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EP-4294164-B1 - CONTROL ARRANGEMENT AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING OPERATION OF MOBILE AGRICULTURAL DEVICES

EP4294164B1EP 4294164 B1EP4294164 B1EP 4294164B1EP-4294164-B1

Inventors

  • NILSSON, MATS

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20220211

Claims (18)

  1. A control arrangement (100) configured to control operation of a plurality of mobile agricultural devices (20) in a livestock area (30), wherein a real-time location system, RTLS (50), is arranged in the livestock area (30) to track locations of objects located in the livestock area (30) in real-time, the control arrangement (100) being configured: - to obtain, from the real-time location system (50), positions of individual animals (10) and of each one of the plurality of mobile agricultural devices (20) located in the livestock area (30), and - to automatically control operation of one or more of the plurality of mobile agricultural devices (20), based on the obtained positions of each one of the plurality of mobile agricultural devices (20) and of the individual animals (10).
  2. The control arrangement (100) according to claim 1, wherein the control arrangement (100) is configured to determine, based on the obtained positions of the individual animals (10) and/or of each one of the plurality of mobile agricultural devices (20), a need to operate one or more of the plurality of mobile agricultural devices (20) at certain times and/or in certain places in the livestock area to control the operation in accordance with the determined need.
  3. The control arrangement (100) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control arrangement is configured to determine based on the obtained positions of the individual animals (10) and/or each one of the plurality of mobile agricultural devices (20), appropriate times and/or places when one or more of the plurality of mobile agricultural devices (20) can operate safely and/or undisturbed in the livestock area and to control the operation in accordance with the appropriate times and/or places.
  4. The control arrangement (100) according to any of the proceeding claims, wherein the control arrangement (100) is configured: - to select one or more of the plurality of mobile agricultural devices (20) for performing a certain task based on the obtained positions of each one of the plurality of mobile agricultural devices (20) and/or of the individual animals (10).
  5. The control arrangement (100) according to any of the proceeding claims, wherein the control arrangement (100) is configured to calculate, based on the obtained positions of individual animals, a density of animals (10) in a sub-area of the livestock area (30) and to control the operation of one or more of the plurality of mobile agricultural devices (20) based on the calculated density.
  6. The control arrangement (100) according to any of the proceeding claims, wherein the control arrangement is configured to control the operation of one or more of the plurality of mobile agricultural devices (20) based on one or more relative distances between each one of the plurality of mobile agricultural devices (20) and of the individual animals (10).
  7. The control arrangement (100) according to any of the proceeding claims, wherein the control arrangement is configured to store the obtained positions of each one of the plurality of mobile agricultural devices (20) and/or animals (10) in a data storage and to control the operation based on historical positions of each one of the plurality of mobile agricultural devices (20) and/or individual animals (10).
  8. The control arrangement (100) according to any of the proceeding claims, wherein the control arrangement (100) is configured to determine a schedule or speed for operating one or more of the plurality of mobile agricultural devices (20) based on the obtained positions of each one of the plurality of mobile agricultural devices (20) and/or animals (10) and to control the operation based on the determined schedule and/or speed.
  9. The control arrangement (100) according to any of the proceeding claims, wherein the control arrangement is configured to calculate zones and/or paths for operating one or more of the plurality of the mobile agricultural devices (20) based on the obtained positions of each one of the plurality of mobile agricultural devices (20) and/or animals (10) and to control the operation based on the calculated zones and/or paths.
  10. The control arrangement (100) of claim 9, wherein the calculated zones comprise temporarily unallowed zones where one or more of the plurality of mobile agricultural devices (20) are temporarily unallowed to drive and/or allowed zones.
  11. The control arrangement (100) of any of the proceeding claims, wherein the control arrangement is configured to obtain information indicating whether passages in the livestock area are free or blocked and wherein the control arrangement is configured to control the operation based on whether the passages are free or blocked.
  12. The control arrangement (100) of any of the proceeding claims, wherein the control arrangement is configured to assign tasks to humans and to provide information about assigned tasks via a user interface.
  13. The control arrangement (100) of any of the proceeding claims, wherein the control arrangement is configured to obtain, from the RTLS (50), positions of individual humans (40) in the livestock area and to control the operation based on the obtained positions of the individual humans (40).
  14. The control arrangement (100) of claim 12, wherein the control arrangement is configured to obtain information about tasks performed by individual humans (40) and to evaluate execution of the tasks based on positions of the individual humans.
  15. The control arrangement (100) of any of the proceeding claims, wherein the control arrangement is configured to obtain information about tasks performed by each one of the plurality of mobile agricultural device (20) and to evaluate execution of the tasks based on the obtained positions of each one of the plurality of mobile agricultural devices (20).
  16. The control arrangement (100) according to claim 14 or 15, wherein control arrangement is configured to obtain information about expected movement of each one of the plurality of mobile agricultural devices (20) and/or the individual humans (40) while performing the tasks and to evaluate the tasks by comparing the obtained positions of each one of the plurality of mobile agricultural devices (20) and/or of the individual humans with the expected movement.
  17. The control arrangement (100) of any of the proceeding claims, wherein the plurality of mobile agricultural devices (20) comprise one or more of agricultural robots, wagons, feeders.
  18. A method for controlling operation of a plurality of mobile agricultural devices (20) in a livestock area, wherein a real-time location system, RTLS (60), is arranged in the livestock area (30) to track locations of objects located in the livestock area (30) in real-time, the method comprising: - obtaining (S1), from the RTLS (50), positions of the individual animals (10) and of each one of the plurality of mobile agricultural devices (20) in the livestock area (30), and - automatically controlling (S4) operation of one or more of the plurality of mobile agricultural devices (20), based on the obtained positions of each one of the plurality of mobile agricultural devices (20) and of the individual animals (10).

