TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present invention generally relates to animal health tracking, and, in particular, to the tracking of physiological and/or behavioral parameters of multiple animals in an animal population.

BACKGROUND

[0003] Identifying and treating illness in early stages of livestock development can aid in reducing herd disease outbreak, and reduce herd loss and the need for culling. There are a variety of illnesses from which confined cattle commonly suffer. Diseases of the respiratory system are a major cause of illness and death in cattle. One such illness includes Bovine Respiratory Disease Complex (BRD), which often turns into severe and/or fatal bacterial pneumonia. It is further noted that major viruses such as Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis (IBR), parainfluenza virus, syncytial virus, and bovine virus are often a precursor to BRD. Antibiotics are often not effective, especially when treated in later stages of the illness. As such, early detection of the disease is critical in minimizing herd loss. Currently, the most common identification of sickness is via rectal temperature and visual cues, which often occur well beyond early onset of symptoms, such as fever, of the given illness. As such, it would be advantageous to provide a system and method that provides illness identification and/or diagnosis that cures the deficiencies of prior approaches identified above.

SUMMARY

[0004] A system for monitoring one or more characteristics in an animal population is disclosed, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. In one illustrative embodiment, the system includes a plurality of animal tag assemblies, l each animal tag assembly configured for being disposed on a member of the animal population, each of the animal tag assemblies including one or more sensors configured to measure one or more animal characteristics of the member of the animal population. In another illustrative embodiment, the system includes a concentrator communicatively coupled to the plurality of animal tag assemblies and configured to acquire one or more animal characteristics from the plurality of animal tag assemblies. In another illustrative embodiment, the system includes a controller communicatively coupled to the concentrator, wherein the controller includes one or more processors configured to execute a set of program instructions stored in memory and configured to cause the controller to: receive the acquired one or more animal characteristics from the plurality of animal tag assemblies from the concentrator; determine a health state of one or more of the members of the animal population based on the received one or more animal characteristics; and report the determined health state to one or more user devices.

[0005] A system for monitoring one or more characteristics in an animal population is disclosed, in accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure.

In one illustrative embodiment, the system includes a plurality of animal tag assemblies, each animal tag assembly configured for being disposed on a member of the animal population, each of the animal tag assemblies including at least one of a temperature sensor, an accelerometer, a magnetometer or gyroscope. In another illustrative embodiment, the system includes a concentrator communicatively coupled to the plurality of animal tag assemblies and configured to acquire readout data from at least one of the temperature sensor, the accelerometer, the magnetometer or the gyroscope. In another illustrative embodiment, the system includes a controller communicatively coupled to the concentrator, wherein the controller includes one or more processors configured to execute a set of program instructions stored in memory and configured to cause the controller to: receive the acquired readout data from the at least one of the temperature sensor, the accelerometer, the magnetometer or the gyroscope from the concentrator; determine a health state of one or more of the members of the animal population based on the received readout data from at least one of the temperature sensor, the accelerometer, the magnetometer or the gyroscope; and report the determined health state to one or more user devices

[0006] An animal tag assembly for monitoring one or more characteristics in an animal population is disclosed, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. In one illustrative embodiment, the tag assembly includes an animal tag body. In another illustrative embodiment, the tag assembly includes a first temperature sensor disposed on the animal tag body. In another illustrative embodiment, the tag assembly includes a second temperature sensor disposed on the animal tag body. In another illustrative embodiment, the first temperature sensor and the second temperature sensor are configured to acquire a differential temperature measurement of an internal ear cavity of a member of the animal population. In another illustrative embodiment, the animal tag body includes two or more connection pass-throughs for coupling the animal tag assembly to the member of the animal population.

[0007] An animal tag assembly for monitoring one or more characteristics in an animal population is disclosed, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. In one illustrative embodiment, the tag assembly includes an animal tag body. In another illustrative embodiment, the tag assembly includes one or more temperature sensors disposed on the animal tag body. In another illustrative embodiment, the animal tag body is configured for placement on the inner portion of an ear of a member of the animal population so as to acquire a temperature measurement of an internal ear cavity of the member of the animal population. In another illustrative embodiment, the tag assembly includes a backing layer configured for placement on an outer surface of the ear of the member of the animal population. In another illustrative embodiment, the animal tag body and the backing layer include two or more connection pass-throughs for coupling the animal tag assembly and the backing layer to the member of the animal population.

[0008] It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not necessarily restrictive of the invention as claimed. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the general description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] The numerous advantages of the disclosure may be better understood by those skilled in the art by reference to the accompanying figures in which:

FIGS. 1A-1 D illustrate a system for monitoring one or more characteristics of one or more members of an animal population, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 1 E illustrates a simplified schematic view of a tag assembly equipped with two temperature probes, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 1 F-1 G illustrate the implementation of concentrator and a set of tag assemblies disposed on animals in a given animal population, , in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 1 H illustrates the implementation of multiple concentrators and a set of tag assemblies disposed on animals in a given animal population, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 1 1 illustrates a conceptual view of the determination of location of a given tag assembly, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 1 J illustrates a conceptual view of the determination of location of a given tag assembly, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 1 K-1 L illustrate a mobile concentrator, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 1 M illustrates a flow diagram depicting a communication protocol between a tag and a concentrator, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure

FIGS. 2A-2C illustrate a series of schematic views of a tag assembly, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2D illustrates a schematic view of a tag assembly, in accordance with one or more additional embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 3A-3D illustrate schematic view of a tag assembly, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 4A-4C illustrate schematic views of a tag assembly, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 5A and 5B illustrate a crimper tool for attaching a tag assembly to an animal, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 6A-6R illustrate multiple schematic views of a tag assembly, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 6S-6Y illustrate schematic views of a stapling tool for attaching a tag assembly to an animal, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 7A illustrates a schematic view of a passive tag, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 7B illustrates a schematic view of a retrofitted passive tag, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Reference will now be made in detail to the subject matter disclosed, which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

[0011] Referring generally to FIGS. 1A through 7B, a method and system for tracking physiological or behavioral parameters of animals in an animal population are described in accordance with the present disclosure. [0012] Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to one or more systems and methods for tracking, analyzing and diagnosing the health of an individual animal or an animal population. Embodiments of the present disclosure may acquire a variety of metrics from an animal (or from animals) to assist in early diagnosis and analysis of the health of an animal population (e.g., cattle herd). For example, the present disclosure may be utilized to monitor and diagnose the health of an animal herd (e.g., cattle, swine, and the like) in a commercial feedlot setting. The on-animal devices of the present disclosure may communicate wirelessly with users (e.g., feedlot managers, pen riders and etc.) the likelihood of illness of one or more members of the given animal population, which provides for early treatment and reduced herd loss. The on-animal sensors and analysis routines of the present disclosure will allow for monitoring of a variety of animal characteristics (e.g., physiological and behavior), patterns, weather data and etc., alerting pen riders and feedlot managers of early signs of illness. The early detection of illness in an animal population may also assist in optimizing weight gain rates, reducing the use of antibiotics, allowing for biosecurity and proactive outbreak procedures, and reducing labor and manpower usage.

