JP2664105B2 - Walking animal weighing device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a weighing device for weighing a walking animal walking on a weighing platform.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In such a walking animal weighing apparatus, in order to perform display output and printout of a weighing result in correspondence with individual identification information (for example, an individual number) of a weighing object, it is necessary to identify an individual of a walking animal to be weighed. You need to enter information. Conventionally, a walking animal (for example,
Transmission that transmits individual identification information, hanging on the cow's neck
Means provided on the weighing device side to receive the individual identification information.
And receiving means for receiving the information.

[0003] The receiving means is provided outside a fence provided on the left and right sides of the weighing platform. This is because it is necessary to provide it in a place where there is no possibility that a walking animal walking and passing on the weighing platform will come into contact with the animal. In addition, from the transmitting means to the receiving means,
For example, the individual identification information is transmitted by wireless communication using radio waves.

[0004]

In the above-mentioned conventional configuration, the distance between the transmitting means and the receiving means greatly varies due to the difference in the walking route of the walking animal and the difference in the height of the walking animal. Further, the direction of the transmitting means changes in accordance with the walking of the walking animal. As a result, the transfer of individual identification information tends to be unstable.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has as its object to stabilize the coupling between transmitting means and receiving means as much as possible irrespective of the size and walking path of a walking animal and to provide individual identification information. Is to ensure the exchange of information.

[0006]

A weighing device for a walking animal according to the present invention is for weighing a walking animal that walks and passes on a weighing platform .
It is attached to the ankle and emits the individual identification information of the walking animal.
A caller who believes and has at least downward directivity
And a step, provided below the mounting surface of the weighing platform,
Receiving the individual identification information transmitted from the transmitting means;
And receiving means having at least upward directivity.
It is in the point that is obtained.

In a second characteristic configuration, the transmitting means and the receiving means are configured such that the width of the communicable area in plan view covers substantially the entire width of the mounting surface of the weighing platform. On the point.

[0008]

According to the first characteristic configuration, when a walking animal walks on a weighing platform, the transmitting device attached to the ankle of the walking animal and the receiving device provided below the mounting surface of the weighing platform. Is minimum when the foot lands on the weighing platform. This distance is substantially constant even if the size of the walking animal is different.

Further, since the transmitting means has at least downward directivity and the receiving means has at least upward directivity, when the foot of the walking animal lands on the weighing platform, the directivity between the transmitting means and the receiving means is reduced. And the coupling between them (for example, electromagnetic induction coupling) is increased.

According to the second characteristic configuration, the transmitting means and the receiving means are configured such that the width of the communicable area in a plan view covers substantially the entire width of the mounting surface of the weighing platform. I have. Therefore, when the walking animal walks on the weighing platform, the individual identification information can be reliably transmitted and received even if the route slightly varies in the width direction of the mounting surface.

[0011]

As described above, according to the present invention, the connection between the transmitting means and the receiving means is stabilized when the foot of the walking animal lands on the weighing platform irrespective of the size or walking path of the walking animal. Therefore, it is possible to reliably transmit and receive the individual identification information.

[0012]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a cow weighing device as a walking animal will be described below. As shown in FIG. 1, the weighing device according to the present embodiment uses the time-series load data obtained from the weighing platform 1 when the cow walks on the weighing platform 1 to determine the static weight of the cow (hereinafter simply referred to as weight). ) Is calculated. A fence 2 is provided on both sides of the weighing table 1 and the passages before and after the weighing table 1, and a terminal device 3 stands upright outside the fence 2.

As shown in FIG. 2, the terminal device 3 has a key panel 3a for manual operation, a digital display 3b for displaying and outputting the weighing result (the individual number of the cow and its weight), and a weighing result. A printer 3c for printing out is provided. Further, a weighing processing unit H that manages the calculation of the weight of the cow based on the load data from the weighing platform 1 and communication with an external information device is also provided inside the terminal device 3.

As shown in FIG. 1, a transmitting means T for transmitting the individual identification information (individual number) of the cow is attached to the ankle of the left rear leg of the cow. The transmitting means T includes a memory for storing the individual number and a bidirectional RF wireless communication means. Then, wireless communication is performed with the measurement processing unit H via a receiving unit to be described later, and the individual number of the cow to be measured is given to the measurement processing unit H. In addition, using the above-mentioned key panel 3a,
The operator can also manually input the individual number.

