JPH0587615A - Dynamic state measuring apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To set an effective data section by judging that one animal alone is on a weighing table accurately utilizing a transmitting and a receiving means for giving and taking of individual identification information. CONSTITUTION:This dynamic state measuring apparatus is provided with a weighing table 1, a memory means 6a which picks up and stores time-series data of a weighed value as obtained when an object to be weighed passes on the weighing table 1, an effective data section setting means 6c to set an effective data section of the time-series data and an arithmetic means 6d to calculate a static weight of the object to be weighed from the time series data in an effective data section. A transmitting means T is mounted on the object to be weighed to transmit individual identification information. A first receiving means 4a is provided to receive individual identification information transmitted from the transmitting means T when the object to be weighed near an inlet of the weighing table 1 and a second receiving means 4b to receive it when the object to be weighed is near an outlet of the weighing table 1. The effective data section setting means 6c judges a data section when one object to be weighed alone exists on the weighing table 1 based on the individual identification information received separately by the first receiving means 4a and the second receiving means 4b to make an effective data section.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a weighing table, storage means for sequentially capturing and storing time series data of a weighing value when a weighing object passes through the weighing table, and effective data of the time series data. The present invention relates to a dynamic weighing device provided with a valid data section setting means for setting a section and a computing means for calculating the static weight of the weighing target from the time series data in the valid data section.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As such a dynamic measuring device, there is, for example, a cow measuring device. When a cow to be weighed walks on a weighing platform, the change over time of the weighing value obtained from the weighing platform has a complicated waveform that changes according to the walking cycle of the cow. Therefore, conventionally, the time series data of the weighing value is once captured and stored, the valid data section is set from the change of the time series data, and the static weight of the weighing object is calculated from the time series data in the valid data section. Is configured.

Specifically, for example, a plurality of peaks are extracted from changes in time-series data, and when a predetermined number of peaks are obtained, the first peak to the last peak are defined as an effective data section. Then, the average value of the time-series data in this effective data section is calculated and used as the calculated value of the static weight.

[0004]

In the above-mentioned weighing device, there are two approaches as a method for surely weighing the static weight of each cow when weighing a plurality of cattle continuously. The first is a method in which gates are provided at the entrance and the exit of the weighing platform to appropriately control the opening and closing of the weighing platform so that two or more cows do not get on the weighing platform. However, this method is disadvantageous in that the size of the device becomes large and the cost increases.

As a second method, the time series data in such a state among the time series data obtained while allowing two or more cows to be placed on the weighing platform without providing the gate as described above There is a method of ignoring the above and deciding the data section when only one of them is on the weighing table and setting it as the effective data section. In this case, it is difficult to judge whether or not only one head is on the weighing platform by the effective data section setting method described in the conventional example.

Therefore, for example, detection means for detecting passage of cattle by an optical sensor or the like is provided at the entrance and exit of the weighing platform,
It is possible to set the above-mentioned effective data section from the detection information. However, in this method, for example, when two cows pass through the place where the above-mentioned detecting means is installed in a row, it is erroneously detected as one cow, and whether or not only one cow is still on the weighing platform. It is difficult to make an accurate judgment.
In addition, the optical sensor has a defect that it is weak against dust.

On the other hand, as a method for causing the weighing device to recognize the individual to be weighed (cow), a transmitting means for transmitting individual identification information (eg individual number) is attached to the cow, and the individual identification information is received on the weighing device side. It has been conventionally practiced to provide the receiving means so that the individual identification information is automatically transmitted and received when the cow transmitting means approaches the receiving means of the weighing device.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to utilize only a single weighing platform by using the transmitting means and the receiving means for transmitting and receiving the individual identification information. It is to set the valid data section by accurately judging that it is above.

[0009]

A dynamic weighing apparatus of the present invention comprises a weighing platform, a storage unit for sequentially capturing and storing time-series data of weighing values when a weighing object passes through the weighing platform, and An effective data section setting means for setting an effective data section of time-series data, and a calculation means for calculating the static weight of the weighing object from the time-series data in the effective data section are provided. The configuration is such that transmitting means for transmitting the individual identification information is attached to the weighing object, and the individual identification information transmitted from the transmitting means is received when the weighing object is near the entrance of the weighing platform. First receiving means and second receiving means for receiving when the weighing object is near the exit of the weighing platform are provided, and the valid data section setting means is the first receiving means and the first receiving means. 2 The receiving means is configured to judge the data section when only one weighing object is present on the weighing table based on the individual identification information received by the receiving means, and set it as the valid data section. is there.

[0010]

According to the above characteristic structure, the valid data section setting means for setting the valid data section of the time series data of the weighing value is set to 1 based on the individual identification information from the first receiving means and the second receiving means. The data section when only the individual weighing objects are on the weighing platform is determined to be the valid data section.

