Cattle Tracking Tag with Renewable Power and Sleep Mode
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current cattle tracking methods, such as passive and active RFID tags, face challenges with power limitations and range, requiring frequent battery replacements and proximity to transmitters, which are inefficient and uncomfortable for animals.
Innovation Solution
A tracking tag with a renewable power source, a microcontroller, and a low-power long-range transmitter or transceiver that can transmit signals over long distances, reducing the need for proximity to transmitters and allowing for real-time health monitoring and tracking of multiple animals without frequent battery replacements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If passive RFID tags are used for cattle tracking, then the device can identify animals, but the tags require animals to come very close to the transmitter and cannot collect information when out of range
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by transitioning from passive RFID (static, proximity-dependent) to active RFID with renewable power sources (dynamic, autonomous). The system dynamically adapts its power state, switching between sleep mode and active transmission modes based on tracking needs, enabling reliable identification at varying distances without requiring animal proximity to fixed transmitters.
Solution Approach 2:
The renewable power source (solar panel, kinetic generator, or battery) enables the RFID tag to be self-sufficient, generating or storing its own power without external intervention. This self-service capability allows the tag to maintain active transmission independently, eliminating the need for frequent battery replacements and enabling continuous tracking information collection.
2Use of energy by moving object
If active RFID tags with batteries are used, then the tags can collect and relay information over distance, but the batteries require frequent replacement and provide inadequate power for long-range transmission
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by transitioning from conventional battery power to renewable power sources (solar, kinetic, or improved battery chemistry). This fundamental parameter change in the power source enables extended operational duration while maintaining low power consumption through efficient transmission protocols and sleep modes, solving both the power efficiency and battery life problems simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs periodic action by implementing sleep modes and intermittent transmission cycles. The RFID tag alternates between low-power sleep states and active transmission states, significantly reducing average power consumption. This periodic operation extends battery life and energy duration while maintaining effective tracking capabilities during active phases.
3Power
If standard RF transmitters are used in ear tags, then the tags can transmit information, but the power level is inadequate to transmit over appreciable distances
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by designing a multi-functional ear tag that combines RFID identification, renewable power generation/storage, and optimized low-power transmission. This universal device integrates multiple functions (power generation, power storage, data collection, long-range transmission) into a single lightweight unit, achieving adequate transmission power without proportionally increasing weight through efficient component integration.
4Productivity
If renewable power sources are incorporated into ear tags, then the tags can transmit over long distances with extended battery life, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies merging by combining the renewable power source, power management circuitry, RFID transmitter, and sensor components into an integrated ear tag system. This consolidation reduces overall system complexity compared to separate components, simplifies deployment, and maintains high tracking productivity through unified low-power operation and coordinated function execution.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables efficient, long-distance tracking and health monitoring of cattle with minimal power consumption and extended battery life, applicable not only to livestock but also to other industries requiring item location and tracking.
Implementation Method 1
A tracking tag with a renewable power source, a microcontroller, and a low-power long-range transmitter or transceiver
Implementation Method 2
A tracking tag with a renewable power source, a microcontroller, and a low-power long-range transmitter or transceiver
Implementation Method 3
a low-power long-range transmitter or transceiver than can transmit signals over long distance
Data Source
AI summary
Tracking tags for attachment to an object or animal. The tracking tags may include low-power long-range transmitters drawing power from a battery or a renewable energy source. The tracking tags may also each include a microcontroller having a sleep-mode module enabling nearly no quiescent current to be drawn when the microcontroller is in a sleep-mode. The microcontroller may enter into a sleep-mode for long periods of time following a short period of sending data to the low-power long-range transmitter. The short period of sending data may be approximately one-twentieth of the long sleep-mode period. The tracking tags may also include sensors for determining an ambient temperature or biometric data about an animal to which the tracking tag is attached. Locations of the tracking tags may be determined using signal trilateration and/or signal triangulation.