LU100252B1 - METHOD AND DEVICE FOR COLLECTING LIVESTOCK IN VIA DRONE PRAIRIE - Google Patents

Abstract

ABSTRACT: The present invention relates to a method of assembling livestock herds confined in a well-defined area, comprising the following steps: - Action of the operator driving a drone equipped with a personification system with electric shock and alarm sound used by the operator to gather his flock by flying the drone behind each animal and according to a logic that is specific to him to gather his flock or isolate an animal. - System that can operate automatically by coordinating the flight of one or more drone (s) each equipped with a personification system with electric shock and horn to gather the herd at a location determined by the operator and this automatically by the use of a geolocation transmitter placed on each animal or via a hovering drone able to locate via intelligent camera the GPS position of each animal and communicate it to the central management system which determines a gathering strategy and one or more automatic flight plans of one or more assembly drones.

Description

METHOD AND DEVICE FOR THE COLLECTION OF ANIMAL HUSKAGE IN PRIME.

Object of the invention

The present invention relates to a method for assembling a rearing herd, and more precisely in a meadow by the use of a drone, provided with a personalization system with electric discharge, controlled either by the operator or in a manner automatic.

It also relates to the device for implementing the method according to the invention.

State of the art

For the sake of organization, profitability, a rally in pasture must take place whenever a health concern to one or animals occurs in order to treat against this disease, mites, worms, ... and this the As fast as possible. If this is not done quickly, it results in a significant financial loss. There is also the importance of reproduction monitoring either by ultrasound or other that requires a gathering of the herd and the change of meadow once the grass is no longer present in sufficient.

It is therefore important for the farmer to be able to gather his flocks whenever necessary.

Due to the lack of manpower and time in agriculture, as well as the increasing size of the farms, which is accompanied by the multiplication of the number of herds without increase of labor force, it becomes very difficult for the farmer to perform a herd gathering.

There is, after research, the possibility of being several on foot to gather a flock, the use by each person present to gather a flock, to use a vehicle for his movement (jeep, tractor, motorcycle, quad .. .) and the use of a herd dog (border collie most often).

Goals of 11 invention

The present invention aims to provide a solution that overcomes the disadvantages of the state of the art.

The present invention is more particularly intended to provide a device for assembling breeding flocks, and more particularly in meadow for cattle, sheep, ...

The present invention further aims to provide a breeding herd assembly method which is applicable to all animals that may be contained within a well-established perimeter both indoors and outdoors.

The present invention also aims to provide a method and a device that allows the herd to be gathered automatically by the use of one or more drones coordinated with each other by a central system knowing the position of the animals to be gathered in the to prair, the position of men in the meadow and the position of the place where to gather the animals. Summary of 11 invention

A first object of the present invention relates to a method and a device for assembling breeding herds, comprising the following steps: - Activation by the operator (6) of the drone (1) equipped with its personification system with electric shock and / or horn (2), - Flight of the drone (1) equipped with its personification system with electric shock and / or horn (2) and the operator (6) pilot his drone (1) and uses it to come behind the animal (s) (9 or 10) to collect in the same way that it would move according to the animal's reaction if it was done on foot. - Putting the animal (9 or 10) of the personification system with electric shock and / or horn (2) when an animal (9 or 10) refuses to advance to put it in motion after an electric shock.

According to particular embodiments of the invention, the method comprises at least one or an appropriate combination of the following features: a drone (1) capable of carrying the personification system with electric shock and / or horn (2) . - A personification system with electric shock and / or horn (2) can be coupled to the drone (37) to try to advance an animal (9 or 10) or to deter its flight; - a movement system of the personification device with electric shock and / or horn (4) so that it can be horizontal for landing and vertical for work as well as a possibility of emergency detachment if an animal (9 or 10) rushes in and disrupts the flight of the drone; - an automatic flight system at a certain altitude of the ground and avoidance of obstacles; - a management system (14) and coordination of automatic flight of one or more drones (15,16,17) knowing the position of the animals (10) to collect and the gathering place (11); - a GPS surface point recovery system for the parcel where the drone is authorized to fly and at a specified maximum altitude; - Geolocation transmitters for each animal (10). - A central management system (14) capable of coordinating the flight of one or more drones (15, 16, 17) each provided with the personification system with electric shock and / or buzzer (2) by knowledge of the location geolocating each animal (10) and the gathering place (11); a drone equipped with a smart camera (32) capable of hovering so that the camera locates each animal (10) and gives its position of geolocation; - the possibility that the drone can, on his personification system (2), include a sound element style of the breeder, horn or other can be activated before the electric discharge; - the assembly area is an outdoor area in the majority of cases but an internal application of the whole system is not excluded;

