WO2022054265A1

WO2022054265A1 - Blower control system

Info

Publication number: WO2022054265A1
Application number: PCT/JP2020/034623
Authority: WO
Inventors: 大祐中村
Original assignee: 三菱電機株式会社
Priority date: 2020-09-14
Filing date: 2020-09-14
Publication date: 2022-03-17
Also published as: JPWO2022054265A1

Abstract

Provided is a blower control system capable of providing a thermal environment comfortable for livestock.　A blower control system 10 according to the present disclosure is provided with: a blower 33 that sends wind to livestock 21 raised in a rearing region 90 in a livestock barn 11; livestock position detection units 32, 35, 36 that detect the position of the livestock 21 in the rearing region 90; and a control unit 34 that determines whether the thermal environment in the rearing region 90 is comfortable for the livestock 21 or not on the basis of the positional relationship between the position of the livestock 21 detected by the livestock position detection units and the position of the blower 33, and controls the number of rotations of the blower 33 on the basis of the determination result.

Description

Blower control system

This disclosure relates to a blower control system that controls the blowing of livestock in the barn.

In the livestock industry for the purpose of fattening, the decrease in body weight gain due to the decrease in feed intake of livestock has become a problem in the summer when the temperature is high. To solve this problem, a method of improving the stress caused by the heat of livestock by using the wind of a blower has been proposed.

For example, in Patent Document 1, an individual information terminal is attached to a livestock in a barn to detect the body temperature of the livestock and the position information of the livestock, and the rotation speed of the blower closest to the abnormal individual whose body temperature exceeds a predetermined threshold value is determined. Blower control systems that provide a comfortable thermal environment for livestock by increasing are disclosed.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2018-08314

However, the technique described in Patent Document 1 does not consider that the thermal environment comfortable for livestock changes due to individual differences such as body weight. That is, there is a possibility that there is a difference between the thermal environment created by controlling the blower based on the absolute value of the body temperature of the livestock as in the technique described in Patent Document 1 and the thermal environment that is comfortable for the livestock. Therefore, the technique described in Patent Document 1 may not be able to provide a comfortable thermal environment for livestock.

This disclosure is made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to obtain a blower control system that can provide a comfortable thermal environment for livestock.

The blower control system according to the present disclosure includes a blower that blows wind to livestock raised in the breeding area in the barn, a livestock position detection unit that detects the position of the livestock in the breeding area, and a livestock detected by the livestock position detection unit. A control unit that determines whether or not the thermal environment in the breeding area is comfortable for livestock based on the positional relationship between the position of the blower and the position of the blower, and controls the rotation speed of the blower based on the determination result. To prepare for.

According to the blower control system according to the present disclosure, it is determined whether or not the thermal environment in the breeding area is a comfortable environment for livestock based on the positional relationship between the position of the livestock and the position of the blower, and based on this determination result. To control the rotation speed of the blower. This makes it possible to provide a comfortable thermal environment for livestock.

It is a schematic diagram which shows an example of the structure of the blower control system which concerns on Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a figure which shows an example of the hardware composition of the livestock management apparatus of the blower control system which concerns on Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a figure which shows the scan operation of the infrared sensor of the blower control system which concerns on Embodiment 1, and is the figure which shows the state which the infrared sensor is scanning the position of a fence. It is a figure which shows the scan operation of the infrared sensor of the blower control system which concerns on Embodiment 1, and is the figure which shows the state which the infrared sensor is scanning the central part of a breeding area. It is a figure which shows the scan operation of the infrared sensor of the blower control system which concerns on Embodiment 1, and is the figure which shows the state which the infrared sensor is scanning the position of the side wall. It is a figure which shows an example of the positional relationship between a blower and livestock when the thermal environment of a breeding area is a comfortable environment for livestock in a state where a blower is operating. It is a figure which shows an example of the positional relationship between a blower and livestock when the thermal environment of a breeding area is an unpleasant environment which feels heat for livestock in a state where a blower is operating. It is a figure which shows an example of the positional relationship between a blower and a livestock when the thermal environment of a breeding area is an unpleasant environment which a livestock feels cold in a state where a blower is operating. It is a flowchart which shows the rotation speed control operation of a blower by the blower control part of the blower control system which concerns on Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a figure which shows an example of the positional relationship between a blower and livestock when the thermal environment of a breeding area is a comfortable environment for livestock in a state where a blower is stopped. It is a figure which shows an example of the behavior of a livestock when the thermal environment of a breeding area changes from a comfortable environment to an unpleasant environment for livestock in a state where the blower is stopped. It is a flowchart which shows the start determination operation of the rotation speed control of a blower by the blower control part of the blower control system which concerns on Embodiment 2. FIG. It is a schematic diagram which shows an example of the structure of the blower control system which concerns on Embodiment 3. It is a flowchart which shows the start determination operation of the rotation speed control of a blower by the blower control part of the blower control system which concerns on Embodiment 3. FIG. It is a schematic diagram which shows an example of the structure of the blower control system which concerns on Embodiment 4. FIG. It is a figure which shows the breeding small area which subdivided the breeding area in an arbitrary range. It is a flowchart which shows the start determination operation of the rotation speed control of a blower by the blower control part of the blower control system which concerns on Embodiment 4. FIG. It is a schematic diagram which shows an example of the structure of the blower control system which concerns on Embodiment 5. It is a flowchart which shows the start determination operation of the rotation speed control of a blower by the blower control part of the blower control system which concerns on Embodiment 5. It is a schematic diagram which shows an example of the structure of the blower control system which concerns on Embodiment 6.

The blower control system according to the embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

Embodiment 1.
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of the blower control system 10 according to the first embodiment. The blower control system 10 of the first embodiment is provided in, for example, a barn 11 in which livestock 21 are bred. The livestock 21 is, for example, a pig, a cow, a sheep, a dog, a cat or a chicken. In the first embodiment, the case where the livestock 21 is a pig will be described as an example. The barn 11 includes a floor 12, a side wall 13, a ceiling 14, and a fence 15. The barn 11 has a box shape surrounded by a floor 12, a side wall 13, and a ceiling 14. In the barn 11, a breeding area 90 surrounded by a fence 15 and a side wall 13 is formed. Livestock 21 are bred in the breeding area 90. In the first embodiment, the breeding area 90 is formed by being surrounded by the fence 15 and the side wall 13, but the breeding area 90 may be formed by being surrounded by the fence 15 on all sides.

The blower control system 10 is a system that controls the rotation speed of the blower 33 based on the positional relationship between the position of the livestock 21 raised in the breeding area 90 in the barn 11 and the position of the blower 33. The blower control system 10 includes an infrared sensor 32, a blower 33, and a livestock management device 50. The infrared sensor 32 and the livestock management device 50 are communicably connected by wire or wirelessly. Further, the blower 33 and the livestock management device 50 are connected to each other so as to be communicable by wire or wirelessly.

