System and method for estrus or estrus detection

Abstract

The presently disclosed subject matter is directed to a system and method for determining an estrus or estrus of one or more female animals located in proximity to a male animal, the system comprising processing circuitry configured to: (a) receive information indicative of a degree of proximity between the one or more female animals and the male animal; and (b) determining, for each given one of the one or more female animals, whether the given female animal is in oestrus based on the received information. Further, systems and methods for determining estrus or estrus may be used to determine a source of conception for one or more pregnant female animals or suspected pregnant female animals, and to determine a distance between the secondary tag and the primary tag.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the technical field of estrus or estrus detection.

[0002] Cross-references to related applications

[0003] The entire contents of PCT application PCT / EP2022 / 078713, filed October 14, 2022, entitled “Livestock Insurance Identification”, and U.S. Patent US10,986,816, filed September 26, 2016, entitled “Livestock Location System”, are incorporated herein by reference. Background Technology

[0004] The estrous cycle refers to a series of repeated physiological changes induced by reproductive hormones in most female mammals. Females begin their estrous cycle after reaching sexual maturity, which can be interrupted by anestrus (also known as the "resting period") or pregnancy. Each estrous cycle consists of four phases: estrus, metestrus, diaestrus, and proestrus.

[0005] The estrous cycle spans vary among different animals, and the duration also differs between different periods. For example, a dairy cow's estrous cycle is approximately once every 21 days, while a ewe's is approximately once every 16 days. During this period, the estrus period or duration of estrus in dairy cows (i.e., the female's sexual receptive period) lasts about 18 hours, while the estrus period or duration of estrus in ewe lasts about 30 hours.

[0006] Currently, there are several main methods for detecting estrus or estrus. The first method is based on visual observation of behaviors exhibited by specific females, such as mounting other females, jaw resting and rubbing, frequent urination, growling, restlessness, and / or olfactory behavior, to name a few. The second method is based on external factors, such as jaw ball markers, animal teasing, and / or motion sensors, to name a few, designed to help identify estrus or estrus.

[0007] While the methods described above are widely used, they are often insufficient when applied to large areas, such as large ranches. Furthermore, these methods are typically difficult to manage and time-consuming because they may require active and continuous monitoring of females (e.g., in cases involving visual observation, mandibular ball marking, and animal teasing). Moreover, existing methods cannot identify the male who impregnated each pregnant female (i.e., paternity testing).

[0008] Therefore, there is an urgent need in this field for new systems and methods for detecting estrus or estrus. Summary of the Invention

[0009] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, a system is provided for determining the estrus of one or more female animals located near a male animal. The system includes processing circuitry configured to: receive information indicating the proximity between the one or more female animals and the male animal; and, based on the received information, determine whether a given female animal is in estrus for each of the one or more female animals.

[0010] In one embodiment of the subject matter of this disclosure and / or its embodiments, (i) a main tag is associated with a male animal; (ii) a sub-tag is associated with each given female animal in one or more female animals; and (iii) information indicating the proximity between one or more female animals and a male animal is obtained from signals transmitted between the sub-tags of one or more female animals and the main tag of the male animal.

[0011] In one embodiment of the subject matter of this disclosure and / or its embodiments, (a) if the number of transmission signals sent by the corresponding sub-tag of a given female animal and received by the main tag during a set time window exceeds a first threshold, it is determined that the given female animal is in estrus; and (b) if the number of transmission signals sent by the corresponding sub-tag of a given female animal and received by the main tag during a set time window is less than the first threshold, it is determined that the given female animal is not in estrus.

[0012] In one embodiment of the subject matter of this disclosure and / or its embodiments, the first threshold is dynamically adjusted according to the estrous cycle of the given female animal.

[0013] In one embodiment of the subject matter of this disclosure and / or its embodiments, each of the transmission signals is assigned a score associated with the proximity level of the secondary tag of the given female animal and the primary tag of the male animal, and wherein the scores are accumulated to form an aggregate score and the aggregate score is compared with a score threshold such that when the aggregate score exceeds the score threshold, it is determined that the given female animal is in estrus.

[0014] In one embodiment of the subject matter of this disclosure and / or its embodiments, the signal with a signal strength higher than a second threshold is received by the master tag.

[0015] In one embodiment of the subject matter of this disclosure and / or its embodiments, signal strength is determined using a Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI).

[0016] In one embodiment of the subject matter of this disclosure and / or its embodiments, (a) if the number of transmission signals sent by the master tag and received by the sub-tag of the given female animal during a set time window exceeds a first threshold, it is determined that the given female animal is in estrus; and (b) if the number of transmission signals sent by the master tag and received by the sub-tag of the given female animal during a set time window is less than the first threshold, it is determined that the given female animal is not in estrus.

[0017] In one embodiment of the subject matter of this disclosure and / or its embodiments, the signal with a signal strength higher than a second threshold is received by the master tag.

[0018] In one embodiment of the subject matter of this disclosure and / or its embodiments, signal strength is determined using a Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI).

[0019] In one embodiment of the subject matter of this disclosure and / or its embodiments, the main tag includes an internal power supply, and wherein the main tag has a low-power time window during which the main tag is configured to operate at minimum power to conserve energy from its internal power supply.

[0020] In one embodiment of the subject matter of this disclosure and / or its embodiments, signals transmitted between a sub-tag and a primary tag are transmitted from the sub-tag to the primary tag at different times within one or more reception time windows of the primary tag.

[0021] In one embodiment of the subject matter of this disclosure and / or its embodiments, each signal transmitted by a given sub-tag includes an identifier associated with that given sub-tag.

[0022] In one embodiment of the subject matter of this disclosure and / or its embodiments, the male animal is a bull, and the corresponding female animal is a cow.

[0023] In one embodiment of the subject matter of this disclosure and / or its embodiments, the system also receives information indicating the behavior exhibited by one or more female or male animals, thereby determining whether a given female animal is in estrus or estrus based on distance and behavioral information.

[0024] According to a second aspect of this disclosure, a system is provided for determining estrus in one or more female animals, each female animal being connected to a sub-tag, wherein at least some of the sub-tags are within the broadcast range of a main tag attached to a male animal. The system includes processing circuitry configured to: synchronize the main tag and at least some of the sub-tags such that one or more reception time windows of the main tag coincide with one or more transmission time windows of the at least some of the sub-tags, wherein the main tag is configured to receive data during the reception time window and the at least some of the sub-tags are configured to transmit data during the transmission time window; and at different time points within the one or more reception time windows of the main tag, each given sub-tag transmits data. The system transmits a signal including an identifier associated with a given sub-tag; during the main tag's reception time window, the main tag receives signals transmitted by sub-tags located within the main tag's broadcast range; for each given female animal in one or more female animals, it determines whether the given female animal is in: (i) estrus or (ii) not in estrus; wherein: (a) the given female animal is determined to be in estrus if the number of transmitted signals transmitted by the corresponding sub-tag of the given female animal and received by the main tag exceeds a first threshold; and (b) the given female animal is determined to be not in estrus if the number of transmitted signals transmitted by the corresponding sub-tag of the given female animal and received by the main tag is less than a first threshold.

[0025] In one embodiment of the subject matter of this disclosure and / or its embodiments, the signal with a signal strength higher than a second threshold is received.

[0026] In one embodiment of the subject matter of this disclosure and / or its embodiments, signal strength is determined using a Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI).

[0027] In one embodiment of the subject matter of this disclosure and / or its embodiments, one or more different time points are randomly selected during the reception time window of the main tag.

[0028] In one embodiment of the subject matter of this disclosure and / or its embodiments, the main tag includes an internal power supply, and wherein the main tag has a low-power time window during which the main tag is configured to operate at minimum power to conserve energy from its internal power supply.

[0029] In one embodiment of the subject matter of this disclosure and / or its embodiments, synchronization between a primary tag and a secondary tag is accomplished by the following steps: the primary tag transmits one or more signals within a specific time period, wherein at least a portion of the one or more signals includes synchronization information capable of determining at least one reception time window during which the primary tag is configured to receive data; at least a portion of the secondary tags receive at least one of the at least some signals transmitted by the primary tag; and, based on the synchronization information received by each given secondary tag by at least a portion of the secondary tags, the operating scheme of each given secondary tag is updated, wherein (i) the operating scheme defines a transmission time window during which the given secondary tag is configured to transmit data; and (ii) the transmission time window at least partially overlaps with at least one reception time window.

[0030] In one embodiment of the subject matter of this disclosure and / or its embodiments, each sub-tag includes a corresponding internal power supply, and wherein the operating scheme further defines a low-power time window during which the sub-tag does not transmit data to conserve the energy of the internal power supply.