A second subject of the present invention relates to a method and a device for assembling breeding herds (10), rendered totally automatic by the coordination of a central management system (14) of one or more drones (15). , 16, 17) each provided with a personification system with electric discharge and / or horn (2) which knows the GPS position of each animal (10) per geolocation transmitter collar or drone with intelligent camera being overflight stationary (32) at an altitude which, via the intelligent camera, can locate each animal (10) and give the central management system (14) its geolocation position, design an automatic flight plan of the one or more drones (15, 16, 17 ) to create a form of encirclement (18) decreasing more and more to gather the animals in a specific place (11).

Brief description of the figures

FIG. 1 represents a schematic view and its description of the breeding herd assembly device comprising the drone equipped with its personification system with electric discharge and / or audible warning device.

Figure 2 shows a schematic view of a meadow with the operator controlling the drone equipped with his personification system with electric shock and / or horn to bring an animal into the pen.

FIG. 3 represents a schematic view of a meadow with the operator having the central management system and wishing to automatically gather the herd in the enclosure with three drones equipped with their personification system with electric shock and / or horn in starting position.

FIG. 4 represents a schematic view of a meadow with the operator having the central management system and wishing to automatically gather the herd in the enclosure with three drones equipped with their personification system with electric shock and / or horn in progress and assembly of animals with a flight plan determined by the central management system.

FIG. 5 represents a schematic view of a meadow with the operator having the central management system and wishing to automatically gather the herd in the enclosure with three drones equipped with their personification system with electric shock and / or horn in progress and assembly of animals with a flight plan determined by the central management system being further down the timeline.

FIG. 6 represents a schematic view of a meadow with the operator having the central management system and wishing to automatically gather the herd in the enclosure with three drones equipped with their personification system with electric shock and / or horn in progress and assembly of animals with a flight plan determined by the central management system being further down the timeline and being at the end of the cycle as all the animals are in the pen and the operator close the barrier.

Figure 7 shows a schematic view of an animal wanting to escape and we see the central management system recalculate a flight plan to find the animal that has escaped and reintroduce it into the flock that is being assembled.

FIG. 8 represents a schematic view of the zone of evolution and lateral surveillance of each drone provided with its personification system with electric discharge and / or audible warning device.

FIG. 9 represents the drone equipped with its personification system with electric discharge and / or horn during the landing phase, with the particularity of having an articulation between the drone and the personification system with electric discharge allowing landing of the drone. .

