JPH06201443A - Individual existing state detector for walking animal - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To allow accurate decision whether a walking animal exists solely on a passing part(weighing mat) by detecting the state where a leg of the walking animal grounds on the walking plane at the passing part individually thereby calculating the number of legs. CONSTITUTION:A plurality(at most four for one leg) of grounding sensors 5a are installed, to be turned ON concurrently, on the walking plane at a weighing mat 2(passing part P). When the foreleg Ff1 and the hind leg Fr1 of a preceding cattle and one foreleg Ff2 of a following cattle ground on the walking plane of the mat 2, numbers of sensors 5a being turned ON in grounding regions A1-A4. are 4, 4, 3, 7. Assuming the intergers 1, 1, 1, 2 of the quotients, obtained by dividing the numbers 4, 4, 3, 7 by the maximum number of the sensors, i.e., 4, are the number of grounding legs in each region A1-A4, the sum 5 represents the number of grounding legs N on the mat 2. A decision is made that a cattle exists solely when the number of legs N is 3 or 4 and both touch switches 10, 11 are turned OFF. If the switches 10, 11 are not turned OFF, a decision is made that a cattle exists solely when an antenna disposed at the inlet of the passing part P receives an identification number transmitted from a transmitter fixed to a hind leg of the cattle.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

[Industrial field of application] For one walking animal (for example, a walking animal such as a cow, goat, or horse) that makes up a herd during breeding, one animal (in the case of a cow, etc. is counted as one animal). When performing processing such as weighing or inspection, the walking animal is present alone on the passage portion provided in the processing unit that performs processing such as weighing or inspection while allowing the walking animal to walk (hereinafter, It is necessary to determine whether or not it is a single existence state). The present invention relates to a single-existence state detecting device for a walking animal used when performing processing such as weighing and inspection of a walking animal that forms a herd.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, such a walking animal single existence state detecting device is provided with, for example, gates at the entrance and the exit of the passage and opening / closing detection means for detecting the opening / closing of the entrance and exit gates. In addition, it is configured to determine whether or not there is a single existence state based on the detection information of the opening / closing detection means of each of the entrance gate and the exit gate. That is, when the entrance and exit gates are alternately opened and closed, it is determined that there is a single existence state.On the other hand, when the entrance gate is opened and closed several times in succession and then the exit gate is opened and closed, it is not in a single existence state. Had been determined.

[0003]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional apparatus, when a plurality of walking animals pass through the entrance and exit gates in a side-by-side state or in a row in front and back, the plurality of walking animals can be opened and closed only once. Since it can pass through the entrance and exit gates, the opening and closing detection means of each of the entrance and exit gates detects each opening and closing. As a result, even though a plurality of walking animals are present on the passage, it is determined that they are in the single existence state. Therefore, there is a problem that the accuracy of discriminating the single existence state is low.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide walking animals which are weighed and tested one by one with respect to the walking animals that form a herd during breeding. Is to improve the discrimination accuracy for discriminating whether or not there is a single existence.

[0005]

A first characteristic configuration of a device for detecting a single existence state of a walking animal according to the present invention is a passing portion for allowing a walking animal to pass through, and legs of the walking animal each have a walking surface of the passing portion. Landing detection means for individually detecting the state of landing on the ground, based on the detection information of the landing detection means, landing leg number calculation means for calculating the number of legs landing on the walking surface of the passing portion, , Based on the calculated value of the number of landing legs in the number of landing legs calculation means, a single existence state determination means for determining whether or not the walking animal is a single existence state that exists alone on the passage portion is provided. There is a point.

A second characteristic configuration is a preferred specific configuration for implementing the first characteristic configuration, wherein the landing detecting means detects the landing state by placing the legs of a walking animal. A plurality of landing sensors are arranged in a state of being close to each other on the walking surface of the passing part and a plurality of landing sensors are laid in a state of simultaneously detecting a landing state by landing of one leg, and The landing leg number calculating means defines a region where the landing sensors detecting the landing state are connected as one landing region, and sets the number of the landing sensors in one landing region to the landing state at the same time by landing one leg. It is configured to calculate the number of landing legs by adding an integer value obtained by rounding up the quotient divided by the maximum number of the landing sensors over the entire landing area. .

