Patent Publication Number: US-9848577-B1

Title: Animal tag system

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     Livestock management is generally concerned with the care and maintenance of livestock (e.g., domesticated animals such as cattle, sheep, swine, etc.) in an agricultural setting. Livestock management systems are usually implemented with a view toward the commercial production of commodities from such animals for human consumption and use. 
     Modern agricultural practices have increasingly incorporated the use of technology to assist in livestock management efforts. It is common for domesticated livestock animals such as cattle to wear or otherwise carry machine interactive tags that can be used to track the location and status of the individual animals in a particular setting, such as a dairy farm, feed lot, ranch, etc. 
     Data collection and analysis systems can aggregate tag data to enable a user to perform various livestock management tasks. Temperature data obtained from a particular tag may be used to indicate the health status of the animal. Location data obtained from a tag may facilitate other animal welfare activities such as milking operations, vaccinations, search and rescue efforts for lost animals, etc. 
     While existing technical solutions in the area of livestock management have been found operable, there remains a continued need for improvements in the art, and it is to these and other improvements that various embodiments of the present disclosure are directed. 
     SUMMARY 
     Various embodiments are generally directed to an apparatus for managing animals such as but not limited to livestock. 
     In some embodiments, an ear tag assembly has a tag, a backing member and an elongated shaft assembly configured to pierce and extend through an outer ear (auricle) of the animal. A first temperature sensor is disposed within the shaft assembly to obtain an ear temperature measurement of the animal. A second temperature sensor obtains an ambient temperature measurement for an environment external to the animal. A control circuit accumulates temperature data from the first and second temperature sensors in a memory for subsequent transfer, via a wireless communication network, to a data collection unit. 
     Additional sensors may be utilized. In some cases, the backing member may house a battery to power the control circuit. The backing member may be removably attachable to the shaft to allow replacement of the battery. 
     These and other features and advantages of the various embodiments can be understood from a review of the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a functional block diagram for a livestock management system constructed and operated in accordance with various embodiments. 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic depiction of a cow having a tag assembly of the system of  FIG. 1  in accordance with some embodiments. 
         FIG. 3A  is an exploded side-elevational representation of the tag assembly of  FIG. 2  in some embodiments. 
         FIG. 3B  is a front facing view of the assembled tag from  FIG. 3A . 
         FIG. 3C  is a rear facing view of the assembled tag from  FIG. 3A . 
         FIG. 4  is a functional block representation of the tag assembly of  FIG. 3A  in accordance with some embodiments. 
         FIG. 5  is a schematic depiction of a shaft assembly of the tag showing various internal elements of interest in some embodiments. 
         FIG. 6A  shows an interconnection arrangement of various elements from  FIG. 4 , including the primary temperature sensor located within the shaft in some embodiments. 
         FIG. 6B  shows another interconnection arrangement with the primary temperature sensor located within the shaft in accordance with other embodiments. 
         FIG. 7  illustrates a distal engagement arrangement of the system in some embodiments. 
         FIG. 8  is a schematic representation of the outer ear (auricle) of an animal to depict an appropriate location for the attachment of the tag assembly thereto in some embodiments. 
         FIG. 9  shows a printed circuit board (PCB) supporting various components of the tag in some embodiments. 
         FIG. 10  shows an offset location of the primary temperature sensor within the shaft of the tag assembly in some embodiments. 
         FIG. 11  shows a centered location of the primary temperature sensor within the shaft of the tag assembly in further embodiments. 
         FIG. 12  illustrates bias forces applied to the tag assembly after installation. 
         FIG. 13  shows another schematic depiction of another cow having a tag assembly from the system of  FIG. 1  in accordance with further embodiments. 
         FIGS. 14A and 14B  show respective front facing and side elevational views of the tag assembly of  FIG. 13 . 
         FIG. 15  illustrates various sensor inputs and energy source inputs that may be incorporated in the respective tag assemblies of  FIGS. 2 and 8 . 
         FIG. 16  is a graphical representation of data obtained from a selected tag assembly in accordance with some embodiments. 
         FIG. 17  is a functional block representation of transmitter (TX) and receiver (RX) capabilities of the tag assembly in some embodiments. 
         FIG. 18  is another functional block representation to depict mobile herd network capabilities of the tag assemblies. 
         FIG. 19  is a functional block representation of the system in accordance with further embodiments. 
         FIG. 20  shows an exemplary user interface that may be displayed on the network access device of  FIG. 19 . 
         FIG. 21  shows another exemplary user interface that may be displayed on the network access device of  FIG. 19 . 
         FIG. 22  shows various communication zones that may be established for the system. 