The infrared sensor 32 is installed in the barn 11 and detects the surface temperature of an object in the breeding area 90. The infrared sensor 32 is an example of an image pickup unit that captures an image of the breeding area 90. In the first embodiment, the infrared sensor 32 is installed on the ceiling 14 of the barn 11 corresponding to the central portion of the breeding area 90. The infrared sensor 32 includes a detection unit 321 that detects the surface temperature of an object in the breeding region 90, and a cylindrical holding unit 322 that holds the detection unit 321. The detection unit 321 is arranged parallel to the cylindrical axis, which is the central axis of the cylindrical holding unit 322, and detects the temperature in a linear range parallel to the cylindrical axis. The holding portion 322 is rotatable about a cylindrical axis. The holding unit 322 rotates about the cylindrical axis, so that the detecting unit 321 detects the surface temperature of the object in the breeding region 90. The infrared sensor 32 outputs the detection result by the detection unit 321 to the livestock management device 50.

The blower 33 sends wind to the livestock 21 raised in the breeding area 90. In the first embodiment, the blower 33 is installed on the fence 15. The blower 33 may be installed on the side wall 13 or the ceiling 14 instead of the fence 15 as long as the wind can be sent to the livestock 21.

The detection result of the infrared sensor 32 is input to the livestock management device 50. The livestock management device 50 controls the operation of the blower 33 based on the detection result input from the infrared sensor 32. The livestock management device 50 includes an input data processing unit 35, a livestock position calculation unit 36, and a blower control unit 34.

The input data processing unit 35 processes the detection result data input from the infrared sensor 32. The input data processing unit 35 processes the input data and generates a thermal image showing the temperature distribution of the breeding area 90. The area detected by the infrared sensor 32 corresponds to the breeding area 90. That is, the position on the thermal image obtained from the infrared sensor 32 can be associated with the position of the imaged breeding area 90.

The livestock position calculation unit 36 calculates the position information of the livestock 21 in the breeding area 90 from the thermal image of the breeding area 90 generated by the input data processing unit 35. Normally, the livestock 21 has a higher temperature than the floor 12, so that the livestock 21 and the floor 12 are displayed at different temperatures in the thermal image. Therefore, the livestock position calculation unit 36 distinguishes between the livestock 21 and the floor 12 in the breeding area 90 from the thermal image, and calculates the position information of the livestock 21 in the breeding area 90. The infrared sensor 32, the input data processing unit 35, and the livestock position calculation unit 36 correspond to the livestock position detection unit that detects the position of the livestock 21 in the breeding area 90.

The blower control unit 34 acquires the position information of the livestock 21 from the livestock position calculation unit 36 at predetermined time intervals, for example. The blower control unit 34 determines whether or not the thermal environment of the breeding area 90 is a comfortable environment for the livestock 21 based on the positional relationship between the position of the livestock 21 calculated by the livestock position calculation unit 36 and the position of the blower 33. The determination is made, and the rotation speed of the blower 33 is controlled based on the determination result. In the first embodiment, the blower control unit 34 determines that the thermal environment of the breeding area 90 is an unpleasant environment for the livestock 21 to feel the heat based on the positional relationship between the position of the livestock 21 and the position of the blower 33. In this case, control is performed to increase the rotation speed of the blower 33. Further, when the blower control unit 34 determines that the thermal environment of the breeding area 90 is an unpleasant environment for the livestock 21 based on the positional relationship between the position of the livestock 21 and the position of the blower 33, the blower control unit 34 determines that the environment is unpleasant for the livestock 21. Control is performed to reduce the rotation speed of 33. The blower control unit 34 corresponds to the control unit.

The livestock management device 50 is composed of, for example, an information processing device such as a server. Specifically, the livestock management device 50 is realized by, for example, the hardware configuration shown in FIG. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the livestock management device 50 of the blower control system 10 according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2, the livestock management device 50 includes, for example, a processor 501 which is a calculation unit and a memory 502 which is a storage unit. The functions of the input data processing unit 35, the livestock position calculation unit 36, and the blower control unit 34 of the livestock management device 50 are realized by the processor 501 executing a program stored in the memory 502. It should be noted that a plurality of processors and a plurality of memories may be linked to realize each function of the livestock management device 50.

Next, the scanning operation of the infrared sensor 32 in the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 to 5. 3 to 5 are diagrams showing a scanning operation of the infrared sensor 32 of the blower control system 10 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a state in which the infrared sensor 32 is scanning the position of the fence 15. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a state in which the infrared sensor 32 is scanning the central portion of the breeding area 90. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a state in which the infrared sensor 32 is scanning the position of the side wall 13.

As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the holding unit 322 rotates about the cylindrical axis, so that the detecting unit 321 scans the entire breeding area 90. Specifically, the detection unit 321 scans from the position of the fence 15 shown in FIG. 3 to the position of the side wall 13 shown in FIG. 5 through the central portion of the breeding area 90 shown in FIG. Similarly, the detection unit 321 scans from the position of the side wall 13 shown in FIG. 5 to the position of the fence 15 shown in FIG. 3 through the central portion of the breeding area 90 shown in FIG. As the holding unit 322 rotates in this way, the detection unit 321 sequentially scans the linear detection range, and scans the planar range parallel to the floor 12. As a result, the surface temperature of the object in the entire breeding area 90 is detected by the detection unit 321. When the infrared sensor 32 has a detection unit 321 capable of detecting a planar range, the holding unit 322 does not necessarily have to be rotatable. Further, in the first embodiment, the example in which the infrared sensor 32 is installed on the ceiling 14 is shown, but the infrared sensor 32 may be installed on the side wall 13 or the fence 15.

Next, the behavior of the livestock 21 when the blower 33 is operating will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 to 8. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the positional relationship between the blower 33 and the livestock 21 when the thermal environment of the breeding area 90 is a comfortable environment for the livestock 21 in the state where the blower 33 is operating. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the positional relationship between the blower 33 and the livestock 21 when the thermal environment of the breeding area 90 is an unpleasant environment for the livestock 21 in a state where the blower 33 is operating. be. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the positional relationship between the blower 33 and the livestock 21 when the thermal environment of the breeding area 90 is an unpleasant environment for the livestock 21 in a state where the blower 33 is operating. ..

When the thermal environment of the breeding area 90 is a comfortable environment for the livestock 21, as shown in FIG. 6, the livestock 21 basically takes a comfortable posture such as lying down and stays there. On the other hand, when the thermal environment of the breeding area 90 is an unpleasant environment for the livestock 21, the livestock 21 moves to a place in search of a comfortable environment. Here, the strength of the wind sent by the blower 33 becomes weaker as the distance from the blower 33 increases. Therefore, when the thermal environment of the breeding area 90 is an unpleasant environment for the livestock 21 to feel the heat, the livestock 21 moves to a place close to the blower 33 while hitting the wind of the blower 33 as shown in FIG. .. On the other hand, when the thermal environment of the breeding area 90 is an unpleasant environment for the livestock 21 to feel cold, the livestock 21 moves to a place far from the blower 33 as shown in FIG.

Next, the operation of the blower control unit 34 of the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a rotation speed control operation of the blower 33 by the blower control unit 34 of the blower control system 10 according to the first embodiment. The blower control unit 34 starts the control shown in FIG. 9 when the blower 33 is started to be driven. The blower control unit 34 starts driving the blower 33, for example, when a start command is received from the user by a remote controller (not shown).