[0013] Embodiments of the present disclosure may include animal characteristics measurement and/or tracking, such as, but not limited to, head tilt tracking, activity tracking, nutrient uptake tracking (e.g., position and/or proximity sensing). In addition, embodiments of the present disclosure may include physiological metric measurement and/or tracking, such as, but not limited to, temperature measurement and/or tracking. Embodiments of the present disclosure may provide for individual and herd trend analysis with predictive modeling. Embodiments of the present disclosure may allow producers to monitor animal and herd trends through historical and predictive data, allowing for proactive measures to increase production.

[0014] FIGS. 1A-1 D illustrate a system 100 for monitoring one or more characteristics of one or more members of an animal population, in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure. The system 100 may monitor the health of one or more animals via the tracking of physiological and/or behavioral characteristics of one or more animals in a given animal population. [0015] In one embodiment, the system 100 includes one or more tag assemblies 102. For example, the system 100 may include, but is not limited to, a set of animal tag assemblies 102a-102d disposed on members of at least a portion of an animal population. For instance, the system 100 may include, but is not limited to, tag 102a for monitoring one or more characteristics of a first animal, tag 102b for monitoring one or more characteristics of a second animal, tag 102c for monitoring one or more characteristics of a third animal, and a tag 102d for monitoring one or more characteristics of an Nth animal.

[0016] In another embodiment, the system 100 includes a concentrator 104 (or network of concentrators) that is communicatively couplable to the set of tag assemblies 102a-102d. For example, the concentrator 104 may be, but is not required to be, communicatively coupled (e.g., wirelessly coupled using a selected communication protocol) to the one or more tag assemblies 102 such that the data acquired via the one or more tag assemblies 102a-102d is collected from the one or more tag assemblies 102a-102d. It is noted herein that the terms "concentrator" is used interchangeably with "receiver" and/or "base station" throughout the present disclosure.

[0017] In another embodiment, the concentrator 104 is also communicatively coupled to a controller 108 via a network 106. For example, the controller 108 may include, but is not limited to, one or more servers. For instance, the controller 108 may include, but is not limited to, a remote server coupled to the concentrator 104 via network 106.

[0018] In another embodiment, one or more user devices 1 10 are communicatively coupled to the controller 108. In one embodiment, the one or more user devices 1 10 are indirectly coupled to the controller 108 via the network 106. It is noted herein that the system 100 may allow for any number of user devices to communicate with the controller 108. For example, the system 100 may provide for communication between a first user device 1 10a, a second user device 1 10b, and up to an including an Nth user device 1 10c and controller 108 via network 106. It is further noted that the one or more user devices 1 10a-1 10c may include any user device known in the art. For example, the one or more user devices 1 10a-1 10c may include, but are not limited to, a desktop computer, a tablet computer, a mobile phone (e.g., smartphone), or a wearable device (e.g., smartwatch and the like). In another embodiment, the one or more user interfaces 1 10 are directly coupled (not shown) to the controller 108.

[0019] In another embodiment, one or more user devices 1 10 are communicatively coupled to the concentrator 104. In one embodiment, the one or more user devices 1 10 are indirectly coupled to the concentrator 104 via the network 106. In one embodiment, the one or more user devices 1 10 are directly coupled (not shown) to the concentrator 104.

[0020] The network 106 may include any wireless and/or wireline network protocol known in the art. For example, the network 106 may include, but is not limited to, an internet or an intranet (e.g., LAN, WLAN and the like).

[0021] Referring now to FIG. 1 B, in one embodiment, one or more of the tag assemblies 102 includes one or more sensors 1 14. The one or more sensors 1 14 may include any sensor known in the art capable of measuring one or more physiological and/or behavioral characteristics of an animal. For example, the one or more sensors 1 14 may include, but are not limited to, a temperature probe (e.g., IR temperature sensor, thermocouple, thermistor and the like), a heart rate monitor (e.g., optical heart monitor), an accelerometer, a magnetometer, a gyroscope, an inertial measurement unit, or a location sensor. It is noted herein that the one or more sensors 1 14 may be configured to monitor a wide range of physiological and/or behavioral characteristics including, but not limited to, the frequency and/or duration of chewing, a range of motion (e.g. range of head motion), body movements, posture, the amount of activity (e.g., number of steps or distance traveled in a selected amount of time), the frequency and duration of trips to a feed and/or water source. It is further noted herein that the absolute value as well as the relative value of any measurement may be monitored. For example, a change in any one or more physiological and/or behavioral characteristics may indicate a change in health of the given animal. By way of another example, a deviation in any one or more physiological and/or behavioral characteristics of a given animal from a group of other animals of the animal population may indicate a deviation in health of the given animal from the rest of the animal population. In this regard, the one or more sensors 1 14 of the tag assemblies 102 may be used to identify an outlier of the animal population.

[0022] In another embodiment, the tag assembly 102 includes a memory 1 17 and a processor 1 16. In this regard, any of the one or more physiological and/or behavioral characteristics measured by the one or more sensors 1 14 may be permanently or temporarily stored in memory 1 17. In another embodiment, when the given tag assembly 102 is interrogated by the concentrator 104, the processor 1 16 may direct the communication circuitry 120 and antenna 1 19 of the tag assembly 102 to transmit all or a portion of the stored one or more physiological and/or behavioral characteristics to the concentrator 104.

[0023] It is noted herein that the communication circuitry 120 may alternately be referred to as a "data radio". The memory 1 17 may include any memory type known in the art. For example, the memory 1 17 may include, but is not limited to, an Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory (EEPROM) device. The processor 124 may include, but is not limited to, a microcontroller unit (MCU). It is noted herein that the communication circuitry 120 and the antenna 1 19 may be configured to operate in any frequency band known in the art. In one embodiment, the communication circuitry 120 and the antenna 1 19 are configured to operate in a Radio Frequency (RF) band. In one embodiment, the communication circuitry 120 and the antenna 1 19 are configured to operate in a selected band (e.g., band between 902 MHz and 928 MHz). It is noted herein that the antenna 1 19 may be of any type known in the art, including, but not limited to, an embedded antenna or an external antenna.

