US 12,290,051 B2
Sensing system for determining a parameter of a set of animals
Harry Broers, 's-Hertogenbosch (NL); Marc Andre De Samber, Lommel (BE); and Dragan Sekulovski, Eindhoven (NL)
Assigned to SIGNIFY HOLDING, B.V., Eindhoven (NL)
Appl. No. 17/928,148
Filed by SIGNIFY HOLDING B.V., Eindhoven (NL)
PCT Filed Jun. 22, 2021, PCT No. PCT/EP2021/066894
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Nov. 28, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/259886, PCT Pub. Date Dec. 30, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 20182180 (EP), filed on Jun. 25, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0217901 A1, Jul. 13, 2023
Int. Cl. A01K 29/00 (2006.01); G06T 7/60 (2017.01); G06V 40/10 (2022.01)
CPC A01K 29/005 (2013.01) [G06T 7/60 (2013.01); G06V 40/10 (2022.01); G06T 2207/10028 (2013.01)] 13 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A sensing system for determining a parameter of a set of animals present on a surface area, wherein the sensing system comprises:
a controller; and
at least one range sensor having a Field-of-View configured to be directed to the surface area;
wherein each range sensor of the at least one range sensor comprises a single pixel configured to at least continually measure heights of animals of the set of animals passing the Field-of-View during a period of time, and to provide a height signal comprising said measured heights during the period of time;
wherein the controller is configured to obtain said height signal, and to determine the parameter of the set of animals based on the measured heights during the period of time;
wherein the parameter is an activity parameter of the set of animals;
wherein the activity parameter is correlated to the duration of the measured heights of the set of animals, the duration indicating how long a measured height of the measure heights of the set lasts in time during the period of time;
wherein the controller is configured to determine the activity parameter of the set of animals by comparing an average duration of the measured heights of the animals of the set of animals during a second subperiod of time with an average duration of the measured heights of the animals of the set of animals during a first subperiod of time.