JPH06201444A - Weighing system for walking animal - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Purpose] A loop antenna for receiving individual identification information of walking animals is used to detect the moving speed of the walking animals on the weighing platform. [Structure] The weighing platform is provided with a loop antenna 4 for receiving the solid identification information wirelessly transmitted from the transmitting means attached to the leg of the walking animal to be weighed, and the walking animal passes through the weighing platform. In the weighing device for a walking animal, which is provided with processing means for calculating the weight of the walking animal from the measurement information of the weighing platform at that time and for identifying the individual walking animal from the information obtained through the loop antenna 4, 4 is provided so as to be wound so that the reception sensitivity is high at a plurality of positions spaced apart in the walking animal passing direction, and the processing means determines the moving speed of the walking animal from the change in the received signal level of the loop antenna 4. Is configured.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention provides a weighing platform provided with a loop antenna for receiving individual identification information wirelessly transmitted from a transmitting means attached to a leg of a walking animal to be weighed. A processing means is provided for calculating the weight of the walking animal from the measurement information of the weighing platform when the animal passes on the weighing platform, and for performing individual identification of the walking animal from the information obtained via the loop antenna. A walking animal weighing device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Such a weighing apparatus for a walking animal is provided with transmitting means attached to the leg of a walking animal (for example, cow) and a loop antenna provided on a weighing platform. Individual number) can be entered automatically. In order to make the coupling between the transmitting means and the loop antenna as close as possible, the transmitting means is attached to the ankle of the walking animal in a state of having vertical directivity, and the loop antenna is placed horizontally below the walking surface of the walking animal. It is provided.

Conventionally, for example, when a plurality of cows are continuously weighed, there is a weighing device having a gate at the entrance so that the cattle can pass through the weighing table one by one.
It was performed based on the detection information of the walking animal by the optical sensor and the real-time change of the weighing data of the weighing platform. For example, to detect that a cow on a weighing table has been weighed and that the cow has descended from the weighing table is detected by an optical sensor provided at the outlet or based on a real-time change in weighing data of the weighing table. As a result, the entrance gate was automatically opened.

[0004]

However, the optical sensor has a problem that it is basically vulnerable to dust and is easily erroneously detected. or,
In the case of detection based on the real-time change of the weighing data, it is possible to detect the timing when the cow goes up to the weighing platform and the timing when the cattle goes down from the weighing platform, but it is difficult to detect the moving speed on the weighing platform. If the movement speed on the weighing platform can be detected, it is possible to predict the timing at which the cattle descends from the weighing platform and automatically enter the control to open the entrance gate, so that the continuous weighing of a plurality of cattle becomes efficient.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to move a walking animal on a weighing platform by using a loop antenna for receiving individual identification information of the walking animal. It is to be able to detect the speed.

[0006]

A walking animal weighing apparatus according to the present invention is for receiving individual identification information wirelessly transmitted from a transmission means attached to a weighing platform on a leg of a walking animal to be weighed. A loop antenna is provided, and the weight of the walking animal is calculated from the measurement information of the weighing platform when the walking animal passes on the weighing platform, and the walking animal's information is obtained from the information obtained via the loop antenna. A processing means for identifying an individual is provided,
In a first characteristic configuration, the loop antenna is wound and provided so as to have high reception sensitivity at a plurality of locations spaced apart in a walking animal passing direction, and the processing means is provided for adjusting a reception signal level of the loop antenna. It is configured to obtain the moving speed of the walking animal from the change. The second characteristic configuration is configured such that, in the first characteristic configuration, the processing means invalidates the calculated weight of the walking animal when the calculated moving speed is equal to or higher than a predetermined value. It is in.

[0007]

According to the first characteristic configuration, the loop antenna is wound and provided so as to have high reception sensitivity at a plurality of positions spaced in the passing animal passing direction.
Therefore, the time change of the signal level received by the loop antenna with the movement of the walking animal exhibits a plurality of peaks. Therefore, the processing means obtains the moving speed of the walking animal from the time change of the received signal level. For example, the loop antenna is densely wound at two points before and after a predetermined distance, and the reception sensitivity is increased at the two points, and the above predetermined interval is broken by the detection time from the peak of the received signal level to the peak. For example, the moving speed can be obtained.

According to the second characteristic configuration, which is an example of use of the calculated moving speed, the processing means invalidates the calculated weight of the walking animal when the calculated moving speed is equal to or more than a predetermined value. . In a dynamic weighing device that calculates the static weight of a walking animal from the time change of the load obtained when the walking animal passes the weighing platform, when the walking animal passes the weighing platform too quickly, the calculated weight and actual This is because the error from the static weight of is large.

