In a headlock system having a plurality of n headlock cells, each of the n cells being adapted to enclose at least one animal; n is an integer greater than 1; a system for locating the position of at least one animal, the system comprising: at least one identification means adapted to transmit at least one identification signal associated with said at least one animal; at least one locating means adapted to generate at least one location signal associated with said at least one animal; and, a data processing system in communication with said at least one identification means and said at least one locating means, adapted to analyze said signals, said analyzed signals comprising the position within a predetermined region in said headlock system of each of said at least one animals as a function of time.

A bolus is inserted into the rumen of a bovine and includes sensors for collecting the temperature, activity level, and location of the animal over time and circuitry for communicating the collected data to a server that monitors the health, kinetic activity, and location of that animal and perhaps other animals in a herd. The battery of the bolus is continuously recharged in response to the peristaltic contractions of the rumen. The bolus communicates via a local network transmission technology such as Bluetooth to a radio transmitter mounted on the tail of the animal using a tail-mounted bracelet. This transmitter may then communicate the collected data and additional sensor data to the server. Thermal cameras mounted near water troughs, in corridors to milking rooms, or on drones may be used to supplement the data collected by the bolus to provide data indicative of the health condition of the animal.

Methods and apparatus for monitoring nutrition, especially fermentation in a rumen of a ruminant, wherein a characteristic value of carbon dioxide inside the rumen and/or reticulum is determined.

Generally, an animal monitoring system including a bolus administered to reside in an animal operable to sense changes in one or more physiological parameters of the animal and generate and transmit encoded bolus sensor data to a tag affixed on the outside of the animal which operates to sense changes in one or more environmental parameters surrounding the animal and to generate encoded tag sensor data and to receive encoded bolus sensor data each of which can be analyzed by the tag or a remote data processor to generate environmental parameter values and physiological parameter values to assess an environmental or physiological condition of or about the animal..

A bolus is inserted into the rumen of a bovine and includes sensors for collecting the temperature, activity level, and location of the animal over time and circuitry for communicating the collected data to a server that monitors the health, kinetic activity, and location of that animal and perhaps other animals in a herd. The battery of the bolus is continuously recharged in response to the peristaltic contractions of the rumen. The bolus communicates via a local network transmission technology such as Bluetooth to a radio transmitter mounted on the tail of the animal using a tail-mounted bracelet. This transmitter may then communicate the collected data and additional sensor data to the server. Thermal cameras mounted near water troughs, in corridors to milking rooms, or on drones may be used to supplement the data collected by the bolus to provide data indicative of the health condition of the animal.

A computer system and method for tracking a companion animal and alerting an owner of the companion animal when the companion animal is lost may include a server generating a web page associated with a near-field-communication (NFC) portion of an electronic tag. The electronic tag may be coupled to the companion animal with a mechanical device. The server may generate a geo-fence that is associated with the electronic tag and the server may monitor the geo-fence to determine if the electronic tag has exited the geo-fence. The server may send a message to the web page if the electronic tag has exited the geo-fence. The server may then send an alert to a portable computing device if the electronic tag has exited the geo-fence. The server may send a command to the electronic tag to change from a first rate to a second rate for a device identifier reporting rate.

A computer system and method for identifying and monitoring animals in a confined space. A tracking apparatus is provided having a plurality of antenna arrays in proximity to a confined space. One or more animals to be disposed in the confined space are associated with a detection component operable to identify and detect a core body temperature of an animal it is associated with when detected by the tracking apparatus. Data is received in a computer monitor system from a detection component when detected by the tracking apparatus in the confined space. The received data identifies an animal in correlation with its motion and temperature data. Real-time position and core body temperature of a detected animal is determined while the animal is disposed in the confined space by analysis of the received data in the computer monitor system.

The invention relates to a device for permanently detecting the gastric pressure, the gastric temperature, the gastric motility and the movement of a livestock animal, in particular a ruminant, comprising a, for example, bolus-shaped body (14), said body (14) comprising the following components: a pressure sensor (9), a telemetric device (9) for transmitting measuring values, and a gas-tight interior space (12), wherein a wall of the gas-tight interior space (12) comprises in some regions an elastic material which is deformable by the gastric pressure of a livestock animal, and wherein the pressure sensor (9) is designed to detect the pressure in the gas-tight interior space (12). According to the invention, said device is designed such that it permanently remains in the stomach of the livestock animal when it is applied to the livestock animal.

An animal monitoring device configured as a bolus for oral administration to reside in an animal's stomach. The bolus has a substantially inert solid body with a hollow inside space to receive the animal monitoring device. The animal monitoring device includes a radio frequency generator, an animal identification information encoder for outputting the animal identification information of the particular animal. The animal monitoring device can further include sensors to detect physiological and non-physiological animal characteristics such as temperature and a sensed animal characteristic encoder for outputting sensed animal characteristic information. The animal monitoring device intermittently transmits encoded animal identification information and sensed animal characteristic information to a receiver which transmits the encoded information as packets to a specialized computer which allows a computer user access to decoded animal identification information and sensed animal characteristic information as numeric values.

An animal monitoring device configured as a bolus for oral administration to reside in an animal's stomach. The bolus has a substantially inert solid body with a hollow inside space to receive the animal monitoring device. The animal monitoring device includes a radio frequency generator, an animal identification information encoder for outputting the animal identification information of the particular animal. The animal monitoring device can further include sensors to detect physiological and non-physiological animal characteristics such as temperature and a sensed animal characteristic encoder for outputting sensed animal characteristic information. The animal monitoring device intermittently transmits encoded animal identification information and sensed animal characteristic information to a receiver which transmits the encoded information as packets to a specialized computer which allows a computer user access to decoded animal identification information and sensed animal characteristic information as numeric values.