公开(公告)号：US20140318458A1

公开(公告)日：2014-10-30

申请号：US14331367

申请日：2014-07-15

Applicant: TECHNOLOGIES HOLDINGS CORP.

Inventor： Henk Hofman ,  Peter Willem van der Sluis ,  Ype Groensma

IPC: A01J5/017 ,  A01J7/04

CPC classification number: A01J5/00 ,  A01J5/003 ,  A01J5/007 ,  A01J5/01 ,  A01J5/013 ,  A01J5/017 ,  A01J5/0175 ,  A01J5/04 ,  A01J5/06 ,  A01J7/00 ,  A01J7/025 ,  A01J7/04 ,  A01J9/00 ,  A01K1/0023 ,  A01K1/0029 ,  A01K1/12 ,  A01K5/00 ,  A01K5/02 ,  A01K11/006 ,  B25J13/08 ,  B25J19/023 ,  G05B2219/45113 ,  G06K9/00362 ,  G06T1/0014 ,  G06T7/70 ,  H04N5/247 ,  H04N13/204 ,  Y10S901/02 ,  Y10S901/47

Abstract: A robotic attacher comprises a main arm, a supplemental arm coupled to the main arm, and a gripping portion coupled to the supplemental arm. The gripping portion is operable to rotate such that at a first time, a nozzle is positioned generally on the bottom of the gripping portion, and at a second time, the nozzle is positioned generally on the top of the gripping portion.

Abstract translation: 机器人附件包括主臂，联接到主臂的辅助臂和联接到辅助臂的抓握部分。 抓握部分可操作以旋转，使得在第一时间，喷嘴通常定位在抓握部分的底部上，并且在第二时间，喷嘴大致位于夹持部分的顶部上。

公开(公告)号：US20140216349A1

公开(公告)日：2014-08-07

申请号：US14244490

申请日：2014-04-03

Applicant: TECHNOLOGIES HOLDINGS CORP.

Inventor： Henk Hofman ,  Cor de Ruijter ,  Menno Koekoek ,  Peter Willem van der Sluis

IPC: A01J5/00 ,  A01K1/12

CPC classification number: A01J5/0175 ,  A01J5/00 ,  A01J5/007 ,  A01J5/017 ,  A01J7/04 ,  A01K1/12 ,  A01K13/001

Abstract: A system includes a milking box and a robotic arm. The milking box comprises a stall portion that houses a dairy livestock with four teats. The robotic arm performs the following operation for a plurality of teats of the dairy livestock: retrieves a cup; attaches the cup to a teat; and detaches the cup from the teat. The cup is maintained within the stall portion of the milking box from the time that the cup is attached to a first teat of the dairy livestock through the time that the cup is attached to a last teat of the dairy livestock. The cup is retracted into an equipment area of the milking box after it is detached from the last teat of the dairy livestock.

Abstract translation: 系统包括挤奶箱和机器人手臂。 挤奶箱包括一个摊位部分，其中装有一个具有四个奶头的奶牛家畜。 机器人手臂为奶牛家畜的多个奶头执行以下操作：取出杯子; 把杯子放在奶头上 并将杯子从奶头中分离出来。 从杯子连接到奶牛家畜的第一个奶嘴的时候杯子被连接到奶牛的最后一个奶嘴的时候，杯子保持在挤奶箱的失速部分内。 在从奶瓶的最后一个奶头脱离之后，杯子被缩回到挤奶箱的设备区域中。

公开(公告)号：US10602712B2

公开(公告)日：2020-03-31

申请号：US14644784

申请日：2015-03-11

Applicant: TECHNOLOGIES HOLDINGS CORP.

Inventor： Henk Hofman ,  Cor de Ruijter ,  Menno Koekoek ,  Peter Willem van der Sluis

IPC: A01J7/00 ,  A01K1/12 ,  A01J5/00 ,  A01J5/007 ,  A01J5/017 ,  A01J7/02

Abstract: An apparatus comprises a cup holder bracket and a cup holder. The cup holder bracket comprises a hinge that allows the cup holder bracket to pivot between a substantially horizontal position when closed to a substantially vertical position when opened. The cup holder is coupled to the cup holder bracket and comprises a rimmed structure configured to hold an attachment end of a cup when the cup holder bracket is closed.

