A poultry egg association device and method

Abstract

A poultry egg association device and method, comprising the following steps: 1. Reading data; 2. Determining whether data has been read; if yes, proceed to step 4, otherwise proceed to step 3; 3. Dormant for time T1, then proceed to step 1; 4. Recording the current pressure value Wb, and recording the current time as the hen's nesting time Tb; 5. Dormant for time T2; 6. Reading hen data again; 7. Determining whether hen data has been read; if yes, proceed to step 5, otherwise proceed to step 8; 8. Recording the current time as the time the hen leaves the nest Te; 9. Checking whether the time spent in the nest is greater than T3; if yes, proceed to step 10, otherwise proceed to step 1; 10. Activating the blocking mechanism; 11. Activating the egg-pushing mechanism; 12. Activating the blocking mechanism to allow the hen to enter the nest; 13. Recording the current pressure value We; 14. Checking whether the pressure value change is greater than W; if yes, proceed to step 15, otherwise proceed to step 16; 15. Recording and storing poultry egg data, generating and writing egg production information into the queue; 16. End.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of aquaculture equipment technology, specifically to a poultry egg association device and method. Background Technology

[0002] In poultry farming, breed selection is of paramount importance, as the quality of breeding stock directly impacts the productivity of offspring and the economic benefits of producer input. Taking goose breeding as an example, breeding geese form the foundation of the entire goose farming industry. Through pedigree selection, individuals with superior development are chosen, and their excellent developmental qualities are passed on to offspring, thereby improving the productivity and economic efficiency of commercial geese. For pedigree-selected breeding geese, typically six individuals form one pedigree pen, with a mating ratio of 5:1 between females and males. Eggs are retained according to each pen, numbered, and incubated separately for each pedigree. Each pedigree is placed in an incubation tray according to its number, with clear markings between pedigrees to prevent confusion during hatching. During candling, infertile and dead eggs from each pedigree should be removed separately and recorded for statistical analysis of fertilization and mortality rates. Chicks are then placed in separate hatching trays, each pedigree as a unit.

[0003] Existing technologies include RFID-based goose identification, camera image recognition, egg inkjet coding, and automation and IoT technologies, which can automatically or semi-automatically link individual goose with their eggs. However, all of these technologies have the following shortcomings:

[0004] 1. Geese are waterfowl, and whether raised on a large scale or through selective breeding, water tanks and activity areas are essential infrastructure. This results in egg-laying nests (boxes, devices) becoming quite dirty over time. Geese also naturally incubate their eggs, constantly adjusting their position with their beaks, further contributing to the dirtiness of the eggs. QR code recognition is an image recognition technology. The curved surface of goose eggs results in small QR codes printed on them; if the eggs are dirty, the QR codes will be difficult or even impossible to read. Given that goose eggs often have mud, feces, and other impurities on their surface, existing devices clean and dry the eggs before printing to ensure effective recognition. However, the cleaning process damages the natural environment of the egg surface, affecting the breathability of the shell and increasing the possibility of bacterial infection, thus impacting the quality of the eggs. Furthermore, each breeding pen is equipped with a character printing device and egg cleaning and drying equipment to ensure clear printing, resulting in high overall equipment costs.

[0005] 2. By designing the dimensions of the goose egg collection troughs, the eggs are arranged in chronological order of their laying. Then, based on the collected records of the breeding geese that sequentially entered the egg-laying device, the geese are manually numbered sequentially to associate each egg with its parent goose. The accuracy of this method relies on the chronological records of the laying geese and the order in which the eggs are placed in the collection troughs. However, not every goose entering the device will lay an egg, and the egg-collecting procedures for workers are subject to strict requirements. Any error in either of these aspects will lead to inaccurate association results.

[0006] 3. The associated devices are relatively scattered, the overall volume is large, transportation is inconvenient, and the area required for use is also large. Summary of the Invention

[0007] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, this invention proposes a poultry egg association device and method that is simple in structure, low in cost, does not damage the original ecology of poultry eggs, highly restores the original poultry nest, and does not increase the cost of manual egg collection, thereby achieving a one-to-one association between the mother bird and the egg. The specific technical solution is as follows:

[0008] A method for associating poultry eggs, the specific steps of which are as follows:

[0009] Step 1: Read the data of the female poultry;

[0010] Step 2: Determine if the female poultry data has been read. If yes, proceed to Step 4; otherwise, proceed to Step 3.

