Feed system and method for the feeding of animals

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9622455-B2
Application number	US-201314391150-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 14, 2013
Priority date	Apr 20, 2012
Publication date	Apr 18, 2017
Grant date	Apr 18, 2017

Abstract

A feed system ( 1 ) for the feeding of animals, comprising: —a feed wagon ( 3 ), having: •a holder ( 4 ), •a dispensing device ( 5 ), •a regulating unit ( 8 ), comprising a sending and receiving device ( 9 ), and being connected to a drive and control system, and —a feed loading device ( 12 ), —a feed site, —a central control system ( 16 ) provided with a sending and receiving device ( 17 ) which is configured to communicate wirelessly with the sending and receiving device of the regulating unit, and comprising a memory in which are stored navigation data on the basis of which the feed wagon is capable of covering a route from the feed loading site to the feed site, and wherein the central control system transmits a packet of data comprising these navigation data to the regulating unit. The regulating unit regulates the drive and control system on the basis of that packet of data.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A feed system for the feeding of animals, which feed system comprises:
an operating zone having a ground surface;
a feed wagon, said feed wagon being provided with:
a holder for the reception of feed;
a dispensing device for the dispensing of feed held in the holder;
a plurality of wheels, said plurality of wheels being transportable over the ground surface;
a drive and control system for driving and controlling the feed wagon; and
a regulating unit, said regulating unit being provided with a sending and receiving device and being connected to the drive and control system for the regulation thereof;

a feed storage system for holding at least one variety of feed;
a feed loading site for the feed wagon, said feed loading site being located in the operating zone;
a feed loading device, said feed loading device being configured to transfer feed from the feed storage system to the holder of the feed wagon when the feed wagon is stationed at the feed loading site;
a feed site for the feeding of the animals, said feed site being located in the operating zone at a distance from the feed loading site, and being reachable for the feed wagon from the feed loading site by transporting of the feed wagon, with its wheels, over the ground surface; and
a central control system, said central control system being provided with a sending and receiving device configured to communicate with the sending and receiving device of the regulating unit of the feed wagon,
wherein the central control system is provided with a memory in which are stored data comprising navigation data on the basis of which the feed wagon is capable of covering a route from the feed loading site to the feed site, and the central control system is configured to transmit a packet of data comprising these navigation data from the sending and receiving device of the central control system to the sending and receiving device of the regulating unit of the feed wagon, and the regulating unit of the feed wagon is provided with a memory for the storage of that packet of data, and the regulating unit of the feed wagon is configured to regulate the drive and control system of the feed wagon, on the basis of that packet of data, for the autonomous running of the feed wagon from the feed loading site to the feed site.

2. The feed system according to claim 1 , wherein the data which are stored in the memory of the central control system comprise navigation data on the basis of which the feed wagon is capable of covering a route from the feed loading site to the feed site and back to the feed loading site, and wherein the packet of data is provided with these navigation data, and the regulating unit of the feed wagon is configured to regulate, on the basis of that packet of data, the drive and control system of the feed wagon for the driving of the feed wagon from the feed loading site to the feed site and back to the feed loading site.

3. The feed system according to claim 2 , wherein the feed system is provided with a plurality of feed sites, and wherein the data which are stored in the memory of the central control system comprise navigation data on the basis of which the feed wagon is capable of covering a route from the feed loading site to respectively at least one of the feed sites, and wherein at least one of the feed sites can be selected in the central control system, and wherein the central control system is configured to define a packet of data from the data stored in the memory of the central control system such that that packet of data is provided with navigation data on the basis of which the feed wagon is capable of covering a route from the feed loading site to the selected feed site or feed sites, and wherein the central control system is configured to transmit that packet of data from the sending and receiving device of the central control system to the sending and receiving device of the regulating unit of the feed wagon, and the regulating unit of the feed wagon is configured to store that packet of data in the memory of the regulating unit, and the regulating unit of the feed wagon is configured to regulate the drive and control system of the feed wagon, on the basis of that packet of navigation data, for the running of the feed wagon from the feed loading site to the selected feed site or feed sites.

4. The feed system according to claim 2 , wherein the feed system is provided with a plurality of feed alleys, which each comprise at least one feed site for the feeding of the animals, and wherein the data which are stored in the memory of the central control system comprise navigation data on the basis of which the feed wagon is capable of covering a route from the feed loading site to respectively at least one of the feed alleys and at least partially through this feed alley, and wherein at least one of the feed alleys can be selected in the central control system, and wherein the central control system is configured to define a packet of data from the data stored in the memory of the central control system such that that packet of data is provided with navigation data on the basis of which the feed wagon is capable of covering a route from the feed loading site to the selected feed alley or feed alleys and at least partially through this selected feed alley or feed alleys, and wherein the central control system is configured to transmit that packet of data from the sending and receiving device of the central control system to the sending and receiving device of the regulating unit of the feed wagon, and the regulating unit of the feed wagon is configured to store that packet of data in the memory of the regulating unit, and the regulating unit of the feed wagon is configured to regulate the drive and control system of the feed wagon, on the basis of that packet of navigation data, for the running of the feed wagon from the feed loading site to the selected feed alley or feed alleys and at least partially through this selected feed alley or feed alleys.

5. The feed system according to claim 1 , wherein the feed system is provided with a plurality of feed sites, and wherein the data which are stored in the memory of the central control system comprise navigation data on the basis of which the feed wagon is capable of covering a route from the feed loading site to respectively at least one of the feed sites, and wherein at least one of the feed sites can be selected in the central control system, and wherein the central control system is configured to define a packet of data from the data stored in the memory of the central control system such that that packet of data is provided with navigation data on the basis of which the feed wagon is capable of covering a route from the feed loading site to the selected feed site or feed sites, and wherein the central control system is configured to transmit that packet of data from the sending and receiving device of the central control system to the sending and receiving device of the regulating unit of the feed wagon, and the regulating unit of the feed wagon is configured to store that packet of data in the memory of the regulating unit, and the regulating unit of the feed wagon is configured to regulate the drive and control system of the feed wagon, on the basis of that packet of navigation data, for the running of the feed wagon from the feed loading site to the selected feed site or feed sites.

6. The feed system according to claim 1 , wherein the feed system is provided with a plurality of feed alleys, which each comprise at least one feed site for the feeding of the animals, and wherein the data which are stored in the memory of the central control system comprise navigation data on the basis of which the feed wagon is capable of covering a route from the feed loading s

Assignees

• Lely Patent Nv

Inventors

• Wisse Dik-Jan
• Van Kuilenburg Jan Martinus
• Van Den Berg Karel
• Kik Pieter Jacob

Classifications

• A01K5/0266

  with stable trolleys, e.g. suspended · CPC title

• A01K5/02 Primary

  Automatic devices {(automatic identification devices for stock A01K11/006)} · CPC title

• G01C21/00

  Navigation; Navigational instruments not provided for in groups G01C1/00 - G01C19/00 (measuring distance traversed on the ground by a vehicle G01C22/00; control of position, course, altitude or attitude of vehicles G05D1/00; traffic control systems for road vehicles involving transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968) · CPC title

• G05D1/021

  specially adapted to land vehicles · CPC title