[0031] According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, a system is provided for determining the source of conception of one or more pregnant females located in the vicinity of multiple males. The system includes processing circuitry configured to: receive information indicating the degree of proximity between the one or more pregnant females and multiple males prior to pregnancy, when the pregnant females were in estrus or during estrus; and, for each given pregnant female among the one or more pregnant females, based on the received information, determine one given male among the multiple males that were in the vicinity of the given pregnant female during estrus or during estrus.

[0032] In one embodiment of the subject matter of this disclosure and / or its embodiments, (i) each of the multiple male animals is associated with a main tag; (ii) each of the one or more pregnant female animals is associated with a secondary tag; and (iii) information indicating the proximity of the one or more pregnant female animals to the multiple male animals is obtained from signals transmitted between the secondary tag of the one or more pregnant female animals and the main tag of the multiple male animals when the one or more pregnant female animals are in estrus or during estrus.

[0033] In one embodiment of the subject matter of this disclosure and / or its embodiments, the signal with a signal strength higher than a second threshold is received.

[0034] In one embodiment of the subject matter of this disclosure and / or its embodiments, signal strength is determined using a Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI).

[0035] In one embodiment of the subject matter of this disclosure and / or its embodiments, each master tag includes an internal power supply, and wherein each master tag has a low-power time window in which the master tag is configured to operate at minimum power to conserve energy of its internal power supply.

[0036] In one embodiment of the subject matter of this disclosure and / or its embodiments, the signal transmitted between the sub-tag and the primary tag is transmitted from the sub-tag to the primary tag at different times within one or more reception time windows of the primary tag.

[0037] In one embodiment of the subject matter of this disclosure and / or its embodiments, the signal transmitted between the sub-tag and the primary tag is transmitted from the primary tag to the sub-tag at different times within one or more reception time windows of the sub-tag.

[0038] In one embodiment of the subject matter of this disclosure and / or its embodiments, each of the signals transmitted by a given sub-tag includes an identifier associated with the given sub-tag.

[0039] In one embodiment of the subject matter of this disclosure and / or its embodiments, the male animal is a bull, and the corresponding female animal is a cow.

[0040] According to a fourth aspect of this disclosure, a system is provided for determining the distance between a primary tag and one or more secondary tags within the broadcast range of a primary tag. The system includes processing circuitry configured to: synchronize a primary tag and secondary tags such that one or more receive time windows of the primary tag coincide with one or more transmit time windows of the secondary tags, the primary tag being configured to receive data during the receive time window and the secondary tags being configured to transmit data during the transmit time window; transmit a signal by each given secondary tag at different time points within the one or more receive time windows of the primary tag, the signal including an identifier associated with the given secondary tag; receive the signal transmitted by the secondary tags by the primary tag during its receive time window; and, for each given secondary tag, determine the distance between the given secondary tag and the primary tag based on the signal received therefrom.

[0041] In one embodiment of the subject matter of this disclosure and / or its embodiments, (i) a main tag is configured to be associated with a male animal; and (ii) one or more sub-tags are configured to be associated with a corresponding female animal.

[0042] In one embodiment of the subject matter of this disclosure and / or its embodiments, the male animal is a bull, and the corresponding female animal is a cow.

[0043] In one embodiment of the subject matter of this disclosure and / or its embodiments, the distance is calculated based on the elapsed time between a different time point in time when the sub-tag transmits the signal and the time when the main tag attached to the male animal receives the transmitted signal.

[0044] In one embodiment of the subject matter of this disclosure and / or its embodiments, each given sub-tag sends its signal after a predefined time interval and calculates the distance based on the time elapsed until the primary tag receives the signal.

[0045] According to a fifth aspect of this disclosure, a sub-tag connectable to a non-human animal is provided, the sub-tag including a separate internal power supply and processing circuitry, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to:

[0046] The system receives one or more signals transmitted by a primary tag located within the broadcast range of a secondary tag, wherein at least a portion of the signals include synchronization information capable of determining at least one reception time window during which the primary tag is configured to receive data; and updates the operating scheme of the secondary tag based on the received synchronization information, wherein the operating scheme defines: (i) a transmission time window during which the secondary tag is configured to transmit data, the transmission time window at least partially overlapping with the reception time window; and (ii) a low-power time window during which the secondary tag does not transmit data to conserve internal power.

[0047] In one embodiment of the subject matter of this disclosure and / or its embodiments, the sub-tag transmits data at one or more different time points during the primary tag's reception time window, thereby at least reducing the likelihood of collisions with signals transmitted by one or more other sub-tags configured to transmit data during the reception time window.

[0048] In one embodiment of the subject matter of this disclosure and / or its embodiments, one or more different time points are randomly selected during the reception time window of the main tag.

[0049] In one embodiment of the subject matter of this disclosure and / or its embodiments, (i) a main tag is configured to be associated with a male animal; and (ii) one or more sub-tags are configured to be associated with a corresponding female animal.

[0050] In one embodiment of the subject matter of this disclosure and / or its embodiments, the male animal is a bull, and the corresponding female animal is a cow.

[0051] According to a sixth aspect of the present disclosure, a method is provided for determining estrus in one or more female animals located near a male animal, the method comprising: receiving information indicating the degree of proximity between the one or more female animals and the male animal; and, based on the received information, determining whether a given female animal is in estrus for each of the one or more female animals.

[0052] In one embodiment of the subject matter of this disclosure and / or its embodiments, (i) a main tag is associated with a male animal; (ii) a sub-tag is associated with each of one or more female animals; and (iii) information indicating the proximity between one or more female animals and a male animal is obtained from a signal transmitted between the sub-tag of one or more female animals and the main tag of the male animal.

[0053] In one embodiment of the subject matter of this disclosure and / or its embodiments, (a) if the number of transmission signals sent by the corresponding sub-tag of a given female animal and received by the main tag during a set time window exceeds a first threshold, it is determined that the given female animal is in estrus; and (b) if the number of transmission signals sent by the corresponding sub-tag of a given female animal and received by the main tag during a set time window is less than the first threshold, it is determined that the given female animal is not in estrus.

[0054] In one embodiment of the subject matter of this disclosure and / or its embodiments, the signal with a signal strength higher than a second threshold is received by the master tag.

[0055] In one embodiment of the subject matter of this disclosure and / or its embodiments, signal strength is determined using a Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI).

[0056] In one embodiment of the subject matter of this disclosure and / or its embodiments, (a) if the number of transmission signals sent by the master tag and received by the sub-tag of the given female animal during a set time window exceeds a first threshold, it is determined that the given female animal is in estrus; (b) if the number of transmission signals sent by the master tag and received by the sub-tag of the given female animal during a set time window is less than the first threshold, it is determined that the given female animal is not in estrus.

[0057] In one embodiment of the subject matter of this disclosure and / or its embodiments, the signal with a signal strength higher than a second threshold is received by the master tag.

[0058] In one embodiment of the subject matter of this disclosure and / or its embodiments, signal strength is determined using a Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI).

[0059] In one embodiment of the subject matter of this disclosure and / or its embodiments, the main tag includes an internal power supply, and wherein the main tag has a low-power time window in which the main tag is configured to operate at minimum power to conserve energy of its internal power supply.

[0060] In one embodiment of the subject matter of this disclosure and / or its embodiments, the signal transmitted between the sub-tag and the primary tag is transmitted from the sub-tag to the primary tag at different times within one or more reception time windows of the primary tag.

[0061] In one embodiment of the subject matter of this disclosure and / or its embodiments, each signal transmitted by a given sub-tag includes an identifier associated with that given sub-tag.

[0062] In one embodiment of the subject matter of this disclosure and / or its embodiments, the male animal is a bull, and the corresponding female animal is a cow.

[0063] In one embodiment of the subject matter of this disclosure and / or its embodiments, the method also receives behavioral information indicating the behavior exhibited by one or more female or male animals, thereby determining whether a given female animal is in estrus or estrus based on the distance and behavioral information.

[0064] According to a seventh aspect of this disclosure, a method is provided for determining estrus in one or more female animals, each female animal being attached to a sub-tag, at least some of the sub-tags being within the broadcast range of a main tag attached to a male animal. The method includes: synchronizing the main tag and at least some of the sub-tags such that one or more reception time windows of the main tag coincide with one or more transmission time windows of the at least some of the sub-tags; in the reception time window, the main tag is configured to receive data, and in the transmission time window, at least some of the sub-tags are configured to transmit data; and at different time points within the one or more reception time windows of the main tag, each given sub-tag transmits data including data related to that given sub-tag. The system identifies the associated identifier; the main tag receives signals transmitted by sub-tags within the broadcast range of the main tag during its reception time window; for each given female animal in one or more female animals, the system determines whether the given female animal is in estrus or not; wherein: (a) the given female animal is in estrus if the number of transmitted signals transmitted by the corresponding sub-tag of the given female animal and received by the main tag exceeds a first threshold; and (b) the given female animal is not in estrus if the number of transmitted signals transmitted by the corresponding sub-tag of the given female animal and received by the main tag is less than a first threshold.