[0011] Step 3: Sleep time T1, then proceed to Step 1;

[0012] Step 4: Acquire and record the current pressure sensor value Wb, and record the current system time as the brooding time Tb for the female poultry;

[0013] Step 5: Sleep time T2;

[0014] Step Six: Read the hen's data again;

[0015] Step 7: Determine if the female poultry data has been read. If so, proceed to step 5; otherwise, proceed to step 8.

[0016] Step 8: Record the current system time as the time Te when the mother bird leaves the nest;

[0017] Step Nine: Does the duration of the hen in the nest exceed T3? If so, proceed to Step Ten; otherwise, proceed to Step One.

[0018] Step 10: Activate the barrier mechanism to prevent other female birds from entering the nest;

[0019] Step 11: Activate the egg-pushing mechanism to push the eggs into the egg storage mechanism;

[0020] Step 12: Activate the barrier mechanism to allow the mother bird to enter the nest;

[0021] Step 13: Record the current pressure sensor value We;

[0022] Step Fourteen: Is the change in the pressure sensor value (We-Wb) greater than W? If yes, proceed to Step Fifteen; otherwise, proceed to Step Sixteen.

[0023] Step 15: Record the data of stored poultry eggs, generate and write the egg production information queue;

[0024] Step Sixteen: End.

[0025] A method for associating poultry eggs, wherein the specific steps for retrieving poultry egg information are as follows:

[0026] Step 1: The egg storage module reads and records the current pressure sensor value Wb;

[0027] Step 2: Determine if the egg production information queue is empty. If it is not empty, proceed to Step 3; otherwise, proceed to Step 9.

[0028] Step 3: Read the egg weight information w from the first element of the egg production information queue;

[0029] Step 4: The display module displays the information of the first element in the queue;

[0030] Step 5: Manually obtain egg-laying information and complete the egg-collecting process;

[0031] Step Six: Read and record the current pressure sensor value We;

[0032] Step 7: Determine whether the change in the pressure sensor reading before and after is equal to w. If yes, proceed to step 8; otherwise, proceed to step 1.

[0033] Step 8: Dequeue the first element of the egg production information queue;

[0034] Step 9: The display module shows that there are currently no poultry eggs.

[0035] A poultry egg association device includes a mounting frame (1), a poultry nest mechanism (2) is provided on one side of the mounting frame (1), and an egg storage mechanism (3) is provided on the other side. An egg inlet (301) is provided on the side of the egg storage mechanism (3), and an egg outlet (201) is provided on the side of the poultry nest mechanism (2). The egg outlet (201) cooperates with the egg inlet (301).

[0036] The poultry nest mechanism (2) is provided with an egg pushing mechanism (4), which pushes the poultry eggs into the egg storage mechanism (3) through the egg outlet (201) and the egg inlet (301);

[0037] A U-shaped shielding fence (5) is provided on the top of the poultry nesting mechanism (2), and the opening side of the shielding fence (5) is away from the egg storage mechanism (3);

[0038] A female poultry blocking mechanism (6) is provided on the opening side of the shielding fence (5);

[0039] A female poultry data reading module (7) is provided at the bottom of the poultry nest mechanism (2).

[0040] As an optimization: the poultry nest mechanism (2) is provided with a conical nest block (202), the lower part of which is an open structure, and the side is provided with an egg outlet (201). A bottom plate (203) is provided correspondingly at the lower part of the nest block (202), and the hen data reading module (7) is provided at the bottom of the bottom plate (203).

[0041] As an optimization: the egg pushing mechanism (4) is provided with an arc-shaped egg pushing frame (401), the inner arc surface of which is arranged opposite to the egg inlet (301);

[0042] The egg pusher (401) is slidably connected to the lower part of the mounting frame (1) via a track. A screw mounting seat (402) and a motor mounting seat (403) are provided on the side of the mounting frame (1), wherein the screw mounting seat (402) and the motor mounting seat (403) are respectively close to the hen blocking mechanism (6) and the egg storage mechanism (3);

[0043] A motor (404) is fixedly installed in the motor mounting base (403). The output end of the motor (404) is connected to a screw (405). The other end of the screw (405) is rotatably connected to the screw mounting base (402). A nut connecting block (406) is sleeved on the screw (405). The nut connecting block (406) is connected to the side of the egg pusher (401).

