Method and system for managing pasture on basis of information on behavior of entity

Abstract

According to one aspect of the present invention, provided is a method for managing a pasture on the basis of information on a behavior of an entity, the method comprising the steps of: acquiring information on a behavior of an entity and information on the location of the entity; and generating information on pasture management on the basis of the information on the behavior and the information on the location.

Description

Another object of the invention is to assist in efficient management of pasture on the basis of information on a behavior of an entity and information on a location of the entity. Yet another object of the invention is to assist a pasture manager in managing pasture without having to visually observe condition of the pasture, using information such as an amount, a length, and a type (or species) of grass estimated through monitoring of a behavior of an entity, and information on a location of the entity. The representative configurations of the invention to achieve the above objects are described below. According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a method comprising the steps of: acquiring information on a behavior of an entity and information on a location of the entity; and generating information on pasture management on the basis of the information on the behavior and the information on the location. According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a system comprising: an information acquisition unit configured to acquire information on a behavior of an entity and information on a location of the entity; and a pasture management unit configured to generate information on pasture management on the basis of the information on the behavior and the information on the location. In addition, there are further provided other methods and systems to implement the invention, as well as non-transitory computer-readable recording media having stored thereon computer programs for executing the methods. According to the invention, it is possible to assist in efficient management of pasture on the basis of information on a behavior of an entity and information on a location of the entity. According to the invention, it is possible to assist a pasture manager in managing pasture without having to visually observe condition of the pasture, using information such as an amount, a length, and a type of grass estimated through monitoring of a behavior of an entity, and information on a location of the entity. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 schematically shows the configuration of an entire system for managing pasture on the basis of information on a behavior of an entity according to one embodiment of the invention. FIG. 2 specifically shows the internal configuration of a pasture management system according to one embodiment of the invention. FIGS. 3 and 4 illustratively show how to acquire information on a behavior of an entity according to one embodiment of the invention. Specifically, FIG. 3 illustrates a behavior pattern signal when a cow grazes on short grass, and FIG. 4 illustrates a behavior pattern signal when a cow grazes on tall grass. FIG. 5 illustratively shows how to manage pasture according to one embodiment of the invention. Specifically, FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary screen of an application related to location / time of entities grazing on short grass and a notification. FIGS. 6 and 7 illustratively show how to analyze information on a behavior of an entity according to one embodiment of the invention.    Here, FIG. 7 may be an enlarged view of data in a section related to a grazing time of FIG. 6. DETAILED DESCRIPTION In the following detailed description of the present invention, references are made to the accompanying drawings that show, by way of illustration, specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention. It is to be understood that the various embodiments of the invention, although different from each other, are not necessarily mutually exclusive. For example, specific shapes, structures, and characteristics described herein may be implemented as modified from one embodiment to another without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Furthermore, it shall be understood that the positions or arrangements of entity elements within each embodiment may also be modified without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, the following detailed description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the invention is to be taken as encompassing the scope of the appended claims and all equivalents thereof. In the drawings, like reference numerals refer to the same or similar elements throughout the several views. Hereinafter, various preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings to enable those skilled in the art to easily implement the invention. Although the descriptions of embodiments of the pasture management system herein are focused on monitoring behaviors of cattle, it should be understood that the pasture management system according to the invention may be applied to monitoring behaviors of any other entities such as horses or pigs. Configuration of the entire system FIG. 1 schematically shows the configuration of the entire system for managing pasture on the basis of information on a behavior of an entity according to one embodiment of the invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the entire system according to one embodiment of the invention may comprise a communication network 100, a pasture management system 200, a sensor 300, and a device 400. First, the communication network 100 according to one embodiment of the invention may be implemented regardless of communication