is used. A collection server may be used to periodically collect data.
[0093]
On the other hand, in the case of the search device 90, the automatic data collection device 60 periodically transmits an inquiry command to the extracorporeal mounting portion (collar portion) 30, whereas, for example, the researcher 13 (see FIG. 1) ) Is close to an animal, the data can be collected, such as when the researcher 13 operates the computer 92 and S. S. The data collection request signal is transmitted from the communication device 91 to the extracorporeal mounting unit 30. At this time, the researcher 13 must approach the animal to a range of, for example, about 300 m. The processing in the extracorporeal unit 30 for the transmission of the data collection request signal from the searcher 90 is the same as the case of the data collection by the automatic data collection unit 60 and the base station 70, and the periodic inquiry from the automatic data collection unit 60 is performed. It merely replaces the command with a data collection request signal from the searcher 90. In other words, in the extracorporeal mounting unit 30, the S.V. S. The power on / off control of the communication device 36, the clock switching of the CPU 37 by a wake-up signal, and the like are performed. Then, in the searcher 90, the individual-related information transmitted from the extracorporeal mounting unit 30 is transmitted to the S.A. The data is received by the S communicator 91, and the computer 92 performs various processes such as display, output, storage, analysis, analysis, investigation, calculation, and management.
[0094]
Further, the management of the animal by applying the electric stimulus is performed as follows.
[0095]
In FIG. 10, the memory 38 (see FIG. 3) of the extracorporeal mounting part (collar part) 30 stores respective constituent points P1, P2, P3, P4 of the virtual electric fence 100, for example, a polygonal shape shown by a dotted line in the figure. ,... Are stored. In the memory 38, the position of each constituent point may be stored as latitude and longitude data (altitude is not considered in this embodiment), or a reference point (each constituent point P1, P2, etc.). And the coordinates other than the constituent points may be stored), and the relative coordinates of each constituent point with respect to this reference point (plane coordinates based on the relative distance (m) from the reference point) are stored. Is also good.
[0096]
In addition, the arrangement interval of each of the constituent points P1, P2, etc. of the virtual electric fence 100 may be, for example, about several tens of meters to several km, and the number of each of the constituent points may be, for example, several thousands. Can be. Further, the shape of the virtual electric fence 100 is not limited to a polygonal shape as shown in the figure, and is arbitrary. Further, the virtual electric fence 100 may have a plurality of areas or a donut-shaped area (where the virtual electric fence 100 has inner and outer rings. Double fence.)
[0097]
In the extracorporeal mounting part (collar part) 30, each time the individual-related information acquisition processing means 43A acquires the position information from the output signal of the GPS 31, the movement permission / non-permission judgment means 43D uses the wild information such as the deer 11 based on the position information by the GPS 31. It is determined whether the animal has passed the virtual electric fence 100 stored in the memory 38, that is, whether the animal is inside or outside the virtual electric fence 100. Here, in the present embodiment, when a wild animal such as a deer 11 goes out of the virtual electric fence 100, an electric stimulus is given. Therefore, when the movement permission / non-permission determining unit 43D determines that the animal is outside the virtual electric fence 100, it determines that such a moving state of the animal is not permitted. It should be noted that the setting may be such that an electric stimulus is given when entering the inside of the virtual electric fence 100.
[0098]
Subsequently, when the movement permission / non-permission determining unit 43D determines that the moving state of the animal is not permitted, the stimulus command processing unit 43E determines the relative distance (vector p) of the animal from the virtual electric fence 100 based on the position information from the GPS 31. ) Is calculated, and the moving speed (vector v) obtained from the output signal of the GPS 31 is grasped. Then, based on the relative distance and the moving speed, the stimulus command processing means 43E determines the amount E of the electric stimulus according to E = f (vector p, vector v). In addition, the stimulus command processing unit 43E may perform a process of determining the amount E of the electric stimulus based on the physiological information (may be a process performed as a limiter function). Thereafter, the stimulus command processing unit 43E issues a command to the low-frequency electric stimulator 35 to give an electric stimulus to the animal based on the determined electric stimulus amount E. In addition, it is preferable that the relative distance and the moving speed from the virtual electric fence 100 basically consider only a component in a normal direction to a line (each side) forming the virtual electric fence 100. In addition, in the vicinity of a position (an intermediate position between each of the constituent points) other than the position of each corner (the position of each of the constituent points P1, P2, etc.) of the virtual electric fence 100, basically, Of each side, the relative distance and the moving speed to the side closest to the current position of the animal are targeted.