FIG. 10 represents a schematic view of a meadow with the operator having the central management system and wishing to automatically gather the herd in the enclosure with three drones equipped with their personification system with electric shock and / or horn. with the particularity of having a hovering UAV with smart camera able to identify the animals and their GPS position and transmit this data to the central management system. Legend (1) Drone equipped with an onboard camera and any system allowing its automatic flight, altitude management and obstacle avoidance. (2) Pantin resembling a man hung by a moving joint to the drone.The set with the addition of the electric shock system and / or horn consists of the personification system with electric shock and / or horn. (3) Pointed electric discharge element located in several places on the puppet (some in charge + and others in -). (4) Articulation allowing landing of the drone by horizontalising the puppet during landing or placing it in vertical position. (5) Grassland perimeter. (6) Operator controlling the drone. (7) Control of the drone. (8) Drone equipped with personification system with electric shock controlled by the operator. (9) Arrow to indicate the path of the animal to be brought into the pen. (10) Animal. (11) Enclosure (assembly area). (12) Points between which the animals must pass to be gathered being the opening of the barrier. (13) Barrier. (14) Operator equipped with the central management system for automatic collection. (15) Drone A with its personification system with electric shock and / or horn. (16) Drone B with its personification system with electric shock and / or horn. (17) Drone C with its personification system with electric shock and / or horn. (18) Representation of the encirclement of animals operated by the central management system and which will tend to reduce it as the animals move forward until they are all in the pen zone in other words, to gather in a precise place. (19) Operator closing the barrier because all the animals are gathered. (20) Animal fled out of the theoretical encirclement calculated by the central management system. (21) New encirclement recalculated by the central management system to recover the escaped animal. (22) Arrow indicating that the drone A and the drone B back to search for the animal fled following the new encirclement calculated by the central management system. (23) Direction of advancement of drones. (24) Drone C flight area in width determined by the central management system. It is in this width that the drone C has a mission thanks to its onboard camera to analyze, while advancing, all the animals wanting to turn around and move either left or right in its defined width in order to deter animals and get them back in the right direction. (25) Drone B flight area in width determined by the central management system. It is in this width that the drone B has the mission thanks to its on-board camera to analyze, while advancing, all the animals wanting to turn around and move either left or right in its defined width in order to deter animals and get them back in the right direction. (26) Drone A flight area in width determined by the central management system. It is in this width that the drone A has a mission thanks to its onboard camera to analyze, while advancing, all the animals wanting to turn around and move either left or right in its defined width in order to deter animals and get them back in the right direction. (27) Direction of rotation of the joint during landing. (28) Movement of the drone during landing. (29) Descent first to the ground. (30) Sol. (31) Electric shock contact electrode. (32) Hovering drone tracking animals and their GPS coordinates. (33) Transfer of the GPS data of each animal to the central management system and flight order to the tracking drone by the central management system. (34) Order and flight plan to each drone. (35) Horn and / or horn. (36) Distance between the ground and the system of personification always identical in flight when gathering animals by altitude control system of the drone. (37) Coupling of the personification system to the drone. (38) Electric discharge device with battery.

Detailed description of the invention

The present invention relates to a method of assembling livestock herds via drone and to the device for putting it into operation. The method according to the invention can more particularly be applied to cattle, sheep, horses, goats, pigs to gather them in meadow. It can also be applied to other animals such as fallow deer, geese, chickens, etc. in order to gather them outdoors in meadow as well as in buildings. The method and the device according to the invention will, by way of example, be illustrated for a collection of cattle (10) in a meadow (5) in an enclosure (11).

The basic principle of the present invention is that the operator (6) can fly his drone (1) equipped with the personification system with electric discharge and / or buzzer (2) in a vertical position at a constant altitude relative to on the ground (which can be adjusted automatically (36)) to simulate the movement of a human being. He then performs a flight circuit at constant altitude with respect to the ground to come to the rear or other animal (9) to collect and to carry out the same approach and strategy that he would do if he gathered himself even the animals (9, 10) on foot but being stationary while driving the drone (1) provided with the personification system with electric shock and / or horn (2). When one or more animals (9,10) refuse to advance, it is possible for him to activate the buzzer (35) which may be his own recorded voice or a horn or other to move the animal (9). , 10) or to activate an electric shock by bringing the puppet (2) with pointed electrode (3) against the animal (9,10) and to activate an electric discharge to get it in motion. He can also do the same when an animal (9,10) tries to flee. Once the animals are gathered in the enclosure (11), he lands the drone (1).

According to a first embodiment of the method, the gathering of the herd is as described above.

According to a second embodiment of the method, there is an automatic flight management system of one or more UAVs equipped with their personification system with electric shock and / or buzzer using geolocation transmitters placed on each animal or according to a third embodiment of the method via a drone flying over the meadow at high altitude and stationarily with a smart camera that can track the animals on the ground and their progress and communicate their GPS position at any time to the central management system .