A third characteristic configuration is that the passage portion is composed of a weighing platform for weighing the static weight of a walking animal.

[0008]

The operation of the first characteristic configuration is as follows. A passage unit for allowing a walking animal to walk through is provided in a processing unit that allows the walking animal to walk through and performs processing such as weighing and inspection. When the walking animal passes over the walking surface of the passing portion, the landing detection means detects the state where each leg of the walking animal lands on the walking surface of the passing portion separately, and based on the detection information of the landing detection means. The landing leg number calculating means calculates the number of legs landing on the walking surface of the passing portion. Then, the single existence state determination means determines whether or not it is in the single existence state based on the calculated value of the number of landing legs by the number of landing legs calculation means. That is, when the walking animal walks alone on the passage portion, based on the calculated value being equal to or less than the number of legs of the walking animal, the single existence state determination means determines that the single existence state, On the other hand, when a plurality of walking animals walk on the passage, the single-existence-state determining means determines that the single-existence state is not based on the fact that the calculated value is equal to or more than the number of legs of the walking animal. .

The operation of the second characteristic configuration is as follows. When one leg lands on the walking surface of the passing portion, a plurality of landing sensors simultaneously detect the landing state. The area where the landing sensors that detect landing conditions are connected is defined as one landing area, and the number of landing sensors in one landing area is defined as the maximum number of landing sensors that are simultaneously landed by landing on one leg. Since the integer value obtained by rounding up the divided quotient is set as the number of landing legs in one landing area, even if one landing area is formed by multiple legs, one landing area is formed. The actual number of landing legs in the area can be obtained. Then, by adding the number of landing legs in one landing area thus obtained over all the landing areas, it is possible to calculate the number of legs landing on the walking surface of the passing portion.

According to the third characteristic configuration, while surely determining that the walking animal is in the single existence state as described above,
The static weight of a walking animal can be weighed.

[0011]

Therefore, according to the present invention, for example, when a plurality of walking animals pass over the passage portion in a side-by-side state or in a state of being connected in front and back, the number of landing legs is equal to or more than the number of legs of the walking animal. Therefore, it is possible to reliably determine that the state is not the single existence state, and as a result, it is possible to improve the determination accuracy for determining whether the single existence state is present.

Further, according to the third characteristic configuration, the stationary weight of the walking animal can be weighed while surely determining the single existence state, so that the stationary weights of a plurality of walking animals are simultaneously measured. Since the measured data is not included in the weighing data, the reliability of the weighing data of the static weight of the walking animal can be improved.

[0013]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a cow weighing apparatus will be described below with reference to the drawings. First, the overall configuration of the weighing device will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.

Reference numeral M in the figure denotes a processing unit for carrying out the weighing process while allowing the cow to walk through. The processing section M is provided with a passing section P for allowing the cow to walk, and the passing section P is constituted by a weighing platform 2 for weighing the static weight of the cow (hereinafter, simply referred to as weight). That is, while letting the cows walk through from the inlet 3 side to the outlet 4 side of the weighing platform 2,
It is determined whether or not there is a single cow above (hereinafter, referred to as a single existence state), and when the single existence state is present, from the time series data of the weighing value obtained from the weighing platform 2, The weight is calculated. A fence 1 is provided on both sides of the weighing platform 2 and the passages in front of and behind it, and a terminal device 6 is provided outside the weighing platform 2.

As shown in FIG. 1, the terminal device 6 has a key panel 6a for instructing start and stop of weighing, and a digital display for outputting the weighing result (individual number of cow and its weight). A device 6b, a printer 6c for printing out the measurement result, and the like are provided. Further, a weighing processing unit H that controls the weight of the cow based on the load data from the weighing platform 2 and communicates with external information equipment is also provided inside the terminal device 6.

