6681results about "Aviculture" patented technology

A method and apparatus for measuring the physical characteristics of livestock animals such as cattle and hogs. The apparatus of the invention includes a plurality of strategically positioned cameras that are used to obtain data concerning volumetric, curvilinear (surface) and linear measurements of livestock animals such as cattle and hogs and the full carcasses thereof. In accordance with the method of the invention, the data is analyzed to provide information that substantially assists the commercial producer of livestock animals in producing a high-quality end-product for the consumer while adding profitability to the enterprise.

The present invention relates to an article fabrication system having a plurality of material deposition tools containing one or more materials useful in fabricating the article, and a material deposition device having a tool interface for receiving one of the material deposition tools. A system controller is operably connected to the material deposition device to control operation of the material deposition device. Also disclosed is a method of fabricating an article using the system of the invention and a method of fabricating edible foodstuffs.

A freeform fabrication method for making a three-dimensional food object from a design created on a computer, including: (a) providing a support member by which the object is supported while being constructed; (b) operating a material dispensing head for dispensing a continuous or intermittent strand of food composition in a fluent state; this food composition including a liquid ingredient and a primary body-building food material and the dispensed food composition having a rigidity and strength sufficient for permitting the food composition to be built up layer by layer into a three-dimensional shape in a non-solid state; and (c) operating control devices for generating control signals in response to coordinates of the object design and controlling the position of the dispensing head relative to the support member in response to the control signals to control dispensing of the food composition to construct a 3-D shape of this object. The method optionally includes an additional step of applying a heat treatment to the 3-D shape after this 3-D shape is constructed. This method can be used to form an intricate shape of a cake mix, which is then baked in an oven. It can also be used to form a custom-designed decorative shape on the top surface of a pre-made cake.

A device for preparing a fluid food at a desired consumption temperature on demand, comprising two reservoirs of water, a container containing a formula, a data processor and a controller for dispensing water of the correct temperature from each of the reservoirs and the formula from the container into a vessel. Also provided are methods for preparing specialized foods at desired consumption temperatures on demand, and methods for marketing both foods and food-preparation devices.

New devices and methods are provided for noninvasive and noncontact real-time measurements of tissue blood velocity. The invention uses a digital imaging device such as a detector array that allows independent intensity measurements at each pixel to capture images of laser speckle patterns on any surfaces, such as tissue surfaces. The laser speckle is generated by illuminating the surface of interest with an expanded beam from a laser source such as a laser diode or a HeNe laser as long as the detector can detect that particular laser radiation. Digitized speckle images are analyzed using new algorithms for tissue optics and blood optics employing multiple scattering analysis and laser Doppler velocimetry analysis. The resultant two-dimensional images can be displayed on a color monitor and superimposed on images of the tissues.

A computerized system and method are disclosed, the method including but not limited to presenting an interactive cooking menu on a client processor display; receiving on the client device an input regarding the cooking menu and responding to the input. A system is disclosed for performing functions useful in presenting an interactive cooking menu on a client processor display; receiving on the client device an input regarding the cooking menu and responding to the input.

An apparatus that generates brewed beverages by performing one or more chemical and / or mechanical processes may receive requests to produce specified brewed beverages. The apparatus may include a master controller that initiates and controls performance of the chemical and / or mechanical processes to produce the specified beverages. The master controller may adaptively apply one or more process accelerators during the performance of one of the chemical or mechanical processes to accelerate the process or to achieve a desired qualitative or quantitative characteristic for a beverage or a component thereof. The adaptive application of one or more process accelerators may be dependent on a multiple-variable process profile developed for the process and / or a specified beverage. For example, the pressure in a steam wand and / or the depth of the wand may be varied during a process to froth milk in order to produce frothed milk having a desired temperature.

Methods of beverage and flowable food product production using steam injection are provided to efficiently destroy microorganisms able to withstand normal pasteurization temperatures. Microorganisms such as Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris and its spores may be eliminated from fruit juices and the like while minimizing organoleptic degradation due to heating. The apparatus is capable of pasteurizing, blending and controlling the product specifications of a finished beverage in a continuous matter.

A highly automated non-confining system to continuously, or at selected time intervals identify, measure, monitor and manage the consumption behavior, substance intake, body weight and growth of individual animals in their usual production environment including range, pasture, feedlot, dairy and farm without disruption to typical behaviors in order to determine, analyze, model and predict a variety of conditions relating to animal health, productivity, efficiency and quality. A transmitter generally attached to the animal identifies the individual animal by a unique individual code. A weighing device measures animal weight while an animal is consuming substances. An antenna receives the unique signal from the transmitter and a transmitting and receiving device sends acquired signals to a computer and receives instructions from a computer. A computer acquires signals and modification factors incorporated in the computer generate an event or interval measurement of an animal's weight and gain, growth rate and substance consumption, and the animal behavior affecting the measurement. A visual identification mechanism marks cattle that the computer system has determined require intervention. The system models and predicts animal health and growth, performance, carcass characteristics, feed utilization, manure and methane output.