In step S1, the blower control unit 34 determines whether or not the livestock 21 are gathered at a position close to the blower 33 in the breeding area 90 based on the position information of the livestock 21 calculated by the livestock position calculation unit 36. The fact that the livestock 21 are gathered at a position close to the blower 33 in the breeding area 90 means that the livestock 21 are gathered at a position close to the blower 33 in the breeding area 90 as compared with the case where the livestock 21 is evenly located in the breeding area 90. Means that you are. In the first embodiment, the installation position of the blower 33 is stored in advance in the blower control unit 34. The installation position of the blower 33 is input by the user, for example, by a remote control device (not shown). For example, the blower control unit 34 divides the breeding area 90 into three areas, a region close to the blower 33, a central region, and a region far from the blower 33, and the ratio of livestock 21 existing in the region close to the blower 33 is determined. When it is larger than the ratio of the livestock 21 existing in each of the other two regions, it is determined that the livestock 21 are gathered at a position close to the blower 33 in the breeding region 90. In step S1, when the livestock 21 are gathered at a position close to the blower 33 in the breeding area 90 while the blower control unit 34 is driving the blower 33, the thermal environment of the breeding area 90 is for the livestock 21. It is determined that the environment is unpleasant to feel the heat, and the process proceeds to step S2.

In step S2, the blower control unit 34 controls to increase the rotation speed of the blower 33. The maximum rotation speed of the blower 33 may be preset from the specifications of the blower 33, or may be set by the user using a remote controller (not shown). After the processing of step S2, the process proceeds to step S3.

After a certain period of time has elapsed in step S3, the process returns to step S1.

In step S1, if the blower control unit 34 determines that the livestock 21 are not gathered at a position close to the blower 33 in the breeding area 90, the process proceeds to step S4.

In step S4, the blower control unit 34 determines whether or not the livestock 21 are gathered at a position far from the blower 33 in the breeding area 90. The fact that the livestock 21 are gathered at a position far from the blower 33 in the breeding area 90 means that the livestock 21 are gathered at a position far from the blower 33 in the breeding area 90 as compared with the case where the livestock 21 is evenly located in the breeding area 90. Means that you are. For example, the blower control unit 34 divides the breeding area 90 into three areas, a region close to the blower 33, a central region, and a region far from the blower 33, and the ratio of livestock 21 existing in the region far from the blower 33 is determined. When it is larger than the ratio of the livestock 21 existing in each of the other two regions, it is determined that the livestock 21 are gathered at a position far from the blower 33 in the breeding region 90. In step S4, when the livestock 21 is gathered at a position far from the blower 33 in the breeding area 90 while the blower control unit 34 is driving the blower 33, the thermal environment of the breeding area 90 is for the livestock 21. It is determined that the environment is unpleasant to feel cold, and the process proceeds to step S5.

In step S5, the blower control unit 34 controls to lower the rotation speed of the blower 33. The blower control unit 34 may stop driving the blower 33 when the rotation speed of the blower 33 falls below a preset minimum rotation speed. The minimum rotation speed may be preset from the specifications of the blower 33, or may be set by the user using a remote controller (not shown). After the processing of step S5, the process proceeds to step S3.

In step S4, when the blower control unit 34 determines that the livestock 21 is not gathered at a position far from the blower 33 in the breeding area 90 while driving the blower 33, the blower control unit 34 ends the control of the rotation speed of the blower 33. .. That is, the blower control unit 34 is in the case where the livestock 21 is not gathered in the breeding area 90 at a position closer to the blower 33 or far from the blower 33 as compared with the case where the livestock 21 is located evenly in the breeding area 90. Determines that the thermal environment of the breeding area 90 has changed from an environment unpleasant for the livestock 21 to a comfortable environment, and ends the control of the rotation speed of the blower 33. Compared to the case where the livestock 21 is evenly located in the breeding area 90, the state in which the livestock 21 is not gathered in the breeding area 90 at a position closer to the blower 33 or far from the blower 33 is, for example, the livestock 21. Is located evenly in the breeding area 90, or the livestock 21 are gathered in the central part of the breeding area 90. When the control of the rotation speed of the blower 33 is finished, the blower control unit 34 maintains the rotation speed of the blower 33 at the rotation speed immediately before the control of the rotation speed of the blower 33 is finished. This is to maintain the thermal environment of the breeding area 90 in a comfortable environment for the livestock 21.

When the blower control unit 34 finishes controlling the rotation speed of the blower 33, if the blower 33 continues to be driven, the blower control unit 34 returns to "start" in FIG. 9 and controls the rotation speed of the blower 33. To continue. Further, when the control of the rotation speed of the blower 33 is completed, the blower control unit 34 starts driving the blower 33, for example, by receiving a start command from the user when the drive of the blower 33 is stopped. In this case, the control of the rotation speed of the blower 33 is started from the "start" of FIG.

In the conventional blower control system, the blower is controlled based on the absolute value such as the body temperature of the livestock, so that the livestock may be subjected to heat stress or the livestock may be blown to the livestock that do not feel hot. was there. However, according to the blower control system 10 of the first embodiment, the thermal environment of the breeding area 90 is a comfortable environment for the livestock 21 based on the positional relationship between the position of the livestock 21 and the position of the blower 33 in the breeding area 90. Whether or not it is determined, and the rotation speed of the blower 33 is controlled based on the determination result. As a result, it is possible to provide a more comfortable thermal environment for the livestock 21 as compared with the case where the blower 33 is controlled based on the absolute value such as the body temperature of the livestock 21 having individual differences as in the conventional case.

Specifically, according to the blower control system 10 of the first embodiment, the blower control unit 34 is compared with the case where the livestock 21 is evenly located in the breeding area 90 in the state where the blower 33 is being driven. When the livestock 21 are gathered at a position close to the blower 33 in the breeding area 90, it is determined that the thermal environment of the breeding area 90 is an unpleasant environment for the livestock 21 to feel the heat, and the rotation speed of the blower 33 is increased. Take control. Thereby, the heat stress of the livestock 21 can be reduced.

Further, according to the blower control system 10 of the first embodiment, in the blower control unit 34, the livestock 21 is located evenly in the breeding area 90 in the state where the blower 33 is driven. When the animals are gathered at a position far from the blower 33 in the breeding area 90, it is determined that the thermal environment of the breeding area 90 is an unpleasant environment for the livestock 21 to feel cold, and the rotation speed of the blower 33 is controlled to be lowered. As a result, it is possible to suppress blowing air to the livestock 21 that does not feel the heat stress, and it is possible to suppress the stress caused by the cold. Further, by suppressing the unnecessary blowing of air, the power consumption by the blower 33 can be suppressed.

Further, according to the blower control system 10 of the first embodiment, the thermal environment of the breeding area 90 is a comfortable environment for the livestock 21 based on the positional relationship between the position of the livestock 21 and the position of the blower 33 in the breeding area 90. Judge whether or not. As a result, since it is not necessary to attach a special individual information terminal for measuring individual information such as the body temperature of the livestock 21 to the livestock 21, the cost can be suppressed and the management burden of the livestock farmer can be reduced. ..