[0024] In another embodiment, the tag assembly 102 includes one or more GPS chips 1 18 suitable for measuring the location of the given tag assembly 102. In some embodiments, the GPS chip 1 18 is configured to generate a timestamp corresponding to a time of data acquisition. It is noted herein that the GPS chip 1 18 may be used to measure one or more characteristics of a given animal through the tracking of position of the given animal. It is recognized herein that relative position of the tag assembly 102 may be deduced in a variety of ways without the need of a GPS chip, which will be discussed further herein. [0025] In another embodiment, the tag assembly 102 includes a power supply for powering any one of the various components of the tag assembly 102. For example, the tag assembly 102 includes one or more batteries 121 , one or more power generating devices (e.g., piezoelectric device, photovoltaic cell and the like) and/or a combination of one or more batteries and power generating devices. It is noted herein that the tag assembly 102 may utilize any battery technology known in the art.

[0026] In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1 B, the concentrator 104 is powered by a power supply 126. It is noted herein that the power supply 126 may include any power supply known in the art including, but not limited to, a battery or a transformer configured to convert AC power to DC power. In one embodiment, the concentrator 104 includes one or more processors 1 16 and memory 125. The memory 125 may include, but is not limited to, EEPROM memory. The processor 124 may include, but is not limited to, a MCU.

[0027] In one embodiment, the one or more tag assemblies 102 are communicatively coupled to the concentrator 104 via a local communication link. For example, the one or more tag assemblies 102 may be coupled to the concentrator 104 via a local wireless communication link. For instance, the concentrator 104 may include, but is not limited to, communication circuitry 123 coupled to an antenna 122. Further, the communication circuitry 123 and the antenna 122 may be configured to wirelessly communicate with the communication circuitry 120 and antenna 1 19 of one or more tag assemblies 102. In one embodiment, the communication circuitry 120 may include a radio frequency (RF) module suitable for transmitting one or more signals to the communication circuitry 123 of the concentrator 104. The communication circuitry 120 and 123 may be compatible with any wireless protocol known in the art, such as, but not limited to, BLUETOOTH, LOW ENERGY BLUETOOTH, WIFI, RFID and the like. In this regard, any of the one or more physiological and/or behavioral characteristics measured by the one or more tag assemblies 102 may be transmitted from the one or more tag assemblies 102, received by the concentrator 104 and then stored, permanently or temporarily, in memory 125 of the concentrator 104. [0028] In one embodiment, the concentrator 104 includes one or more GPS chips

128 configured to determine the location of the concentrator 104. In some embodiments, the GPS chip 128 is configured to generate a timestamp corresponding to a data acquisition time.

[0029] In one embodiment, the concentrator 104 includes network interface circuitry

129 communicatively coupled to the controller 108 (e.g., server) via network 106. It is noted herein that network interface circuitry 129 may be configured to communicate with the controller 108 using any network protocol known in the art including, but not limited to, Ethernet, WiFi, or a cellular communication network. It is further noted that multiple network protocols may be utilized. In one embodiment, network interface circuitry 129 is configured to communicate via Ethernet. In another embodiment, network interface circuitry 129 is configured to communicate via WiFi. In another embodiment, network interface circuitry 129 is configured to communicate via a cellular communication network. In some embodiments, the concentrator 104 includes multiple network interfaces 135.

[0030] It is noted herein that one or more of the data analysis routines of the present disclosure may be performed using the one or more processors 1 16 (and program instructions) on-board the concentrator 104. In another embodiment, the one or more processors 1 16 may direct network interface circuitry 129 to transmit the one or more physiological and/or behavioral characteristics to the controller 108 for data analysis.

[0031] In another embodiment, the controller 108 (or another controller) may include one or more processors 130 and memory 132. In this regard, the controller 108 may receive the one or more physiological and/or behavioral characteristics from the concentrator 104 (via signal from network 106) and apply one or more of the various analysis routines of the present disclosure. For example, the controller 108 may include network interface circuitry 131 for interfacing with network 106. In this regard, memory 132 may maintain any set of program instructions required to implement data analysis routines for determining a state of health of one or more animals based on the received one or more physiological and/or behavioral characteristics. [0032] It is noted herein that the controller 108 may be configured to perform one or more tasks associated with data collected by the one or more tag assemblies 102. For example, the controller 108 may be configured to store data and/or to generate one or more statistics relevant to the interpretation of the data. It is noted herein that one or more of the data analysis routines of the present disclosure may be performed using one or more processors 1 16 (and program instructions) on-board the controller 108 configured to perform data analysis. In one embodiment, the controller 108 is configured to store health monitoring data collected by the one or more tag assemblies 102. In another embodiment, the controller 108 is configured to generate a relative risk level for each of the animals in the animal population according to one or more statistical metrics calculated using data collected by the one or more tag assemblies 102. In some embodiments, the controller 108 includes multiple redundant devices. For example, the controller 108 may include a third party server.

[0033] In another embodiment, the controller 108 may serve one or more results of the health state determination to the one or more user devices 1 12a, 1 12b via network 106. For example, the controller 108, upon identifying an animal displaying characteristics indicative of an illness (or injury), may transmit an indication to the one or more user devices 1 12a, 1 12b. In addition, one or more users, via the one or more user devices 1 12a, 1 12b, may request the particular type(s) of physiological and/or behavioral characteristics that the controller 108 should use for determining a health state in one or more animals of the population, as described further herein.

[0034] It is further noted herein that the one or more user devices 1 12a, 1 12b may be configured to display one or more statistical metrics (e.g., an information set) calculated using data collected by the one or more tag assemblies 102 and/or raw data collected by the one or more tag assemblies 102. The one or more statistical metrics may be calculated using one or more processors 130 on-board the controller 108 or using one or more processors 1 16 on-board the concentrator 104. In some embodiments, the one or more user devices 1 12a, 1 12b are configured to display the same information (e.g. to provide access to data from multiple locations).

[0035] The one or more processors 1 16, 124, 130 of tag assembly 102, concentrator 104 and controller 108 may include any one or more processing elements known in the art. In this sense, the one or more processors 1 16, 124, 130 may include any microprocessor-type device configured to execute software algorithms and/or instructions. In one embodiment, the one or more processors 1 16, 124, 130 may consist of a MCU configured to execute a program configured to operate the components of system 100, as described throughout the present disclosure. In general, the term "processor" may be broadly defined to encompass any device having one or more processing or logic elements, which execute program instructions from a non-transitory memory medium (e.g., memory 1 17, 125, 132). Moreover, different subsystems of the system 100 may include processor or logic elements suitable for carrying out at least a portion of the steps described throughout the present disclosure. Therefore, the above description should not be interpreted as a limitation on the present invention but merely an illustration.