[0099]
More specifically, for example, the larger the relative distance from the virtual electric fence 100 and the higher the moving speed, the larger the amount E of the electric stimulation. However, if the moving direction is the direction returning to the virtual electric fence 100 even if the moving speed is high, the electric stimulation may not be applied or the amount E may be reduced. Therefore, in this case, the amount E of the electric stimulus becomes the largest when moving away from the virtual electric fence 100 in a hurry. Further, for example, the amount E of the electrical stimulus may be changed according to the relative distance (vector p), and the moving speed (vector v) may be considered only in the direction without considering the absolute value. .
[0100]
The time interval for acquiring the position information and the moving speed information from the GPS 31 only until the animal returns to the inside of the virtual electric fence 100 (outside the movement prohibited area) is determined by the individual-related information acquisition processing means 43A by the position information by the GPS 31. May be shorter than the time interval when acquiring. For example, when the position information is acquired only once in 30 minutes by the individual-related information acquisition processing unit 43A, the stimulus instruction processing unit 43E acquires the position information and the moving speed information from the GPS 31, for example, every minute, The moving state (relative distance and moving speed) of the animal may be captured in more detail. By doing so, it is possible to more reliably cause the animal to return to the inside of the virtual electric fence 100.
[0101]
Also, as shown in FIG. 10, one or a plurality of radio transmitters 110 are installed in an area where it is desired to prevent invasion of wild animals such as deer 11 and a limit line for radio waves from this radio transmitter 110 ( For example, a virtual electric fence 111 for regulating the moving range of the animal may be formed by a circle having a radius distance R of about 300 m. In this case, when a wild animal such as a deer 11 approaches the radio wave transmitter 110 and invades the virtual electric fence 111, the extracorporeal mounting part (collar part) 30 becomes S. S. When a radio wave from the radio wave transmitter 110 is received by the communication device 36, a command to stimulate the animal is issued to the low-frequency electric stimulator 35 by the stimulus command processing means 43E. Stimulus application is performed. On the other hand, when a wild animal such as a deer 11 moves away from the radio wave transmitter 110 and goes out of the virtual electric fence 111, the extracorporeal mounting part (collar part) 30 becomes S. S. When the communication device 36 cannot receive the radio wave from the radio wave transmitter 110, the stimulus command processing means 43E issues a command to the low-frequency electric stimulator 35 to stop applying the stimulus, and the stimulus application ends.
[0102]
Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 10, when the human 14 finds an animal that is trying to enter the intrusion prohibited area or an animal that has already entered, the human 14 operates the remote controller 112 and the external mounting unit ( A signal similar to the radio wave from the radio wave transmitter 110 is transmitted to the S. The stimulus may be provided by the low-frequency electrical stimulator 35 after being received by the communication device 36. Therefore, in this case, the human 14 can perform the same action as the animal trainer by remote control using the remote controller 112.
[0103]
The formation of the virtual electric fence 111 by the radio wave transmitter 110 may be performed together with the formation of the virtual electric fence 100 by the GPS 31 as shown in FIG. , Respectively. When the virtual electric fences 100 and 111 are combined as shown in FIG. 10, for example, when it is determined at 30-minute intervals whether or not the virtual electric fence 100 has gone out of the virtual electric fence 100 by the GPS 31, the 30-minute period is used. Within this time, the animal may come out of the virtual electric fence 100 and approach the virtual electric fence 111 by the radio wave transmitter 110, but even in such a case, the animal is prevented from entering the virtual electric fence 111. can do. When the formation of the virtual electric fences 100 and 111 is combined, the respective regions surrounded by the virtual electric fences 100 and 111 may overlap each other. Is formed, it is possible to cope with a case where the animal does not want to go out of the virtual electric fence 100 and does not want to enter the virtual electric fence 111. Further, a virtual electric fence 100 by the GPS 31 and a radio wave transmitter are set in accordance with the type of the animal (for example, whether to take a single action or to act in a group, the size of the moving range, the habit of the group, the number of groups, etc.). The virtual electric fence 111 by 110 may be used properly.