Further, according to the blower control system 10 of the first embodiment, the livestock position detection unit detects the position of the livestock 21 in the breeding area 90 using the image captured by the infrared sensor 32. As a result, it is not necessary to equip each of the livestock 21 with an individual information terminal for measuring the position information, so that the cost can be suppressed and the management burden on the livestock farmer can be reduced.

In the first embodiment, the blower control unit 34 controls to increase the rotation speed of the blower 33 when it is determined that the thermal environment of the breeding area 90 is an unpleasant environment for the livestock 21 to feel the heat, and the breeding area. When it was determined that the thermal environment of 90 was an unpleasant environment for the livestock 21 to feel cold, both controls were performed to reduce the rotation speed of the blower 33. However, only one of them may be controlled. That is, only the control for increasing the rotation speed of the blower 33 may be performed, or only the control for decreasing the rotation speed of the blower 33 may be performed. Even when only the control for increasing the rotation speed of the blower 33 is performed, it is possible to improve the unpleasant environment in which the livestock 21 feels the heat. Further, even when only the control for lowering the rotation speed of the blower 33 is performed, it is possible to improve the unpleasant environment in which the livestock 21 feels cold.

Embodiment 2.
The blower control unit 34 of the first embodiment starts driving the blower 33 when, for example, a start command is received from a user by a remote controller (not shown). On the other hand, the blower control unit 34 of the second embodiment starts driving the blower 33 when the livestock 21 starts moving. Since the configuration of the blower control system 10 of the second embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment, the description thereof will be omitted.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the positional relationship between the blower 33 and the livestock 21 when the thermal environment of the breeding area 90 is a comfortable environment for the livestock 21 in a state where the blower 33 is stopped. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of the behavior of the livestock 21 when the thermal environment of the breeding area 90 changes from a comfortable environment to an unpleasant environment for the livestock 21 in a state where the blower 33 is stopped. Here, an example is shown when the temperature inside the barn 11 rises.

As shown in FIG. 10, when the thermal environment of the breeding area 90 is a comfortable environment for the livestock 21, the livestock 21 basically takes a comfortable posture such as lying down and stays there. From this state, when the temperature inside the barn 11 rises and the thermal environment of the breeding area 90 changes to an environment unpleasant for the livestock 21, the livestock 21 starts to move its place in search of a comfortable environment as shown in FIG. do.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing a start determination operation of the rotation speed control of the blower 33 by the blower control unit 34 of the blower control system 10 according to the second embodiment. The blower control unit 34 starts the control shown in FIG. 12, for example, when the power of the blower control system 10 is turned on.

In step S11, the blower control unit 34 determines whether or not the livestock 21 has started moving. For example, the blower control unit 34 acquires the position information of the livestock 21 from the livestock position calculation unit 36 at a preset time interval, and when the livestock 21 at a preset ratio or more changes the position, the livestock 21 changes its position. It is determined that the movement has started. In step S11, when the livestock 21 starts moving, the blower control unit 34 determines that the thermal environment of the breeding area 90 has changed from a comfortable environment to an unpleasant environment for the livestock 21, and proceeds to step S12. In step S11, if the livestock 21 has not started moving, the blower control unit 34 returns to step S11 and repeats the process of step S11.

In step S12, the blower control unit 34 starts controlling the rotation speed of the blower 33. When the blower control unit 34 starts controlling the rotation speed of the blower 33, if the drive of the blower 33 is stopped, the blower control unit 34 starts driving the blower 33 at a preset initial rotation speed.

When the blower control unit 34 starts controlling the rotation speed of the blower 33, the process shown in FIG. 9 starts. Since the process of FIG. 9 is the same as that of the first embodiment, the description thereof will be omitted. In the process of step S4 of FIG. 9, the blower control unit 34 determines that the thermal environment of the breeding area 90 has changed from an environment unpleasant for the livestock 21 to a comfortable environment, and ends the control of the rotation speed of the blower 33. If this is the case, the process returns to the “start” of FIG. 12, and the operation of determining whether or not to start the control of the rotation speed of the blower 33 is performed again.

According to the blower control system 10 of the second embodiment, in the blower control unit 34, the thermal environment of the breeding area 90 is uncomfortable for the livestock 21 based on the positional relationship between the position of the livestock 21 and the position of the blower 33. When it is determined that the environment has changed, the control of the rotation speed of the blower 33 is started. Specifically, the blower control unit 34 determines that the thermal environment of the breeding area 90 has changed from a comfortable environment to an unpleasant environment for the livestock 21 when the livestock 21 starts moving. As a result, power consumption can be suppressed as compared with the case where the rotation speed of the blower 33 is constantly controlled.

Embodiment 3.
In the first and second embodiments, whether or not the thermal environment of the breeding area 90 is a comfortable environment for the livestock 21 based on the positional relationship between the position of the livestock 21 detected by the livestock position detection unit and the position of the blower 33. Was judged. However, the method for determining whether or not the thermal environment of the breeding area 90 is a comfortable environment for the livestock 21 is not limited to the methods of the first and second embodiments. In the third embodiment, in addition to the livestock position detection unit, a thermal environment detection unit that detects the environmental conditions of the thermal environment of the breeding area 90 is provided. Then, the control unit of the third embodiment breeds based on the positional relationship between the position of the livestock 21 detected by the livestock position detection unit and the position of the blower 33, and the environmental conditions detected by the thermal environment detection unit. It is determined whether or not the thermal environment of the region 90 is a comfortable environment for the livestock 21.

FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of the blower control system 10 according to the third embodiment. The blower control system 10 of the third embodiment includes a temperature detection unit 31 in addition to the configuration of the blower control system 10 of the first embodiment. The air temperature detection unit 31 and the livestock management device 50 are communicably connected by wire or wirelessly.

The air temperature detection unit 31 is an example of a thermal environment detection unit that detects the environmental conditions of the thermal environment of the breeding area 90. The air temperature detection unit 31 detects the air temperature in the barn 11, more preferably the air temperature in the breeding area 90. The air temperature detection unit 31 is, for example, a thermocouple or a resistance temperature detector. The air temperature detection unit 31 outputs the detected air temperature to the livestock management device 50.

The configuration other than the provision of the air temperature detection unit 31 is the same as that of the first or second embodiment, and the description thereof will be omitted.

FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing a start determination operation of the rotation speed control of the blower 33 by the blower control unit 34 of the blower control system 10 according to the third embodiment.

In step S11, when the blower control unit 34 determines that the livestock 21 has started moving, the process proceeds to step S21.