Food stuffs are cooked at precise temperatures, which are optionally below 100° C., in a vessel that is evacuated to exclude air, in which low pressure steam replaces the air. When a sufficient quantity of air is excluded and replaced with water vapor, the temperature of vapor is accurately measured inside the vessel below the lid to control the temperatures within about 1° C. Air is preferably excluded via a controlled heated process for a relatively short period of time at high temperature to generate steam, the temperature is lowered to condense water vapor upon which the lid will sealingly engage the rim of the vessel, forming a partial vacuum in the cooking vessel.

The present invention provides nucleic acid and amino acid sequence of the novel I-1 and I-2 polypeptides, which are associated with human inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Methods of diagnosing and treating inflammatory bowel disease using the IBD-associated I-1 and I-2 antigens also are provided.

A highly automated method and system for providing individual animal electronic identification, measurement and value based management of cattle in a large cattle feedlot. Through the use of (1) a computer system integrated with (2) automatic individual animal identification (3) multiple measurement and remeasurement systems with automatic data input and (4) a cattle handling and sorting system, animals are individually (a) identified and (b) measured by weight, external dimensions and characteristics of internal body tissue. With this information together with animal physiological characteristics and historical data, the computer system calculates the optimum (c) slaughter weight, (d) economic end point and (e) marketing date for shipment to a packing plant. After measurement, individual animals are (f) sorted by direction of the computer in response to calculations from the measurements. The computer system also calculates from individual animal data and other data (g) each animal's pro rata share of total feed intake for the animal's feed group. The computer system (h) stores individual animal measurement, performance and location data, which is used by management to (i) select animals for shipment from the feedlot for slaughter at the optimum time. Following an animal's shipment to a slaughter facility, its identification in the computer system is used to (j) correlate the live animal physical characteristics and performance data to the measured and evaluated carcass characteristics data obtained during the slaughter process and (k) build a data base to more accurately identify and measure value-based characteristics in subsequent animals produced and fed for more effective value-based selection and management of those animals.

Methods and devices to prevent and / or treat breathing disorders (e.g., upper airways disorders) in mammals related to impaired airflow are described. Methods and devices apply force to soft tissue that avoids obstruction of airflow in the mammel's airway. Breathing disorders that are avoided by the methods and / or devices include apnea.

An external stimuli is provided that alerts animals to danger and / or repels the animals from certain areas. More specifically, the system and method of the present invention uses an external stimuli, such as, for example, pulsing microwaves, vibration or supersonic sound waves, in order to alert birds or other animals of danger and / or repel these same birds or animals from specific areas. These produced external stimuli may provide a reversible unpleasant sensation to the birds and other animals so that they will not only be repelled from a specific area, such as an airport, but also will avoid returning to such area. One such unpleasant sensation that is virtually harmless to the birds and other animals is the sensation of dizziness.

A system for distributing perishable goods includes a remote central control station, a plurality of local control units, and a plurality of mobile storage containers. By wirelessly transmitting information between the remote central control system and local control units, controlled conditions within the associated mobile storage containers can be optimized to preserve the perishable goods within the containers during lengthy transport trips.

Embodiments of the present invention comprise an apparatus for laser marking individual objects with indicia at a marking station wherein a predetermined window exists during which each object can be marked as the objects are conveyed along at least one path at a predetermined speed, the apparatus comprising, at least first and second lasers positioned adjacent one or more paths configured to direct a laser beam onto the objects to mark the same with indicia as the objects pass through the marking station, with each of the first and second lasers marking alternate following objects as they pass through the marking station.

Disclosed are cooking devices having inspection systems including: a distance sensor and a digital optical recognition device. The distance sensor detects the position of the food product placed in the cooking device and the digital optical recognition device captures a series of images for the purpose of food product recognition. Once the food product is recognized, the operator is provided with the correct cooking cycle / program for the position and type of food product placed in the cooking device. The inspection systems also ensure that the food product has been properly cooked at the end of the cooking cycle / program. The inspection systems ensure: (1) the food product is correctly recognized; (2) the cooking cycle / program is correctly selected; (3) the correct cooking cycle / program is followed to completion and (4) the quality of the cooked food product meets expected standards.

A large capacity animal feeding and watering device having a serving tray (52) and a removable storage container (48) seated axially within the tray so as to deliver food or water to a serving dish (60). The tray has a number of removable wheels mounted thereunder which enables the device to be highly moveable by the user even when heavy and filled to capacity. The top of the container has a filling aperture (34) of sufficient size to enable access by an adult human hand to the interior of the container to fill or to clean. The same manufacturing molds are used in the production of both the feeding and watering device thereby reducing production costs. The container and the tray are designed to nest closely within other like components thereby decreasing the volume occupied in shipping and storage thus reducing costs.

An automatic feeding system includes a tag attached to a body of a pet; and an automatic feeding apparatus for automatically feeding the pet. The tag includes a receiving device for receiving an electromagnetic wave from the automatic feeding apparatus; an information memory device storing information on the feeding of the pet and outputting the information in response to an output from the receiving device; and a sending device for sending the information which is output from the information memory device to the automatic feeding apparatus using an electric wave. The automatic feeding apparatus includes a receiving device for receiving the electric wave from the tag; an information reading device for reading the information on the feeding of the pet in response to an output from the receiving device of the automatic feeding apparatus; a feeding device for supplying feed based on the information; and a sending device for sending an instruction to read the information on the feeding of the pet to the tag using an electric wave.