[0036] The memory 1 17, 125 and 132 of tag assembly 102, concentrator 104 and controller 108 may include any storage medium known in the art suitable for storing program instructions executable by the associated one or more processors. For example, the memory 1 17, 125 and 132 may include a non-transitory memory medium. For instance, the memory 1 17, 125 and 132 may include, but is not limited to, a read-only memory, a random access memory, a magnetic or optical memory device (e.g., disk), a magnetic tape, a solid state drive, EEPROM and the like. In another embodiment, the memory 1 17, 125 and 132 are configured to store one or more results from the one or more tag assemblies 102 and/or the output of the various steps described herein.

[0037] Referring now to FIG. 1 C, in one embodiment, a tag assembly 102 includes multiple sensors 1 14. For example, the tag assembly 102 may include, but is not limited to, a first sensor 1 14a, a second sensor 1 14b and up to and including an Nth sensor 1 14c. In this regard, sensors 1 14a-1 14c may include any two or more sensors known in the art capable of measuring one or more physiological and/or behavioral characteristics of an animal. For example, the two or more sensors 1 14s1 -1 14c may include, but are not limited to, two or more of the following: a temperature probe, a heart rate monitor, an accelerometer, a magnetometer, a gyroscope, an inertial measurement unit, a location sensor or the like. [0038] In one embodiment, the one or more sensors 1 14 of the tag assembly 102 may measure one or more physiological characteristics. For example, one or more sensors 1 14 may include a thermal probe (e.g., thermocouple) for measuring the temperature of an animal with which the given tag assembly 102 is disposed. In this regard, temperature data of given animal may be measured and tracked as a function of time. By way of another example, one or more sensors 1 14 may include a heart monitor for measuring the heart rate of an animal with which the given tag assembly 102 is disposed. In this regard, heart rate data of given animal may be measured and tracked as a function of time.

[0039] In another embodiment, the system 100 may measure one or more behavioral characteristics. In one embodiment, the one or more behavioral characteristics measured by the one or more sensors 1 14 of the tag assemblies 102 may include, but are not limited, one or more animal posture characteristics. In one embodiment, an animal posture characteristic may include, but is not limited to, head tilt, body lean, gait or the like. For example, head tilt may be determined for a given animal by measuring the relative position (e.g., height of head relative to an initial head position) associated with a given tag assembly 102 in order to deduce the height of the animal's head, and, thus, the tilt of the animals head and/or neck. The head tilt measurement may consist of a relative head tilt measurement. For example, the relative head tilt measurement may include comparing a measured head tilt value to one or more head tilt values (or statistically aggregated head title values (e.g., average)) of a portion of the animal population. By way of another example, the relative head tilt measurement may include comparing a measured head tilt value to initial head tilt value (or a time-averaged value) of the same animal. By way of another example, the one or more sensors 1 14 of a given tag assembly 102 may include an accelerometer, magnetometer and/or gyroscope (or a consolidated IMU) suitable for measuring the head tilt of a given animal.

[0040] In another embodiment, the one or more behavioral characteristics measured by the one or more sensors 1 14 of the tag assemblies 102 may include, but are not limited, one or more position (or movement) characteristics of one or more animals. In one embodiment, the one or more position (or movement) characteristics may include, but are not limited to, the number of steps taken by the animal over a selected time period. For example, at least one of the sensors 1 14 onboard the tag assembly 102 associated with a given animal may include an accelerometer, such as a three-axis accelerometer, configured to measure motion data associated with the given animal. By way of another example, the sensors 1 14 may be configured as a motion sensor (e.g., nine-axis motion sensor) equipped with an accelerometer, gyroscope and/or magnetometer (or consolidated IMU).

[0041] In another embodiment, once the motion data is collected by the one or more tag assemblies 102, the processor and programming instructions of the concentrator 104 or the controller 108 may convert this motion data to "animal steps" based on a pre-programmed algorithm, which relates motion data to steps. In another embodiment, the motion data captured by the one or more sensors 1 14 may be converted to the distance traveled by an animal over a selected time period or average speed of the animal over a selected time period. In another embodiment, as noted previously herein, one or more sensors 1 14 of the tag assembly 102 of a given animal may include a GPS chip 1 18. In this regard, a GSP-enabled tag assembly 102 may be used to directly measure the location and movement of a given animal of an animal heard.

[0042] In another embodiment, once the one or more tag assemblies 102 of the system 100 collect physiological data and/or behavioral data associated with the respective animals, the one or more tag assemblies 102 may transmit all or some of this data to the concentrators 104. In turn, the concentrator 104 may transmit all or some of the received physiological data and/or behavior data to controller 108 (or another controller) for analysis, as described throughout the present disclosure.

[0043] Referring now to FIG. 1 D, in one embodiment, the tag assembly 102 includes one or more temperature sensors, such as, but not limited to, a first temperature sensor 1 14a and a second temperature sensor 1 14b. In another embodiment, the tag assembly 102 includes an inertial measurement unit (IMU) 122c for monitoring orientation, direction, tilt and/or movement of the tag assembly 102. For example, the IMU 122c may include, but is not limited to, an accelerometer, a magnetometer, and a gyroscope. [0044] It is noted herein that a temperature sensor, such as the first temperature sensor 1 14a and/or the second temperature sensor 1 14a, may include any temperature sensor known in the art. For example, the first temperature sensor 1 14a and/or the second temperature sensor 1 14b may include, but are not limited to, a thermopile detector, an infrared sensor, or a resistive temperature device. It is further noted that a first temperature sensor 1 14a and/or a second temperature sensor 1 14b may detect multiple temperatures simultaneously, such as, but not limited to, the temperature of a proximate object (e.g. a portion of an ear) and the ambient temperature. In one embodiment, two temperature sensors 1 14a and 1 14b may measure a differential temperature between a proximate object (e.g., ear canal) and the ambient environment. In another embodiment, multiple temperature sensors are configured to measure multiple differential temperatures between multiple locations of an animal and the ambient environment.