[0104]
According to this embodiment, the following effects can be obtained. That is, as shown in FIG. 7, (1) the CPU 37 operates with the low-speed clock 37A to reduce power consumption when no special processing is performed by the processing unit 43, and (2) the individual-related information acquisition processing unit 43A When the acquisition processing of the individual-related information is performed, the low-speed clock 37A is switched to the high-speed clock 37B. In addition, (3) the power supply on / off control means 43C for the communication means performs S.P. S. The power of the communication device 36 is controlled to be turned on and off at a constant cycle. S. When the communication device 36 receives a signal from the external automatic data recovery device 60 or the search device 90, the S.C. S. A wake-up signal is output from the communication device 36 to the CPU 37, the CPU 37 is switched from the low-speed clock 37A to the high-speed clock 37B by the wake-up signal, and the individual-related information transmission processing means 43B performs transmission processing of the individual-related information. Therefore, power consumption can be reduced as a whole. For this reason, information acquisition processing and transmission processing thereof can be realized with the minimum necessary power, and power can be saved, so that power supply to each device can be maintained for a long time, and In addition, it is possible to minimize the occurrence of a situation in which measurement becomes impossible due to battery exhaustion, and it is possible to realize efficient and effective management of living things.
[0105]
Further, since the biological management system 10 includes the automatic data collection device 60 (see FIG. 1), the individual-related information acquired by the individual mounting device 50 is automatically collected by the automatic data collection device 60 and transmitted to the base station 70. Can be sent. Therefore, data collection can be performed without using the searcher 90, and data collection can be easily performed without having to go to the site.
[0106]
Further, the individual mounting device 50 is configured by the implantable body 20 and the extracorporeal mount 30, and relays the physiological information detected by the implantable intracorporeal 20 via the extracorporeal mount 30 to the automatic data collection device 60 and the search. 2 and 3 (see FIGS. 2 and 3), the physiological information output from the in-vivo sensor 21 of the implantable body 20 as a weak radio signal can be transmitted to the remote data automatic recovery unit 60 or the search device. Up to 90 can be sent.
[0107]
The extracorporeal mounting part (collar part) 30 of the individual mounting device 50 is vertically divided into two parts, and is connected at each of the left and right positions so that the sliding adjustment can be performed (see FIGS. 8 and 9). , And the GPS antenna 31A can always be positioned directly above. Therefore, there is no inconvenience as in the case where the number of connection points is one, and the position information can be acquired more reliably.
[0108]
In addition, since each device constituting the extracorporeal mounting unit 30 of the individual mounting device 50 is divided into first to seventh units and modularized, compatibility between the modules can be ensured, and It is possible to provide a rich product lineup according to needs and realize a customized system. For this reason, the required sensors, information communication method, data capacity, data size, battery life, etc. vary widely depending on the type of the target organism and the survey conditions, etc. Can respond easily and quickly.
[0109]
Furthermore, since the creature management system 10 can form the virtual electric fence 100 using the GPS 31 (see FIG. 10), when an animal enters the no-entry area (may be inside or outside the virtual electric fence 100). The low frequency electric stimulator 35 can stimulate the animal, thereby preventing the animal from entering the no-entry zone. For this reason, since the movement range of animals can be regulated, for example, control of damage to agriculture and forestry by wild animals and management of grazing livestock can be performed effectively and efficiently.
[0110]
Then, the stimulus command processing unit 43E determines the amount E of the electric stimulus based on the relative distance and the moving speed of the animal from the virtual electric fence 100. The more the animals enter, and the faster the animal moves toward the back in the no-entry area, the stronger the stimulation can be given. For this reason, the animal can be caused to go out of the intrusion prohibited area defined by the virtual electric fence 100.