The weighing platform 1 is, as shown in a plan view in FIG.
It has a base plate 1a made of FRP attached to an iron frame and four load cells 1b arranged at four corners thereof. Base plate 1
The load applied to a is detected as the total value of the outputs of the four load cells 1b. The outputs of the four load cells 1b are supplied to the measurement processing unit H as analog voltages, and the signals are processed by the measurement processing unit H.

An antenna 4 as a receiving means for receiving the individual number from the transmitting means T is provided below the mounting surface of the weighing table 1, that is, behind the base plate 1a. The antenna 4 is a flat rectangular antenna wound in a loop shape, and has a width slightly smaller than the width of the mounting surface of the weighing platform 1. Thus, the transmitting means T and the antenna 4 are configured such that the width of the communicable area in a plan view covers substantially the entire width of the mounting surface of the weighing platform 1.

Further, the antenna 4 is provided so that the longitudinal direction of the antenna 4 is located substantially at the center along the longitudinal direction of the weighing platform 1. The directivity is in a direction perpendicular to the mounting surface of the weighing platform 1, that is, in a vertical direction. The transmitting means T is mounted on the cow's ankle so that the directivity of the transmitting means T is also vertical.

As shown in FIG. 4, the weighing section H includes a data input section 5 and an arithmetic processing section 6. The data input means 5 includes an amplifier 5a for amplifying a voltage signal as load data from the weighing platform 1, a low-pass filter 5b for smoothing its output, and A / D conversion for quantizing the smoothed voltage signal at a predetermined sampling time. Device 5c.

The arithmetic processing means 6 stores a quantized time-series load data (hereinafter referred to as time-series data) for a predetermined period of time, and calculates the walking periodicity of the cow being measured from the time-series data. The walking periodicity evaluation means 6b, the effective data section setting means 6c for setting the effective data section T of the time series data based on the walking periodicity, and the calculating means 6d for calculating the weight of the cow from the time series data of the effective data section T Prepare. Each of these means is constituted by a microcomputer program.

The weighing section H is provided with a serial interface 7 and an input / output circuit 8. The serial interface 7 controls communication with an external information device (computer) and communication with the transmitting means T via the antenna 4 and the RF circuit 9 described above. The input / output circuit 8 includes the key panel 3a, the digital display 3b, the printer 3
c.

Communication between the measurement processing unit H (the arithmetic processing means 6) and the transmitting means T attached to the cow is performed as follows. First, an RF signal including a response request signal is transmitted from the antenna 4.
Radio waves are output. When the cow to which the transmitting means T is attached walks and passes on the weighing platform 1, the transmitting means T is supplied with electric power by this RF radio wave and becomes active. Then, in response to the response request signal, the stored information, that is, the individual number of the cow to which the transmitting means T is attached is transmitted as RF radio waves. This signal is received by the antenna 4 and transmitted to the arithmetic processing means 6 via the RF circuit 9 and the serial interface 7.

When the cow walks on the weighing platform 1, the left rear leg on which the transmitting means T is attached lands at least once on the mounting surface of the weighing platform 1 above the antenna 4. . At this time, the distance between the transmitting means T and the antenna 4 is minimized and the directivity is almost the same, so that it is possible to communicate with a weak RF radio wave.

Next, an algorithm for calculating the weight of the cow based on the load data from the weighing platform 1 will be described. Analog voltage output from weighing platform 1 when a cow walks on weighing platform 1 (voltage amplified by amplifier 5a)
Is as shown in FIG. In the figure, during period a, only the forefoot of the cow is on the weighing platform 1, during period b, the entire weight of the cow is on the weighing platform 1, and during period c, only the rear foot of the cow is on the weighing platform 1. Indicates the state of riding.

This analog voltage is supplied to the low-pass filter 5.
The waveform becomes a smoothed waveform as shown in FIG. Further, the load data is quantized at a predetermined sampling time by the A / D converter 5c and input to the arithmetic processing unit 6. FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of the period indicated by b in FIG. 6, and shows how the analog voltage signal input to the A / D converter 5c is quantized at a predetermined sampling time.

