GB2481199A

GB2481199A - An animal measuring system

Info

Publication number: GB2481199A
Application number: GB1009868.9A
Authority: GB
Inventors: David Chamberlain
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2010-06-14
Filing date: 2010-06-14
Publication date: 2011-12-21
Anticipated expiration: 2030-06-14
Also published as: GB201009868D0; GB2481199B

Abstract

An animal measuring system providing a means for accurately measuring the height of an animal. A marker 12 is placed on the animal and a low energy laser 18 is used to reflect off of the marker back to a measuring device. The distance and angle of inclination from the measuring device to the marker on the animal can be calculated which can then be used provide a height measurement by means of trigonometry. The measuring system enables measurements to be taken with minimal contact with the animal thus avoiding any undesirable reactions.

Description

A Measuring System

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a measuring system and more particularly, but not exclusively, it relates to a measuring system that allows an animal -such as a horse -to be measured accurately without the need for a measuring stick, tape measure or like devices.

Background

Measuring devices for animals have been required for classification purposes for example in competitions. More specifically measuring devices were used in order to govern activities and/or levels at which an animal was entered for competitive purposes. It was important that official measurements were reliably obtained and recorded to ensure valid entry to events and type classifications, such as breed.

Measuring methods typically involved the use of fixed measuring sticks that had to be positioned in close proximity at the side and over the animal and adjusted on a registered, level surface. Due to the unpredictable nature of animals -especially horses -and their reaction to unknown situations, locations and/or objects, this process was inherently problematical. For example, horses sometimes behaved erratically or became stressed when being measured.

Despite this repeated attempts to measure an animal's height were made, due to the fact that true readings had to be taken in a relaxed state and a specific posture. This was particularly the case with horses, where often specific leg and head positions were required prior to the measurement being taken and depending on the animal and which part of it was being measured.

Prior Art

Traditionally a measuring stick or metre stick was used to measure an animal.

To ensure an accurate reading was obtained the animal was placed on a level surface in a relaxed state. The measuring stick then had to be positioned in the desired location, for example at the horse's wither, if measuring the height of the horse.

The measuring stick or metre stick, as it was sometimes called, had to be in a perfectly vertical orientation so that a sliding arm was able to be lowered to the wither. This was necessary so that the arm was perfectly horizontal.

Often this was achieved with the aid of, for example, a spirit fevel incorporated into the measuring stick. However, animals sometimes found the approach of a human with a measuring stick startling and it was difficult to position accurately the metre stick to achieve an exact measurement.

Steps have been taken to attempt to overcome the aforementioned problems.

One example is described in UK Patent Application GB-A-2 019 574 (Strand) where an extended length of transparent tube containing liquid was attached to the measuring stick. The height at which the unattached end of the tube was held, is directly proportional to the increments on this measuring stick, thus giving a reading. Therefore in use the tube was removed from the measuring stick so as to reduce the disturbance to the animal. However, this method still involved placing the measuring apparatus in relative close proximity to the animal and it had to manually positioned at the correct point for measuring, thereby requiring a degree of dexterity and expertise by the user.

In published European Patent US 4 745 472 (Hayes) an imaging system is described which has been used to photograph animals and calculate specific measurements. Although this was time consuming and the scale had to be determined it was reasonably successful and also provided a permanent record of the height of the animal.

A major disadvantage of using a camera however was that sometimes, it was difficult to take a photograph at the correct distance and angle to ensure consistency between subsequent measurements based on the photograph.

Thus sometimes accuracy was compromised, particularly when defining the point of measurement, as it was not always possible to make allowances for such variables as levelness of floor or the thickness of a horse's coat.

The use of a laser to determine measurements has been incorporated in a measuring system that also records other anatomical parameters. An example is described in published European Patent Application EP-.A-2 014 230, (Luis). These measuring systems include a weighing platform. Although weight is also often a useful parameter to record, there are limited weighing platforms available, particularly for larger animals and the systems that incorporated platforms were bulky and expensive to purchase and maintain.

An object of the present invention is to overcome the aforementioned problems and those associated with traditional measuring methods and complex measuring devices.

Another object of the invention is to provide a cheap and portable measuring system that enables accurate and repeatable readings to be obtained.

Summary of the Invention

According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a measuring system for determining a length/height measurement of an animal comprising: a marker to be placed at a location on the animal to be measured from a datum to be determined by a user, a source of electromagnetic radiation (EMR) which in use is adapted to reflect off said marker; a sensor for receiving reflected radiation; and a means for determining the height of the marker from the datum.

Typically the datum is a flat surface on which, in use, the animal is standing.

In a preferred embodiment the marker (or markers if multiple measurements are to be taken) is attached to the animal at the point the measurement is required, such as at the wither. For exampte when measuring the height of a horse a marker is placed on a small shaved portion of the coat at the wither.

In this example the measurement to be obtained is the distance from a level platform on which the horse is standing (the datum) to the wither.

The distance to the marker(s) from the measuring device is determined in order to be able to calculate the height. In the preferred embodiment the measuring device is a source of optical electromagnetic radiation such as a low power laser, for example a light emitting diode (LED) laser.

