NZ711541B2 - Camera cleaning system and method for a milking system - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed is a camera cleaning system for a milking system. The milking system comprises a moving arrangement (19), a plurality of milking stalls (19a) arranged thereon for housing a plurality of animals (15) during milking thereof, a robot (10) for performing an animal related operation with respect to the animals (15) in the milking stalls passing by the robot (10), and a camera (14) in response to signals from which the robot (10) is configured to move. The camera cleaning system has a cleaning arrangement (17), a rinsing arrangement (17a) and control means (18). The cleaning arrangement (17) is arranged to clean the lens arrangement of the camera (14) according to a first cleaning scheme. The rinsing arrangement (17a) is arranged to clean the lens arrangement of the camera (14) according to a second cleaning scheme. The cleaning according to the first cleaning scheme is more time consuming than the cleaning according to the second cleaning scheme. The control means (18) is arranged to control the cleaning arrangement (17) and the rinsing arrangement (17a) such that the cleaning according to the first cleaning scheme is performed more rarely than the cleaning according to the second cleaning scheme. t to the animals (15) in the milking stalls passing by the robot (10), and a camera (14) in response to signals from which the robot (10) is configured to move. The camera cleaning system has a cleaning arrangement (17), a rinsing arrangement (17a) and control means (18). The cleaning arrangement (17) is arranged to clean the lens arrangement of the camera (14) according to a first cleaning scheme. The rinsing arrangement (17a) is arranged to clean the lens arrangement of the camera (14) according to a second cleaning scheme. The cleaning according to the first cleaning scheme is more time consuming than the cleaning according to the second cleaning scheme. The control means (18) is arranged to control the cleaning arrangement (17) and the rinsing arrangement (17a) such that the cleaning according to the first cleaning scheme is performed more rarely than the cleaning according to the second cleaning scheme.

Description

Patents Form 5 NZ. No. 711541 This application is divided out of NZ. No. 624114 dated 29 November 2012 NEW ZEALAND s Act 1953 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION CAMERA CLEANING SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR A MILKING SYSTEM We, DELAVAL G AB, a Swedish company, of PO. Box 39, 8—147 21 Tumba, Sweden, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement:— 1 (Followed by 1A) CAMERA CLEANING SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR A G SYSTEM TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention generally relates to dairy farming and more specifically to camera cleaning systems and methods in a milking system as well as to a rotary milking system comprising such camera cleaning system.

DESCRIPTION OF D ART AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Rotary milking systems, which comprise each a rotating platform, a plurality of milking stalls arranged thereon for housing a ity of animals during milking thereof, at least one robot for performing an animal related operation with respect to animals in milking stalls passing by the robot, and a camera in response to signals from which the robot is configured to move, are ng more and more common. In such milking s, the robot can e.g. be arranged to attach teat cups to the teats of the animals in the g stalls prior to milking as the animals pass by the robot. Other robots may be provided for pre—treating, cleaning and/or lking the teats of the animals in the milking stalls prior to milking, and for post—treating the teats of the animals in the milking stalls subsequent to milking.

Each such robot is provided with its dedicated camera typically mounted on a robot arm of the robot. Since the robot arm operates in an environment with animals, the lens arrangement of the camera may become dirty rather frequently, and as result the visibility of the camera is deteriorated and the movement of the robot will be more difficult to control.

Y OF THE INVENTION Since a robot is much more frequently used in a rotary milking system, particularly a rotary milking system with a large number of milking , than in a so called milking robot wherein a robot serves only one or two milking stalls, it may be difficult to have time to clean the lens arrangement of the camera when required. It is normally not an option to halt the entire milking system including the rotating platform in order to have time to ly clean the lens arrangement of the camera.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to e a camera cleaning system and a method by which the limitation associated with the prior art as set forward above is avoided.

It is a further object of the ion to provide such camera cleaning system and method which are simple, , ive, fast, precise, te, reliable, safe, easy to use, and of low cost.

These objects among others are, according to the present invention, attained by systems and methods as claimed in the ed patent claims.

Accordingly, the invention provides a camera cleaning system for a milking system, which milking system comprises a moving arrangement, a plurality of milking stalls arranged thereon for housing a plurality of animals during milking thereof, a robot for performing an animal related operation with respect to the animals in the milking stalls passing by the robot, and a camera in response to signals from which the robot is configured to move, the system having: — a cleaning ement, arranged to clean the lens arrangement of the camera ing to a first cleaning scheme; and — a rinsing arrangement, arranged to clean the lens arrangement of the camera according to a second cleaning scheme, wherein the cleaning according to the first cleaning scheme is more time consuming than the cleaning according to the second cleaning scheme; and — control means, arranged to control the cleaning arrangement and the rinsing ement such that the cleaning according to the first cleaning scheme is performed more rarely than the cleaning according to the second cleaning scheme.