[0065] In one embodiment of the subject matter of this disclosure and / or its embodiments, the signal with a signal strength higher than a second threshold is received.

[0066] In one embodiment of the subject matter of this disclosure and / or its embodiments, signal strength is determined using a Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI).

[0067] In one embodiment of the subject matter of this disclosure and / or its embodiments, one or more different time points are randomly selected during the reception time window of the main tag.

[0068] In one embodiment of the subject matter of this disclosure and / or its embodiments, the main tag includes an internal power supply, and wherein the main tag has a low-power time window in which the main tag is configured to operate at minimum power to conserve energy of its internal power supply.

[0069] In one embodiment of the subject matter of this disclosure and / or its embodiments, synchronization between a primary tag and a secondary tag is accomplished by the following steps: the primary tag transmits one or more signals within a specific time period, wherein at least a portion of the one or more signals include synchronization information capable of determining at least one reception time window during which the primary tag is configured to receive data; at least a portion of the secondary tags receive at least one of the signals transmitted by the primary tag; and, based on the synchronization information received by each given secondary tag, the operating scheme of each given secondary tag is updated, wherein (i) the operating scheme defines a transmission time window during which the given secondary tag is configured to transmit data; and (ii) the transmission time window at least partially overlaps with at least one reception time window.

[0070] In one embodiment of the subject matter of this disclosure and / or its embodiments, each sub-tag includes its own internal power supply, and wherein the operating scheme further defines a low-power time window during which the sub-tag does not transmit data to conserve the energy of the internal power supply.

[0071] According to an eighth aspect of the subject matter of this disclosure, a method is provided for determining the source of fertility of one or more pregnant female animals located near multiple male animals, the method comprising: receiving information indicating the degree of proximity between the one or more pregnant female animals and multiple male animals prior to pregnancy and during the estrus period of the one or more pregnant female animals; and, based on the received information, determining, for each given pregnant female animal, one of the multiple male animals located near the given pregnant female animal during the estrus period of the given pregnant female animal.

[0072] In one embodiment of the subject matter of this disclosure and / or its embodiments, (i) a main tag is associated with each of the multiple male animals; (ii) a sub-tag is associated with each of the one or more pregnant female animals; and (iii) information indicating the proximity between the one or more pregnant female animals and the multiple male animals is obtained from signals transmitted between the sub-tag of the one or more pregnant female animals and the main tag of the multiple male animals when the one or more pregnant female animals are in estrus or during estrus.

[0073] In one embodiment of the subject matter of this disclosure and / or its embodiments, the signal with a signal strength higher than a second threshold is received.

[0074] In one embodiment of the subject matter of this disclosure and / or its embodiments, signal strength is determined using a Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI).

[0075] In one embodiment of the subject matter of this disclosure and / or its embodiments, each master tag includes an internal power supply, and wherein each master tag has a low-power time window in which the master tag is configured to operate at minimum power to conserve energy of its internal power supply.

[0076] In one embodiment of the subject matter of this disclosure and / or its embodiments, the signal transmitted between the sub-tag and the primary tag is transmitted from the sub-tag to the primary tag at different times within one or more reception time windows of the primary tag.

[0077] In one embodiment of the subject matter of this disclosure and / or its embodiments, the signal transmitted between the sub-tag and the primary tag is transmitted from the primary tag to the sub-tag at different times within one or more reception time windows of the sub-tag.

[0078] In one embodiment of the subject matter of this disclosure and / or its embodiments, each of the signals transmitted by a given sub-tag includes an identifier associated with the given sub-tag.

[0079] In one embodiment of the subject matter of this disclosure and / or its embodiments, the male animal is a bull, and the corresponding female animal is a cow.

[0080] According to a ninth aspect of this disclosure, a method is provided for determining the distance between a primary tag and one or more secondary tags located within the broadcast range of the primary tag, the method comprising: synchronizing the primary tag and the secondary tags such that one or more receive time windows of the primary tag coincide with one or more transmit time windows of the secondary tags, wherein in the receive time window, the primary tag is configured to receive data and in the transmit time window, the secondary tags are configured to transmit data; at different time points within the one or more receive time windows of the primary tag, each given secondary tag transmits a signal including an identifier associated with the given secondary tag; the primary tag receives the signal transmitted by the secondary tags during its receive time window; and for each given secondary tag, determining the distance between the given secondary tag and the primary tag based on the signal received therefrom.

[0081] In one embodiment of the subject matter of this disclosure and / or its embodiments, (i) a main tag is configured to be associated with a male animal; and (ii) one or more sub-tags are configured to be associated with a corresponding female animal.

[0082] In one embodiment of the subject matter of this disclosure and / or its embodiments, the male animal is a bull, and the corresponding female animal is a cow.

[0083] In one embodiment of the subject matter of this disclosure and / or its embodiments, the distance is calculated based on the time elapsed between different time points at which the sub-tag transmits the signal and the time at which the main tag attached to the male animal receives the transmitted signal.

[0084] In one embodiment of the subject matter of this disclosure and / or its embodiments, each given sub-tag sends its signal after a predefined time interval and calculates the distance based on the time elapsed until the primary tag receives the signal. Attached Figure Description

[0085] To understand the subject matter of this disclosure and how it can be implemented in practice, the subject matter will now be described by way of non-limiting example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0086] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the environment in which a system for estrus or estrus detection, based on the subject matter of this disclosure, operates;

[0087] Figure 2 This is a block diagram schematically illustrating an example of a system for estrus or estrus detection according to the subject matter of this disclosure;

[0088] Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of a series of operations performed by a system for estrus or estrus detection in accordance with the subject matter of this disclosure;

[0089] Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating another example of a series of operations performed by a system for estrus or estrus detection in accordance with the subject matter of this disclosure;

[0090] Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating yet another example of a series of operations performed by a system for estrus detection according to the subject matter of this disclosure; and,

[0091] Figure 6 This is a flowchart illustrating yet another example of a series of operations performed by a system for estrus or estrus detection in accordance with the subject matter of this disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0092] Numerous specific details are set forth in the following detailed description to provide a thorough understanding of the subject matter of this disclosure. However, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the subject matter of this disclosure can be practiced even without these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, processes, and components have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the subject matter of this disclosure.

[0093] In the accompanying drawings and description, the same reference numerals denote those components common to different embodiments or configurations.

[0094] Unless otherwise specifically stated, as will be apparent from the following discussion, it should be understood that throughout this specification, the use of terms such as “receive,” “determine,” “synchronize,” “transmit,” and “update” encompasses the actions and / or processes of a computer operating on data and / or converting data into other data, said data being represented as physical quantities (e.g., electronic quantities) and / or said data representing physical objects. The terms “computer,” “processor,” “processing resource,” “processing circuit,” and “controller” should be broadly interpreted to cover any kind of electronic device with data processing capabilities, including, as non-limiting examples, personal desktop / laptop computers, servers, computing systems, communication devices, smartphones, tablet computers, smart TVs, processors (e.g., digital signal processors (DSPs), microcontrollers, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), etc.), groups of multiple physical machines sharing the performance of various tasks, virtual servers residing together on a single physical machine, any other electronic computing devices, and / or any combination thereof.

[0095] The operations taught herein can be performed by a computer program stored in a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, by a computer specifically built for the desired purpose or by a general-purpose computer specifically configured for the desired purpose. The term "non-transitory" as used herein does not include transient propagating signals, but includes any volatile or non-volatile computer memory technology suitable for the application.

[0096] As used herein, the phrases “for example,” “such as,” “like,” “e.g.,” and variations thereof describe non-limiting embodiments of the subject matter of this disclosure. References in the specification to “a situation,” “some situations,” “other situations,” or variations thereof mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the subject matter of this disclosure. Therefore, the appearance of the phrases “a situation,” “some situations,” “other situations,” or variations thereof does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment.

[0097] It should be understood that, unless otherwise specifically stated, for clarity, certain features of the subject matter of this disclosure described in the context of separate embodiments may also be provided in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, for brevity, various features of the subject matter of this disclosure described in the context of a single embodiment may also be provided separately or in any suitable sub-combination.

