System and method for activity verification

Abstract

To provide a system and a method for verifying activity of an animal population.SOLUTION: A system 100 includes: user apparatuses 102a, 102b that receive one or more chores completion inputs; a livestock barn node 106 that identifies interaction between the livestock barn node and the user apparatus; a livestock barn hub 104 communicatively coupled to the livestock barn node; and a server 110. The livestock barn hub identifies a spatial relation between the livestock barn hub and the user apparatus, receives identified interaction data, and receives the one or more chores completion inputs. The server receives the one or more chores completion inputs, the identified interaction data, and identified spatial relation data, stores a transaction log in a memory, and identifies one or more uncompleted chores in a list of chores based on at least one of the one or more chores completion inputs, the identified interaction data, and the identified spatial relationship data.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001] (Related Applications) This application claims the benefit of priority of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62 / 769,422, filed Nov. 19, 2018, entitled "SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ACTIVITY VALIDATION," and U.S. Provisional Application No. 62 / 905,552, filed Sep. 25, 2019, entitled "SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ACTIVITY VALIDATION," both of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. This application also claims the benefit of priority of U.S. Application No. 16 / 688,332, filed Nov. 19, 2019, entitled "SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ACTIVITY VALIDATION," which is also hereby incorporated by reference.

Technical Field

[0002] The present invention relates generally to the validation of activities and chores, and more specifically, to systems and methods for validating chores in the agricultural industry.

Background Art

[0003] Accurate and efficient data collection and distribution are important aspects in various industries, including agriculture, food production industries (such as pork, beef, poultry). Also, consumers usually desire to be able to obtain data about the products before and after purchase to confirm the nature and quality of the products they buy. In an agricultural environment, consumers want to know that the animal products they purchase are from the claimed origin, that the animals are humanely treated, and that the animals are properly managed (e.g., vaccination, regular feeding, etc.). However, traditional systems and methods, for example, PQA+ in the pork industry, are mainly paper-based systems. Therefore, the drawbacks of traditional systems and methods are that data collection, sharing, and maintenance are difficult. In addition, changing and / or tampering with data often leads to a lack of transparency between producers and consumers. Therefore, there is a need for systems and methods that solve one or more of the problems of the methods described above.

Summary of the Invention

Means for Solving the Problems

[0004] A system for verifying the activities of an animal population is disclosed. In an embodiment, the system includes a user device associated with a user, and the user device is configured to receive one or more miscellaneous task completion inputs indicating the completion of one or more miscellaneous tasks in a miscellaneous task list. The system can further include a barn node configured to identify an interaction between the barn node and the user device, and a barn hub communicatively coupled to the barn node. In an embodiment, the barn hub is configured to identify a spatial relationship between the barn hub and the user device, receive identified interaction data associated with the identified interaction from the barn node, and receive one or more miscellaneous task completion inputs. In an embodiment, the system can further include a server communicatively coupled to the barn hub, the server including one or more processors configured to execute a set of program instructions stored in a memory, the set of program instructions including receiving, from the barn hub, one or more signals including the plurality of miscellaneous task completion inputs, the identified interaction data, and identified spatial relationship data associated with the identified spatial relationship, storing, in the memory, a transaction log including the miscellaneous task completion inputs, the identified interaction data, and the spatial relationship data, and causing the one or more processors to identify one or more incomplete miscellaneous tasks in the miscellaneous task list based on at least one of the one or more miscellaneous task completion inputs, the identified interaction data, and the identified spatial relationship data.

[0005] 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 hub configured to identify a spatial relationship between the barn hub 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 hub, the server including one or more processors configured to execute a set of program instructions stored in a memory, the set of program instructions causing the one or more processors to receive one or more signals from a barn node, the one or more signals including identified spatial relationship data associated with a chore completion input, identified interaction data, and an identified spatial relationship, 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 incomplete chores in the chore list and identify one or more completed chores in the chore list.

[0006] A method for verifying the activity of an animal population is disclosed. In an embodiment, the method includes identifying a spatial relationship between a barn hub and a user device, identifying an interaction between a barn node and the user device, receiving from the user 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 incomplete chores in the chore list based on at least one of the one or more chore completion inputs, the identified interaction data associated with the identified interaction, and the identified spatial relationship data associated with the identified spatial relationship.

[0007] Both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not to be construed as limiting the invention for which protection is sought. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the general description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

[0008] Many advantages of the present disclosure can be better understood by those skilled in the art by referring to the following accompanying drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0009]

Figure 1

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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Here, reference is made in detail to the disclosed subject matter shown in the accompanying drawings.

[0011] Generally, referring to FIGS. 1 to 4, according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, a system and method for verifying the activities of an animal population will be described.

[0012] Conventional systems and methods for tracking activities related to animal populations are mainly paper-based. Therefore, it may take a very long time to store records of various farm activities. Activities of animal populations that may need to be described and recorded include, but are not limited to, animal feeding, injection, vaccination, death, occurrence of diseases, etc. In addition, physical paper records are prone to loss and may be difficult to copy and / or distribute. In addition, manual records are prone to being changed and / or forged. Summing up the above, these drawbacks result in a lack of transparency and traceability between consumers and producers in the animal production process.

[0013] Accordingly, embodiments of the present disclosure relate to systems and methods for solving one or more problems of the methods described above. Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to the use of farm and ranch hardware and software and can be used to collect information regarding the status and activities of an animal population. Additional embodiments of the present disclosure relate to the use of farm and ranch hardware, which can be used to collect, input, and store the activities of farm staff in order to verify farm activities performed in or on an animal population. Additional embodiments of the present disclosure relate to using blockchain technology to store and verify farm activities. As expected herein, the use of blockchain technology enables the systems and methods of the present disclosure to collect and store farm activities more efficiently and accurately. This can help to achieve transparency and traceability between producers and consumers in the animal industry.

[0014] Today's consumers are showing a desire to know where their food comes from and what their food has been exposed to. This is especially true for animal products. However, even if consumers are provided with reports that outline the details of animal products (e.g., location, vaccination records, feeding records, etc.), consumers cannot know that these records are complete, accurate, and free of any irregularities. 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.

[0015] Much of the present disclosure is described in relation to the agricultural industry, but this is not considered a limitation of the present disclosure unless otherwise stated herein. In this regard, this specification states that embodiments of the present disclosure (e.g., activity / odd job verification, blockchain for promoting transparency, etc.) are applicable to alternative and / or additional industries, such as manufacturing, construction, landscaping, food supply, etc., but are not limited thereto.

[0016] FIG. 1 shows a simplified block diagram of a system 100 for verifying the activities of an animal population according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. The system 100 may include, but is not limited to, one or more user devices 102, one or more barn hubs 104, and one or more barn nodes 106 in one or more barns 103, a network 108, a server 110, and a controller 116.

[0017] In one embodiment, one or more user devices 102a, 102b correspond to and / or are associated with a user 101 on a farm. For example, in a farm where the system 100 is implemented, a first farm staff member (e.g., a first user 101a) can be associated with a first user device 102a, and a second farm staff member (e.g., a second user 101b) can be associated with a second user device 102b. As described herein, each owner, employee, or other individual who frequently performs miscellaneous tasks or interacts with animals and / or equipment on the farm in other forms can correspond to and / or be associated with a user device 102.

[0018] The user devices 102a, 102b can include any user device known in the art, including but not limited to mobile phones, smartphones, tablet computers, smartwatches, etc. In one embodiment, a specific user 101a can be associated with a specific user device 102a based on the IP address or other identifying characteristics of the user device 102a. In this regard, a database can be created to associate the user device 102 with the user 101 within the system 100. The database in which the user 101 is associated with the user device 102 can be stored in memories 114, 120, which will be described in more detail herein. The user 101 associated with the user device 102 in the database can be regarded as a "registered" user, and the user 101 not associated with the user device 102 in the database can be regarded as an "unregistered" user.

[0019] In another embodiment, the user device 102 can include, but is not limited to, a controller, a user interface, a display, and communication circuitry. The controller of the user device 102 can include one or more processors and memory, and the one or more processors are configured to execute a set of program instructions stored in the memory, and the set of program instructions is configured to cause the one or more processors to execute one or more steps of the present disclosure. As used herein, it is assumed that the user device 102 can be configured to execute an application (e.g., an "app") that enables a user 101 (such as a farm staff member, etc.) to view, adjust, or change one or more features of the system 100.

[0020] As will be described in more detail herein, one or more user devices 102 can be configured to receive one or more inputs and / or control instructions from a user. For example, the user device 102 can be configured to display a chore list to the user 101, and the user 101 can enter one or more chore completion inputs indicating that one or more of the displayed chores in the chore list are completed. As another example, the user device 102 can receive other inputs from the user 101 including, but not limited to, mortality inputs, images, memos, etc.

[0021] In another embodiment, the system 100 can include one or more barn hubs 104. The barn hub 104 can include, but is not limited to, a controller including one or more processors and memory, a user interface, a display, and communication circuitry. In one embodiment, one or more user devices 102 can be communicatively coupled to one or more barn hubs 104. One or more user devices 102 can be communicatively coupled to the barn hub 104 using any communication mechanism or protocol known in the art.