Description of a first embodiment of the method according to the invention

Beforehand, the operator (6) enters the drone (1) via screen photoplan the GPS coordinates of the parcel (5) where the meeting must take place and the maximum altitude that the drone (1 + 2) can to overtake and then he, thanks to his remote control (7), makes take off the drone (1 + 2) and orders via the articulation (4) the setting vertically of the puppet (2) with electric discharge electrode (3) a once the drone (1) took off. He then moves to the animals (10) at altitude he wishes and once he begins to want to gather, engages the system so that the drone keeps the same altitude relative to the ground (36) during his future travels to know a programmed distance between the bottom of the puppet (2) and the ground (30). It then performs a flight circuit at constant altitude relative to the ground (30) to come to the rear or other animal (10) to collect and perform the same approach and strategy that he would do if collected the animals himself (10) on foot but being stationary while driving the drone (1) provided with the personification system with electric shock and / or horn (2). When one or more animals (10) refuse to advance, he (6) is allowed to activate the buzzer (35) which may be his own voice recorded or a horn or other to move the animal ( 9,10) or to activate an electric shock by bringing the puppet (2) with pointed electrode (3) against the animal (9,10) and to activate an electric discharge to get it in motion. He can also do the same when an animal (9,10) tries to flee. Once the animals (9,10) gathered in the enclosure (11), it lands the drone (1) by bringing the puppet (2) to the horizontal. There is also the possibility, in safety, if the flight of the drone (1) was to undergo serious disturbances that could cause its crushing due for example puppet (2) caught in the wind or a shock in it of an animal (9,10) or other, that the operator (6) actuates an action which is remote to unhook at the coupling (37) to the drone (1) the personification system with electric shock and / or buzzer (2).

Description of a second embodiment of the method according to the invention

As a variant of the method according to the invention, an automatic herd-gathering system is possible by geolocation transmitter placed on each animal (9, 10). The operator places on the ground the drone or drones (15, 16, 17), each equipped with a personification system with electric shock and / or sounder (2) (unifying drones) and the base including the central management system ( 14). It then enters the central management system (14) via screen photoplan the GPS coordinates of the parcel (5) where the meeting must take place and the maximum altitude that the drone can not exceed and the location (surface gps) will gather (11) by mentioning the two points X and Y (fig3) which will be between these two imaginary line that each animal (10) to collect will have to cross to be collected. The central management system (14) knowing the gps unifying position (15,16,17), calculates a flight plan to gather the animals (10) consisting of encircling (18) using the fences and reducing the latter as the animals (10) advance towards the intersection of the two points X and Y. Once all this done, it puts in flight the unifying drone (15,16,17) and puts, once a sufficient altitude, vertically by command of the articulation (4) or the puppets (2) of each drone (15,16,17) and controls the flight of these so-called drones to go position them behind the animals, there where the central management system (14) decides that it will start the gathering and drops the one or more said drones (15,16,17) to a programmed altitude being an altitude (36) relative to the ground (30) that it will conserve during the gathering with the peculiarity that the bottom of the puppet is to X centimeters of the ground (36). The central management system (14) also determines for each unifying UAV (15,16,17) a flight corridor (24,25,26) in which it can, thanks to its on-board camera, evolve from left to right during advance or parking in flight to perform the task of gathering. The central management system (14) therefore orders the highlighting of the unifying UAV (15,16,17) in order to begin to gather the animals (10) by reducing the encirclement (18) towards the imaginary line between the X and Y points and tracks the evolution of the animals (10) via their GPS coordinates and recalculates at any time a flight plan of the unifying UAV (s) (15, 16, 17) and each of their respective flight lanes (24). , 25,26). During the flight of each unifying UAV (15,16,17) in its flight corridor (24,25,26) (being delimited in width), this one (15,16,17) thanks to its intelligent on-board camera, analyzes the reactions of the animals (10) and if an animal (10) wishes to turn back, it moves in width and can actuate the horn (35) to try to dissuade it and it does not go out the imaginary assembly perimeter (18) and also analyzes whether an animal (10) is not stationary in which case it can activate the horn (35) and / or bring the puppet (2) against and operate the electric shock. If an animal (10) nevertheless manages to turn around and leave the imaginary gathering circle (18), the central management system (14) recalculates a flight plan and retreats one or more unifying drones (fig7.15,16 ) to reintroduce the fleeing animal (20) into the imaginary gathering circle (21). Once the imaginary circle (18) is reduced from one thread to another, translating the advance of the animals (10) towards the collecting zone (11) and once the animals (10) have all passed beyond the imaginary line formed by points X and Y, the central management system (14) places the unifying UAV (15,16,17) hovering on this imaginary line with the possibility for each of them to move in width in their respective flight corridor by monitoring via their smart camera the reaction of the animals (10) and to move from left to right to avoid the eventual leakage thereof. During this time, the operator (14), for example, closes a barrier (13) to close the assembly area (11) and the central management system (14) leaves the flight (s) of the unifying UAV (15, 16 , 17) in the hovering position but with possible oscillation of the latter as long as it has not received from the operator (14) the end order which once arrived will cause it to bring back the drones (15.16.17 ) at their point of departure without necessarily maintaining the assembly altitude and the land will land by horizontal adjustment during the descent of the puppet (2) via the articulation (4). At any time during the flight of the drone (15.16.17), a security system monitors whether the flight of the drone (15,16,17) is not disturbed to the point of causing its crash that could occur for example if the puppet (2) is caught in the wind or from the shock of an animal (10) or other and may if necessary control the detachment of the personification system with electric shock and / or horn (2) of the drone (1) .