[0098] In embodiments of the subject matter of this disclosure, a comparison can be performed. Figure 3-6 The fewer, more, and / or different stages shown. In embodiments of the subject matter of this disclosure, they may be performed in a different order. Figure 3-6 One or more stages are shown and / or one or more sets of stages can be executed simultaneously. Figure 2A general schematic diagram of a system architecture according to an embodiment of the subject matter of this disclosure is shown. Figure 2 Each module in this document may consist of any combination of software, hardware, and / or firmware that perform the functions defined and explained herein. Figure 2 The modules in the system can be concentrated in one location or distributed across more than one location. In other embodiments of the subject matter of this disclosure, the system may include more than Figure 2 The modules shown may be fewer, more, or different.

[0099] Any reference to a method in this specification shall be adapted, as necessary, to systems capable of performing the method, and as necessary, to non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions which, when executed by a computer, would result in the execution of the method.

[0100] Any references to the system in this specification shall be modified as necessary to apply to methods that can be executed by the system, and shall be modified as necessary to apply to non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions that can be executed by the system.

[0101] Any reference in this specification to a non-transitory computer-readable medium shall be modified as necessary to apply to a system capable of executing instructions stored in such a non-transitory computer-readable medium, and as necessary to apply to a method executable by a computer that reads instructions stored in such a non-transitory computer-readable medium.

[0102] In view of this, see Figure 1 It shows a schematic diagram of the environment in which a system for estrus or estrus detection (which may also be referred to interchangeably as the “system”) according to the subject matter of this disclosure operates.

[0103] As illustrated in the diagram, environment 100 includes region 102, which contains an animal population 104 consisting of multiple female animals (labeled 106) and one or more male animals (labeled 108). The female animals (e.g., cows, sows, mares, ewes, does, etc.) and one or more male animals (e.g., bulls, boars, stallions, rams, bucks, etc.) can be dispersed throughout region 102, allowing for interaction between individuals. In the first example, region 102 can be a controlled environment, such as a controlled enclosure or controlled barn. In the second example, region 102 can be an uncontrolled environment, such as a pasture or ranch. In the third example, region 102 can include both controlled and uncontrolled areas.

[0104] One or more male animals, or at least one of them, may each be connected to the first device 110 (e.g., a tag, collar, internal implant); while multiple female animals, or at least one of them, may each be connected to the second device 112 (e.g., a tag, collar, internal implant). In a non-limiting example, the first device 110 is the main tag, and the second device 112 is the secondary tag.

[0105] The primary and secondary tags can be different tag types, such as identification tags, monitoring tags, etc., and can be respectively attached to different body parts (e.g., ears, tails, legs, necks, etc.) of one or more male and female animals. In one example, the primary and secondary tags can be the same tag type (e.g., monitoring ear tags attached to at least one ear of a given male and one given female animal, respectively). In another example, the primary and secondary tags can be different tag types (e.g., the primary tag can be a monitoring ear tag, while the secondary tag can be an identification collar tag).

[0106] Each primary and secondary tag follows a corresponding operational scheme, which consists of one or more transmission time windows and one or more reception time windows. Both primary and secondary tags can interact with other tags using these transmission and reception time windows, for example, tags of the same type (e.g., primary-primary or secondary-secondary) or tags of different types (e.g., primary-secondary or secondary-primary). Interaction between tags can be achieved by transmitting and receiving signals (e.g., beacon signals), which can transfer information between tags (e.g., proximity-related information, behavior-related information, identification information, etc.). For example, a given primary tag may operate according to an operational scheme consisting of three transmission time windows and three reception time windows arranged alternately. In contrast, a given secondary tag intended to interact with the given primary tag may operate according to an operational scheme consisting of two reception time windows and two transmission time windows arranged alternately. Interaction between the two tags can be achieved by transmitting and / or receiving signals within their respective transmission and / or reception time windows.

[0107] In some cases, instead of or in addition to the above, the transmission of information may be carried out by other systems besides the tag (e.g., control systems, etc.).

[0108] In some cases, for a pair of primary and secondary tags to interact, the secondary tag must be within the broadcast range of the primary tag. In other cases, instead of or in addition to the above, for a pair of primary and secondary tags to interact, at least one transmission time window of the secondary tag must be synchronized with at least one reception time window of the primary tag, as described below. Figure 4 As stated above.

[0109] In some cases, the primary tag and / or secondary tag may include an internal power supply to ensure the operation of the tag. In this case, the operating scheme of the primary tag and / or secondary tag may further include one or more low-power time windows. For the primary tag, the one or more low-power time windows may define time periods during which the primary tag can be configured to operate at minimum power to conserve energy from its internal power supply. For the secondary tag, the low-power time windows may define time periods during which the secondary tag can be configured not to transmit data to conserve energy from its internal power supply.

[0110] By way of a non-limiting example (presented only for better understanding of the disclosed subject matter and not intended to limit its scope in any way), a herd 104 is dispersed on a pasture 102, comprising seven cows 106 and three bulls 108. Each of the seven cows 106 has a sub-tag attached to its right ear, while each of the three bulls 108 has a main tag attached to its left ear. The main tags of the three bulls 108 and the sub-tags of the seven cows 106 each follow their respective operating schemes, allowing them to interact with each other through signals transmitted between them. The transmitted signals are all associated with proximity-related information indicating the proximity of a given cow or bull to a corresponding cow or bull among the remaining cows or bulls in the herd 104. This information is transmitted both between the tags and to a control system outside the tags.

[0111] Note the components of the system 200 used for estrus detection or estrus period assessment.

[0112] Figure 2 This is a block diagram schematically illustrating an example of a system 200 for estrus or estrus detection according to the subject matter of this disclosure.

[0113] According to the subject matter of this disclosure, a system 200 for estrus detection (which may also be referred to herein as "system 200") may include a network interface 206. The network interface 206 (e.g., a network interface card, Wi-Fi client, Li-Fi client, 3G / 4G client, or any other communication component) enables system 200 to communicate with external systems via a network and to process inbound and outbound communications from these systems. For example, system 200 may receive information indicating the proximity between one or more female and male animals via network interface 206.

[0114] System 200 further includes or is otherwise coupled to a data repository 204 (e.g., a database, storage system, memory, including read-only memory—ROM, random access memory—RAM, or any other type of memory, etc.), which is configured to store data. Some examples of data that can be stored in data repository 204 include:

[0115] One or more send and / or receive time windows for one or more master tags;

[0116] One or more sending and / or receiving time windows for one or more sub-tags;

[0117] One or more different points in time within one or more receiving time windows of one or more main tags;

[0118] One or more identifiers associated with one or more sub-tags;

[0119] One or more identifiers associated with one or more first tags;

[0120] Identify one or more female animals that are in estrus or in heat.

[0121] Identify one or more female animals that are not in estrus or are in estrus;

[0122] One or more signal strengths associated with one or more transmitted signals;

[0123] One or more low-power time windows for one or more main tags;

[0124] One or more work schemes associated with one or more main tags;

[0125] One or more work schemes associated with one or more sub-labels; etc.

[0126] The data repository 204 can be further configured to retrieve and / or update and / or delete the stored data. It should be noted that in some cases, the data repository 204 can be distributed, while the system 200 can still access the information stored thereon, for example, via a wired or wireless network capable of connecting to the system 200 (using its network interface 206).

[0127] System 200 also includes processing circuitry 202. Processing circuitry 202 may be one or more processing units (e.g., central processing unit), microprocessors, microcontrollers (e.g., microcontroller unit (MCU)), or any other computing device or module, including multiple and / or parallel and / or distributed processing units adapted to process data independently or collaboratively to control the resources of system 200 and to perform work related to the resources of system 200.

[0128] Processing circuitry 202 may include one or more of the following: (i) an estrus or estrus detection module 208 configured to perform an estrus or estrus detection process, as described in further detail herein, particularly see Figure 3 and Figure 4 (ii) Distance measurement module 210, configured to perform a distance measurement process, as described in further detail herein, particularly see Figure 5 ; and (iii) paternity testing module 212, which is configured to perform a paternity testing process, as described in further detail herein, especially see Figure 6 .

[0129] In some cases, the system 200 can be located within the main tag as a standalone device. As described in the instruction manual, the main tag performs all operations of the system 200 and provides a list of secondary tags for cows suspected of being in estrus or in heat.

[0130] See Figure 3 The diagram illustrates a flowchart of an example of a series of operations performed by a system 200 for estrus or estrus detection in accordance with the subject matter of this disclosure.

[0131] Therefore, the system 200 for estrus or estrus detection can be configured to execute an estrus or estrus detection process 300, for example, using an estrus or estrus detection module 208.

[0132] For this purpose, the system 200 for estrus detection receives information indicating the proximity between one or more female animals and male animals (box 302); and, based on the received information, determines whether a given female animal is in estrus or estrus for each of the one or more female animals (box 304).

