Patents Assigned to DeLaval Holding AB
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Patent number: 12379724Abstract: A method, controller, computer program and arrangement for barn cleaning obtaining information from one or more cameras mounted to capture images of an area of operation of an automatic barn cleaning device and identifying at least one location in said area of operation being subjected to manure, based on the obtained information. The method further calculates a route for the automatic barn cleaning device based on the identified at least one location, and controls the automatic barn cleaning device based on the calculated route.Type: GrantFiled: July 24, 2020Date of Patent: August 5, 2025Assignee: DeLaval Holding ABInventors: Marek Brink, Józef Furdak, Bartlomiej Jaklik, Bartlomiej Slusarczyk
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Patent number: 12329133Abstract: A method for operating an autonomous feed robot at a feed table in a livestock area, in which one or more stationary cameras are disposed to monitor the feed table, includes obtaining one or more images captured using the one or more stationary cameras and indicative of a distribution of feed on the feed table and controlling the operation of the autonomous feed robot based on the distribution of feed indicated by the one or more images. The disclosure also relates to control circuitry, an autonomous feed robot, and a computer program for performing the method.Type: GrantFiled: December 11, 2020Date of Patent: June 17, 2025Assignee: DeLaval Holding ABInventors: Maxime Detraversay, Jean-Jacques Dreier, Szymon Karwacki, Ilka Klaas
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Patent number: 12317859Abstract: A drive unit causes a rotating platform of a rotary milking parlor arrangement to move in a direction of rotation. The drive unit includes first and second drive motors arranged to engage a drive rail of the rotating platform and act on a respective side of the drive rail to cause the rotating platform to move. Each of the drive motors produces a respective pace signal indicating a rotational speed of the drive motor in question. A control unit receives the pace signals from each of the drive motors in each drive unit. The control unit compares the pace signal from the first drive motor with the pace signal from the second drive motor from each drive unit to establish a respective difference in the rotational speeds in the drive unit. If the difference exceeds a threshold value, the control unit triggers an alarm.Type: GrantFiled: October 1, 2020Date of Patent: June 3, 2025Assignee: DeLaval Holding ABInventors: Marcin Walachowski, Tomasz Zawislanski
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Patent number: 12310337Abstract: A feed pusher and a method related to an operation of the feed pusher configured to travel on a feeding table along a longitudinal axis of the feeding table at a distance from a feeding table edge and configured to push animal feed placed on the feeding table sidewards in relation to the longitudinal axis towards the feeding table edge by a rotational movement of a rotatable screw driven by an electric motor include obtaining a value of a parameter related to the electric motor during a time period of the operation of the feed pusher traveling on the feeding table, and estimating an amount of animal feed that has been pushed during the time period based on the obtained value of the parameter.Type: GrantFiled: August 25, 2020Date of Patent: May 27, 2025Assignee: DeLaval Holding ABInventor: Szymon Karwacki
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Patent number: 12295344Abstract: A milking arrangement comprising a milking machine for milking an animal, wherein the milking arrangement comprises a control unit that is configured to obtain identity of the animal in connection with milking of the animal, obtain a reference point in time of a lactation cycle of the identified animal, determine to take at least one milk sample of the animal, when a predetermined time period has passed from the reference point in time; obtain a Haptoglobin level from the milk sample, compare the obtained Haptoglobin level with a Haptoglobin reference limit, and indicate health condition of the animal, based on the made comparison.Type: GrantFiled: November 26, 2020Date of Patent: May 13, 2025Assignee: DeLaval Holding ABInventors: John M Christensen, Claus Dallerup Rasmussen, Mikael Højer Hansen
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Patent number: 12276960Abstract: A method for use with a multibody system includes two body sections assembled via a joint, one of the body sections including a camera which is moveable between a first position and a second position, includes detecting a reference object with the camera situated in the first position, determining a reference value of the reference object, requesting movement of the camera from the first position into the second position, initiating movement of the camera from the first position towards the second position, while iteratively sampling image of the reference object, determining a current object value of the reference object, based on the sampled image, matching the reference value with the current object value, and determining successfulness of the camera movement, based on the matching.Type: GrantFiled: December 10, 2020Date of Patent: April 15, 2025Assignee: DeLaval Holding ABInventor: Andreas Eriksson
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Patent number: 12216118Abstract: A system, a sensor and a control unit for determining validity of a result of a lateral flow test, whereby a lateral flow stick that has a sample pad, a conjugate pad having antibody treated gold particles, and a porous membrane for receiving a capillary flow of a milk sample. The porous membrane has a test line treated with a progesterone reference which binds antibody treated gold particles of the milk sample and thereby brings the test line to change colour tint when exposed for milk comprising a progesterone level lower than a threshold limit, and a control line treated with an antibody reference which binds antibody, and thereby brings the control line to change colour tint when exposed for milk comprising antibody treated gold particles.Type: GrantFiled: June 9, 2020Date of Patent: February 4, 2025Assignee: DeLaval Holding ABInventors: Claus Dallerup Rasmussen, Jonas Trier Hald