Here, the first receiving means is installed near the entrance of the weighing table, and the second receiving means is installed near the exit of the weighing table. In each case, the communicable area with the transmitting means attached to the measurement target is set to be narrow. Therefore, the first receiving means receives the individual identification information transmitted from the transmitting means when the weighing object is near the entrance of the weighing table, and the second receiving means has the weighing object near the exit of the weighing table. Similarly, the individual identification information is also received.

In other words, the timing at which the object to be weighed passes through the vicinity of the entrance and gets on the weighing platform based on the signal received by the first receiving means, and the object to be weighed is determined based on the signal received by the second receiving means. It is possible to judge the timing of going down and passing through the vicinity of the exit. Further, since the measuring object can be specified from the individual identification information, even if two measuring objects pass in the vicinity of the entrance or the exit in succession, the transmitting means of the respective measuring objects can be used. The transmitted individual identification information is separately received, and it can be determined that the two weighing objects have passed.

The valid data section setting means determines whether or not each object to be weighed is on the weighing platform by making the above determination. Then, the data section when only one weighing object is present on the weighing table is determined to be the valid data section. In this effective data section, the effective data section may be narrowed by further setting the effective data section by peak extraction in the change of the time series data described in the conventional example.

[0014]

Therefore, according to the present invention, the data section when only one weighing object is present on the weighing table is utilized by utilizing the transmitting means and the receiving means for transmitting and receiving the individual identification information. It has become possible to determine the valid data section by judging. As a result, it is possible to provide a highly reliable weighing device with few weighing errors.

[0015]

EXAMPLES Examples in which the present invention is applied to a cow weighing apparatus will be described below. The weighing apparatus of the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, when a cow to be weighed walks on the weighing platform 1, from the time series data of weighing values obtained from the weighing platform 1, the static weight of the cow is determined. (Hereinafter, simply referred to as weight) is calculated. A fence 2 is provided on both sides of the weighing platform 1 and the passages before and after it, and a terminal device 3 is provided upright on the outside thereof.

As shown in FIG. 2, the terminal device 3 has a key panel 3a for instructing the start and stop of weighing, and a digital display for displaying and outputting the weighing result (cattle individual number and its weight). 3b, a printer 3c for printing out the measurement result, and the like. Further, a weighing processing unit H that controls the weight of the cow based on the load data from the weighing platform 1 and communicates with external information equipment is also provided inside the terminal device 3.

As shown in FIG. 1, transmission means T for transmitting individual identification information (individual number) of the cow is attached to the ankle of the left hind leg of the cow. The transmitting means T includes a memory for storing the individual number and a bidirectional RF wireless communication means. Then, wireless communication is performed with the weighing processing unit H via the receiving means described later, and the individual number of the cow to be weighed is given to the weighing processing unit H. In addition, using the key panel 3a described above,
The operator can manually input the individual number.

The weighing platform 1 has a plan view as shown in FIG.
It is provided with a base plate 1a on which a cow rides and walks, and four load cells 1b arranged at the four corners. The load applied to the base plate 1a is detected as the total value of the outputs of these four load cells 1b. The outputs of the four load cells 1b are given to the measurement processing unit H as analog voltages, and are processed by the measurement processing unit H.

Antennas 4a and 4b as receiving means for receiving the individual number from the transmitting means T are provided before and after the weighing table 1, that is, near the entrance and the exit. To be precise, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the antenna 4a near the entrance is arranged in front of the weighing platform 1, and the antenna 4a near the exit is placed.
a is arranged at the rear of the weighing platform 1. This is associated with the transmitting means T being attached to the hind legs of the cow.

The antennas 4a and 4b are plane rectangular antennas wound in a loop shape, and are inside the fence 2 on the left side (side of the leg to which the transmitting means T is attached) in the traveling direction of the cow. , The longitudinal direction is attached so that it is the traveling direction of the cow. The directivity is stronger in the thickness direction, that is, in the left-right direction with respect to the traveling direction of the cow. Therefore, the directivity of the transmitting means T attached to the ankle of the cow is also increased in the left-right direction with respect to the traveling direction of the cow.

As shown in FIG. 4, the weighing processing section H comprises a data input means 5 and an arithmetic processing means 6. The data input means 5 is an amplifier 5a that amplifies a voltage signal that is a weighing value from the weighing platform 1 and a low-pass filter 5 that smoothes the output.
b, an A / D converter 5c for quantizing the smoothed voltage signal in a predetermined sampling time. A / D converter 5c
The quantized time-series data (hereinafter, referred to as “metric data”) of the quantized weighing value output from is input to the arithmetic processing means 6.

The arithmetic processing means 6 is composed of a microcomputer and stores the weighing data.
a, a maximum value extracting means 6b for extracting a maximum value from a change in the weighing data, a valid data section setting means 6c for setting a valid data section of the weighing data, and a calculating means 6d for calculating the weight of the cow from the weighing data in the valid data section. Equipped with.

