Apparatus and method for recognizing and determining the position of a part of an animal
US6234109A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 14, 1999 |
| Grant date | May 22, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 14, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06V10/145
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for recognizing and determining the position of a part of an animal. The apparatus comprises a source of structured light for illuminating a region expected to contain at least one of the part in such a way that an object illuminated by the light will have at least one illuminated area with a very distinct outline in at least one direction, an image capture and processor device arranged to capture and process the at least one image formed by the light and a control device to determine if the illuminated object is the part by comparing the image of the illuminated object to reference criteria defining different objects, and if the illuminated object is established to be the part of the animal, the position thereof is established, and animal related device and a device to guide the animal related device towards position of the part are provided.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.