[0133] In the non-restrictive first example, related to the preceding text about Figure 1As described above, male animals can be associated with and linked to a main tag, while one or more female animals can each be associated with and linked to a corresponding sub-tag. Furthermore, information indicating the proximity between one or more female animals and a male animal can be obtained from signals transmitted between the sub-tags of one or more female animals and the main tag of the male animal (e.g., based on the transmission and reception times of the signals, i.e., the difference between a specific time when a given signal is transmitted by the main / sub-tag and a specific time when the given signal is received by the sub / main tag). In a non-limiting second example, information indicating the proximity between one or more female animals and a male animal can be obtained through other means capable of acquiring such information. For example, the information can originate from visual means (such as cameras), Global Positioning System (GPS) data obtained from a GPS receiver (which may optionally be included in the main and sub-tags), and location data obtained from a system used to locate the position of at least one animal within a predetermined spatial area (see U.S. Patent 10,986,816, incorporated herein by reference), etc.

[0134] In a scenario relating to the first non-limiting example, during a set time window (e.g., a window of seconds, minutes, hours, etc.), when the number of transmission signals transmitted between the corresponding sub-tag of a given female animal and the primary tag of a male animal exceeds a first threshold (e.g., a certain value or range), the system 200 may determine that the given female animal is in estrus or in heat. Correspondingly, in such a scenario, during a set time window (e.g., a window of seconds, minutes, hours, etc.), when the number of transmission signals transmitted between the corresponding sub-tag of a given female animal and the primary tag of a male animal is below the first threshold, the system 200 may determine that the given female animal is not in estrus.

[0135] In some cases, the first threshold may be determined based on data obtained from continuous field observation of the behavior of various animal populations over a duration. The data obtained may include information on different types of behavior during different time periods of continuous field observation, aimed at understanding the behavior of females of a specific animal type during these specific times, and correlating each behavior with measured signal strength, which is correlated with the degree of proximity observed during the occurrence of a particular behavior. The duration of observation may be measured in hours (i.e., several hours) or days (i.e., more than 24 hours), and the behavior may be one or more of the following: persistent proximity to males, mounting other females, jaw rubbing and protrusion, urinary frequency, barking, agitation, and / or olfactory behavior, etc.

[0136] In some cases, the first threshold may optionally be statically or dynamically adjusted (e.g., adjusted by the user, a specified machine learning (ML) model, the system, based on feedback from correctly determining estrus, etc.) and may be developed and optimized for each specific environment and / or animal. For example, the first threshold may be dynamically adjusted with each animal's estrous cycle. In this case, at the beginning of the estrous cycle, the value of the first threshold may be its highest value because meaningful neighborhood behaviors related to estrus events are unlikely to occur at this time. As the estrous cycle progresses, the first threshold gradually decreases over time until it reaches its lowest value at the end of the estrous cycle. At this point, meaningful neighborhood behaviors related to estrus events are most likely to occur. By dynamically adjusting the first threshold, the system 200 can effectively ignore neighborhood behaviors unrelated to estrus.

[0137] In one non-limiting example, the transmission signal is transmitted from the corresponding sub-tag of a given female animal to the main tag of a male animal. In another non-limiting example, the transmission signal is transmitted from the main tag of a male animal to the corresponding sub-tag of a given female animal.

[0138] In the context of the aforementioned non-limiting example of transmitting signals from a sub-tag to a primary tag, each signal transmitted from the sub-tag may be transmitted at a different time point within one or more reception time windows of the primary tag. Transmitting signals at different time points reduces the likelihood of collisions with signals transmitted by one or more additional sub-tags configured to transmit data during the reception time window. Furthermore, each transmitted signal may include an identifier associated with a given sub-tag.

[0139] In some cases, the signal strength of each transmitted signal can be determined, for example, using a Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) to determine the signal strength (although other means of determining signal strength can also be used). In this case, the system 200 will only record or use the transmitted signal if its signal strength is above a defined second threshold (e.g., a number or range).

[0140] In cases involving the use of a defined second threshold, the threshold can be determined by measuring or calculating the expected received signal strength relative to a given distance. The measurement or calculation can be performed as part of field observation, during which the expected received signal strength is determined or estimated for a given distance (e.g., 20 meters) or a distance range (e.g., 10–30 meters, 0–40 meters, 15–25 meters, etc.). In some cases, the defined second threshold may be environment-dependent. In some cases, the second threshold can be developed and optimized for each specific environment. Furthermore, the second threshold can be statically or dynamically adjusted (e.g., adjusted by the user, a specified machine learning (ML) model, the system, based on feedback from correctly determining estrus, etc.) to adapt to environmental changes in the systems and methods described herein.

[0141] In some cases, the strength of each transmitted signal can be used to determine a score that is correlated with the proximity of a pair of interacting tags (and depends on the pair of interacting animals), representing the level of contribution or influence of each signal in determining estrus. More specifically, transmitted signals with a strength above a certain threshold are assigned a higher score than those with a strength below the threshold (because signals with a strength above the threshold indicate that the animals are closer together). In this case, after determining the score for each transmitted signal, system 200 can aggregate these scores and compare the aggregated score to a score threshold. When the aggregated score exceeds the score threshold, system 200 can indicate estrus. By way of a non-limiting example (presented only for better understanding of the subject matter of this disclosure and not intended to limit its scope): suppose five signals are transmitted between the primary and secondary tags, two of which have a signal strength of 5 dBm (decibels per milliwatt), and the remaining three have a signal strength of 2 dBm. System 200 compares the strength of each of these signals to a strength threshold of 4 dBm. Since the signal strength of two of the signals is higher than the strength threshold, system 200 assigns a score of "2" to these signals, and assigns a score of "1" to the remaining three signals whose signal strength is lower than the strength threshold. Then, system 200 aggregates the scores of the five transmitted signals and compares the aggregated score ('7') with a determined score threshold ('5'). When the aggregated score ('7') exceeds the determined score threshold ('5'), system 200 indicates that the female animal associated with the sub-tag is in estrus.

[0142] In some cases, in addition to information indicating the proximity between one or more female animals and male animals, system 200 also receives information indicating the behavior exhibited by said one or more female animals and / or male animals. Therefore, based on the distance and behavioral information, it is determined whether a given female animal is in estrus. For example, when one or more female animals and male animals are each associated with a monitoring tag, the monitoring tag of one or more female animals can provide system 200 with information related to behaviors known as indicators of estrus, such as jaw rubbing and rubbing, frequent urination, barking, restlessness, and / or sniffing behavior.

[0143] See Figure 4 The diagram shows a flowchart illustrating another example of a series of operations performed by a system 200 for estrus or estrus detection in accordance with the subject matter of this disclosure.

[0144] Therefore, the system 200 for estrus or estrus detection can be configured to execute an estrus or estrus detection process 400, for example, using an estrus or estrus detection module 208.

[0145] In the estrus period or estrus detection process 400, the system 200 can be configured to determine the estrus period or estrus of one or more female animals, which are connected to corresponding sub-tags and the sub-tags are located within the broadcast range of the main tag attached to the male animal.

[0146] For this purpose, the system 200 for estrus detection synchronizes a primary tag with a corresponding secondary tag. For example, one or more reception time windows of the primary tag can be configured to coincide with one or more transmission time windows of the corresponding secondary tag, with the primary tag configured to receive data in the reception time window and the corresponding secondary tag configured to transmit data in the transmission time window (box 402).

[0147] In one example, synchronization between the primary tag and the corresponding secondary tags can be accomplished by: (a) the primary tag transmitting one or more signals during a specific time period (e.g., seconds, minutes, or hours), such that at least some of the signals include synchronization information that defines at least one reception time window during which the primary tag is configured to receive data; (b) at least one of the signals transmitted by the primary tag being received by at least some of the corresponding secondary tags; and (c) updating the operating scheme of each given corresponding secondary tag by defining a transmission time window (during which the given secondary tag is configured to transmit data) based on the reception synchronization information received by each given corresponding secondary tag among the at least some corresponding secondary tags, the transmission time window at least partially overlapping with at least one reception time window of the primary tag.

[0148] It is important to note that synchronization between the primary and secondary tags can be achieved through other methods or means that can produce the same result. It should also be noted that the synchronization phase can be a continuous phase, occurring concurrently with the operation of system 200 (i.e., in parallel with the signal acquisition phase). In one example, the system may include continuous or near-continuous synchronization; in another example, the system may include periodic synchronization, such as synchronization each time the secondary tag receives a signal from the primary tag, or synchronization occurring within specific time periods (e.g., several times per hour), and so on.

[0149] The persistent occurrence of the synchronization phase may be due to drift between the internal clocks of the primary and secondary tags. In some cases, the synchronization frequency can be optimized to address the potential drift between the internal clocks.