Further, the weighing processing unit H is provided with a serial interface 7 and an input / output circuit 8. The serial interface 7 communicates with an external information device DE (computer) that manages historical data and aggregated data for each individual cow, and with the transmission means T via the antennas 4a and 4b and the RF circuit 9 thereof. Take charge. The input / output circuit 8 controls the interface with the key panel 3a, the digital display 3b, and the printer 3c.

Communication between the weighing processing unit H (calculation processing means 6) and the transmitting means T attached to the cow is performed as follows. First, the RF waves including the response request signal are output from the antennas 4a and 4b. When the transmitting means T attached to the cow comes close to the antenna 4a or the antenna 4b, electric power is supplied by the RF radio waves to be in an active state. Then, in response to the response request signal, the stored information, that is, the individual number of the cow to which the transmitting means T is attached is RF.
Send as radio waves.

This signal is transmitted to the antenna 4a or the antenna 4b.
And is transmitted to the arithmetic processing means 6 via the RF circuits 9a and 9b and the serial interface 7. The antenna 4a provided near the entrance of the weighing platform 1 and the antenna 4b provided near the exit perform the above-described communication with the transmitting means T separately, and the communicable area thereof is near the entrance or the exit. Is set in a small area.

Therefore, the antenna 4a corresponds to the first receiving means for receiving the individual number when the cow is near the entrance of the weighing platform 1, and the antenna 4b is when the cow is near the exit of the weighing platform 1. Corresponds to the second receiving means for receiving the individual number. A bit for identifying which of the antennas 4a and 4b received the signal is added to the received individual number by the serial interface 7 and transmitted to the arithmetic processing means 6 as individual detection information.

The arithmetic processing means 6 identifies the individual number of the object (cow) to be weighed on the weighing platform 1 from the above individual detection information, and when only one cow is on the weighing platform 1. Determine the data section and set the valid data section. The setting of this valid data section is performed by the valid data section setting means 6c in the arithmetic processing means 6 as follows.

First, the change with time of the weighing value (voltage after being smoothed by the low-pass filter 5b) output from the weighing platform 1 when only one cow walks on the weighing platform 1 is as follows:
It becomes like FIG. In the figure, the shaded area 11 indicates the period during which the antenna 4a is receiving the individual number from the transmitting means T,
The crosshatch section 12 indicates a period during which the antenna 4b is receiving the individual number from the transmitting means T.

Therefore, the valid data section setting means 6c is
Based on the individual detection information, the timing 11a when the cow passes near the entrance and the timing 12a when the cow goes down the weighing platform 1 and passes near the exit are set, and the valid data section T is set. Further, the valid data section setting means 6c extracts the maximum value from the change of the weighing data in the valid data section T and determines the valid data section t to calculate the weight of the cow, which will be described later.

Next, when two cows walk and pass on the weighing platform 1 in succession, that is, when the second cow rides on the weighing platform 1 before the first cow goes down from the weighing platform 1. The change over time of the measured value of is as shown in FIG. 6 or 7. In the figure, shaded portions 13 and 14 indicate periods in which the antenna 4a is receiving the individual number from the transmitting means T, and cross hatch portions 15 and 16 are shown.
Indicates the period during which the antenna 4b is receiving the individual number from the transmitting means T. However, 13 and 15 are the individual numbers of the first cow, and 14 and 16 are the individual numbers of the second cow.

Therefore, the valid data section setting means 6c is
Based on the individual detection information, from the timing 13a at which the first cow passes near the entrance to the timing 14a at which the second cow passes near the entrance, the valid data section T1 of the first cow is determined, and the first cow is The period from the timing 15a when the second cow passes near the exit to the timing 16a when the second cow passes near the exit is defined as the valid data section T2 of the second cow.

In other words, from the timing 14a when the second cow passes near the entrance to the timing 15a when the first cow passes near the exit, two cows are on the weighing platform 1. Therefore, the data in this section will be ignored. When two cows are placed on the weighing platform 1 in succession or when they are descended from the weighing platform 1 in succession, the valid data section T1 or the valid data section T2 is substantially eliminated.

Next, an algorithm for calculating the weight of a cow from the weighing data in the valid data sections T, T1, T2 determined as described above will be described. The voltage corresponding to the weighing value shown in FIGS. 5 to 7 is quantized by the A / D converter 5c as described above and input to the arithmetic processing means 6 as the weighing data. Arithmetic processing means 6
When the weighing data exceeds a threshold value which is slightly larger than the weight of the weighing platform 1a alone, it is assumed that the cow has started riding on the weighing platform 1 and the storage of the weighing data in the storage means 6a is started.