Description of a third embodiment of the method according to the invention

As a variant of the method according to the preceding invention, the system operates identically in the same way except that there is no geolocation transmitter on each animal (10) and therefore that the position information of the animals ( 10) is obtained by flying a stationary drone (32) at an altitude that can monitor the entire plot (5), identifying the animals (10) and their location position transmitted to the central management system (14) which before starting a gathering, commands said drone and places it at altitude (32) to receive the data of the animals (10). It then performs an automatic flight plan unifying drones (15,16,17) as described above and once the meeting ended landed this said drone (32) also at its starting point.

Description of a fourth embodiment of the method according to the invention

As a variant of the two methods according to the preceding invention, the system operates identically in the same manner except that the operator 14) can select the animals 10) to be collected by selecting the geolocation transmitters of the animals (10) to be collected or determined on screen after receiving the vision of the smart camera of the locator drone (32) of the animals (10) and their geolocation position which must be collected and then the central management system (14) calculates an automatic flight plan to collect said animals (10) as described above. Note, the system (14) can escape the imaginary gathering circle (18) animals (10) not to be collected but not others.

Advantages of the invention - The device and the method according to the invention allow to gather a whole herd located in a delimited area outside as well as inside. - There is no restraint of animals for the placement of a device in the simple version or the automatic version with tracking of the position of animals by smart camera. - The device and the method according to the invention increase the yield because the easier the ability to gather a herd is increased, the faster the operator will do to act on his flock. - This device and method can be used for a wide range of animals confined to a surveillance zone. - The automatic version also offers the possibility to gather a herd alone. - Saves time and money because less manpower to complete the task. - Improvement of the well-being of the operator and the animal. - Offers the advantage of not flying the drone over the properties of others or public properties. Permits use also in the context of the patent application No. 93440 method and device for learning how to clean farm animals and possibly the application No. 93057 method and device for remote monitoring of mammals in distant prairie.

Claims (21)

