Patent ID: 7335168
Filing Date: 2008-02-26
Classification: A01K,A61B,A61D,G16H,Y02A,Y10S

Abstract:
1. A method, comprising: monitoring multiple horses in an animal husbandry setting to detect a colic related event by processing and analyzing data representing a plurality of postures and movements of each of said multiple horses, wherein said colic related event is associated with symptoms of abdominal pain represented by said plurality of postures and movements, said monitoring comprising the steps of: providing sensor sets that detect motion related information to each of said multiple horses, wherein said motion related information comprises position, velocity, and acceleration representing said plurality of postures and movements, wherein said sensor set comprises a first motion sensor set comprising four sensors adhesively bonded to each hoof of each of said multiple horses and a second motion sensor removably disposed on a head of each of said multiple horses, and wherein said first motion sensor set and said second motion sensor comprise multi-axis accelerometers, inertial gyroscopic sensors, or combinations therof; operating said sensor sets to provide data indicative of said motion related information; outputting said data to a processor operably programmed with software for identifying said colic related event based on said data, wherein said outputting comprises using a wireless connection to transmit said data between said sensor sets and said processor; receiving and processing said data in said software to create processed data that distinguishes portions of said data associated with different ones of said sensor sets associated with different ones of said multiple horses and to create processed data; and analyzing said processed data to identify said colic related event by comparing said processed data to stored pattern information comprising known baselines or thresholds, correlating said processed data to previously defined animal behaviors, utilizing pattern recognition algorithms on said processed data, or implementing a multi-variant analysis on the processed data.