         FIG. 23  illustrates communications carried out by different communication circuits of the tag in relation to the various zones of  FIG. 22 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The present disclosure is generally directed to an animal management system useful for managing various types of animals. Various embodiments discussed in detail herein are generally directed to systems for managing livestock, such as but not limited to cattle, in an agricultural setting. The systems, methods and devices set forth herein are not so limited, however, as other forms of domesticated and wild mammals may be managed using these techniques, including but not limited to wolves, large cats, deer, etc. 
     As explained below, some embodiments provide a tag assembly adapted to collect, receive and transmit data associated with a livestock animal, such as a cow. The tag assembly has a tag (base) which encloses various electronic components. An elongated shaft assembly extends from the tag to pierce and extend through the ear of an animal. A backing member is attachable to the distal end of the shaft assembly to retain the tag assembly to the ear. 
     A first temperature sensor is disposed within a medial portion of the shaft assembly to obtain a first sequence of temperature measurements indicative of an ear temperature of the animal (e.g., a temperature of the auricle, or outer ear of the animal). A second temperature sensor is disposed within the tag to provide a second sequence of temperature measurements indicative of an ambient temperature of an environment external to the animal. Correlation of the first and second temperature sequences can be carried out to ascertain a state of the animal. A number of additional sensors of various types may further provide information regarding the state of the animal. 
     In some cases, a permanent tag configuration is used so that the backing member can be removed and replaced on a regularly scheduled basis. The removable backing member may house a battery or other power source, as well as one or more peripheral devices such as additional circuits, energy collection devices, etc. In other cases, a one-time use tag configuration is used so that the backing member permanently connects to the distal end of the shaft. In this case, the battery or other power source may be disposed within the tag rather than in the backing member, although such is not required. 
     A variety of different control circuits, sensors and communication circuits can be incorporated into the tag and/or backing member to carry out various functions. The tag assembly can be configured to interface with various communication devices locally and/or over one or more networks, including other nearby tag assemblies, data collection units, network access devices and remote servers. Data collected from the tag assembly can be analyzed to further various livestock management efforts. 
     These and other features of various embodiments will now be understood beginning with a review of  FIG. 1  which provides a functional block representation of a livestock management system  100 . 
     The system  100  includes a number of different modular components that can be utilized within the system as desired under different operational environments. Representative components include a livestock tag assembly  102 , a data collection unit  104 , a number of network access devices  106  and a remote server  108 . These components can be configured to communicate with either other as required, either directly or via one or more networks  110  (including a local wireless network, the Internet, etc.). The construction and interaction of these various components will be discussed in detail below. 
       FIG. 2  depicts the head of a livestock animal  112  (in this case, a cow) to illustrate an exemplary placement of the tag assembly  102  in a centered relation to an ear  114  of the cow. As noted above, while the various embodiments presented herein are particularly suitable for the management of a herd of cattle, the system can be readily adapted for use with substantially any type and/or group of domesticated or wild mammal. 
       FIG. 3A  is an exploded representation of the tag assembly  102  of  FIGS. 1-2  in accordance with some embodiments. Other configurations can be used so the arrangement of  FIG. 3A  is merely exemplary and is not limiting. The tag assembly  102  includes a tag  120 , also referred to as a tag member, a base member, a base and/or a first attachment member. The tag  120  is substantially disc-shaped and may be on the order of about 2 inches, in. in diameter by about ¼ in. in thickness. Other sizes and shapes may be used. The tag  102  has an outer housing that is formed of injection molded plastic or other environmentally suitable material. The housing provides an interior sealed environment for various circuit components used by the tag assembly. 
     A shaft assembly  122  extends from a central portion of the tag  120 . The shaft assembly  122  includes an elongated shaft  124  that is cylindrically shaped and which terminates with a radially-extending retention flange  125 . The flange  125  is disc-shaped and has a larger diameter than the shaft  124  to serve as a retention feature. The shaft  124  and flange  125  are hollow to form a central passageway therethrough and may be made of the same material as the tag  120 . 
     The shaft assembly  122  terminates at a distal end thereof with a conically shaped tip  126 . The tip  126  is electrically conductive and may be made of metal or other material to facilitate piercing of the ear  114  during installation as well as conduction of electricity from a power source during operation. 
     A disc-shaped retainer member  128  is configured to mechanically engage the retention flange  125  to secure the tag  120  to the ear. The retainer member  128  may include an array of radially extending ridges to facilitate user manipulation during attachment of the retainer member to the retention flange on the back side of the ear. 
     A cup-shaped backing member  130  is configured to be subsequently attached to the retainer member  128 . The backing member  130  is configured as a quick-disconnect member so that, with a simple twist by the user, the backing member may be removed from and installed onto the retainer member. Suitable ridges may be provided for this purpose. For reference, the retainer member  128  and the backing member  130  are also sometimes referred to as a second attachment member or second attachment assembly. 