[0111]
Further, the stimulus command processing means 43E can determine the amount E of the electric stimulus based on the physiological information detected by the in-vivo sensor 21, so that the stimulus command processing means 43E grasps, for example, the case where the animal is pregnant or weakened. In addition, it is possible to realize stimulation application according to the physical condition of the animal.
[0112]
Further, the living thing management system 10 can form not only the virtual electric fence 100 by the GPS 31 but also the virtual electric fence 111 by the radio wave transmitter 110 (see FIG. 10). When an animal enters the reach, the animal can be stimulated by the low-frequency electrical stimulator 35. For this reason, since the movement range of animals can be regulated, similarly to the case of the virtual electric fence 100 using the GPS 31, control of agriculture and forestry damage by wild animals, management of grazing livestock, and the like should be performed effectively and efficiently. In addition, by combining the virtual electric fence 111 with the radio wave transmitter 110 and the virtual electric fence 100 with the GPS 31, more precise and sophisticated movement control and animal management can be performed.
[0113]
It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and modifications and the like within a range that can achieve the object of the present invention are included in the present invention.
[0114]
That is, in the biological management system 10 of the embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the communication means mounted on the extracorporeal mounting unit 30 of the individual mounting device 50 performs S.P. S. Although the communicator 36 was used, as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, a creature management system 200 that transmits and receives data by communication using a mobile phone line may be used. In the creature management system 200, the same components as those of the creature management system 10 of the above embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, detailed description thereof will be omitted, and only different portions will be described below.
[0115]
11, the biological management system 200 includes an individual mounting device 250 and a base station 270, which is an individual-related information collection device. Therefore, there is no equivalent to the automatic data collection unit 60 or the search unit 90 (see FIG. 1) of the above embodiment.
[0116]
The individual mounting device 250 includes an implantable body 20 (see FIG. 2) having the same configuration as the above-described embodiment, and an extracorporeal mounting portion (collar) having a configuration different from the extracorporeal mounting portion 30 (see FIG. 3) of the above-described embodiment. ) 230. In FIG. 12, the extracorporeal mounting unit 230 is the same as the S.V. S. Instead of the communication device 36, a mobile phone 236 as communication means and a modem 244 arranged between the mobile phone 236 and the CPU 37 are provided. Further, the mobile phone 236 has an antenna 236A. The other devices 31 to 35 and 37 to 41 are the same as those in the above embodiment.
[0117]
In FIG. 11, the base station 270 is the long distance S.D. S. A modem 274 for connecting to a fixed telephone line is provided instead of the communication device 71 (see FIG. 5). Note that the computer 72 is the same as in the above embodiment.
[0118]
In such a creature management system 200, the process of acquiring the individual-related information by the individual mounting device 250 is performed in the same manner as in the case of the individual mounting device 50 of the embodiment, and the process of collecting the acquired individual-related information is performed as described above. This is only different from the case of the embodiment. The formation of the virtual electric fence 100 (see FIG. 10) by the GPS 31 is performed in the same manner as in the above-described embodiment, and the application of the electric stimulus to the animal is performed by the same processing.
[0119]
In the biological management system 200, the data collection process is performed as follows. First, the computer 72 of the base station 270 is operated at an appropriate time (arbitrary time), and the mobile phone 236 mounted on the extracorporeal mounting part (collar part) 230 of the individual mounting device 250 is transmitted via the modem 274. Dial up and send a data collection request signal directly. At this time, the signal from the base station 270 reaches the mobile phone 236 mounted on the extracorporeal mounting part (collar part) 230 via the fixed telephone line and the mobile telephone network. The dial-up connection is performed by the computer 72 by activating HyperTerminal (trademark), which is a program on Windows (trademark).
[0120]
Next, when connected to the mobile phone 236 by dial-up, the individual-related information stored in the memory 38 is transmitted by the individual-related information transmission processing means 43B (see FIG. 7) through the modem 244 and the mobile phone 236 to the external mounting unit ( (Collar unit) 230, reaches the base station 270 via the mobile phone network and the fixed telephone line, and is collected by the computer 72 through the modem 274. Thereafter, in the computer 72, various processes such as display, output, storage, analysis, analysis, investigation, calculation, management, and the like are performed using the collected data, as in the case of the above-described embodiment.