The invention further provides a camera cleaning method for a g system, which milking system comprises a moving arrangement, a plurality of milking stalls, arranged thereon for housing a plurality of animals during milking f, a robot for performing an animal related operation with respect to the animals in the milking stalls passing by the robot, and a camera in response to signals from which the robot is configured to move, the method comprising the steps of: — cleaning the lens arrangement of the camera repeatedly according to a first cleaning scheme; — ng the lens arrangement of the camera repeatedly according to a second , wherein — the ng according to the first cleaning scheme is more time consuming than the cleaning according to the second cleaning scheme; and — the cleaning according to the first cleaning scheme is performed more rarely than the cleaning according to the second cleaning scheme.

A related invention is described and claimed in our New Zealand Patent Specification No. 624114.

According to one aspect of that invention, there is provided a camera cleaning system for a g system, e.g. a rotary milking system, which g system comprises a moving arrangement, e.g. a ng platform, a plurality of g stalls arranged thereon for housing a plurality of animals during milking thereof, a robot for performing animal related operations with respect to the animals in the milking stalls g by the robot, and a camera in response to signals from which the robot is configured to move, wherein the camera cleaning system comprises a usage identifying arrangement, arranged to identify a future usage demand of the camera, a processor arranged to analyse the identified future usage demand of the camera to find at least one time slot wherein the camera is not to be used and which occurs (i) when an empty milking stall, or a milking stall housing an animal which is not to be milked, or is not being milked, passes by the robot during nt of the moving arrangement, or (ii) when an unplanned stoppage of the g system occurs, and a cleaning arrangement, arranged to clean the lens arrangement of the camera during the found time slot. By the term lens arrangement is here meant the lens and/or any filter (colour, UV, neutral density, etc.) or any other optical component, such as e.g. a light transparent protection glass, mounted in front of the lens. It is the outer surface of such arrangement which may become dirty and which thus may be cleaned in accordance with the above aspect of the ion.

The term future usage demand relates to the demand for usage in milking at some time window in the future, e.g. starting at a time instant coinciding with the time of identification of the future usage demand. The future usage demand may be repeatedly or continuously updated depending on various parameters related to the milking system and the milking, such as e.g. when it is detected that a milking stall remains empty without any animal entering it, when it is detected that an animal which is not to be milked has d a milking stall, when it is ed that an animal is not being milked in a milking stall, or when an unplanned stoppage of the milking system is detected. In the latter instance, the future usage demand of the camera is instantly updated to state that the camera is not going to be used for milking during some time in the immediate future.

This time may be different for different kinds of detected stoppages.

Preferably, the at least one time slot is a plurality of time slots, wherein the time slots at which the camera is not used have an occurrence or occur at a rate which is lower than the frequency at which the milking stalls pass by the robot.

Yet preferably, each time slot is longer than any time slot, during which the camera is not to used and which ly occurs between the animal related operations with respect to animals each two adjacent milking stalls, and preferably even longer than a time required for the cleaning ement to clean the lens arrangement of the camera.

By such a system the lens arrangement can be kept clean without g the entire milking the linearly or otherwise moving arrangement, system ing the rotating platform (or platform, structure, band, vehicle, or the like, on which the milking stalls are arranged) for the sole e of cleaning the lens arrangement of the camera. The ility and ness of robot is increased, and as a result the utilization of the milking system and also the milk production can be held at a high level. While reference is made below to a rotary milking system with a rotating platform, it shall be appreciated by a person skilled in the art that the various embodiments and features of the invention may be applicable in other kind of milking systems having a linear or otherwise moving arrangement, rm, structure, band, vehicle, or the like, on which the milking stalls are arranged. when In one embodiment, each time slot at which the camera is not used is a time slot occurring which is not to be milked, or is not being an empty milking stall, or a milking stall housing an animal milked, during a tion of the rotating platform, passes by the robot during that revolution of rotating platform. The usage identifying arrangement may include a detecting arrangement comprising (i) the camera, arranged to detect whether a milking stall is empty or whether an animal in a milking stall is not being milked, and/or (ii) a dedicated , arranged to detect whether a milking stall is empty, and/or (iii) an animal identification device, arranged to detect whether a milking stall is empty or whether a milking stall houses an animal which is identified as not being permitted to be , and is thus not to be milked, and/or, (iv) for each of the milking stalls, a vacuum sensor or milk flow to thereby detect whether that sensor arranged to sense the vacuum or the milk flow in a milking stall, milking stall is empty or whether an animal in that milking stall is not being . In a rotary milking animal not being milked in a milking stall occurs system the scenario with an empty milking stall or an will always be found time slots when the camera is not used and every now and then and thus there when the lens arrangement of the camera can therefore be cleaned also during normal operation the rotary milking system.