1. A method of assembling a herd of prairie breeding confined in an area delimited outdoors or indoors, comprising the following steps: - Gathering of or animals by flight of a drone equipped with a personification system with electric shock and / or buzzer controlled by an operator characterized by the fact that the operator is flying the drone equipped with the personification system with electric shock and / or horn just above the ground and that he controls it so as to perform the same steps he would take on foot to gather the flock according to the reactions of the animals. - When an animal refuses to move forward, the operator may activate a buzzer or electric shock by bringing the personification system with electric shock and / or horn against the animal for contact between the latter and the electric shock electrodes. - Once the animals are assembled, landing of the drone equipped with the personification system with electric shock and / or horn. 2. Method of collecting prairie breeding flock according to claim 1, characterized in that the personification system with electric discharge and / or horn comprises a puppet resembling the human form, pointed and positive electrodes and connected an electric discharge device, an articulation to allow the placing of the puppet vertically and horizontally, a warning with the breeder or other way and / or a horn and a coupling system to the drone and energy transfer and control. 3. Method of collecting prairie breeding flock according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the drone can have a system for automatically flying at an altitude identical to the ground so that the puppet is always at a height. X centimeters of the ground preset during the control of the operator. 4. Method of collecting prairie breeding flock according to claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the farmer can introduce the surface of the plot where the gathering of animals will take place via photoplan on screen and transmitted to the drone via GPS points of the perimeter and a maximum altitude that can not be exceeded in order to prohibit the flight of the drone out of the authorized surface (meadow) and below a certain altitude even if the operator in flight, the pilot accidentally to an exit from the authorized surface or at a prohibited altitude. 5. Method of collecting prairie breeding flock according to claim 2, characterized in that the operator can operate the electric discharge system and / or the sound system. 6. Method of assembling prairie breeding flock according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the collecting zone comprises either an outdoor zone, an indoor zone, or a mixture of the two and that the animals to be gathered may be other than cattle. 7. Method of assembling prairie breeding flock according to claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the collection via drone can be done automatically after introduction of the surface where the animals are on a screen photoplan by the operator as well as the surface of the rally with the 2 points where the animals will have to pass all in between to be reunited to the central management system. 8. Method of collecting prairie breeding flock according to claims 1 to 3 and 7, characterized in that the central management system can know the GPS position of each animal to be collected at each moment by geolocation transmitter placed on necklace to each animal. 9. A prairie breeding herd gathering method according to claim 8, namely that the GPS coordinates at all times of each animal to be collected can be obtained by stationary automatic flight and at an altitude high enough for the camera to monitor any the area where the animals must be gathered from a drone with an on-board smart camera capable of identifying animals and their GPS position. 10. Method of assembling prairie breeding herd according to claim 9, characterized in that the on-board camera can track the animals on the ground and their GPS coordinates at any moment and transmit this data to the central management system. 11. Method of assembling prairie breeding flocks according to claims 1 to 3 and 7 to 9, characterized in that the central management system can perform the coordination and the automatic flight of one or more drones each equipped with the personification system with electric shock and / or horn after calculation at any time of a flight plan of the drone or drones to collect the animals where the operator wishes. 12. Method of collecting prairie breeding flock according to claim 11, characterized in that each drone controlled by the central management system has an obstacle avoidance system and flight at a fixed altitude relative to the ground to keep the puppet on top of the grass. 13. A method of assembling prairie breeding herds according to claim 11, characterized in that each drone receives, from the central management system, its own zone in flight width (flight corridor) where each drone verifies via its own smart camera onboard while advancing if one or animals do not turn around, in which case, the drone must move left or right to deter the animal in default and if an animal does not advance, it must either activate the buzzer, or bring the puppet equipped with the discharge electrodes against the animal and activate the electric discharge. 14. Method of assembling prairie breeding flock according to claim 11, characterized in that if one or more animals leave the enclosure of the flight plan calculated by the system for the assembly, it must recalculate. automatically a correction flight plan to reintroduce the fleeing animal (s) by moving the drones each equipped with their personification system with electric shock and / or horn and restarting the assembly process. 15. Method of assembling prairie breeding flocks according to claim 11, characterized in that once all the animals have been collected in the planned place, the central management system leaves the drones each equipped with their personification system. with electric shock and / or buzzer hovering on the line between the two points where the animals must all pass to be collected but with the possibility for them to swing left and right in their respective flight lanes controlled according to their smart camera when it spots an animal wanting to get out of the staging area. The management system waits for a signal from the operator to then land the UAVs equipped with the personification system with electric shock and / or horn according to a particular landing procedure provided for the personification system at their respective starting point. and also landing at its starting point of the drone with intelligent animal tracking camera and their GPS coordinate if not using collar with geolocation transmitter. 16. Apparatus for assembling breeding herds in meadows, in an area of defined surface and flight altitude and comprising one or more drones equipped with an intelligent camera capable of detecting the intention of an animal and their direction of movement , one or more personification systems with electric discharge by means of pointed electrodes and / or horn and / or horn, an altitude flight system identical to the ground, a central management and coordination system for a rally automatically. 17. Device according to claim 16, comprising on-collar geolocation sensors for each animal and / or flight of a stationary drone equipped with an intelligent camera that can identify each animal as well as their geolocation. 18. Device according to claim 16 or 17, characterized in that the drones used can be provided with an obstacle avoidance system and altitude control. 19. Computer program and image analysis process adapted to implement the method according to any one of claims 1 to 15. 20. A means of safety enabling the personification system with electric shock and / or buzzer of the drone to be unhooked if the flight of the drone is disturbed to the point of causing it to crash on the ground. 21. Means of communication between the central management system and the operator; between the central management system and the unifying UAS (s), between the central management system and the geolocation transmitter (s) as well as between the central management system and the animal tracking UAV with their GPS coordinates.