[0150] Once synchronized, each given sub-tag in the corresponding sub-tag (optionally at different times within one or more reception time windows of the main tag) transmits a signal including an identifier associated with the given sub-tag (box 404).

[0151] In some cases, one or more different time points may be randomly selected during the primary tag's reception time window. In other cases, one or more different time points may be intentionally selected for various reasons. In one example, different time points may be intentionally selected to at least reduce the likelihood of collisions between signals transmitted by one or more secondary tags configured to transmit data within the same reception time window. In another example, different time points may be intentionally selected to at least reduce the likelihood of collisions between signals transmitted by one or more secondary tags and other systems that may be operating within the area (e.g., a farm).

[0152] Next, the main tag receives signals sent by the corresponding sub-tag during its receiving time window (box 404); for each given female animal in one or more female animals, the system 200 determines whether the given female animal is in the following state: (i) in estrus or estrus, or (ii) not in estrus or estrus (box 406).

[0153] In some cases, similar to the above... Figure 3 The system 200 can determine that a given female animal is in estrus or estrus when the number of transmission signals transmitted between the corresponding sub-tag of a given female animal and the primary tag of a given male animal exceeds a first threshold (e.g., a certain value or range) within a set time window (e.g., a window of seconds, minutes, hours, etc.). Conversely, in this case, when the number of transmission signals transmitted between the corresponding sub-tag of a given female animal and the primary tag of a given male animal is less than the first threshold within the set time window (e.g., a window of seconds, minutes, hours, etc.), the system 200 can determine that the female animal is not in estrus.

[0154] In some cases, the first threshold may optionally be statically or dynamically adjusted (e.g., adjusted by a user, a specified machine learning (ML) model, the system, based on feedback from correctly determining estrus, etc.), and this first threshold can be developed and optimized for each specific environment and / or animal. For example, the first threshold may be dynamically adjusted with each animal's estrous cycle. In this case, at the beginning of the estrous cycle, the value of the first threshold may be its highest value because meaningful neighborhood behaviors associated with estrus events are unlikely to occur at this time. As the estrous cycle progresses, the first threshold gradually decreases over time until it reaches its lowest value at the end of the estrous cycle. At this point, meaningful neighborhood behaviors associated with estrus events are most likely to occur. By dynamically adjusting the first threshold, the system 200 can effectively ignore neighborhood behaviors unrelated to estrus.

[0155] In a non-limiting first example, the signal transmitted between the corresponding sub-tag of a given female animal and the main tag of a male animal is transmitted from the corresponding sub-tag of the given female animal to the main tag of the male animal. In a non-limiting second example, the signal transmitted between the corresponding sub-tag of a given female animal and the main tag of a given male animal is transmitted from the main tag of the male animal to the corresponding sub-tag of the given female animal. In a non-limiting third example, the signal transmitted between the corresponding sub-tag of a given female animal and the main tag of a given male animal includes: (i) a first subset of the signals transmitted from the corresponding sub-tag of the given female animal to the main tag of the male animal; and (ii) a second subset of the signals transmitted from the main tag of the male animal to the corresponding sub-tag of the given female animal.

[0156] In the context of the aforementioned non-limiting example of signal transmission from a sub-tag to a primary tag, each signal transmitted from the sub-tag may be sent at a different time point within one or more reception time windows of the primary tag. Sending each signal at a different time point reduces the likelihood of signal collisions with signals sent by one or more other sub-tags configured to transmit data during the reception time window.

[0157] In some cases, the signal strength of each transmitted signal can be determined and compared with a defined second threshold (e.g., a statically or dynamically adjusted value or range, adjusted by a user, a specified machine learning (ML) model, or a system based on feedback from correctly determining the estrus period, to adapt to environmental changes in the system and method described herein). In this case, the determined signal strength corresponds to the distance between the sub-label and the main label, causing system 200 to consider only signals with a signal strength higher than the defined second threshold. The signal strength of any transmitted signal can be determined, for example, using a Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI), although other means for determining signal strength may also be used.

[0158] In some cases, as an alternative to or supplement to the above methods, such as Figure 5 As shown, involving process 500, system 200 can use the received signal from each given sub-tag to determine the distance between the given sub-tag and the main tag using distance measurement module 210 (box 508). In one example, the distance can be calculated based on the time elapsed between a different time point in time when the sub-tag sends its signal and the time when the signal is received by the main tag attached to the male animal. In another example, each given sub-tag can send its signal after a predetermined time interval, and the distance can be calculated based on the time elapsed until the main tag receives the signal.

[0159] See Figure 6 The diagram shows a flowchart illustrating yet another example of a series of operations performed by a system 200 for estrus or estrus detection according to the subject matter of this disclosure.

[0160] In addition to the ability of system 200 to determine the estrus period or estrus of one or more female animals as described above, system 200 can also be configured to use paternity testing module 212 to determine the source of conception of one or more pregnant or suspected pregnant female animals located near multiple male animals.

[0161] Therefore, the system 200 used for estrus or estrus detection can be configured to perform a paternity testing process 600.

[0162] For this purpose, the system 200 for estrus detection receives information indicating the proximity of one or more pregnant female animals to multiple male animals before pregnancy, when one or more pregnant female animals are in estrus or during estrus (box 602); based on the received information, for each given pregnant female animal among the one or more pregnant female animals, the system 200 determines one of the multiple male animals that are adjacent to the given pregnant female animal when the given pregnant female animal is in estrus or during estrus (box 604).

[0163] In the first non-restrictive example, related to the above regarding Figure 1 Related to the description, each of the multiple male animals can be associated with and linked to a corresponding primary tag, while each of the one or more pregnant female animals can be associated with and linked to a corresponding secondary tag. Furthermore, information indicating the proximity of each of the one or more pregnant female animals to each of the multiple male animals before pregnancy, when the pregnant female animals are in estrus, or during estrus, can be obtained from signals transmitted between the secondary tags of the one or more pregnant female animals and the primary tags of the multiple male animals during the said time period.

[0164] In a second, non-limiting example, information indicating the proximity of one or more pregnant female animals to one or more male animals before pregnancy, during estrus, or at the time of pregnancy, can be obtained by other means, such as visual means (e.g., cameras), Global Positioning System (GPS) data obtained from a GPS receiver (which may optionally be included in a main label and a sub-label), and location data obtained from a system used to locate the position of at least one animal within a predetermined spatial area (as described in U.S. Patent US10,986,816, which is incorporated herein by reference), etc., which can obtain such information.

[0165] In the case of the first non-limiting example, during the estrus period of a female animal or a set time window of estrus (e.g., a window of seconds, minutes, hours, etc.), when the number of transmission signals transmitted between the corresponding sub-tag of a given female animal and the main tag of a given male animal exceeds a first threshold (e.g., a certain value or range), the system 200 determines that the given male animal is the source of conception for the given female animal. Correspondingly, in this case, during the estrus period of a female animal or a set time window of estrus, when the number of transmission signals transmitted between the corresponding sub-tag of a given female animal and the main tag of a given male animal is less than the first threshold, the system 200 may determine that the given male animal is not the source of conception for the given female animal.

[0166] In some cases, the first threshold can be developed and optimized for each specific environment and / or animal. In other cases, the first threshold can be statically or dynamically adjusted (e.g., adjusted by the user, a specified machine learning (ML) model, the system, based on feedback from correctly determining estrus, etc.) to adapt to environmental changes in the systems and methods described herein.

[0167] In some cases, as an alternative to the above method, the system 200 can determine the probability (i.e., percentage odds) that a given male animal is or is not a source of conception by comparing the number of transmitted signals with a first threshold.

[0168] In some cases, in addition to the above, verification methods such as DNA testing can be used to confirm whether a given male animal is the source of conception. In such cases, if necessary, information from these verification methods can be used to adjust the first threshold.

[0169] In some cases, a particular individual (e.g., a given male animal or a given cow that is confirmed as the source of conception) may be covered by a designated insurance policy that covers that individual and its offspring (as described in PCT application PCT / EP2022 / 078713, which is incorporated herein by way of introduction). In such cases, the systems and methods described herein can be used to determine whether an animal is covered by an insurance policy, for example, by identifying the animal's paternity and / or genetics.

[0170] In one non-limiting example, the transmission signal between the corresponding sub-tag of a given female animal and the main tag of a given male animal is transmitted from the corresponding sub-tag of the given female animal to the main tag of the given male animal. In another non-limiting example, the transmission signal between the corresponding sub-tag of a given female animal and the main tag of a given male animal is transmitted from the main tag of the given male animal to the corresponding sub-tag of the given female animal.