     As desired, optional thermal insulators  132  in the form of compliant discs may be sandwiched between the tag  120  and the retainer member  128 . The insulators  132  may be soft, non-irritating material to help cushion the tag assembly elements and seal the respective ends of the aperture in the ear through which the shaft assembly  122  extends. Other elements may be installed as well, such as leaf springs or other retention members (not separately shown) to further ensure retention and comfort for the animal. 
       FIG. 3B  shows a front facing view of the installed tag assembly  102 . Only the tag  122  is visible from this vantage point, as shown in  FIG. 2 . The tag includes a circular shaped facing surface  134 . A light emitting diode (LED)  136  or other user visual indication device can be placed in relation to the surface  134  to provide notification information regarding the status of the tag  122 . 
       FIG. 3C  is a back facing view of the installed tag assembly  120 . This represents that portion of the tag assembly that can be viewed from behind the ear  114  in  FIG. 2 . 
       FIG. 4  provides a functional block representation of various electrical components of the tag assembly  102  in accordance with some embodiments. Other arrangements can be used. The various elements may be realized using one or more integrated circuit (IC) devices mounted to a printed circuit board. Various interconnections are provided to enable intra-device communications, but such paths are omitted for clarity. Modes of operation of these various elements will be discussed more fully below. 
     Attention is initially directed to the shaft  124  which houses a primary temperature sensor  140 . The primary temperature sensor, also referred to as a first temperature sensor, is configured to obtain temperature measurements correlated to an interior temperature of the ear of the animal by way of the surrounding ear material. The first temperature sensor  140  may take the form of a thermistor, a thermocouple, etc. 
     The tag portion  120  of the tag assembly  102  includes a controller  142 , which provides top level control for the tag assembly  102 . The controller  142  may be realized as one or more programmable processor circuits that utilize executable program instructions (e.g., firmware, software) stored in local memory. Additionally or alternatively, the controller may be a non-processor based hardware circuit such as an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), field programmable gate array (FPGA), logic circuitry, etc. The controller  142  and related circuitry may be incorporated into a system on chip (SOC) device. 
     Local memory for the controller  142  includes volatile memory such as DRAM  144  and non-volatile memory such as flash memory  146 . These respective memories may be used to accumulate measurement data, metadata and/or programming instructions, as well as any other data used by the device as required. A logic circuits block  148  represents other electrical elements including passive and active elements, gate logic, power regulators, switching devices, etc. used by the tag assembly. 
     A secondary temperature sensor  150  is used to obtain ambient temperature readings in an environment external to the animal. While the secondary temperature sensor is shown to be incorporated in the tag  102 , the sensor may be housed elsewhere such as in the backing member  130 . At least some embodiments operate to correlate changes between the respective temperature readings obtained from the first and second temperature sensors to monitor and assess a state of the animal. The various temperature measurements from the primary and secondary temperature sensors are stored locally in the tag  120 , such as in the flash memory  146 . 
     A number of multi-range proximity sensors  152  are used to provide different proximity indications based on different distances. A transmitter/receiver (TX/RX) circuit  154  communicates data to and receives data from other communication devices such as those shown in  FIG. 1 . An optional global position system (GPS) circuit  156  can be used to provide geoposition data relating to the tag. 
     A user indicator circuit  158  operates to provide user indications associated with the tag. This can include circuitry used to activate the LED  136  in  FIG. 3B , as well as other indications as required (including audio/video/tactile indications, etc.). Block  160  represents additional sensors that may be incorporated into the tag to provide further environmental related measurements. As before, these and other data are stored locally on the tag as well. 
     The backing member  130  includes a power source  162 , which may take the form of an electrical battery. While the use of a battery is contemplated, other power sources can be used including solar collectors, kinetic energy storage systems, etc. As desired, one or more peripheral devices  164  can be provisioned within the backing member  130 . 
       FIG. 5  is a schematic cross-sectional representation of portions of the tag assembly  120  as installed within an aperture  165  that extends through the ear  114  auricle of the cow  112  (see  FIG. 2 ). The cylindrical shaft  124  is hollow to provide a central interior passageway  166 . Conductive paths  168  such as in the form of a flex circuit or insulated wires pass along the passageway  166  to provide power and data signals between the backing member  130  and the tag  120 , as well as to provide the operable connections necessary for the primary temperature sensor  140 . 
     An optional thermal layer  169  can be provided within the passageway  166 . The layer  169  can be selected to have a thermal response that is different from that of ambient air. The layer  169  can be thermally insulative or conductive as required to facilitate accurate interior temperature measurements of the animal from the surrounding livestock ear (auricle). The thermal insulators  132  ( FIG. 2 ) serve to thermally seal the opposing ends of the ear aperture  165  and stabilize the temperature readings obtained from the sensor  140 . 
