WO2017001717A1

WO2017001717A1 - Method and system for management, monitoring and traceability for extensive livestock farming

Info

Publication number: WO2017001717A1
Application number: PCT/ES2016/070486
Authority: WO
Inventors: Carlos Callejero Andres; Ignacio Gomez Maqueda; Ruben BLANCO CARRERA
Original assignee: Carlos Callejero Andres; Ignacio Gomez Maqueda; Blanco Carrera Ruben
Priority date: 2015-07-01
Filing date: 2016-06-29
Publication date: 2017-01-05
Also published as: ES2599381B1; ES2599381A1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and system for locating and monitoring animals by means of devices (ITM) (1) associated with same. The devices wirelessly transmit information on the state and location of the animal to network sensors (NC) (2) disposed on the farm. The NC devices can be associated with one or more environment sensors (3) that measure physical parameters of the facility. In turn, the NC devices communicate with a central farm server (4) in which the information is gathered, analysed and transmitted to a central server (5). By means of the central server, elements such as veterinarians, feed providers, end consumers, etc. interact with the system by exchanging information (6-7).

Description

METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR MANAGEMENT, MONITORING AND

TRACEABILITY OF EXTENSIVE LIVESTOCK

DESCRIPTION

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the control of livestock in extensive livestock facilities, specifically to the management of livestock through continuous monitoring, monitoring and traceability of animals. This is carried out thanks to a new method and system that combines monitoring devices and equipment with wireless capability to connect different sensors and centralize all the data obtained for analysis and processing, allowing to detect, anticipate and act against possible anomalies or diseases that They affect cattle.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Currently, farmers specialized in the breeding and fattening of animals in open farms for the consumption of meat (mainly cattle but also Iberian pig) have to face several problems:

1. The reduction of benefits due to the increase in agricultural production costs;

2. The need to carry out a more respectful production with the natural environment and the use of resources;

3. The need for better care and control of livestock. For example, an animal with fever or diarrhea tries to hide, so its location takes time, and sometimes when the animal is too late.

Society, on the other hand, demands more knowledge and control of the food products they consume and the authorities must guarantee the condition of such products. Add to this an increasing trend in the consumption of organic meat and Protected Geographical Indications.

There are several systems and devices that help in livestock management, such as that described by the invention ΈΡ 1,076 485 B1 "Method and apparatus for data collection and management system ", The system identifies each animal with an RFID tag. Animal events are identified through the code of the reader that records them, and that sends the information to a PC that stores it in a database. Readers have associated sensors that measure animal parameters when they are very close, since the readers reach over RFID tags is low.Not only farmers can access these databases remotely, so can third parties , as veterinarians or even final consumers, as described in the invention "Livestock management systems and methods US, 7,603,284 B2." There are also systems and methods that facilitate the certification of animals and livestock farmers as described in "Livestock certification apparatus and method US / 2013/0275316 A1 ".

All these inventions are based on the use of RFID tags that simply identify the animal, so that all the information that is loaded into the database is generated by sensors external to the animal and associated with the readers of RFID tags.

Some livestock tracking systems incorporate GPS sensors, but usually have a high cost and low battery life unless the refresh rate of the position is done very rarely per day.

For all this, solutions that can centralize this data and analyze it in a constant, fast and efficient way are missing. Solutions that allow farmers or other agents involved such as Health Authorities or veterinarians to act and anticipate anomalies that can be corrected thanks to a comprehensive control of animals, monitored and located at all times.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention aims to guarantee an exhaustive control of the state of the animals and their traceability through a network of sensors and a software service platform that allows the interaction of all the actors involved in the food chain from the farmer to the final consumer .

The present invention is based on the use of several devices that, provided with several sensors, communicate bidirectionally with a network of repeaters wireless, or communications nodes, that form a mesh and transmit the information to a central server, which is responsible for analyzing and sending notifications in case of detecting any anomaly. It allows in this way to connect all the agents involved with the animals (livestock, veterinarians, feed suppliers, slaughterhouses, cutting, packaging and distribution rooms, public administrations (animal health and welfare, health and consumption) and final consumers) facilitating the exchange of information between them, improving the productivity of farmers, the welfare of animals and the traceability of meat products from the origin to the final consumer, as well as allow the detection and control of pandemics, reduce the use of medications, allow knowing If the livestock meets certain certification conditions, its transport and distribution conditions will also be known.

For this, animal monitoring devices will be used, also referred to as que ", which will allow the control of the location, monitoring of physical parameters such as activity, temperature, etc .; devices for the monitoring of the farm, or installation, hereinafter "installation monitoring nodes", which will allow the monitoring of physical parameters of the farm such as temperature, weather conditions, humidity, frequency of grazing of animals, level of feeders / drinking troughs, etc .; communication nodes deployed by the installation or by the surroundings, also referred to as "NC", a method and algorithms that allow the traceability of the meat product from the origin to the final consumer, through the exchange of information with different agents of the distribution chain as veterinarians or slaughterhouses, and that, thanks to its algorithm, allows traceability of the meat products, medicines supplied, feed supplied and the detection and control of local and pandemic anomalies.

The proposed system may perform, for example, the following functions:

· The real-time location of animals in the exploitation and monitoring of physical parameters related to the animal through the information collected by ITM devices. Thanks to this information and possible rules established by a user, which can be, for example, the farmer, alarms from areas not allowed or dangerous for animals can be activated. Too Thanks to the information of the sensors incorporated in the ITM devices, anomalies related to the animal such as abnormal temperature, absence of activity, abnormal movements such as stampede of animals (produced by wolves), etc. can be detected.

• Through the sensors incorporated in the NC nodes, or sensors present in the monitoring nodes of the installation, the farmer can monitor different physical parameters of his farm such as climatology, temperature, humidity of the environment, etc., and other parameters of exploitation as a level of food in the feeders, if a certain animal has eaten, the level of water in the water tanks, etc.

• Additionally, the user, for example the farmer or the farmer in charge, may change farm animals without having to change the rest of the network elements and may continue monitoring livestock in this second farm.

• The veterinary care process will be automated through the central server or through the general central server (preferably located outside the facility). Automatic vaccination schedules and reviews with alarms and records will be established in case of non-compliance, real-time warning of anomalous situations of the animal to reduce the reaction time to anomalies (abnormal temperature in the animal, absence of activity, prolonged period without eating, prolonged period without drinking, moving away from the herd, location in a dangerous place, etc.)

• Through the information collected by the sensors present in the NC nodes, or by the sensors present in the monitoring nodes of the installation, in the operation and thanks to the automatic mechanism between the central server (which can also be referred to as server of the installation or server of the farm), the general central server and the applications developed, the feed supplier may be notified if the level of the same is below a certain threshold. • Through the information collected by the sensors present in the NC nodes in the farm or by the sensors present in the monitoring nodes of the installation or by the location information transmitted by the ITM sensors, the farmer will have information on the most frequented by animals in such a way that the farmer knows which area of the farm is more fertile, which area has a higher quality of pastures or which area animals prefer, so the farmer can better treat that area by paying it, throwing fertilizers to further enhance their quality, reserving these areas for the most auspicious times of the year, etc.

• Thanks to the traceability mechanism established in the general central server, the authorities and regulatory bodies will be able to have reliable and real-time information regarding data on each farm, the animals of the farm, vaccines and animal diseases, feed consumed, etc.