[0045] In another embodiment, each of two temperature sensors 1 14a and 1 14b may simultaneously measure two temperatures such that the tag assembly 102, as a whole, simultaneously measures four temperatures. FIG. 1 E illustrates a simplified schematic view of tag assembly 102 equipped with two temperature probes 1 14a, 1 14b and disposed within the ear of an animal. In one embodiment, a tag 102 is positioned in the ear 142 of an animal (e.g. a cow) such that first temperature sensor 1 14a simultaneously measures a first temperature and a second temperature, while a second temperature sensor 1 14b simultaneously measures a third temperature and a fourth temperature. In one embodiment, the first temperature includes a temperature of a portion of the inner ear 1444, which may be referred to as an inner ear temperature (IET). The second temperature includes an ambient temperature of the ear canal, which may be referred to as an Ambient Temperature Near Canal (ANC). The third temperature includes a temperature of a portion of the ear surface 146, which may be referred to as an Ear Surface Temperature (EST). The fourth temperature includes an ambient temperature near a printed circuit board (PCB) associated with the tag 102. The fourth temperature may be referred to as an Ambient Temperature near PCB Surface (APCB). It is noted herein that ambient temperatures (e.g. the second and fourth temperatures) may be used to calibrate the IET and EST temperature measurements. It is further noted that at extreme temperatures, such as high or low temperatures, the IET and EST temperatures may have offsets that may introduce errors when analyzed using a data analysis algorithm. By way of example, an offset associated with the IET and/or the EST may cause a data analysis algorithm to issue a false warning. By way of another example, an offset associated with the IET and/or the EST may cause a data analysis algorithm to not issue a warning when a warning is appropriate. It is noted herein that ambient temperature measurements (e.g. the ANC and/or the APCB) may be used to adjust the IET and/or EST temperatures to generate an adjusted temperature, which serves to compensate for environmental circumstances and aids in reducing or eliminating the frequency of false positives or missed temperature deviations. By way of example, an adjusted temperature may be calculated using the equation:

Adjusted Temp = A x IET + B x EST + C x ANC + APCB) where A, B, and C are weighting constants. In some embodiments, the value of weighting constant A is greater than the value of weighting constant B. In other embodiments, the values of one or more of the weighting constants A, B, or C may be acquired from a calibration table. For example, the IET may provide the basis function for the temperature estimate and may be weighted highest in the above equation. Further, the EST component may be weighted slightly below the IET. In addition, both ANC and APCB may be used to calibrate the IET and EST measurements.

[0046] In one embodiment, a tag assembly 102 includes an indicator (not shown). It is noted herein that the indicator may be configured to generate audio or visual signals. By way example, an indicator may include an audio generation device (e.g. a buzzer) to facilitate the location of a tag assembly 102. By way of another example, an indicator may include one or more light emitting diodes (LEDs) configured to visually display the status of an animal via the state of the LED (e.g. on, off, or flashing).

[0047] FIGS. 1 F-1 G illustrate the implementation of concentrator 104 and a set of tag assemblies 102 disposed on animals 152, 154 and 156 in a given animal population 150, in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure. In one embodiment, the system 100 may monitor a position characteristic between a nutrient source 158 and one or more animals 152, 154, 156 (and so on). The nutrient source 158 may include any nutrient source known in the art, such as, but not limited to, a feed source (e.g., grain), a water source, a mineral source (e.g., salt lick) and the like.

[0048] In one embodiment, one or more concentrators 104 may be placed proximate to the nutrient source 158. The system 100 may monitor one or more position characteristics (e.g., distance, position, direction, and the like) between the tag assemblies 102 attached to one or more animals 152-156 and the concentrator 104 (or concentrators). In this regard, the system 100 may measure and/or track a position characteristic between one or more animals 152-156 and the nutrient source 158 based on the known spatial relationship between the given concentrator 104 (or concentrators) and the nutrient source 158. In one embodiment, the system 100 may measure and/or track the position characteristic between the tag assembly 102 and the concentrator 104 using an RF signal, transmitted from the communication circuitry 120 of a given tag assembly 102 and the communication circuitry 123 of the concentrator 104. For example, one or more program instructions may be used to determine a given position characteristic, such as distance, proximity (e.g., proximity to nutrient source 158), position (e.g., position in feed lot), signal direction and the like, between the communication circuitry 120 of a given tag assembly 102 and the communication circuitry 123 of the concentrator 104 based on one or more characteristics of a signal (e.g., signal 154a, 154b or 154c) as measured by the concentrator 104.

[0049] In one embodiment, a distance of one or more animals 152-156 from the nutrient source 158 may be deduced by measuring signal strength of the RF signal (e.g., signal 154a, 154b, or 154c) emanating from one or more tag assemblies 102. For example, as shown in FIG. 1 C, a distance di of a first animal 152 from the nutrient source 158 may be deduced by measuring a signal strength of the RF signal 154a emanating from the tag assembly 102 associated with the first animal 152. Further, a distance d ₂ of a second animal 154 from the nutrient source 158 may be deduced by measuring signal strength of the RF signal 154b emanating from the tag assembly 102 associated with the second animal 154. In addition, a distance d ₃ of a third animal 156 from the nutrient source 158 may be deduced by measuring signal strength of the RF signal 154c emanating from the tag assembly 102 associated with the third animal 156. In this manner, the distance away from the nutrient source 158 may be deduced for N number of animals in the given animal population 150.

[0050] Further, the frequency with which the one or more animals 152-156 utilize the nutrient source 158 may be determined through monitoring the distance of the one or more animals 152-156 from the nutrient source 158 as a function of time. In addition, the use of multiple concentrators 104, each positioned at different nutrient sources 158, may allow the system 100 to monitor feeding frequency, watering frequency and the like for the one or more animals 152-156.

[0051] FIG. 1 H illustrates the implementation of multiple concentrators 104a-104d and a set of tag assemblies 102 disposed on animals 152, 154, 156 in a given animal population 150, in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure. In one embodiment, the concentrators 104a-104e may be positioned about a given feeding area or a region where the animals reside (e.g., feedlot). For example, multiple concentrators 104a-104e, each equipped with an antenna (e.g., omnidirectional or directional antenna), may be distributed about a given feedlot (in the case of cattle). In this regard, signal strength associated with a particular tag assembly 102 may be measured by multiple concentrators (e.g., concentrators 104a, 104b, 104c, 104d and/or 104e), each at different known locations. It is noted that the relative positions between the concentrator is known and can be easily measured. Such a configuration allows for a determination (or estimation) of position of a particular tag assembly 102 through a position algorithm, which estimates position based on the signal strength of the particular tag assembly at two or more of the concentrators 104a-104e and the known positions of the concentrators 104a-104e. For example, a radio triangulation procedure may be used to estimate the position of a tag assembly based on the interaction of the tag assembly 102 with three or more concentrators 104a-104e. FIG. 1 1 illustrates a conceptual view 160 of the determination of location of a given tag assembly 102 based on such a radio triangulation procedure.