     It is noted that for livestock with large ears such as cattle, the outer ears (auricle) serve a number of functions including conductive cooling of the animal through contact of the ears with the surrounding atmosphere. Because the primary temperature sensor  140  is positioned to extend through the auricle, the primary temperature sensor  140  is configured to obtain accurate readings of an external ear or auricle temperature of the animal. This is in contrast to an internal body (or core) temperature of the animal. An internal body temperature measurement could be obtained, for example, by using an intrusive probe that extends into the animal&#39;s inner ear or otherwise is located at a suitable location within the main body of the animal such as through surgical implantation, ingestion, etc. 
     While the auricle temperature will often be different from the body temperature, these two temperatures are related and can be correlated. It is not necessary to obtain an actual internal body temperature measurement to achieve the various functions and features of the disclosed embodiments, since various temperature related states of the animal such as ovulation, sickness, heat stress, etc. can be readily detected using the non-intrusive sensors of the tag assembly  102 . 
     However, as desired an accurate estimate of the internal body temperature of the animal can be obtained from the auricle temperature readings using the primary temperature sensor  140  as well as the secondary ambient temperature sensor  150 , other environmental sensors, etc. The tag assembly  102  can also be configured to communicate with other sensors (not shown) arranged to directly measure an internal body temperature of the animal. 
       FIG. 6A  is a functional block representation of electrical power and data signal pathways that extend between the tag  120  and the backing member  130 . The power source (battery)  162  provides a positive rail voltage (Vdd) and a reference ground (GND) for use by circuitry in both the tag and the backing member via the conductors  168 . A control circuit  170 , which may include the controller  142  and/or other logic circuitry of the tag  120 , supplies data control signals to the primary temperature sensor  140  within the shaft  124  and to the peripheral device(s)  164  in the backing member  130 . 
       FIG. 6B  shows an alternative arrangement to that of  FIG. 6A . The primary temperature sensor  140  is still located within the shaft  124  as before, but takes a different configuration. The primary temperature sensor  140  includes a base sensing element  140 A, and a thermally conductive heat pipe  140 B that extends from the sensing element  140 A and terminates at a probe tip  140 C. 
     The sensing element  140 A and the proximal end of the heat pipe  140 B are disposed within the tag  120  (or alternatively, within the backing member  130 ). The distal end of the heat pipe  140 B and the probe tip  140 C are disposed within the shaft  124  as before. The probe tip  140 C may be a separate thermally responsive element or may constitute the distal end of the heat pipe  140 B. 
     Generally, the heat pipe  140 B is a solid, hollow or fluid filled tubular member with a high rate of thermal conductivity that efficiently transports heat from the probe tip  140 C to the sensing element  140 A. In this way, the sensing element  140 A outputs a thermal value indicative of the temperature observed at the probe tip  140 C. In both of the cases of  FIGS. 6A and 6B , it will be appreciated that the primary temperature sensor is disposed within the shaft  124  to sense the temperature at this location. 
       FIG. 7  is a simplified representation of an interconnection arrangement between the metal tip  126  at the distal end of the shaft assembly  122  and the battery  162 . Other arrangements may be used so that  FIG. 7  is merely illustrative. The tag assembly uses a headphone jack style interconnection so that the tip  126  is split into two electrically conductive segments  172 ,  174  which are electrically isolated via an intervening annular insulator  176 . A positive terminal  178  of the battery  162  is electrically coupled to the first segment  172  using a conductive spring  180  or other interconnection mechanism. While a negative terminal  182  of the battery is shown to be directly coupled to the second segment  174 , a second conductive spring or other interconnection mechanism can be placed in an intervening relation between these respective elements. 
     The battery  162  and spring  180  are configured to be housed within the retention member  130 . With reference again to  FIGS. 2 and 3A , it can be seen that an installation sequence for the tag assembly  102  can be carried out using a suitable installation tool (not separately shown) that grasps the tag  120 , the retaining member  128  and the ear and punches the shaft assembly  122  through the ear so that the retaining member mechanically engages the flange  125  on the backside of the ear. The backing member  130  can thereafter be installed then or at a later time. The installation is carried out from the front facing surface of the ear  114 , enabling the user to visually locate the tip  126  at a suitable target location for the central aperture  165  ( FIG. 5 ). 
     Upon installation of the backing member  130 , electrical power is supplied to the system and the tag assembly  102  becomes automatically activated. The controller circuit  142  initiates an initialization (boot) sequence and the tag transitions to an operationally ready mode during which data are collected from the various sensors and data communications are established and carried out as required. Energy saving schemes may be incorporated to extend battery life, such as placing the TX/RX circuits into a standby mode until a wakeup signal is received as the animal moves into proximity of a communication device. However, it is contemplated albeit not necessarily required that the various sensors will remain continuously on while the tag assembly is powered and the data from the sensors will be accumulated in the memory for subsequent download. 