[0121]
The data collection by the dial-up connection from the base station 270 to the mobile phone 236 of the extracorporeal unit (collar unit) 230 is not performed by operating the computer 72 at an appropriate time (arbitrary time). May be used as a data collection server that operates constantly, and data collection may be performed periodically. By automating the data collection in this way, for example, the camera 34 mounted on the extracorporeal mounting part (collar part) 230 can be used as a “moving live camera”, and the images captured by the camera 34 (such as animal behavior and By distributing the images that visually grasp the surrounding environment) to surveys and research, as well as distributing them to the public through the Internet etc., they can also be used for dissemination and enlightenment activities related to the natural environment.
[0122]
Note that mobile phones can collect data anywhere within the communication range, but spread spectrum communication requires approaching an animal up to about 300 m. Therefore, from an ecological point of view, mobile phones are applied when the home range is large and part of them overlaps with the mobile phone's communication range, while spread spectrum communication has a relatively limited home range. Or, S. S. It is necessary to make sure that the animal approaches the place where the receiver is installed. For this reason, spread spectrum communication is appropriate for cattle that are domestic animals. Also, in consideration of the size and weight of the device, remodeling of mobile phones is prohibited, and if the device is incorporated without remodeling (removing the display, key, case, etc.), the device becomes larger, so the device is small, so the device is small. Spread-spectrum communication is preferred for foxes, raccoons, monkeys, and the like that need to be downsized. And, for other large animals, for example, Sika deer, Sika deer, Ezo brown bear, Asiatic black bear, etc. Is also good.
[0123]
When performing communication using DoPa (trademark), which is a wireless packet service using the PDC system provided by a mobile phone company, the mobile phone 236 and the modem 244 are connected to the DoPa In the base station 270 of FIG. 11, the modem 274 is replaced with a DoPa router in place of the module. In data collection in the case of DoPa (trademark), HyperTerminal (trademark), which is a program on Windows (trademark), is started by the computer 72, TCP / IP is designated, and the external body mounting part (collar) is used. Unit) 230 and directly transmits a data collection request signal.
[0124]
In the case of performing communication by a mobile phone as in the biological management system 200 of FIGS. 11 and 12 and the case of performing communication by DoPa (trademark), compared with the case of spread spectrum communication of the biological management system 10 of the embodiment, Since the only difference is the communication mode when transmitting and receiving data, the same effects as those of the biological management system 10 of the above embodiment can be obtained. That is, the power saving effect by the CPU clock switching and the power on / off control for the communication means, the relay effect by the automatic data recovery unit 60, the relay effect of the physiological information by the extracorporeal attachment (collar) 30, the extracorporeal attachment (collar) 30 Effect of positioning the GPS antenna 31A at the position directly above the right and left sides by connecting the left and right sides, effect of ensuring compatibility by modularizing each component of the extracorporeal mounting part 30, effect of applying electric stimulation by forming the virtual electric fence 100 by the GPS 31, image A compression processing effect and the like can be obtained.
[0125]
Further, in the above-described embodiment, the communication between the automatic data collection device 60 and the base station 70 is performed by spread spectrum communication. However, the communication may be replaced with a mobile phone or DoPa (trademark).
[0126]
Further, instead of spread spectrum communication and communication using a mobile phone or DoPa (trademark), data may be transmitted and received by performing communication using an artificial satellite system (Obcom).
[0127]
In the embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the data collection by the searcher 90 is performed from the extracorporeal mounting part (collar part) 30 of the individual mounting device 50, and the data stored and stored in the automatic data collection device 60 is Although the data has been collected by the base station 70, the data stored in the automatic data collection device 60 may be collected by the search device 90.
[0128]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, power on / off control of the communication unit and clock switching of the CPU by the wake-up signal from the communication unit are performed, so that power saving can be achieved, or Since the stimulus is given to the living thing by forming the fence, the moving range of the living thing can be regulated, and thereby, there is an effect that the living thing can be managed effectively and efficiently.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of a biological management system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a device configuration diagram of a body implanting part of the individual mounting device of the embodiment.