Description

Technical field The present disclosure generally relates to farming and in particular to a control arrangement for controlling operation of mobile agricultural devices in a livestock area. The disclosure also relates to a corresponding method and to a computer program for performing the method. Background In order to save time and effort for farmers, autonomous agricultural equipment is commonly used to take care of different tasks that needs to be performed in a livestock area. For example, autonomous agricultural robots may be programmed to autonomously perform tasks like cleaning, delivering feed at a feed table or pushing and mixing feed that has been spread out. Even though many tasks are performed by robots, livestock management is still a complicated task, as animal behaviour is not always foreseeable. To facilitate livestock management different systems have been proposed. For example, EP2955998A1 proposes a method and system for localising and displaying positions of animals and autonomously mobile objects, which helps a user in managing an animal housing and the autonomously mobile objects therein. In addition, solutions have been proposed which mitigate risk of accidents when operating autonomous agricultural equipment. For example, WO2018122199 proposes a system that triggers an accident-avoidance measure when a distance between a geographical position of a locational device and an agricultural structure is smaller than a threshold limit. Although systems like the ones presented above facilitate livestock management, it would still be desired to further enhance livestock management. Summary It is an object of the disclosure to alleviate at least some of the drawbacks with the prior art. Thus, it is an object to provide livestock management solutions that are even more efficient and safe. The techniques proposed herein achieves these objects by taking an automatic livestock management to a further level by using positioning information provided by a real-time location system. The invention relates to a control arrangement according to claim 1, configured to obtain from the real-time location system, positions of individual animals and of each one of a plurality of individual mobile agricultural devices located in the livestock area and to automatically control operation of one or more of the mobile agricultural devices, based on the obtained positions of each one of the plurality of the individual mobile agricultural devices and of the individual animals. Thereby, mobile agricultural devices can be operated optimally and safely with regard to the positions of the animals (and staff). The control arrangement is hereby configured to automatically control the operation of a plurality of mobile agricultural devices, based on the obtained positions of the individual mobile agricultural devices and of the individual animals. An enhanced operational efficiency or optimal performance and safety in the automatic control of several mobile agricultural devices is thereby achieved on the basis of the obtained positions on both the mobile agricultural devices and the animals. The control arrangement is typically provided by a (central) control unit, but the control arrangement may also be distributed among several units, such as a control arrangement further including a livestock management server, control circuitry located on the mobile agricultural devices and/or control circuitry of user devices. Hence, the control arrangement should be seen as a functional control unit that may be included in one control unit or distributed in several units. In an embodiment, the control arrangement is configured to determine, based on the obtained positions of the individual animals and/or individual mobile agricultural devices, a need to operate the mobile agricultural devices at certain times and/or in certain places in the livestock area to control the operation in accordance with the determined need. Thereby, agricultural tasks can be automatically performed when and where it is needed as it is based on where the animals and/or the agricultural devices are located. In a further embodiment, the control arrangement is configured to determine based on the obtained positions of the individual animals and/or individual mobile agricultural devices, appropriate times and/or places when the one or more individual mobile agricultural devices can operate safely and/or undisturbed in the livestock area and to control the operation in accordance with the appropriate times and/or places. Thereby, agricultural tasks can be performed uninterruptedly without risking safety or disturbing animals. In yet a further embodiment, the control arrangement is configured to select one or more agricultural mobile devices for performing a certain task based on the obtained positions of the one or more individual mobile agricultural devices and/or of the individual animals. Thereby, the agricultural mobile devices that is most suitably positione