       FIG. 8  represents a typical bovine ear schematic for the outer ear (auricle) of a cow. A central cartilage region  184  is bounded by upper and lower vascular regions  186 ,  188  each having a network of blood vessels  190 . Target location  192  represents a particularly suitable placement for the installation of the shaft portion of the tag assembly, although other locations may be selected. The target location  192  is just above the large blood supply provided by the lower vascular region  186 . 
       FIG. 9  is a representation of a printed circuit board assembly (PCBA)  200  disposed within the tag housing. A disc-shaped printed circuit board (PCB)  202  is provided with multiple layers of insulative material and signal traces (not separately shown) to interconnect various electrical components supported thereon. Representative elements include a system on chip (SOC) processing circuit  204 , various discrete components  206 , sensor integrated circuit (IC)  208 , LED and driver circuit  210  and power terminals  212 ,  214 . The secondary temperature sensor  150  is also shown. A central aperture  216  of the PCB  202  aligns with the axis of the shaft assembly  122  ( FIG. 3A ). The particular arrangement of the PCB  202  and the components thereon will depend on the requirements of a given application and thus can vary from the arrangement in  FIG. 9 . It will be noted from  FIG. 9  that the center of gravity (COG) of the PCBA  200  will be below the central aperture  216 , such as at COG marker  218 , due primarily to the location of the SOC processing circuit  204  near the bottom of the PCB  202 . 
       FIGS. 10 and 11  show respective side elevational schematic representations of the medial portion of the shaft  124  and primary temperature sensor  140 . In  FIG. 10 , the temperature sensor  140  is biased toward the lower portion of the shaft along offset axis  220 , while in  FIG. 11  the temperature sensor  140  is nominally centered along axis  222  which nominally aligns with the central axis of the shaft. These or other relative placements of the temperature sensor within the shaft may be used as desired. Placement of the sensor  140  toward the bottom of the interior of the shaft places the sensor closer to the lower vascular region  188 , potentially providing more accurate readings of the interior ear temperature of the cow. 
       FIG. 12  is a simplified representation of the installed tag assembly  102  in the ear  114  of  FIG. 8 . Arrows  224  and  226  show the downwardly directed bias forces that will generally be imparted by the tag assembly due to the effects of gravity. The tag assembly  102  is generally “balanced” in that the mass of the backing member  130  (which includes the battery  162  and, for purposes of this discussion, the retention member  128 ) will be somewhat matched by the mass of the tag  120 . 
     The ratio of mass between the tag  120  and the backing member  130  can vary as required; a substantially 50%-50% tag/backing member ratio would be optimal, but other ranges can be used such up to about 70%-30% tag/backing member, or down to about 30%/70% tag/backing member. 
     This balanced approach provides at least two benefits. First, improved comfort is provided to the animal since the tag is not being pulled forward or backward to a significant extent due to a large imbalance between the front and the rear of the tag assembly. Second, this arrangement provides a measure of self-centering of the location of the primary temperature sensor relative to the vascular region  188 , ensuring more accurate and consistent ear temperature readings. 
     To this latter point, the mass of the tag, along with the lower location of the COG  218  for the PCBA  200 , tends to maintain the shaft  124  biased toward the bottom of the ear hole aperture  165 , providing enhanced thermal contact between the primary sensor  140  and the vascular aspects of the ear  114 . To the extent that movement, nuzzling, etc. causes rotation of the tag assembly  120 , such will be corrected as gravity realigns the assembly as represented in  FIG. 9  so that the SOC  204  is nominally oriented at the bottom of the tag  120 . In this way, the primary temperature sensor  140  (see  FIGS. 10-11 ) will be maintained in a desired relation to the ear, leading to more consistent temperature measurements over time. 
     The tag assembly  102  is characterized as a permanent or lifetime tag since the battery or other power source can be replaced on a regular basis, such as annually. This can be carried out as discussed above through the simple expedient of removing (e.g., twisting off) the backing member  130 , replacing the battery, and replacing the backing member (e.g., twisting on). The retainer member  128  maintains the tag  120  and shaft  124  in place during this operation. The various dimensions can be sized to accommodate growth of the animal over its life cycle. The tag can also be temporarily disabled by removing the retainer member  130  during times in which data collection and/or energy consumption is undesirable such as during animal transport, etc. In other embodiments, a user selectable feature can be incorporated into the communication devices (see  FIG. 1 ) to remotely activate and deactivate the tag as desired. 
       FIG. 13  shows the cow  112  of  FIG. 2  with another tag assembly  232  in accordance with further embodiments. The tag assembly  232  is functionally similar to the tag assembly  102  and has the various constituent elements discussed above such as in  FIGS. 4 and 5 . The tag assembly  232  is characterized as a temporary or one-use tag for a shorter time duration, such as animals that are raised and fattened in a feed lot or similar environment. Other configurations can be used so  FIG. 13  is merely illustrative and not limiting. 