[0044] A first proximity switch and a second proximity switch are respectively provided near the screw mounting base (402) and the motor mounting base (403), and the first proximity switch and the second proximity switch are respectively engaged with the nut connecting block (406).

[0045] As an optimization: the egg storage mechanism (3) is provided with a rectangular egg storage trough (302), one end of which is provided with an egg inlet (301), one end of which is provided with a baffle (303), and the other end is an open egg collection port. An observation through hole (304) is provided in the baffle (303), and a pressure sensor module (305) is provided at the bottom of the egg storage trough (302).

[0046] As an optimization: a mat is provided on the upper surface of the base plate (203), which is one or more of the following: corn leaves, cattails, bionic thatch mat, or fabric.

[0047] As an optimization: a control unit is also provided, which is equipped with a control module. The data input terminal of the control module is connected to a hen data reading module (7), a first proximity switch, a second proximity switch and a pressure sensor, respectively. The communication terminal is connected to a communication module, the display terminal is connected to a poultry egg information display module, and the control terminal is connected to a motor (404) and a control motor of the hen blocking mechanism (6).

[0048] The beneficial effects of this invention are: it realizes a one-to-one association between the hen and the egg; the bird nest of the device adopts a conical structure with an open bottom, and together with the bottom plate and the mat, it can simulate and restore the appearance of the original ecological egg-laying nest of birds, and solve the problem of birds not wanting to nest under the existing technical solution;

[0049] The device has a simple structure and uses a motor to control movement, reducing costs and the probability of errors. While linking poultry eggs, the device also uses modules such as pressure sensors to automatically collect the weight of the eggs.

[0050] The device incorporates control methods, and the main control functions avoid the use of optical electronic components to adapt to the high humidity and high dust environment of poultry farms, further reducing the probability of device errors and inaccuracies. Attached Figure Description

[0051] Figure 1 This is a flowchart of the poultry egg association processing of the present invention;

[0052] Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating the process of obtaining poultry egg information during egg collection according to the present invention.

[0053] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the control system of the present invention;

[0054] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention.

[0055] Figure 5 This is a top view of the present invention;

[0056] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the bottom structure of the present invention;

[0057] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the egg pusher structure in this invention. Detailed Implementation

[0058] The preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, so that the advantages and features of the present invention can be more easily understood by those skilled in the art, thereby providing a clearer and more explicit definition of the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0059] like Figure 1 As shown: A poultry egg association method, wherein one poultry egg association process is as follows:

[0060] S1: The high-frequency RFID reader / writer module performs the RFID reading action.

[0061] S2: Determine whether the RFID reader / writer module has read the RFID data r from the female poultry's leg band. If so, proceed to S4; otherwise, proceed to S3.

[0062] S3: Sleep time T1, then switch to S1.

[0063] S4: Acquire and record the current pressure sensor value Wb, and record the current system time as the brooding time Tb for the female poultry.

[0064] S5: Sleep time T2.

[0065] S6: The RFID reader / writer module performs the RFID reading action.

[0066] S7: Determine whether the RFID reader / writer module has read the RFID data r from the female poultry's leg band. If so, proceed to S5; otherwise, proceed to S8.

[0067] S8: Record the current system time as the time Te when the mother bird leaves the nest.

[0068] S9: Does the duration (Te-Tb) of the female bird in the nest exceed T3? If so, proceed to S10; otherwise, proceed to S1.

[0069] S10: Activate the gate servo motor in the hen-prevention mechanism, lower the gate, and prevent other hen from entering the nest.

[0070] S11: The motor in the egg pushing mechanism rotates, driving the egg pusher to move towards the egg outlet of the poultry nest mechanism.

[0071] S12: Determine if there is a trigger signal for the second limit switch. If there is, proceed to S13; otherwise, proceed to S11.