[0009]

As described above, according to the present invention, the moving speed of the walking animal on the weighing platform can be detected by also using the loop antenna for receiving the individual identification information of the walking animal. .

[0010]

EXAMPLES Examples in which the present invention is applied to a weighing device for cattle as walking animals will be described below. As shown in FIG. 1, when the cow walks on the weighing platform 1, the weighing device of the present embodiment uses the time series load data obtained from the weighing platform 1 to determine the static weight of the cow (hereinafter simply referred to as the weight). That is) is calculated. Weighing stand 1 and fences 2 on both sides of the passage in front of and behind it
Is provided, and a processing means (hereinafter, referred to as a processing device) 3 for performing a weight calculation process, a calculation result output, and the like is erected on the outside thereof. Further, an entrance gate G1 that is controlled to be opened and closed is provided on the entrance side of the weighing platform 1 so that each cow walks on the weighing platform 1 one by one.

A transmitting means T for transmitting the individual identification information of the cow (hereinafter referred to as the individual number) is attached to the ankle of the left hind leg of the cow. The transmitting means T includes a memory for storing an individual number and a microminiature wireless communication device. The weighing platform 1 is equipped with a loop antenna 4 for receiving the individual number transmitted from the transmission means T as a radio wave. The processing device 3 associates the individual number of the cow obtained via the loop antenna 4 with the calculated weight and performs printout or the like.

The weighing platform 1 has a plan view as shown in FIG.
A steel frame 6 whose four corners are supported by a load cell 5 as a load sensor, and an FR mounted on and supported by the frame 6.
A footboard made of P (fiber reinforced resin) is provided. The footboard is divided into four pieces in the traveling direction of the cow, and the footboard 7 on the entrance side is divided.
Has a length about twice that of the other three treads 8. or,
Although not shown in the figure, the rubber treads 7 and 8 are covered with a rubber mat to prevent slipping.

The frame 6 is composed of an outer frame and an inner frame, and the outer frame is composed of a pair of elongated bodies 6a having an inverted U-shaped cross section and plate-like bodies 6b connecting both ends thereof. The inner frame is divided into four parts according to the treads 7 and 8. That is, the inner frame 6c that supports the footboard 7 and the three inner frames 6d that support the footboard 8 are provided. Incidentally, as shown in the drawing, a reinforcing member is installed in a vertical and horizontal cross shape in the center of the inner frame 6c, and a reinforcing member is installed in the vertical direction in the center of the inner frame 6d.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the load cell 5 is mounted on the base plate 9, and the stepped pin 10 is inserted into the hole of the load cell 5 from above. The upper part of the stepped pin 10 is
Ring-shaped pad 11 applied to the inner top surface of the elongated body 6a
And the washer 12 are inserted. Also, the inner frames 6c and 6d
Is mounted on the pair of elongated bodies 6a by the angle members 6e and 6f fixed to both side surfaces.

With the above structure, the load applied to the treads 7 and 8 when the cow walks through the weighing platform 1 is detected as the total value of the outputs of the four load cells 5. However, the value changes according to the walking cycle of the cow. The changing load data (analog voltage) is input to the processing device 3 and subjected to signal processing such as amplification and smoothing. Further, it is A / D converted at a predetermined sampling time and stored in the memory as a time series digital value. Then, the microcomputer included in the processing device 3 obtains an effective data section based on the time series data, and calculates the weight of the cow by calculating an average value during that period. A predetermined cycle (for example, 4 cycles) of the load data that vibrates according to the walking cycle of the cow is obtained as an effective data section.

The calculated weight is displayed and output by the display device provided in the processing device 3 and is also printed and output by the printing device. However, if the moving speed of the cow obtained as described below is greater than a predetermined value (for example, 4 m / s), it is considered that the calculated weight has a large error from the actual weight, so it is invalid, and the display device and print A message indicating a weighing error is output to the device.

Display output and print output of the calculated weight are performed together with the individual number of the cow to be weighed. The individual number of the cow is given to the processing device 3 via the loop antenna 4 by a radio wave from the transmitting means T attached to the ankle of the cow in the following procedure. When the weighing of one cow is completed, the processing device 3 receives a response request signal and a radio wave which also serves as a power supply at a fixed cycle in order to receive the individual number of the next cow.
Send from As the next cow gets on the weighing platform 1 from the entrance side and walks on the footboard 7, the transmitting means T attached to the ankle thereof is supplied with electric power by this radio wave and becomes active. Then, in response to the response request signal, the stored information, that is, the individual number of the cow is wirelessly transmitted. This signal is received by the processing device 3 via the loop antenna 4.
The loop antenna 4 is used for both transmission and reception by time division processing.