• According to one of the embodiments of the invention, it is contemplated to provide the health authorities with a detection and control mechanism in case of pandemics. As soon as the system detects anomalies in the activity of the animal (both by default and by excess) it will notify the user in charge, the farmer generally. If a certain number of animals susceptible to being ill on a farm are detected, the veterinarian will be notified. If the cases are repeated in other farms, the health authorities will be notified. The platform has a correlation search module, which 1. Estimates the start date of the disease and the first animal affected in each farm; 2. Look for possible causes of the disease (feed, vaccines, contaminated water, etc.); 3 Look for common points among affected animals (genetics, origin, age, weight, previous veterinary history); 4 Look for common points among animals that may have been exposed to the same agent or focus but still do not show symptoms. This tool allows to know where these animals are located along the distribution chain. In the same way, the farmer limits his losses by quickly knowing which animals are the ones that may be affected and thus being able to quarantine them instead of having to sacrifice all his animals. For the determination of possible anomalies of the type described, traditional algorithms or based on "BigData" algorithms can be used. • In the same way, the general central server collects information on animal values throughout its life such as activity level, temperatures, ingested feed, vaccines supplied, etc. with the objective, taking advantage of the capabilities of cloud computing and data processing tools

("Big Data") to create a large database that can be studied for scientific purposes.

In a first aspect, the present invention proposes a method for the management, monitoring and location of animals in an extensive livestock facility, where the facility or in the surroundings has a network of NC nodes and where each animal has a device associated ITM, where the method comprises the following steps:

a) receive information on the power received by each ITM device from one or more NC nodes from a ITM server and / or the general central server, from each ITM associated with an animal;

b) for each animal that has an ITM device associated, estimate its location, based on GPS information transmitted by the associated ITM and, if this information is not available, based on the power information received by the associated ITM device;

c) receive information on the state of the animal associated with the device from the installation server and / or the general central server, based on measurements of at least one physical magnitude of the animal's state, obtained through of at least one status sensor associated with said monitoring device;

d) determine on the installation server and / or the general central server the activation of an alarm for the animal based on at least the information on its status or its location received from its associated monitoring device; e) if the activation of an alarm is determined, send to the owner of the installation, or other agent involved, a message with information about said alarm and the estimated location of the animal for which the alarm was activated.

The present invention contemplates different implementations, for example, in its most basic form it collects a single server, in charge of all communications and that can be located both inside the facility and outside or, directly, in the cloud.

Alternatively, it is contemplated to use several servers (at least two) to scale the invention, so that the central server acts as a repeater and transmits the information received to a second server, preferably located outside the facility, which stores said information and responsible for forwarding the message from step b) to the owner of the facility or other agent involved. This second server is a general central server and is advantageous for centralizing the operation of several independent facilities.

The present invention contemplates that the general central server is in communication with two or more facilities through its corresponding servers, and also stores historical data that includes all the information associated with each animal and each of the facilities.

Additionally, the possibility that the method also performs the following steps is contemplated:

- establish patterns that associate diseases detected for more than one animal with the historical data of the status of those same animals stored in the general central server;

- establish thresholds for each of the physical magnitudes of the state of the animal according to the established patterns;

- activate an alarm in case one or more of the measures obtained for the physical magnitudes of the state of an animal exceed the established threshold;

- send a message informing the owner of the animal or another agent involved of the activation of said alarm.

In this way, the general central server can advantageously detect anomalies on a larger scale, such as pandemics, specific diseases, etc. In one of the embodiments, the algorithm used stores all the information related to the feed consumed by each animal throughout its life, vaccines received, medications received, etc., for all animals of all facilities included in the system. For example, if it is detected that a certain animal has a certain disease, all the data in relation to that animal will be analyzed, so that if more than one animal is sick and has presented data on temperatures, activity, feed, vaccination, etc. . similar, a series of patterns can be established on which the data of the rest of the animals are compared. If any of these animals have similar data, the system reports an alarm to the owner of the animal and the veterinarian in charge of their care to try to alleviate the disease before it occurs. In one of the embodiments, the alarms are scaled according to the number of those affected and, if more animals susceptible to being ill are detected in an installation, the veterinarian in charge of said installation will also be notified. If cases are repeated in other facilities, health authorities will be notified to warn of a possible pandemic outbreak.

The present invention optionally includes an anomaly search module in the general central server, which once a certain number of animals affected by a disease has been detected in one or more facilities, also includes the steps of:

- estimate the date of onset of the disease and the first animal affected in each facility;

- identify the possible causes of the disease according to one or more available databases;

- look for common points among the historical data of the affected animals, such as feed, vaccines, contaminated water, etc .;

- compare the common points found with the historical data of each animal in each of the facilities; for example common points in their genetics, origin, age, weight, previous veterinary history, etc.

- Identify and locate animals that have been exposed to the same causes as sick animals.

In one embodiment of the invention, at least one status sensor is at least one of the following sensors: GPS module, accelerometer, gyro, sensor heart rate monitoring and body temperature monitoring sensor, a body device or any other sensor that provides information on the state of movement or health of the animal. The method of the present invention, according to one of its embodiments, may additionally include the steps of:

- receive on the central server (or of the installation) and / or general central server, information on physical quantities of the environment of the installation, measured by at least one sensor of environmental conditions included in one of the NC nodes or in a device of monitoring;

- determine in the central server (or of the installation) or in the general central server the activation of an alarm for the installation from at least the information on physical quantities of the environment received from one of the NC nodes or from a device of installation monitoring.

The possibility that at least one environmental condition sensor is at least one of the following sensors is contemplated: humidity sensor, temperature sensor, presence sensor, a microphone for monitoring the acoustic environment and a video sensor.

In one of the embodiments of the invention, it is contemplated, based on the estimation of the location of each animal and information of dangerous or not allowed areas for each animal, to check in the central server (or server of the installation) or in the general central server if any animal is in an area of the facility where it should not be and, if so, send a message informing that there is an animal that is in an area that should not be, to the owner of the installation, or other person in charge. For example, a message can be sent with the animal's identifier and its approximate location.

Optionally, the method of the present invention may include the following steps:

- coupling the ITM device associated with an animal to said animal at the time of its birth;

- record data related to the birth of the animal, data related to the life of the animal and data related to the animal's slaughter; - send the data recorded by the monitoring device associated with each animal to the central server (or server of the installation) or to the general central server;

- storing in the central server (or server of the installation) or in the general central server a file with all the previous data related to the animal, being available to any user involved in the distribution chain of the animal;

- add in the animal's file, for each of the users involved in the animal's distribution chain, data related to its activity in the animal's distribution chain.

In this way, the present invention advantageously guarantees the traceability of meat products derived from the animals of an installation, from the origin to the final consumer. For example, a form can be included that the farmer, when he decides to sacrifice the animal or sell it, fills in, and then removes the ITM device from the animal. At that time the central server (or server of the facility) or the general central server automatically makes a report on the life of the animal with information related to life time, place of life, information related to the veterinarian, the feed that has consumed, etc., which will be available to the agent who purchased the animal for later slaughter. According to said animal, it goes through the different elements of the distribution chain, said agents will have access to all the information coming from the previous elements of the distribution chain, at the same time they will have to fill in those corresponding to their activity, such as date of sacrifice in case of slaughterhouse; awakened in case of breakdown room; date of entry and exit of the distributor; etc. In this way, all the information of the meat product is drawn from the origin to the final consumer, so that it can consult data related to the product that is being acquired for greater security in the purchase. In addition, as an external agent, administrations and public authorities may always at any time collect information at any point in the product distribution chain.

