公开(公告)号：US10558855B2

公开(公告)日：2020-02-11

申请号：US15947583

申请日：2018-04-06

Applicant: TECHNOLOGIES HOLDINGS CORP.

Inventor： Mark A. Foresman ,  Richard B. Voigt

IPC: G06K9/00 ,  A01J5/017 ,  H04N13/271 ,  G06K9/62

Abstract: A vision system that includes a robotic arm and a three-dimensional (3D) camera operably coupled to a processor. The processor is configured to position the robotic arm adjacent to the dairy livestock and acquire a 3D image using the 3D camera. The processor is further configured to identify a set of teat candidates within the 3D image and to filter the set of teat candidates based on one or more filtering rules. The processor is further configured to determine an aggregate teat candidate score for the consolidated set of teat candidates, compare the aggregate teat candidate score to a score threshold value, and update teat location information for the dairy livestock in response to determining the aggregate teat candidate score is greater than or equal to the score threshold value.

公开(公告)号：US10598528B2

公开(公告)日：2020-03-24

申请号：US15813745

申请日：2017-11-15

Applicant: Technologies Holdings Corp.

Inventor： Robert E. Hanes, Jr. ,  Richard L. Pettys, Jr. ,  Daniel T. Nichols ,  Richard B. Voigt ,  Joel R. Henry ,  Roma M. Montifar ,  David M. Headley ,  Dustin R. Reynolds

IPC: G01F1/64 ,  G01F15/02

Abstract: An apparatus includes a tube, first and second pairs of electrodes, a reference device, and a processor. The processor determines a speed of a fluid traveling between the first and second pairs of electrodes and determines a reference conductance of the fluid using the reference device. The processor also determines a measured conductance of the fluid using at least one of the first and second pairs of electrodes and determines, based on the reference conductance and the measured conductance, a cross-sectional area of the fluid at an electrode. The processor further adds a correction factor to the determined speed to produce a bulk speed of the fluid. The processor further determines a volumetric flow rate of the fluid based on the bulk speed and the determined area and determines a volume of the fluid based on the determined volumetric flow rate.

公开(公告)号：US10817970B2

公开(公告)日：2020-10-27

申请号：US16256558

申请日：2019-01-24

Applicant: TECHNOLOGIES HOLDINGS CORP.

Inventor： Mark A. Foresman ,  Richard B. Voigt

IPC: G06K9/00 ,  G06T1/00 ,  A01J7/00 ,  B25J13/08 ,  B25J19/04 ,  G06T7/12 ,  G06T7/13 ,  G06T7/55 ,  G06T7/521 ,  G06T7/73 ,  G06T7/11 ,  A01J5/007 ,  A01J5/017

Abstract: A vision system that includes a robotic arm and a three-dimensional (3D) camera operably coupled to a processor. The processor is configured to acquire a 3D image and identify a teat of the dairy livestock within the 3D image. The processor is further configured to determine a distance between a portion of a robotic arm and an approach vector for the teat, to compare the distance between the portion of the robotic arm and the approach vector for the teat and the attachment range threshold value, and to send instructions to the robotic arm based on the comparison.

公开(公告)号：US20190188820A1

公开(公告)日：2019-06-20

申请号：US16256558

申请日：2019-01-24

Applicant: TECHNOLOGIES HOLDINGS CORP.

Inventor： Mark A. Foresman ,  Richard B. Voigt

IPC: G06T1/00 ,  A01J5/007 ,  A01J7/00 ,  B25J13/08 ,  B25J19/04 ,  G06T7/12 ,  G06T7/13 ,  G06K9/00 ,  G06T7/55 ,  G06T7/521 ,  G06T7/73 ,  G06T7/11

Abstract: A vision system that includes a robotic arm and a three-dimensional (3D) camera operably coupled to a processor. The processor is configured to acquire a 3D image and identify a teat of the dairy livestock within the 3D image. The processor is further configured to determine a distance between a portion of a robotic arm and an approach vector for the teat, to compare the distance between the portion of the robotic arm and the approach vector for the teat and the attachment range threshold value, and to send instructions to the robotic arm based on the comparison.

公开(公告)号：US20190180092A1

公开(公告)日：2019-06-13

申请号：US15947583

申请日：2018-04-06

Applicant: TECHNOLOGIES HOLDINGS CORP.

Inventor： Mark A. Foresman ,  Richard B. Voigt

IPC: G06K9/00 ,  A01J5/017 ,  H04N13/271 ,  G06K9/62

Abstract: A vision system that includes a robotic arm and a three-dimensional (3D) camera operably coupled to a processor. The processor is configured to position the robotic arm adjacent to the dairy livestock and acquire a 3D image using the 3D camera. The processor is further configured to identify a set of teat candidates within the 3D image and to filter the set of teat candidates based on one or more filtering rules. The processor is further configured to determine an aggregate teat candidate score for the consolidated set of teat candidates, compare the aggregate teat candidate score to a score threshold value, and update teat location information for the dairy livestock in response to determining the aggregate teat candidate score is greater than or equal to the score threshold value.

公开(公告)号：US20190145805A1

公开(公告)日：2019-05-16

申请号：US15813745

申请日：2017-11-15

Applicant: Technologies Holdings Corp.

Inventor： Robert E. Hanes, JR. ,  Richard L. Pettys, JR. ,  Daniel T. Nichols ,  Richard B. Voigt ,  Joel R. Henry ,  Roma M. Montifar ,  David M. Headley ,  Dustin R. Reynolds

IPC: G01F1/64 ,  G01F15/02

Abstract: An apparatus includes a tube, first and second pairs of electrodes, a reference device, and a processor. The processor determines a speed of a fluid traveling between the first and second pairs of electrodes and determines a reference conductance of the fluid using the reference device. The processor also determines a measured conductance of the fluid using at least one of the first and second pairs of electrodes and determines, based on the reference conductance and the measured conductance, a cross-sectional area of the fluid at an electrode. The processor further adds a correction factor to the determined speed to produce a bulk speed of the fluid. The processor further determines a volumetric flow rate of the fluid based on the bulk speed and the determined area and determines a volume of the fluid based on the determined volumetric flow rate.