In a further embodiment, each time slot at which the camera is not used is a time slot occurring when an unplanned stoppage of the rotary milking system occurs, and the usage identifying arrangement is arranged to identify unplanned stoppages of the rotary milking system by means of detecting such stoppage when it occurs. Hereby, the lens arrangement of the camera can be cleaned at an unplanned stoppage of the rotary milking system e.g. caused by a failure, or at an unplanned stoppage caused by an animal standing in the way of a moving part of the rotary milking system. Preferably, the usage identifying arrangement is arranged to identify when the operation of the resumed, and the cleaning ement may be rotary milking system is arranged to upt the cleaning of the lens arrangement of the camera when the operation of the rotary g system is fied as being resumed. Hereby, the cleaning of the lens arrangement of the camera can be shortened such that it does not delay the operation of the rotary g system.

The usage identifying arrangement may include (i) a detecting arrangement, sing the camera arranged to detect ned stoppages of the rotary g system, e.g. by means of detecting when the rotating platform is stopped, and/or a dedicated sensor, arranged to detect unplanned stoppages of the rotary milking system, e.g. by means of ing when the rotating platform is stopped, and/or (ii) a ing arrangement, arranged to receive tions that unplanned stoppages of the rotary g system have occurred, e.g. from the central processing and l device or a herd management system of the rotary milking system.

In further embodiment, the camera is provided with dirt sensing means for repeatedly yet a detecting the nliness of the lens arrangement of the camera, wherein the cleaning arrangement is arranged to clean the lens arrangement of the camera depending also on the repeatedly detected uncleanliness. Hereby, the lens arrangement of the camera may be cleaned while the milking stall which has been detected as empty or g an animal detected as not to be, or not being, milked during the revolution of the rotating platform, passes by the robot during the revolution of the rotating platform only if the dirt sensing means indicates that the lens arrangement is unclean.

According to a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a camera cleaning method for a milking , preferably a rotary milking system, which milking system comprises a moving stalls arranged thereon for housing a arrangement, preferably a rotating platform, a plurality of milking plurality of animals during milking thereof, a robot for performing an animal related operation with and a camera in response to signals respect to the animals in the milking stalls passing by the robot, from which the robot is configured to move. According to the method a future usage demand of the camera is identified, the fied future usage demand of the camera is analysed to find at least one time slot wherein the camera is not to be used, and which occurs (i) when an empty milking stall, or a milking stall housing an animal which is not to be milked, or is not being milked, of the moving arrangement, or passes by the robot during movement (ii) when an unplanned of the camera is cleaned during stoppage of the milking system occurs, and the lens arrangement the found time slot.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a rotary milking system ed with a camera cleaning system that fulfils the above objects.

This object is accomplished by a rotary milking system comprising a rotating platform, a plurality of milking stalls arranged thereon for housing‘a plurality of animals during milking thereof, a robot for performing an animal related operation with respect to animals in g stalls passing by the robot, a and the camera cleaning camera in response to signals from which the robot is configured to move, the camera is arranged on an arm of system of the above disclosed aspect of the invention. ably, the robot.

In one embodiment, the cleaning arrangement, e.g. in form of a cleaning station, is arranged remote from the camera and the robot is provided to move the camera to the ng arrangement when the cleaning ement is to clean the lens arrangement of the camera. Alternatively, the cleaning when the cleaning arrangement is arrangement is e and is provided to be moved to the camera to clean the lens arrangement of the . Further, even if the robot is provided to move the to be moved to an camera to the cleaning arrangement, the cleaning arrangement may also need active position, closer to the robot than its idle position.

In another embodiment, the cleaning arrangement is, at the above—indicated occasions, arranged to clean the lens arrangement of the camera according to a first ng scheme, which is thorough and and/or ts, and/or acids, and/or alkali, and/or mechanical may involve the use of detergents, cleaning means such as a sponge or a brush. The rotary milking system comprises a rinsing arrangement, preferably fixedly arranged on the arm of the robot and arranged to clean the lens related arrangement of the camera according to a second cleaning scheme between the animal operations with respect to the animals in each two adjacent milking . The second cleaning scheme is simple and may involve only the flushing of the lens ement with water followed by g of air to dry the lens arrangement. In any case the cleaning according to the second cleaning scheme is less time consuming and/or less complex than the cleaning according to the first cleaning scheme. Hereby, a simple cleaning may be performed after, in principle, each animal related ion with respect to an animal whereas a more advanced cleaning is performed more rarely, i.e. when the milking stall which has been detected as empty or housing an animal detected as not to be, or not being, milked, passes by the robot during the revolution of the rotating platform.

