Patent Document ID: 9510553
Application ID: 14402711
Patent Status: 1

Claim One:
1. A combined teat position and breeding rating determining method, said method comprising: in a milking system ( 3 ) comprising a milking stall ( 5 ) that houses a milking animal ( 8 ) during milking of the milking animal, a movable robot arm ( 15 ) that automatically attaches teat cups ( 11 ) to teats of the milking animal in the milking stall, and a control device ( 19 ) that controls movement of said robot arm based on determined positions of the teats of the milking animal, the control device ( 19 ) including a processing part ( 21 ), performing: a recording step of automatically and repeatedly recording ( 42 ) three-dimensional images of the milking animal in real time by a three-dimensional camera ( 21 ) directed ( 41 ) towards an udder of the milking animal in the milking stall; a position determination step of the processing part repeatedly and automatically detecting and determining one of the group consisting of i) the udder of the milking animal and the udder's position, and ii) the teats of the milking animal and teat ( 4 ) positions, based on said repeatedly recorded three-dimensional images; a shape determining step of the processing part ( 21 ) automatically determining ( 45 ) one of the group consisting of i) the shape of the udder, and ii) the shapes of the teats, based on at least one of said repeatedly recorded three-dimensional images; and a breeding rating step of the processing part ( 21 ) automatically calculating ( 46 ) a breeding rating based on one of the group consisting of i) the determined shape of the udder, and ii) the determined shapes of the teats.