[0052] In another embodiment, one or more concentrators 104 may be equipped with a directional antenna. In this regard, the distance and direction of one or more animals 152-156 may be determined. Such a configuration may allow for a single concentrator 104 to monitor nutrient uptake frequency at multiple nutrient sources 158. For example, the use of a directional antenna may allow a single concentrator 104 to monitor feeding frequency, watering frequency and the like for the one or more animals 152-156. In another embodiment, multiple concentrators 104 may be equipped with a directional antenna. Based on the direction of signal detection of a given tag assembly 102 by two or more concentrators, the system 100 may determine an approximate position of the tag assembly 102 (e.g., location at which the directional vectors intersect). FIG. 1 J illustrates a conceptual view 170 of the determination of location of a given tag assembly 102 using two or more concentrators 104a, 104b equipped with a direction antenna. As shown in FIG. 1 J, the approximate position of the particular tag assembly corresponds to the position where the direction vector between the first concentrator 104a and the tag assembly 102 intersects with the direction vector between the second concentrator 104b and the tag assembly 102.

[0053] It is further noted herein that the system 100 may include multiple concentrators 104, where each concentrator is coupled to a different set of tag assemblies 102. In one embodiment, a first concentrator 104 is coupled to a first set of tag assemblies 102. In another embodiment, a second concentrator 104 is coupled to a second set of tag assemblies 102. It is further noted herein that a concentrator 104 may be coupled to one or more tag assemblies 102 according to any network topology known in the art including, but not limited to, star and mesh topologies. In one embodiment, a concentrator 104 is configured as a hub of a star network topology, with one or more tag assemblies 104 communicatively coupled to the concentrator 104 via point-to-point connections. In another embodiment, one or more repeaters (not shown) are placed between a concentrator 104 and one or more tag assemblies 102 in order to increase the allowable range of the one or more tag assemblies 102.

[0054] In one embodiment, utilizing the signal information associated with a given tag assembly 102, a nutrient uptake frequency may be determined. In turn, the nutrient uptake frequency may be recorded in memory 125 of the concentrator 104 and/or transmitted to the controller 108 for future use. [0055] In another embodiment, in the context of the signal strength based techniques described above, the distance traveled and/or the average speed of a given animal may be measured by tracking the position data of a given tag assembly 102 as function of time.

[0056] In another embodiment, as previously noted, the concentrator 104 may transmit all or some of the received physiological and/or behavioral data to controller 108 (or another controller). For example, the concentrator 104 may transmit all or some of the received physiological and/or behavioral data to controller 108 (or another controller) via network 106. In one embodiment, once received by the controller 108, the program instructions of the controller 108 may determine a health state of the one or more animals based on the physiological data (e.g., temperature, heart rate and etc.) and/or behavioral data (e.g., head tilt, feeding frequency, amount of movement (e.g., steps) and etc.). For example, upon collecting one or more physiological and/or behavioral characteristics, the one or more concentrators 104 may transmit (e.g., wirelessly or wireline) the collected information to controller 108 (or another controller) via a network (e.g., internet, intranet and the like). In another embodiment, the one or more processors 130 of the controller 108, via a set of program instructions (e.g., maintained in memory 132), may carry out a number of data processing steps on the data to determine a health state of one or more animals of the animal population.

[0057] In one embodiment, the measured animal characteristics are compared to a known standard set of characteristics. For example, a database (not shown) may be maintained in memory 132 of the controller 108 (or any other memory accessible by the controller 108) and structured to relate one or more animal characteristics to a particular health state. For instance, any one or more of the physiological characteristics and/or behavioral characteristics may be correlated to known health states of studied animals. After a series of trial-and-error measurements are performed, the database may be constructed and stored in memory 132. In one embodiment, the database may correlate a single characteristic to a particular health state. For example, the controller 108 may utilize the stored database to correlate head tilt to the health state of an animal. For instance, a head tilt above a certain angle may be associated with a "healthy" animal, while head tilt below a certain angle may be associated with an "unhealthy" animal. Further, the average time the head tilt is above/below a particular threshold may be used to determine the health state of the animal. It is recognized that any of the measured characteristics described previously herein may be utilized in a single variable context to determine the health state of an animal. In this regard, the controller 108 may identify an unhealthy animal, or a potentially unhealthy animal. In the event of an unhealthy, or a potentially unhealthy, the animal is identified and the controller 108 may notify a user via user devices 1 12a or 1 12b that the animal is unhealthy or potentially unhealthy.

[0058] In another embodiment, the database may correlate multiple characteristics to a particular health state. For example, the controller 108 may utilize the stored database to correlate multiple physiological and/or behavior characteristics to a particular health state of an animal. In this regard, the database may reflect a multi- variable relationship between the health state of an animal and two or more physiological and/or behavior characteristics. For example, the multi-variable database may be constructed to relate the health state of one or more animals to two or more of temperature, heart rate, head tilt, feeding frequency, amount of movement (e.g., steps) and etc. For instance, a first head tilt value, a first temperature value and a first feeding frequency value may be associated with a "healthy" animal, while a second head tilt value, a second temperature value and a second feeding frequency value may be associated with an "unhealthy" animal. It is recognized that any of the measured characteristics described previously herein may be utilized in a multi-variable context to determine the health state of an animal. Again, in the event an unhealthy, or a potentially unhealthy, animal is identified, the controller 108 may notify a user via user devices 1 12a or 1 12b that the animal is unhealthy or potentially unhealthy.

[0059] In another embodiment, an unhealthy animal is identified via a differential comparison of measured characteristics for a first animal to measured characteristics associated with one or more other members of the animal population. For example, one or more measured physiological and/or behavior characteristics for a first animal may be compared to one or more measured physiological and/or behavior characteristics for at least a second animal or an average of two or more animals. In this regard, outlier characteristics displayed by a given animal may be identified by directly comparing the measured characteristics of the given animal to the same type of measured characteristics for other members of the same population. This approach is particularly advantageous as it may serve to eliminate systematic errors and conditions, such as, but not limited to, weather, feeding conditions, watering conditions, events that may disrupt herd feeding patterns and the like. It is recognized herein that the animals may be statistically binned into like sub-sets for the purposes of comparison. For instance, animals may be limited to comparison with animals of the same or similar age or weight. In another instance, animals may be limited to comparison with animals of the same sex. In another instance, animals may be limited to comparison with animals located in the same spatial region of the general animal holding area at a particular time of the day (in order to eliminate systematic affects such as sunlight and etc.).

[0060] It is further recognized that the behavior may be averaged over a selected time period prior to comparison. In the event any one or more of the measured characteristics deviates (by a selected threshold) from that of the other animal(s), the controller 108 may notify a user that the deviant animal is unhealthy or potentially unhealthy.