FIG. 3 is a device configuration diagram of an extracorporeal mounting portion (collar portion) of the individual mounting device of the embodiment.
FIG. 4 is a device configuration diagram of an automatic data collection device included in the individual-related information collection device of the embodiment.
FIG. 5 is a device configuration diagram of a base station included in the individual-related information collection device of the embodiment.
FIG. 6 is a device configuration diagram of a searcher which is an individual-related information collection device of another system of the embodiment.
FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing various processing by processing means in the extracorporeal mounting section (collar section) of the individual mounting apparatus of the embodiment.
FIG. 8 is an external configuration diagram of the extracorporeal mounting portion (collar portion) of the embodiment as viewed from the front.
FIG. 9 is a partially enlarged view of the extracorporeal mounting portion (collar portion) of the embodiment as viewed from the side.
FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a process of applying electric stimulation to a deer by the virtual electric fence of the embodiment.
FIG. 11 is an overall configuration diagram of a biological management system showing a modified embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 12 is a device configuration diagram of the extracorporeal mounting portion (collar portion) of the modified embodiment.
[Explanation of symbols]
10,200 Biological management system
11 Deer, a kind of wildlife
20 implanted part in the body
21 In-vivo sensor as a physiological information detecting means
22 Physiological information transmission means
30,230 Extracorporeal attachment part (collar part)
30A Upper part
30B Lower part
31 Global Positioning System (GPS) as a means of acquiring location information
31A GPS antenna
33 Physiological information receiving means
35 Low frequency electrical stimulator as stimulus applying means
S.36 which is a communication means. S. Communication device
37 CPU
37A low speed clock
37B High-speed clock
38 Memory functioning as virtual electric fence storage means as virtual fence storage means
43 processing means
43A Individual-related information acquisition processing means
43B Individual-related information transmission processing means
43C power on / off control means for communication means
43D movement permission / non-permission judgment means
43E stimulation command processing means
50,250 individual mounting device
60 Automatic data collection device
70,270 base station
80 Individual-related information collection device
100,111 Virtual electric fence which is a virtual fence
110 radio transmitter
236 Mobile phone as communication means
E The amount of electrical stimulation that is the amount of stimulation

Claims (10)

A biological management system that collects information on living things and manages the living things,
An individual mounting device that acquires individual-related information including at least one of positional information, physiological information, peripheral image information, or peripheral micrometeorological information of the moving individual attached to the individual of the living thing,
An individual-related information collecting device that collects the individual-related information acquired by the individual mounting device at a remote location,
The individual mounting device,
Processing means for performing processing using a CPU having a high-speed clock and a low-speed clock;
Communication means for transmitting and receiving signals including the individual-related information to and from the individual-related information collection device,
The processing means includes:
Individual-related information acquisition processing means for performing the acquisition processing of the individual-related information by switching from the low-speed clock to the high-speed clock,
An individual-related information transmission processing unit that performs transmission processing of the individual-related information to the individual-related information collection device in a state where the low-speed clock is switched to the high-speed clock by the wake-up signal output from the communication unit;
And a power-on / off control means for communication means for controlling the power of the communication means at a constant cycle,
The communication unit, when receiving a signal from the individual-related information collection device when the power is turned on by the communication unit power on / off control unit of the processing unit, converts the wake-up signal to the processing unit. A biological management system characterized in that the biological management system is configured to output the information to an organism. The biological management system according to claim 1,
The individual-related information collection device,
A data automatic collection device that is installed on the predicted movement path of the living thing or in the vicinity thereof and automatically collects the individual-related information from the individual mounting device,
A biological management system comprising: a base station that receives the individual-related information collected by the automatic data collection device from the automatic data collection device. The biological management system according to claim 1 or 2,
The individual-related information obtained by the individual mounting device includes the physiological information,
The individual mounting device is configured by an implanted part embedded in the body of the living thing, and an extracorporeal mounting part mounted outside the living body of the living thing,
The implanted body includes a physiological information detecting unit that detects physiological information of the living organism, and a physiological information transmitting unit that transmits a weak radio signal of the physiological information detected by the physiological information detecting unit to the external mounting unit. Comprising