As shown in FIG. 1, a transmitting means T for transmitting the individual identification information (individual number) of the cow is attached to the ankle of the right hind leg of the cow. The transmitting means T is provided with a memory for storing an individual number and a bidirectional RF wireless communication means.
Then, the transmitting means T wirelessly communicates with the weighing processing section H via the receiving means described later, and gives the weighing processing section H the individual number of the cow to be weighed. Incidentally, the operator can manually input the individual number by using the key panel 6a described above.

The weighing table 2 will be further described. Weighing platform 2
As shown in the plan view of FIG. 2, a frame body 2a, four load cells 2b arranged to support the four corners of the frame body 2a, and an FRP base mounted on the frame body 2a. And a plate 2c. The load applied to the frame body 2a is detected as the total value of the outputs of these four load cells 2b. The output of the four load cells 2b is used as an analog voltage in the measurement processing unit H.
And the signal is processed by the measurement processing unit H.

The length of the weighing table 2 in the front-rear direction is set such that the whole cow walking on the weighing table 2 is always on the weighing table 2, for example, the length of the cow or more. There is. Reference numeral 5 in the figure is a touch sensor 5a that is turned on when a cow leg is placed and a load is applied in the thickness direction.
Are arranged in a matrix, and the sheet switch 5 is laid on the base plate 2c so as to cover almost the entire walking surface of the weighing platform 2. The size of one touch sensor 5a in plan view is set such that a plurality of touch sensors 5a and a maximum of four touch sensors 5a are simultaneously turned on when one leg of a cow is placed. That is, landing detection means S for individually detecting the state in which each leg of the cow lands on the walking surface of the weighing platform 2 is provided with a large number of touch sensors 5a as landing sensors that are close to each other on the walking surface of the weighing platform 2. It is constructed by laying in a state in which a plurality of touch sensors 5a and a maximum of four touch sensors 5a are simultaneously turned on by one leg to detect a landing state. The detection signals of the respective touch sensors 5a are given to the measurement processing unit H.

An ascending platform 8 for climbing to the weighing platform 2 is provided at the front of the weighing platform 2, and a descending platform 9 for descending from the weighing platform 2 is provided at the rear of the weighing platform 2. . The lengths of the ascending table 8 and the descending table 9 are substantially the same as the length of the weighing table 2. Further, touch switches 10 and 11 that are turned on when a cow's leg is placed and a load is applied in the thickness direction are provided on the upper part of each of the up stand 8 and the down stand 9. . The touch switches 10 and 11 respectively detect the landing state of the cow's leg on any of the walking surfaces of the climbing platform 8 and the climbing platform 9 so that the landing state can be detected. It is provided so as to cover almost the entire walking surface of each.

That is, when the cow is on the weighing table 2 and the whole cow is not on the weighing table 2, the front leg always lands on the weighing table 2 and the rear leg lands on the climbing table 8. In this state, the landing state is detected by both the seat switch 5 and the touch switch 10. Also, when the cow is on the way down from the weighing table 2, the whole cow is on the weighing table 2.
When it is not on the upper side, the front legs always land on the descending table 9 and the rear legs land on the weighing table 2, and the landing state is detected by both the touch switch 11 and the seat switch 5. Is done. Touch switch 10,11
The respective detection signals are given to the measurement processing unit H.

On the inlet 3 side of the weighing platform 2, an antenna 7 is provided for receiving the individual number transmitted from the transmitting means T when the whole cow is on the weighing platform 2. The antenna 7 is a planar rectangular antenna wound in a loop shape, and its width is slightly smaller than the width of the mounting surface of the weighing platform 2, and its length is the whole cow considering the size of the cow. It is set so that the individual number transmitted from the transmitting means T can be received while is on the weighing table 2. In addition, the directivity of the antenna 7 is the direction perpendicular to the mounting surface of the weighing platform 2,
That is, it is set so as to be in the vertical direction, and therefore, the directivity of the transmitting means T is attached to the ankle of the cow so that it is also in the vertical direction.

