LIVESTOCK FARMING SYSTEM

Abstract

A livestock farming system for use in connection with feed for livestock and including at least one livestock-related device to carry out a livestock-related action on the feed and a controller to control the livestock farming system and generate information messages, and with a communication system. The livestock farming system is configured to define a parameter value relating to the condition of the person, and the controller is configured to send communication messages with the communication system and/or make cognizable said messages to the person depending on the defined parameter value. Since the livestock farming system can assess the condition of the receiving person, the system can make a choice in the sending and/or communicating of the information to the person, so that it can be better guaranteed that the information to be sent will be effectively processed, and is not disregarded or incorrectly processed because the person is, for example, suffering from a high level of stress.

Claims

1. A livestock farming system for use in connection with feed for livestock and comprising: at least one autonomous feed-related device configured to carry out a livestock-related action on the feed; a controller configured to control the livestock farming system and generate information messages; and a communication system comprising a first communication device at least configured to send the information messages, and a second communication device at least configured to receive the information messages that have been sent by the first communication device and make them cognizable to a person, wherein the livestock farming system is configured to define a parameter value of a parameter relating to the condition of the person, and wherein the controller is configured to send the information message and/or make the information message cognizable to the person depending on the defined parameter value.

2. The livestock farming system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one autonomous feed-related device comprises: a harvester; a feed pusher; a feed-combining device; a feed-mixing device; and/or a feed-dispensing device.

3. The livestock farming system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to send the information message from the first communication device to the second communication device and to make the information message cognizable on the second communication device to the person in a first mode for non-delayed communication to the second communication device if the defined parameter value meets a first criterion, and to send the message from the first communication device to the second communication device and/or make said message cognizable to the person on the second communication device in a second, different mode if the defined parameter value meets a second, different criterion.

4. The livestock farming system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the first criterion comprises that the defined parameter value has a predefined value or lies in a predefined interval, and the second criterion comprises that the parameter value does not have the predefined value or lies outside that interval.

5. The livestock farming system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the controller is configured in the second mode to delay sending the information message from the first communication device or communicating the information message to the person until either the defined parameter value meets the first criterion, or until a third criterion is met.

6. The livestock farming system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the controller is configured in the second mode to send the message to a different, third communication device.

7. The livestock farming system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to send information messages with different priority, and the controller is configured to send the information messages from the first communication device to the second communication device or to communicate said messages on the second communication device depending on the priority.

8. The livestock farming system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the parameter is a physical condition parameter of the person, and the livestock farming system comprises a sensor actively connected to the controller to measure the parameter value of the person.

9. The livestock farming system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the parameter comprises a stress level parameter, and the sensor comprises an accelerometer, a heart rate monitor, a blood pressure monitor and/or a respiration frequency monitor.

10. The livestock farming system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the parameter value comprises an ambient parameter value of the person, and wherein the sensor comprises a sound pressure meter.

11. The livestock farming system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to determine the parameter value as busy if the person is busy with one of a predefined group of activities comprising the operation of a component of the livestock farming system, or a device in an information exchange connection with the livestock farming system, and not busy if the person is not busy with one of a predefined group of activities.

12. The livestock farming system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the communication system comprises Bluetooth, ZigBee, a mobile telephone connection or Internet connection.

13. The livestock farming system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second communication device is a mobile telephone, a PDA, a laptop, a smart watch, smart glasses or a tablet computer.

14. The livestock farming system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to send the information message from the first communication device to the second communication device and to make the information message cognizable on the second communication device to the person in a first mode for non-delayed communication to the second communication device if the defined parameter value meets a first criterion, and to send the message from the first communication device to the second communication device and/or make said message cognizable to the person on the second communication device in a second, different mode if, and in particular as long as, the defined parameter value meets a second, different criterion.

15. The livestock farming system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the controller is configured in the second mode to delay sending the information message from the first communication device or communicating the information message to the person until either the defined parameter value meets the first criterion, or until a third criterion is met.

16. The livestock farming system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the controller is configured in the second mode to send the message to a different, third communication device.

17. The livestock farming system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the controller is configured in the second mode to send the message to a different, third communication device.

18. The livestock farming system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to send information messages with different priority, and the controller is configured to send the information messages from the first communication device to the second communication device or to communicate said messages on the second communication device depending on the priority.

19. The livestock farming system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the controller is configured to send information messages with different priority, and the controller is configured to send the information messages from the first communication device to the second communication device or to communicate said messages on the second communication device depending on the priority.

20. The livestock farming system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the controller is configured to send information messages with different priority, and the controller is configured to send the information messages from the first communication device to the second communication device or to communicate said messages on the second communication device depending on the priority.

Description

[0024] The invention will be explained below with reference to the drawing, wherein the single FIGURE shows a schematic view of an embodiment of a livestock farming system according to the invention.

[0025] FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of a livestock farming system 1 according to the invention. The livestock farming system 1 is partially provided in a livestock building 2.

[0026] The livestock building 2 comprises a free-range livestock building 3, for example for cows 4, or also (variants not shown here) beef cattle, chickens, pigs, etc. A feeding rack is denoted by 5, behind which feed 6 is pushed by the feed pusher 7 with a transmitter 8 which is connected to a controller 9 via the first communication device 10.