[0022] For example, the barn hub 104 can be configured to identify one or more user devices 102 using any wired communication protocol known in the art (e.g., DSL interconnection, cable interconnection, T9 interconnection, etc.) or wireless communication protocol (e.g., GSM, GPRS, CDMA, EV-DO, EDGE, WiMAX, 3G, 4G, 4GLTE, 5G, WiFi protocol, RF, LoRa, Bluetooth, etc.). As another example, one or more barn hubs 104 can identify one or more user devices 102 and / or be communicatively coupled to one or more user devices 102 by communication protocols including, but not limited to, near field communication (NFC) protocol, light detection and ranging (LIDAR) remote sensing protocol, radio frequency identification (RFID) protocol, open source radio frequency, etc. Accordingly, the interaction between the user 101 (e.g., user device 102) and one or more barn hubs 104 can be identified based on one or more characteristics including, but not limited to, the cellular signature, IP address, MAC address, Bluetooth signature, radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, etc. of the user device 102.

[0023] In an embodiment, one or more barn hubs 104 are configured to identify the spatial relationship between one or more barn hubs 104 and one or more user devices 102. The spatial relationship between the barn hub 104 and the user device 102 can be identified when the user device 102 enters within a selected distance from the barn hub 104, when the user device 102 enters a predefined geopence area, etc.

[0024] For example, in the context of RFID, a user can associate with an RFID tag (e.g., user device 102), and the RFID tag can be attached to the user 101 or associated with the user in other forms. For example, the RFID tag (e.g., user device 102) may be attached to the name tag, ID card or uniform of the user 101. As another example, the telephone of the user 101 may be used as an RFID tag. The RFID tag can be encoded with identification information (e.g., serial number), and the identification information can be read by a remotely located RFID reader / scanner. In this example, the barn hub 104 can be used as an RFID scanner, and the RFID scanner is configured to identify one or more users 101 by identifying the RFID tag (user device 102) associated with the user 101. In some embodiments, the RFID tag (e.g., user device 102) can operate in a "passive" mode, in which case the RFID tag transmits a signal containing identification information in response to an interrogation signal received from an RFID scanner (e.g., barn hub 104). In additional and / or alternative embodiments, the RFID tag (e.g., user device 102) can operate in an "active" mode, in which case the RFID tag (e.g., barn hub 104) transmits a signal containing identification information to an RFID scanner (e.g., barn hub 104) without first receiving an interrogation signal.

[0025] In one embodiment, one or more barn hubs 104 are configured to search for and identify one or more user devices 102. In this regard, one or more barn hubs 104 can include any transmitter or transceiver known in the art. In one embodiment, one or more barn hubs 104 are configured to identify user devices 102 within a predefined geopence area (e.g., barn 103). For example, one or more barn hubs 104 can be configured to "sniff out" the IP addresses of user devices 102 that enter within 100 yards of the barn hub 104. A barn hub 104 that identifies a user device 102 within a predefined geopence area can be considered to have identified the "spatial relationship" between the barn hub 104 and the user device 102. The barn hub 104 can be configured to actively identify the user device 102 using any identification information of the user device 102 including, but not limited to, IP addresses, MAC addresses, cellular signatures, Bluetooth signatures, radio frequency identification (RFID) tags, etc. In this specification, it is assumed that the barn hub 104 can 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, etc.

[0026] In one embodiment, one or more livestock barn hubs 104 are configured to collect and store in memory "identified spatial relationship data" associated with an identified spatial relationship (e.g., the spatial relationship between the livestock barn hub 104 and the user device 102). For example, when the user device 102 is identified as being within a predetermined radius / distance and / or geop fence area relative to the livestock barn hub 104 (e.g., when the spatial relationship between the livestock barn hub 104 and the user device 102 is identified), the livestock barn hub 104 stores in memory the identified spatial relationship data associated with the spatial relationship. The identified spatial relationship data can 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 / input, the duration of the spatial relationship, the time when the spatial relationship ended, etc. In another embodiment, when the livestock barn hub 104 identifies a user device 102 that is not associated with a known user 101, the livestock barn hub 104 can tag and / or store the spatial relationship as an unregistered user.

[0027] In this specification, it is assumed that the farm in which the system 100 is implemented can include a livestock barn hub 104 for each livestock barn 103 or other structure located on the farm. For example, a farm having three livestock barns 103, when attempting to implement the system 100, the farm can include a first livestock barn hub 104a located on / within the first livestock barn 103a, a second livestock barn hub 104b located on / within the second livestock barn 103b, and a third livestock barn hub 104c located on / within the third livestock barn 103c.

[0028] As described in this specification, all data collected and stored by system 100 can be timestamped. In this regard, by identifying the spatial relationship between the barn hub 104 and the user device 102, it is possible for system 100 to identify that a particular user 101 is present at a particular location at a particular time (e.g., within a particular geop fence area). Thus, system 100 can be configured to track the movement of farm staff and employees (e.g., user 101) throughout the farm over a period of time. In another embodiment, the timestamped spatial relationship information can be stored in the memory of user device 102 and / or barn hub 104.

[0029] For example, the first barn 103a may include the first barn hub 104a, and the second barn 103b may include the second barn hub 104b. The first barn hub 104a can identify the first spatial relationship of the user device 102a (e.g., a smartphone) associated with user 101a (e.g., farm staff) during the first time period. The first spatial relationship can indicate that the user device 102a (e.g., user 101a) is present within the first barn 103a over the first time period. Subsequently, the second barn hub 104b can identify the spatial relationship with the user device 102a during the second time period, and the second spatial relationship can indicate that the user device 102a (e.g., user 101a) is present within the second barn 103b over the second time period. In this example, system 100 can be configured to monitor and / or "track" the location and movement of user 101 over time.

[0030] Merely identifying the spatial relationship between the user device 102 and the barn hub 104 may not be sufficient to identify that the user 101 associated with the user device 102 has encountered (e.g., come into contact with) a particular group of animals. For example, the barn 103 having a group of pigs may include a barn hub 104a. The barn hub 104a can be configured to identify the user device 102 that has entered within 100 feet of the barn 103. In this example, merely identifying that the user device 102a has entered within 100 feet of the barn 103 may not be sufficient for the system 100 to identify that the user 101 associated with the user device 102 has encountered pigs within the barn 103. For example, the user 101 may have merely come very close to the barn 103 but not entered the barn 103.

[0031] Accordingly, in some embodiments, the system 100 can further include one or more barn nodes 106 configured to more accurately and definitively identify the location of the user device 102 at an instance within a defined time. In particular, the one or more barn nodes 106 enable the system 100 to verify that the user 101 and / or the user device 102 was present at a particular location and / or came into contact with (e.g., encountered) a particular group of animals at an instance within a particular time. In this regard, in some embodiments, the one or more barn nodes 106 can be used to "refine" or narrow down the location of the user device 102 among the identified spatial relationships.

[0032] For the purposes of the present disclosure, the term "encounter" can be used to describe contact and / or potential contact between user 101 and an animal or group of animals. It should be noted that in this specification, the ability to identify an encounter between user 101 and a group of animals may be valuable in identifying user 101 who has potentially come into contact / encounter with an animal that has been exposed to a disease. Identifying an encounter between user 101 and an animal can be used to identify user 101 who may be a potential vector of a disease and to identify groups of animals that are susceptible to the occurrence of a disease.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 1, one or more animal houses 103 of system 100 can include one or more animal house nodes 106 communicatively coupled to one or more animal house hubs 104. The one or more animal house nodes 106 can include, but are not limited to, a controller, a user interface, a display, and a communication circuit. The one or more animal house nodes 106 can be communicatively coupled to the one or more animal house hubs 104 using any wired or wireless technology known in the art, including but not limited to DSL interconnection, cable interconnection, T9 interconnection, GSM, GPRS, CDMA, EV-DO, EDGE, WiMAX, 3G, 4G, 4GLTE, 5G, WiFi protocol, RF, LoRa, Bluetooth, etc.

[0034] Similar to the animal house hub 104 that identifies the spatial relationship between the animal house hub 104 and the user device, the animal house node 106 can be configured to identify the interaction between user 101 / user device 102 and the animal house node 106. In an example, identifying the location of user 101 and / or user device 102 can include a "two-step" verification process. In the "two-step" verification process, the animal house hub 104 can identify the spatial relationship between the animal house hub 104 and the user device 102, and then the animal house node 106 can identify the interaction between the animal house node 106 and the user device 102.

[0035] A two-stage verification process for identifying the location of user 101 and / or user device 102 can be used to more reliably and efficiently identify the location of user 101 and / or user device 102 and to refine the identified location of user 101 and / or user device 102. In the first stage, based on the spatial relationship between user device 102 and barn hub 104, the location of user device 102 can be identified as being within a general area (e.g., within a selected radius, within a defined geofence area). Subsequently, in the second stage, based on the interaction between user 101 and / or user device 102, the identified location of user 101 / user device 102 can be refined to be in the vicinity of barn node 106 (e.g., within 3 feet of barn node 106) from the general area. In this specification, the two-stage verification process will be described in more detail.