The loop antenna 4 is shown in FIGS. 1 and 4 (a).
As shown in FIG. 3, the conductor wire is wound in a flat rectangular loop shape for several turns, and is embedded in the step board 7. However, as shown in FIG. 4 (a), the conductor wire is wound in a state of being dispersed in two places spaced apart in the passing direction of the cow. As a result, as shown in FIG. 4 (b), the receiving sensitivity of the loop antenna 4 becomes high at the above two places. That is, the distribution of the reception sensitivity with respect to the passing direction of the cow presents two mountains A and B.

Therefore, the processor 3 can detect the timing at which the cow passes through the two peaks A and B from the change in the signal level received by the loop antenna 4. That is, by cutting the received signal level at an appropriate threshold value L1, when the cow moves on the tread 7, it is first detected that the cow has reached the vicinity of the mountain A, and after a while, the cow reaches the mountain B. It is detected that the vicinity of is reached. Therefore, the processing device 3 measures the time T from when the cow reaches the vicinity of the mountain A until it reaches the vicinity of the mountain B to calculate the moving speed V = D / T of the cow (where D is the mountains A and B). Distance) can be obtained.

The moving speed V obtained as described above
As described above, is used as a criterion for judging validity / invalidity of the calculated cow weight, and is also used as a judgment material for the timing of opening the entrance gate G1. As described above, the entrance gate G1 is provided on the weighing table 1 so that the cows are raised one by one, and the processing device 3 opens the entrance gate G1 as the weighing of the cows on the weighing table 1 is completed. Place the next cow on the weighing platform 1. At this time, the moving speed V
When the vehicle speed is slow, the timing for opening the entrance gate G1 is delayed, and when the moving speed V is fast, the timing for opening the entrance gate G1 is advanced. If the entrance gate G1 is opened after the weight data of the weighing table can be detected when the weighed cow has completely descended from the weighing table 1, the efficiency when continuously weighing a large number of cows is poor. The entrance gate G1 is opened by predicting the timing at which the cow will descend from the weighing platform 1 from the moving speed V.

Although not shown, the entrance gate G1 has two lattice doors that slide open to the left and right and is driven to open and close by a hydraulic cylinder. The processing device 3 controls the hydraulic cylinder via an electromagnetic valve.

Other examples will be listed below. In the above embodiment, the loop antenna is embedded inside the footboard on the entrance side. However, the method of installing the loop antenna is not limited to this, and the loop antenna may be attached to the back side of the footboard or the frame 6
Various methods are conceivable, such as mounting on.

In the above embodiment, the loop antenna is provided on the inlet side over a length of 2/5 or less of the total length of the weighing table, but it may be provided over substantially the entire length of the weighing table. In addition, the conductors of the loop antenna may be dispersed and wound so that the receiving sensitivity becomes high at three or more places spaced apart in the walking animal passing direction. In this case, the moving speed can be more accurately calculated by the average value processing of the passage time between the adjacent portions.

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

[Brief description of drawings]

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

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a weighing platform of the weighing device.

FIG. 3 is a front cross-sectional view showing a supporting structure of a frame and a tread plate by a load sensor.

FIG. 4 is a side sectional view showing a support structure for a frame and a tread plate by a load sensor.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing a winding state of a loop antenna and its reception sensitivity distribution.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 weighing platform 3 processing means 4 loop antenna T transmitting means

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A weighing platform (1) is provided with a loop antenna (4) for receiving individual identification information wirelessly transmitted from a transmission means (T) attached to a leg of a walking animal to be weighed. From the information obtained through the loop antenna (4), the weight of the walking animal is calculated from the measurement information of the weighing platform (1) when the walking animal passes over the weighing platform (1). A walking animal weighing device provided with a processing means (3) for performing individual identification of the walking animal, wherein the loop antenna (4) has a reception sensitivity at a plurality of locations spaced in a walking animal passage direction. A weighing device for a walking animal, which is wound so as to be higher and is configured so that the processing means (3) is configured to obtain the moving speed of the walking animal from the change in the received signal level of the loop antenna (4). . 2. The walking according to claim 1, wherein the processing means (3) is configured to invalidate the calculated weight of the walking animal when the calculated moving speed is equal to or more than a predetermined value. Animal weighing device.