       FIGS. 14A and 14B  show front facing and side elevational views of the tag assembly  232 . As before, the tag assembly  232  includes a tag (main body or primary attachment member)  234 , shaft assembly  236  with shaft  238 , retention flange  240 , metal tip  242  and LED indication device  244 . A backing member  246  is configured to engage the flange  240  to permanently secure the tag assembly  232  to the animal. Alternatively, the backing member  246  can be configured to be removably replaceable as required. 
     As before, the primary temperature sensor  140  is disposed within a central passageway in the shaft  238  to obtain ear temperature measurements from the animal. The power source  162  (battery) may be disposed within the body of the tag  234  rather than in the backing member  246 , although such is not required. For clarity, the continued discussion below of additional features of the tag assembly will be described in terms of the permanent tag assembly  102 , but it will be understood that these same features can be readily incorporated into the temporary tag assembly  232  as well. 
       FIG. 15  shows a functional block representation of various sensor inputs that can be utilized by the tag assembly  102 . A central control circuit  240  may be realized by the aforementioned programmable processor or other circuitry of the tag. Sensors include the first (primary) temperature sensor  140 , the second (secondary) temperature sensor  150 , a multi-axis (e.g., x, y, z) accelerometer  242 , a geoposition sensor  244 , an optical sensor  246 , a humidity sensor  248 , a methane sensor  250 , and a proximity sensor  252 . Other sensor configurations can be used including fewer sensors than those shown in  FIG. 15 , as well as additional sensors as desired. The various sensors provide indications of the status of the animal and the surrounding environment. The sensors may be disposed within the tag  120  or the backing member  130  as desired. 
     Power is supplied to the control circuit  240  and other aspects of the tag assembly by the power source (battery)  162 . Other power generation mechanisms can be included in the tag assembly such as represented by an energy harvester circuit  254 , which can take the form such as a solar collector, kinetic energy converter, etc. A power control circuit  256  can be used to regulate and condition the power from the respective devices  162 ,  254 . 
       FIG. 16  shows combined graphical data outputs of real world data from an installed tag assembly for a selected cow over a particular time interval. The data were collected by the tag assembly and transmitted to another device as in  FIG. 1  for analysis and display. 
     The graphical data outputs include an activity waveform  260 , a primary temperature waveform  262 , a secondary temperature waveform  264  and a light waveform  266 . Each of the waveforms is plotted against a common x-axis indicative of elapsed time over a period of several days. Other sensor outputs (see  FIG. 15 ) can be readily combined with these waveforms for display as required. 
     The activity waveform  260  represents the output from a selected sensor such as the accelerometer  242  to indicate activity by the cow (in this case, number of steps taken by the animal). The primary temperature waveform  262  shows temperature measured by the primary temperature sensor  140 . The secondary temperature waveform  264  shows temperature measured by the secondary temperature sensor  150 . The light waveform  266  shows day/night cycling over the associated time interval obtained from the optical sensor  246 . 
     Each high region in the light waveform  266  generally corresponds to a daylight period and each low region in the light waveform generally corresponds to a nighttime period. The corresponding interval is thus a little over four (4) consecutive days, or about 100 hours, from February 13 (02-13) to February 17 (02-17). 
     As can be determined from an examination of  FIG. 16 , the animal experienced a higher than baseline amount of activity beginning in the night of the first day (02-13) and through the daylight hours of the second day (02-14). A baseline difference (delta) between the first and second temperature readings (waveforms  262 ,  264 ) remained constant during this interval, although a slight decrease in internal temperature (waveform  262 ) is indicated. 
     This enhanced physical activity was interpreted as an indication that the cow was ovulating. An artificial insemination operation was subsequently applied to the cow in response to this indication, which was followed by elevated temperature readings showing large divergences between waveforms  262  and  264 . The temperature exclusions of the internal temperature of the cow signify hormonal changes that were experienced by the cow, indicating that the insemination operation was successful. 
     By monitoring the differences between the respective first and second temperature sensors  140 ,  150 , a health status of the animal (in this case, pregnancy) can be readily determined. Other health related statuses can be determined as well, such as sickness, heat stress, etc. based the relative magnitudes of these two readings and the differences therebetween, particularly when correlated to other waveforms from other sensors. Using two sensors in this manner helps to more accurately assess the actual state of the animal, since differences in ambient temperature conditions can contribute to changes in the ear temperature of the animal. By tracking both temperatures, the magnitudes of the respective temperatures as well as the differences between the respective temperatures can provide valuable information for livestock management efforts. 
       FIG. 17  shows a receiver (RX) circuit  270  and a transmitter (TX) circuit  272  of the tag assembly  102  in accordance with further embodiments. The respective circuits  270  can be configured to communicate via one or more wireless communication protocols including Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Cellular networks, wireless Ethernet, etc. The receiver circuit  270  can be configured to receive a number of different types of data including commands, status requests and data collected from a different nearby tag for a secondary animal, including the types of data discussed above in  FIG. 16 . 