The possibility is contemplated that at least one of the NC communications nodes includes a GPS sensor, which also comprises coupling said NC node to one of the animals and, knowing the position of said animal, calculates the position of the other animals depending on the power received by the NC node coupled to the animal. In this way an alternative embodiment to the predetermined configuration is proposed (where the NC nodes are located in predetermined positions). Thus the communications node NC becomes a mobile element, associated with one of the animals, whose operation is exactly the same as in the previous embodiments with the proviso that the position of the node is not fixed, if not provided by the sensor. GPS of said node. If the NC node does not carry the GPS sensor, the system will not be able to perform the positioning and can only indicate the number of animals around it, since it will be able to identify the number of ITM devices from which it receives information.

In one of the embodiments of the invention, the estimation of the location of an animal based at least on the power information received by the communication nodes, is carried out also taking into account information on the position of the communication nodes and information of a history of position values and signal strength received by each of the communication nodes available in said position and / or in previous location values of each animal.

Additionally, the method of the present invention may comprise the following steps:

• Receive, on the general central server, information on physical quantities of the installation or on the status of feeders, drinking fountains, etc., measured by at least one sensor, through the NC nodes;

• Determine in the general central server the activation of an alarm for a farmer based on at least the information on physical quantities or environmental conditions received from the NC communication nodes.

• Calculate in the general central server a modification value of the anomaly detection thresholds taking into account past values of the detection threshold, and optionally send said modification value of the detection threshold to the ITM device and modify the detection threshold used by the ITM device based on the modification value received from the general central server. • Receive on the general central server the battery charge level of a monitoring device and if that level is below a certain threshold, send a message to the farmer indicating low battery level.

It is contemplated to include some installation condition sensors, which may be at least one of the following sensors: level sensor, presence sensor, temperature sensor, video camera.

The method of the present invention may also include the intervention of agents such as veterinarians, primers, feed distributors, public bodies, final consumers, etc. which intervene in a way that advantageously establishes a series of automatisms to improve the productivity of the farm and the welfare of the animals. The interactions, according to an example, can be the following:

• The information collected by the sensors of the ITM monitoring devices is sent continuously to a central server (or server of the installation) or to the general central server where it is analyzed. In the event that an anomaly is detected based on the history of values, of pre-established rules, patterns, etc., which affects the welfare of the animal, the server will send an alarm to the veterinarian of the farm to analyze the data from the animal where The anomaly has been detected and take the measures related to health that it deems appropriate. In the same way, said alarm will be sent to the owner of the farm to be aware of the anomaly.

• The central server (or facility server) or the general central server will collect information regarding vaccination schedules, periodic reviews, etc. of each farm. If any of the pre-established dates is breached, it will send an alarm to the veterinarian and the owner of the farm. This alarm will be recorded for future analysis.

• The information collected by the sensors present in the NC nodes that monitor physical variables of the farm such as feeders, drinking fountains, etc. It is sent continuously to the central server (or server of the installation) or to the general central server where it is analyzed. If it is detected that the values are outside the pre-established thresholds, it will send an alarm to the owner of the farm and the supplier of the material (food, water, etc.) • The final consumer will be able to access the information related to the meat product that he will consume or access the information of the animal if he buys it before it is slaughtered.

A second aspect of the invention relates to a system for the management, monitoring and location of animals in an extensive livestock facility, where the facility has a wireless communication network with various wireless NC communications nodes distributed by the facility or by the surroundings of the same where the system includes:

- a plurality of ITM monitoring devices associated with an animal;

- at least one central server (or installation server) and / or a general central server;

- at least one status sensor associated with each ITM device of each animal configured to measure physical magnitudes of the state of said animal and where: - each monitoring device comprises:

- a communication module configured to communicate said device with the installation server and / or with the general central server using the wireless communication network and to monitor the power of the signals received from wireless communication nodes and transmit said power values received to the server;

- at least one processor configured to process the values of at least one physical magnitude of the state of the animal obtained from the at least one status sensor, compare said values with a detection threshold to detect anomalies in the state of the animal and, if detected an anomaly, send a message to the central server (or server of the installation) or to the general central server by means of the communication module informing of said anomaly;

- both the central server (or installation server) and the general central server may comprise:

- a communications interface configured to communicate said server with at least the ITM monitoring devices;

- a processor configured to:

- receive from each ITM device the information about the power received in each monitoring device from one or several NC communication nodes; - for each animal that has an ITM device associated, estimate its location from the received power information sent by each ITM device or from GPS information transmitted by the ITM device associated with that animal if the ITM node has a GPS sensor

- receive information on the state of the animal associated with each ITM device;

- determine the activation of an alarm for the animal based on at least the information on its status or its location received from its associated ITM device;

- if the activation of an alarm is determined, send to the owner of the installation, or other agent involved, a message with information about said alarm and the estimated location of the animal for which the alarm was activated.

Additionally, at least one of the NC communication nodes may comprise:

- at least one environmental condition sensor configured to measure physical quantities of the environment in different areas of the installation;

- a processor configured to process the values of at least one physical quantity of the installation and send information on the at least one physical quantity to the central server (or server of the installation) and / or to the general central server by means of a communication module;

and where the central server processor (or installation server) and / or the general central server is additionally configured to receive information on the at least one physical magnitude of the installation and to determine the activation of an alarm from at least of information on the at least one physical magnitude of the installation.

According to one of the embodiments of the invention and for coverage reasons, the central server (or server of the installation) is located within the installation and the second server is a general central server located outside said installation, which is configured to receive information from the central server and / or from the NC nodes; determine the activation of alarms based on said information and, if the activation of an alarm is determined, send a message with information about said alarm to the owner of the installation or other agent involved.

Additionally, it is contemplated that the general central server comprises an anomaly search module configured to store, analyze and extract patterns based on the information received from the sensors of different facilities with which to find common points between the historical data of the affected animals, compare these common points found with the historical data of each animal in each of the facilities; and identify and locate animals that have been exposed to the same causes as sick animals.

In one embodiment of the invention, at least one environmental condition sensor and / or the at least one status sensor are external to the monitoring device and communicate with the NC nodes via a communications interface.

The ITM monitoring devices, according to an embodiment of the invention comprise:

• one or more communication modules configured to communicate said device with the NC nodes and / or with the central server (or server of the installation) and / or with the general central server to send a beacon signal for position calculation , and / or information from any other sensor available in each ITM device;

• at least one processor configured to:

^■ process the values of at least one physical magnitude of the state of the animal obtained from the at least one status sensor and send a message to the NC nodes informing of the value of said variable.

^■ Send a power beacon signal to the NC nodes.

^■ Process the battery value of the ITM sensor and send a message with the information of that sensor to the NC nodes. • A power module that gives the system autonomy.

• One or more short range wireless sensors, NFC for the identification of the animal associated with the ITM sensor.

• One or several sensors for monitoring the animal's physical parameters such as temperature, activity level, etc.

• Additionally, you can have a GPS sensor to calculate the position of the animal more precisely to the calculation based on the power received

Each NC node, according to an embodiment of the invention, may comprise: · one or more communication modules configured to communicate with the ITM sensors of its proximity and with the central server (or server of the installation) or with the central server general.