modality such as wired and wireless communications, and may be constructed from a variety of communication networks such as local area networks (LANs), metropolitan area networks (MANs), and wide area networks (WANs). Preferably, the communication network 100 described herein may be the Internet or the World Wide Web (WWW). However, the communication network 100 is not necessarily limited thereto, and may at least partially include known wired / wireless data communication networks, known telephone networks, or known wired / wireless television communication networks. For example, the communication network 100 may be a wireless data communication network, at least a part of which may be implemented with a conventional communication scheme such as WiFi communication, WiFi-Direct communication, Long Term Evolution (LTE) communication, 5G communication, Bluetooth communication (including Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) communication), infrared communication, and ultrasonic communication.    As another example, the communication network 100 may be an optical communication network, at least a part of which may be implemented with a conventional communication scheme such as LiFi (Light Fidelity). Meanwhile, the communication network 100 according to one embodiment of the invention may be constructed from two or more types of communication networks. For example, the communication network between the pasture management system 200 and the device 400 may be a high-speed wireless communication network such as LTE communication or 5G communication, or may be a wired communication network, and the communication network between the pasture management system 200 and the sensor 300 may be a low power wide area network (LPWAN) such as LoRaWAN, SIGFOX, LTE-MTC, or narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT). However, the configuration of the communication network 100 according to one embodiment of the invention is not limited to the foregoing, and may be diversely changed as long as the objects of the invention may be achieved. Next, the pasture management system 200 according to one embodiment of the invention may function to acquire information on a behavior of an entity and information on a location of the entity, and generate information on pasture management on the basis of the acquired information. The configuration and functions of the pasture management system 200 according to the invention will be discussed in more detail below. Next, the sensor 300 according to one embodiment of the invention is digital equipment capable of connecting to and then communicating with the pasture management system 200, and may include a known six-axis angular velocity / acceleration sensor. Thus, the sensor 300 may measure acceleration and angular velocity (i.e., the rate of tilting in a certain direction) in the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis. Further, angular acceleration may be measured together with or instead of the angular velocity. The sensor 300 may be worn on or inserted in a body part (e.g., a neck) of an entity (e.g., a cow or calf). However, the type of the sensor 300 according to one embodiment of the invention and the location where the sensor 300 is worn or inserted are not particularly limited, and may be diversely changed as long as the objects of the invention may be achieved. For example, the sensor 300 according to one embodiment of the invention may include a different type of sensor other than the angular velocity and acceleration sensor, and may be inserted inside a body of an entity (e.g., a cow or calf). In particular, the sensor 300 according to one embodiment of the invention may include an application (not shown) for assisting a user to receive services such as pasture management from the pasture management system 200. The application may be downloaded from the pasture management system 200 or an external application distribution server   (not shown).      Meanwhile,   the characteristics of the application may be generally similar to those of an information acquisition unit 210, a pasture management unit 220, a communication unit 230, and a control unit 240 of the pasture management system 200 to be described below. Here, at least a part of the application may be replaced with a hardware device or a firmware device that may perform a substantially equal or equivalent function, as necessary. Next, the device 400 according to one embodiment of the invention is digital equipment capable of connecting to and then communicating with the pasture management system 200, and any type of digital equipment having a memory means and a microprocessor for computing capabilities, such as a smart phone, a tablet, a smart watch, a smart band, smart glasses, a desktop computer, a notebook computer, a workstation, a personal digital assistant (PDAs), a web pad, and a mobile phone, may be adopted as the device 400 according to the invention. In particular, the device 400 may include an application (not shown) for assisting a user to receive services such as pasture management from the pasture management system 200. The application may be downloaded from the pasture management system 200 or an external application distribution server (not shown). Meanwhile, the characteristics of the application may be generally similar to those of the information acquisition unit 210, the pasture management unit 220, the communication unit 230, and the control unit 240 of the pasture management system 200 to be described below. Here, at least a part of the application may be replaced with a hardware device or a firmware device that may perform a substantially equal or equivalent function, as necessary. Configuration of the pasture management system Hereinafter, the internal configuration of the pasture management system 200 crucial for implementing the invention and the functions of the respective components thereof will be discussed. FIG. 2 specifically shows the internal configuration of the pasture management system 200 according to one embodiment of the invention. As shown in FIG. 2, the pasture management system 200 according to one embodiment of the invention may comprise an information acquisition unit 210, a pasture management unit 220, a communication unit 230, and a control unit 240. According to one embodiment of the invention, at least some of the information acquisition unit 210, the pasture management unit 220, the communication unit 230, and the control unit 240 may be program modules to communicate with an external system (not shown). The program modules may be included in the pasture management system 200 in the form of operating systems, application program modules, or other program modules, while they may be physically stored in a variety of commonly known storage devices. Further, the program modules may also be stored in a remote storage device that may communicate with the pasture management system 200. Meanwhile, such program modules may include, but are not limited to, routines, subroutines, programs, objects, components, data structures, and the like for performing specific tasks or executing specific abstract data types as will be described below in accordance with the invention. Meanwhile, the above description is illustrative although the pasture management system 200 has been described as above, and it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that at least a part of the components or functions of the pasture management system 200 may be implemented in the device 400 or a server (not shown) or included in an external system (not shown), as necessary. First, the information acquisition unit 210 according to one embodiment of the invention may function to acquire information on a behavior of an entity and information on a location of the entity. Specifically, the information acquisition unit 210 according to one embodiment of the invention may acquire the information on the behavior of the entity by estimating the behavior of the entity using sensor data measured by the sensor 300 for the entity. For example, FIGS. 3 and 4 illustratively show how to acquire information on a behavior of an entity according to one embodiment of the invention. Specifically, FIG. 3 illustrates a behavior pattern signal when a cow grazes on short grass, and FIG. 4 illustrates a behavior pattern signal when a cow grazes on tall grass. Here, the behavior pattern signal of the entity is not limited to the illustrated examples, but may be diversely changed as long as the objects of the invention may be achieved. Meanwhile, the information on the behavior of the entity according to one embodiment of the invention may include information on the entity's grazing behavior (or behavior pattern), walking behavior (or behavior pattern), drinking behavior (or behavior pattern), activity level, and the like. In particular, according to one embodiment of the invention, the information on the grazing behavior (or behavior pattern) may include information on a grazing time, a grazing intensity, a number of chewing, a head bowing or lifting behavior, and a number of steps during the grazing behavior. For example, FIGS. 6 and 7 illustratively show how to analyze information on a behavior of an entity according to one embodiment of the invention. Here, FIG. 7 may be an enlarged view of data in a section related to a grazing time of FIG. 6. Specifically, FIG. 6 illustrates a grazing time 211 of an entity on pasture in 24 hours, and FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of a specific section among the sections shown in FIG. 6, showing the entity's grazing section 212, grazing intensity 213, head direction 214, time spent walking without grazing 215, and time spent walking while grazing 216. Here, it should be noted that the information 211 to 216 included in the data on the behavior of the entity are not limited to the examples described above, but may be changed without limitation as long as the objects of the invention may be achieved. Meanwhile, the information acquisition unit 210 according to one embodiment of the invention may acquire the information on the location of the entity on the basis of a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver that may be coupled to the sensor 300 for the entity. Here, the receiver that may be coupled to the sensor for the entity is not limited to the foregoing, but may be diversely changed without limitation as long as the objects of the invention may be achieved. Next, the pasture management unit 220 according to one embodiment of the invention may function to generate information on pasture management on the basis of the information on the behavior of the entity and the information on the location of the entity. Specifically, the pasture management unit 220 according to one embodiment of the invention may estimate a length of grass existing in a place where the entity is currently located on the basis of information on a degree (or angle) of head bowing and a grazing time, and may estimate toughness of the grass on the basis of the entity's grazing intensity and estimate a type or condition of the grass on the basis of the toughness. In addition, the information estimated as above may be used to generate the information on pasture management. Further, the pasture management unit 220 according to one embodiment of the invention may estimate an amount of grass existing in a place where the entity is currently located on the basis of the information on the grazing time 211 and the number of chewing, and may estimate a density of the grass and condition of the grass with reference to the information on the entity's grazing behavior (e.g., grazing time, grazing intensity, number of chewing, head bowing or lifting behavior, and number of steps during the grazing behavior). However, the information on the entity's grazing behavior according to one embodiment of the invention is not limited to the examples described above, but may be diversely changed without limitation as long as the objects of the invention may be achieved. Meanwhile, FIG. 5 illustratively shows how to manage pasture according to one embodiment of the invention. Specifically, FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary screen of an application related to location / time of entities grazing on short grass and a notification. Here, according to one embodiment of the invention, in response to an entity grazing on short grass, the user may be provided with a screen related to the location / time of entities grazing on short grass and the notification through the device 400 as shown in FIG. 5. However, the screen and the notification transmitted to the device 400 according to one embodiment of the invention are not limited to the foregoing, but may be diversely changed without limitation as long as the objects of the invention may be achieved. Further, the pasture management unit 220 according to one embodiment of the invention may determine whether entities are grazing in areas and / or regions where grazing is not allowed due to land degradation, on the basis of the information on the entity's location by time and / or date and the information on the entity's grazing behavior. Further, in response to determining that the entities are grazing in the areas and / or regions where grazing is not allowed, a notification is provided to the device 400 used by the user to prevent additional damage to the pasture. Meanwhile, the user using the device 400 according to one embodiment of the invention is not limited to an individual who grazes the entities, but may be changed without limitation as long as the objects of the invention may be achieved. For example, the user according to one embodiment of the invention may be a farmer who wants to maximize breeding environment through management of fertile pasture, a nomad who leads a life with moving livestock, or a government or national institution that nationally manages pasture and prevents desertification. In addition, the user according to one embodiment of the invention may use the pasture management system 200 to track changes in regional grazing environment due to climate changes at the international level and monitor regional climate data and grazing environment, and may track and manage pasture environment on the basis thereof. For example, in the case of a region where desertification is in progress or has progressed, information on whether water continues to exist in a region where water previously existed and whether water has been created in a region where there was no water may be estimated by utilizing information on the entity's drinking pattern and location. Next, the communication unit 230 according to one embodiment of the invention may function to enable data transmission / reception from / to the information acquisition unit 210 and the pasture management unit 220. Lastly, the control unit 240 according to one embodiment of the invention may function to control data flow among the information acquisition unit 210, the pasture management unit 220, and the communication unit 230. That is, the control unit 240 according to one embodiment of the invention may control data flow into / out of the pasture management system 200 or data flow among the respective components of the pasture management system 200, such that the information acquisition unit 210, the pasture management unit 220, and the communication unit 230 may carry out their particular functions, respectively. The embodiments according to the invention as described above may be implemented in the form of program instructions that can be executed by various computer components, and may be stored on a computer-readable recording medium. The computer-readable recording medium may include program instructions, data files, and data structures, separately or in combination.    The program instructions stored on the computer-readable recording medium may be specially designed and configured for the present invention, or may also be known and available to those skilled in the computer software field. Examples of the computer-readable recording medium include the following: magnetic media such as hard disks, floppy disks and magnetic tapes; optical media such as compact disk-read only memory (CD-ROM) and digital versatile disks (DVDs); magneto-optical media such as floptical disks; and hardware devices such as read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM) and flash memory, which are specially configured to store and execute program instructions. Examples of the program instructions include not only machine language codes created by a compiler, but also high-level language codes that can be executed by a computer using an interpreter. The above hardware devices may be changed to one or more software modules to perform the processes of the present invention, and vice versa. Although the present invention has been described above in terms of specific items such as detailed elements as well as the limited embodiments and the drawings, they are only provided to help more general understanding of the invention, and the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains that various modifications and changes may be made from the above description. 5        Therefore, the spirit of the present invention shall not be limited to the above-described embodiments, and the entire scope of the appended claims and their equivalents will fall within the scope and spirit of the invention.

Claims

1. A method for managing pasture on the basis of information on a behavior of an entity, the method comprising the steps of:acquiring information on a behavior of an entity and information on a location of the entity; andgenerating information on pasture management on the basis of the information on the behavior and the information on the location.

2. The method of Claim 1, wherein in the acquiring step, the information on the behavior of the entity is acquired by estimating the behavior of the entity using sensor data measured by a sensor for the entity.

3. The method of Claim 2, wherein the information on the behavior of the entity includes information on at least one of a grazing behavior, a walking behavior, a drinking behavior, and an activity level of the entity, and the information on the grazing behavior includes information on at least one of a grazing time, a grazing intensity, a number of chewing, a head bowing behavior, a head lifting behavior, and a number of steps during the grazing behavior.

4. The method of Claim 1, wherein in the acquiringstep, the information on the location of the entity is acquired on the basis of a receiver capable of being coupled to a sensor for the entity.

5. The method of Claim 1, wherein in the generating step, a length of grass existing in a place where the entity is currently located is estimated on the basis of information on at least one of a degree of head bowing and a grazing time of the entity, and toughness of the grass is estimated on the basis of information on at least one of a grazing intensity and a number of chewing of the entity and at least one of a type and condition of the grass is estimated on the basis of the toughness.

6. The method of Claim 1, wherein in the generating step, an amount of grass existing in a place where the entity is currently located is estimated with reference to information on at least one of a grazing behavior and a number of chewing of the entity, and at least one of a density and condition of grass existing in a specific region is estimated with reference to information on a grazing behavior of the entity in the specific region.

7. The method of Claim 1, wherein in the generating step, whether the entity is grazing in a region where grazing is not allowed is determined on the basis of atleast one of the information on the behavior of the entity and the information on the location of the entity by time,and a notification is transmitted to a user in response todetermining that the entity is grazing in the region wheregrazing is not allowed.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having stored thereon a computer program for executing the method of Claim 1.

9. A system for managing pasture on the basis of information on a behavior of an entity, the system comprising:an information acquisition unit configured to acquire information on a behavior of an entity and information on a location of the entity; anda pasture management unit configured to generate information on pasture management on the basis of the information on the behavior and the information on the location.

10. The system of Claim 9, wherein the information acquisition unit is configured to acquire the information onthe behavior of the entity by estimating the behavior of the entity using sensor data measured by a sensor for the entity.

11. The system of Claim 10, wherein the information on the behavior of the entity includes information on at least one of a grazing behavior, a walking behavior, a drinking behavior, and an activity level of the entity, and the information on the grazing behavior includes information on at least one of a grazing time, a grazing intensity, a number of chewing, a head bowing behavior, a head lifting behavior, and a number of steps during the grazing behavior.

12. The system of Claim 9, wherein the information acquisition unit is configured to acquire the information on the location of the entity on the basis of a receiver capable of being coupled to a sensor for the entity.

13. The system of Claim 9, wherein the pasture management unit is configured to estimate a length of grass existing in a place where the entity is currently located on the basis of information on at least one of a degree of head bowing and a grazing time of the entity, and to estimate toughness of the grass on the basis of information on at least one of a grazing intensity and a number of chewing of the entity and estimate at least one of a type and condition of the grass on the basis of the toughness.

14. The system of Claim 9, wherein the pasturemanagement unitis configured to estimate an amount of grassexisting in a place where the entity is currently located with reference to information on at least one of a grazing behavior and a number of chewing of the entity, and to estimate at least one of a density and condition of grass5 existing in a specific region with reference to informationon a grazing behavior of the entity in the specific region.

15. The system of Claim 9, wherein the pasture management unit is configured to determine whether the10 entity is grazing in a region where grazing is not allowed on the basis of at least one of the information on the behavior of the entity and the information on the locationof the entity by time, and to transmit a notification to auser in response to determining that the entity is grazing15 in the region where grazing is not allowed.

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