[0171] In some cases, the signal strength of each transmitted signal can be determined and compared with a defined second threshold (e.g., a statically or dynamically adjusted value or range (e.g., adjusted by a user, a specified machine learning (ML) model, the system, based on feedback from correctly determining estrus, etc.) to adapt to environmental changes in the system and method described herein). In this case, the determined signal strength corresponds to the distance between the sub-label and the main label, causing system 200 to consider only signals with a signal strength higher than the defined second threshold. The signal strength of any transmitted signal can be determined, for example, using a Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) (or by other means used to determine signal strength).

[0172] In some non-limiting examples involving the aforementioned transmission of signals from a sub-tag to a primary tag, each signal transmitted by a sub-tag may be sent at different times within one or more reception time windows of the primary tag. Sending signals at different times reduces the likelihood of collisions with signals sent by one or more other sub-tags configured to transmit data during the reception time window. Furthermore, each transmitted signal may include an identifier associated with the given sub-tag that sent it.

[0173] It should be noted that, see Figure 3-6 Some boxes may be combined into a single merged box or split into several boxes and / or additional boxes may be added. It should also be noted that some boxes are optional. Furthermore, while the flowcharts are described with reference to the system components that implement them, this is by no means restrictive, and these boxes can be implemented by components other than those described herein.

[0174] It should be understood that the subject matter of this disclosure is not limited in its application to the details set forth in the description contained herein or shown in the accompanying drawings. The subject matter of this disclosure is capable of other embodiments and can be practiced and performed in various ways. Therefore, it should be understood that the wording and terminology used herein are for descriptive purposes and should not be considered limiting. Consequently, those skilled in the art will understand that the concepts upon which this disclosure is based can readily be used as the basis for designing other structures, methods, and systems for achieving the various objectives of the subject matter of this disclosure.

[0175] It should also be understood that a system according to the subject matter of this disclosure can be implemented, at least in part, as a properly programmed computer. Similarly, the subject matter of this disclosure contemplates computer programs that can be read by a computer for performing the disclosed methods. The subject matter of this disclosure also envisions a machine-readable storage device that tangibly embodies a machine-executable program of instructions for performing the disclosed methods.

Claims

1. A system for determining estrus in one or more female animals located near a male animal, each of the female animals being connected to a sub-tag and the male animal being connected to a main tag, the system including processing circuitry configured to: Receive information indicating the proximity between the one or more female animals and the male animal, wherein... The information is obtained from the signal transmitted between the secondary tag of one or more female animals and the primary tag of the male animal; as well as For each given female animal in one or more female animals, based on the received information, it is determined whether the given female animal is in estrus, wherein the determination is performed in the following manner: (a) if the number of transmission signals transmitted between the corresponding sub-tag and the main tag of the given female animal exceeds a first threshold during a set time window, it is determined that the given female animal is in estrus; And (b) if the number of transmission signals transmitted between the corresponding sub-tag and the main tag of the given female animal during the set time window is less than the first threshold, it is determined that the given female animal is not in estrus.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein, The first threshold is dynamically adjusted according to the estrous cycle of the given female animal.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein, Each of the transmission signals is assigned a score, which is associated with the proximity level of the secondary tag of the given female animal and the primary tag of the male animal, and wherein the scores are accumulated to form an aggregate score, and the aggregate score is compared with a score threshold such that when the aggregate score exceeds the score threshold, it is determined that the given female animal is in estrus.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein, The transmission signal is a signal sent by the secondary tag of the given female animal and received by the primary tag.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein, The signal with a signal strength higher than the second threshold is received by the master tag.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein, The transmission signal is a signal sent by the main tag and received by the sub-tag of the given female animal.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein, The signal with a signal strength higher than the second threshold is received by the master tag.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein, The main tag includes an internal power supply, and wherein the main tag has a low-power time window during which it is configured to operate at minimum power to conserve energy from its internal power supply.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein, The signals transmitted between the sub-tag and the main tag are transmitted from the sub-tag to the main tag at different times within one or more reception time windows of the main tag.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein, Each of the signals transmitted by a given sub-tag includes an identifier associated with the given sub-tag.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein, The system also receives information indicating the behavior exhibited by the one or more female animals or the male animals, thereby determining whether a given female animal is in estrus or estrus based on distance and behavioral information.

12. A system for determining estrus in one or more female animals, each of the female animals being attached to a secondary tag, at least a portion of the secondary tags being within the broadcast range of a primary tag attached to a male animal, the system comprising processing circuitry configured to: The main tag and at least some of the sub-tags are synchronized such that one or more receiving time windows of the main tag coincide with one or more sending time windows of at least some of the sub-tags, wherein the main tag is configured to receive data in the receiving time window and at least some of the sub-tags are configured to send data in the sending time window; At different time points within one or more of the receiving time windows of the main tag, each given sub-tag sends a signal including an identifier associated with the given sub-tag; During the reception time window of the main tag, the main tag receives signals transmitted by the sub-tag located within the broadcast range of the main tag; For each given female animal in the one or more female animals, determine whether the given female animal is in: (i) estrus or (ii) not in estrus; wherein: (a) If the number of transmission signals sent by the corresponding sub-tag of the given female animal and received by the main tag exceeds a first threshold, it is determined that the given female animal is in estrus; as well as (b) If the number of transmission signals sent by the corresponding sub-tag of the given female animal and received by the main tag is less than the first threshold, it is determined that the given female animal is not in estrus.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein, The first threshold is dynamically adjusted according to the estrous cycle of the given female animal.

14. The system according to claim 12, wherein, Each of the transmission signals is assigned a score, which is associated with the proximity level between the secondary tag of the given female animal and the primary tag of the male animal, and wherein the scores are accumulated to form an aggregate score, and the aggregate score is compared with a score threshold such that when the aggregate score exceeds the score threshold, it is determined that the given female animal is in estrus.

15. The system according to claim 12, wherein, Signals with a strength higher than the second threshold are received.

16. The system according to claim 12, wherein, One or more of the different time points are randomly selected during the reception time window of the main tag.

17. The system according to claim 12, wherein, The main tag includes an internal power supply, and wherein the main tag has a low-power time window during which it is configured to operate at minimum power to conserve energy from its internal power supply.

18. The system according to claim 12, wherein, The synchronization of the main tag and the sub-tag is accomplished through the following steps: The master tag transmits one or more signals within a specific time period, wherein at least a portion of the one or more signals include synchronization information capable of determining at least one reception time window during which the master tag is configured to receive data; At least some of the signals transmitted by the primary tag are received by the secondary tags; and, Based on the synchronization information received by each given sub-label from at least some of the sub-labels, the working scheme of each given sub-label is updated, wherein (i) the working scheme defines a transmission time window during which the given sub-label is configured to transmit data; and (ii) the transmission time window at least partially overlaps with at least one of the reception time windows.

19. The system according to claim 18, wherein, Each of the sub-tags includes a corresponding internal power supply, and the operating scheme further defines a low-power time window during which the sub-tag does not transmit data to conserve the energy of the internal power supply.

20. A system for determining the source of conception for one or more pregnant females located near multiple males, each of the males being connected to a master tag, the system including processing circuitry configured to: Receive information indicating the proximity between the one or more pregnant female animals and the multiple male animals prior to pregnancy, when the one or more pregnant female animals were in estrus or during estrus, wherein... The information is obtained from signals transmitted between the secondary tags of the one or more pregnant females and the primary tags of the one or more males during or after the estrus period of the one or more pregnant females; and For each of the one or more pregnant female animals, based on the received information, a given male animal is identified from among the multiple male animals that are adjacent to the given pregnant female animal when the given pregnant female animal is in estrus or during estrus.

21. The system according to claim 20, wherein, Signals with a strength higher than the second threshold are received.

22. The system according to claim 20, wherein, Each master tag includes an internal power supply, and each master tag has a low-power time window during which it is configured to operate at minimum power to conserve energy from its internal power supply.

23. The system according to claim 20, wherein, The signals transmitted between the sub-tag and the main tag are transmitted from the sub-tag to the main tag at different times within one or more reception time windows of the main tag.

24. The system according to claim 20, wherein, The signals transmitted between the sub-tag and the main tag are transmitted from the main tag to the sub-tag at different times within one or more reception time windows of the sub-tag.

25. The system according to claim 24, wherein, Each of the signals transmitted by a given sub-tag includes an identifier associated with the given sub-tag.

26. A method for determining estrus in one or more female animals located near a male animal, each of the female animals being connected to a secondary tag and the male animal being connected to a primary tag, the method comprising: The processing circuit receives information indicating the proximity between the one or more female animals and the male animal, wherein the information is obtained from a signal transmitted between the secondary tags of the one or more female animals and the primary tag of the male animal; and Based on the received information, for each given female animal among the one or more female animals, the processing circuit determines whether the given female animal is in estrus, wherein the determination is performed in the following manner: (a) if the number of transmission signals transmitted between the corresponding sub-tag and the main tag of the given female animal exceeds a first threshold during a set time window, the given female animal is determined to be in estrus; (b) if the number of transmission signals transmitted between the corresponding sub-tag and the main tag of the given female animal is less than the first threshold during the set time window, the given female animal is determined not to be in estrus.

