Variable Separation Period for Dairy Animal Milking Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
In automatic milking systems, the predetermined separation period for dairy animals is often too short for some and too long for others, leading to inconsistent milking intervals and disrupted milk production.
Innovation Solution
Each dairy animal is assigned an individual separation period based on its specific properties, such as desired milking interval, average milking interval, or average visiting interval, allowing for tailored separation times to improve collection efficiency and minimize waiting times.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a predetermined separation period is set for all dairy animals, then the separation process is simplified and can be implemented uniformly, but the milking interval for individual animals may become too long disrupting milking behavior and milk production
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by transitioning from a fixed separation period to a variable separation period that is adapted to each individual dairy animal's characteristics. The control system adjusts the separation period parameter based on recorded milking intervals, visiting intervals, and animal identification, ensuring that each animal's separation timing maintains its optimal milking rhythm while still enabling uniform implementation of the separation process across the entire herd.
2Loss of time
If a relatively short separation period is used, then waiting times for separated dairy animals are reduced, but not all dairy animals to be separated will be collected in the separation area at the planned collection time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback by continuously monitoring and recording each dairy animal's milking intervals and visiting intervals at the milking station. This feedback information is stored in the control system and used to dynamically determine appropriate separation periods for individual animals. The system learns from past behavior patterns to predict when animals will be available for separation, ensuring both timely collection and minimal waiting times.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary action by using historically recorded milking and visiting interval data to pre-calculate optimal separation periods for each animal before the actual separation event. This allows the control system to proactively schedule separations that align with each animal's natural rhythm, ensuring animals are separated at the right time without excessive waiting while guaranteeing complete collection of animals needing separation.
3Reliability
If a relatively long separation period is used, then all dairy animals to be separated are collected in the separation area, but waiting times become excessively long disrupting milking behavior and milk production
Solution Approach 1:
The patent resolves this contradiction by making the separation period a dynamic parameter rather than a fixed value. The control system adjusts the separation period parameter for each individual animal based on its recorded milking intervals and visiting intervals, ensuring the period is long enough to guarantee complete collection of animals needing separation while being short enough to prevent disruption of milking behavior and milk production.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and system for managing a group of dairy animals in which a subgroup of dairy animals to be separated from the group of dairy animals is determined. A planned collection time is determined, at which time it is planned that the dairy animals in the subgroup of dairy animals to be separated are separated from the group of dairy animals. An individual separation period, which is determined by the length of time from a start time, preceding the planned collection time, to the planned collection time, is selected separately, for each individual dairy animal in the subgroup of dairy animals to be separated, in dependence of a property of said individual dairy animal. Each individual dairy animal in the subgroup of dairy animals to be separated is separated from the group of dairy animals during the individual separation period selected for said dairy animal.