[0036] One or more barn nodes 106 can include any hardware device for identifying the interaction between a known barn node 106 in the art and user 101 and / or user device 102. For example, one or more barn nodes 106 can include, but are not limited to, a QR code scanner, a capacitive touch sensor, a resistive touch sensor, a mechanical device (e.g., a mechanical button, a mechanical lever), an ID scanner, a retina scanner, a fingerprint scanner, a voice recognition sensor, a face recognition sensor, other biometric sensors, a vehicle scanner, a vehicle recognition sensor, etc. Similarly, the interaction between barn node 106 and user 101 and / or user device 102 can be identified using any technology or communication protocol known in the art, 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, GSM, GPRS, CDMA, EV-DO, EDGE, WiMAX, 3G, 4G, 4GLTE, 5G, a WiFi protocol, a radio frequency (RF), LoRa, Bluetooth, etc.

[0037] The interaction between the livestock house node 106 and the user 101 / user device 102 can include, but is not limited to, physical tactile interaction, communication signal interaction, QR code scanning, etc. In this regard, the interaction between the user 101 (for example, the user device 102) and one or more livestock house nodes 106 can be identified based on one or more features such as the user device 102 (for example, QR code, ID code, RFID tag, cellular signature, IP address, Bluetooth signature), the user 101 (for example, fingerprint, retinal feature, facial feature, voice feature, DNA), the vehicle (for example, license plate, vehicle type / model number), etc.

[0038] For example, the livestock house node 106 can include a capacitive touch sensor. The livestock house node 106 can be configured to identify the interaction between the user 101 and the livestock house node 106 when the user 101 touches the capacitive touch sensor. Next, the interaction can be used to identify that the user 101 is located near the livestock house node 106 when the interaction occurs. As another example, the livestock house node 106 can include a QR code scanner. Thereby, the livestock house node 106 (QR code scanner) is configured to identify the interaction between the user device 102 and the livestock house node 106 when the user 101 scans the barcode on the user device 102 with the livestock house node 106 (QR code scanner). In an embodiment where the livestock house node 106 is fixed at a known position, the interaction (for example, scanning the QR code on the user device 102) can be used to identify that the user 101 is located near the livestock house node 106 when the interaction occurs.

[0039] Referring to FIGS. 2A-2B, the identification of the spatial relationship between the user 101 / user device 102 and the livestock house hub 104, and the identification of the interaction between the user 101 / user device 102 and the livestock house node 106 can be further understood.

[0040] FIG. 2A shows a simplified plan view of a livestock house 103 comprising a system 100 for verifying the activities of an animal population according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. In particular, FIG. 2A shows one exemplary example of the system 100 of the present disclosure.

[0041] In the example shown in FIG. 2A, the livestock house 103 located on a farm where the system 100 is implemented can include a plurality of pens 105a - 105j for housing a group of pigs. The livestock house 103 can comprise a livestock house hub 104 and livestock house nodes 106. In some embodiments, the livestock house hub 104 can be located on the outer surface (e.g., the top of the roof, the outer wall) of the livestock house 103, and the livestock house nodes 106 can be provided on the inner wall of the livestock house 103. As described above herein, the livestock house hub 104 and the livestock house nodes 106 can be communicatively coupled by wireless and / or wired connections.

[0042] As shown in FIG. 2A, the livestock house node 106 can be provided on the inner wall of the livestock house 103 opposite the entrance 107 of the livestock house 103. The livestock house node 106 can include, but is not limited to, a QR code scanner, a capacitive touch sensor, etc. In this regard, the user 101 (e.g., farm staff) registering an interaction with the livestock house node 106 has to enter the livestock house 103 through the entrance 107 and cross the length of the livestock house 103 to interact with the livestock house node 106.

[0043] A simple example of two - stage position verification can be demonstrated to be illustrative. Consider that a farm staff (e.g., user 101) drives to the livestock shed 103. The user 101 is instructed to perform one or more miscellaneous tasks / tasks (e.g., feeding pigs, administering vaccines) inside the livestock shed 103. When the user 101 drives and arrives at the livestock shed 103, the livestock shed hub 104 can be configured to search for and identify the spatial relationship between the livestock shed hub 104 and the user device 102. For example, the livestock shed hub 104 can be configured to identify the spatial relationship between the livestock shed hub 104 and the user device 102 (e.g., user 101) when the user device 102 enters the area 111. The area 111 can be defined as a selected distance from the livestock shed hub 104, a defined geop fence area, etc. As shown in FIG. 2A, the area 111 can include locations located inside and / or outside the livestock shed 103. In this specification, the area 111 in which the livestock shed hub 104 is configured to identify the spatial relationship can be selectively adjusted by the user 101. In particular, the farm operator can be enabled to selectively adjust the area 111 by inputting one or more control commands via the user interface 122.

[0044] Referring to the same example, when the user 101 drives to the livestock shed and enters the area 111, the livestock shed hub 104 can identify the spatial relationship between the livestock shed hub 104 and the user device 102 (user 101). The livestock shed hub 104 can be configured to store the identified spatial relationship data in the memory, and 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 livestock shed hub 104 at the first time (t1).

[0045] After parking the truck outside the livestock shed 103, the user 101 can enter the livestock shed 103 and cross to the opposite side of the livestock shed 103 for interaction with the livestock shed node 106. The user 101 can interact with the livestock shed node 106 by scanning the QR code on the user device 102, touching the capacitive touch sensor, scanning their fingerprints, etc. The livestock shed node 106 can identify the interaction between the user 101 / user device 102 and the livestock shed node 106 and can send one or more signals to the livestock shed hub 104, indicating that the livestock shed node 106 has identified the interaction with the user 101 / user device 102 at the 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) can be stored in the memory of the user device 102, the livestock shed hub 104, and / or the livestock shed node 106. The identified interaction data and / or the identified spatial relationship data can include, but are 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 time of check-out minus the time of check-in), the identity of the user 101 in the interaction, etc. By referring to the timestamp information associated with the identified interaction, the owner of the farm can verify the occurrence of farm activities and miscellaneous tasks.

[0046] In this example, since the user device 102 is the only user device 102 identified as being in a spatial relationship with the livestock barn hub 104, the livestock barn hub 104 can be configured to specifically identify that it is always the user 101 who interacts with the livestock barn node 106. Therefore, the system 100 can be configured to specifically identify that the user 101 was present inside the livestock barn 103 at the second time (t2). It should be noted that in this specification, arranging the livestock barn node 106a on the wall facing the entrance of the livestock barn 103 requires the user 101 to pass through the group of pigs stored in the pens 105a - 105j of the livestock barn 103. In this regard, by identifying the location where the user 101 is present at the livestock barn node 106, the system 100 can be configured to specifically identify that the user 101 has "encountered" (e.g., started to come into contact with), or at least potentially encountered, the group of pigs stored inside the livestock barn 103.

[0047] As shown in this example, the system 100 of the present disclosure can enable more effective position verification of the user 101. Farm staff (e.g., the user 101) can be instructed to interact (e.g., "check in" with) the livestock barn node 106 in the form of contact, scanning, or other means when entering the livestock barn 103, perform their miscellaneous tasks inside the livestock barn 103, and interact (e.g., "check out" with) the livestock barn node 106 in the form of contact, scanning, or other means when leaving the livestock barn. In this regard, the system 100 can be configured to specifically identify that the user 101 is present inside a specific livestock barn 103 within a specific time period based on the identified interactions and spatial relationships.

[0048] The two-stage position verification process can also solve problems related to other position verification techniques. For example, user 101 may be tasked with performing chores within barn 103. If user 101 simply drives through barn 103 within area 111 and begins the spatial relationship with barn hub 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 may enter the spatial relationship with barn hub 104, enter barn 103, interact with barn node 106, but then leave without performing any chores. In this example, system 100 can be configured to identify that user 101 did not "check out" after performing chores, and that user 101 did not spend sufficient time within area 111 to accurately perform the chores. As described in more detail herein, cross-referencing the identified spatial relationship data, the identified interaction data, and the identified chore completion input can be used to identify whether user 101 accurately completed the chores.

[0049] FIG. 2B shows a simplified plan view of barn 103 comprising system 100 for activity verification of an animal population according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. In particular, FIG. 2B shows one exemplary use of system 100 of the present disclosure.

[0050] Another example can be proven to be exemplary. In this example, as shown in FIG. 2B, the livestock building 103 located on the farm where the system 100 is implemented can include a plurality of pens 105a - 105j, and each pen 105a - 105j is configured to store a group of pigs. The livestock building 103 may include a livestock building hub 104 and a plurality of livestock building nodes 106a - 106j. The livestock building nodes 106 can be arranged within their respective corresponding pens 105a - 105j. In some embodiments, the livestock building hub 104 can be arranged on the outer surface of the livestock building 103 (e.g., the top of the roof, the outer wall). As described above herein, the livestock building hub 104 and the livestock building nodes 106 can be communicatively coupled via wireless and / or wired connections.