The robot can be arranged to pre~treat, and/or clean, and/or foremilk the teats of the animals in the milking stalls prior to milking, to attach teat cups to the teats of the animals in the milking stalls prior to milking. and/or to post—treat the teats of the animals in the milking stalls subsequent to milking.

Alternatively, a plurality of robots are provided in the rotary milking system, e.g. for all or some of the above purposes. To this end, a plurality of cameras can be provided, each equipped with a camera cleaning system as disclosed above for cleaning the camera lens arrangement.

In particular, if a ity of robots, cameras and inventive camera cleaning systems are provided, one or more camera cleaning systems may share a common cleaning arrangement, e.g. in form of a cleaning station, and one or more robots may be ed to move the camera having such a camera cleaning system to the common ng arrangement when the common cleaning arrangement is to clean the lens arrangement of the camera.

Further Characteristics of the ion, and advantages thereof, will be evident from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments of the t invention given hereinafter and the accompanying Figs. 1—2, which are given by way of illustration only, and are thus not limitative of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE GS Fig. 1 displays tically, in side View, parts of a rotary milking system in which a camera ng system ing to an embodiment of the invention is implemented.

Fig. 2 displays schematically, in top view, the rotary milking system with the camera cleaning system of Fig. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS The rotary milking system of Figs. 1—2 comprises a rotating platform 19 including a plurality of milking stalls 19a arranged along the circumference thereof, each configured to house an animal e.g. with the head facing inwards during milking thereof. The animals 15 enter and leave the rotating platform 19 preferably in a sequential , and each milking stall 19a comprises equipment for milking the animal 15 in the milking stall 19a. Such equipment comprises teat the animal 15 prior to milking. In Fig. 1 one such teat cup cups to be attached to the teats 15a of 13 is illustrated.

The rotary milking system comprises further a robot 10 having a robot arm 11, a gripper 12 for gripping at least one teat cup 13 at a time, a camera 14 preferably mounted on the robot arm 11, and a control device 16 for control of the robot 10 and its parts. The gripper 12 is conveniently d at the end portion of the robot arm 11, and the camera 14 is ed to the robot arm 11 at a distance behind the gripper 12. The camera 14 may be any kind of image recording device in the art such as and es image data to the e.g. a CCD camera or a time—of—flight camera control device 16, in response to which the control device 16 may control the robot arm 11.

The rotary milking system comprises filrther an animal identification device 22 which the animals 15 have to pass when entering the rotating platform 19. By such device 22 each animal can be fied and linked to the milking stall 19a housing the animal 15. Other kind of identification arrangements may alternatively be provided which identify the animal 15 in each milking stall 19a.

The robot 10 is ed to attach teat cups 13 to the teats 15a of the animals 15 which have entered the rotating platform 19 for milking. Milking is performed of an animal 15 during one full revolution of the rotating platform 19, after which the animal 15 is allowed to leave the rotating rm 19.

Each milking stall 19a is provided with connections that connect the teat cups 13 thereof to that vacuum, and each milking stall 19a may be equipped with a vacuum sensor (not illustrated) senses the vacuum in the teat cups 13 or somewhere else in the portions of the milking equipment of the milking stall 19a which is connected to vacuum, and a milk flow sensor (neither rated) that senses the milk flow during milking in order to record the s of milk produced by each animal 15.

The rotary milking system may further be provided with a central processing and control device (not illustrated) for the overall control of the rotary g system as well as a herd management system (neither illustrated) for overall management planning and processing. rmore, a camera cleaning system according to one embodiment of the invention is 3O implemented in the rotary milking system of Figs. 1—2. The camera cleaning system comprises a detector arrangement arranged to detect whether a milking stall 19a is empty or whether an animal 15 in a milking stall 19a is not to be milked during a revolution of the rotating platform 19, and a ng arrangement 17 arranged to clean the lens arrangement of the camera 14 while the milking stall 19a, which has been detected as empty or housing an animal 15 detected as not to be milked during the revolution of the rotating rm 19, passes by the robot 10 during that revolution of the rotating platform 19. The detector arrangement and the cleaning arrangement 17 are typically operatively connected to a controller 18 for receiving data from the detector arrangement and for controlling the cleaning arrangement 17 in response thereto. The controller 18 may be integrated into the ng and l ement 17, into the control device 16 of the robot 10, or into the central processing device, or it may be a stand alone microcomputer.

Various devices for detecting whether a milking stall 19a is empty or r an animal 15 in a milking stall 19a is not to be milked during a revolution of the rotating platform 19 may include the camera 14, and/or the animal identification device 22, and/or a dedicated sensor 21 provided for the sole purpose of this detection.