The extracorporeal mounting unit is configured to include a physiological information receiving unit that receives a weak radio signal of the physiological information sent from the implanting unit, the processing unit, and the communication unit,
The individual-related information acquisition processing unit of the processing unit is configured to acquire the physiological information as the individual-related information from the weak radio signal received by the physiological information receiving unit,
The communication unit is configured to transmit the physiological information acquired by the individual-related information acquisition processing unit from the weak radio signal received by the physiological information receiving unit to the individual-related information collecting device. Biological management system. In the biological management system according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The individual-related information acquired by the individual mounting device includes the position information,
The individual mounting device is mounted in a state of orbiting the individual of the living thing, and is vertically divided into two,
At a position directly above the upper part of the individual wearing device, at least an antenna part of a global positioning system as position information acquisition means for acquiring the position information is provided,
The upper part and the lower part of the individual mounting device are configured to be connectable while sliding equally in the vertical direction at each of the left and right positions, and the individual mounting device includes an upper part and a lower part. A living organism management system, wherein the size can be adjusted in accordance with the circumference of a mounting portion of the living organism to which the individual mounting apparatus is mounted by sliding adjustment at the time of connection with the living organism. In the biological management system according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The individual-related information acquired by the individual mounting device includes the position information,
Each device constituting the individual mounting device is divided into a plurality of units and modularized, and these units include:
A GPS antenna unit having an antenna portion of a global positioning system as position information obtaining means for obtaining the position information;
A battery unit having a battery for supplying power to each of the devices;
A main unit that collectively arranges the essential parts of the individual mounting device, which are devices other than the antenna portion and the battery of the global positioning system,
An organism management system, characterized in that there are optional units in which individual devices selectively mounted as options on the individual mounting device are individually arranged. A biological management system that stimulates an organism and manages the behavior of the organism,
Position information acquisition means attached to the individual of the living thing to acquire position information of the moving individual,
Virtual fence storage means for storing a virtual fence for regulating the moving range of the living thing,
Movement permission / non-permission determining means for determining whether or not the creature is allowed to move by determining whether or not the virtual fence stored in the virtual fence storage means has been exceeded based on the position information obtained by the position information obtaining means. When,
Stimulation command processing means for issuing a command to give a stimulus to the living thing when it is determined that the movement of the living thing is not allowed by the movement permission / prohibition determining means,
A creature management system, comprising: a stimulus providing unit that is attached to the individual of the creature and that stimulates the creature based on a command from the stimulus command processing unit. In the biological management system according to claim 6,
The stimulus command processing means,
Calculating a relative distance of the living thing from the virtual fence based on the position information obtained by the position information obtaining means,
Either directly obtain the moving speed of the living thing from the position information obtaining means, or calculate the moving speed of the living thing based on the position information obtained by the position information obtaining means,
A biological management system, wherein the amount of the stimulus is determined based on a relative distance and a moving speed from the virtual fence. The biological management system according to claim 6 or 7,
A physiological information detecting unit that is attached to the individual of the living thing and detects physiological information of the moving individual,
The living thing management system, wherein the stimulus command processing means is configured to determine the amount of the stimulus based on physiological information detected by the physiological information detecting means. A biological management system that stimulates an organism and manages the behavior of the organism,
A radio transmitter that transmits a radio wave that is installed in an area where the invasion of the living thing is to be prevented and forms a virtual fence for controlling the moving range of the living thing,
Communication means attached to the individual of the living thing to receive radio waves from the radio transmitter,
A command to give a stimulus to the living thing when the communication means receives a radio wave from the radio wave transmitter by the living thing entering the virtual fence formed by the limit line of the radio wave from the radio wave transmitter. Stimulus command processing means for issuing
A creature management system, comprising: a stimulus providing unit that is attached to the individual of the creature and that stimulates the creature based on a command from the stimulus command processing unit. The biological management system according to any one of claims 6 to 9, wherein the stimulus is an electrical stimulus, and the virtual fence is a virtual electric fence.

Images