[0072] S13: The motor in the egg pushing mechanism rotates in the opposite direction, driving the egg pusher to move in the initial direction.

[0073] S14: Determine if there is a trigger signal for the first limit switch. If there is, proceed to S15; otherwise, proceed to S13.

[0074] S15: The motor in the egg-pushing mechanism stops rotating.

[0075] S16: Activate the fence gate servo motor of the hen-prevention mechanism, the fence gate rises, allowing the hen to enter the nest.

[0076] S17: Record the current pressure sensor value We.

[0077] S18: Is the change in the pressure sensor value (We-Wb) greater than W? If yes, proceed to S19; otherwise, proceed to S20.

[0078] S19: Write the device ID, the hen's leg band RFID value r, the hen's nesting time Tb, the hen's nest leaving time Te, and the egg weight (value: We-Wb) into the egg production information queue.

[0079] S20: One round of poultry egg association processing is complete.

[0080] like Figure 2 As shown: The process of collecting poultry egg information:

[0081] S1: Determine whether the human body sensor module has detected a person. If so, proceed to S2; otherwise, proceed to S1.

[0082] S2: Read and record the current pressure sensor value Wb.

[0083] S3: Determine if the egg production information queue is empty. If it is not empty, proceed to S4; otherwise, proceed to S10.

[0084] S4: Read the egg weight information w from the first element of the egg production information queue.

[0085] S5: The display module displays a QR code containing information about the first element of the queue. This QR code includes the device ID, the RFID value r of the hen's leg band, the time the hen went into the nest Tb, the time the hen left the nest Te, and the egg weight (value: We-Wb).

[0086] S6: Workers use a mobile application to scan the QR code to obtain egg production information. The egg production information is sent to the cloud server for subsequent poultry breeding process, and then the eggs are collected.

[0087] S7: Read and record the current pressure sensor value We.

[0088] S8: Determine whether the change in the pressure sensor value (Wb-We) is defined by w. If yes, go to S9; otherwise, go to S1.

[0089] S9: The first element of the egg production information queue is dequeued and transferred to S1.

[0090] S10: The display module shows that there are currently no poultry eggs.

[0091] S11: The process of collecting poultry egg information once is complete.

[0092] like Figures 4 to 7As shown: The apparatus for the above-mentioned poultry egg association method includes a rectangular mounting frame 1. A poultry nest mechanism 2 is provided on one side of the mounting frame 1 along its length, and an egg storage mechanism 3 is provided on the other side. An egg inlet 301 is provided on the side of the egg storage mechanism 3, and an egg outlet 201 is provided on the side of the poultry nest mechanism 2. The egg outlet 201 cooperates with the egg inlet 301. An egg pushing mechanism 4 is provided in the poultry nest mechanism 2. The egg pushing mechanism 4 pushes the poultry eggs into the egg storage mechanism 3 through the egg outlet 201 and the egg inlet 301. A U-shaped shielding fence 5 is provided at the top of the poultry nest mechanism 2. The opening side of the shielding fence 5 is away from the egg storage mechanism 3. A female poultry blocking mechanism 6 is provided on the opening side of the shielding fence 5. The female poultry blocking mechanism 6 consists of a fence and a control motor. A female poultry data reading module 7 is provided at the bottom of the poultry nest mechanism 2.

[0093] The poultry nest mechanism 2 is provided with a conical nest cover 202. The lower part of the nest cover 202 is an open structure, and an egg outlet 201 is provided on the side. A base plate 203 is provided at the lower part of the nest cover 202. The poultry data reading module 7 is provided at the bottom of the base plate 203. The poultry data reading module 7 is specifically an RFID reading and writing module.

[0094] The egg pushing mechanism 4 is provided with an arc-shaped egg pushing frame 401, the inner arc surface of which is opposite to the egg inlet 301; the egg pushing frame 401 is slidably connected to the lower part of the mounting frame (1) by two rails, and a screw mounting seat 402 and a motor mounting seat 403 are provided on the side of the mounting frame 1, wherein the screw mounting seat 402 and the motor mounting seat 403 are respectively close to the hen blocking mechanism 6 and the egg storage mechanism 3;

[0095] A motor 404 is fixedly installed in the motor mounting base 403. The output end of the motor 404 is connected to a screw 405. The other end of the screw 405 is rotatably connected to the screw mounting base 402. A nut connecting block 406 is sleeved on the screw 405. The nut connecting block 406 is fixedly connected to the side of the egg pusher 401.