In the preferred embodiment the marker has a mirrored surface suitable for reflecting laser radiation, transmitted from the laser light emitting diode (LED) so that the radiation is reflected to the sensor so as to record a distance and angle of inclination.

So as to ensure accuracy two or more sensors may be used in conjunction, one with another, so that the sensors may perform self correction by way of compensating for any non-vertical or horizontal offset in readings.

The or each marker is/are secured at the point to be measured, ideally by use of a mild water based adhesive or similar product. As mentioned above, so as to permit this, it may be necessary to remove a small patch of the animal's coat to eliminate this from affecting the height reading. This may be done some time -even a few days -beforehand by the owner under instruction, to reduce the chances of the horse becoming anxious on the day of the measurement.

In use the means for determining the height of the markers measures their horizontal distance from a datum and an angle of inclination with respect to a reference and computes the height of the marker from the datum using trigonometric expressions.

Preferably the measuring system has a means for varying the direction of the radiation source, for example by scanning manually or scanning automatically.

Optionally more than one marker permits multiple distances and angles of inclination to be taken so as to obtain an average.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the measuring device is attached to, or incorporated in, a fixed object such as a wall. In such a configuration, the measuring device is secured to the wall by means of a removable fixing or the measuring device is permanently embedded in the wall. The height from the datum to the measuring device is therefore a known parameter.

An alarm ideally alerts the user as to when the detector and marker are correctly oriented with respect one to another so as to indicate when a measurement is to be taken. Ideally this is a non-audible alarm, so that it is preferably a vibrating device or an illuminated device.

The measuring system ideally includes a printer or some form of electronic storage facility -such as an electronic programmable read only memory (EPROM) recording device. Such a recording device ensures that a permanent record is obtained for: the horse; other data such as its owner's identification data (eg address telephone number and email address); the name and age of the horse as well as any other specific identity or medical information for the horse (eg its name, microchip number, place of birth and any information concerning its pedigree or lineage) and of course the height of the horse.

In another embodiment the measuring system is incorporated on, or in, a portable item such as a pole, which may be a telescopic pole. In this embodiment the measuring system is easily portable and thus may be used as an additional technique of measuring, or verifying, existing registered measuring sites that have more traditional measuring equipment. In use the measuring system is positioned at a set, known height, ideally well above the maximum height of any animal to be measured. The height above datum could be predetermined by marks on the pole. Alternatively it could be measured automatically by the device itself.

Ideally the measuring system The LED laser is adapted to emit a multi directional beam, so as to ensure the marker on the animal is detected. The measuring system also has means for receiving reflected laser from the marker so that it can be recorded in the form of a single height measurement for a given animal's name, number or other identification, for example if the animal has a subcutaneous radio frequency identity (REID) chip.

The system ideally also has the means to calculate, from the angle at which the laser is emitted and detected to the marker in relation to a vertical surface (datum) on which the measuring system is located. This reading provides the angle of inclination from the device to the marker.

Thus in a preferred embodiment the height of a detector in the measuring system is known, the distance from the detector to the marker is known and the angle of inclination from the horizontal to the marker on the animal is also known, the vertical height from the detector to the marker can be calculated by means of trigonometry.

Optionally a level indicator may be fitted to the pole and used in order to indicate whether it is vertical. The device may be a spirit level or it could be a solid state device. In such an arrangement an audible indicator may be employed in order to indicate when the sensor is in an optimum location and orientation to detect the reflected radiation. For example when the pole is vertical (in both x-z and y-z planes) and (an instantaneous) measurement of the height of the horse is permitted only when the pole is vertical.

This feature means that if there is a slight variation of the axis of the pole during measurement, which might affect the actual height of the horse, no measurement is made. The measurement is only possible (made) when the pole is precisely vertical. The operator then triggers the measurement process when the horse is in the correct posture.

An advantage of the present invention is that it allows precise measurement with minimal disturbance to the animal, typically with attachment of only a marker to the animal. The recording device can be sufficiently far away so as not to interfere with or startle the animal.

Different systems for measuring, calculating and recording the desired distance may be utilised along with a combination of fixed and/or static equipment.

Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the Figures in which:

Brief Description of Figures

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of an animal being measured and shows an overall view of the system; and Figure 2 is a diagrammatic representation of an alternative embodiment of the system.

Detailed description of preferred Embodiments of the Invention Figure 1 shows a horse 10 with a marker 12, attached to its wither. The horse is shown stood on a datum 14, which is level and flat and is ideally a solid surface placed against a wall 16. A radiation source 18, such as a laser LED, is shown mounted on a wall 16 at a known height (H) from the datum.

Optionally this height (H) may be verified prior to measuring the horse so as to allow for any variation in the height of the datum.

Radiation source 18 determines the angle of inclination 9 of the reflected radiation signal with respect to the horizontal as well as the absolute distance D from the source to the marker 12. D is effectively the hypotenuse of a right angle triangle and so the length h is computed according to: h = D cos 8 (where D is effectively the hypotenuse -the distance from the marker 12 to the radiation source 18. Once this distance is known the height of the horse is computed as: Therefore the height of the horse to its wither is: (H -h).