In step S21, the blower control unit 34 determines whether or not the temperature tends to rise based on the data input from the temperature detection unit 31. The blower control unit 34 acquires temperature information from the temperature detection unit 31 at preset time intervals, and determines that the temperature is on the rise when the amount of increase in temperature per unit time is equal to or greater than the threshold value. do. In step S21, the blower control unit 34 said that when the temperature was on the rise, the livestock 21 started to move because the thermal environment of the breeding area 90 changed from a comfortable environment to an unpleasant environment for the livestock 21. The determination is made, and the process proceeds to step S12 to start controlling the rotation speed of the blower 33. On the other hand, in step S21, when the temperature does not tend to rise, the blower control unit 34 moves the livestock 21 for activities necessary for daily life such as feeding and excretion, and the thermal environment of the livestock 21. Determines that the environment is comfortable, and returns to step S11. That is, the blower control unit 34 cancels the determination that the livestock 21 has started moving.

Since the operations other than step S21 are the same as those in the second embodiment, the description thereof will be omitted.

According to the blower control system 10 of the third embodiment, the air temperature detection unit 31 is provided in addition to the configuration of the blower control system 10 of the first embodiment. The blower control unit 34 determines that the thermal environment of the breeding area 90 has changed from a comfortable environment to an unpleasant environment for the livestock 21 when the livestock 21 starts to move and the temperature of the breeding area 90 tends to rise. , The control of the rotation speed of the blower 33 is started. In the second embodiment, it is a movement due to the change of the thermal environment of the breeding area 90 from a comfortable environment to an unpleasant environment for the livestock 21, or a movement for activities necessary for daily life such as feeding and excretion. Although it is difficult to distinguish between the two, in the third embodiment, the accuracy of distinguishing the movement of the livestock 21 can be improved by using the temperature detection unit 31.

In the third embodiment, the operation when the information of the air temperature detected by the air temperature detection unit 31 is used in the start determination of the rotation speed control of the blower 33 has been described with reference to FIG. However, even after the control of the rotation speed of the blower 33 is started, the air temperature information detected by the air temperature detection unit 31 may be used. That is, the air temperature information detected by the air temperature detection unit 31 may be used in the control shown in FIG. 9 described in the first embodiment.

Further, in the third embodiment, as an example of the thermal environment detection unit that detects the environmental condition of the thermal environment of the breeding area 90, the air temperature detection unit 31 that detects the air temperature in the barn 11 is provided. However, as the thermal environment detection unit, a humidity sensor or a wind speed sensor may be provided instead of the air temperature detection unit 31. Even in this case, the blower control unit 34 determines the breeding area 90 when the livestock 21 starts to move and the environmental conditions of the breeding area 90 tend to change in the direction in which the livestock 21 feels heat. It may be determined that the thermal environment of the livestock 21 has changed from a comfortable environment to an unpleasant environment for the livestock 21, and the control of the rotation speed of the blower 33 may be started. In this case, the blower control unit 34 may find that the environmental conditions of the breeding area 90 are hot for the livestock 21 when, for example, the humidity of the breeding area 90 tends to increase or the wind speed of the breeding area 90 tends to decrease. It is judged that there is a tendency to change in the direction of feeling the humidity.

Further, in the third embodiment, the blower control unit 34 stores the air temperature when it is determined that the thermal environment of the livestock 21 has changed from a comfortable environment to an unpleasant environment, that is, when the process proceeds from step S21 to step S12. You may leave it. Then, when the air temperature detected by the air temperature detection unit 31 approaches the stored air temperature while the control of the rotation speed of the blower 33 is stopped, the blower control unit 34 has the rotation speed of the blower 33. You may want to start controlling the. As a result, the blower control unit 34 starts controlling the rotation speed of the blower 33 in advance before determining that the thermal environment of the breeding area 90 has changed from a comfortable environment to an unpleasant environment for the livestock 21. It is possible to provide a comfortable thermal environment for the livestock 21 before the livestock 21 feels uncomfortable. However, if the blower control unit 34 determines that the thermal environment of the breeding area 90 is an unpleasant environment for the livestock 21 after starting the control of the rotation speed of the blower 33 in advance, the blower control unit 34 determines that the environment is unpleasant for the livestock 21. Try to discard the memorized temperature.

Embodiment 4.
In the first and second embodiments, whether or not the thermal environment of the breeding area 90 is a comfortable environment for the livestock 21 based on the positional relationship between the position of the livestock 21 detected by the livestock position detection unit and the position of the blower 33. Was judged. However, the method for determining whether or not the thermal environment of the breeding area 90 is a comfortable environment for the livestock 21 is not limited to the methods of the first and second embodiments. In the fourth embodiment, in addition to the livestock position detection unit, a specific position storage unit 60 that stores a specific position of the breeding area 90 is provided. Then, the control unit of the fourth embodiment is based on the positional relationship between the position of the livestock detected by the livestock position detection unit and the position of the blower 33, and the specific position stored by the specific position storage unit 60. It is determined whether or not the thermal environment of the breeding area 90 is a comfortable environment for livestock.

FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of the blower control system 10 according to the fourth embodiment. The blower control system 10 of the fourth embodiment includes a specific position storage unit 60 in addition to the configuration of the blower control system 10 of the first embodiment. The specific position storage unit 60 is provided inside the livestock management device 50.

FIG. 16 is a diagram showing a breeding small area 91 in which the breeding area 90 is subdivided in an arbitrary range. The livestock position calculation unit 36 calculates the position information of the livestock 21 existing in the breeding area 90 from the thermal image of the breeding area 90 generated by the input data processing unit 35, and for each small breeding area 91 during an arbitrary period. The number of times that the presence of livestock 21 is detected is accumulated. The livestock position calculation unit 36 outputs the breeding small area 91, in which the number of times the presence of the livestock 21 is detected in the breeding small area 91 is larger than that of the other breeding small area 91, to the specific position storage unit 60 as the specific breeding area 92. do. The specific position storage unit 60 stores the position information of the specific breeding area 92 input from the livestock position calculation unit 36. The specific breeding area 92 corresponds to, for example, a feeding point for ingesting feed or an excretion point for feces and urine.

Since the configuration is the same as that of the first or second embodiment except that the specific position storage unit 60 is provided, the description thereof will be omitted.

FIG. 17 is a flowchart showing a start determination operation of the rotation speed control of the blower 33 by the blower control unit 34 of the blower control system 10 according to the fourth embodiment.

In step S11, when the blower control unit 34 determines that the livestock 21 has started moving, the process proceeds to step S31.

After a certain period of time has elapsed in step S31, the process proceeds to step S32.

In step S32, the blower control unit 34 determines whether or not the livestock 21 is present in the specific breeding area 92. Specifically, the blower control unit 34 determines that the livestock 21 is present in the specific breeding area 92 when the livestock 21 is present in the specific breeding area 92 at a preset ratio or more. In step S32, when the livestock 21 does not exist in the specific breeding area 92, the blower control unit 34 moves the livestock 21 because the thermal environment of the breeding area 90 changes from a comfortable environment to an unpleasant environment for the livestock 21. Is determined to have started, and the process proceeds to step S12 to start controlling the rotation speed of the blower 33. On the other hand, in step S32, when the livestock 21 is present in the specific breeding area 92, the blower control unit 34 moves the livestock 21 for activities necessary for daily life such as feeding and excretion, and the livestock. It is determined that the thermal environment of 21 is a comfortable environment, and the process returns to step S11. That is, the blower control unit 34 cancels the determination that the livestock 21 has started moving.