     The transmitter circuit  272  can be configured to transmit various types of data including an animal (tag) identification (ID) value, data collected by the tag, status information regarding various events, data transfers, etc., and secondary animal data received from a nearby tag associated with a secondary animal. Other forms of data communications can be carried out by each tag so the examples in  FIG. 17  are merely exemplary. 
       FIG. 18  shows a mobile herd feature of the tag assemblies in some embodiments. Six (6) tags identified as tags T 1  through T 6  are affixed to corresponding animals who are located in relative positions with respect to a data collection unit  274 . The data collection unit  274  may correspond to the unit  104  in  FIG. 1  and may be a passive receiver or a two-way communication device able to both collect data from the various tags as well as to transmit the collected data to another device. 
     The unit  274  may be placed at an appropriate location where the animals routinely gather, such as watering or feed troughs, corrals, barns or other shelters, milking machines, gates, etc. In some cases, the tags T 1 -T 6  are configured to sense when the animal is within receiving range of the unit  274  and commence uploading of collected data from the various sensors that have been stored in the local tag memory (e.g., flash, DRAM, etc.). 
     As shown by  FIG. 18 , in some cases the closest tag or tags to the unit  274  establish an inter-tag communication and data transfer event whereby the closest tags (in this case, tags T 3  and T 6 ) download data associated with their own animals, followed by transmitting commands to other near-neighbor tags in the area to request and forward data from these other tags. In some cases, data may be received by the unit  274  multiple times through different pathways (e.g., data from tag T 1  may be reported by both T 3  and T 6 , etc.) but this is not an issue as the data collection unit indexes the received data and can discard duplicate data sets. The data pathways can also be used to provide information with regard to herd dynamics and arrangements. 
     The unit  274  may assign timestamps or other identification information with each data transfer session. The tags may similarly mark data as having been transferred and may retain the data for a set period of time or until the tags receive a clear command to clear data sets that have been successfully uploaded to the system. 
     A network access device  276 , which may correspond to the devices  106  in  FIG. 1 , can be used to subsequently upload the data from the unit  276 . The device  276  is contemplated as comprising a portable network accessible device with wireless communication capabilities, such as a smart phone, tablet, laptop, etc. A wired data connection pathway (e.g., plug-in cable) can alternatively be used so the references to wired networks is illustrative but not limiting. 
     The data obtained from the device  276  can in turn be transferred to another device such as a local computer, remote server, etc. or utilized locally without further data transfer as desired. Other arrangements can be used including using the network access device  276  to poll the data from the herd network directly without the use of the intervening data collection unit  274 . In still other arrangements, the unit  276  can directly communicate the data to a remote computer, server, etc. 
       FIG. 19  shows the network access device  276  in conjunction with the data collection unit  274 , a remote server  278  and a population of tags on associated animal. Network communications can occur for individual tags or a group of tags forming a tag network as in  FIG. 18 . 
     In  FIG. 19 , the device  276  is contemplated as comprising a smart phone type device having TX/RX circuitry  280 , a controller circuit  282  and memory  284 . The memory stores various programming instructions and data structures including an operating system (OS)  286 , an application program (app)  288  configured to enable communications with the other devices in  FIG. 19 , and data  290  collected from the tag(s) and other devices as required. A user interface (I/F)  292  includes a suitable graphical user interface such as a touch screen display, keyboard, etc. to enable the user to interact with the other devices. Other features may be included as well including power supply, audio/video recording features, etc. that may be user selectable as desired. 
     The data collection unit  274  is a stand-alone passive data receiver unit with a TX/RX circuit  294  that broadcasts signals in a relatively small area (e.g., 30 feet or so via the Bluetooth specification) to detect both the tags  102  and the device  276  and automatically synchronize with these components. A controller circuit  296  and associated memory  298  may be used to direct data, command and status upload/download operations. It is contemplated that the data collection unit may be associated with or incorporated into other equipment, such as a milking machine in a dairy farm, etc. 
     The server  278  may likewise include TX/RX circuitry  300 , a controller circuit  302  as one or more programmable processors and memory  304 . In some cases, history data is archived by the memory  304  to provide long term storage and analysis capabilities of the data. Data analyses and reporting can be performed on the data at both the device  276  and server  278  levels as required. 
       FIG. 20  shows a user interface screen of the user I/F  292  that can be displayed by the execution of the app  288  in some embodiments. Various options can be provided, each accessible via the touch screen display or via some other mechanism. Animal statistics are represented at  306 . User selection of this feature will result in the display of various statistics collected for a selected animal/tag, such as but not limited to the various sensor data discussed above in  FIGS. 15-16 . The data can be displayed in various ways including tabular, graphical, etc. 