A method, and systems implementing such method, for reducing methane emissions by ruminants. The method includes providing a feed dispenser for feeding ruminants one or more nutrient supplements, and the feed dispenser includes a gas analyzer proximate to where the ruminant places its head. The method includes determining a particular ruminant has accessed the feed dispenser such as by reading an identifier from an RFID ear tag and operating the feed dispenser to provide a ration of methane-controlling nutrient supplement. The method includes using the gas analyzer to determine levels of carbon dioxide and methane and operating a data analyzing station to determine a ratio of methane to carbon dioxide and modify the type or amount of nutrient supplement for the ruminant for a next feeding to control methane production or achieve an animal production goal, such as by selectively operating a hopper with two or more supplements compartments.

A method for selecting and arranging program representatives and a cooking device therefor including displaying program representatives on a display device, where the programs are for a cooking device, selecting program representatives via an input device, where the display device is connected to the input device and a control or regulating device, and storing the programs on a storage device, where the control or regulating device is connected to the storage device, the cooking device, or provided by the cooking device, and to the display device to display a program representative as a virtual token on a virtual token board on the display device. The method also includes placing the virtual token on an area of the virtual token board through various means, which enables a representation of a cooking process through the virtual token board to determine when and how to cook and item using the cooking device.

An automated feeding system for pets with special diets includes a feeder dish which is made accessible to a pet only when an ID tag on the pet is recognized as authorized by a receiver on the device and only for a certain time period. The appropriate amount of food is thereby made available at appropriate time intervals. If a plurality of tags is pre-programmed as authorized, each animal's tag can sequentially activate the feeding device to feed each animal, respectively. However, if more than one authorized tag is present in the feeding time set for one animal, the drawer closes.

The present invention is directed towards a method for making a healthy snack food having an appearance and taste similar to conventional fried snack products without the use of an oil-frying process. The method of the present invention includes the steps of providing food slices from a starch-based food or dough. The food slices can be blanched and a controlled amount of oil can be added to enhance final organoleptical properties. The food slices are then rapidly dehydrated to a much lower moisture content in a primary drying step that simulates conventional frying dehydration rates. A food snack, such as a corn or potato-based snack, produced by this method is a low-fat, ready-to-eat snack having the conventional texture and taste associated with fried snack products.

A cooking system for automating cooking steps of a recipe on a stove comprising a stove including a plurality of cooking elements; power controller for controlling the operation of each one of the cooking elements; and computer system in communication with the power controller, said computer system including a processor, computer readable data storage, and a visual display unit. The processor causes the computer system to perform the steps of: for each automated step of said recipe, generates a control signal for actuating at least one of the cooking elements and sends said control signal to the power controller; and for each manual or user step of said recipe, generates data representing user readable instructions for performing the user step and displays said data on the visual display unit. The power controller is adapted to actuate the cooking elements in accordance with each control signal received from the computer system.

A dispensing apparatus for hot beverages is provided with means (4,5) to filter hot pressurised water through ground edible ingredients such as coffee, tea or herbal remedies in a chamber, means (17,18,20) of monitoring real-time data concerning brewing parameters; a controlling unit (16) comprising means of storing data, means of comparing the real-time data to a set of stored data and / or threshold parameters, stored in the controller's memory associated with the brewing system, to determine whether a correction to the parameters should be made, and means (8,9,24) of altering at least one of the relevant brewing parameters, when required to bring said real time parameter in line with said recorded parameter to obtain consistent high quality of the dispensed beverage.

The present invention relates to a food contamination detector associated with a double bar code, given the trademark GILBAR.TM. by the owner of the present invention, that includes coded indicia used to identify the presence of conditions indicative of microbial contamination in food, including toxic contaminants, bacterial metabolites, and other microbial secretions. Of the two bar code symbols associated with the food contamination detector, the first identifies the food product in terms of the type of food, the quantity, the price and the like, while the second bar code symbol is designed to identify the presence of contaminants. When contamination is not detected, the first bar code symbol is scanner readable, whereas the second bar code symbol is not. Once contamination is detected, bars in both bar code symbols can appear or disappear causing the first bar code symbol to become scanner unreadable and the second bar code symbol to become scanner readable.

A method and system for reducing methane emissions by ruminants. The method includes providing a feed dispenser for feeding ruminants nutrient supplements, and the feed dispenser includes a gas analyzer where a ruminant places its head. The method includes determining a particular ruminant has accessed the feed dispenser such as by reading an identifier from an RFID ear tag and operating the feed dispenser to provide a ration of methane-controlling nutrient supplement. The method includes using the gas analyzer to determine levels of carbon dioxide and methane and operating a data analyzing station to determine a ratio of methane to carbon dioxide and modify the type or amount of nutrient supplement for the ruminant for a next feeding to control methane production or achieve an animal production goal, such as by operating a hopper with supplement compartments. The unit can be monitored remotely and controlled through an Internet connection.