[0061] In another embodiment, an unhealthy animal is identified by monitoring the one or more measured characteristics of the animal as a function of time and/or location. For example, one or more measured physiological and/or behavior characteristics for an animal may be monitored as a function of time. In this regard, physiological and/or behavior characteristics measured at a first time instance (or across a first time interval) may compared to one or more measured physiological and/or behavior characteristics at a second time instance (or across a second time interval) (and a third time instance, a fourth time instance and so on). In this regard, the controller 108 may identify an unhealthy animal, or a potentially unhealthy animal, by observing deviations in the animal's behavior as a function of time. In the event any one or more of the measured characteristics exceeds a selected threshold, the controller 108 may notify a user that the animal is unhealthy or potentially unhealthy. This approach is particularly healthy in cases where a given animal, while in a healthy state, displays physiological and/or behavioral characteristics that deviates from other members of the herd.

[0062] It is further noted that the controller 108 may identify an unhealthy animal using any combination of the analysis approaches set forth above. For example, an unhealthy animal may be identified through implementation of any of the following: a preloaded database, comparison to other members of the population and/or monitoring a single animal as a function of time or location.

[0063] In one embodiment, the controller 108 (or controllers) may receive instructions from a user device (e.g., user device 1 12a or user device 1 12b). In this regard, a user may select what comparisons he/she wants the controller 108 to perform. Then, the controller may transmit those results to the user. In another embodiment, the system 100 may include a mobile device separate from a first user device. In this regard, the results, or a sub-set of the results, may be delivered to another user remotely. For example, simplified data outputs may be transmitted to the additional user (e.g., smartphone or tablet user).

[0064] FIGS. 1 K and 1 L illustrate a mobile concentrator 104, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1 K, the concentrator 104 is user-carried. For example, a user 164 may carry the concentrator 104 and selectively interrogate the tag assemblies 102 of the various animals of an animal population 150. This embodiment may be particularly useful in the context where physiological and/or behavioral characteristic data are stored on board the tag assembly 102. In another embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1 L, the concentrator is drone-mounted. For example, the concentrator 104 may be mounted to a drone 165. In this regard, the drone 165 may selectively interrogate the tag assemblies 102 of the various animals of the animal population. Such a configuration would allow for a single concentrator to service multiple feed lot pens.

[0065] It is further noted that the present disclosure is not limited to the above examples and is not limited to tracking physiological and/or behavioral characteristics of cattle. It is noted that the present disclosure may be extended to a wide variety of environments, such as, but not limited to tracking and predicting health states in pigs, horses, sheep, pets (e.g., dogs, cats and etc.), zoo animals and etc. Further, the present disclosure may further be used to track and/or predict health states in humans, such as children in a daycare, athletes on a sports team or patients in a hospital facility.

[0066] Referring again to FIGS. 1A-1 D, it is noted that communication between a concentrator 104 and one or more tags 102 may include half-duplex and/or full- duplex communication systems. In one embodiment, a communication system between a tag 102 and a concentrator 104 includes a half-duplex communication system. In another embodiment, a communication system between a tag 102 and a concentrator 104 includes a Medium Access Control (MAC) layer. In another embodiment, the MAC is time slotted. In one embodiment, the communication data rate between a concentrator 104 and one or more tags 102 is between 1 , 000 and 100, 0000 bits/sec. For example, the communication date rate may be, but it not limited to, 57,600 bits/sec, which provides a data period of approximately 6.6 milliseconds. It is noted herein that the data rate of 57,600 bits/sec is not intended as limiting and other data rates may be used within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0067] In one embodiment, the MAC includes a global data period of a selected length that defines the frequency of data collection. For example, the global data period may have a length of 3 seconds. It is noted herein that this data period is not limiting and that longer or shorter data periods may be used within the scope of the present disclosure. It is further noted that data need not be collected by a concentrator 104 during each data period; this configuration may be useful, for example, in order to manage power consumption and extend battery life. In one embodiment, the global data period is divided into a selected number slots. For example, the global data period may be divided into 120 time slots. In another embodiment, the width of each time slot within a data packet is a selected time period. For example, the time period may be 25 milliseconds. In another embodiment, the 120 time slots are further divided into 1 beacon time slot, 9 provisioning time slots, and 1 10 data collection time slots. In this way, data from 1 10 tags 102 may be collected from a single concentrator 104. It is noted herein that the specific values of the width of the time slots and the number of time slots within a global data period is not limiting. It is further noted that choosing a time slot width larger than the data rate period (e.g. a 25 millisecond time slot width in relation to a data period of 6.6 milliseconds) enables time guard banding. In this regard, the local clocks of a concentrator 104 and one or more tags 102 may run fast or slow relative to each other with minimal synchronization error.

[0068] In another embodiment, a data packet transmitted during a global data period comprises 48 bytes and consists of the following components: a preamble of 8 bytes, a sync word of 4 bytes, a payload size of 1 byte, a payload of up to 33 bytes, and a cyclic redundancy check (CRC) of 2 bytes. It is noted herein that the contents and structure of the data packet are not limiting and other data packets with different contents and/or structure may be used within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0069] It is noted herein that the purpose of a beacon signal is to provide a mechanism for synchronizing the concentrator 104 with one or more tags 102 such that each tag 102 may properly transmit data in a designated time slot. In one embodiment, the one or more processors 1 16 of a tag (e.g. 102a) direct the data radio (e.g. the communication circuitry 120) to turn on only when a beacon signal is expected in order to conserve power. If a beacon is received, the timing circuitry (not shown) of the tag 102 is synchronized to the beacon signal such that the timing of the remaining time slots are synchronized between the collector 104 and the tag 102.

[0070] FIG. 1 M illustrates a flow diagram depicting a communication protocol between a tag 102 and a concentrator 104, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0071] In one embodiment, the logical flow the tag 102 and the logical flow of the concentrator 104 are independent, which is to say that each element contains separate timing circuitry (not shown).

[0072] In one embodiment, a tag 102 collects data 171 from one or more sensors 1 14. In one embodiment, the one or more processors 1 16 of a tag (e.g. 102a) direct the data radio (e.g. the communication circuitry 126) to turn on 172 only when a beacon signal is expected to be transmitted from the concentrator 104 in order to conserve power. The tag 102 will then search 173 for a beacon signal. If a beacon signal is not found 175, the tag 102 will continue to search 180 for a beacon signal for up to 8 global data periods (or any other selected number of global data periods). If no beacon signal is found 175 within 8 global data periods 180, the tag 102 enters a search mode 181 . In the search mode, the one or more processors 1 16 direct the data radio to toggle on and off every 4 seconds (or any other selected time period) such that the tag 102 searches for a beacon signal when the data radio is on. It is noted herein that one purpose of the search mode is to conserve power while searching for a beacon signal. It is further noted herein that the specific values of 8 global data periods required to enter the search mode and a toggle time of 4 seconds are not intended to be limiting and are provided merely for illustrative purposes.