     Herd statistics are represented at  308 . Selection of this feature result in the display of accumulated statistics for the herd (e.g., data collected from all or a selected portion of the tags in the system), such as averages, outliers, etc. In some cases, map data indexed against elapsed time or other features can be used to provide an indication of the location of the herd over a period of time. For example, correlating geoposition data can provide a graphical representation of the locations of the herd throughout a particular data in a simulated map format, etc. 
     A data transfer feature  310  enables data to be uploaded to other devices and/or the downloading of available data from various tag assemblies  102 . The data sets collected by the various devices are appended with header information to signify which data have been collected at various times/locations, allowing provenance data to be accumulated for verification purposes as well as to enable the tags to only transmit newly collected data that have not already been archived by the system. 
     An activate LED feature  312  enables the user to selective activate the LED user indication device (e.g.,  136 ,  FIG. 3B ;  244 ,  FIG. 14A ) at appropriate times. For example, if a particular animal is desired to be located quickly from within a closely arranged herd, illuminating (either solid or blinking) the LED can allow the handlers to visually identify the target animal. 
     Similarly, other status information can be provided as well; during a vaccination operation in which each member of the herd is processed in turn, the light can be activated for each animal who has been treated (or needs to be treated), ensuring the handlers apply the required processing to every animal in turn without missing any. Multi-colored LEDs that can be activated to show different colors (e.g., red, green, blue, etc.) can be used for a variety of purposes to signal different status conditions. While the present discussion contemplates user activation of the LED (or other indicator), in other embodiments the individual tag assemblies  102  can be configured to activate the LEDs under various circumstances. 
       FIG. 21  shows another display arrangement for the user interface  292  on the network accessible device  276 . This screen shows a herd at a glance feature where each of the tags/animals for a given herd can be listed in turn, allowing a user to scroll through and select an individual tag/animal for further processing. Status data for the various animals can be indicated on this screen as well. Other features, analyses and information can be displayed as desired so  FIGS. 20 and 21  are merely exemplary of the types of real-time and history data that can be obtained from the tag assemblies  102 . 
       FIG. 22  shows additional aspects of the tag assemblies  102  in some embodiments. Different geographical zones can be defined based on various system parameters. Three such zones are denoted as Zones 1 through 3. The zones are concentric but such is merely exemplary. Zone 1 may represent a short range location, such as within the communication range of a selected data collection unit  274  (e.g., near a feeding trough, watering hole, etc.). Zone 2 may be a farther distance from Zone 1 and may be defined by an array of other data collection units of various types in and around a selected area in which the animals are permitted to roam. Zone 3 is yet another zone and may define the outermost bounds of the acceptable area for the animals to roam, such as the boundaries of a field, pasture or other open area. Other, higher power elements may be used to denote the boundaries of the third zone, including but not limited to Wi-Fi routers, etc. Location of the animals within the zones can be carried out in a variety of ways including proximity sensors, GPS detection, triangulation using multiple data collection units, etc. Mobile data collection and sensing units can be used, including drones, vehicles, personnel carrying hand-held or vehicle mounted data collection units, data collection units attached to herd dogs or other service animals, etc. 
     Point A indicates a selected animal/tag combination located within Zone 1, Point B within Zone 2, Point 3 within Zone 3 and Point D being beyond Zone 3. Different protocols may operate with respect to the location of the animal/tag at these respective points, including proximity of tags to other tags which in turn have been located using other mechanisms. 
       FIG. 23  shows operation of a selected tag  120  at each of these respective points. In some cases, a close range TX/sensor  320  operates at relatively short ranges such as Points A and B to communicate with a local data collection unit  322 . A medium range TX/sensor  324  communicates with a medium range data collection unit  326 , and a long range TX/sensor  328  communicates with a long range data collection unit  330 . In some cases, the respective sensors/collection units can be configured to detect when the animal crosses various boundaries between zones, and provide the requisite notification to a home base. The long range TX/sensor may be a cellular telephone type device that calls home if the animal crosses the boundary to Zone 3. This circuit may normally be inactive, but becomes activated based on detection of the crossing of the boundary to Zone 3. 
     It will now be appreciated that the various embodiments presented herein have a number of advantages and benefits over the existing art. The use of multiple temperature sensors help to correlate changes in the state of the animal, particularly when combined with other sensors that provide a better indication of ambient conditions. Heat stress and other conditions can be more accurately assessed and compensated. The tag data can be collected and transferred in a variety of ways and analyzed to further livestock management efforts in a wide variety of areas. 
     While the various embodiments have been described in terms of domesticated livestock animals, particularly cattle, the embodiments can be readily adapted for use with substantially any form of domesticated or wild mammal. 
     It is to be understood that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of various embodiments of the present disclosure have been set forth in the foregoing description, this description is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of structure and arrangements of parts within the principles of the present disclosure to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms wherein the appended claims are expressed.