Domestic Animal Tracking via Relay Signal Segmentation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing technologies face challenges in managing domestic animals by accurately determining their residence based on age, sex, species, and reproductive cycles within grazing lands or segmented barns, as they struggle to separately track individual animals effectively.

Innovation Solution

An information processing server and system that utilize signal transmission devices attached to domestic animals, relayed by signal relay devices, to determine the rearing region and generate notification information for managing domestic animals based on their individual information and relay device identifiers.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If signal transmission devices are attached to each domestic animal for tracking, then individual animal management capability is improved, but system complexity and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveanimal location determination accuracyVSAvoidsystem structure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system divides the monitoring task into two segments: a simple transmission device attached to each animal that only sends signals, and a separate relay device infrastructure that handles signal routing and processing. This segmentation allows individual animals to be tracked without making each animal-bearing device complex.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The relay device acts as an intermediary between the simple transmission devices on animals and the central server. The relay device receives signals from transmission devices, determines the appropriate rearing region based on its own location information, and forwards signals to the correct server, thereby simplifying the transmission device design while maintaining accurate location tracking.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Area of stationary object

If relay devices are installed throughout the rearing region to track animal movement, then tracking coverage is improved, but installation cost and maintenance difficulty increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemonitoring coverage areaVSAvoidsystem deployment ease
Core Design Contradiction:
Area of stationary objectVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The relay device is designed with multi-functionality: it not only relays signals from transmission devices but also stores location information of rearing regions and autonomously determines which server to forward signals to. This universal design reduces the need for additional dedicated devices, simplifying deployment while maintaining comprehensive coverage.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Measurement precision

If individual animal tracking is implemented with detailed information storage, then management precision is improved, but information processing load and storage requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveanimal management precisionVSAvoiddata storage volume
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The system extracts and stores only essential location information (relay device identification and rearing region correspondence) at the relay device level, rather than storing complete animal profiles at every node. This selective extraction reduces data storage requirements while maintaining the precision needed for individual animal management.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentEP3446563B1Information processing server, information processing system, and information processing method
Publication Date: 2022.10.26 SONY GROUP CORP
  • EP3446563B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3446563B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3446563B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

[Object] To provide an information processing server, an information processing system, and an information processing method capable of more appropriately managing domestic animals. [Solution] An information processing server. A transmission signal, transmitted from a signal transmission device attached to a domestic animal and relayed to the information processing server by at least one or more signal relay devices installed to correspond to a rearing region of the domestic animal, includes a transmission device identifier for specifying the signal transmission device and a relay device identifier for specifying the signal relay device, the information processing server including: a control unit configured to determine whether or not the domestic animal stays in a rearing region corresponding to a rearing stage on a basis of the relay device identifier and individual information regarding the domestic animal corresponding to the transmission device identifier; and a notification information generation unit configured to generate notification information for controlling notification in an information terminal on a basis of the determination by the control unit.