Milking box with robotic attacher and vision system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9258975-B2
Application number	US-201213448882-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 17, 2012
Priority date	Apr 28, 2011
Publication date	Feb 16, 2016
Grant date	Feb 16, 2016

Abstract

A system includes a robotic attacher comprising a main arm and a supplemental arm operable to extend into a stall portion of a milking box. A camera couples to the supplemental arm. The supplemental arm comprises a camera-facing nozzle operable to spray the camera with a cleanser.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A milking system, comprising:
a robotic attacher comprising:
a main arm; and
a supplemental arm, the supplemental arm operable to extend into a stall portion of a milking box;

a camera coupled to the supplemental arm; and
a controller communicatively coupled to the robotic attacher and the camera, wherein the controller is programmed to:
receive an image from the camera;
determine where to move the robotic attacher based at least upon the image and a first calibration, the first calibration based at least upon a distance between the camera and a fixed calibration point located on the robotic attacher;

wherein the supplemental arm further comprises a camera-facing nozzle operable to spray the camera with a cleanser.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the camera comprises a two-dimensional camera coupled to a gripping portion of the supplemental arm.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the camera comprises a protective layer in front of a lens of the camera and the camera-facing nozzle sprays the cleanser on the protective layer.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is programmed to communicates a signal instructing the camera-facing nozzle to spray the camera with cleanser.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the controller is programmed to communicates the signal in response to determining that a milking cycle has been completed.

6. A milking system, comprising:
a robotic attacher comprising:
a main arm;
a supplemental arm that extends along a longitudinal axis; and
a gripping portion that extends from the supplemental arm along the longitudinal axis;

a two-dimensional camera coupled to and positioned on the gripping portion of the robotic attacher at a fixed location along the longitudinal axis;
a three-dimensional camera coupled to the supplemental arm of the robotic attacher at a second fixed location along the longitudinal axis; and
a controller that is programmed to:
receive a two-dimensional image from the two-dimensional camera;
receive a three-dimensional image from the three-dimensional camera;
determine where to move the gripping portion based at least in part upon:
the two-dimensional image and a first calibration, the first calibration based at least in part upon a distance between the two-dimensional camera and a fixed calibration point located on the robotic attacher; and
the three-dimensional image and a second calibration, the second calibration based at least in part upon a distance between the three-dimensional camera and a second fixed calibration point located on the robotic attacher;

and
communicate one or more signals instructing the robotic attacher where to move the gripping portion.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the two-dimensional camera includes a transmitter operable to transmit a two-dimensional signal at a fixed angle and a lens operable to receive a reflection of the two-dimensional signal.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein when the gripping portion is positioned in an upright orientation, the fixed angle comprises an upward angle between 5 and 35 degrees relative to an x-axis of the gripping portion.

Assignees

• Hofman Henk
• De Ruijter Cor
• Koekoek Menno
• Van Der Sluis Peter Willem
• Technologies Holdings Corp

Inventors

• Hofman Henk
• De Ruijter Cor
• Koekoek Menno
• Van Der Sluis Peter Willem

Classifications

• H04N23/54

  Mounting of pick-up tubes, electronic image sensors, deviation or focusing coils · CPC title

• H04N23/51

  Housings · CPC title

• A01J7/02

  for cleaning or sanitising milking machines or devices · CPC title

• H04N13/239

  using two two-dimensional [2D] image sensors having a relative position equal to or related to the interocular distance (H04N13/243 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B25J19/023

  including video camera means · CPC title