[0096] In the mounting bracket 1, a first proximity switch and a second proximity switch are respectively provided near the screw mounting base 402 and the motor mounting base 403. The first proximity switch and the second proximity switch are respectively engaged with the nut connecting block 406.

[0097] The egg storage mechanism 3 is provided with a rectangular egg storage trough 302. One end of the egg storage trough 302 is provided with an egg inlet 301. One end of the top of the egg storage trough 302 is provided with a baffle 303, and the other end is an open egg collection port. An observation through hole 304 is provided in the baffle 303. A pressure sensor module (305) is provided on the bottom surface of the egg storage trough (302).

[0098] A mat is provided on the upper surface of the base plate 203. The mat is one or more of the following: corn leaves, cattails, bionic thatch mat, or fabric.

[0099] like Figure 3 As shown: A control unit is also provided, which is equipped with a control module. The data input terminal of the control module is connected to the hen data reading module 7, the first proximity switch, the second proximity switch and the pressure sensor, respectively. The communication terminal is connected to the communication module, the display terminal is connected to the poultry egg information display module, and the control terminal is connected to the motor 404 and the control motor of the hen blocking mechanism 6.

[0100] Furthermore, the N egg-related devices communicate with the cloud server through the host computer, sending the egg-laying information and device malfunction information of the egg-related devices to the cloud server. The mobile application sends the egg-collecting information to the cloud server and retrieves the egg-laying information and malfunction information of the devices from the cloud server.

[0101] Furthermore, the poultry egg association device also stores and maintains an egg production information table. This table includes an egg production information ID (primary key, unique, device ID, hen's leg band RFID), entry time into the nest, and departure time from the nest, recorded as egg production time. Egg weight is also included, with 0 indicating no egg production, status indicating no egg production, egg production, egg collection, egg collection time, and upload status indicating not uploaded, uploaded, and upload time. The egg production information table data can be uploaded to a host computer or cloud server via a communication module for subsequent poultry breeding processes.

[0102] The cloud server stores and manages the egg collection information table, which includes the egg collection information ID, primary key, unique, device ID, hen's leg band RFID, entry time into the poultry nest, and departure time from the poultry nest, recorded as laying time, egg weight, egg collection time, and worker ID.

[0103] The cloud server simultaneously stores and maintains the egg-laying information table generated by the poultry egg-related device and the egg-collecting information table submitted by the mobile application. The data items in the egg-laying information table and the egg-collecting information table are the same: "Device ID, hen's leg band RFID, time of entering the poultry nest, time of leaving the poultry nest (recorded as egg-laying time), egg weight (0 indicates no egg-laying), and egg-collecting time". It is mainly used to ensure the normal storage of data in the event of abnormal communication between the poultry egg-related device or the host computer, as well as to verify whether the workers are collecting eggs normally.

