Connected hatchery comprising a plurality of devices for handling, processing or vaccinating eggs or chicks

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12484557-B2
Application number	US-202218275990-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 7, 2022
Priority date	Feb 8, 2021
Publication date	Dec 2, 2025
Grant date	Dec 2, 2025

Abstract

The invention relates to a connected hatchery ( 1 ) comprising a plurality of devices ( 22, 23, 24, 25, 3, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 5, 62, 63, 64 ) for handling, processing or vaccinating eggs or chicks distributed along a production line, each of the devices being an automated device fitted with a programmable logic controller ( 231, 431, 451, 641 ) capable of producing at least one data stream (F 23 a , F 23 b , F 23 c , F 23 d , F 43 a , F 43 b , F 43 c , F 43 d , F 43 e , F 43 f , F 45 a , F 45 b , F 45 c , F 45 d , F 45 e , F 64 a , F 64 b , F 64 c , F 64 d ) relating to the performance or operations of the said automated device, characterized in that it comprises a data centralizing and processing unit ( 7 ) arranged to collect the data streams produced by the programmable logic controllers of said automated devices in order to determine at least one performance indicator (I 1 , I 2 , I 3 ) of the production line from one or more of said collected data streams and in order to transmit said performance indicator over a telecommunications network to a remote terminal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A connected hatchery ( 1 ) comprising a plurality of devices ( 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 3 , 42 , 43 , 44 , 45 , 46 , 47 , 5 , 62 , 63 , 64 ) for handling, processing or vaccinating eggs or chicks distributed along a production line, each of the devices being an automated device fitted with a programmable logic controller ( 231 , 431 , 451 , 641 ) capable of producing at least one data stream (F 23 a , F 23 b , F 23 c , F 23 d , F 43 a , F 43 b , F 43 c , F 43 d , F 43 e , F 43 f , F 45 a , F 45 b , F 45 c , F 45 d , F 45 e , F 64 a , F 64 b , F 64 c , F 64 d ) relating to the performance or operations of the said automated device, characterized in that it comprises a data centralizing and processing unit ( 7 ) arranged to collect the data streams produced by the programmable logic controllers of said automated devices in order to determine at least one performance indicator (I 1 , I 2 , I 3 ) of the production line from one or more of said collected data streams and in order to transmit said performance indicator over a telecommunications network to a remote terminal, wherein the centralizing and processing unit ( 7 ) is arranged to determine said at least one performance indicator (I 1 , I 2 , I 3 ) of said production line by means of a combination of at least two items of data from one or more collected data streams (F 23 a , F 23 b , F 43 a , F 45 a , F 64 b ).

2 . The connected hatchery ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , characterized in that each device for handling, processing or vaccinating eggs or chicks is a device selected from:
a. A device ( 22 , 42 ) for arranging eggs from a rack on a conveyor ( 21 a , 41 a ); b. A device for assessing the size and/or weight of one or more eggs; c. A device ( 23 ) for detecting upside-down eggs, and marking said upside-down eggs; d. A device ( 24 , 46 ) for filling a rack with eggs circulating on a conveyor; e. A device ( 25 , 47 ) for stacking racks on a carriage; f. An egg incubator ( 3 ) or a hatchery ( 5 ); g. A device ( 43 ) for detecting eggs that are unfertilized or contain a dead embryo; h. A device for detecting the gender of the embryos in the egg; i. A device ( 44 ) for disinfecting eggs; j. A device ( 45 ) for vaccinating embryos in the eggs; k. A device for cleaning a rack; l. A device ( 62 ) for arranging chicks from a rack on a conveyor ( 61 ); m. A device ( 63 ) for vaccinating chicks by injection; n. A device for sorting chicks by gender; o. A counter ( 64 ) to count chicks moving on a conveyor; p. A device ( 65 ) for vaccinating chicks by spraying.

3 . The connected hatchery ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein each device ( 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 3 , 42 , 43 , 44 , 45 , 46 , 47 , 5 , 62 , 63 , 64 ) for handling, processing or vaccinating eggs or chicks comprises a communication unit able to transmit to the centralizing and processing unit ( 7 ) said data stream (F 23 a , F 23 b , F 23 c , F 23 d , F 43 a , F 43 b , F 43 c , F 43 d , F 43 e , F 43 f , F 45 a , F 45 b , F 45 c , F 45 d , F 45 e , F 64 a , F 64 b , F 64 c , F 64 d ) produced by the programmable logic controller ( 231 , 431 , 451 , 641 ) of said device.

4 . The connected hatchery ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein at least two communication units of two distinct devices ( 23 , 43 , 45 , 64 ) are able to transmit data frames according to two distinct communications protocols and wherein the centralizing and processing unit ( 7 ) is arranged to determine the communication protocol used for the transmission of a data frame that it receives and to extract data from said data frame that it receives from said determined communication protocol.

5 . The connected hatchery ( 1 ) according to claim 3 , wherein the communication unit of at least one of the devices ( 23 , 43 , 45 , 64 ) for handling, processing or vaccinating eggs or chicks is integrated into the programmable logic controller ( 231 , 431 , 451 , 641 ) of said device.

6 . The connected hatchery ( 1 ) according to claim 3 , wherein the communication unit of at least one of the devices ( 23 , 43 , 45 , 64 ) for handling, processing or vaccinating eggs or chicks is connected to the programmable logic controller ( 231 , 431 , 451 , 641 ) of said device to read said data stream (F 23 a , F 23 b , F 23 c , F 23 d , F 43 a , F 43 b , F 43 c , F 43 d , F 43 e , F 43 f , F 45 a , F 45 b , F 45 c , F 45 d , F 45 e , F 64 a , F 64 b , F 64 c , F 64 d ) produced by that programmable logic controller.

7 . The connected hatchery ( 1 ) according to claim 3 , wherein the programmable logic controller ( 231 , 431 , 451 , 641 ) of each automated device ( 23 , 43 , 45 , 64 ) is arranged to automatically produce at least one data stream (F 23 a , F 23 b , F 23 c , F 23 d , F 43 a , F 43 b , F 43 c , F 43 d , F 43 e , F 43 f , F 45 a , F 45 b , F 45 c , F 45 d , F 45 e , F 64 a , F 64 b , F 64 c , F 64 d ) relating to the functioning or to the operations of said automated device, each datum of said data stream being generated automatically by the controller during the functioning or operations of said automated device.

8 . The connected hatchery ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , characterized in that it comprises at least one sensor ( 26 , 46 , 66 ) able to measure an environmental parameter of the hatchery, the data centralizing and processing unit ( 7 ) being arranged to collect the measurements of said environmental parameter acquired by said sensor.

9 . The connected hatchery ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the centralizing and processing unit ( 7 ) is arranged to update said performance indicator (I 1 , I 2 , I 3 ) of said production line upon receipt of a new item of data and to transmit said updated performance indicator on said telecommunication network to said remote terminal.

Assignees

• Ceva Sante Animale S A
• Ceva Sante Animale

Inventors

• Ninet Olivier
• Boyer William
• Veyrent Stéphane
• Gonzalez Carlos

Classifications

• A01K43/00

  Testing, sorting or cleaning eggs (investigating or analysing eggs, e.g. by candling G01N33/08); {Conveying devices (for batteries A01K31/165); Pick-up devices} · CPC title

• H04W4/70

  Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC] · CPC title

• A01K45/007 Primary

  Injecting or otherwise treating hatching eggs · CPC title

• A01K45/00

  Other aviculture appliances, e.g. devices for determining whether a bird is about to lay · CPC title

• A01K43/04

  Grading eggs · CPC title