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Patent number: 12210405Abstract: A message handling node of a farm management system that receives error messages from a plurality of automatic devices, and generates and sends out error reports to user terminals, where the message handling node applies a rules system prescribing that an error report concerning a particular one of the automatic devices is generated based on fulfillment of a frequency criterion relating to a number of times at which the message handling node receives the error messages from said particular one device within at least one previous period in order to manage a total number of error reports received by each of the user terminals.Type: GrantFiled: June 18, 2021Date of Patent: January 28, 2025Assignee: DeLaval Holding ABInventors: Anders Dueholm, Erik Lundkvist
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Patent number: 12201080Abstract: A milking arrangement includes a milk transport line (1), a plurality of milk stations, and a cleaning arrangement (4) with a delivery arrangement (5) configured to deliver a cleaning liquid into the milk transport line (1) and a pump (6) configured to pump the cleaning liquid through the milk transport line (1) at a pressure larger than atmospheric pressure, thereby filling the transport line (1) with cleaning liquid. A control unit (9) is configured to determine a volume and/or length of the milk transport line (1) on basis of registered first point of time of pump start, a second point of time of passage of cleaning liquid through the milk transport line (1), and the amount of liquid introduced into the milk transport line from the first point of time to the second point of time.Type: GrantFiled: March 25, 2021Date of Patent: January 21, 2025Assignee: DeLaval Holding ABInventors: Epke Bosma, Andrés Lundh
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Patent number: 12205271Abstract: A rotating platform having a plurality of stalls is provided, each of the stalls being configured to house a respective animal during milking. The stalls are separated from one another by delimiting structures. A camera registers three-dimensional image data of the rotating platform within a field of view. A controller receives the image data that has been registered while the rotating platform completes at least one full revolution around its rotation axis. The controller processes the image data to derive a set of key features of the rotating platform, and then stores the set of key features in a data storage, which is configured to make the set of key features available for use at a later point in time.Type: GrantFiled: May 6, 2020Date of Patent: January 21, 2025Assignee: DeLaval Holding ABInventor: Erik Oscarsson
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Patent number: 12193405Abstract: A milking control arrangement and milk extracting system, configured to obtain teat size data of at least one teat of an animal to be milked and to adjust a milking parameter of a milk extraction unit when milk is extracted from the teat based on the obtained teat size data of the teat.Type: GrantFiled: March 17, 2021Date of Patent: January 14, 2025Assignee: DeLaval Holding ABInventors: Carl Oskar Paulrud, Anders Schuster
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Patent number: 12114638Abstract: A system and method for providing a decision basis for controlling a robotic arm to perform at least one action relating to a milk-producing animal, wherein a camera registers three-dimensional image data of a milking location that includes a reference object and a rotating platform upon which an animal stands with its hind legs facing the camera, and a control unit checks if an entry window for a robotic arm can be found in the image data by searching for the reference object in the image data, and if the reference object is found the control unit searches for an acceptable obstacle-free volume in the image data, this volume being located within an allowed space relative to the reference object.Type: GrantFiled: May 6, 2020Date of Patent: October 15, 2024Assignee: DeLaval Holding ABInventor: Erik Oscarsson
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Patent number: 12108736Abstract: An autonomous agricultural vehicle that operates in accordance with a cleaning plan, a method for operating the vehicle, and a computer program related to operating the vehicle, wherein while the vehicle is operated, a load quantity representing an amount of material moved by the cleaning device is monitored at a plurality of individual times, and the cleaning plan of the autonomous agricultural vehicle is adjusted based on a variation in the monitored load quantity among the individual times.Type: GrantFiled: November 24, 2020Date of Patent: October 8, 2024Assignee: DeLaval Holding ABInventors: Marek Brink, Bartlomiej Jaklik, Bartlomiej Slusarczyk
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Patent number: 12102057Abstract: A milking arrangement includes plural milking places, each milking place having a primary end and an opposite secondary end, an entrance at the primary end, a front side and a rear side, which both extend in parallel with the longitudinal axis, a plurality of sequence gates arranged between the front side and the rear side, each of the sequence gates being pivotable between a closed position and an open position, each sequence gate being only pivotable from its closed position to its open position in a pivotation direction in which the front end is pivoted into a milking place towards the front side of the milking arrangement, main extension planes of the sequence gates being aligned when the sequence gates are in their closed position, with a lower edge of each sequence gate defining a bulge that extends downwards.Type: GrantFiled: August 1, 2022Date of Patent: October 1, 2024Assignee: DeLaval Holding ABInventors: Tony Cowling, Jeffery Gallagher, Scott Pawlowicz