[0051] In this example, the plurality of livestock building nodes 106a - 106j can be configured to identify their interactions with their respective corresponding livestock building nodes 106a - 106j within their respective corresponding pens 105a - 105j. In this regard, by identifying the interactions between the user 101 / user device 102 at each respective corresponding livestock building node 106a - 106j, it is possible to determine in which room / pen 105a - 105j of the livestock building 103 the user 101 was present at a specific time. In this example, the first identified interaction between the user 101 / user device 102 and the first livestock building node 106a can indicate that the user 101 was present in the first pen at the first time, and the second identified interaction between the user 101 / user device 102 and the second livestock building node 106a can indicate that the user 101 was present in the second pen 105b at the second time, etc.

[0052] When the farm staff (user 101) performs their miscellaneous tasks in each pen 105a - 105j of the livestock building 103, by instructing the farm staff to interact with each livestock building node 106a - 106j by contact, scanning, or other means, the farm operator can verify the miscellaneous tasks (or at least their presence therein) performed by the farm staff in their respective corresponding pens 105a - 105j.

[0053] In addition to identifying the interaction between the barn node 106 and the user 101 / user device 102, one or more barn nodes 106 can be configured to collect data. In this regard, one or more barn nodes 106 can include one or more sensors that collect sensor readings of various characteristics including, but not limited to, ambient temperature, ambient pressure, ambient humidity, noise level, carbon monoxide (CO) concentration, carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration, etc. Accordingly, one or more sensors of the barn node 106 can include, but are not limited to, temperature sensors, pressure sensors, humidity sensors, composition sensors, ultrasonic sensors, LIDAR sensors, motion sensors, LIDAR sensors, etc. As another example, one or more barn nodes 106 can be coupled to one or more machines or agricultural devices. In this regard, one or more barn nodes 106 can be configured to collect data regarding feeding rate, water supply rate, etc. The data (e.g., sensor readings) collected by the barn node 106 can be timestamped and stored in the memory of the barn node 106 and / or the barn hub 104.

[0054] In additional and / or alternative embodiments, one or more barn nodes 106 can include one or more imaging devices including, but not limited to, cameras, video cameras, thermal imaging devices, etc. As used herein, the imaging devices can be used to collect images and / or videos of the devices, user 101, farm facilities (e.g., barns), and animals, which can be processed by the system 100 to provide information valuable to the owner / user. For example, one or more imaging devices can identify the time spent in the production area within the barn and identify and verify the identity and time of the user 101 and / or vehicle present in a specific area of the farm where the system 100 is implemented.

[0055] As another example, the barn node 106 including the imaging device can be used to collect images of animal groups and / or users. Then, the acquired images are transmitted to the server 110 and / or the controller 116 and processed by face recognition software / algorithms executed by one or more processors 112, 118. The one or more processors 112, 118 perform face recognition by one or more machine learning algorithms to identify individual animals and / or users and verify the positions etc. of individual animals and / or users at a certain point in time.

[0056] As another example, one or more imaging sources can be used to collect images / videos of animals to monitor specific characteristics of the animals, including but not limited to size, behavior characteristics, health, etc. The images / videos of the animals can be transmitted from the barn node 106 to the barn hub 104, the server 110 and / or the controller 116 so as to 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 animal group based on the acquired images. For example, the 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 behavior 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 flag animals showing abnormal behavior characteristics indicating a deterioration in illness or health status.

[0057] In this specification, machine learning techniques can be used to identify the characteristics of user 101, animals, animal groups, and / or livestock house 103a. For example, the acquired images of the animal group can be used to generate a machine learning classifier. Subsequently, the machine learning classifier can be configured to receive the acquired images of the animal group and identify one or more characteristics of the animal group. The machine learning classifier can be trained by supervised and / or unsupervised techniques. Note that the machine learning classifier can include, but is not limited to, a conditional generative adversarial network (CGAN), a convolutional neural network (CNN) (e.g., GoogleNet, AlexNet, etc.), an ensemble learning classifier, a random forest classifier, an artificial neural network (ANN), etc., and can include any machine learning classifier known in the art. Animal characteristics that can be identified by machine learning techniques can include, but are not limited to, behavioral characteristics, health status, animal identity, etc.

[0058] In another embodiment, one or more barn hubs 104 can be coupled directly or indirectly to the server 110 and the controller 116 via the network 108. In this regard, one or more barn hubs 104 can include a network interface circuit. Note that the network interface circuit (not shown) of the barn hub 104 can include any network interface device suitable for interfacing with the network 108. For example, the network interface circuit can include a wired interface device (e.g., DSL interconnection, cable interconnection, T9 interconnection, etc.). In another embodiment, the network interface circuit can include a wireless interface device, and the interface device uses GSM, GPRS, CDMA, EV-DO, EDGE, WiMAX, 3G, 4G, 4GLTE, 5G, WiFi protocol, RF, LoRa, etc. The network 108 can be configured to receive data from one or more barn hubs 104 and can include any wireless and / or wired network protocol known in the art. For example, the network 108 can include, but is not limited to, the Internet or an intranet (e.g., LAN, WLAN, etc.).

[0059] In another embodiment, one or more barn hubs 104 can be configured to send signals to server 110 and controller 116 via network 108, and the signals include data stored in the memory of one or more barn hubs 104, barn nodes 106, or user devices 102. For example, the data transmitted to server 110 and / or controller 116 can include received waste depletion inputs, identified spatial relationship data, identified interaction data, collected sensor readings, acquired images, and the like. For example, server 110 and controller 116 can be configured to receive one or more signals, and the one or more signals include information of registered users 101 (e.g., a database of user 101 associated with user device 102), timestamped spatial relationship information, timestamped interaction information, information collected by sensors of barn node 106, images collected by barn node 106, and the like.

[0060] As described above in this specification, one or more livestock barn hubs 104 can be communicatively coupled directly or indirectly to the network 108. In this regard, one or more livestock barn hubs 104 can be communicatively coupled to one or more devices, and those devices can be communicatively coupled directly or indirectly to the network 108. For example, a farm can include a first livestock barn hub 104a, a second livestock barn hub 104b, and a third livestock barn hub 104c. The first livestock barn hub 104a, the second livestock barn hub 104b, and the third livestock barn hub 104c can be communicatively coupled to an intermediate device, and the intermediate device is communicatively coupled to the network 108. In this example, the intermediate device can be configured to receive data / information from the first livestock barn hub 104a, the second livestock barn hub 104b, and the third livestock barn hub 104c and transmit the received data to the network 108. As another example, a plurality of livestock barn hubs 104 can be communicatively coupled to each other, and in this way, data can be transmitted between the plurality of livestock barn hubs 104 and can be transmitted to the network 108 via one or more of the plurality of livestock barn hubs 104.

[0061] In another embodiment, system 100 includes server 110, which includes one or more processors 112 and memory 114. In another embodiment, server 110 is communicatively coupled to one or more barn hubs 104 via network 108. In this regard, server 110 can include a network interface device (not shown) suitable for interfacing with network 108. The network interface device can include any network interface device known in the art. For example, the network interface device can include a wired interface device (e.g., DSL interconnect, cable interconnect, T9 interconnect, etc.). In another embodiment, the network interface device can include a wireless interface device, and the interface device can use GSM, GPRS, CDMA, EV-DO, EDGE, WiMAX, 3G, 4G, 4GLTE, 5G, WiFi protocol, etc.

[0062] As another example, server 110 can include a cloud-based architecture. For example, herein, server 110 can include hosting servers and / or cloud computing platforms including, but not limited to, Amazon network services (e.g., Amazon EC2, etc.). In this regard, system 100 can include a software as a service (SaaS) configuration, and various functions or steps of the present disclosure can be executed by a remote server.

[0063] In another embodiment, system 100 can include a controller 116. The controller 116 can include one or more processors 118 and a memory 120. In another embodiment, the controller 116 can 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 the user. The display of the user interface 122 can include any display known in the art. For example, the display can include, but is not limited to, a CRT display, a liquid crystal display (LCD), a light emitting diode (LED), an organic light emitting diode (OLED)-based display, etc. Those skilled in the art should recognize that any display device that can be integrated with the user interface 122 is suitable for implementation in the present disclosure. In another embodiment, the user can input selections and / or commands in response to the data displayed to the user via the user interface 122.

[0064] In another embodiment, the controller 116 can include, but is not limited to, one or more desktop computers, laptop computers, tablet computers, smartphones, smartwatches, etc. In one embodiment, the user can use the user interface 122 to view the identified spatial relationship data, identified interaction data, miscellaneous usage 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 confirm that all miscellaneous work on the farm was completed the previous day. The farm owner can use a computer or smartphone (e.g., the user interface 122) to view all the data stored in the memory 114 and determine that the stored transactions indicate that all miscellaneous work was completed. In this regard, it is envisioned that the farm owner or administrator can use the user interface 122 to view the data generated and stored by the system 100 and change one or more features of the system 100.