When the quantized load data exceeds the set value K which is slightly larger than the value due to the weight of the weighing platform 1a only, the arithmetic processing means 6 determines that the cow has started riding on the weighing platform 1 and determines the time series data. The storage in the memory 6a is started. Then, after the predetermined time T0 has elapsed, the storage in the memory 6a ends. The predetermined time T0 can be changed and set, and is usually set to 2 to 3 seconds.

Next, of the time series data stored in the memory 6a, the maximum value Wm
More than 90% of the data is extracted. Then, the walking periodicity is evaluated by examining the local maxima of these data. In the case of FIG. 7, the maximum values are W1, W8, W15, W
23 and W29.

The effective data section T is set by the effective data section setting means 6c with the time point at which the first maximum value W1 appears as a start point and the time point at which the third maximum value W23 appears as an end point. However, the point at which the maximum value appears is determined as the end point (the object may be a walking animal other than a cow).
Can be changed and set according to the type of the balance, the natural frequency of the weighing platform 1, and the like. Then, the arithmetic means 6d calculates the average of all data in the effective data section T, and uses this as the weight of the weighed cow.

The measurement result obtained as described above together with the individual number obtained from the transmitting means T as described above,
It is output to the digital display 3b and the printer 3c. Alternatively, it is transmitted to the external information device DE. External information device DE
Then, the history data and total data for each individual cow are updated based on the transmitted data.

Another embodiment will be described below. In the above embodiment, the transmitting means T is attached to the ankle of the cow's left hind leg, but may be attached to the ankle of the right hind leg. Alternatively, it may be attached to the ankle of the front leg. However, the mounting position is preferably as low as possible (for example, a constricted portion of the upper sub hoof). Various methods can be considered as a specific method for attaching the transmitting means T to the ankle of the cow. Incidentally, in the above-mentioned embodiment, a belt in which the transmitting means T is fixed in a predetermined direction is wrapped around the cow's ankle and fixed.

Although the configuration is different from the above embodiment,
The flat rectangular antenna 4 as the receiving means may be provided along the inside of the fence 2 beside the weighing platform 1 (left side when the transmitting means T is attached to the left leg of the cow) with the surface protected. . In this case, since the directivity of the antenna 4 is in the horizontal direction, it is necessary to make the directivity of the transmitting means T also in the horizontal direction. That is, it is necessary to attach the transmitting means T to the cow's ankle so that the directivity of the transmitting means T is perpendicular to the surface of the antenna 4.

In the case of the above configuration, the distance between the transmitting means T and the surface of the antenna 4 is not fixed as in the case of the embodiment. However, the transmitting means T is still smaller than the conventional case where the transmitting means T is hung on the cow's neck. The distance between T and the surface of the antenna 4 is reduced, and the directivity is stabilized.

Incidentally, reference numerals are written in the claims for convenience of comparison with the drawings, but the present invention is not limited to the configuration of the attached drawings by the entry.

[Brief description of the drawings]

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

FIG. 2 is a front view of a terminal device portion of the weighing device.

FIG. 3 is a partial plan view of a weighing table of the weighing device (partially see-through view).

FIG. 4 is a circuit block diagram of a weighing processing unit of the weighing device and its peripherals;

FIG. 5 is a graph showing a change with time of load data before smoothing;

FIG. 6 is a graph showing a change with time of load data after smoothing;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of a required period of load data.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 weighing platform 4 receiving means T transmitting means

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Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A weighing device for weighing a walking animal that walks and passes on a weighing platform (1), comprising:
It is attached to the neck and transmits the individual identification information of the walking animal
Transmitting means having at least downward directivity
(T), and provided below the mounting surface of the weighing platform (1).
And the individual identification information transmitted from the transmission means (T).
Information and has at least an upward directivity
A walking animal weighing device comprising a receiving means (4) . 2. The transmitting means (T) and the receiving means (4) are arranged such that the width of the communicable area in plan view covers substantially the entire width of the mounting surface of the weighing platform (1). The walking animal weighing device according to claim 1, which is configured.