Claims

1. A method for associating poultry eggs, characterized in that, The specific steps are as follows: Step 1: Read the data of the female poultry; Step 2: Determine if the female poultry data has been read. If yes, proceed to Step 4; otherwise, proceed to Step 3. Step 3: Sleep time T1, then proceed to Step 1; Step 4: Acquire and record the current pressure sensor value Wb, and record the current system time as the brooding time Tb for the female poultry; Step 5: Sleep time T2; Step Six: Read the hen's data again; Step 7: Determine if the female poultry data has been read. If so, proceed to step 5; otherwise, proceed to step 8. Step 8: Record the current system time as the time Te when the mother bird leaves the nest; Step 9: Does the duration of the hen in the nest exceed T3? If so, proceed to Step 10. Otherwise, proceed to step one; Step 10: Activate the barrier mechanism to prevent other female birds from entering the nest; Step 11: Activate the egg-pushing mechanism to push the eggs into the egg storage mechanism; Step 12: Activate the barrier mechanism to allow the mother bird to enter the nest; Step 13: Record the current pressure sensor value We; Step Fourteen: Is the change in the pressure sensor value (We-Wb) greater than W? If yes, proceed to Step Fifteen; otherwise, proceed to Step Sixteen. Step 15: Record poultry egg data, generate and write it into the egg production information queue; Step Sixteen: End; The apparatus for the poultry egg association method includes a mounting frame (1), a poultry nest mechanism (2) is provided on one side of the mounting frame (1), and an egg storage mechanism (3) is provided on the other side. An egg inlet (301) is provided on the side of the egg storage mechanism (3), and an egg outlet (201) is provided on the side of the poultry nest mechanism (2). The egg outlet (201) cooperates with the egg inlet (301). The poultry nest mechanism (2) is provided with an egg pushing mechanism (4), which pushes the poultry eggs into the egg storage mechanism (3) through the egg outlet (201) and the egg inlet (301); A U-shaped shielding fence (5) is provided on the top of the poultry nesting mechanism (2), and the opening side of the shielding fence (5) is far away from the egg storage mechanism (3). A female poultry blocking mechanism (6) is provided on the opening side of the shielding fence (5). A female poultry data reading module (7) is provided at the bottom of the poultry nest mechanism (2); The poultry nest mechanism (2) is provided with a conical nest block (202). The lower part of the nest block (202) is an open structure, and the side is provided with an egg outlet (201). A bottom plate (203) is provided at the lower part of the nest block (202), and the hen data reading module (7) is provided at the bottom of the bottom plate (203). The egg pushing mechanism (4) is provided with an arc-shaped egg pushing frame (401), the inner arc surface of which is opposite to the egg inlet (301); The egg pusher (401) is slidably connected to the lower part of the mounting frame (1) via a track. A screw mounting seat (402) and a motor mounting seat (403) are provided on the side of the mounting frame (1), wherein the screw mounting seat (402) and the motor mounting seat (403) are respectively close to the hen blocking mechanism (6) and the egg storage mechanism (3). A motor (404) is fixedly installed in the motor mounting base (403). The output end of the motor (404) is connected to a screw (405). The other end of the screw (405) is rotatably connected to the screw mounting base (402). A nut connecting block (406) is sleeved on the screw (405). The nut connecting block (406) is connected to the side of the egg pusher (401). A first proximity switch and a second proximity switch are respectively provided near the screw mounting base (402) and the motor mounting base (403), and the first proximity switch and the second proximity switch are respectively engaged with the nut connecting block (406).

2. The method for associating poultry eggs according to claim 1, characterized in that, This also includes obtaining poultry egg information, the specific steps of which are as follows: Step 1: The egg storage module reads and records the current pressure sensor value Wb; Step 2: Determine if the egg production information queue is empty. If it is not empty, proceed to Step 3; otherwise, proceed to Step 9. Step 3: Read the egg weight information W from the first element of the egg production information queue; Step 4: The display module displays the information of the first element in the queue; Step 5: Manually obtain egg-laying information and complete the egg-collecting process; Step 6: Read and record the current pressure sensor value We; Step 7: Determine whether the change in the pressure sensor reading before and after is equal to W. If yes, proceed to Step 8; otherwise, proceed to Step 1. Step 8: Dequeue the first element of the egg production information queue; Step 9: The display module shows that there are currently no poultry eggs.

3. The poultry egg association method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The egg storage mechanism (3) is provided with a rectangular egg storage trough (302). One end of the egg storage trough (302) is provided with an egg inlet (301). One end of the top of the egg storage trough (302) is provided with a baffle (303), and the other end is an open egg collection port. An observation through hole (304) is provided in the baffle (303). A pressure sensor module (305) is provided at the bottom of the egg storage trough (302).

4. The poultry egg association method according to claim 1, characterized in that: A pad is provided on the upper surface of the base plate (203), and the pad is made of one or more of the following materials: corn leaves, cattails, bionic thatch, or cloth.

5. The poultry egg association method according to claim 1, characterized in that: A control unit is also provided, which is equipped with a control module. The data input end of the control module is connected to a hen data reading module (7), a first proximity switch, a second proximity switch and a pressure sensor, respectively. The communication end is connected to a communication module, the display end is connected to a poultry egg information display module, and the control end is connected to a motor (404) and a control motor of the hen blocking mechanism (6).

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