[0065] In this specification, a single electronic device (e.g., a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a smart watch, etc.) may be used as the user device 102 or as the controller 116. For example, the owner of a farm may have a smart phone, and the smart phone may be used as the user device 102 in the system 100. Note that the smart phone may also be used as the controller 116, and the owner of the farm can use it to view the data generated / stored by the system 100.

[0066] In one embodiment, one or more processors 112 of the server 110 are configured to execute a set of program instructions stored in the memory 114. In one embodiment, one or more processors 112 are configured to execute one or more steps of the present disclosure. For example, one or more processors 112 can be configured as follows: receive one or more signals from the barn hub 104, where the one or more signals include one or more miscellaneous consumption inputs, identified interaction data, and identified spatial relationship data associated with the identified spatial relationships, store a miscellaneous list in the memory 114, store a transaction log in the memory 114, where the transaction log includes the miscellaneous consumption inputs, the identified interaction data, and the spatial relationship data, and identify one or more incomplete miscellaneous tasks in the miscellaneous list based on at least one of the one or more miscellaneous consumption inputs, the identified interaction data, and the identified spatial relationship data. These steps / functions are performed sequentially.

[0067] In one embodiment, one or more processors 112 are configured to cause the server 110 to receive data from one or more livestock house hubs 104. For example, the server 110 can be configured to receive one or more signals from the livestock house hub 104, and the one or more signals include waste consumption input received by the user device 102, identified spatial relationship data, and identified interaction data. In this regard, the data received from one or more livestock house hubs 104 can include timestamp data regarding the identified spatial relationship (e.g., initial spatial relationship time, end time of the spatial relationship, duration of the spatial relationship) and / or the identified interaction (e.g., time of the identified interaction, time between "check-in" and "check-out" interactions). The data received from one or more livestock house hubs 104 can include, but is 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., and can also include identification characteristics of one or more users 101 and / or user devices 102 associated with the identified spatial relationship and / or the identified interaction. The data received from one or more livestock house hubs 104 can further include timestamp data collected by one or more livestock house nodes 106, including, but not limited to, temperature data, pressure data, feeding rate sensor data, water supply rate sensor data, acquired images, etc. All data received by the server 110 can be stored in the memory 114 and can be timestamped.

[0068] Server 110 and / or controller 116 can be configured to store the miscellaneous list in memories 114 and 120. The miscellaneous list can include one or more miscellaneous tasks to be completed. The miscellaneous list can be sorted according to the location of each miscellaneous task. For example, server 110 can be configured to store the miscellaneous list to be completed in barn #1 (barn 103a). In this way, the miscellaneous list can be associated with the spatial relationship including barn 103a. In this specification, the miscellaneous list can be generated and / or edited by the user via user interface 122. This can be further understood with reference to FIGS. 3A-3D.

[0069] FIGS. 3A-3J show display pages of user device 102 according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. As described above in this specification, user device 102 can include and / or execute an application (an “app”), and the application enables user 101 to view, change, and adjust one or more features of system 100. Accordingly, the display pages shown in FIGS. 3A-3J can depict display screens associated with the application in user device 102.

[0070] FIGS. 3A-3B show display pages 302, 304 of user device 102 depicting a login page according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 3A, the app can open a login page that prompts user 101 to sign in by entering a username and password.

[0071] Figure 3C shows a display page 306 of the user device 102 depicting selectable options of an application according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. In one embodiment, when the user 101 approaches and / or enters a livestock barn equipped with the barn hub 104, the barn hub 104 can identify the spatial relationship between the barn hub 104 and the user device 102 to determine that the user 101 is present near / inside the livestock barn. For example, as shown in Figure 3C, the system 100 can identify that the user 101 is present within "Livestock Barn 5 in the Northwest" and display this location at the top of the display page 306.

[0072] As shown in the display page 306, after the system 100 identifies the spatial relationship between the user device 102 and the barn hub 104, it makes the position of the user device 102 known, and the display page 306 can display options related to the position of the user 101 (e.g., Livestock Barn 5 in the Northwest). For example, when the "ChorCheklist" button is selected, the user device 102 can display an activity list (e.g., a chore list) scheduled to be executed at the current location (e.g., Livestock Barn 5 in the Northwest). In this regard, the user device 102 can be configured to display a chore list associated with the identified spatial relationship. As another example, by selecting the "Mortality Rate" button, the user device 102 can display a display screen that enables the user 101 to enter a mortality rate input and record data related to the mortality rate input, including but not limited to the location of the discovered dead animal, animal ID, time, date, weight, observations, etc. These embodiments will be described in more detail herein.

[0073] FIG. 3D shows a display page 308 of the user device 102 depicting an activity / chore list according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 3D, after the user 101 selects the “ChorCheklist” button displayed on the display page 306, the user device 102 can display the display page 308. The display page 308 can display a list of chores or activities to be performed at the current location of the user device 102 (e.g., the current location of the user 101). The chore list to be displayed may be a chore list associated with a specific spatial relationship and / or interaction between the user 101 and the barn node 106. For example, when an interaction is identified between the user 101 and the barn node 106 located in the northwest barn 5, the chore list can include chores to be completed in the northwest barn 5. For example, as shown in the display page 308, the activity / chore list executed within the northwest barn 5 can include looking at the roof, closing the electric fence, checking the pigs, measuring the feed, and the like. For the purposes of the present disclosure, the terms “activity” and “chore” may be used interchangeably unless otherwise stated herein.

[0074] In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3D, the user 101 can select and / or “collate” the miscellaneous tasks displayed on the display page 308 by inputting one or more miscellaneous task completion inputs via the user device 102, thereby indicating that the user 101 has executed / completed the corresponding miscellaneous tasks. In this regard, one or more user devices 102 can be configured to receive miscellaneous task completion inputs from the user 101. The miscellaneous task completion input can indicate that the miscellaneous task has been completed. In one embodiment, the user 101 may not be able to input a “collate” or other form of miscellaneous task completion input unless the user 101 (and the corresponding user device 102) is close to the location where the miscellaneous task is being executed. For example, if the group of pigs is in the northwest livestock shed 5, the miscellaneous task of “examining the pigs” may not be “collated” (e.g., the miscellaneous task completion input may not be submitted) unless the user 101 (and the user device 102) is present in the northwest livestock shed 5. In this regard, it is assumed herein that the system 100 can facilitate a certain degree of responsibility and / or verification among the farm employees (e.g., the user 101).

[0075] The server 110 and / or the controller 116 can further be configured to store the transaction log in the memories 114, 120, and the transaction log includes the data received by one or more livestock shed hubs 104. For example, the server 110 can be configured to receive one or more miscellaneous task completion inputs, the identified spatial relationship data, and the identified interaction data from the livestock shed hub 104 and store the data in the transaction log. In additional and / or alternative embodiments, the server 110 can be configured to store the transaction log in a blockchain.

[0076] In another example, one or more processors 112 can be configured to verify farm activities / odd jobs. In this regard, the server 110 and / or the controller 116 can be configured to identify one or more outstanding odd jobs and / or one or more completed odd jobs. The server 110 can be configured to identify outstanding and / or completed odd jobs based on the received odd job completion input, the identified spatial relationship data, and the identified interaction data.

[0077] As used herein, for the purposes of the present disclosure, the terms "outstanding odd job" and "completed odd job" need not refer to an odd job that has actually been completed or not completed. Rather, the terms "outstanding odd job" and "completed odd job" can be used to refer to an odd job that can be identified or flagged as completed or not completed based on data collected by the system 100. In this regard, the terms "outstanding odd job" and "completed odd job" can include the system 100 determining whether an odd job is completable based on data collected by the system 100. Accordingly, as used herein, the designations of "outstanding odd job" and "completed odd job" of the present disclosure may not actually be complete, but they can facilitate transparency and traceability in an agricultural / farm environment and provide the farm owner with data indicating the likelihood that the required odd jobs are accurately completed.

[0078] In this specification, the server 110 can identify completed and / or uncompleted chores by cross-referencing data in the transaction log (e.g., miscellaneous completion inputs, identified spatial relationship data, identified interaction data). For example, the server 110 can be configured to identify one or more completed chores by identifying that the user device 102 received one or more miscellaneous completion inputs during a time interval of the associated spatial relationship. For example, when the user device 102 is in a spatial relationship with the barn hub 104 of the barn 103a, if the user device 102 receives one or more miscellaneous completion inputs for chores within the barn #1 (barn 103a), the server 110 can be configured to identify the chore as a completed chore. Conversely, the server 110 can be configured to identify one or more uncompleted chores by identifying that the user device 102 did not receive one or more miscellaneous completion inputs during a time interval of the associated spatial relationship. For example, when the user device 102 is not in a spatial relationship with the barn hub 104 of the barn 103a, if the user device 102 receives one or more miscellaneous completion inputs for chores within the barn #1 (barn 103a), the server 110 can be configured to identify the chore as an uncompleted chore.