The camera 14 can be arranged to detect if a milking stall 19a is empty. The animal identification device 22 can be arranged to detect if a milking stall 19a is empty or if a g stall 19a houses an animal 15 which is identified as not being permitted to be milked, and is thus not to be milked, by referring to the l sing and control device. The dedicated sensor 21, which may be an optical , can be arranged to detect if a milking stall 19a is empty.

By this aspect of the invention, the lens arrangement of the camera 14 can be cleaned when the camera 14 is not used for a certain amount of time due to the fact that teat cups 13 are, for the above detected milking stall 19a, not to be attached since there is no animal 15 in the g stall 19a, or there is an animal 15 in the milking stall 19a but the animal 15 is not to be milked and therefore no teat cups 1?) should be attached. If the cleaning is made shorter than the time spent for attaching teat cups 1?) to the teats 15a of an animal 15, no time whatsoever is lost due to the performed cleaning of the camera lens arrangement. The cleaning may be performed in any manner ble including use of water, detergent, solvent; acid, alkali, air, etc. and/or mechanical means in the form of e.g. a brush or a sponge. In one embodiment, the cleaning arrangement 17 is arranged remote from the camera 14, in the form of a cleaning station, wherein the robot 10 is provided to move the camera 14 to the cleaning station 17 when the cleaning station 17 is to clean the lens arrangement of the camera 14.

Alternatively, the cleaning arrangement 17 is movable and is provided to be moved to the camera 14 when the cleaning arrangement 17 is to clean the lens arrangement of the camera 14. Even if the robot 10 is provided to move the camera 14 to the cleaning arrangement 17, the cleaning arrangement 17 may also need to be moved, because it may not be possible to position it so that it does not interfere with the movement of the robot 10.

While the invention sed above has been described with reference to a robot 10 arranged to attach teat cups 13 to the teats 15a of an animal 15, it is equally applicable to s used with other kind of robots of a rotary milking system. For instance, the robot 10 may be exchanged for a robot ed to pre—treat, and/or clean, and/or foremilk the teats 15a of the animals 15 in the milking stalls 19a prior to milking. Such robot will comprise a similar camera and will also operate with respect to the animals 15/milking stalls 19a in a sequential order, and thus an inventive camera ng system as disclosed above may be provided also for this robot/camera combination.

Yet further, the robot 10 arranged to attach teat cups 13 to the teats 15a of an animal 15 may be exchanged for a robot arranged to post—treat the teats 15a of the animals 15 in the milking stalls 19a subsequent to milking. Such robot will comprise a similar camera and will also operate with respect to the animals 15/milking stalls 19a in a sequential order, and thus an inventive camera cleaning system as disclosed above may be provided also for this robot/camera combination. In this case it is sufficient to detect if an animal 15 in a milking stall 19a is not being milked during a revolution of the rotating platform 19. This means that in on to the above detecting devices, also fl’lC vacuum sensor in each milking stall 19a or the milk flow sensor of each milking stall 19a can be arranged to sense the vacuum or the milk flow in that milking stall 19a, to thereby detect if that milking stall 19a is empty or if an animal 15 in that milking stall 19 is not being milked. Alternatively, the dedicated sensor 21 can be arranged to detect if a milking stall 19a houses an animal 15 which is identified as not being milked, eg. by ing whether the teat cups 13 are attached to the teats 1 5a of the animal 15 or not.

If the robot 10 is a stand—alone robot, which is not connected to the central processing and control device, only the camera 14 or the dedicated sensor 21 can be used to detect if a g stall 19a is empty or houses an animal 15 which is identified as not being , since no information from the animal identification device 22 or the vacuum or milk flow sensors is then available to the robot 10.

The Cleaning arrangement 17 is then ed to clean the lens arrangement of the camera while the milking stall 19a, which has been detected as empty or g an animal 15 detected as not being milked during the tion of the rotating platform 19, passes by the robot 10 during that revolution of the rotating platform 19.

Still fiirther, a rotary g system may comprise more than one of the above disclosed robot/camera combinations and thus more than one of the above sed inventive camera cleaning systems.

Of , the lens arrangement of a camera 14 may not have to be cleaned if it is not dirty. To this end, in one ment, the camera cleaning system comprises dirt sensing means (not illustrated) for repeatedly determining the uncleanliness of the lens arrangement of the camera 14 and wherein the cleaning arrangement 17 is arranged to clean the lens arrangement of the camera at the above identified occasions only provided that the repeatedly determined uncleanliness indicates that the camera lens arrangement is dirty and has to be cleaned. e the cameras 14 described above have all been sed as being mounted on a respective robot arm 11 of a robot 10, the invention is not limited in this respect. It shall be appreciated by a person skilled in the art that inventive camera cleaning systems of the above kind may be used together with camera/robot combinations wherein the camera is not mounted on the robot arm. It may for instance be mounted ere on the robot, or arranged remotely from the robot, e.g. at a fixed location.