27. The method according to claim 26, wherein, The first threshold is dynamically adjusted according to the estrous cycle of the given female animal.

28. The method according to claim 26, wherein, Each of the transmission signals is assigned a score, which is correlated with the proximity level between the secondary tag of the given female animal and the primary tag of the male animal, and wherein the scores are then accumulated to form an aggregate score, and the aggregate score is compared with a score threshold such that when the aggregate score exceeds the score threshold, it is determined that the given female animal is in estrus.

29. The method according to claim 26, wherein, The transmission signal is a signal sent by the secondary tag of the given female animal and received by the primary tag.

30. The method according to claim 29, wherein, The main tag receives a signal whose signal strength is higher than the second threshold.

31. The method according to claim 26, wherein, The transmission signal is a signal sent by the main tag and received by the sub-tag of the given female animal.

32. The method according to claim 31, wherein, The main tag receives a signal whose signal strength is higher than the second threshold.

33. The method according to claim 26, wherein, The main tag includes an internal power supply, and wherein the main tag has a low-power time window during which it is configured to operate at minimum power to conserve energy from its internal power supply.

34. The method according to claim 26, wherein, The signals transmitted between the sub-tag and the main tag are transmitted from the sub-tag to the main tag at different times within one or more reception time windows of the main tag.

35. The method according to claim 34, wherein, Each of the signals transmitted by a given sub-tag includes an identifier associated with the given sub-tag.

36. The method according to claim 26, wherein, The method also receives information indicating the behavior exhibited by the one or more female animals or the male animals, thereby determining whether a given female animal is in estrus or estrus based on distance and behavioral information.

37. A method for determining estrus in one or more female animals, each of the female animals being attached to a secondary tag, at least a portion of the secondary tag being within the broadcast range of a primary tag attached to a male animal, the method comprising: The main tag and at least some of the sub-tags are synchronized such that one or more receiving time windows of the main tag coincide with one or more sending time windows of at least some of the sub-tags, wherein the main tag is configured to receive data in the receiving time window and at least some of the sub-tags are configured to send data in the sending time window; At different time points within one or more reception time windows of the main tag, each given sub-tag sends a signal including an identifier associated with the given sub-tag; The primary tag receives signals transmitted by the secondary tag located within the broadcast range of the primary tag during its reception time window; For each given female animal among the one or more female animals, the given female animal is determined to be in: (i) estrus or (ii) not in estrus, wherein: (a) the given female animal is determined to be in estrus if the number of transmission signals sent by the corresponding sub-tag of the given female animal and received by the main tag exceeds a first threshold; (b) the given female animal is determined to be not in estrus if the number of transmission signals sent by the corresponding sub-tag of the given female animal and received by the main tag is less than the first threshold.

38. The method according to claim 37, wherein, The first threshold is dynamically adjusted according to the estrous cycle of the given female animal.

39. The method according to claim 37, wherein, Each of the transmission signals is assigned a score, which is correlated with the proximity level between the secondary tag of the given female animal and the primary tag of the male animal, and wherein the scores are then accumulated to form an aggregate score, and the aggregate score is compared with a score threshold such that when the aggregate score exceeds the score threshold, it is determined that the given female animal is in estrus.

40. The method of claim 37, wherein, Receive signals whose signal strength is higher than the second threshold.

41. The method according to claim 37, wherein, One or more of the different time points are randomly selected during the reception time window of the main tag.

42. The method according to claim 37, wherein, The main tag includes an internal power supply, and wherein the main tag has a low-power time window during which it is configured to operate at minimum power to conserve energy from its internal power supply.

43. The method according to claim 37, wherein, The synchronization of the main tag and the sub-tag is accomplished through the following steps: The master tag transmits one or more signals within a specific time period, wherein at least a portion of the one or more signals include synchronization information capable of determining at least one reception time window during which the master tag is configured to receive data; At least one of the signals transmitted by the main tag is received by at least some of the sub-tags; and Based on the synchronization information received by each given sub-label from at least some of the sub-labels, the working scheme of each given sub-label is updated, wherein (i) the working scheme defines a transmission time window during which the given sub-label is configured to transmit data; and (ii) the transmission time window at least partially overlaps with at least one of the reception time windows.

44. The method according to claim 43, wherein, Each of the sub-tags includes a corresponding internal power supply, and the operating scheme further defines a low-power time window during which the sub-tag does not transmit data to conserve the energy of the internal power supply.

45. A method for determining the source of conception for one or more pregnant females located near multiple males, each said female being connected to a secondary tag and each said male being connected to a primary tag, the method comprising: Receive information indicating the proximity of one or more pregnant female animals to one or more male animals before pregnancy, when the one or more pregnant female animals are in estrus or during estrus, wherein the information is obtained from signals transmitted between the sub-tag of the one or more pregnant female animals and the main tag of the male animals during the one or more pregnant female animals' estrus or during estrus. For each of the one or more pregnant female animals, based on the received information, a given male animal is identified from among the multiple male animals that are adjacent to the given pregnant female animal when the given pregnant female animal is in estrus or during estrus.

46. ​​The method according to claim 45, wherein, The received signal has a signal strength higher than the second threshold.

47. The method according to claim 45, wherein, Each master tag includes an internal power supply, and each master tag has a low-power time window during which it is configured to operate at minimum power to conserve energy from its internal power supply.

48. The method according to claim 45, wherein, The signal transmitted between the sub-tag and the main tag is transmitted from the sub-tag to the main tag at different times within one or more reception time windows of the main tag.

49. The method according to claim 45, wherein, The signal transmitted between the sub-tag and the main tag is transmitted from the main tag to the sub-tag at different time points within one or more reception time windows of the sub-tag.

50. The method according to claim 49, wherein, Each of the signals transmitted by a given sub-tag includes an identifier associated with the given sub-tag.

51. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code thereon, the computer-readable program code being executable by at least one processor to perform a method for determining whether one or more female animals are in estrus, the method comprising: Receive information indicating the degree of proximity between one or more female animals and male animals, wherein the information is obtained from a signal transmitted between a secondary tag of the one or more female animals and a primary tag of the male animal; and Based on the received information, for each given female animal among the one or more female animals, it is determined whether the given female animal is in estrus, wherein the determination is performed by: (a) determining that the given female animal is in estrus if the number of transmission signals transmitted between the corresponding sub-tag and the main tag of the given female animal exceeds a first threshold during a set time window; and (b) determining that the given female animal is not in estrus if the number of transmission signals transmitted between the corresponding sub-tag and the main tag of the given female animal is less than the first threshold during the set time window.

52. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code thereon, the computer-readable program code being executable by at least one processor to perform a method for determining whether one or more female animals are in estrus, each of the female animals being attached to a secondary tag, at least a portion of the secondary tag being within the broadcast range of a primary tag attached to a male animal, the method comprising: The main tag and at least some of the sub-tags are synchronized such that one or more receiving time windows of the main tag coincide with one or more sending time windows of at least some of the sub-tags, wherein the main tag is configured to receive data in the receiving time window and at least some of the sub-tags are configured to send data in the sending time window; At different time points within one or more reception time windows of the main tag, each given sub-tag sends a signal including an identifier associated with the given sub-tag; The primary tag receives signals transmitted by the secondary tag located within the broadcast range of the primary tag during its reception time window; For each given female animal among the one or more female animals, it is determined that the given female animal is (i) in estrus or (ii) not in estrus, wherein: (a) the given female animal is determined to be in estrus if the number of transmission signals sent by the corresponding sub-tag of the given female animal and received by the main tag exceeds a first threshold; (b) the given female animal is determined to be not in estrus if the number of transmission signals sent by the corresponding sub-tag of the given female animal and received by the main tag is less than the first threshold.

53. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code thereon, the computer-readable program code being executable by at least one processor to perform a method for determining the source of fertility for one or more pregnant females located in the vicinity of multiple male animals, the method comprising: Receive information indicating the proximity between one or more pregnant female animals and one or more male animals prior to pregnancy, when the one or more pregnant female animals are in estrus or during estrus, wherein the information is obtained from signals transmitted between the secondary tag of the one or more pregnant female animals and the primary tag of the male animals during the one or more pregnant female animals' estrus or during estrus. For each of the one or more pregnant female animals, based on the received information, a given male animal is identified from among the multiple male animals that are adjacent to the given pregnant female animal when the given pregnant female animal is in estrus or during estrus.

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