[0079] As another example, the server 110 can be configured to identify one or more incomplete chores based on a lack of completion input for the chores, based on an identified lack of spatial relationships, and / or based on an identified lack of interactions. As another example, the server 110 can be configured to identify one or more incomplete chores by comparing the identified spatial relationship data and / or the identified interaction data with the data stored in the memories 114, 120. For example, the average duration required to complete each corresponding chore can be stored in the memories 114, 120 along 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 corresponding chore, the server 110 can be configured to identify that a chore flagged as "completed" cannot be accurately completed within the identified time, as indicated by the identified spatial relationship data.

[0080] For example, the total average duration of the chore list in the livestock shed 103a may be about two hours. In this example, if the identified spatial relationship data indicates that the user device 102 is only within the spatial relationship with the livestock shed hub 104 of the livestock shed 103a for 10 minutes, the server 110 can be configured to identify each chore in the chore list to be completed in the livestock shed 103a as an incomplete chore.

[0081] In another embodiment, the server 110 can be configured to receive additional data related to chores and / or spatial relationships from the user device 102 via the livestock shed hub 104. The additional data received by the user device 102 / livestock shed hub 104 can be stored in the memories 114, 120. This can be further understood by referring to FIGS. 3E - 3F.

[0082] According to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, FIGS. 3E and 3F show display pages 310 and 312 of the user device 102 depicting details of selected chores. As shown in display pages 310 and 312, after selecting a chore from the chore list displayed on display page 308, user 101 can view, select, change, and / or add data related to the specific selected chore. For example, when selecting the chore "confirm that all pens are safe", user 101 can read the description and / or instructions related to the chore, add comments, add images, add files, etc. As another example, user 101 can set the priority of the activity, flag the chore as incomplete, or flag the chore for another user 101 to complete. Thereafter, the user can be requested to save or cancel the changes to the chore.

[0083] In another embodiment, one or more processors 112 can be configured to identify a completed list of chores as a single "positive transaction". For example, FIG. 3D shows a list of chores to be completed in the northwest barn 5. Employees may need to complete each chore in the list shown in FIG. 3D daily (or within another time frame). Thus, the entire chore list should be completed and may need to be completed daily. To reduce duplicate data entries, these entries may indicate that each individual chore has been completed, and one completed chore list can be stored as one "positive transaction". For example, processor 112 can receive chore completion inputs indicating that each chore in the chore list depicted in FIG. 3D has been completed. Instead of storing each individual chore as a separate data entry (e.g., "chore 1: completed, chore 2: completed, chore 3: completed, etc.), which could result in duplicate data, one or more processors 112 can be configured to identify the entire completed chore list as a single "positive transaction" and store it in memory 114.

[0084] Conversely, in another embodiment, one or more processors 112 can be configured to identify individual outstanding chores as individual "negative transactions." For example, the processor 112 can receive data indicating that one of the chores listed in the chore list depicted in FIG. 3D was not completed. For example, if the chore list includes five chores and the user 101 enters a chore completion input for only four of the five chores via the user device 102, one or more processors 112 can be configured to identify that one of the chores in the chore list is not completed. Instead of 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 can be configured to identify and store in the memory 114 a single "negative transaction" indicating that a separate chore was not completed.

[0085] In this regard, a completed chore list can be stored as a single positive transaction, and separate outstanding chores can be stored as a single negative transaction. As another example, one or more processors 112 can be configured to store a first outstanding chore as a first negative transaction and a second outstanding chore as a second negative transaction. Conversely, one or more processors 112 can be configured to store a completed chore list as a single positive transaction. In this specification, by storing the completed chore list and separate outstanding chores as separate transactions, the system 100 can reduce the stored data while allowing the user to search for important data more effectively and efficiently (e.g., whether all chores are completed or a chore was missed).

[0086] Generally speaking, the terms "positive transaction" and "negative transaction" as used herein can constitute different ways of compiling and grouping transaction logs. In this regard, the term "transaction log" can be considered to refer to a list of transactions or other databases identified and stored by the system 100 of the present disclosure. For example, the transaction log can include each chore list to be completed within the system 100. The transaction log can further include information associated with each chore / activity, including but not limited to identified spatial relationship data, identified interaction data, and whether the chore is completed, the time when the chore is completed (chore completion input), the identity of the user 101 who completed the chore, etc.

[0087] In additional and / or alternative embodiments, one or more processors 112 of the server 110 can be configured to "track" animals or groups of animals within and / or between farms / ranches throughout the life of the animal. In this regard, the system 100 can be used to track animals or groups of animals from birth until the animals are processed. For example, a group of pigs may be born on the first farm where the system 100 is implemented. Each pig can be assigned a unique identifier and can be stored in pen 105a. The unique identifier associated with each pig and the location of the group of pigs (pen 105a) can be stored in memories 114, 120. During the breeding of the group of pigs, the chore completion input, identified spatial relationship data, and identified interaction data associated with pen 105a and the group of pigs can be stored in memories 114, 120. In this regard, vaccination records, injection records, feeding / watering records, etc. can be associated with the group of pigs and stored in memories 114, 120. Further, the data associated with the group of pigs can be stored in a blockchain.

[0088] Continuing with the same example, a group of pigs may be transported from a first farm to a second farm where the system 100 is implemented. The user 101 can input via the user interface 122 that the group of pigs in pen 105a has been transferred to pen 105b at the second farm by truck. In this regard, the server 110 can be configured to track the location of the group of pigs throughout the life cycle of the group of pigs and store it in memory. In this regard, the server 110 can be configured to promote transparency and traceability in the agricultural / farm environment. In particular, storing the location and breeding records of the group of pigs in the blockchain allows end users to know the past location, feeding records, and injection records of the product.

[0089] In another embodiment, one or more processors 112 can be configured to identify an encounter 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 who has interacted with or come into contact with a particular animal population. For example, as described herein with respect to FIG. 2A, if the user 101 has to interact with a barn node 106 provided on the inner wall of the barn 103 as the user passes through the animal group, one or more processors 112 of the server 110 can be configured to identify that the user 101 may have come into contact with or encountered the animal group within the barn 103. As another example, if the server 110 identifies that the user 101 has completed one or more chores related to the animal group, the server 110 can be configured to identify that the user 101 has encountered the animal group.

[0090] In another embodiment, one or more processors 112 can be configured to receive one or more mortality inputs entered by user device 102 via livestock hub 104. For example, as shown in FIG. 3C, user 101 can select the "Mortality" button shown on display page 306. By selecting the "Mortality" button in FIG. 3C, user device 102 can be caused to display display page 314 shown in FIG. 3G. In particular, FIG. 3G shows a display page 314 of user device 102 depicting an animal mortality log according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0091] In one embodiment, user 101 can describe and record the discovered dead animals on display page 314. In this regard, one or more user devices 102 can be configured to receive from user 101 one or more mortality inputs indicating one or more dead animals. Display page 314 can depict the number of animals that have died at a particular location so far. When describing the discovered dead animals, display page 314 can enable the user to add comments, add drawings, add files, etc. Display page 314 can enable user 101 to enter other information related to mortality inputs including, but not limited to, the weight of the animal, details of the death, location of death, animal ID number, etc. It is assumed herein that display page 414 can display available and / or preferred disposition / euthanasia methods and instructions for carrying out the selected disposition / euthanasia method. The received mortality inputs and information related to the received mortality inputs can be added to a transaction log and stored in memories 114, 120.

[0092] In another embodiment, one or more processors 112 can be configured to identify the occurrence of a potential illness based on the received mortality inputs. For example, upon receiving two or more mortality inputs from a single livestock pen 103, one or more processors 112 can be configured to identify the occurrence of a potential illness in livestock pen 103.

[0093] In another example, one or more processors 112 can be configured to identify one or more users 101, where the one or more users can be vectors of disease spread. For example, one or more processors 112 can be configured to identify which user 101 has come into contact with animals that are susceptible to potential outbreaks, and to identify the one or more users 101 as potential vectors of disease / outbreak spread. As another illustration, one or more processors 112 can be configured to determine, based on the identified spatial relationship data and the identified interaction data received from the barn hub 104, where the user 101 was located and which animals (or groups of animals) the user 101 came into contact with (e.g., encountered). This information has proven to be very useful in tracking and / or preventing the spread of diseases such as foot-and-mouth disease (FMD).

[0094] For example, during a single day, user 101a may perform activities in barn #1 (barn 103a), barn #3 (barn 103c), and barn #5 (barn 103e), respectively. Interactions between the barn nodes 106 in each barn 103 and user 101a may be identified to confirm the presence of user 101 in each barn 103. Based on the identified interactions, one or more processors 112 can be configured to identify a first encounter between user 101 and a group of animals in barn #1 (barn 103a), a second encounter between user 101 and a group of animals in barn #3 (barn 103c), and a third encounter between user 101 and a group of animals in barn #5 (barn 103e). Subsequently, if an outbreak is identified in barn #3 (barn 103c), one or more processors 112 can be configured to identify user 101a as a potential vector of disease spread.