Since the operations other than step S31 and step S32 are the same as those in the second embodiment, the description thereof will be omitted.

According to the blower control system 10 of the fourth embodiment, in addition to the configuration of the blower control system 10 of the first embodiment, a specific position storage unit 60 for storing a specific breeding area 92 such as a feeding point and an excretion point is provided. In the blower control unit 34, when the livestock 21 starts moving and the livestock 21 does not exist in the specific breeding area 92 after a certain period of time has passed since the livestock 21 started moving, the thermal environment of the breeding area 90 is for the livestock 21. It is determined that the environment has changed from a comfortable environment to an unpleasant environment, and control of the rotation speed of the blower 33 is started. Thereby, the accuracy of distinguishing the movement of the livestock 21 can be improved as compared with the second embodiment.

In the fourth embodiment, the operation when the position information of the specific breeding area 92 stored by the specific position storage unit 60 is used in the start determination of the rotation speed control of the blower 33 has been described with reference to FIG. However, even after the control of the rotation speed of the blower 33 is started, the position information of the specific breeding area 92 stored by the specific position storage unit 60 may be used. That is, even in the control shown in FIG. 9 described in the first embodiment, the position information of the specific breeding area 92 stored by the specific position storage unit 60 may be used.

Further, in the fourth embodiment, the specific position storage unit 60 stores a region in the breeding region 90 in which the frequency of presence of the livestock 21 is higher than that in the other regions in the breeding region 90 as the specific breeding region 92. However, the specific breeding area 92 may be set by the user, for example, by a remote controller.

Embodiment 5.
In the first and second embodiments, whether or not the thermal environment of the breeding area 90 is a comfortable environment for the livestock 21 based on the positional relationship between the position of the livestock 21 detected by the livestock position detection unit and the position of the blower 33. Was judged. However, the method for determining whether or not the thermal environment of the breeding area 90 is a comfortable environment for the livestock 21 is not limited to the methods of the first and second embodiments. In the fifth embodiment, in addition to the livestock position detection unit, a livestock movement history storage unit 61 that stores the movement history of the livestock 21 is provided. Then, the control unit of the fifth embodiment has the positional relationship between the position of the livestock 21 detected by the livestock position detection unit and the position of the blower 33, and the movement history of the livestock 21 stored by the livestock movement history storage unit 61. Based on the above, it is determined whether or not the thermal environment of the breeding area 90 is a comfortable environment for the livestock 21.

FIG. 18 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of the blower control system 10 according to the fifth embodiment. The blower control system 10 of the fifth embodiment includes a livestock movement history storage unit 61 in addition to the configuration of the blower control system 10 of the first embodiment. The livestock movement history storage unit 61 is provided inside the livestock management device 50.

The movement of the livestock 21 is mainly for movements necessary for daily life such as feeding and excretion, and for finding a comfortable place when the thermal environment of the livestock 21 changes from a comfortable environment to an unpleasant environment. Distinguished. The former movement is completed in a relatively short time because the destination is clear. On the other hand, the latter movement is completed in a relatively long time because the destination is unclear, or the movement is continued without being completed.

The livestock movement history storage unit 61 stores the position information of the livestock 21 calculated by the livestock position calculation unit 36 over time. The blower control unit 34 uses the time-series data stored in the livestock movement history storage unit 61 to determine whether or not the movement time of the livestock 21 is completed in a short time. As a result, the blower control unit 34 is comfortable when the movement of the livestock 21 is for activities necessary for daily life such as feeding and excretion, or when the thermal environment of the livestock 21 changes from a comfortable environment to an unpleasant environment. It is possible to determine whether it is a move to find a place.

Note that the configuration other than the provision of the livestock movement history storage unit 61 is the same as that of the first or second embodiment, and thus the description thereof will be omitted.

FIG. 19 is a flowchart showing a start determination operation of the rotation speed control of the blower 33 by the blower control unit 34 of the blower control system 10 according to the fifth embodiment.

In step S11, when the blower control unit 34 determines that the livestock 21 has started moving, the process proceeds to step S41.

In step S41, the blower control unit 34 calculates the time when the movement of the livestock 21 is completed using the time-series data stored in the livestock movement history storage unit 61. For example, the blower control unit 34 determines that the livestock 21 has completed the movement when the livestock 21 continues to stay in the same position for a certain period of time, and the livestock 21 starts moving until the livestock 21 completes the movement. Calculate the time of.

In step S42, the blower control unit 34 determines whether or not the time when the movement of the livestock 21 is completed is longer than the preset set time. When the time when the movement of the livestock 21 is completed is less than or equal to the preset set time, the blower control unit 34 determines that the movement of the livestock 21 is for activities necessary for daily life such as feeding and excretion. The determination is made, and the process returns to step S11. That is, the blower control unit 34 cancels the determination that the livestock 21 has started moving. Further, when the time when the movement of the livestock 21 is completed is longer than the preset set time, the blower control unit 34 changes the thermal environment of the breeding area 90 from a comfortable environment to an unpleasant environment for the livestock 21. It is determined that the movement is due to the movement, and the process proceeds to step S12 to start controlling the rotation speed of the blower 33. Even if the movement of the livestock 21 is not completed in step S42, it is determined that the time when the movement of the livestock 21 is completed is longer than the preset set time, and the process proceeds to step S12.

Since the operations other than step S41 and step S42 are the same as those in the second embodiment, the description thereof will be omitted.

According to the blower control system 10 of the fifth embodiment, in addition to the configuration of the blower control system 10 of the first embodiment, the livestock movement history storage unit 61 for storing the movement history of the livestock 21 is provided. In the blower control unit 34, when the livestock 21 starts moving and the movement of the livestock 21 is completed for a longer time than a preset set time, the thermal environment of the breeding area 90 is uncomfortable for the livestock 21. It is determined that the environment has changed, and the control of the rotation speed of the blower 33 is started. Thereby, the accuracy of distinguishing the movement of the livestock 21 can be improved as compared with the second embodiment.

In the fifth embodiment, the operation in the case of using the information of the movement history of the livestock 21 stored by the livestock movement history storage unit 61 in the start determination of the rotation speed control of the blower 33 has been described with reference to FIG. .. However, even after the control of the rotation speed of the blower 33 is started, the information of the movement history of the livestock 21 stored by the livestock movement history storage unit 61 may be used. That is, even in the control shown in FIG. 9 described in the first embodiment, the information on the movement history of the livestock 21 stored by the livestock movement history storage unit 61 may be used.

Embodiment 6.
In the first to fifth embodiments, the infrared sensor 32 is installed on the ceiling 14, but the position where the infrared sensor 32 is installed is not limited to this. In the sixth embodiment, an example in which the infrared sensor 32 is installed in the vicinity of the blower 33 will be described.