[0027] Here, the livestock farming system shown furthermore comprises an autonomous mower 11 which produces feed outside the livestock building environment by mowing by means of a cutting bar 12, and a transmitter 13.

[0028] The livestock building 2 furthermore comprises a so-called feed kitchen 14 in which a plurality of feed bales 15 can be mixed by means of a gripper 16 on a travelling crane 17 in a feed-mixing device (not shown). A transmitter is denoted by 18.

[0029] The livestock building 2 furthermore comprises a calf pen 19, in which a calf 20 can be fed by an automatic calf feeder 21 with a transmitter 22.

[0030] A first person carrying a second communication device 28 and a heart rate monitor 29 is denoted by 27. A sound pressure meter is denoted by 30 and a communication satellite by 31.

[0031] A second person 32 carries a third communication device 33. The livestock farming system 1 thus comprises a communication system which in turn comprises at least the communication devices 10 and 28, and optionally also the third communication device 33. Here, the livestock farming system shown furthermore comprises a feed pusher 7, an autonomous mower 11, a feed-gripping device 16, 17, an automatic calf feeder 21, their respective transmitters 8, 13, 18 and 22, the controller 9 itself, and also the heart rate monitor 29 and the sound pressure meter 30. For the sake of clarity, it should be noted here that numerous other combinations and components are possible, such as an automatic chicken feeder instead of the combination of feed pusher 7, mower 11, feed-gripping device 16, 17, and automatic calf feeder 21, and/or, for example, a blood pressure monitor instead of the heart rate monitor 29. Even the second communication device 28 itself could also be used as the sensor, for example if it establishes that the first person 27 is busy with a task. It is furthermore noted that one or more of the transmitters 8, 13, 18 and 22 may also be transceivers in order, for example, to be able to receive instructions from the controller 9.

[0032] The aforementioned components of the livestock farming system 1 can therefore be provided on or in a livestock building 2, but also outside such as on a meadow, for example the mower 11.

[0033] The operation of the livestock farming system will be explained in detail below. If, for example, the feed pusher 7 notes that the feed 6 has run out, a mechanical or other fault has occurred, etc., the feed pusher will transmit corresponding information via the transmitter 8 to the controller. The controller 9 will then send an information message to a supervising first person 27, via the first and second communication devices 10 and 28, for example a GSM transmitter or a mobile telephone. The communication satellite 31 can be used here. Alternatively, 10 is a Bluetooth or Wi-Fi transmitter, and 28 is a Bluetooth or Wi-Fi receiver, or a different communication system, and the satellite 31 is not necessary. Obviously, it is also possible to design the controller 9 as a distributed controller, wherein the first communication device is distributed over the devices to be controlled so that the transmitters 8, 13, 18 and/or 22 could also be regarded as the first communication device, instead of or in addition to the component 10.

[0034] The aforementioned message may differ in type and priority. Thus, a lack of feed 6 will have a much higher priority than, for example, an information message that a battery (not separately shown) of the feed pusher 7 is half-discharged. A fault in the feed-gripping device 16, 17 will also often be less relevant than a fault in an automatic calf feeder 21, given that calves are considerably more vulnerable and disruption early in their life can severely damage their health. It may then be of great importance to ensure as well as possible that the first person 27 who receives the information message processes the information well and takes any necessary action.

[0035] All manner of circumstances may influence that information-processing and action-taking capability, such as an increased stress level and a high level of ambient noise. In order to be able to take account of this, the system 1 here comprises, for example, a heart rate monitor 29 and a sound pressure meter 30 which are actively connected to the controller, either directly or via at least the second communication device. If, for example, the heart rate monitor measures a heart rate of more than 100 beats per minute, the system 1, in particular the second communication device 28 or controller 9, concludes that the first person 27 is not readily able to process the information to be sent, or information possibly already sent but not yet made cognizable. Alternatively or additionally, if the sound pressure level as measured by the sound pressure meter 30 is above 70 dB(A), the system, in particular the second communication device 28 or controller 9, concludes that the first person 27 is not readily able to process the information to be sent. Other values for the parameters are obviously possible, as well as other parameters, which then require associated sensors. The posture of the body and head has already been mentioned above.

[0036] It is also possible to establish whether the first person 27 is busy, since the system 1 looks at the operation of the controller 9, the second communication device 28 or possibly one of the feed-related devices 7, 11, 16, 17 or 21 actively connected to the controller 9. In this last case, it may be advantageous to link the position of the first person 27, as to be determined, for example, by means of GPS coordinates of the second communication device 28, to the position of the relevant device. If the first person 27 is busy, the controller can similarly establish that the first person is not readily able to process the information message well and quickly.

[0037] If the system 1 has established that the first person 27 is not readily able to process the information to be sent or sent, it may decide to delay the sending or communicating (such as showing on a telephone screen) until the parameter values lie within a permitted range. This may apply, for example, to non-emergency information messages. For emergency messages, such as alarms and faults, the system 1 can alternatively choose to send the information message to an alternative, in this case a second person 32, who carries a third communication device 33, such as a mobile telephone or tablet computer.

[0038] The embodiment shown is not intended to be limiting, but only to clarify the invention. The scope of protection is determined on the basis of the attached claims.