As shown in FIG. 3, the weighing processing section H includes a data input means 12, a serial interface 13, an interface 14, an input / output circuit 15, and an arithmetic processing means 16.
Equipped with. The data input means 12 includes an amplifier 12a that amplifies a voltage signal that is a weighing value from the weighing platform 2, a low-pass filter 12b that smoothes the output, and an A / D conversion that quantizes the smoothed voltage signal at a predetermined sampling time. Bowl 1
2c. The time series data of the weighing value (hereinafter referred to as weighing data) output from the A / D converter 12c is input to the arithmetic processing means 16. The serial interface 13 controls communication with an external information device DE (computer) that manages historical data and total data for each individual cow, and communication with the transmitting means T via the antenna 7 and its RF circuit 17. Via the interface 14, the detection signals of the respective touch sensors 5a and the touch switches 10 and 1
The respective detection signals are input to the arithmetic processing means 16.
The input / output circuit 15 serves as an interface with the above-described key panel 6a, digital display 6b, and printer 6c.

Communication between the weighing processing unit H (calculation processing means 16) and the transmission means T attached to the cow is performed as follows. First, an RF radio wave including a response request signal is output from the antenna 7. When the transmitting means T attached to the cow approaches the antenna 7, electric power is supplied by this RF radio wave and becomes active. 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 transmitted as an RF radio wave. This signal is received by the antenna 7 and transmitted to the arithmetic processing means 16 via the RF circuit 17 and the serial interface 13.

The arithmetic processing means 16 is constructed by using a microcomputer, and the weight calculation section 16a for calculating the weight of the cow on the basis of the measurement data and the weighing platform 2 of the weighing table 2 on the basis of the detection signals of the touch sensor 5a. Landing leg number calculating means 16b for calculating the number of legs landing on the walking surface, and
The landing leg number calculating means 16b is provided with a single existence state discriminating means 16c for discriminating whether or not it is in the single existence state based on the calculated value of the landing leg number.

The landing leg number calculating means 16b calculates the landing leg number N as follows. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, two front legs Ff1, Ff1 and two rear legs Fr1, Fr1 of the preceding cow, and one front leg Ff2 of the following cow are respectively on the walking surface of the weighing platform 2. When landing on, landing areas A1, A2, A are made by setting the area where the touch sensors 5a in the ON state are continuous to one landing area.
Set 3, A4. The other front leg Ff2 of the following cow
Has landed on the climbing platform 8. And landing area A
1, A2, A3, A4, respectively, the number of touch sensors 5a 4, 4, 3, 7 is divided by the maximum number 4 of touch sensors 5a that are simultaneously landed by landing on one leg, and the quotient is rounded up. Each of the obtained integer values 1, 1, 1, 2 is set as the landing leg number in each of the landing areas A1, A2, A3, A4. Further, the sum 5 obtained by adding the number of landing legs 1, 1, 1, 2 in each of the landing areas A1, A2, A3, A4 is set as the number N of landing legs landing on the weighing platform 2.

Next, an algorithm for calculating the weight of the cow by determining whether or not it is in the single existence state by the single existence state determining means 16c of the arithmetic processing means 16 will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. To do.

In step # 1, the number N of landing legs is calculated.
If the number of landing legs N is 3 or 4, proceed to step # 4,
When the number N of landing legs is smaller than 3 or larger than 4, the process returns to step # 1 (step # 2, step #
3). In step # 4, when both of the touch switches 10 and 11 are off, it is determined that the touch switch is in the single existence state, the process proceeds to step # 6, and the weight of the cow is calculated in step # 6. On the other hand, in step # 4, the touch switches 10 and 11
If none of the above is off, it is determined in step # 5 whether or not the antenna 7 is receiving the individual number of the cow. If it is receiving, it is determined that the antenna 7 is in the single existence state, and the process proceeds to step # 6. If not received, the process returns to step # 1. In step # 7, the weight calculation result is output to the digital display 6b and the printer 6c together with the individual number received by the antenna 7.