FIG. 20 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of the blower control system 10 according to the sixth embodiment. In the sixth embodiment, the infrared sensor 32 is installed directly above the blower 33. The infrared sensor 32 is installed directly above the blower 33, for example, by being attached to a frame (not shown) for attaching the blower 33. The infrared sensor 32 faces the blowing direction of the blower 33 and images the breeding area 90. When the breeding area 90 is imaged while facing the blowing direction of the blower 33, the breeding area 90 is tilted by + 45 ° from the blowing direction of the blower 33 to image the breeding area 90, and the breeding area is tilted by −45 ° from the blowing direction of the blower 33. Including those that image 90. Further, the infrared sensor 32 may detect the surface temperature of the object in the breeding region 90 by rotating the holding portion 322 about the cylindrical axis, or the holding portion 322 does not rotate and the breeding region 322 may be detected. The surface temperature of 90 objects may be detected. When the holding portion 322 rotates about the cylindrical axis, it suffices if there is a portion that can image the breeding area 90 while facing the blowing direction of the blower 33 during the rotation.

Since the configuration is the same as that of the first embodiment except that the installation position of the infrared sensor 32 is different, the description thereof will be omitted.

The blower control system 10 of the sixth embodiment detects the position of the livestock 21 in the breeding area 90 by using the concept of perspective. That is, in an image captured from an arbitrary position, a near object appears large and a distant object appears small. Therefore, the area of the livestock 21 shown in the image captured by the infrared sensor 32 is larger than a certain reference value. The positional relationship between the blower 33 and the livestock 21 is detected depending on whether it is small or small.

The input data processing unit 35 processes the detection result data input from the infrared sensor 32 and generates a thermal image showing the temperature distribution of the breeding region 90, as in the first embodiment.

The livestock position calculation unit 36 calculates the ratio of the area of the livestock 21 to the area of the thermal image from the thermal image of the breeding area 90 generated by the input data processing unit 35. The livestock position calculation unit 36 calculates the ratio of the area of the livestock 21 to the area of the thermal image in a state where the blower 33 is stopped and the livestock 21 is not moving as in the example shown in FIG. The ratio of the area at this time is set to A% and output to the blower control unit 34. Further, the livestock position calculation unit 36 calculates the ratio of the area of the livestock 21 to the area of the current thermal image after the control of the rotation speed of the blower 33 is started. The ratio of the area at this time is set to B% and output to the blower control unit 34.

The blower control unit 34 stores the area ratio A% input from the livestock position calculation unit 36. Further, the blower control unit 34 determines the positional relationship between the livestock 21 and the blower 33 by comparing the stored area ratio A% with the current area ratio B%, and controls the rotation speed of the blower 33.

Here, livestock 21 such as pigs have a habit of trying to keep a distance from each other while avoiding the heat. Therefore, when the blower 33 has stopped operating and the livestock 21 has stopped moving, it is considered that the livestock 21 is evenly located in the breeding area 90 as shown in FIG. Therefore, the blower control unit 34 uses the information on the area ratio of the livestock 21 calculated by the livestock position calculation unit 36 as the reference value when the drive of the blower 33 is stopped and the livestock 21 is stopped moving. I remember it as A%.

When the area ratio B is larger than the area ratio A, the blower control unit 34 gathers the livestock 21 at a position closer to the blower 33 in the breeding area 90 as compared with the case where the livestock 21 is located evenly in the breeding area 90. It is determined that there is. Further, in the blower control unit 34, when the area ratio B is smaller than the area ratio A, the livestock 21 is located far from the blower 33 in the breeding area 90 as compared with the case where the livestock 21 is located evenly in the breeding area 90. Judge that they are gathered. Further, in the blower control unit 34, when the difference between the area ratio B and the area ratio A is smaller than the preset area, the livestock 21 is located evenly in the breeding area 90 as compared with the case where the livestock 21 is located evenly in the breeding area 90. It is determined that the breeding area 90 is not gathered at a position close to the blower 33 or far from the blower 33.

According to the blower control system 10 of the sixth embodiment, the infrared sensor 32 is installed in the vicinity of the blower 33. In the sixth embodiment, the infrared sensor 32 is installed directly above the blower 33 and captures an image of the breeding area 90 facing the blowing direction of the blower 33. As a result, the blower control unit 34 can determine the positional relationship between the livestock 21 and the blower 33 from the ratio of the area of the livestock 21 to the area of the thermal image captured by the infrared sensor 32. Therefore, unlike the first embodiment, the user does not need to set the installation position of the blower 33 in advance, and the convenience of the blower control system 10 can be improved.

In the sixth embodiment, the infrared sensor 32 is installed directly above the blower 33, but may be installed directly beside the blower 33 or may be set directly below the blower 33. Further, although the infrared sensor 32 is attached to a frame (not shown) for attaching the blower 33, the infrared sensor 32 may be suspended from the ceiling 14 or may be installed on the side wall 13 or the fence 15. Further, in the sixth embodiment, the infrared sensor 32 is provided separately from the blower 33, but may be built in the blower 33. As long as the infrared sensor 32 faces the blowing direction of the blower 33 and captures the breeding area 90, the control of the present embodiment can be performed by using the concept of perspective.

The configuration shown in the above embodiments is an example, and can be combined with another known technique, can be combined with each other, and does not deviate from the gist. It is also possible to omit or change a part of the configuration.

For example, in the first to sixth embodiments, the case where the infrared sensor 32 is used as an example of the image pickup unit that images the breeding area 90 has been described. However, the image pickup unit that captures the breeding area 90 may be a camera. In this case, if the blower 33 is identified from the image captured by the camera, the user does not need to set the installation position of the blower 33 in advance, and the convenience of the blower control system 10 can be improved. In addition, an individual information terminal for measuring position information may be attached to each of the livestock 21. In this case, if the individual information terminal for measuring the position information is also attached to the blower 33, the user does not need to set the installation position of the blower 33 in advance, and the convenience of the blower control system 10 is improved. Can be made to.

Further, although the blower control unit 34 is provided inside the livestock management device 50, it may be provided inside the blower 33.

Further, although the input data processing unit 35 and the livestock position calculation unit 36 are provided inside the livestock management device 50, they may be provided inside the infrared sensor 32.

Further, the blower control unit 34 has determined whether or not the thermal environment of the breeding area 90 is a comfortable environment for the livestock 21, but a determination unit that performs this determination operation is provided separately from the blower control unit 34. May be. In this case, the determination unit and the blower control unit 34 determine whether or not the thermal environment of the breeding area 90 is a comfortable environment for the livestock 21, and control the rotation speed of the blower 33 based on the determination result. Corresponds to the department.

10 Blower control system, 11 barn, 12 floor, 13 side wall, 14 ceiling, 15 fence, 21 livestock, 31 temperature detector, 32 infrared sensor, 33 blower, 34 blower control unit, 35 input data processing unit, 36 livestock position calculation Department, 50 livestock management device, 60 specific position storage unit, 61 livestock movement history storage unit, 90 breeding area, 91 breeding small area, 92 specific breeding area, 321 detection unit, 322 holding unit.