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Patent number: 12083689Abstract: In picking up tools in an automatic milking arrangement, the positions of the tools are determined by registering, via a camera at an origin location, three-dimensional image data representing the tools whose positions are to be determined. Using an algorithm involving matching the image data against reference data, tool candidates are identified in the three-dimensional image data. A respective position is calculated for the tools based on the origin location and data expressing respective distances from the origin location to each of the identified tool candidates. It is presumed that the tools have predefined locations relative to one another. Therefore, any second tool candidate is disregarded, which is detected at a separation distance from a first tool candidate when the separation distance exceeds a first threshold distance in relation to the predefined relative locations.Type: GrantFiled: October 28, 2019Date of Patent: September 10, 2024Assignee: DeLaval Holding ABInventor: Andreas Eriksson
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Patent number: 12031968Abstract: A distribution unit for milk samples that includes a first distribution portion with a first flow channel and a plurality of ports adjoining and communicating with the first flow channel, the ports configured to permit various media to be delivered to and from the first flow channel, and a second distribution portion that includes a second flow channel and a plurality of ports adjoining and communicating with the second flow channel, including at least a milk inlet port permitting milk to be delivered from the first flow channel to the second flow channel, and including a milk outlet port permitting milk samples to be delivered from the second flow channel to a further milk analyzing unit.Type: GrantFiled: October 21, 2019Date of Patent: July 9, 2024Assignee: DeLaval Holding ABInventors: Mats Gudmundsson, Thomas Johansson
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Patent number: 11991982Abstract: Tools in an automatic milking arrangement are picked up by using a robotic arm (110). The robotic arm (110) moves a camera (130) to an origin location (PC) from which the camera (130) registers three-dimensional image data (Dimg3D) of at least one tool (141, 142, 143, 144). The three-dimensional image data is processed using an image-based object identification algorithm to identify objects in the form of the tools and hoses (152). In response to identifying at least one tool, a respective tool position (PT1, PT3, PT4) is determined for each identified tool based on the origin location (PC) and the three-dimensional image data. Then, a grip device (115) is exclusively controlled to the one or more of the respective tool positions (PT1, PT3, PT4) to perform a pick-up operation. Thus, futile attempts to pick-up non-existing or blocked tools can be avoided.Type: GrantFiled: October 28, 2019Date of Patent: May 28, 2024Assignee: DeLaval Holding ABInventor: Andreas Eriksson
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Patent number: 11963510Abstract: A control unit is configured to obtain measurements of milk flow during a milking session of the animal (101) and analyse a sequence of the obtained measurements. Based on the analysis, the control unit estimates a total milk yield of the animal (101) and determines a predetermined partial amount of milk of the estimated total milk yield. During early lactation, the control unit interrupts the milking of the animal on all teats when the predetermined partial amount of milk of the estimated total milk yield has been drawn from the animal, or detects that the milk flow has reached a plateau phase and interrupts the milking during the plateau phase (220).Type: GrantFiled: January 13, 2020Date of Patent: April 23, 2024Assignee: DeLaval Holding ABInventor: Ilka Klaas
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Patent number: 11889813Abstract: A cassette (130) configured to enable measurement of at least one biomarker value of a milk sample of an animal (100). The cassette (130) includes a tape distributing spool (131); a tape (170) with a plurality of dry sticks (180a, 180b, 180c), configured to indicate the biomarker value of the milk sample, and a top film (310) arranged to protect the dry sticks (180a, 180b, 180c) while rolled up on the tape distributing spool (131); a tape collecting spool (132), configured to collect used dry sticks (180a, 180b, 180c); and a top film reel (330), arranged to peel off and collect the top film (310) of the tape (170).Type: GrantFiled: December 18, 2018Date of Patent: February 6, 2024Assignee: DeLaval Holding ABInventors: Claus Dallerup Rasmussen, Thomas Nikolai Carlsen
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Patent number: 11882812Abstract: The positions of the tools in an automatic milking arrangement are determined by registering, via a camera at an origin location, three-dimensional image data representing the tools whose positions are to be determined. Using an algorithm involving matching the image data against reference data, tool candidates are identified in the three-dimensional image data. A respective position is calculated for the tools based on the origin location and data expressing respective distances from the origin location to each of the identified tool candidates. It is presumed that the tools are arranged according to a spatially even distribution relative to one another. Therefore, any tool candidate is disregarded, which is detected at such a position that the position for the candidate deviates from the spatially even distribution.Type: GrantFiled: October 28, 2019Date of Patent: January 30, 2024Assignee: DeLaval Holding ABInventor: Andreas Eriksson