It shall r be appreciated that the above disclosed embodiments may be generalized such that ng of the lens arrangement of a camera 14 is not only possible to be med while the milking stall 19a which has been detected as empty or housing an animal 15 detected as not to be, or not being, milked during the revolution of the rotating platform 19, passes by the robot 10 during that revolution of the rotating platform 19, but also at other occasions when there is time to do so, e.g. due to unplanned stoppages of the milking operation of the rotary milking system.

Thus, according to one version of the invention, there is provided a camera cleaning system for a rotary milking system, which comprises the ng platform 19, the plurality of milking stalls 19a arranged thereon for housing a plurality of animals 15 during milking thereof, the robot 10 for performing an animal d operation with respect to the animals 15 in the milking stalls 19a passing by the robot 10, and a camera 14, in response to signals from which the robot 10 is configured to move. The camera cleaning system comprises a usage identifying arrangement, arranged to identify a future usage pattern or future usage demand of the camera 10, the controller 18, arranged to analyse the fiiture usage demand of the camera 14 to find at least one time slot 3O wherein the camera 10 is not used and which is longer than any such time slot normally occurring between the animal related operations with respect to animals in each two adjacent milking stalls, and the cleaning arrangement 17, arranged to clean the lens arrangement of the camera during the found time slot. Time slots, at which the camera 14 is not used, are typically coinciding with those time slots, at which the robot 10 is not used. However, if the robot 10 is capable of doing some operation, which e.g. may involve a coarse movement in the beginning of an animal related ion, without the use of the camera 14, the time slots, at which the camera 14 is not used, time may be longer and/or occurring more frequently than the slots, at which the robot 10 is not used.

Preferably, the time slots during which the cleaning arrangement 17 is arranged to clean the lens arrangement of the camera 14 have an occurrence or occur at a rate, which is lower than the frequency at which the milking stalls 19a pass by the robot 10.

Yet preferably, the usage identifying ement is at least partly integrated into the controller 18 as e.g. a program module therein.

Still preferably, the time slots are each longer than a time required for the cleaning arrangement 17 to clean the lens ement of the camera 14. Hereby, the camera lens arrangement cleaning does not affect the throughput or utilization of the rotary milking system.

The time slots at which the camera 14 is not used are preferably each a time slot occurring when an empty milking stall 19a passes by the robot 10, or a g stall 19a housing an animal 15 which is not to be , or is not being milked, during a tion of the rotating rm 19, passes by the robot 10 during that revolution of the rotating plaform 19, as have been disclosed above.

Alternatively, or additionally, the usage identifying arrangement can be arranged to identify unplanned ges of the rotary milking system, e.g. caused by malfunctioning or failure, by means of detecting such stoppages when they occur, wherein the cleaning arrangement 17 is arranged to clean the lens arrangement of the camera 14 when the detected unplanned stoppages occur. To this end, the usage identifying arrangement comprises a detector arrangement, which may be any of the camera 14, arranged to detect an ned stoppage of the rotary milking system, e.g. by means of detecting whether the rotating platform is stopped, and a dedicated sensor 21, arranged to detect an unplanned stoppage of the rotary milking system, e.g. by means of ing whether the rotating platform 19 is stopped. Alternatively, or additionally, the usage identifying arrangement comprises a receiving module (preferably integrated into the controller 3O 18) ed to receive indications that unplanned ges of the rotary milking system have occurred, e.g. from the central processing and control device or the herd management system of the rotary milking system.

Preferably, the usage identifying arrangement is arranged to identify when the operation of the rotary milking system is resumed, and the cleaning arrangement 17 is arranged to interrupt the cleaning of the lens ement of the camera 14 when the operation of the rotary milking system is identified as being resumed. Such interruption may include the flushing of the lens of the camera arrangement of the camera 14 with water followed by drying the lens arrangement 14 by blowing air thereon in order to quickly place the camera 14 ready for operation. Typically, the rotary milking system is resumed by starting the rotation of the rotating platform 19, which is typically heavy and as a result the acceleration of the rotary platform takes a certain amount of time, during which the cleaning can be finished. Hereby, the lens ement of the camera 14 can be cleaned without affecting/delaying the operation of the rotary milking .

It shall be appreciated that this version of the invention may be practiced with any of the ative features, details, and embodiments disclosed above. In particular, the lens robot ement may be cleaned only if being dirty (as detected by the dirt sensing means), the may be a robot for attaching teat cups to the teats of the animals in the milking stalls prior to milking, a robot arranged to pre—treat, and/or clean, and/or foremilk the teats of the animals in the milking stalls prior to milking, or a robot arranged to post—treat the teats of the animals in the milking stalls subsequent to g, and/or the robot/camera ation and the generalized camera cleaning system may be provided in a plurality.