• At least one processor configured to:

^■ receive the beacon signal from the ITM sensors and forward it to the central server for positioning calculation.

^■ Receive status sensor information from each ITM device and forward it to the central server (or facility server) or to the general central server for processing.

■ Receive information from sensors that measure physical parameters of the installation from each monitoring node of the farm.

^■ Process the values of one or several physical quantities measured by environment sensors installed on the same NC communications node and send a message with the information to the central server (or server of the installation) or to the general central server.

• A power module that gives the system autonomy.

• Sensors for monitoring environment variables.

Optionally and according to one of its embodiments, the present invention may have one or more device for monitoring parameters of the installation, where each of them may comprise: • one or more communications modules configured to communicate with the NC communications nodes and / or with the central server (or installation server) or with the general central server.

• At least one processor configured to:

■ process the values of at least one physical quantity of the installation obtained from the at least one status sensor and send a message to the NC nodes informing of the value of said variable.

^■ Process the battery value of the installation monitoring node and send a message with the information of that sensor to the NC nodes

• A power module that gives the system autonomy.

• One or more sensors to monitor physical parameters of the installation. The central server (or installation server), according to one of the embodiments, may comprise:

• a communications module configured to communicate said central server with the NC communication nodes and additionally with the ITM monitoring devices and with the monitoring nodes, which contain environment sensors that monitor operation parameters;

• A processor configured to:

^■ receive from each NC device, information about the power received from each ITM device;

^■ For each animal that has an ITM device, estimate its location from the power information received by each NC communications node or from the GPS information if available;

^■ Receive on the central server, from an NC node, information about an anomaly in the state of the animal associated with the ITM device or an anomaly related to the status of the exploitation measured by an exploitation monitoring node;

^■ Receive information on status or environment sensors present in the central server from an NC node NC devices or in ITM devices or in the installation parameter monitoring nodes;

^■ If the activation of an alarm is determined, send a message with information about that alarm and the estimated location of the animal for which the alarm has been activated to the owner of the farm or the corresponding intervening agent;

The general central server, according to an embodiment of the invention, comprises:

• a communications module configured to communicate said general central server with the different central servers of the various farms registered in the system and / or to receive information from the NC nodes;

• A processor configured to:

^■ receive the power information received by each NC of each of the ITMs of the installation through the central server of the installation and the GPS information, if available, to estimate the position of the animal. In this embodiment, the installation server acts as an integrator of the exploitation information and does not perform any type of information processing;

■ For each animal that has an ITM device, estimate its location from power information received by each NC communications node in the coverage area of the ITM node and collected on the central server of the facility. As in the previous case, the central server of the installation will be configured as a repeater; Receive on the general central server from the central server, information about an anomaly in the state of the animal associated with the ITM device or an anomaly related to the status of the holding measured by a monitoring sensor of the holding;

■ Receive on the general central server, from the central server

, information on status or environment sensors from NC nodes or ITM devices or from the installation parameter monitoring nodes; ^■ If the activation of an alarm is determined, send a message with information about the alarm and the estimated location of the animal for which the alarm has been activated through the general central server to the owner of the farm or the intervening agent;

^■ Store, analyze and extract patterns in relation to the information coming from the different sensors of the different farms so that it becomes an algorithm for the early detection of anomalies.

^■ Interact with the different agents involved in the solution by providing information regarding their role in a friendly way.

^■ Store records related to the animal and its associated meat products from the moment of birth of the animal until its consumption by the final consumers.

Finally, in a final aspect of the invention a computer program is presented comprising instructions executable by computer to implement the method described above. The computer program can be run on a computer, a digital signal processor, an application-specific integrated circuit, a microprocessor, a microcontroller or any other form of programmable hardware. Said instructions may be stored in a digital data storage medium.

The present invention therefore refers to a method, system and service platform (understood as a set of software modules, databases and computers) that advantageously allows real-time monitoring of livestock farms in extensive environments intended for production of meat, through a new connection scheme that can be accessed by different agents involved in the process, from the farmer to the final consumer. This new animal connection scheme provides a new way to manage and certify livestock and take care of animals, as it warns the farmer of possible anomalies. It also allows for an early pandemic detection system and avoids the passage to the food chain. Consumer experience In the end, it will also change, since it will allow you to know new data about the animal's history, such as the time it has been grazing outdoors, and the distances it has traveled in freedom; So far not available.

For a more complete understanding of the invention, its objects and advantages, reference may be made to the following specification and the accompanying drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

To complement the description that is being made and in order to help a better understanding of the features of the invention, in accordance with some preferred examples of practical embodiments thereof, a set of drawings is accompanied as an integral part of this description. where, for illustrative and non-limiting purposes, the following has been represented: Figure 1 shows the scheme of the system in the installation of the user according to an embodiment of the invention.

Figure 2 shows the overall scheme of the proposed system and method where the participation of other agents according to an embodiment of the invention is shown.

Figure 3 schematically shows the block architecture of an ITM device for the location and monitoring of an animal according to an embodiment of the invention.

Figure 4 schematically shows the block architecture of a communications node NC according to an embodiment of the invention.

Figure 5 schematically shows the block architecture of a device that can be associated with the system for monitoring the environment according to an embodiment of the invention.

Figure 6 shows schematically the block architecture of the central server of the installation that communicates with the rest of the NC according to an embodiment of the invention.

Figure 7 schematically shows the block architecture of the general central server of the system that can control one or more installations according to an embodiment of the invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The objective of the present invention is to develop a method and system consisting of several devices and algorithms that constitute an extensive livestock service platform for all agents involved in the process from start to finish: farmers, veterinarians, suppliers of feed, slaughterhouses, cutting, packaging and distribution rooms, public administrations (animal health and welfare, health and consumption) and final consumers. The platform will facilitate the exchange of information between them, improving the productivity of farmers, the welfare of animals, the traceability of meat products from the origin to the final consumer; it will allow the detection and control of pandemics, it will reduce the use of medicines, it will allow to know if the cattle ranch complies with certain certification conditions, its transport and distribution conditions will also be known. For this purpose, animal monitoring devices, hereinafter ITM, will be used, which will allow the control of the location, monitoring of physical parameters such as activity, temperature, etc .; devices for the monitoring of the farm, hereinafter devices for monitoring the farm, which will allow the monitoring of physical parameters of the farm such as climatology and monitoring of feeders, drinking fountains, etc .; communications nodes deployed by the installation, hereinafter NC, a method and algorithms that allow the traceability of the meat product from the origin to the final consumer, through the exchange of information with different agents in the distribution chain. Figure 1 shows the overall architecture of the complete system in its most basic version. The system consists of several basic and essential fundamental elements such as the monitoring and location devices of ITM animals, (1); the NC communications nodes, (2) that receive the information from the ITMs. Additionally, these NC communications nodes can communicate wired or wireless with environment sensors (19) grouped in one or more monitoring devices (3) that monitor environment variables such as temperature, humidity, etc. The third fundamental element is the central or installation server (4) that communicates with the NC communication nodes and will be located on the farm. The last fundamental element of the system is the server general exchange (5) that can be located at any point given the current possibilities of network servers.

Communication between the different elements can be done wirelessly (via WiFi, Bluetooth, ZigBee communication, mobile telephony or any other type of wireless communication). In order to carry out the different services, all the elements can communicate with each other through the central server or server of the installation or through the general central server. Communications with the installation server and / or with the general central server can be done through different NC communications nodes, which communicate the different previous elements (ITMs, environment sensors that monitor physical variables of the environment, central server) . These communications nodes are necessary for various reasons, to facilitate the location of the animals through the strength of the received signal as will be explained later, and to communicate the ITMs with the central server since the distance between them is high.

The ITM (1) monitor different variables related to the state of the animal such as its temperature, activity level, heart rate, location, etc. and send it to the NC communication nodes. The NCs in the animal's coverage area receive this information and forward it to the central server or server of the installation and / or to the general central server where it can be analyzed and generate alarms based on the values. Alternatively, the central server may, in turn, forward this information to the general central server where this information will be analyzed based on the collected values, based on historical data from other farms, etc., and the possible alarms will be generated. The detail of the information monitored by the sensors (10) incorporated in the ITMs is:

• Information regarding the state of the animal from sensors such as temperature sensors, heart rate sensors of the animal, motion sensors, or any other type of sensors that allow the monitoring of physical variables related to the state of the animal.

• Information on the location of the animal. Each ITM device will transmit a beacon signal at regular intervals. This beacon signal is received by several NCs that transmit the information of the power received in said beacon signal to the central server The central server will calculate the position of the animal based on the power received by different NCs and based on a previous mapping of the farm. Alternatively, the central server will retransmit the power information to the general central server so that it estimates the position of the animal. Additionally, the ITM may contain a GPS sensor to calculate the position of the animal for applications that require greater accuracy.

Additionally, and alternatively, the ITM will be able to analyze the information coming from the sensors related to the monitoring of the state of the animal by means of algorithms that detect anomalies in the measured parameters comparing them with adaptive precalculated detection thresholds. When an anomaly is detected, the ITM sends an identification of the animal and an anomaly identification to the NCs that relay it to the central server or server of the installation and / or to the general central server to carry out the appropriate actions as they can be to reanalyze the information, notify the owner of the farm, etc. In the preferred embodiment, the information is sent unprocessed from the ITM nodes to the central server or the facility, through the NCs, for analysis and processing. In a further embodiment, what is done is a mixture of the two solutions previously proposed, that is, some parameters are processed in the ITM itself and the server is notified in case of anomaly (for example, the animal's body temperature has exceeded a certain threshold) and other parameters (for example, the level of activity of the animal) are sent to the central server or to the general central server, who detect the possible anomalies.

Additionally, the ITM may inform periodically or by request of the central server, the central server and / or the general central server of the battery status of said device. Thus, for example, if the battery charge is below a threshold, the central server can, for example, send an alarm to the owner of the facility indicating the location and identification of the animal at which the level of Battery is low.

Both the ITMs, as the NCs, as the optional environment devices for monitoring the environment and the central server, are portable devices and, being able to be powered by batteries or solar panels, can be installed in several farms in case the Won be itinerant. The NC communications nodes (2) that are installed in mesh form on or around the farm to ensure coverage throughout the field consist of a hardware platform with one or more wireless communication interfaces to perform a triple function:

• First of all to ensure communication between the ITMs and the central server. The sensors will be deployed in mesh form throughout the farm or in the surroundings to ensure bidirectional communication between the ITMs and the server. Thanks to this communication, the ITM will send the information related to the animal's status and location.

• Secondly they receive and calculate a beacon signal from each of the ITMs. Each ITM at regular intervals emits a beacon signal, this beacon signal is received by one or more communication nodes. These communications nodes calculate the power of the received beacon signal and send the calculated value to the central server for processing.

• Thirdly, the communication nodes are responsible for ensuring bidirectional communication between the sensors that monitor physical parameters of the installation and the central server. Through this communication channel, the values of the physical quantities are exchanged. In the same way, the central server can send information to the sensors to adjust its internal algorithm.

The environment sensors (19), grouped into different monitoring nodes (3), which monitor physical parameters of the farm, such as temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, water level of drinking fountains, presence sensor, etc. which are deployed at certain points of interest of the operation, consist of a hardware platform with one or several associated sensors capable of measuring physical quantities such as those described, with its own algorithm and with one or several communication interfaces to communicate, through of the NC communications nodes, with the central server (or installation server) or with the general central server. Thanks to these sensors, different physical and environmental variables related to farm management and animal care can be monitored. For example, presence sensors can be installed in zones that the farmer has established as dangerous and receive notices when there is an animal in that area. Another example may be the monitoring of the food level of a feeder and receiving an alarm when the level has fallen below that threshold.

The central server (or of the installation) (4) will be located in the installation itself and consists of a hardware platform with different communication interfaces where the monitoring and management software of the ITM resides, the communication software with the communication nodes NC and with the general central server. This central server may have one or more databases that will contain all the information collected by each ITM (activity level, location, temperature, ...), this information can be analyzed and compared with the historical values for each ITM or with other ITMs of the same installation. If any anomaly of the values is detected, the central server may notify the owner of the installation or any other participant through a communication through the general central server indicating the type of anomaly, the value collected, the animals involved. s and its location (s).

The central server also receives the signal strength information collected by the NCs coming from each ITM. This information may be analyzed on the central server or forwarded to the general central server for analysis. Additionally, the information of the actual physical position of the different communication nodes of the operation will be available. Additionally, the central server may have a "mapped" signal on the farm. This "mapping" will consist of taking measurements of the powers received by an ITM, used for testing, in different locations of the farm and of which the actual physical position will be known through the use of a GPS device. With all this information, the server will be able to position (with greater or lesser precision depending on the mapping information and the density of communications nodes) the position of an ITM within the farm. Additionally, the algorithm may take into account the historical values (positions) of each ITM to determine the current position.

Additionally, the central server may act as a mere communication element between the ITMs and the environment sensors with the general central server. In this case The central server acts in gateway mode, collecting and sending the information to the general central server. In the same way, you will receive information from it to act on the sensors of the farm. The general central server (5), which can be located inside or, preferably, outside an installation or in the cloud, consists of a hardware platform with different communication interfaces, algorithms and databases. The main functionalities of this general central server, according to one of the embodiments of the invention, are the following:

· Information exchange management between the different elements involved in the solution as will be described later.

• Execute the algorithms described above in the case of the central server on some or all farms. In this case, the central server acts merely as a communication gateway between the ITMs, the sensors deployed in the installation and the general central server. In this case, the general central server would be responsible for executing the algorithm related to the detection of anomalies both in the farm and in the animals and the algorithm related to the calculation of the positioning described above.

• Collect historical data related to one or more farms in your database. With this information the general central server generates new algorithms for detecting anomalies in each operation. That is, the system learns from what happened in each installation to apply it in the rest.

• Contact the owner of the installation in the event of any anomaly.

Figure 2 shows a complete diagram, according to one of the particular embodiments, of the present invention and the interaction of agents involved in the process. These intervening agents can be from the farmers themselves, veterinarians, food suppliers of the farm, as well as slaughterhouses, cutting rooms, distributors, final consumers as well as public authorities. These participants are classified into two distinct groups: on the one hand the agents that interact more directly with the animals or with the farm (direct agents (6)) such as the farmers themselves, the veterinarians and the suppliers of the farm . On the other hand the agents (indirect agents (7)) that interact only with the system through the general central server by exchanging previously filtered and processed information. This second group includes, among others, final consumers, cutting rooms, slaughterhouses, public authorities, etc.

The process of interaction between the different agents in relation to the life of the animal comprises the following steps:

• When an animal is born, the farmer attaches the ITM to monitor it throughout its exploitation period.

· During the life of the animal, the veterinarian and the farmer have access to data related to the animal such as location, vaccination schedule, feed consumed, etc.

• Additionally, suppliers of the farm can access information related to food levels of feeders, drinking fountains, etc., and thus plan the next shipments and purchases.

• When the farmer sells the animal to a cattle or slaughterhouse to be slaughtered, the farmer fills a record in the system and proceeds to withdraw the animal's ITM.

• The owner of the slaughterhouse and the cutting room fills in the records associated with their activity. As a date of sacrifice, broken units, etc. Once the products are sold, fill in new records.

• In this way, records will be filled according to the meat product progressed along the distribution chain.

• Finally, the final consumer when acquiring the meat product, can consult a code associated with the product and thus have real and truthful information about the product purchased.

• Additionally and in parallel to the process, public authorities may have access to the information generated throughout the entire process.

The interaction between the agents along the distribution chain gives added value to these participants by having truthful information about the meat product they are acquiring. In addition, a series of automatisms are generated that allow the reduction of costs and the increase of productivity by the agents involved in the system. With this system, the public authorities gain a tool for the control and analysis of pandemics since there is a monitoring system for the animal from birth to death, as well as the feed consumed and the vaccines and veterinary treatments received. So if at any given time a problem with a vaccine or feed is detected, the authorities know in real time which animals have been treated with said vaccine or have eaten said feed and what is its status along the distribution chain . Additionally, the farmers themselves can also, according to one of the embodiments of the invention, prevent sanitary problems in their animals by historical comparison with the events that occur in other farms. In this way, if it is detected, in an operation, that a certain animal has had a series of behaviors that have resulted in a disease, the present invention may include said parameters in the detection of anomalies and notify farmers whose animals present the same type of behavior

On the other hand, the final consumers, when acquiring the product, may, according to one of the embodiments of the invention, consult data related to the meat product that they are acquiring as where it has been raised, veterinary reports, etc. In this way, consumer confidence in the product they purchase is increased. Additionally, the consumer can interact with the system through a system of comments and punctuation that can be taken into account by the different agents present in the distribution chain. Alternatively, and if the consumer acquires the animal before it is slaughtered, he can access the information in real time of the purchased animal.

Through the solution proposed by the present invention, processes related to farm management can be automated, such as food suppliers, who may receive information regarding the level of food from the feeders of the farms to which they supply and be able to plan shipments and acquisitions.

Figure 3 shows the architecture diagram of the ITM (1). The core of the device consists of a processor board with one or several processors (8) and with different hardware interfaces capable of managing different events in a way simultaneous. In this processor board part of the algorithms of the invention can be executed, for example those related to the monitoring of the state of the animal. Another basic stage of the ITM is the communication module (9) where one or more wireless communication interfaces are implemented that allow the device to communicate with other elements of the system. This communication module can use one or several communication technologies such as WiFi, Bluetooth, Zigbee, mobile telephony or any other wireless communication technology. You can also have different communication interfaces for contingency situations (so if communication fails using one of the technologies as another can be used). Although the figure shows a single communication module (which would be responsible for communication using one or more communication interfaces), there may be several, each using a different communication technology.

Another element of the ITM is the different sensors (10) that it houses inside or that being external to the device, it accesses its information through the communication interfaces. These sensors monitor variables (parameters) of the animal that carries it and that can be for example (of course this is not an exhaustive list, there may be other different sensors):

• Outdoor temperature sensor.

• GPS module.

• Humidity sensor.

• Accelerometer to monitor the level of activity.

• Cardiac pulse monitoring sensor.

• Body temperature monitoring sensor.

• Microphone for monitoring the acoustic environment.

These sensors send their information to the processor board present in the ITMs. Additionally, for the device power, the ITMs consist of a power module (battery) that can be rechargeable (1 1) by connection to the power grid, by solar cell, etc. As indicated above, the device can also inform the central server of the state of charge of the battery. Finally, in order to identify the animal when they are in a group, a passive radio frequency (tag) circuit (12) can be included in the ITM that can be read from a mobile or portable device through a tag reader. In this way you can identify each animal individually even if they are in a group.

Figure 4 shows the architecture diagram of the NC communications nodes (2). The core of the device consists of a processor board with one or several processors (13) and with different hardware interfaces capable of managing different events simultaneously. Another basic stage of the communication node is the communication module (14) where one or more wireless communication interfaces are implemented whose function is twofold, on the one hand guaranteeing communication between the ITMs and the central server and on the other the calculation of the power received by beacon signals sent for positioning by ITMs. This communication module can use one or several communication technologies such as WiFi, Bluetooth, Zigbee, mobile telephony or any other wireless communication technology. You can also have different communication interfaces for contingency situations (so if communication fails using one of the technologies as another can be used). Although the figure shows a single communication module (which would be responsible for communication using one or more communication interfaces), there may be several, each using a different communication technology.

Another element of the NC is the different sensors (15) that it houses inside or that being external to the device, it accesses its information through the communication interfaces. These sensors monitor environment variables (parameters) that can be for example (of course this is not an exhaustive list, there may be other different sensors):

• Outdoor temperature sensor.

• Humidity sensor.

· Microphone for monitoring the acoustic environment.

• Video camera.

• Presence sensor. These sensors send their information to the processor board present in the NCs where it is forwarded to the central server through the communication interfaces for further processing. Additionally, for the power supply of the device, the NCs consist of a power module (battery) that can be rechargeable (16) by connection to the power grid, by solar cell, etc. NCs also report their battery level to the central server. Figure 5 shows the architecture diagram of the nodes that monitor installation parameters (3). The core of the device consists of a processor board with one or several processors (17) and with different hardware interfaces capable of managing different events simultaneously. Another basic stage of these nodes is the communication module (18) where one or more wireless communication interfaces are implemented. This communication module can use one or several communication technologies such as WiFi, Bluetooth, Zigbee, mobile telephony or any other wireless communication technology. You can also have different communication interfaces for contingency situations (so if communication fails using one of the technologies as another can be used). Although the figure shows a single communication module (which would be responsible for communication using one or more communication interfaces), there may be several, each using a different communication technology.

Another element of these nodes are the different sensors (19) that it houses inside or that being external to the device, it accesses its information through the communication interfaces. These sensors monitor variables (parameters) of the environment and or elements of the farm and that can be for example (of course this is not an exhaustive list, there may be other sensors):

· Outdoor temperature sensor.

• Humidity sensor.

• Microphone for monitoring the acoustic environment.

• Video camera.

• Presence sensor. • Food level measurement sensor of a feeder.

• Weighing scale sensor.

• Water level measurement sensor in a drinking fountain.

• Rain level measurement sensor on the farm.

These sensors send their information to the processor board present in these nodes where it is forwarded to the central server through the communication interfaces for further processing.

Additionally, for the power supply of the installation monitoring nodes, these consist of a power module (battery) that can be rechargeable (20) by connection to the power grid, by solar cell, etc. These nodes will also report their battery level to the central server.

Figure 6 shows the architecture of the central server (4). Its core consists of a processor board (21) with one or several processors where the information from the various elements of the installation is analyzed. The next basic element of the central server is the communication interfaces (22) where one or more wireless communication interfaces are implemented. This communication module can use one or several communication technologies such as WiFi, Bluetooth, Zigbee, mobile telephony or any other wireless communication technology, as well as wired. In the central server there is part of the solution algorithm (23) as well as a series of databases (24) responsible for collecting the information from the sensors deployed in the animals and in the farm. In one embodiment, the algorithms and database will collect the information from the sensors (10) of the ITM (1) related to the state of the animal, the sensors (15) associated with the NC (2) and the sensors ( 19) of the monitoring nodes (3) of the installation. Once collected, the values will be analyzed and compared with a history of values to determine anomalies and send notifications to the farmer or to another agent through the general central server. As an example some of the functionalities are detailed: a temperature sensor marks a level below a threshold set by the farmer from which the animals are at risk of becoming ill; an activity sensor of an ITM detects a prolonged absence of activity in an animal or an abnormal activity; a food level sensor of a feeder detects that the level of the feeder is below a threshold and notifies the food supplier; etc. In another embodiment, these sensor values will be collected, formatted and sent to the general central server for processing.

Additionally, in one embodiment, the central server algorithms and databases will receive the power signals calculated by the NCs based on the beacon signal transmitted by the ITMs. With this information, with the historical of positions and with a mapping of the exploitation, these algorithms estimate the location of each of the animals that carry an ITM. The detail of the estimate of the location of the animal associated with an ITM is as follows:

• Receive in real time the calculated power value at each NC communications node that receives the beacon signal from the ITM.

• Know the exact GPS position of each of the NC communications nodes.

• It has a previous mapping of the farm. A database will be maintained with a history of position values (longitude and latitude) and signal strength received from each of the NC communications nodes in that position. For accuracy, the mapping can include statistics of the received signals.

• With all this information, it implements a minimization algorithm of least squares or classification (for example, the well-known KNN algorithm, of English, K-nearest neighbors, the nearest K neighbors) or decision trees (although any other can be used algorithm that allows location estimation based on current values and previous mapping).

The use of the technique illustrated above (mapping and scanning) makes it possible to estimate the location of the animal, quite precisely based on the density of communication nodes and the accuracy of the mapping with a low computational complexity.

After determining the location of the ITM, the algorithm will verify the position obtained against the historical (in a close space of time) of the values of said ITM. A logic will be established that avoids errors in positioning.

With this method you can not only obtain the current location of each animal but also its trajectory remotely and in real time. In another embodiment, the position calculation is performed based on the information from GPS sensors arranged in the ITMs.

In another embodiment, the central server or server of the installation transmits this information to the general central server for the estimation of the position of the animals either for the calculation through the power or for the calculation by means of the satellite information.

Another element of these nodes are the different sensors (25) that it houses inside or that being external to the device, it accesses its information through the communication interfaces. These sensors monitor variables (parameters) of the environment and that can be for example (of course this is not an exhaustive list, there may be other different sensors):

• Outdoor temperature sensor.

· Humidity sensor.

• Microphone for monitoring the acoustic environment.

• Video camera.

• Presence sensor.

Additionally, for the power supply of the central server or server of the installation, it may contain a power module that can be rechargeable (26) by connection to the power grid, by solar cell, etc. These nodes will also report their battery level to the general central server.

Figure 7 shows the architecture of the general central server (5). Its core consists of a processor board (27) with one or more processors where the information from the various elements of the installation is analyzed. The next basic element of the general central server is the communication interfaces (28) where one or more communication interfaces are implemented for communication with one or more central servers. In the general central server it houses several databases (29) and part of the solution algorithm

(30). According to one of the particular embodiments of the present invention, the general central server executes the algorithms for estimating positioning and monitoring parameters described above. Additionally and in relation to the monitoring of the state of animals and exploitation, thanks When interacting with other farms, the central server will house a greater amount of information. This information may be stored and processed using BigData algorithms for the extraction of rules and patterns that will be applied to each installation individually. As an example, assuming that the farmer of the farm has reported to the system a disease of an animal, automatically the general central server will collect and analyze all the values of the sensors associated with said animal establishing patterns in said values, with that information It will analyze the rest of the animals of the other farms trying to find the same patterns detecting the possible disease before it occurs.

On the other hand, through the general central server the different agents that participate in the solution interact with each other and with the system. As described above, there are two types of agents: direct and indirect. Direct agents can access real-time information on the farm, while indirect agents access information collected on the general central server. In this way, the described system facilitates the interaction between these agents and provides them with tools that currently do not exist. Agents act with the system through different software applications that can be run on mobile devices or fixed workstations. Each agent has associated a series of functionalities depending on their role, in this way, for example, veterinarians can have access to the vaccination schedule, to the values that monitor the state of the animals, etc. DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

As a recap, we will summarize the preferred embodiments of the system and the animal monitoring device. The system in its preferred embodiment is composed (figure 2) of one or more ITM animal monitoring devices (1) that collect information related to different physical variables related to the state of the animal associated with said device. The information collected by the ITMs is sent, through some NC communication nodes (2) to which they can be associated, grouped into nodes of monitoring (3) environment sensors (19) that monitor operating parameters, to a central server (4) for collection. Once the information is collected on the central server, it will be formatted and sent to the general central server (5) where the information will be analyzed and processed. Through said general central server different direct agents (6) such as farmers, veterinarians, etc. and indirect (7) as final consumers, official organizations, etc., interact with the solution through the exchange of information, constituting, the system itself, in a traceability system of meat products from the origin to the final consumer.

On the other hand, the ITM animal monitoring device (1) in its preferred embodiment is formed by a processor board containing a processor (8) capable of attending external interruptions. The device also contains a radiofrequency communication module (9) and has a double function: on the one hand to communicate the values of the variables related to the state of the animal and on the other hand to transmit a beacon signal to calculate the position of the animal.

Finally, in its preferred embodiment, the device has a power module (1 1) consisting of a non-rechargeable battery. On the other hand, the communications node NC (2) in its preferred embodiment is formed by a processor board containing a processor (13) capable of handling external interruptions. The device also contains a radiofrequency communication module (14) that also has a dual function: on the one hand, retransmit the status information of the animal from the ITMs to the central server; and on the other hand, to calculate the power received from the beacon signal of the

ITM and transmit this information to the central server. Finally, in its preferred embodiment, the device has a power module (16) consisting of a rechargeable battery from a solar panel. On the other hand, the installation parameter monitoring node (3) will monitor variables related to the installation status. In its preferred embodiment it is formed by a processor board containing a processor (17) capable of attending external interruptions. The device also contains a radio frequency communication module (18) that will transmit the monitored parameter towards the central server through the communications nodes. The node will contain a sensor (19) that will monitor a physical parameter such as temperature, pressure, humidity, presence, video, etc. Finally, in its preferred embodiment, the device has a power module (20) consisting of a non-rechargeable battery.

On the other hand, the central server or server of the installation (4) will receive information from the ITMs and the environment sensors (19) that monitor the status of the operation, adapt its format and send it to the general central server for its processed. In its preferred embodiment it is formed by a processor board containing a processor (21) capable of handling external interruptions. The device also contains two communication modules: one to communicate with the communication nodes and / or with the ITM devices and sensors and another interface to communicate with the general central server. Finally, in its preferred embodiment, the central server has a power module (26) consisting of a rechargeable battery through a solar cell.

On the other hand, the general central server (5) will receive the information from the central servers of one or more farms. This information will be analyzed and alarms will be generated based on the history of values provided and based on the interaction of agents, direct or indirect, involved in the system. In its preferred embodiment it is formed by a processor board that will contain several processors (27), a wired communication interface (28) through which it receives information from various farms, from several databases (29) where collects the information generated by the ITMs, by the power signals calculated in the communication nodes, by the information collected in the monitoring nodes by the environment sensors, which monitor operation parameters, and by the information generated by the agents that intervene in the system. All this information is processed in real time by the algorithm (30) resident in the central server itself.

In this text, the term "comprises" and its derivations (such as "understanding", etc.) should not be understood in an exclusive sense, that is, these terms should not be construed as excluding the possibility that what is described and defined can include more elements, stages, etc.

Claims

1. Method for the management, monitoring and location of animals in an extensive livestock facility, where the facility has a wireless communication network with various wireless communication nodes and where each animal has an associated monitoring device, where the method comprises the following steps:

a) receive, on a central server (4), from each monitoring device (1) associated with an animal, information on the power received by each monitoring device from one or more wireless communication nodes (2) of the wireless network;

b) for each animal that has a monitoring device associated, estimate its location, based on GPS information transmitted by the associated monitoring device and, if this information is not available, based on information on the power received by the device associated monitoring; c) receive, on the central server (4), from a monitoring device, information on the state of the animal associated with the monitoring device, based on measurements of at least one physical magnitude of the animal's state, obtained through at least one status sensor (10) associated with said monitoring device;

d) determine on the central server (4) the activation of an alarm for the animal based on at least the information on its status or its location received from its associated monitoring device;

e) if the activation of an alarm is determined, send from the central server to the owner of the installation, or to another agent involved, a message with information about said alarm and the estimated location of the animal for which the alarm was activated.

2. - Method according to claim 1, wherein the central server further comprises forwarding the information received to a general central server (5), wherein said general central server comprises receiving and storing all information sent through the central server.

3. - Method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the general central server (5) is in communication with two or more installations through its corresponding central servers (4), which further comprises storing historical data, on the server general central, which includes all the information associated with each animal and each of the facilities.

4. - Method according to claim 3 which further comprises the steps of:

5. - Method according to claim 4, wherein the general central server (5) comprises an anomaly search module, which once a certain number of animals affected by a disease has been detected in one or more facilities, also includes The steps of:

- look for common points among the historical data of the affected animals;

- compare the common points found with the historical data of each animal in each of the facilities;

6. Method according to any of the preceding claims wherein the at least one status sensor is one of the following sensors: GPS module, accelerometer, gyro, cardiac pulse monitoring sensor and sensor body temperature monitoring, a body device or any other sensor that provides information on the state of movement or health of the animal.

7. Method according to any of the preceding claims, which also includes:

- receive on the central server (4) or on the general central server (5), information on physical quantities of the installation environment, measured by at least one environmental conditions sensor included in one of the communication nodes or in a node monitoring (3);

- determine, in the central server or in the general central server, the activation of an alarm for the installation from at least the information on physical quantities of the environment received from one of the communication nodes or from a monitoring node of the installation.

8. Method according to claim 7 wherein the at least one environmental condition sensor is at least one of the following sensors: humidity sensor, temperature sensor, presence sensor, a microphone for monitoring the acoustic environment and a sensor Of video.

9. Method according to any of the preceding claims, which also includes: from the estimation of the location of each animal and information of dangerous or not allowed areas for each animal, check in the central server (4) or in the general central server (5), if any animal is in a prohibited area of the installation and, if so, send from the central server a message informing that there is an animal that is in a prohibited area, to the owner of the installation or another person in charge.

10. Method according to any of the preceding claims which further comprises the following steps:

- coupling the monitoring device associated with an animal to said animal at the time of its birth;

- record data related to the birth of the animal, data related to the life of the animal and data related to the animal's slaughter; - send the data registered by the monitoring device associated with each animal to the central server;

- store in the central server a file with all the previous data related to the animal, being available to any user involved in an animal distribution chain;

1. Method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein at least one of the communication nodes includes a GPS sensor, which further comprises coupling said communications node to one of the animals and, knowing the position of said animal, calculate the position of the rest of the animals based on the power received by the communications node coupled to the animal and a satellite position value collected by the GPS sensor of the communications node.

12. The method according to any of the preceding claims wherein the estimation of the location of an animal, based at least on the power information received by the communication nodes, is also performed taking into account information on the position of the communication nodes and in information of a history of position values and signal power received by each of the communication nodes available in said position and / or in previous location values of each animal.

13. - System for the management, monitoring and location of animals in an extensive livestock facility, where the facility has a wireless communication network with various wireless communication nodes (2) distributed by the facility where the system comprises:

- a plurality of monitoring devices (1) where each monitoring device is associated with an animal;

- at least one central server (4) and / or a general central server (5);

- at least one status sensor associated with each animal configured to measure physical quantities of the state of said animal and where: -each monitoring device comprises:

- a communication module (9) configured to communicate said device with the server using the wireless communication network and to monitor the power of the signals received from wireless communication nodes and transmit said power received values to the server;

- at least one processor (8) configured to:

- process the values of at least one physical magnitude of the animal's state obtained from the at least one status sensor, compare those values with a detection threshold to detect anomalies in the animal's condition and, if an anomaly is detected, send a message to the server through the communication module (9) reporting said anomaly;

- said server (4) comprises:

- a communications interface configured to communicate said server with at least the monitoring devices;

- a processor configured to:

- receive from each monitoring device information about the power received in each monitoring device from one or more wireless communication nodes;

- for each animal that has a monitoring device associated, estimate its location from GPS information transmitted by the monitoring device associated with that animal and, if this information is not available, based on the received power information sent by the monitoring device associated with said animal;

- receive information on the status of the animal associated with each monitoring device;

- determine the activation of an alarm for the animal based on at least the information on its status or its location received from its associated monitoring device;

- if the activation of an alarm is determined, send a message with information about that alarm and the estimated location of the animal for which the alarm has been activated to the owner of the installation or other agent involved.

14. System according to claim 13 wherein at least one of the communication nodes further comprises: - at least one environmental condition sensor configured to measure physical quantities of the environment in different areas of the installation;

- a processor configured to process the values of at least one physical quantity of the installation and send information on the at least one physical quantity to the central server through a communication module;

and where the central server processor is additionally configured to receive information on the at least one physical quantity of the installation and to determine the activation of an alarm from at least the information on the at least one physical quantity of the installation.

15. System according to any of claims 13-14, further comprising a general central server (5) configured to receive information sent from the central server; determine the activation of alarms based on said information and, if the activation of an alarm is determined, send a message with information about said alarm to the owner of the installation or other agent involved.

16. - System according to claim 15 wherein the general central server further comprises an anomaly search module configured to store, analyze and extract patterns based on the information received from the sensors of different facilities with which to look for common points between the historical data of the affected animals, compare said common points found with the historical data of each animal in each of the facilities; and identify and locate animals that have been exposed to the same causes as sick animals.

17. System according to any one of claims 13-16 wherein at least one environmental condition sensor and / or at least one status sensor are external to the monitoring device and communicate with the monitoring device via a communications interface .

18. A computer program product comprising computer executable instructions for performing the method according to any of claims 1-12, when the program is executed on a computer.