Claims

A blower that blows wind to livestock raised in the breeding area in the barn,
A livestock position detection unit that detects the position of the livestock in the breeding area,
Based on the positional relationship between the position of the livestock and the position of the blower detected by the livestock position detection unit, it is determined whether or not the thermal environment of the breeding area is a comfortable environment for the livestock, and the determination result is obtained. A control unit that controls the rotation speed of the blower based on
Blower control system with.
The control unit determines that the thermal environment of the breeding area is an unpleasant environment for the livestock to feel the heat based on the positional relationship between the position of the livestock detected by the livestock position detection unit and the position of the blower. The blower control system according to claim 1, which controls to increase the rotation speed of the blower when it is determined.
When the livestock is gathered at a position closer to the blower in the breeding area than in the case where the livestock is located evenly in the breeding area in the state where the control unit is driving the blower. The blower control system according to claim 2, wherein the thermal environment of the breeding area is determined to be an unpleasant environment in which the livestock feels heat.
The control unit determines that the thermal environment of the breeding area is an unpleasant environment for the livestock to feel cold based on the positional relationship between the position of the livestock and the position of the blower detected by the livestock position detection unit. The blower control system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the blower control system controls to reduce the rotation speed of the blower.
When the livestock is gathered at a position far from the blower in the breeding area as compared with the case where the livestock is located evenly in the breeding area in the state where the control unit is driving the blower. The blower control system according to claim 4, wherein the thermal environment of the breeding area is determined to be an unpleasant environment in which the livestock feels cold.
The blower control system according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the control unit stops driving the blower when the rotation speed of the blower falls below a preset minimum rotation speed.
The control unit changed the thermal environment of the breeding area from a comfortable environment to an unpleasant environment for the livestock based on the positional relationship between the position of the livestock and the position of the blower detected by the livestock position detection unit. The blower control system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the control of the rotation speed of the blower is started when the determination is made.
The blower control system according to claim 7, wherein the control unit determines that the thermal environment of the breeding area has changed from a comfortable environment to an unpleasant environment for the livestock when the livestock starts to move.
It is equipped with a thermal environment detection unit that detects the environmental conditions of the thermal environment in the breeding area.
The control unit heats the breeding area based on the positional relationship between the position of the livestock detected by the livestock position detection unit and the position of the blower, and the environmental conditions detected by the thermal environment detection unit. The blower control system according to claim 1, wherein it is determined whether or not the environment is comfortable for the livestock.
The control unit heats the breeding area based on the positional relationship between the position of the livestock detected by the livestock position detection unit and the position of the blower, and the environmental conditions detected by the thermal environment detection unit. The blower control system according to claim 9, wherein when it is determined that the environment has changed from a comfortable environment to an unpleasant environment for the livestock, the control of the rotation speed of the blower is started.
The control unit determines that the thermal environment of the breeding area has changed from a comfortable environment to an unpleasant environment for the livestock when the livestock starts to move and the temperature of the breeding area tends to rise. Item 10. The blower control system according to item 10.
A specific position storage unit for storing a specific position in the breeding area is provided.
The control unit has the breeding area based on the positional relationship between the position of the livestock detected by the livestock position detection unit and the position of the blower, and the specific position stored by the specific position storage unit. The blower control system according to claim 1, wherein the thermal environment of the above is determined whether or not the environment is comfortable for the livestock.
The control unit has the breeding area based on the positional relationship between the position of the livestock detected by the livestock position detection unit and the position of the blower, and the specific position stored by the specific position storage unit. 12. The blower control system according to claim 12, wherein when it is determined that the thermal environment of the livestock has changed from a comfortable environment to an unpleasant environment for the livestock, the control of the rotation speed of the blower is started.
In the control unit, when the livestock starts moving and the livestock does not exist at the specific position after a certain period of time has passed since the livestock started moving, the thermal environment of the breeding area is comfortable for the livestock. The blower control system according to claim 13, wherein it is determined that the environment has changed from an unpleasant environment to an unpleasant environment.
The specific position storage unit according to any one of claims 12 to 14, which stores a region in the breeding area where the livestock is present more frequently than other regions in the breeding region as the specific position. The blower control system described.
A livestock movement history storage unit for storing the movement history of the livestock is provided.
The control unit is based on the positional relationship between the position of the livestock detected by the livestock position detection unit and the position of the blower, and the movement history of the livestock stored by the livestock movement history storage unit. The blower control system according to claim 1, wherein it is determined whether or not the thermal environment of the breeding area is a comfortable environment for the livestock.
The control unit is based on the positional relationship between the position of the livestock detected by the livestock position detection unit and the position of the blower, and the movement history of the livestock stored by the livestock movement history storage unit. The blower control system according to claim 16, wherein when it is determined that the thermal environment of the breeding area has changed from an environment comfortable for the livestock to an environment unpleasant for the livestock, the control of the rotation speed of the blower is started.
In the control unit, when the time when the livestock starts moving and the movement of the livestock is completed is longer than a preset set time, the thermal environment of the breeding area is unpleasant from an environment comfortable for the livestock. The blower control system according to claim 17, wherein it is determined that the environment has changed.
The control unit changed the thermal environment of the breeding area from an environment unpleasant to the livestock to a comfortable environment based on the positional relationship between the position of the livestock detected by the livestock position detection unit and the position of the blower. If it is determined that, the control of the rotation speed of the blower is terminated, and the rotation speed of the blower is maintained at the rotation speed immediately before the control of the rotation speed of the blower is terminated. The blower control system described in paragraph 1.
The control unit receives the breeding when the livestock is not gathered in the breeding area near the blower or far from the blower as compared with the case where the livestock is located evenly in the breeding area. The blower control system according to claim 19, wherein it is determined that the thermal environment of the region has changed from an environment unpleasant to the livestock to a comfortable environment.
The livestock position detection unit
It is equipped with an imaging unit that captures the breeding area.
The blower control system according to any one of claims 1 to 20, wherein the position of the livestock in the breeding area is detected by using the image captured by the imaging unit.
The imaging unit faces the blowing direction of the blower and images the breeding area.
The control unit compares the area of the livestock in the image captured by the image pickup unit in a state where the drive of the blower is stopped and the livestock is not moving, and the control unit compares the area of the livestock in the image captured by the image pickup unit with the livestock. 21. The blower control according to claim 21, wherein when the area of the livestock is large, it is determined that the livestock are gathered at a position closer to the blower in the breeding area as compared with the case where the livestock is located evenly in the breeding area. system.
The imaging unit faces the blowing direction of the blower and images the breeding area.
The control unit compares the area of the livestock in the image captured by the image pickup unit in a state where the drive of the blower is stopped and the livestock is not moving, and the control unit compares the area of the livestock in the image captured by the image pickup unit with the livestock. 21. The blower control according to claim 21, wherein when the area of the livestock is small, it is determined that the livestock are gathered at a position far from the blower in the breeding area as compared with the case where the livestock is located evenly in the breeding area. system.
The imaging unit faces the blowing direction of the blower and images the breeding area.
The control unit includes the area of the livestock in the image captured by the image pickup unit and the area of the livestock in the image captured by the image pickup unit when the drive of the blower is stopped and the livestock is not moving. When the difference between the above is smaller than the preset area, the livestock is located in the breeding area closer to the blower and farther from the blower than in the case where the livestock is located evenly in the breeding area. The blower control system according to claim 21, wherein it is determined that the animals are not gathered together.