A printer 50 records data in an electronic storage facility such as an electronic programmable read only memory (EPROM) recording device (not shown).

Such a recording device ensures that a permanent record is obtained for: the horse; other data such as its owner's identification data and other data such as the name, microchip number and age of the horse and its height. This data can be transmitted, or example vie a Wi-Fi or global positioning system (GPS) or global system for mobile communications (GSM) link to a remote database (not shown) or other storage facility where such data can be stored and held for security and verification purposes at a subsequent date.

In an alternative embodiment, shown in Figure 2, the radiation source 18 LED is mounted in a telescopic pole 100. The height (H) of the pole 100 is known and the height of the horse (to its with) is computed using the same technique as described above with reference to Figure 1, except the pole 100 is

portable.

In use a horse (not shown in Figure 2) to be measured is brought close to the pole 100 and a marker 12 is stuck to its wither. A small portion of hair is removed from the wither and a marker 12 is attached to the wither of a horse at the point used to measure the height (h) of the wither vertically above (or below) the radiation source 18. The pole 100 may be a telescopic pole.

The device shown in Figure 2 is used in the same manner as that in Figure 1.

The horse (not shown) is stood on a solid, horizontal surface 14 described as the datum. In this embodiment the measuring device 18 is fixed to the pole at a height of H metres -typically between 2.5 and 3.0 meters. This is higher than the height of most animals, therefore ensuring the laser transmits to the marker 12 without any interruption. It may be possible for an animal to stand higher than the measuring device and an exact reading to still be obtained. The device automatically calibrates its height above datum.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 2, the measuring system is portable and for example is stowed and can be carried to where it will be needed. Thus permitting it to be used as an additional technique of measuring, or verifying, existing registered measuring sites that have more traditional measuring equipment.

It is to be appreciated that these Figures are for illustration purposes only and other configurations are possible.

The invention has been described by way of several embodiments, with modifications and alternatives, but having read and understood this description further embodiments and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art. All such embodiments and modifications are intended to fall within the scope of the present invention as defined in the accompanying claims.

For example a kit may be supplied that includes a collapsible pole and laser LED scanner, a battery operated razor or hair clipper, a number of reflectors or markers, a recording device -such as a printer -or an electronic storage device. A button is used to trigger the measurement procedure by the operator only once the horse has adopted the posture required for a measurement to be taken. The button may be attached to the pole or linked St..

via a wire to a device fixed on a wall. Alternatively the button may be on a remote controller. Likewise the printer 50 may be fitted with a short range radio frequency (RF) device, such as a Bluetooth (Trade Mark) for receiving signals directly from the measuring device. * S.

Figure 3 shows an overall view of the system in operation by a user.

S.. S.*

S S

Claims

Claims 1. A measuring system for determining a length/height measurement of an animal comprising: a marker to be placed at a location on the animal to be measured from a datum to be determined by a user, a source of electromagnetic radiation (EMR) which in use is adapted to reflect off said marker; a sensor for receiving reflected radiation; and a means for determining the height of the marker from the datum.
2. A measuring system according to claim 1 wherein a plurality of markers are provided so as to provide several measurements.
3. A measuring system according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the means for determining the height of the marker measures its vertical distance from a datum and an angle of inclination with respect to a reference and computes the height of the marker from the datum using trigonometry.
4. A measuring system according to any preceding claim wherein the direction of the radiation source is variable.
5. A measuring system according to claim 4 wherein the direction of the radiation source is varied manually.
6. A measuring system according to claim 4 wherein the direction of the radiation source is varied automatically, for example by scanning.
7. A measuring system according to any preceding claim wherein the marker includes a surface arranged to reflect the signal emitted from the measuring device, so as to obtain a distance and angle of inclination reading.
8. A measuring system according to any preceding claim wherein multiple distance and angles of inclination readings are taken so as to obtain an average.
9. A measuring system according to any preceding claim wherein an alarm alerts the user if there is variation between readings of more than a predetermined amount.
1O.A measuring system according to claim 9 wherein an alarm alerts the user if there is variation between readings of more than a predetermined amount.
11. A measuring system according to claim 9 wherein a(n) non-audible indicator indicates when the sensor is at the correct orientation and location at when a measurement can be made.
12.A measuring system according to any preceding claim wherein the measuring device is incorporated in a portable device.
13.A measuring system according to any preceding claim wherein the recording device has a communication means to compute the distance between the marker and the datum.
14.A measuring system according to any preceding claim wherein the recording device has means to compute the distance between two markers.
15.A measuring system according to any preceding claim wherein the recording device is operated remotely.
16.A measuring system according to any preceding claim wherein the recording device is capable of calculating the measurement in a variety of measurement units.
17.A measuring system according to any preceding claim wherein the recording device has means of printing the data.
18.A measuring system according to any preceding claim wherein the recording device has means of transferring the measurement data to a computer.