According to a further aspect of the invention, the camera cleaning system comprises a rinsing arrangement 17a fixedly arranged on the arm 11 of the robot 10 and operatively connected to the controller 18, wherein the ller 18 is arranged to control the ng arrangement 17 to clean the lens arrangement of the camera 14 according to a first ng scheme, and to control the rinsing arrangement 17a to clean the lens arrangement of the camera 14 according to a second cleaning scheme, wherein the cleaning according to the first cleaning scheme is more time consuming than the cleaning according to the second Cleaning scheme. In an alternative embodiment the g arrangement is mounted on the camera 14. By such ions the lens arrangement of the camera can be held clean and clear such that proper operation of the robot is ensured. 3O The cleaning according to the first cleaning scheme is more complex or gh and involves the use of use of water, and/or air, and/or detergents, and/or solvents, and/or acids, alkali and/or mechanical cleaning means, such as a viper, and/or brush, and/or or sponge, in a plurality of cleaning steps, whereas cleaning according to the second cleaning scheme is simple and may involve flushing the lens arrangement with a cleaning fluid such as e.g. water followed by blowing air onto the lens arrangement of the camera 14. Hereby, a fast and reliable cleaning (flushing) is performed more often, whereas a more thorough cleaning, preferably comprising mechanical cleaning means contacting the lens arrangement of the camera, is performed more rarely, e.g. only when required.

Detecting s, e.g. of the above disclosed kinds, may be arranged to detect whether a milking stall 19a is empty or whether an animal 15 in a milking stall 19a is not to be milked, or is not being milked, during a revolution of the rotating platform 19, wherein the controller 18 is arranged to control the cleaning arrangement 17 such that the cleaning according to the first ng scheme is med while the milking stall 19a which has been detected as empty or housing an animal 15 detected as not to be, or not being, milked during the revolution of the rotating rm 19, passes by the robot 10 during that revolution of the rotating platform 19. Embodiments of this approach have been detailed above.

Alternatively, a usage identifying arrangement, e.g. of any of the above disclosed kinds, may be arranged to identify a future usage demand of the camera 14, wherein the controller 18 is arranged to analyse the future usage demand of the camera 14 to find at least one time slot wherein the camera 14 is not to be used and to control the cleaning arrangement 17 such that the cleaning according to the first cleaning scheme is performed during this time slot. ments of this approach have been detailed above.

The controller 18 may further be ed to l the rinsing arrangement 17a such that the cleaning according to the second cleaning scheme is performed between the animal related operations with respect to animals in each two nt milking stalls. If the cleaning according to the second cleaning scheme is performed iently fast (i.e. during the time slot wherein the camera is not to be used normally occurring between the animal related operations with respect to animals in each two adjacent milking ), it may not affect the throughput or utilization of the rotary milking system at all. Alternatively, this ng only delays the g operation to a minor extent. 3O It shall be appreciated that also this n of the invention may be practiced with any of the alternative features, details, and embodiments sed above. In particular, the lens arrangement may be Cleaned according to the first cleaning scheme only if being dirty (as detected by the lens ement uncleanliness sensor), the robot may be a robot for attaching teat cups to the teats of the animals in the milking stalls prior to milking, a robot arranged to pre— treat, and/or clean, and/or foremilk the teats of the animals in the milking stalls prior to milking, or a robot arranged to post-treat the teats of the animals in the g stalls subsequent to milking. and/or the robot/camera combination and the camera cleaning system with two different cleaning schemes may be provided in a plurality.

The present invention relates also to a rotary milking system including one or more robots, each for performing an animal d operation with respect to animals 15 in milking stalls 19a g by the robot 10, and, for each robot 10, a camera 14 in response to signals from which the robot 10 is configured to move, and any of the camera cleaning systems disclosed above.

The invention relates as well as to camera cleaning methods using any of the camera cleaning systems disclosed above.

While the invention has been bed above by way of example, it shall be understood that the same may be varied in several details. In particular, the various features and embodiments disclosed above may be combined in a number of further ways readily available to a person skilled in the art to thereby form yet further embodiments of the invention. Further, embodiments of the invention may only comprise some of the features disclosed above with reference to a ular embodiment. The s and advantages of the t invention as disclosed herein are accomplished and obtained by each of the embodiments of the invention.

The scope of the present patent is defined by the following claims.