公开(公告)号：US10477828B2

公开(公告)日：2019-11-19

申请号：US15637247

申请日：2017-06-29

Applicant: Technologies Holdings Corp.

Inventor： Henk Hofman ,  Peter Willem van der Sluis ,  Ype Groensma

IPC: A01J7/04 ,  A01K13/00 ,  B25J9/16 ,  A01K29/00 ,  A01J5/003 ,  A01J5/007 ,  A01J5/017 ,  A01K1/12 ,  G06T1/00 ,  G06T7/73 ,  A01J7/00 ,  B25J11/00 ,  G06T7/00 ,  G06T7/13 ,  B25J9/00 ,  H04N7/18 ,  G05B19/042

Abstract: A method for applying disinfectant to the teats of a dairy livestock comprises moving a robotic arm along a track in relation to a rotary milking platform housing a dairy livestock and independent of any physical coupling between the robotic arm and the rotary milking platform. The rotary milking platform has a substantially circular perimeter. The track is positioned outside the perimeter of the rotary milking platform. At least a portion of the track is straight and offset in relation to the rotary milking platform. The robotic arm comprises an arm member operable to pivot about an axis that is parallel to the track, and a spray tool attached to one end of the arm member. The method further comprises extending the robotic arm between the hind legs of the dairy livestock while the rotary milking platform rotates such that the spray tool is located at a spray position from which it may discharge disinfectant to the teats of the dairy livestock.

公开(公告)号：US10477826B2

公开(公告)日：2019-11-19

申请号：US15596792

申请日：2017-05-16

Applicant: TECHNOLOGIES HOLDINGS CORP.

Inventor： Henk Hofman ,  Peter Willem van der Sluis ,  Ype Groensma

IPC: A01J5/00 ,  A01J5/003 ,  A01K1/00 ,  A01J5/017 ,  A01K1/12 ,  A01J7/04 ,  A01J5/007 ,  B25J13/08 ,  B25J19/02 ,  A01J9/00 ,  A01J7/02 ,  A01K5/02 ,  A01J5/06 ,  A01J5/013 ,  A01K11/00 ,  G06K9/00 ,  G06T7/70 ,  A01J5/01 ,  G06T1/00 ,  A01J5/04

Abstract: A method includes positioning a robotic attacher under a dairy livestock located in a milking stall, wherein the robotic attacher comprises a nozzle. The method continues by rotating the robotic attacher such that the nozzle is positioned generally on the top of the robotic attacher and performing a spraying operation using the nozzle. The method concludes by retracting the robotic attacher from under the dairy livestock.

公开(公告)号：US10362760B2

公开(公告)日：2019-07-30

申请号：US16150467

申请日：2018-10-03

Applicant: TECHNOLOGIES HOLDINGS CORP.

Inventor： Peter Willem van der Sluis ,  Henk Hofman

IPC: A01J5/017 ,  A01K1/12 ,  A01J5/04

Abstract: A milking robot includes a movable arm having a first end that couples to a frame and a free extremity at a second end that extends telescopically in a longitudinal direction. The milking robot further includes at least one gripper coupled to the free extremity of the movable arm at the second end, wherein the gripper is extendable away from the movable arm in the longitudinal direction based at least in part upon the telescopic extension of the free extremity.

公开(公告)号：US10362759B2

公开(公告)日：2019-07-30

申请号：US15895473

申请日：2018-02-13

Applicant: TECHNOLOGIES HOLDINGS CORP.