Then, the maximum value extracting means 6b in the arithmetic processing means 6 extracts and stores the maximum values (P ₁ , P ₂ , P ₃ , ... In FIG. 5) from the change in the measurement data. However, when the local maximum value P _{n of} this time is compared with the local maximum value P _n-1 of the previous time and there is a change (increase or decrease) of 20% or more, it is determined that the data is in a different group, and After clearing the maximum values stored up to, the current maximum value P _n is stored.

[0035] Therefore, in the case of FIG. 5, the maximum value P _2, since an increase than the previous maximum value P ₁ 20% or more, the maximum value P ₁ stored in the far is cleared, the current maximum value P ₂ will be stored as the first maximum value. Then, it is judged whether or not the stored maximum values have reached three, and if they have reached the maximum value, the first maximum value P ₂ to the third maximum value P ₄ are set as the effective data section t. .. However,
This valid data section t is further determined by the above algorithm in the valid data section T described above. The average of the weighing data in the valid data section t is obtained by the calculating means 6d, and this is set as the calculated weight of the cow.

As shown in FIG. 6, even when two cows walk and pass on the weighing platform 1 in succession, the weight of each cow is calculated in the same manner as in the case of FIG. That is, in the valid data section T1 of the first cow, a further valid data section t1
And the valid data section t2 is further defined in the valid data section T2 of the second cow. Then, the weight of each cow is calculated from the average of the weighing data in the respective valid data sections t1 and t2.

The case of FIG. 7 is slightly different from the case of FIG. That is, three or more maximum values are not extracted in the valid data section T1 of the first cow. This situation is
It occurs when the second cow comes on shortly after the first cow gets on the weighing platform 1. In this case, since the valid data section t1 cannot be determined, the weight cannot be calculated for the first cow. Therefore, the weighing error message is output from the display device 3a and the printer 3c.

In the case of FIG. 7, for the second cow,
Since the valid data section t2 is determined, it is possible to calculate the weight, but immediately after the first cow goes down from the weighing platform 1, 2
When the second cow goes down, a situation may occur in which the weight of the second cow cannot be calculated. When two cows are placed on the weighing platform 1 in a row, or when two cattle are descended from the weighing platform 1 in a row,
Since the valid data section T1 or the valid data section T2 is not substantially set, the weight of the first or second cow cannot be calculated.

Another embodiment will be described below. In the above embodiment, the antennas 4a and 4b as the receiving means are installed on the side wall surface of the cow walking path, that is, inside the fence 2, but may be installed on the floor surface, for example. in this case,
Since the directivity of the antenna becomes stronger in the vertical direction, it is necessary to attach it to the cow's leg so that the directivity of the transmitting means T also becomes stronger in the vertical direction.

The setting of the valid data section T based on the individual identification information from the transmitting means T and the valid data section t by the peak extraction in the change of the time series data (metric data)
Any of the settings may be executed first. The point is that both valid data sections T and t are overlapped (AND section).
Is the final valid data section.

The above embodiment is a cow weighing device,
The present invention is not limited to this, and can be applied to various walking animal weighing devices, and further to dynamic weighing devices such as vehicles.

It should be noted that reference numerals are given in the claims for convenience of comparison with the drawings, but the present invention is not limited to the configurations of the accompanying drawings by the entry.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view showing a schematic configuration of a cow weighing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view of a terminal device portion of the weighing device.

FIG. 3 is a partial plan view of a weighing platform of the weighing device (partial perspective view).

FIG. 4 is a circuit block diagram of a weighing processing unit of the weighing device and its surroundings.

FIG. 5 is a graph showing a change with time of a weighed value before smoothing and a reception timing of individual identification information.

FIG. 6 is a graph showing the time-dependent change in the weighing value before smoothing and the reception timing of individual identification information (when two cows are continuously weighed, part 1)

FIG. 7 is a graph showing changes over time in the weighted value before smoothing and reception timing of individual identification information (when two cows are continuously weighed, part 2)

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 weighing platform 4a first receiving means 4b second receiving means 6a storage means 6c valid data section setting means 6d computing means

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A weighing platform (1), a storage means (6a) for sequentially capturing and storing time-series data of a weighing value when a weighing object passes through the weighing platform (1), and the time-series data. A dynamic data measuring device provided with a valid data section setting means (6c) for setting the valid data section and a calculation means (6d) for calculating the static weight of the weighing object from the time series data in the valid data section. Then, the transmission means (T) for transmitting the individual identification information to the measurement target.
And a first receiving means (4a) for receiving individual identification information transmitted from the transmitting means (T) when the weighing object is near the entrance of the weighing platform (1), and the weighing. A second receiving means (4b) for receiving when the object is near the exit of the weighing platform (1) is provided, and the valid data section setting means (6c) is provided for the first receiving means (4).
a) and the second receiving means (4b) individually receive the weighing platform (1) based on the individual identification information.
A kinetic measuring device configured to determine a data section when it is above and use it as the valid data section.