Claims (14)

WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A camera cleaning system for a milking system, which milking system comprises a moving arrangement, a plurality of milking stalls arranged thereon for housing a ity of animals during milking thereof, a robot for performing an animal related operation with respect to the animals in the milking stalls passing by the robot, and a camera in response to signals from which the robot is configured to move, the system having: — a cleaning arrangement, arranged to clean the lens arrangement of the camera according to a first cleaning scheme; and - a rinsing arrangement, arranged to clean the lens arrangement of the camera according to a 10 second cleaning scheme, wherein the cleaning ing to the first cleaning scheme is more time consuming than the cleaning according to the second ng scheme; and — control means, arranged to control the cleaning arrangement and the rinsing arrangement such that the cleaning according to the first ng scheme is performed more rarely than the ng according to the second cleaning scheme. 15

2. The camera cleaning system of claim 1, wherein — the cleaning arrangement is arranged to clean according to the first cleaning scheme by using detergents, and/or solvents, and/or acids, and/or alkali and/or mechanical means in the form of e.g. a brush and/or a sponge; and — the rinsing ement is arranged to clean according to the second cleaning scheme by 20 flushing the lens arrangement with a cleaning fluid such as e.g. water followed by blowing air onto the lens arrangement .

3. The camera cleaning system of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the g system is a rotary milking system and the moving arrangement, on which the milking stalls are ed, is a rotating rm. 25

4. The camera cleaning system of claim 3, comprising detecting means arranged, for each of the milking stalls, to detect whether the milking stall is empty or whether an animal in the milking stall is not to be milked, or is not being milked, during a revolution of the ng platform, wherein the control means is arranged to control the cleaning ement such that the cleaning according to the first cleaning scheme is performed while the g stall, which has been detected as empty or housing an animal detected as not to be, or not being, milked during said revolution of the ng platform, passes by the robot during said revolution of the rotating platform.

5. The camera cleaning system of any one of claims 1 to 3, sing usage identifying means arranged to identify a future usage demand of the robot of the g system, wherein the control means is arranged to analyse the future usage demand of the camera to find at least one time slot wherein the camera is not to be used and which is longer than any such time slot normally occurring between the animal related operations with respect to s in each two nt milking stalls, and the control means is arranged to control the cleaning arrangement such 10 that the cleaning according to the first cleaning scheme is performed during said found time slot.

6. The camera cleaning system of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the control means is arranged to control the rinsing arrangement such that the cleaning according to the second cleaning scheme is performed after each of the animal related operations.

7. A camera cleaning method for a milking system, which g system comprises a moving 15 arrangement, a plurality of milking stalls, arranged thereon for housing a plurality of animals during milking thereof, a robot for performing an animal related operation with respect to the s in the milking stalls passing by the robot, and a camera in response to signals from which the robot is configured to move, the method comprising the steps of: - cleaning the lens arrangement of the camera repeatedly according to a first cleaning scheme; 20 and — cleaning the lens arrangement of the camera repeatedly ing to a second scheme, n — the cleaning according to the first cleaning scheme is more time consuming than the cleaning according to the second cleaning scheme; and — the cleaning according to the first ng scheme is performed more rarely than the cleaning 25 according to the second cleaning scheme.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein — cleaning according to the first cleaning scheme involves the use of use of detergents, solvents, acids, alkali and/or mechanical cleaning using e.g. a brush or a sponge; and — cleaning according to the second cleaning scheme involves flushing the lens arrangement with a cleaning fluid such as eg. water followed by blowing air onto the lens arrangement.

9. The method of claim 7 or claim 8, wherein the milking system is a rotary milking system and the moving arrangement, on which the milking stalls are arranged, is a rotating platform.

10. The method of claim 9, comprising, for each of the milking stalls, the step of detecting whether the milking stall is empty or whether an animal in the g stall is not to be milked, or is not being milked, during a revolution of the rotating platform, wherein the cleaning ing to the first cleaning scheme is med while the milking stall, which has been detected as empty or housing an animal ed as not to be, or not being, milked during said revolution of the rotating 10 platform, passes by the robot during said revolution of the rotating platform.

11. The method of any one of claims 7 to 9, comprising the steps of identifying a future usage demand of the camera, analysing the future usage demand of the camera to find at least one time slot wherein the camera is not to be used and which is longer than any such time slot ly occurring between the animal related operations with respect to the animals in each two adjacent 15 g stalls; and cleaning the lens arrangement of the camera according to the first cleaning scheme during said found time slot.

12. The method of any one of claims 7 to 11, wherein the cleaning according to the second cleaning scheme is performed after each of the animal related operations.

13. A system according to claim 1, substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown 20 in the anying drawings.

14. A method according to claim 7, substantially as herein described or exemplified with reference to the anying drawings. DELAVAL HOLDING AB 25 By Their Attorneys Henry Hughes Per: