System and method for activity verification

Abstract

A system for animal population activity verification includes: a user device configured to receive one or more chore completion inputs; a barn node configured to identify interactions between the barn node and the user device; and a barn center communicatively coupled to the barn node. In an embodiment, the barn center is configured to: identify a spatial relationship between the barn center and the user device; receive identified interaction data; and receive one or more chore completion inputs. In an embodiment, the system further includes a server configured to: receive the one or more chore completion inputs, the identified interaction data, and the identified spatial relationship data; store a transaction log in a memory; and based on at least one of the one or more chore completion inputs, the identified interaction data, and the identified spatial relationship data, identify one or more uncompleted chores in a chore list.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 769,422, filed on November 19, 2018, entitled “SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ACTIVITY VALIDATION” by inventor Lucas J. Fricke, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 905,552, filed on September 25, 2019, entitled “SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ACTIVITY VALIDATION” by inventor Lucas J. Fricke, which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. This application also claims priority to U.S. Application No. 16 / 688,332, filed on November 19, 2019, entitled “SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ACTIVITY VALIDATION” by inventor Lucas J. Fricke and Jerry Prange, which is also incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Technical Field

[0003] The present invention relates generally to activity and chore verification, and more particularly, to a system and method for verifying chores in the agricultural industry. Background Art

[0004] Accurate and efficient data collection and distribution is an important part of various industries, including agriculture, food production industries (such as pork, beef, poultry), etc. In addition, consumers often want to obtain product-related data before and after purchase in order to confirm the nature and quality of the purchased products. In an agricultural environment, consumers want to know that the animal products they purchase come from the place of origin they claim to be from, that the animals are treated humanely, and that they are properly cared for (e.g., vaccinated, fed regularly, etc.). However, current systems and methods, such as PQA+ in the pork industry, are primarily paper-based systems. Therefore, the disadvantage of current systems and methods is that it is difficult to collect, share, and maintain data. In addition, the practice of changing and / or falsifying data often leads to a lack of transparency between producers and consumers. Therefore, a system and method are needed to address one or more of the problem points of the above methods. Summary of the invention

[0005] A system for animal population activity verification is disclosed. In an embodiment, the system includes a user device associated with a user, the user device configured to receive one or more chore completion inputs indicating completion of one or more chores in a chore list. The system may further include: a barn node configured to identify interactions between the barn node and the user device; and a barn center communicatively coupled to the barn node. In an embodiment, the barn center is configured to: identify a spatial relationship between the barn center and the user device; receive identified interaction data associated with the identified interactions from the barn node; and receive one or more chore completion inputs. In an embodiment, the system may further include: a server, communicatively coupled to the livestock house center, the server including one or more processors configured to execute a set of program instructions stored in a memory, the set of program instructions configured to enable the one or more processors to: receive one or more signals from the livestock house center, the one or more signals including one or more chore completion inputs, identified interaction data, and identified spatial relationship data associated with the identified spatial relationship; store a transaction log in the memory, the transaction log including the chore completion input, the identified interaction data, and the spatial relationship data; and based on at least one of the one or more chore completion inputs, the identified interaction data, and the identified spatial relationship data, identify one or more unfinished chores in the chore list.

[0006] A system is disclosed. In an embodiment, the system includes a user device configured to receive one or more chore completion inputs indicating completion of one or more chores in a chore list. The system may further include a barn center configured to identify a spatial relationship between the barn center and the user device, receive identified interaction data associated with an identified interaction between a barn node and the user device, and receive one or more chore completion inputs. The system may further include a server communicatively coupled to the barn center, the server including one or more processors configured to execute a set of program instructions stored in a memory, the set of program instructions configured to cause the one or more processors to: receive one or more signals from the barn node, the one or more signals including the chore completion input, the identified interaction data, and the identified spatial relationship data associated with the identified spatial relationship; identify one or more uncompleted chores in the chore list based on at least one of the one or more chore completion inputs, the identified interaction data, and the identified spatial relationship data; and identify one or more completed chores in the chore list based on at least one of the one or more chore completion inputs, the identified interaction data, and the identified spatial relationship data.

[0007] A method for verifying animal population activity is disclosed. In an embodiment, the method includes: identifying a spatial relationship between a housing center and a user device; identifying an interaction between a housing node and the user device; receiving one or more chore completion inputs from a user, the one or more chore completion inputs indicating completion of one or more chores in a chore list associated with the identified spatial relationship; and identifying one or more uncompleted chores in the chore list based on at least one of the one or more chore completion inputs, identified interaction data associated with the identified interaction, and identified spatial relationship data associated with the identified spatial relationship.

[0008] It should be understood that the above summary and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and do not necessarily limit the invention claimed. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the summary, are used to explain the principles of the invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] By referring to the accompanying drawings, those skilled in the art can better understand the numerous advantages of the present disclosure, in which:

[0010] Figure 1 A simplified block diagram of a system for animal population activity verification is shown in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0011] Figure 2A A simplified top view of a barn equipped with a system for animal population activity verification according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0012] Figure 2B A simplified top view of a barn equipped with a system for animal population activity verification according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0013] Figure 3A A display page of a user device depicting a login page for an application is shown according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0014] Figure 3B A display page of a user device depicting a login page for an application is shown according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0015] Figure 3C A display page of a user device depicting selectable options for an application according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0016] Figure 3D A display page of a user device depicting an activity / chore checklist is shown in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0017] Figure 3EA display page of a user device depicting details of a selected activity is shown according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0018] Figure 3F A display page of a user device depicting activities / chores to be performed is shown in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0019] Figure 3G A display page of a user device depicting an animal mortality log is shown according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0020] Figure 3H A display page of a user device depicting a visitor log is shown according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0021] Fig. 3I A display page of a user device depicting company information is shown according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0022] Figure 3J A display page of a user device depicting notifications and contacts is shown in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0023] Figure 4 A flow chart of a method for verifying animal population activity according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] Reference will now be made in detail to the disclosed subject matter, which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

[0025] Overall reference Figures 1 to 4 , according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, systems and methods for animal population activity verification are shown and described.

[0026] Current systems and methods for tracking activities associated with animal populations are primarily paper-based. As a result, keeping records of various farm activities can be very time-consuming. Animal population activities that may need to be documented and recorded may include, but are not limited to, animal feeding, injections, vaccinations, deaths, disease outbreaks, etc. In addition, paper records can be easily lost and difficult to copy and / or distribute. In addition, manual records can be easily modified and / or falsified. Taken together, these deficiencies result in a lack of transparency and traceability between consumers and producers in the animal production process.

[0027] Accordingly, embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a system and method that address one or more deficiencies of the prior methods described above. Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to the use of farm and ranch hardware and software that can be used to collect information about the status and activities of animal populations. Additional embodiments of the present disclosure relate to the use of farm and ranch hardware that can be used to collect, input, and save the activities of farm workers in order to verify farm activities performed on or for animal populations. Additional embodiments of the present disclosure relate to the use of blockchain technology to store and verify farm activities. It is contemplated herein that the use of blockchain technology can allow the systems and methods of the present disclosure to collect and store farm activities more efficiently and accurately, which can help achieve transparency and traceability between producers and consumers in the animal industry.

[0028] Consumers today have demonstrated a desire to know where their food comes from and what their food has come into contact with. This is especially true for animal products. However, even if consumers are given a report outlining the details of their animal products (e.g., location, vaccination records, feeding records, etc.), consumers have no way of knowing whether these records are complete, accurate, and free of any fraudulent records. In this regard, embodiments of the present disclosure relate to the use of farm hardware and blockchain technology to promote transparency between consumers and producers throughout the animal production process.

[0029] Although much of the disclosure is described in the context of the agricultural industry, this should not be considered a limitation of the disclosure unless otherwise specified herein. In this regard, it is contemplated herein that embodiments of the disclosure (e.g., activity / chore verification, blockchains that promote transparency, etc.) may be applied to alternative and / or additional industries, such as, but not limited to, manufacturing, construction, landscaping, food supply, etc.

[0030] Figure 1 A simplified block diagram of a system 100 for animal population activity verification according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. The system 100 may include, but is not limited to, one or more user devices 102, one or more animal houses 103 including one or more animal house centers 104 and one or more animal house nodes 106, a network 108, a server 110, and a controller 116.

[0031] In one embodiment, one or more user devices 102a, 102b may correspond to and / or be associated with a user 101 on a farm. For example, on a farm where the system 100 has been implemented, a first farm worker (e.g., first user 101a) may be associated with a first user device 102a, a second farm worker (e.g., second user 101b) may be associated with a second user device 102b, etc. It is contemplated herein that each owner, employee, or other individual who frequently performs chores or otherwise interacts with animals and / or equipment on a farm may correspond to and / or be associated with a user device 102.

[0032] The user devices 102a, 102b may include any user device known in the art, including but not limited to mobile phones, smart phones, tablet computers, smart watches, etc. In one embodiment, a specific user 101a may be associated with a specific user device 102a based on the IP address or other identification features of the user device 102a. In this regard, a database associating user devices 102 with users 101 within the system 100 may be created. The association database between users 101 and user devices 102 may be stored in memories 114, 120, which will be described in further detail herein. A user 101 associated with a user device 102 in the database may be considered a "registered" user, while a user 101 not associated with a user device 102 in the database may be considered an "unregistered" user.

[0033] In another embodiment, the user device 102 may include, but is not limited to, a controller, a user interface, a display, and communication circuitry. The controller of the user device 102 may include one or more processors and a memory, wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute a set of program instructions stored in the memory, the set of program instructions being configured to cause the one or more processors to perform one or more steps of the present disclosure. It is contemplated herein that the user device 102 may be configured to execute an application (e.g., an "app") configured to allow the user 101 (e.g., a farm worker, etc.) to view, adjust, or modify one or more features of the system 100.

[0034] As will be described in further detail herein, one or more user devices 102 may be configured to receive one or more inputs and / or control commands from a user. For example, user device 102 may be configured to display a chore list to user 101, and user 101 may be able to input one or more chore completion inputs indicating completion of one or more displayed chores in the chore list. As another example, user device 102 may be configured to receive other inputs from user 101, including, but not limited to, mortality inputs, images, notes, and the like.

[0035] In another embodiment, the system 100 may include one or more housing centers 104. The housing center 104 may include, but is not limited to, a controller including one or more processors and memories, a user interface, a display, and communication circuitry. In one embodiment, one or more user devices 102 may be communicatively coupled to the one or more housing centers 104. The one or more user devices 102 may be communicatively coupled to the housing center 104 using any communication mechanism or protocol known in the art.

[0036] For example, the housing center 104 can be configured to identify one or more user devices 102 using any wired communication protocol known in the art (e.g., DSL-based interconnection, cable-based interconnection, T9-based interconnection, etc.) or wireless communication protocol (e.g., GSM, GPRS, CDMA, EV-DO, EDGE, WiMAX, 3G, 4G, 4G LTE, 5G, WiFi protocol, RF, LoRa, Bluetooth, etc.). As another example, one or more housing centers 104 can be configured to identify and / or communicatively couple to one or more user devices 102 via a communication protocol, including but not limited to a near field communication (NFC) protocol, a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) remote sensing protocol, a radio frequency identification (RFID) protocol, an open source radio frequency, etc. Therefore, the interaction between the user 101 (e.g., user device 102) and one or more housing centers 104 can be determined based on one or more characteristics of the user device 102, including but not limited to a cellular signature, an IP address, a MAC address, a Bluetooth signature, a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, etc.

[0037] In an embodiment, one or more of the barn centers 104 are configured to identify a spatial relationship between the one or more barn centers 104 and one or more user devices 102. The spatial relationship between the barn center 104 and the user device 102 may be identified when the user device 102 enters within a selected distance from the barn center 104, when the user device 102 enters a predefined geo-fenced area, and the like.

[0038] For example, in the context of RFID, a user may be associated with an RFID tag (e.g., user device 102) that is attached to user 101 or otherwise associated with the user. For example, the RFID tag (e.g., user device 102) may be affixed to a name badge, ID card, or uniform of user 101. As another example, a phone of user 101 may be used as an RFID tag. The RFID tag may be encoded with identification information (e.g., a serial number) that may be read by a remotely located RFID reader / scanner. In this example, housing center 104 may be used as an RFID scanner configured to identify one or more users 101 by identifying an RFID tag (user device 102) associated with user 101. In some embodiments, an RFID tag (e.g., user device 102) may operate in a "passive" mode, in which case the RFID tag transmits a signal including identification information in response to an interrogation signal received from an RFID scanner (e.g., housing center 104). In additional and / or alternative embodiments, the RFID tag (e.g., user device 102) may operate in an "active" mode, in which the RFID tag (e.g., barn center 104) sends a signal including identification information to an RFID scanner (e.g., barn center 104) without first receiving an interrogation signal.

[0039] In one embodiment, one or more barn centers 104 are configured to search for and identify one or more user devices 102. In this regard, one or more barn centers 104 may include any transmitter or transceiver known in the art. In one embodiment, one or more barn centers 104 are configured to identify user devices 102 within a predefined geo-fenced area (e.g., barn 103). For example, one or more barn centers 104 may be configured to "sniff out" the IP addresses of user devices 102 that enter within one hundred yards of the barn center 104. A barn center 104 that has identified a user device 102 within a predefined geo-fenced area may be considered to have identified the "spatial relationship" between the barn center 104 and the user device 102. The barn center 104 may be configured to actively identify the user device 102 using any identification information of the user device 102, including, but not limited to, an IP address, a MAC address, a cellular signature, a Bluetooth signature, a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, and the like. It is contemplated herein that the housing center 104 may be configured to identify one or more user devices 102 using any technique known in the art, including but not limited to relative received signal strength (RSSI), signal triangulation, and the like.

[0040] In one embodiment, one or more housing centers 104 are configured to collect and store "identified spatial relationship data" associated with an identified spatial relationship (e.g., a spatial relationship between a housing center 104 and a user device 102) in a memory. For example, upon identifying that a user device 102 is within a predetermined radius / distance and / or geo-fenced area relative to the housing center 104 (e.g., upon identifying a spatial relationship between the housing center 104 and the user device 102), the housing center 104 may be configured to store the identified spatial relationship data associated with the spatial relationship in a memory. The identified spatial relationship data may include, but is not limited to, the IP address of the user device 102, the name of the user 101 associated with the user device 102, the time when the spatial relationship was identified / entered, the duration of the spatial relationship, the time when the spatial relationship was terminated, etc. In another embodiment, when the housing center 104 identifies a user device 102 that is not associated with a known user 101, the housing center 104 may be configured to mark and / or store the spatial relationship as an unregistered user.

[0041] It is contemplated herein that a farm implementing the system 100 may include a barn center 104 for each barn 103 or other structure located on the farm. For example, if a farm having three barns 103 were to implement the system 100, the farm may include a first barn center 104a located on / inside a first barn 103a, a second barn center 104b located on / inside a second barn 103b, and a third barn center 104c located on / inside a third barn 103c.

[0042] It is contemplated herein that all data collected and stored by the system 100 may be time stamped. In this regard, identifying the spatial relationship between the barn center 104 and the user device 102 may allow the system 100 to determine that a particular user 101 was at a particular location (e.g., within a particular geo-fenced area) at a particular time. Thus, the system 100 may be configured to track the movement of farm workers and employees (e.g., user 101) throughout the farm over a period of time. In another embodiment, the time stamped spatial relationship information may be stored in a memory of the user device 102 and / or the barn center 104.

[0043] For example, a first animal house 103a may be equipped with a first animal house center 104a, and a second animal house 103b may be equipped with a second animal house center 104b. The first animal house center 104a may identify a first spatial relationship of a user device 102a (e.g., a smartphone) associated with a user 101a (e.g., a farm worker) during a first time period. The first spatial relationship may indicate that the user device 102a (e.g., user 101a) is located within the first animal house 103a throughout the first time period. Subsequently, the second animal house center 104b may identify a spatial relationship with the user device 102a during a second time period, wherein the second spatial relationship may indicate that the user device 102a (e.g., user 101a) is located within the second animal house 103b throughout the second time period. In this example, the system 100 may be configured to monitor and / or "track" the location and movement of the user 101 over time.

[0044] It is to be noted herein that simply identifying a spatial relationship between a user device 102 and a barn center 104 may not be sufficient to determine that a user 101 associated with the user device 102 encountered (e.g., came into contact with) a particular herd of animals. For example, a barn 103 with a herd of pigs may be equipped with a barn center 104a. The barn center 104a may be configured to identify a user device 102 that enters within one hundred feet of the barn 103. In this example, simply identifying that the user device 102a enters within one hundred feet of the barn 103 may not be sufficient for the system 100 to determine that the user 101 associated with the user device 102 encountered pigs in the barn 103. For example, the user 101 may have only been very close to the barn 103, but did not enter the barn 103.

[0045] Thus, in some embodiments, the system 100 may further include one or more animal house nodes 106 configured to more accurately and specifically identify the location of the user device 102 at a defined time instance. In particular, the one or more animal house nodes 106 may allow the system 100 to verify that the user 101 and / or the user device 102 was present at a particular location and / or contacted (e.g., encountered) a particular group of animals at a particular time instance. In this regard, in some embodiments, the one or more animal house nodes 106 may be used to "refine" or narrow down the location of the user device 102 during the identified spatial relationship.

[0046] For purposes of this disclosure, the term "encounter" may be used to describe contact and / or potential contact between a user 101 and an animal or group of animals. It is noted herein that the ability to identify encounters between a user 101 and a group of animals may be valuable for identifying users 101 who have potentially come into contact with / encountered an animal that has been exposed to a disease outbreak. Furthermore, identifying encounters between a user 101 and an animal may be used to identify users 101 who may be potential carriers of a disease, as well as to identify groups of animals that may be susceptible to a disease outbreak.

[0047] like Figure 1 As shown, one or more barns 103 of the system 100 may include one or more barn nodes 106, which are communicatively coupled to one or more barn centers 104. One or more barn nodes 106 may include, but are not limited to, controllers, user interfaces, displays, and communication circuits. One or more barn nodes 106 may be communicatively coupled to one or more barn centers 104 using any wired or wireless technology known in the art, including but not limited to DSL-based interconnection, cable-based interconnection, T9-based interconnection, GSM, GPRS, CDMA, EV-DO, EDGE, WiMAX, 3G, 4G, 4G LTE, 5G, WiFi protocols, RF, LoRa, Bluetooth, etc.

[0048] Similar to the barn center 104 identifying the spatial relationship between the barn center 104 and the user device, the barn node 106 can be configured to identify the interaction between the user 101 / user device 102 and the barn node 106. In an embodiment, determining the location of the user 101 and / or the user device 102 can include a "two-step" verification process. During the "two-step" verification process, the barn center 104 can identify the spatial relationship between the barn center 104 and the user device 102, and the barn node 106 can subsequently identify the interaction between the barn node 106 and the user device 102.

[0049] The two-step verification process for identifying the location of the user 101 and / or the user device 102 can be used to more reliably and efficiently determine the location of the user 101 and / or the user device 102, and to refine the determined location of the user 101 and / or the user device 102. In the first step, the spatial relationship between the user device 102 and the barn center 104 can determine that the location of the user device 102 is within a general area (e.g., within a selected radius, within a defined geo-fenced area). Subsequently, in the second step, the interaction between the user 101 and / or the user device 102 can refine the determined location of the user 101 / user device 102 from the general area to a location located near the barn node 106 (e.g., within three feet of the barn node 106). The two-step verification process will be discussed in further detail herein.

[0050] One or more barn nodes 106 may include any hardware device known in the art for identifying interactions between barn nodes 106 and users 101 and / or user devices 102. For example, one or more barn nodes 106 may include, but are not limited to, QR code scanners, capacitive touch sensors, resistive touch sensors, mechanical devices (e.g., mechanical buttons, mechanical levers), ID scanners, retinal scanners, fingerprint scanners, voice recognition sensors, facial recognition sensors, other biometric sensors, vehicle scanners, vehicle identification sensors, etc. Similarly, interactions between barn nodes 106 and users 101 and / or user devices 102 may be identified using any technology or communication protocol known in the art, including, but not limited to, near field communication (NFC) protocols, light detection and ranging (LIDAR) remote sensing protocols, radio frequency identification (RFID) protocols, GSM, GPRS, CDMA, EV-DO, EDGE, WiMAX, 3G, 4G, 4G LTE, 5G, WiFi protocols, radio frequency (RF), LoRa, Bluetooth, etc.

[0051] The interaction between the animal house node 106 and the user 101 / user device 102 may include, but is not limited to, physical tactile interaction, communication signal interaction, scanning QR code, etc. In this regard, the interaction between the user 101 (e.g., user device 102) and one or more animal house nodes 106 may be determined based on one or more features of the user device 102 (e.g., QR code, ID code, RFID tag, cellular signature, IP address, Bluetooth signature), the user 101 (e.g., fingerprint, retinal features, facial features, voice features, DNA), the vehicle (e.g., license plate, vehicle type / model), etc.

[0052] For example, the barn node 106 may include a capacitive touch sensor. When the user 101 touches the capacitive touch sensor, the barn node 106 may be configured to recognize an interaction between the user 101 and the barn node 106. The interaction may then be used to determine that the user 101 was located near the barn node 106 at the time of the interaction. As another example, the barn node 106 may include a QR code scanner, such that the barn node 106 (QR code scanner) is configured to recognize an interaction between the user device 102 and the barn node 106 when the user 101 scans a bar code on the user device 102 with the barn node 106 (QR code scanner). In an embodiment where the barn node 106 is fixed at a known location, the interaction (e.g., scanning a QR code on the user device 102) may then be used to determine that the user 101 was located near the barn node 106 at the time of the interaction.

[0053] refer to Figure 2A-2B, the identification of the spatial relationship between the user 101 / user device 102 and the livestock house center 104, and the identification of the interaction between the user 101 / user device 102 and the livestock house node 106 can be further understood.

[0054] Figure 2A A simplified top view of a livestock house 103 equipped with a system 100 for animal population activity verification according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. In particular, Figure 2A An example use case of the system 100 of the present disclosure is shown.

[0055] exist Figure 2A In the described example, a barn 103 located on a farm where the system 100 has been implemented may include a plurality of pens 105a-105j configured to store a herd of pigs. The barn 103 may be equipped with a barn center 104 and a barn node 106. In some embodiments, the barn center 104 may be located on an outer surface of the barn 103 (e.g., on top of a roof, on an outer wall), while the barn node 106 may be disposed on an inner wall of the barn 103. As previously described herein, the barn center 104 and the barn node 106 may be communicatively coupled via wireless and / or wired connections.

[0056] like Figure 2A As shown, the barn node 106 can be set on the inner wall of the barn 103, opposite the entrance 107 of the barn 103. The barn node 106 can include, but is not limited to, a QR code scanner, a capacitive touch sensor, etc. In this regard, a user 101 (e.g., a farm worker) who needs to register an interaction with the barn node 106 will have to enter the barn 103 through the entrance 107, walk through the length of the barn 103, and interact with the barn node 106.

[0057] A simple example of two-step location verification may prove illustrative. Consider a farm worker (e.g., user 101) driving to a barn 103, where user 101 has been instructed to perform one or more chores / tasks (e.g., feed pigs, vaccinate) within barn 103. When user 101 drives to barn 103, barn center 104 may be configured to search for and identify a spatial relationship between barn center 104 and user device 102. For example, barn center 104 may be configured to identify a spatial relationship between barn center 104 and user device 102 (e.g., user 101) when user device 102 enters area 111. Area 111 may be defined as a selected distance from barn center 104, a defined geo-fenced area, etc. As Figure 2AAs shown, the area 111 may include the animal house 103 and / or a location outside the animal house. It is to be noted herein that the animal house center 104 is configured to identify the area 111 of the spatial relationship and can be selectively adjusted by the user 101. In particular, the farm operator can be configured to selectively adjust the area 111 by inputting one or more control commands via the user interface 122.

[0058] Continuing with the same example, when the user 101 drives to the barn and enters the area 111, the barn center 104 can identify a spatial relationship between the barn center 104 and the user device 102 (user 101). The barn center 104 can be configured to store the identified spatial relationship data in a memory, wherein the identified spatial relationship data includes an initial timestamp indicating that the user device 102 (e.g., user 101) entered the spatial relationship with the barn center 104 at the first time (t1).

[0059] After parking the truck outside of the barn 103, the user 101 may then enter the barn 103 and walk through the opposite side of the barn 103 to interact with the barn node 106. The user 101 may then interact with the barn node 106 by scanning a QR code on the user device 102, touching a capacitive touch sensor, scanning their fingerprint, etc. The barn node 106 may then recognize the interaction between the user 101 / user device 102 and the barn node 106, and transmit one or more signals to the barn hub 104 indicating that the barn node 106 recognized the interaction with the user 101 / user device 102 at a second time (t2) after the first time (t1). The identified interaction data (e.g., data associated with the identified interaction) and / or the identified spatial relationship data (e.g., data associated with the identified spatial relationship) may be stored in a memory of the user device 102, the barn hub 104, and / or the barn node 106. The identified interaction data and / or identified spatial relationship data may include, but is not limited to, the time of the first interaction (e.g., the time of "check-in"), the time of the second interaction (e.g., the time of "check-out"), the length of the interaction (e.g., the check-in time minus the check-in time), the identity of user 101 in the interaction, etc. By referencing the timestamp information associated with the identified interactions, the farm owner can verify the occurrence of farm activities and chores.

[0060] In this example, because the user device 102 is the only user device 102 identified as being in spatial relationship with the barn center 104, the barn center 104 can be configured to determine that it must be the user 101 who interacted with the barn node 106. Therefore, the system 100 can then be configured to determine that the user 101 appeared in the barn 103 at a second time (t2). In addition, it is explained herein that placing the barn node 106a on the wall opposite the entrance to the barn 103 requires the user 101 to walk through the herd of pigs stored in the pens 105a-105j of the barn 103. At this point, by identifying the presence of the user 101 at the location of the barn node 106, the system 100 can be configured to determine that the user 101 "encountered" (e.g., came into contact with) or at least potentially encountered the herd of pigs stored in the barn 103.

[0061] As shown in this example, the system 100 of the present disclosure can achieve more efficient location verification of the user 101. The farm worker (e.g., user 101) can be instructed to touch, scan, or otherwise interact with the barn node 106 when entering the barn 103 (e.g., "check in" with the barn node 106), perform their chores within the barn 103, and then touch, scan, or otherwise interact with the barn node 106 when leaving the barn (e.g., "check out" with the barn node 106). In this regard, the system 100 can be configured to determine that the user 101 is within a particular barn 103 for a particular period of time based on the identified interactions and spatial relationships.

[0062] The two-step location verification process can also solve problems associated with other location verification technologies. For example, user 101 may have been assigned to perform chores in barn 103. If user 101 just drives past barn 103 in area 111 to initiate a spatial relationship with barn center 104, the lack of interaction with barn node 106 can indicate that user 101 did not actually enter barn 103 to perform chores. As another example, user 101 can enter a spatial relationship with barn center 104, enter barn 103 to interact with barn node 106, but then immediately leave without performing chores. In this example, system 100 can be configured to identify that user 101 did not "log out" after performing chores, and user 101 did not have enough time in area 111 to correctly perform chores. As will be discussed in further detail herein, cross-referenced identified spatial relationship data, identified interaction data, and identified chores completion input can be used to identify whether user 101 has correctly completed chores.

[0063] Figure 2B A simplified top view of a livestock house 103 equipped with a system 100 for animal population activity verification according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. In particular, Figure 2BAn example use case of the system 100 of the present disclosure is shown.

[0064] Another example may prove illustrative. In this example, if Figure 2B As shown, a barn 103 located on a farm where system 100 has been implemented may include a plurality of fences 105a-105j, wherein each fence 105a-105j is configured to store a herd of pigs. The barn 103 may be equipped with a barn center 104 and a plurality of barn nodes 106a-106j. The barn node 106 may be disposed within each respective fence 105a-105j. In some embodiments, the barn center 104 may be located on an outer surface of the barn 103 (e.g., on top of the roof, on an outer wall). As previously described herein, the barn center 104 and the barn node 106 may be communicatively coupled via a wireless and / or wired connection.

[0065] In this example, the plurality of barn nodes 106a-106j may be configured to identify interactions with each respective barn node 106a-106j within each respective fence 105a-105j. In this regard, identifying interactions between the user 101 / user device 102 at each respective barn node 106a-106j may thereby determine in which room / fence 105a-105j of the barn 103 the user 101 was located at a particular time. In this example, a first identified interaction between the user 101 / user device 102 and the first barn node 106a may indicate that the user 101 was present within the first fence at a first time, a second identified interaction between the user 101 / user device 102 and the second barn node 106a may indicate that the user 101 was present within the second fence 105b at a second time, and so on.

[0066] As farm workers (user 101) perform their chores in each fence 105a-105j of the barn 103, the farm operator is able to verify that the farm workers are performing chores in (or at least are present in) each corresponding fence 105a-105j by instructing the farm workers to touch, scan, or otherwise interact with each barn node 106a-106j.

[0067] In addition to identifying interactions between the barn node 106 and the user 101 / user device 102, one or more barn nodes 106 may be configured to collect data. In this regard, one or more barn nodes 106 may include one or more sensors configured to collect sensor readings of various features, including but not limited to ambient temperature, ambient pressure, ambient humidity, noise level, carbon monoxide (CO) concentration, carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration, and the like. Thus, one or more sensors of the barn node 106 may include but are not limited to temperature sensors, pressure sensors, humidity sensors, composition sensors, ultrasonic sensors, LIDAR sensors, motion sensors, LIDAR sensors, and the like. As another example, one or more barn nodes 106 may be coupled to one or more machinery or agricultural equipment. In this regard, one or more barn nodes 106 may be configured to collect data about feeding rates, watering rates, and the like. The data (e.g., sensor readings) collected by the barn node 106 may be time-stamped and stored in a memory of the barn node 106 and / or the barn center 104.

[0068] In additional and / or alternative embodiments, one or more barn nodes 106 may include one or more imaging devices, including but not limited to cameras, video cameras, thermal imaging devices, etc. It is contemplated herein that imaging devices may be used to collect video and / or images of equipment, users 101, farm facilities (e.g., barns), and animals, which may be processed by the system 100 to provide valuable information to the owner / user. For example, one or more imaging devices may be used to determine dwell time within a production area within a barn, as well as to identify and verify the identity and time of a user 101 and / or vehicle present in a particular area of ​​a farm where the system 100 has been implemented.

[0069] As another example, a barn node 106 including an imaging device may be used to collect images of a group of animals and / or users. The acquired images may then be transmitted to a server 110 and / or a controller 116 for processing by facial recognition software / algorithms executed by one or more processors 112, 118. The one or more processors 112, 118 may be configured to perform facial recognition via one or more machine learning algorithms in order to identify individual animals and / or users, verify the location of individual animals and / or users at a point in time, and the like.

[0070] As another example, one or more imaging sources can be used to collect images / videos of animals in order to monitor specific characteristics of the animals, including but not limited to size, behavioral characteristics, health, etc. The images / videos of the animals can be transmitted from the barn node 106 to the barn center 104, the server 110 and / or the controller 116 so that they can be processed by one or more processors 112, 118. The one or more processors 112, 118 can be configured to identify one or more characteristics of the herd of animals based on the acquired images. For example, images / videos of one or more animals can be transmitted from the barn node 106 to the server 110 and / or the controller 116 so that the behavioral patterns of one or more animals can be processed and / or learned. As another example, the acquired images / videos of one or more animals can be processed to identify and mark animals that exhibit abnormal behavioral characteristics, which can indicate disease or deterioration of health.

[0071] It is to be explained herein that machine learning techniques can be used to determine the characteristics of the user 101, the animal, the herd of animals and / or the barn 103a. For example, the acquired image of the herd of animals can be used to generate a machine learning classifier. Subsequently, the machine learning classifier can be configured to receive the acquired image of the herd of animals and identify one or more characteristics of the herd of animals. The machine learning classifier can be trained by supervised and / or unsupervised techniques. In addition, the machine learning classifier may include any machine learning classifier known in the art, including but not limited to conditional generative adversarial networks (CGAN), convolutional neural networks (CNN) (e.g., GoogleNet, AlexNet, etc.), ensemble learning classifiers, random forest classifiers, artificial neural networks (ANN), etc. The animal characteristics that can be determined by machine learning techniques may include but are not limited to behavioral characteristics, health status, animal identity, etc.

[0072] In another embodiment, one or more animal housing centers 104 may be directly or indirectly coupled to the server 110 and the controller 116 via the network 108. In this regard, one or more animal housing centers 104 may include a network interface circuit. It should be noted that the network interface circuit (not shown) of the animal housing center 104 may include any network interface device suitable for interfacing with the network 108. For example, the network interface circuit may include a wired-based interface device (e.g., DSL-based interconnection, cable-based interconnection, T9-based interconnection, etc.). In another embodiment, the network interface circuit may include a wireless-based interface device that uses GSM, GPRS, CDMA, EV-DO, EDGE, WiMAX, 3G, 4G, 4G LTE, 5G, WiFi protocol, RF, LoRa, etc. The network 108 may be configured to receive data from one or more animal housing centers 104 and may include any wireless and / or wired network protocol known in the art. For example, the network 108 may include, but is not limited to, the Internet or an intranet (e.g., LAN, WLAN, etc.).

[0073] In another embodiment, one or more of the barn centers 104 may be configured to transmit signals to the server 110 and the controller 116 via the network 108, wherein the signals include data stored in the memory of one or more of the barn centers 104, the barn nodes 106, or the user devices 102. For example, the data transmitted to the server 110 and / or the controller 116 may include, but is not limited to, received chore completion input, identified spatial relationship data, identified interaction data, collected sensor readings, acquired images, etc. For example, the server 110 and the controller 116 may be configured to receive one or more signals, wherein the one or more signals include registered user 101 information (e.g., a database of users 101 associated with the user devices 102), time-stamped spatial relationship information, time-stamped interaction information, information collected by sensors of the barn nodes 106, images collected by the barn nodes 106, etc.

[0074] As previously described herein, one or more of the animal house centers 104 may be communicatively coupled to the network 108, either directly or indirectly. In this regard, one or more of the animal house centers 104 may be communicatively coupled to one or more devices, which may then be communicatively coupled to the network 108, either directly or indirectly. For example, a farm may include a first animal house center 104a, a second animal house center 104b, and a third animal house center 104c. The first animal house center 104a, the second animal house center 104b, and the third animal house center 104c may be communicatively coupled to an intermediate device, wherein the intermediate device is communicatively coupled to the network 108. In this example, the intermediate device may be configured to receive data / information from the first animal house center 104a, the second animal house center 104b, and the third animal house center 104c, and transmit the received data to the network 108. As another example, a plurality of animal house centers 104 may be communicatively coupled to one another, such that data may be transmitted between the plurality of animal house centers 104, and transmitted to the network 108 through one or more of the plurality of animal house centers 104.

[0075] In another embodiment, the system 100 includes a server 110, which includes one or more processors 112 and a memory 114. In another embodiment, the server 110 is communicatively coupled to one or more animal housing centers 104 via a network 108. In this regard, the server 110 may include a network interface device (not shown) suitable for interfacing with the network 108. The network interface device may include any network interface device known in the art. For example, the network interface device may include a wired-based interface device (e.g., a DSL-based interconnect, a cable-based interconnect, a T9-based interconnect, etc.). In another example, the network interface device may include a wireless-based interface device that uses GSM, GPRS, CDMA, EV-DO, EDGE, WiMAX, 3G, 4G, 4G LTE, 5G, Wi-fi protocols, etc.

[0076] As another example, the server 110 may include a cloud-based architecture. For example, it is contemplated herein that the server 110 may include a hosting server and / or a cloud computing platform, including but not limited to Amazon Web Services (e.g., Amazon EC2, etc.). In this regard, the system 100 may include a software as a service (SaaS) configuration, in which various functions or steps of the present disclosure are performed by a remote server.

[0077] In another embodiment, the system 100 may include a controller 116. The controller 116 may include one or more processors 118 and a memory 120. In another embodiment, the controller 116 may be communicatively coupled to a user interface 122. In one embodiment, the user interface 122 includes a display for displaying data of the system 100 to a user. The display of the user interface 122 may include any display known in the art. For example, the display may include, but is not limited to, a CRT display, a liquid crystal display (LCD), a light emitting diode display (LED), an organic light emitting diode (OLED)-based display, and the like. Those skilled in the art will recognize that any display device capable of being integrated with the user interface 122 is suitable for implementation in the present disclosure. In another embodiment, the user may input selections and / or instructions in response to data displayed to the user through the user interface 122.

[0078] In another embodiment, the controller 116 may include, but is not limited to, one or more desktops, laptops, tablets, smartphones, smart watches, etc. In one embodiment, a user can use the user interface 122 to view the identified spatial relationship data, identified interaction data, chore completion inputs, and other information generated / received by the system 100 stored in the memory 120 of the controller 116. For example, a farm owner may want to verify that all chores on the farm have been completed the previous day. Using a computer or smart phone (e.g., user interface 122), the farm owner can view all data stored in the memory 114 to determine that the stored transactions indicate that all chores have been completed. At this point, it is contemplated that a farm owner or manager can use the user interface 122 to view data generated and stored by the system 100, as well as to modify one or more features of the system 100.

[0079] It is to be understood herein that a single electronic device (e.g., a cell phone, tablet, smart watch, etc.) can function as both a user device 102 and a controller 116. For example, a farm owner may have a smartphone that functions as a user device 102 in the system 100. Additionally, the smartphone can function as a controller 116, which the farm owner can use to view data generated / stored by the system 100.

[0080] In one embodiment, one or more processors 112 of server 110 are configured to execute a set of program instructions stored in memory 114. In one embodiment, one or more processors 112 are configured to perform one or more steps of the present disclosure. For example, one or more processors 112 may be configured to: receive one or more signals from barn center 104, one or more signals including one or more chore completion inputs, identified interaction data, and identified spatial relationship data associated with identified spatial relationships; store a chore list in memory 114; store a transaction log in memory 114, the transaction log including chore completion inputs, identified interaction data, and spatial relationship data; and identify one or more uncompleted chores in the chore list based on at least one of the one or more chore completion inputs, the identified interaction data, and the identified spatial relationship data. These steps / functions will be performed in sequence.

[0081] In one embodiment, the one or more processors 112 are configured to cause the server 110 to receive data from the one or more housing centers 104. For example, the server 110 may be configured to receive one or more signals from the housing center 104, wherein the one or more signals include a chore completion input received by the user device 102, the identified spatial relationship data, and the identified interaction data. In this regard, the data received from the one or more housing centers 104 may include timestamp data regarding the identified spatial relationship (e.g., initial spatial relationship time, end spatial relationship time, spatial relationship duration) and / or the identified interaction (e.g., time of the identified interaction, time between "check-in" and "check-out" interactions). The data received from the one or more housing centers 104 may also include identifying features of one or more users 101 and / or user devices 102 associated with the identified spatial relationship and / or the identified interaction, including but not limited to the IP address of the user device 102, the MAC address of the user device 102, the name of the user 101, etc. The data received from the one or more barn centers 104 may further include time-stamped data collected by the one or more barn nodes 106, including but not limited to temperature data, pressure data, feeding rate sensor data, watering rate sensor data, acquired images, etc. All data received by the server 110 may be stored in the memory 114 and time-stamped.

[0082] The server 110 and / or the controller 116 may be configured to store a chore list in the memory 114, 120. The chore list may include one or more chores to be completed. The chore list may be organized according to the location of each chore. For example, the server 110 may be configured to store a chore list to be completed in barn #1 (barn 103a) such that the chore list may be associated with a spatial relationship that includes barn 103a. It is noted herein that the chore list may be generated and / or edited by a user via the user interface 122. This may be referred to as Figures 3A-3D Further understanding.

[0083] Figures 3A-3J 1 shows a display page of a user device 102 according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. As previously described herein, the user device 102 may be configured to include and / or execute an application ("app") that may allow the user 101 to view, modify, and adjust one or more features of the system 100. Thus, Figures 3A-3J The display page shown may depict a display screen associated with an application located on the user device 102 .

[0084] Figure 3A-3B 1 shows display pages 302, 304 of a user device 102 depicting a login page according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 3A As shown, the app can open a login page and prompt the user 101 to log in by entering a username and password.

[0085] Figure 3C A display page 306 of a user device 102 depicting selectable options of an application according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. In one embodiment, when the user 101 approaches and / or enters a barn equipped with a barn center 104, the barn center 104 may identify a spatial relationship between the barn center 104 and the user device 102, thereby determining that the user 101 is near / inside the barn. For example, Figure 3C As shown, the system 100 can recognize that the user 101 is within “Northwest Barn 5” and display this location at the top of the display page 306 .

[0086] As shown in display page 306, once the system 100 has identified the spatial relationship between the user device 102 and the barn center 104, such that the location of the user device 102 is known, the display page 306 can present options associated with the location of the user 101 (e.g., Northwest Barn 5). For example, selecting the "ChorCheklist" button can cause the user device 102 to display a list of activities (e.g., a chore list) that are scheduled to be performed at the current location (e.g., Northwest Barn 5). At this point, the user device 102 can be configured to display a chore list associated with the identified spatial relationship. As another example, selecting the "Mortality" button can cause the user device 102 to display a screen that can allow the user 101 to enter a mortality input and record data associated with the mortality input, including but not limited to the location of the dead animal found, animal ID, time, date, weight, observations, etc. These embodiments will be discussed in further detail herein.

[0087] Figure 3D FIG. 1 shows a depiction of an activity / chore list according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0088] The display page 308 of the user device 102. Figure 3D As shown, when user 101 selects to display the page

[0089] After clicking the “ChorChecklist” button displayed on 306, the user device 102 may display the display page

[0090] 308. Display page 308 may show the current location of user device 102 (e.g., user

[0091] 101 current location) to perform a list of chores or activities. The displayed chores list may be related to the user

[0092] 101 and the barn node 106. For example, if an interaction is identified between the user 101 and the barn node 106 located in the northwest barn 5, the chore list may include chores to be completed in the northwest barn 5. For example, as shown in display page 308, the list of activities / chores to be performed in the northwest barn 5 may include checking the roof, closing the electric fence, checking the pigs, measuring the feed, etc. For purposes of this disclosure, the terms "activities" and "chores" may be used interchangeably unless otherwise specified herein.

[0093] In one embodiment, Figure 3DAs shown, user 101 can select and / or "check" the chores displayed on display page 308 by inputting one or more chores completion inputs via user device 102, thereby indicating that user 101 has performed / completed the corresponding chores. In this regard, one or more user devices 102 can be configured to receive chores completion inputs from user 101. Chores completion input can indicate that chores have been completed. In one embodiment, unless user 101 (and corresponding user device 102) is close to the location where chores are to be performed, user 101 may not be able to "check" or otherwise input chores completion input. For example, if the pig herd is located in northwest barn 5, unless user 101 (and user device 102) is located in northwest barn 5, the chores of "checking pigs" may not be "checked" (e.g., chores completion input may not be submitted). In this regard, it is contemplated herein that system 100 can promote a certain degree of responsibility and / or verification between employees (e.g., user 101) of the farm.

[0094] The server 110 and / or the controller 116 may be further configured to store a transaction log in the memory 114, 120, wherein the transaction log includes data received by one or more housing centers 104. For example, the server 110 may be configured to receive one or more chore completion inputs, identified spatial relationship data, and identified interaction data from the housing center 104 and store the data in the transaction log. In additional and / or alternative embodiments, the server 110 may be configured to store the transaction log on a blockchain.

[0095] In another embodiment, the one or more processors 112 may be configured to verify farm activities / chores. In this regard, the server 110 and / or the controller 116 may be configured to identify one or more uncompleted chores and / or one or more completed chores. The server 110 may be configured to identify uncompleted chores and / or completed chores based on received chores completion input, identified spatial relationship data, and identified interaction data.

[0096] It is noted herein that, for purposes of the present disclosure, the terms "uncompleted chores" and "completed chores" need not refer to chores that have actually been completed or uncompleted. Rather, the terms "uncompleted chores" and "completed chores" may be used to refer to chores that may be identified or marked as completed or uncompleted based on data collected by system 100. In this regard, the terms "uncompleted chores" and "completed chores" may include a determination by system 100 as to whether a chores are likely to be completed based on data collected by system 100. Therefore, it is noted herein that while the "uncompleted chores" and "completed chores" designations of the present disclosure may not be perfect in reality, they may promote transparency and traceability in an agricultural / ranching environment and may provide farm owners with data indicating the likelihood that a desired chores were properly completed.

[0097] It is to be noted herein that the server 110 may be configured to identify completed and / or uncompleted chores by cross-referencing data in a transaction log (e.g., chore completion inputs, identified spatial relationship data, identified interaction data). For example, the server 110 may be configured to identify one or more completed chores by determining that the user device 102 received one or more chore completion inputs during a time interval of a relevant spatial relationship. For example, if the user device 102 receives one or more chore completion inputs for a chore within the barn #1 (barn 103a) when the user device 102 is in a spatial relationship with the barn center 104 of barn 103a, the server 110 may be configured to identify the chore as a completed chore. Conversely, the server 110 may be configured to identify one or more uncompleted chores by determining that the user device 102 did not receive one or more chore completion inputs during a time interval of a relevant spatial relationship. For example, if user device 102 receives one or more chore completion inputs for chores within barn #1 (barn 103a) when user device 102 is not in spatial relationship with barn center 104 of barn 103a, server 110 may be configured to identify the chores as uncompleted chores.

[0098] As another example, the server 110 may be configured to identify one or more uncompleted chores based on a lack of chore completion input, based on a lack of identified spatial relationships, and / or based on a lack of identified interactions. As another example, the server 110 may be configured to identify one or more uncompleted chores by comparing the identified spatial relationship data and / or the identified interaction data with data stored in the memory 114, 120. For example, the average duration required to complete each respective chore may be stored in the memory 114, 120 with each chore in the chore list. By comparing the duration of the identified spatial relationships and / or the identified interactions with the average duration of the respective chores, the server 110 may be configured to determine that the chores marked as “completed” could not be properly completed within the identified time, as indicated by the identified spatial relationship data.

[0099] For example, the total average duration of the chore list within the barn 103a may be approximately two hours. In this example, if the identified spatial relationship data indicates that the user device 102 was within the spatial relationship with the barn center 104 of the barn 103a for only ten minutes, the server 110 may be configured to identify each chore in the list of chores to be completed within the barn 103a as an uncompleted chore.

[0100] In another embodiment, the server 110 may be configured to receive additional data related to chores and / or spatial relationships from the user device 102 via the barn center 104. The additional data received by the user device 102 / barn center 104 may be stored in the memory 114, 120. This may be referred to as Figure 3E-3F Further understanding.

[0101] According to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, Figure 3E and 3F Display pages 310, 312 of the user device 102 depicting details of a selected chore are shown. As shown in display pages 310, 312, after selecting a chore in the list of chores displayed on display page 308, the user 101 can view, select, modify, and / or add data associated with the particular selected chore. For example, upon selecting the chore "Ensure all fences are secure," the user 101 can read a description and / or instructions associated with the chore, add comments, add images, add files, etc. As another example, the user 101 can set a priority for the activity, mark the chore as incomplete, or mark the chore for another user 101 to complete. The user may then be prompted to save or cancel changes to the chore.

[0102] In another embodiment, one or more processors 112 may be configured to identify a completed chore list as a single “active transaction.” For example, Figure 3DA list of chores to be completed in Northwest Barn 5 is shown. Employees may be required to complete Figure 3D Each chore in the list shown is completed. Thus, the entire chore list is to be completed, and likely to be completed every day. To reduce duplicate data entries, these entries may indicate that each individual chore has been completed, and a completed chore list may be stored as an "active transaction." For example, processor 112 may receive a chore completion input indicating that Figure 3D Each chore in the chore list depicted in FIG has been completed. Rather than storing each chore as a separate data entry (e.g., “Chore 1: Completed; Chore 2: Completed; Chore 3: Completed, etc.), which may result in duplicate data, one or more processors 112 may be configured to recognize the entire completed chore list as a single “active transaction” and store it in memory 114.

[0103] Conversely, in another embodiment, one or more processors 112 may be configured to identify separate unfinished chores as a single "passive transaction." For example, processor 112 may receive an indication that Figure 3D Data indicating that one of the chores listed in the depicted chore list is not completed. For example, if the chore list includes five chores, and user 101 enters chore completion input via user device 102 for only four of the five chores, then one or more processors 112 may be configured to determine that one of the chores in the chore list is not completed. Rather than storing each chore as a separate data entry (e.g., “Chore 1: Completed; Chore 2: Incomplete; Chore 3: Completed, etc.), one or more processors 112 may be configured to identify and store in memory 114 a single “negative transaction” indicating that the individual chores were not completed.

[0104] In this regard, the list of completed chores may be stored as a single active transaction, while the individual uncompleted chores may be stored as a single passive transaction. As another example, the one or more processors 112 may be configured to store a first uncompleted chores as a first passive transaction, and a second uncompleted chores as a second passive transaction. Conversely, the one or more processors 112 may be configured to store the list of completed chores as a single active transaction. It is noted herein that storing the list of completed chores and the individual uncompleted chores as separate transactions may allow the system 100 to reduce stored data while allowing the user to more effectively and efficiently search for important data (e.g., all chores completed, or chores missed).

[0105] In general, as used herein, the terms "active transactions" and "passive transactions" may constitute different methods of organizing and grouping transaction logs. In this regard, the term "transaction log" may be considered to refer to a list or other database of transactions identified and maintained by the system 100 of the present disclosure. For example, a transaction log may include a list of each chore to be completed within the system 100. The transaction log may also include identified spatial relationship data, identified interaction data, and information associated with each chore / activity, including, but not limited to, whether the chore was completed, the time the chore was completed (chore completion input), the identity of the user 101 who completed the chore, etc.

[0106] In additional and / or alternative embodiments, one or more processors 112 of the server 110 may be configured to "track" an animal or herd of animals within a farm / ranch and / or between farms / ranches throughout the animal's life. In this regard, the system 100 may be used to track an animal or herd of animals from birth until the animal is processed. For example, a herd of pigs may be born on the first farm where the system 100 has been implemented. Each pig may be assigned a unique identifier and may be stored in a fence 105a. The unique identifier associated with each pig and the location of the herd (fence 105a) may be stored in the memory 114, 120. When the herd is raised, the chores associated with the fence 105a and the herd, the spatial relationship data identified, and the interaction data identified may be stored in the memory 114, 120. In this regard, vaccination records, injection records, feeding / watering records, etc. may be associated with the herd and stored in the memory 114, 120. Further, the data associated with the herd may be stored on the blockchain.

[0107] Continuing with the same example, a herd of pigs can be transported from a first farm to a second farm where system 100 has been implemented. User 101 can input through user interface 122 that the herd of pigs in fence 105a is transferred by truck to fence 105b located at a second farm. At this point, server 110 can be configured to track and store the location of the herd of pigs in a memory throughout the life cycle of the herd of pigs. At this point, server 110 can be configured to promote transparency and traceability in an agricultural / ranch environment. In particular, by storing the location and care records of the blockchain herd of pigs, end users are able to understand the historical location, feeding records, and injection records of their products.

[0108] In another embodiment, the one or more processors 112 can be configured to identify encounters between the user 101 and one or more animal groups based on the identified spatial relationship data and / or the identified interaction data. In particular, tracking the movement of the user 101 throughout the system 100 can be used to identify the user 101 that has interacted with or come into contact with a particular animal group. For example, as previously described herein with respect to Figure 2AAs illustrated, if the user 101 must walk past a herd of animals to interact with a barn node 106 disposed on an interior wall of the barn 103, the one or more processors 112 of the server 110 may be configured to determine that the user 101 may have contacted or encountered a herd of animals within the barn 103. As another example, if the server 110 recognizes that the user 101 has completed one or more chores associated with the herd of animals, the server 110 may be further configured to determine that the user 101 has encountered the herd of animals.

[0109] In another embodiment, the one or more processors 112 may be configured to receive one or more mortality inputs entered via the user device 102 via the barn center 104. For example, Figure 3C As shown, user 101 can select the "Mortality Rate" button shown in display page 306. Figure 3C The "Mortality Rate" button in the Figure 3G In particular, Figure 3G A display page 314 of a user device 102 depicting an animal mortality log is shown according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0110] In one embodiment, the user 101 can record and record the dead animals found in the display page 314. In this regard, one or more user devices 102 can be configured to receive one or more mortality inputs from the user 101, wherein the one or more mortality inputs indicate one or more dead animals. The display page 314 can depict the number of animals that have died so far in a specific location. When recording the dead animals found, the display page 314 can allow the user to add comments, add pictures, add files, etc. The display page 314 can also allow the user 101 to enter other information associated with the mortality input, including but not limited to the weight of the animal, death details, death location, animal ID number, etc. In addition, it is contemplated herein that the display page 414 can further display available and / or preferred disposal / euthanasia methods, as well as instructions for executing the selected disposal / euthanasia method. The received mortality input and information about the received mortality input can be added to the transaction log and stored in the memory 114, 120.

[0111] In another embodiment, the one or more processors 112 can be configured to identify a potential disease outbreak based on the received mortality inputs. For example, upon receiving two or more mortality inputs from a single barn 103, the one or more processors 112 can be configured to identify a potential disease outbreak in the barn 103.

[0112] In another embodiment, the one or more processors 112 may be configured to identify one or more users 101 who may be carriers of disease transmission. For example, the one or more processors 112 may be configured to identify which users 101 have been in contact with animals susceptible to a potential outbreak and identify the one or more users 101 as potential carriers of disease / outbreak transmission. As another example, the one or more processors 112 may be configured to determine where the users 101 have been, what animals (or groups of animals) they have been in contact with (e.g., encountered), etc. based on the identified spatial relationship data and the identified interaction data received from the animal housing center 104. This information can prove to be invaluable in tracking and / or preventing the spread of diseases, such as foot-and-mouth disease (FMD).

[0113] For example, throughout the course of a day, user 101a may perform activities in barn #1 (barn 103a), barn #3 (barn 103c), and barn #5 (barn 103e). Interactions between barn nodes 106 in each barn 103 and user 101a may have been identified to confirm the presence of user 101 in each barn 103. Based on the identified interactions, one or more processors 112 may be configured to identify a first encounter between user 101 and the herd of animals in barn #1 (barn 103a), a second encounter between user 101 and the herd of animals in barn #3 (barn 103c), and a third encounter between user 101 and the herd of animals in barn #5 (barn 103e). If a disease outbreak is subsequently identified in barn #3 (barn 103c), one or more processors 112 may be configured to identify user 101a as a potential carrier of disease transmission.

[0114] In another embodiment, one or more processors 112 may be configured to identify one or more groups of animals that may be at risk for a disease outbreak. For example, continuing with the above example, in identifying user 101 as a potential carrier of a disease based on an identified encounter, one or more processors 112 may be further configured to identify that the disease may have been spread to barn #5 by user 101 traveling from barn #3 (e.g., the location of the outbreak) to barn #5. Thus, one or more processors 112 may be configured to identify animals in barn #5 (barn 103e) as being at risk for contracting the disease because user 101 traveled to barn #5 after encountering animals in barn #3 (barn 103c) that were experiencing a disease outbreak.

[0115] In addition to being able to identify user 101 as a potential carrier of disease germs, system 100 can further identify visitors as potential carriers of disease germs. Figure 3H Further understanding.

[0116] Figure 3H A display page 316 of a user device 102 depicting a visitor log is shown according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0117] In one embodiment, upon selecting the "Visitor Log" button on display page 306, user device 102 may display display page 316. In another embodiment, as shown in display page 316, user 101 may be prompted to enter the name and business of the visitor and the reason for the visit. One or more processors 112 may then be configured to receive this information and store it in memory 114. It is noted herein that logging visitors in system 100 may allow one or more processors 112 to potentially identify the visitor (and user 101) as a carrier of disease-transmitting germs.

[0118] For example, imagine a scenario where multiple farmers have implemented system 100 on their farms, such that a first farm has implemented system 100a, a second farm has implemented system 100b, and a third farm has implemented system 100c. In this example, one or more processors 112 can be configured to receive and analyze data received from the first system 100a, the second system 100b, and the third system 100c.

[0119] Continuing with the same example, a visitor (e.g., a salesperson, a guest, etc.) may visit a first farm using system 100a. The visitor's user device 102 (e.g., a phone, a tablet, a smartwatch) may be used to identify the visitor as having visited the farm. The visitor may then proceed to a second farm (e.g., system 100b) and a third farm (e.g., system 100c), where the user device 102 is used to identify the visitor. In this example, one or more processors 112 may be configured to identify the visitor as a potential carrier of germs for disease transmission. Similarly, if an outbreak is identified at a first farm (e.g., system 100a), one or more processors 112 may be configured to identify the animal populations of a second farm (e.g., system 100b) and a third farm (e.g., system 100c) as animal populations that may be at risk of an outbreak.

[0120] In another embodiment, the one or more processors 112 may be configured to transmit one or more alerts to the controller 116. The controller 116 may then be configured to display the alerts to the user through the user interface 122. The alerts may include, but are not limited to, text messages, automated phone calls, emails, banners, messages through applications (“Apps”), and the like. It is contemplated that the one or more processors 112, 118 may be configured to deliver alerts to the user interface 122 under varying circumstances. For example, the one or more processors 112 may be configured to cause the user interface 122 to display an alert that a herd of animals has been identified as being at risk for a particular disease outbreak. As another example, the one or more processors 112 may be configured to cause the user interface 122 to display an alert that the user 101 has been identified as a potential carrier of germs for disease transmission. As another example, the one or more processors 112 may be configured to cause the user interface 122 to display an alert that a particular chore is not completed.

[0121] In another embodiment, one or more processors may be configured to add data generated and / or transmitted by the system 100 to the blockchain. In particular, the server 110 may be configured to share the generated transaction log to the blockchain, wherein the transaction log includes, but is not limited to, chore completion input, identified spatial relationship data, identified interaction data, mortality input, etc. It is contemplated herein that information received by one or more processors 112 may be submitted and saved on a blockchain or other distributed leger for information distribution and data integrity. For example, one or more processors 112 may be configured to transmit and save data using Hyperledger version 1.2. At this point, the server 110 may be considered a decentralized processing node of a cryptographic processing network (CBN).

[0122] In one embodiment, the data of the system 100 may be stored on a private block of a blockchain such that an encryption key is required to view and / or share information between individuals, including but not limited to farm owners (e.g., producers), consumers, etc. For example, a pig farmer who has implemented the system 100 may store the data of the system 100 on a private block of a blockchain. The data stored on the blockchain may include, but is not limited to, transactions (e.g., positive transactions and negative transactions) regarding completed / uncompleted chores. The data regarding positive transactions / negative transactions may depict the treatment received by the pigs, including the regularity of feeding / watering, the regularity of examinations, the regularity of vaccinations / injections, etc. When the pigs are sold to a buyer (e.g., a consumer or other producer in the food production process), the buyer may wish to view this information and additional information collected by the system 100 stored on the blockchain. In order to access the data of the system 100 stored on the blockchain, both the farmer and the buyer need to provide an encryption key. After verifying the correct encryption key, the farmer can then share the information stored on the blockchain with the buyer.

[0123] It is noted herein that one or more components of the system 100 may be communicatively coupled to various other components of the system 100 in any manner known in the art. For example, the user device 102, the barn center 104, the barn node 106, the server 110, and the controller 116 may be communicatively coupled to each other and to other components via a wired connection (e.g., copper wire, fiber optic cable, etc.) or a wireless connection (e.g., RF coupling, IR coupling, data network communication (e.g., WiFi, WiMax, Bluetooth, 3G, 4G, 4G LTE, 5G, etc.).

[0124] In one embodiment, one or more processors 112, 118 may include any one or more processing elements known in the art. In this sense, one or more processors 112, 118 may include any microprocessor type device configured to execute software algorithms and / or instructions. In one embodiment, one or more processors 112, 118 may be composed of desktop computers, large computer systems, workstations, image computers, parallel processors, or other computer systems (e.g., networked computers) configured to execute programs configured as operating systems 100, as described throughout this disclosure. It should be recognized that the steps described throughout this disclosure can be performed by a single computer system, or alternatively by multiple computer systems. In addition, it should be recognized that the steps described throughout this disclosure can be performed on any one or more of one or more processors 112, 118. In general, the term "processor" can be broadly defined as including any device having one or more processing elements that execute program instructions from memories 114, 120. In addition, the different subsystems of the system 100 (e.g., the user device 102, the barn center 104, the barn node 106, the server 110, the controller 116) may include processors or logic elements suitable for performing at least a portion of the steps described throughout the present disclosure. Therefore, the above description should not be interpreted as a limitation of the present disclosure, but is merely illustrative.

[0125] The memory 114, 120 may include any storage medium known in the art suitable for storing program instructions executable by the associated one or more processors 112, 118 and data generated by the system 100. For example, the memory 114, 120 may include a non-transitory storage medium. For example, the memory 114, 120 includes, but is not limited to, a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a magnetic or optical storage device (e.g., a disk), a tape, a solid-state drive, etc. In another embodiment, the memory 114, 120 is configured to store data, including but not limited to chore completion input, recognized spatial relationship data, recognized interaction data, transaction logs, etc. It should be further noted that the memory 114, 120 may be housed in a common controller housing with one or more processors 112, 118. In an alternative embodiment, the memory 114, 120 may be located remotely relative to the physical location of the processor 112, 118, the server 110, the controller 116, etc. In another embodiment, the memory 114, 120 maintains program instructions for causing one or more processors 112, 118 to perform various steps described by the present disclosure.

[0126] In one embodiment, the user interface 122 is communicatively coupled to the controller 116. In one embodiment, the user interface 122 may include, but is not limited to, one or more desktops, tablet computers, smart phones, smart watches, etc. In another embodiment, the user interface 122 includes a display for displaying data of the system 100 to the user. The display of the user interface 122 may include any display known in the art. For example, the display may include, but is not limited to, a liquid crystal display (LCD), an organic light emitting diode (OLED)-based display, or a CRT display. Those skilled in the art will recognize that any display device capable of being integrated with the user interface 122 is suitable for implementation in the present disclosure. In another embodiment, the user can enter selections and / or instructions in response to data displayed to the user through the user interface 119.

[0127] It should be noted that the various components of the system 100 (e.g., user device 102, livestock center 104, server 110, controller 116) may include any network interface circuit or network interface device suitable for interfacing with the network 108. For example, the network interface circuit may include a wired-based interface device (e.g., DSL-based interconnection, cable-based interconnection, T9-based interconnection, etc.). In another embodiment, the network interface circuit may include a wireless-based interface device that uses GSM, GPRS, CDMA, EV-DO, EDGE, WiMAX, 3G, 4G, 4G LTE, 5G, WiFi protocol, RF, LoRa, etc.

[0128] Figure 4A flow chart of a method 400 for verifying animal population activity according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. It is noted herein that the steps of the method 400 may be implemented in whole or in part by the system 100. However, it is further recognized that the method 400 is not limited to the system 100, as additional or alternative system-level embodiments may perform all or part of the steps of the method 400.

[0129] In step 402, a spatial relationship between the center of the animal house and the user device is identified. The spatial relationship between the center of the animal house 104 and the user device 102 may be identified when the user device 102 enters within a selected distance from the center of the animal house 104, when the user device 102 enters a predefined geo-fenced area, etc. For example, Figure 2A As shown, the animal house center 104 may be configured to identify a spatial relationship between the animal house center 104 and the user device 102 when the user device 102 enters the area 111 .

[0130] At step 404, interactions between the animal house nodes and the user devices are identified. The interactions between the animal house nodes 106 and the user 101 / user device 102 may include, but are not limited to, physical tactile interactions, communication signal interactions, scanning QR codes, etc. In this regard, the interactions between the user 101 (e.g., user device 102) and one or more animal house nodes 106 may be determined based on one or more features of the user device 102 (e.g., QR code, ID code, RFID tag, cellular signature, IP address, Bluetooth signature) and / or the user 101 (e.g., fingerprint, retinal features, facial features, voice features, DNA).

[0131] At step 406, one or more chore completion inputs are received from the user. The one or more chore completion inputs may indicate the completion of one or more chores in the chore list associated with the identified spatial relationship. Figure 3D As shown, user device 102 may be in a spatial relationship with "Northwest Barn 5", and user device 102 may be configured to display a list of chores associated with the spatial relationship (e.g., a list of chores to be completed within Northwest Barn 5). In this example, user 101 may be able to input one or more chore completion inputs through user device 102, indicating that one or more displayed chores have been completed.

[0132] At step 408, one or more uncompleted chores in the chore list are identified. The one or more processors 112 of the server 110 may be configured to identify the one or more uncompleted chores based on at least one of the chore completion input, the identified interaction data, and / or the identified spatial relationship data. The server 110 may be configured to identify completed and / or uncompleted chores by cross-referencing data in the transaction log (e.g., chore completion input, identified spatial relationship data, identified interaction data). For example, the server 110 may be configured to identify the one or more uncompleted chores by determining that the user device 102 did not receive the one or more chore completion inputs during a time interval of the associated spatial relationship. For example, if the user device 102 receives one or more chore completion inputs for chores in barn #1 (barn 103a) when the user device 102 is not in spatial relationship with the barn center 104 of barn 103a, the server 110 may be configured to identify the chores as uncompleted chores.

[0133] Those skilled in the art will recognize that for conceptual clarity, the components (e.g., operations), devices, objects, and discussions accompanying them described herein are used as examples, and various configuration modifications are contemplated. Therefore, as used herein, the specific examples and accompanying discussions set forth are intended to represent their more general categories. In general, the use of any particular example is intended to represent its category, and the failure to include a particular component (e.g., operation), device, and object should not be considered limiting.

[0134] The subject matter described herein sometimes shows different components that are contained in other components or connected with other components.It should be understood that the architecture described in this way is merely exemplary, and in fact other architectures can be implemented, which implement the same functions.In a conceptual sense, any arrangement of components that implement the same functions is effectively "associated" to achieve the desired functions.Therefore, any two components combined to achieve a specific function herein can be considered to be "associated" to each other to achieve the desired functions, regardless of the architecture or intermediate components.Equally, any two components so associated can also be considered to be "connected" or "coupled" to each other to achieve the desired functions, and any two components that can be so associated can also be considered to be "coupleable" to each other to achieve the desired functions.Specific examples that can be coupled include, but are not limited to, physical matching and / or physical interaction components and / or wireless interaction and / or wireless interaction components and / or logical interaction and / or logical interaction components.

[0135] Furthermore, it should be understood that the present invention is defined by the appended claims. Those skilled in the art will understand that, in general, the terms used herein, especially in the appended claims (e.g., the bodies of the appended claims), are generally considered to be "open" terms (e.g., the term "including" should be interpreted as "including but not limited to", the term "having" should be interpreted as "at least having", the term "including" should be interpreted as "including but not limited to", etc.). Those skilled in the art will further understand that if a specific number of claim statements is intended to be introduced, such intent will be explicitly stated in the claim, and in the absence of such a statement, no such intent exists. For example, to aid understanding, the following appended claims may contain the use of the introductory phrases "at least one" and "one or more" to introduce claim statements. However, the use of such phrases should not be interpreted as implying that the introduction of a claim statement by the quantifier "a" or "an" limits any particular claim containing such introduced claim statement to an invention containing only one such statement, even when the same claim includes the introductory phrase "one or more" or "at least one" and a quantifier such as "a" or "an" (e.g., "a" and / or "an" should generally be interpreted to mean "at least one" or "one or more"); the same applies to the use of "the" used to introduce a claim statement. In addition, even if a specific number of introduced claim statements is explicitly recited, those skilled in the art will recognize that such a statement should generally be interpreted to mean at least the recited number (e.g., a simple statement of "two statements" without other modifiers generally means at least two statements, or two or more statements). In addition, where a convention similar to "at least one of A, B, and C, etc." is used, generally speaking, such a construction is what one skilled in the art understands the convention to mean (e.g., "a system having at least one of A, B, C" would include, but is not limited to, a system having A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and / or A, B, and C together, etc.). Furthermore, where a convention similar to "at least one of A, B, or C, etc." is used, generally, such construction is what one skilled in the art understands the convention to mean (e.g., "a system having at least one of A, B, or C" would include, but is not limited to, systems having A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and / or A, B, and C together, etc.). One skilled in the art would further understand that virtually any disjunctive word and / or phrase, whether in the specification, claims, or drawings, that presents two or more alternative terms should be understood to contemplate the possibility of including one, either, or both of the terms. For example, the phrase "A or B" would be understood to include the possibility of "A" or "B" or "A and B."

[0136] It is believed that the disclosure and its many attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made to the form, construction, and arrangement of components without departing from the disclosed subject matter or sacrificing all of its substantial advantages. The described form is merely illustrative, and the following claims are intended to encompass and include such changes. Furthermore, it should be understood that the invention is defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A system for verifying animal population activity, comprising: a user device associated with the user, the user device configured to receive one or more chore completion inputs indicating completion of one or more chores in the chore list; a barn node configured to identify an interaction between the barn node and the user device; A livestock house center, which is communicatively coupled to the livestock house node, wherein the livestock house center is configured as follows: identifying a spatial relationship between the animal house center and the user device; receiving, from the barn node, identified interaction data associated with the identified interaction; and and receiving the one or more chore completion inputs; as well as A server, communicatively coupled to the barn center, the server comprising one or more processors configured to execute a set of program instructions stored in a memory, the set of program instructions configured to cause the one or more processors to: receiving one or more signals from the barn center, the one or more signals including the one or more chore completion inputs, the identified interaction data, and the identified spatial relationship data associated with the identified spatial relationship; storing a transaction log in the memory, the transaction log comprising the chore completion input, the identified interaction data, and the spatial relationship data; and identifying one or more uncompleted chores in the chore list based on at least one of the one or more chore completion inputs, the identified interaction data, and the identified spatial relationship data, The interaction is used to determine that the user is located near the barn node during the interaction and to refine the determined position of the user to a position near the barn node.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein: The one or more processors are further configured to: One or more completed chores in the chore list are identified based on at least one of the chore completion input, the identified interaction data, and the identified spatial relationship data.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein: Identifying one or more completed chores in the chore list includes: It is determined that the user device received the one or more chore completion inputs during a time interval of the spatial relationship.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein: Identifying one or more uncompleted chores in the chore list includes: It is determined that the user device did not receive the one or more chore completion inputs during the time interval of the spatial relationship.

5. The system according to claim 2, wherein: The one or more processors are further configured to: When each chore in the chore list is identified as completed, it is identified as an active transaction; and When at least one chore in the chore list is identified as unfinished, it is identified as a passive transaction.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein: The livestock house node includes at least one of a QR code scanner, a capacitive touch sensor, a resistive touch sensor, a biosensor, or a mechanical device.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein: The one or more processors are further configured to: Based on at least one of the identified spatial relationship data or the identified interaction data, one or more encounters between the user and one or more groups of animals are identified.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a user interface communicatively coupled to the controller, wherein: The one or more processors are further configured to: One or more signals are transmitted to the controller, wherein the one or more signals are configured to cause the controller to display one or more alerts indicating one or more identified uncompleted chores.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein: The user equipment is further configured as: One or more mortality inputs are received from the user.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein: The one or more processors are further configured to: Based on the one or more mortality inputs, one or more disease outbreaks are identified.

11. The system according to claim 9, wherein: The one or more processors are further configured to: Based on the one or more mortality rate inputs, one or more individuals are identified as potential carriers of disease transmission.

12. The system according to claim 9, wherein: The one or more processors are further configured to: Based on the one or more mortality inputs, one or more groups of animals at risk for a disease outbreak are identified.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein: The barn center is configured to identify the spatial relationship between the barn center and the user device when the user device enters within a selected distance of the barn center or enters a selected geo-fenced area.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein: The barn node includes one or more sensors configured to obtain sensor readings, the one or more sensors including at least one of a temperature sensor, a pressure sensor, a humidity sensor, a composition sensor, or a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) sensor.

15. The system according to claim 14, in, The barn center is configured to receive sensor readings from the barn nodes and transmit the sensor readings to the server, wherein the server is configured to store the sensor readings in a memory.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein: The one or more processors are further configured to: receiving from the barn center one or more images acquired by one or more imaging devices of the barn node; and One or more characteristics of the group of animals are identified based on the one or more images.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein: The one or more characteristics identifying a group of animals include: Generate a machine learning classifier; and The one or more characteristics of the herd of animals are identified using the machine learning classifier.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein: The one or more processors are further configured to store the transaction log to a blockchain.

19. A method for verifying the activity of an animal population, comprising: Identify the spatial relationship between the center of the animal house and the user equipment; Identifying, by means of a barn node, an interaction between the barn node and the user device, wherein the interaction is used to determine that the user is located near the barn node at the time of the interaction and to refine the determined position of the user to a position located near the barn node; receiving one or more chore completion inputs from the user, the one or more chore completion inputs indicating completion of one or more chores in the chore list associated with the identified spatial relationship; and One or more uncompleted chores in the chore list are identified based on at least one of the one or more chore completion inputs, identified interaction data associated with the identified interactions, and identified spatial relationship data associated with the identified spatial relationships.

Images