In step # 4, the touch switch 1
When both 0 and 11 are off, the entire cow U1 is on the weighing platform 2 as shown in FIG. In this state, the antenna 7 receives the individual number transmitted from the transmitting means T attached to the ankle of the cow U1.

In step # 4, the touch switch 1
When none of 0 and 11 is off and the antenna 7 receives the individual number of the cow in step # 5, for example, as shown in FIG. 6B, the entire cow U2 is weighed. The cow U1 preceding the cow U2 is on the descending table 9 on the table 2, and the cow U3 subsequent to the cow U2 is on the climbing table 8. In this state, the antenna 7 receives the individual number transmitted from the transmitting means T attached to the ankle of the cow U2.

In step # 4, the touch switch 1
When none of 0 and 11 is off, and when the antenna 7 does not receive the individual number of the cow in step # 5, for example, as shown in FIG. 6C, the front leg of the preceding cow U1. Is landing on the descending platform 9 and the rear leg is landing on the weighing platform 2, the front leg of the following cow U2 is landing on the weighing platform 2, and the rear leg is landing on the up platform 3. In this state, the antenna 7 cannot receive the individual numbers of the cows U1 and U2.

[Other Embodiments] Next, other embodiments will be listed. As the specific configuration of the landing detection means S, various configurations can be applied other than the configuration of the above-described embodiment. For example, a plurality of pressure sensors that detect a landing state by detecting a load when a cow is placed are close to each other on the walking surface of the passing portion P and one of the plurality of pressure sensors is attached by landing one leg. Alternatively, the pressure sensor may be installed so that the landing state is simultaneously detected.

The arrangement form of the touch sensors 5a is not limited to the matrix shape of the above-described embodiment, but may be arranged in a staggered manner, for example.

The walking animal single presence state detecting apparatus of the present invention is applicable not only to the case of performing the weighing process as in the above-described embodiment but also to the process of inspection or the like. It is also applicable to the case of treating walking animals other than cows, for example, walking animals such as goats and sheep. In addition, 4 such as cows
It can also be applied to the case of treating two-legged walking animals such as chickens other than leg-walking animals.

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 weighing device to which a single-existence-state detecting device for a walking animal according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a partially cutaway plan view of the weighing device.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a weighing processing unit of the weighing device and its surroundings.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a landing state of a leg of a cow on a weighing platform of a weighing device.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a flowchart for calculating the weight of a cow by determining whether or not it is in the single existence state by the arithmetic processing means of the weighing device.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a state in which a cow is on the weighing platform of the weighing device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 Weighing platform 5a Landing sensor 16b Landing leg number calculation means 16c Single existence state determination means P Passing section S Landing detection means

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A passage portion (P) for allowing a walking animal to walk through.
And landing detection means (S) for individually detecting the state in which each leg of the walking animal lands on the walking surface of the passage portion (P).
Based on the detection information of the landing detection means (S), landing leg number calculation means (16b) for calculating the number of legs landing on the walking surface of the passing part (P), and the landing leg number calculation. Based on the calculated value of the number of landing legs in the means (16b), a single existence state determination means (16) for determining whether or not the walking animal is in the single existence state in which the walking animal exists alone.
The single presence state detection device of a walking animal provided with c). 2. The landing detection means (S) has a large number of landing sensors (5a) for detecting a landing state when the legs of a walking animal are placed on the walking surface of the passing part (P). The plurality of landing sensors (5a) are laid in a state of being close to each other and simultaneously detecting the landing state by landing of one leg, and the landing leg number calculating means (16b) is the landing state. The area in which the landing sensors (5a) that are detecting are connected to each other is regarded as one landing area, and the number of landing sensors (5a) in one landing area is simultaneously set to the landing state by landing one leg. The number of landing legs is calculated by adding up an integer value obtained by rounding up a quotient divided by the maximum number of landing sensors (5a) over the entire landing area to calculate the number of landing legs. Single existence state detection device. 3. The passage part (P) is composed of a weighing platform (2) for weighing the static weight of a walking animal.
Alternatively, the single presence state detection device for a walking animal as described in 2.