[0095] In another example, one or more processors 112 can be configured to identify one or more groups of animals that may be at risk of developing an illness. For example, continuing with the above illustration, if, based on the identified encounter, the user 101 is identified as a potential carrier of an illness, the one or more processors 112 can further be configured to identify that the illness may have spread to barn #5 by the user 101 who moved from barn #3 (e.g., the location of the outbreak) to barn #5. Accordingly, the one or more processors 112 can be configured to identify that the animals in barn #5 (barn 103e) are at risk of contracting the illness. This is because the user 101 moved to barn #5 after encountering the animals in barn #3 (barn 103c) where the illness occurred.

[0096] In addition to being able to identify the user 101 as a potential carrier of an illness, the system 100 can further identify a visitor as a potential carrier of an illness. This can be further understood with reference to FIG. 3H.

[0097] FIG. 3H shows a display page 316 of the user device 102 depicting a visitor log according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0098] In one example, when the "Visitor Log" button on the display page 306 is selected, the user device 102 can display the display page 316. In another example, as shown on the display page 316, the user 101 can be prompted to enter the name and business of the visitor, as well as the reason for the visit. The one or more processors 112 can be configured to receive this information and store it in the memory 114. In this specification, by recording visitors to the system 100, the one or more processors 112 can potentially identify visitors (and the user 101) as carriers of the spread of illness.

[0099] For example, considering one scenario, when multiple farmers implement the system 100 on their farms, System 100a is implemented on the first farm, System 100b is implemented on the second farm, and System 100c is implemented on the third farm. In this illustration, 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.

[0100] Continuing with the same illustration, a visitor (e.g., a salesperson, a guest, etc.) can visit the first farm using System 100a. The visitor's user device 102 (e.g., a phone, a tablet computer, a smartwatch) can identify the visitor as someone who has visited the farm. Next, the visitor can proceed to the second farm (e.g., System 100b) and the third farm (e.g., System 100c), and the user device 102 is used to identify the visitor. In this illustration, one or more processors 112 can be configured to identify the visitor as a potential vector for the spread of disease. Similarly, if an occurrence is identified at the first farm (e.g., System 100a), one or more processors 112 can be configured to identify the animal groups at the second farm (e.g., System 100b) and the third farm (e.g., System 100c) as animal groups that may be at risk of the occurrence.

[0101] In another example, one or more processors 112 can be configured to send one or more alerts to the controller 116. The controller 116 can be configured to display the alerts to the user via the user interface 122. The alerts can include, but are not limited to, text messages, automated phone calls, emails, banners, messages via an application ( "App"), etc. As can be envisioned, one or more processors 112, 118 can be configured to send an alert to the user interface 122 in the event of a change. For example, one or more processors 112 can be configured to cause the user interface 122 to display an alert that an animal group has been identified as being at risk of a particular disease outbreak. As another example, one or more processors 112 can be configured to cause the user interface 122 to display an alert that user 101 has been identified as a potential vector for the spread of a disease. As another example, one or more processors 112 can be configured to cause the user interface 122 to display an alert for a particular chore that is incomplete.

[0102] In another example, one or more processors can be configured to add data generated and / or transmitted by system 100 to a blockchain. In particular, server 110 can be configured to share the generated transaction log with the blockchain, and the transaction log can include, but is not limited to, waste consumption input, identified spatial relationship data, identified interaction data, mortality input, etc. As used herein, for the convenience of information distribution and data integrity, the information received by one or more processors 112 can be transmitted and stored in a blockchain or other distributed ledger. For example, one or more processors 112 can be configured to transmit and store data using Hyperledger version 1.2. In this regard, server 110 can be regarded as a distributed processing node of the cryptographic processing network (CBN).

[0103] In one embodiment, the data of system 100 can be stored in the private blocks of a blockchain, which requires a cryptographic key for individuals to display and / or share information among themselves. The individuals include, but are not limited to, farm owners (e.g., producers), consumers, etc. For example, a pig - raising farmer implementing system 100 can store the data of system 100 in the private blocks of the blockchain. The data stored in the blockchain can include, but is not limited to, transactions related to completed / uncompleted chores (e.g., positive transactions and negative transactions). The data related to positive / negative transactions can depict the treatment status of the pigs, including the regularity of feeding / watering, inspection, vaccination / injection, etc. When selling pigs to a buyer (e.g., a consumer or another producer in the food production process), the buyer may want to view the information collected by system 100 stored in the blockchain and additional information. To access the data of system 100 stored in the blockchain, both the farmer and the buyer are required to provide a cryptographic key. Once the correct cryptographic key is authenticated, the farmer can share the information in the blockchain with the buyer.

[0104] In this specification, one or more components of system 100 can be communicably coupled to various other components of system 100 in any form known in the art. For example, user device 102, barn hub 104, barn node 106, server 110, and controller 116 can be communicably coupled to each other and communicably coupled 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, 4GLTE, 5G, etc.)).

[0105] In one embodiment, one or more processors 112, 118 can include any one or more processing elements known in the art. In this sense, one or more processors 112, 118 can include any device of a microprocessor type configured to execute software algorithms and / or instructions. In one embodiment, as described throughout the present disclosure, one or more processors 112, 118 can consist of a desktop, mainframe computer system, workstation, image computer, parallel processor, or other computer system (e.g., a networked computer) configured to execute a program configured to operate system 100. It should be recognized that the steps described throughout the present disclosure can be performed by a single computer system or alternatively by a plurality of computer systems. It should also be recognized that the steps described throughout the present disclosure can be performed by any one or more of one or more processors 112, 118. Generally, the term "processor" can be defined broadly to include any device having one or more processing elements that execute program instructions from memory 114, 120. Note that different subsystems of system 100 (e.g., user device 102, barn hub 104, barn node 106, server 110, controller 116) can include processors or logic elements suitable for performing at least some of the steps described throughout the present disclosure. Accordingly, the above description should not be construed as a limitation of the present disclosure but should be construed as merely illustrative.

[0106] Memories 114 and 120 can include any storage medium known in the art suitable for storing program instructions executable by the associated one or more processors 112 and 118 and data generated by system 100. For example, memories 114 and 120 can include non-transitory storage media. For example, memories 114 and 120 can include, but are not limited to, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic or optical memory devices (such as magnetic disks), magnetic tapes, solid state drives, etc. In another embodiment, memories 114 and 120 are configured to store data including, but not limited to, scratchpad input, identified spatial relationship data, identified interaction data, transaction logs, etc. Note that memories 114 and 120 can be housed in a common controller housing together with one or more processors 112 and 118. In an alternative embodiment, memories 114 and 120 can be located remotely with respect to the physical locations of processors 112 and 118, server 110, controller 116, etc. In another embodiment, memories 114 and 120 maintain program instructions for causing one or more processors 112 and 118 to perform the various steps described throughout the present disclosure.

[0107] In one embodiment, the user interface 122 is communicatively coupled to the controller 116. In one embodiment, the user interface 122 includes, but is not limited to, one or more desktop computers, tablet computers, smartphones, smartwatches, 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 can include any display known in the art. For example, the display can include, but is not limited to, a liquid crystal display (LCD), an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display, or a CRT display. Those skilled in the art should recognize that any display device integratable with the user interface 122 is suitable for implementation in the present disclosure. In another embodiment, the user can input selections and / or commands in response to the data displayed to the user via the user interface 119.

[0108] Note that various components of the system 100 (e.g., the user device 102, the barn hub 104, the server 110, the controller 116) can include any network interface circuit or network interface device suitable for interfacing with the network 108. For example, the network interface circuit can include a wired interface device (e.g., DSL interconnect, cable interconnect, T9 interconnect, etc.). In another embodiment, the network interface circuit can include a wireless interface device, and the interface device uses GSM, GPRS, CDMA, EV-DO, EDGE, WiMAX, 3G, 4G, 4GLTE, 5G, WiFi protocol, RF, LoRa, etc.

[0109] Figure 4 shows a flowchart of a method 400 for verifying the activities of an animal population according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. In this specification, the steps of method 400 can be performed in whole or in part by system 100. However, it should be recognized that method 400 is not limited to system 100. This is because additional or alternative system-level embodiments can perform all or some of the steps of method 400.

[0110] In step 402, the spatial relationship between the barn hub and the user device is identified. The spatial relationship between the barn hub 104 and the user device 102 can be identified when the user device 102 enters within a selected distance from the barn hub 104, or when the user device 102 enters a predefined geofence area. For example, as shown in FIG. 2A, the barn hub 104 can be configured to identify the spatial relationship between the barn hub 104 and the user device 102 when the user device 102 enters region 111.