Inventor： Henk Hofman ,  Peter Willem van der Sluis ,  Ype Groensma

IPC: A01J5/00 ,  A01J5/003 ,  A01K1/00 ,  H04N13/204 ,  A01J5/017 ,  A01K1/12 ,  A01J7/04 ,  A01J5/007 ,  A01J7/00 ,  B25J13/08 ,  B25J19/02 ,  A01J9/00 ,  A01J7/02 ,  A01K5/02 ,  H04N5/247 ,  A01J5/06 ,  A01J5/013 ,  A01K5/00 ,  A01K11/00 ,  G06K9/00 ,  G06T7/70 ,  A01J5/01 ,  G06T1/00 ,  A01J5/04

Abstract: A system comprises a milking box, a robotic attacher, a sensor, and a controller. The milking box has a stall to accommodate a dairy livestock. The stall comprises a first exit gate on a first side of the stall leading to a first sorting region and a second exit gate on a second side of the stall leading to a second sorting region. The robotic attacher extends from the rear between the hind legs of the dairy livestock. The sensor identifies the dairy livestock within the milking box stall. The controller selects and opens the first exit gate or the second exit gate based at least in part upon the identity of the dairy livestock.

公开(公告)号：US10349618B2

公开(公告)日：2019-07-16

申请号：US16206839

申请日：2018-11-30

Applicant: TECHNOLOGIES HOLDINGS CORP.

Inventor： Henk Hofman ,  Cor de Ruijter ,  Menno Koekoek ,  Peter Willem van der Sluis

IPC: A01J5/017 ,  A01J5/00 ,  A01K1/12 ,  A01J5/007 ,  A01J7/04 ,  A01K13/00

Abstract: A method includes housing a dairy livestock in a stall portion of a milking box and retrieving, by a robotic attacher, a cup. For each of a plurality of teats of a dairy livestock, the method further uses the robotic arm to perform the steps of attaching the cup to the teat, detaching the cup from the teat, and maintaining the cup within the stall portion of the milking box from the time that the cup is attached to the first teat of the dairy livestock through the time that the cup is attached to a last teat of the dairy livestock. The method concludes by retracting the cup into an equipment area of the milking box after detaching the cup from the last teat of the dairy livestock.

公开(公告)号：US10127446B2

公开(公告)日：2018-11-13

申请号：US14843219

申请日：2015-09-02

Applicant: Technologies Holdings Corp.

Inventor： Henk Hofman ,  Cor de Ruijter ,  Menno Koekoek ,  Peter Willem van der Sluis

IPC: G06K9/00 ,  A01K29/00 ,  A01J5/017 ,  A01J5/007 ,  G06T5/00 ,  G06T7/73 ,  G06T7/136

Abstract: A system comprises a memory operable to store first light intensity information for a first pixel of an image that includes a dairy livestock, and second light intensity information for a second pixel of the image, wherein the second pixel is adjacent to the first pixel. The system further comprises a processor communicatively coupled to the memory and operable to determine that a difference between the first light intensity information and the second light intensity information exceeds a threshold, and discard one of the first pixel or the second pixel from the image.

公开(公告)号：US09980458B2

公开(公告)日：2018-05-29

申请号：US15240289

申请日：2016-08-18

Applicant: TECHNOLOGIES HOLDINGS CORP.

Inventor： Henk Hofman ,  Cor de Ruijter ,  Menno Koekoek ,  Peter Willem van der Sluis

IPC: A01J5/007 ,  A01J7/04 ,  A01K1/12 ,  A01J5/017 ,  A01J5/003

CPC classification number: A01J5/007 ,  A01J5/003 ,  A01J5/017 ,  A01J5/0175 ,  A01J7/04 ,  A01K1/126

Abstract: A system includes a linear carriage track positioned adjacent to a rotary milking platform, a robot carriage positioned on the carriage track such that the robot carriage may move along the carriage track from a first linear position to a second linear position, and a controller. The controller determines a movement of a milking stall of the rotary milking platform from a first rotational position to a second rotational position. The controller further determines the second linear position of the robot carriage on the carriage track corresponding to the movement of the milking stall of the rotary milking platform. The controller also communicates a position signal to a carriage actuator coupled to the robot carriage and the carriage track. The position signal causes the carriage actuator to move the robot carriage along the carriage track from the first linear position to the second linear position in conjunction with the movement of the rotary milking platform.