Udder Vein Pattern Recognition for Dairy Animal Identification

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Solution Overview

Problem

Dairy animal identification and tracking in dairy farms is challenging due to misidentification and tracking issues, particularly with mastitis, leading to contaminated milk and revenue losses, as traditional methods are inefficient and prone to errors.

Innovation Solution

A method and system for udder vein pattern imaging and recognition using a computing device with an imager to extract and compare vein patterns with a database, enabling rapid and accurate identification of dairy animals, facilitating management decisions and tracking.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If traditional identification methods (ear tags, RFID) are used, then animal identification is implemented, but misidentification and tracking errors occur due to head movements and blocked views

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveidentification accuracyVSAvoidtracking errors

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses vein pattern imaging to create a biometric copy of the animal's unique vascular structure in the udder region. This optical copy serves as a reliable identifier that doesn't depend on physical tags or RFID readers, eliminating misidentification caused by head movements or blocked views of traditional ear tags.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces mechanical identification systems (ear tags, leg bands, RFID readers) with an optical imaging system that captures vein patterns. This substitution eliminates the physical limitations of mechanical systems, such as tags being torn off or blocked from view, providing more reliable identification.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Reliability

If visual inspection and leg bands are used for mastitis identification, then infected animals can be identified, but tracking becomes difficult and leg bands can be torn off

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemastitis identification accuracyVSAvoidtracking difficulty

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system creates a biometric copy of the animal's vein pattern and links it to health records. This allows automatic tracking of mastitis cases without relying on physical leg bands that can be torn off, making tracking easier and more reliable throughout the treatment period.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Solution Approach 2:

The system provides continuous feedback by automatically recognizing animals through vein patterns and updating their health status in real-time. This feedback loop ensures that treated animals are properly tracked and their milk is appropriately managed throughout the treatment period, eliminating the loss of tracking that occurs with torn leg bands.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Productivity

If RFID ear tags and readers are used, then automated identification is achieved, but head movements cause erroneous reads by adjacent milking stations

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveautomated identification speedVSAvoidread accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the RFID mechanical/electromagnetic system with an optical imaging system that captures vein patterns. This substitution eliminates interference between adjacent milking stations, as each animal's vein pattern is captured locally and uniquely identified, preventing erroneous reads caused by head movements or signal interference.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The system focuses on capturing vein patterns in the local udder region of each animal, creating a localized biometric identifier. This local approach ensures that each animal is identified independently at their specific milking station without interference from adjacent stations, improving read accuracy while maintaining automated identification speed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

4Reliability

If manual tracking and leg bands are used, then treated animals can be identified, but finding the specific animal among hundreds is challenging and time-consuming

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetreatment tracking accuracyVSAvoidtime to locate animal

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system creates a biometric copy of the animal's vein pattern and links it to treatment records in a database. This allows rapid digital tracking and location of treated animals among hundreds in the herd, eliminating the time-consuming manual search required when animals have leg bands or other physical markers.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Solution Approach 2:

The system provides real-time feedback by automatically recognizing animals through vein patterns and displaying their treatment status. This enables rapid location and identification of treated animals, reducing the time loss associated with manually searching for specific animals among hundreds in the herd.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS10474791B2Methods and systems for biometric identification of dairy animals using vein pattern recognition

Publication Date: 2019.11.12 DAIRY ONE COOP INC

AI summary

A method for identifying a dairy animal, the method comprising the steps of: providing an identification system comprising an imaging device and a database of stored vein patterns; obtaining at least one image of at least a portion of an udder of the dairy animal; extracting a vein pattern from the at least one image; comparing the extracted vein pattern to the database of stored vein patterns; and identifying, based on said comparison, the dairy animal in the database of stored vein patterns.