[0111] In step 404, the interaction between the barn node and the user device is identified. The interaction between the barn node 106 and the user 101 / user device 102 can include, but is not limited to, physical tactile interaction, communication signal interaction, QR code scanning, etc. In this regard, the interaction between the user 101 (e.g., user device 102) and one or more barn nodes 106 can be identified 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 feature, facial feature, voice feature, DNA).

[0112] In step 406, one or more miscellaneous task completion inputs are received from the user. The one or more miscellaneous task completion inputs can indicate the completion of one or more miscellaneous tasks in the miscellaneous task list associated with the identified spatial relationship. For example, as shown in FIG. 3D, the user device 102 is in a spatial relationship with "the northwest livestock shed 5", and the user device 102 can be configured to display a miscellaneous task list associated with the spatial relationship (for example, the miscellaneous task list to be completed in the northwest livestock shed 5). In this example, the user 101 can input one or more miscellaneous task completion inputs via the user device 102 to indicate that one or more of the displayed miscellaneous tasks are completed.

[0113] In step 408, one or more incomplete miscellaneous tasks in the miscellaneous task list are identified. One or more processors 112 of the server 110 can be configured to identify one or more incomplete miscellaneous tasks based on at least one of the miscellaneous task completion input, the identified interaction data, and / or the identified spatial relationship data. The server 110 can be configured to identify the completed and / or incomplete miscellaneous tasks by cross-referencing the data in the transaction log (for example, the miscellaneous task completion input, the identified spatial relationship data, the identified interaction data). For example, the server 110 can be configured to identify one or more incomplete miscellaneous tasks by specifying that the user device 102 did not receive one or more miscellaneous task completion inputs during the time interval of the relevant spatial relationship. For example, when the user device 102 is not in a spatial relationship with the livestock shed hub 104 of the livestock shed 103a, and the user device 102 receives one or more miscellaneous task completion inputs for the miscellaneous tasks in the livestock shed #1 (livestock shed 103a), the server 110 can be configured to identify the miscellaneous tasks as incomplete miscellaneous tasks.

[0114] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the components (e.g., operations), devices, objects, and accompanying discussions described herein are used as examples for clarity of concepts, and various configuration changes are contemplated. Thus, as used herein, the specific exemplifications and accompanying discussions described are intended to represent their more general categories. Generally, the use of any specific exemplification is for the purpose of representing that category, and the absence of specific components (e.g., operations), devices, and objects should not be construed as limiting.

[0115] The subject matter described herein may show different components that are included in or connected to other components. Such depicted architectures are merely exemplary, and it should be understood that many other architectures can be implemented that achieve the same functionality. In a conceptual sense, any arrangement of components for realizing the same functionality is effectively "associated" so that the desired functionality is achieved. Thus, any two components combined to achieve a particular function herein can be considered to be "associated" with each other such that the desired functionality is achieved, regardless of the architecture or intermediate components. Similarly, any two components so associated can also be considered to be "connected" or "coupled" to each other such that the desired functionality is achieved, and any two components so associated can also be considered to be "couplable" to each other such that the desired functionality is achieved. Specific exemplifications of couplable include, but are not limited to, components that are physically couplable and / or physically interact and / or wirelessly interact and / or ethically interact.

[0116] It should be understood that the present invention is limited by the appended claims. Those skilled in the art will generally understand that the terms used herein, particularly those used in the appended claims (e.g., the body of the appended claims), are usually "open" terms (e.g., the term "comprising" should be construed as "comprising, but not limited to", the term "having" should be construed as "having at least", the term "including" should be construed as "including, but not limited to", etc.). Those skilled in the art will further understand that if a specific number of introduced claim recitations is intended, such intent will be explicitly stated in the claim, and if there is no such statement, such intent does not exist. For example, for the sake of understanding, the following appended claims may include the use of introductory phrases "at least one" and "one or more" to introduce a list of claims. However, the use of such phrases should not be construed as suggesting that introducing a claim recitation from the term "a" or "one" limits any particular claim stated in a claim containing such introduction to an invention that includes only one such recitation. The same applies to a claim that includes both the introductory phrase "one or more" or "at least one" and a term such as "a" or "one" (e.g., "a" and / or "one" should usually be construed as meaning "at least one" or "one or more"), and this also applies to the use of "said" to introduce a claim recitation. Even if the specific number of introduced claim recitations is clearly stated, those skilled in the art will recognize that such recitations should usually be construed as meaning at least the number stated (e.g., a simple recitation of "two recitations" without other modifiers usually means at least two recitations, or two or more recitations).When a rule similar to "at least one of A, B, and C, etc." is used, generally, such a configuration is meant to be understood by those skilled in the art (for example, a "system having at least one of A, B, and C" includes a system having only A, only B, only C, A together with B, A together with C, B together with C, and / or A, B, and C, etc., but is not limited thereto). When a rule similar to "at least one of A, B, or C, etc." is used, generally, such a configuration is meant to be understood by those skilled in the art (for example, a "system having at least one of A, B, or C" includes a system having only A, only B, only C, A together with B, A together with C, B together with C, and / or A, B, and C, etc., but is not limited thereto). Those skilled in the art will further understand that in virtually all disjunctive words and / or phrases presenting two or more alternative terms in any of the specification, claims, or drawings, it is to be understood that the possibility of one of the terms, any of the terms, or two of the terms is contemplated. For example, the phrase "A or B" will be understood to include the possibilities of "A" or "B" or "A and B".

[0117] Many of the present disclosure and its attendant advantages will be apparent from the foregoing description, and it is obvious that various changes may be made in the form, structure, and arrangement of the components without departing from the disclosed subject matter or sacrificing all of its substantial advantages. The forms described are merely illustrative, and the following claims are intended to cover or embrace these changes. It should be understood that the present invention is limited by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A non-transitory storage medium having a set of program instructions stored thereon, comprising: The set of program instructions, when executed by one or more processors, Receiving user input data associated with one or more user inputs; Identifying a spatial relationship between a barn hub and one or more user devices; receiving one or more signals from a pen hub including the user input data and identified spatial relationship data associated with the identified spatial relationship; receiving sensor reading data from one or more sensors; and storing a transaction log in a blockchain, the transaction log including the user input data, the identified spatial relationship data, and the received sensor reading data.

2. 10. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 1, wherein the one or more user devices are identified using one or more wireless communication protocols.

3. 3. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 2, wherein the one or more wireless communication protocols include LoRa.

4. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the user input data comprises one or more chore completion inputs.

5. The one or more processors further include:

5. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 4, configured to identify one or more uncompleted chores based on the stored transaction log.

6. The one or more processors further include:

5. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 4, configured to identify one or more completed chores based on the stored transaction log.

7. The one or more processors further include:

10. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 1, configured to receive identified interaction data from a barn node, the identified interaction data being associated with the identified interaction.

8. 6. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 5, further comprising generating one or more control signals, the control signals configured to cause one of the one or more user equipment devices to display one or more alerts indicative of the one or more identified uncompleted chores.

9. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the user input data includes one or more mortality inputs.

10. The one or more processors further include:

10. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 9, configured to identify one or more disease occurrences based on the one or more mortality inputs.

11. The one or more processors further include:

10. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 9, configured to identify one or more individuals as potential vectors for the spread of disease based on the one or more mortality inputs.

12. The one or more processors further include:

10. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 9, configured to identify one or more animal groups at risk for disease outbreaks based on the one or more mortality inputs.

13. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the user input data includes at least one of: one or more user notes; and one or more user images.

14. 2. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors include 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 one or more processors further include: receiving one or more images acquired by one or more imaging devices; and 2. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 1, configured to identify one or more characteristics of a group of animals based on the one or more images.

16. Identifying one or more characteristics of the group of animals includes: generating a machine learning classifier; and identifying the one or more characteristics of the animal group using the machine learning classifier.

17. 1. A system comprising: With the livestock hub, a server communicatively coupled to the barn hub; The livestock house hub includes: Identifying a spatial relationship between the pen hub and the one or more user devices when the one or more user devices come within a selected distance of the pen hub or enter a selected geofenced area; and configured to receive one or more chore completion inputs from the one or more user devices; the server includes one or more processors configured to execute a set of program instructions stored in a memory; The set of program instructions comprises: receiving one or more signals from the pen hub including the one or more chore completion inputs and identified spatial relationship data associated with the identified spatial relationship; and storing a transaction log including the one or more chore completion inputs and the identified spatial relationship data in a blockchain.

18. 20. The system of claim 17, wherein the spatial relationship between the identified pen hub and the one or more user devices is identified using one or more wireless communication protocols.

19. 20. The system of claim 18, wherein the one or more wireless communication protocols include LoRa.

20. 1. A method for verifying activity of an animal population, comprising: the pen hub identifying a spatial relationship between the user equipment and the pen hub when the user equipment comes within a selected distance of the pen hub or enters a selected geofenced area; receiving, at the user equipment, one or more chore completion inputs from a user indicating completion of one or more chores in a chore list associated with the identified spatial relationship; and a server identifying one or more uncompleted chores in the chore list based on at least one of the one or more chore completion inputs and identified spatial relationship data associated with the identified spatial relationship.

Images