[0073] In another embodiment, if a beacon signal is received 175 by a tag 102, the local clock will be synchronized 176 to the beacon signal. In one embodiment, if a tag 102 does not have a beacon signal then a provisioning packet is transmitted 182 to the concentrator 104 in one of the provisioning timeslots. It is noted herein that the specific provisioning time slot may be chosen either at random or may be fixed for a given tag 102. If the concentrator 104 receives a provisioning packet 189 in one of the provisioning time slots, the concentrator 104 transmits a data timeslot to the tag 102. If the tag 102 properly receives the transmitted data timeslot, the tag 102 transmits an acknowledgement signal 184. If the acknowledgement signal is properly received 191 by the concentrator 104, a final confirmation signal is transmitted 192 to the tag 102 in order to confirm 185 the timeslot for the tag 102. The concentrator 104 then associates 19 the allotted time slot with the tag 102. It is noted herein that the association of a timeslot with a tag 102 may be accomplished using any method known in the art including, but not limited to, storage of the serial number of the tag 102 or the use of another identification number. If any of the steps associated with the assignment of a timeslot to a tag 102 fails (e.g., steps 182, 189,

190, 183, 184, 191 , 192, or 185), the tag 102 does not have an assigned timeslot 232 and the tag will transmit a provisioning packet 182 on the next global data period. It is noted herein that the steps associated with the assignment of a timeslot to a tag 102 (e.g., steps 182, 189, 190, 183, 184, 191 , 192, or 185) are not intended to be limiting. By way of non-limiting example, any of steps 182, 189, 190, 183, 184,

191 , 192, or 185 may be omitted. Alternatively, by way of non-limiting example, additional communication signals (not shown) may be utilized to ensure proper assignment of a timeslot to a tag 102.

[0074] In another embodiment, if a tag 102 has an assigned timeslot 177, the tag 102 transmits health data 178 to the concentrator 104 during the appropriate timeslot. The one or more processors 1 16 of the tag 102 then direct the data radio to turn off 179 for the remainder of the global data period. During this time, the concentrator 104 receives data from all timeslots 194. At the start of the next data period, the concentrator repeats the process, beginning with the transmission of a beacon signal 188. It is noted herein that the tag may monitor health data using the one or more sensors 1 14 continuously throughout the communication cycle.

[0075] It is noted herein that if a concentrator 104 loses a listing of assigned time slots associated with one or more tags 102 (e.g., upon reboot), the one or more tags 102 may continue to send data during a previously assigned time slot. The concentrator 104 will then rebuild a listing of assigned time slots associated with the one or more tags 102 according to order of received data in the data time slots. It is further noted that this procedure may be carried out in order to prevent all of the one or more tags 102 from simultaneously transmitting provisioning packets 182, which may lead to assignment errors.

[0076] FIGS. 2A-2C illustrate a series of schematic views of tag assembly 102, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. Referring now to FIG. 2A, the tag assembly 102 may include a tag body 202. It is recognized herein that the tag body 202 may take on the general shape of passive ear tags known in the art. However, the tag body 202 of the present disclosure may be further functionalized with the components of the tag assembly 102, described previously herein. For example, as shown in FIG. 2A, the components of the tag assembly 102 may be disposed on one or more surfaces of the tag body 202 or encased within the outer surfaces of the tag body. In one embodiment, one or more sensors 1 14 are disposed on a first surface (e.g., front surface in FIG. 2A) of the tag body 202. The one or more sensors 1 14 may include any of the sensors described throughout the present disclosure. [0077] In one embodiment, the one or more sensors 1 14 may include one or more temperature probes 206 (e.g., thermopile, IR sensor, RTD and the like). The one or more temperature probe 206 may be positioned on the tag body 202 such that it resides in close proximity with a portion of the tagged animal so that temperature measurements are satisfactorily accurate.

[0078] In another embodiment, the one or more sensors 1 14 may include one or more accelerometers 208 (e.g., three-axis accelerometer). In another embodiment, the one or more sensors 1 14 may include one or more magnetometers 210. In another embodiment, the one or more sensors 1 14 may include a IMU.

[0079] In another embodiment, the communication circuitry 120 of the tag assembly 102 may be disposed on a first surface (e.g., front surface in FIG. 2A) of the tag body 202. The communication circuitry 120 may include any communication circuitry known in the art of mobile communication. For example, the communication circuitry 120 may include, but is not limited to, a RF module (e.g., LEBT module). In another embodiment, the one or more batteries 121 of the tag assembly 102 may be disposed on the first surface (e.g., front surface in FIG. 2A) of the tag body 202.

[0080] It is further noted that the arrangement of the sensors 1 14, communication circuitry 120 and battery 121 is provided merely for illustrative purposes. It is recognized that the components may be arranged in any number of configurations. For example, a portion of the components may be disposed on a first surface of the tag body, while a second portion of the components may be disposed on a second surface of the tag body 202.

[0081] In another embodiment, the tag body 202 of the tag assembly 102 may be secured to a portion of the animal (e.g., ear of the animal) using the tag connector 204. In another embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2B, one or more sensors 1 14, communication circuitry and/or the battery 121 may be disposed on an independent sensor unit 212. In one embodiment, the sensor unit 212 may be coupled to the backside portion of the tag connector 204.

[0082] In another embodiment, the tag assembly 102 need not include the tag body 202. For example, as shown in FIG. 2C, the tag assembly 102 includes a sensor unit 212, which may be coupled directly to a portion of the animal (e.g., ear) using the connector 204. Again, one or more sensors 1 14, communication circuitry and/or the battery 121 may be disposed on an independent sensor unit 212. Such a configuration may be particularly advantageous when close contact between one or more of the sensors (e.g., temperature probe) and an ear portion of the animal is desired. As shown in FIG. 2C, direction contact can be made between the sensor 1 14 (e.g., temperature probe) of the sensor unit 212 and a portion of the ear of the animal.

[0083] FIGD. 2D illustrates a schematic view of tag assembly 102, in accordance with one or more additional embodiments of the present disclosure. In this embodiment, the tag assembly 102 includes an elongated tag body 202 that when attached to an ear of an animal with the tag connector 204 may hang from the ear of the animal. For example, the ear of the animal (not shown in FIG. 2D) may be situated between the tag body 202 an the base of the ear connector 204 once the tag connector 204 is pushed through the ear of the animal and coupled to the receiving hole of the tag body 202.

[0084] In this embodiment, one or more sensors 1 14 are disposed on one or more surfaces of the tag body or within (all or a portion) of the volume of the tag body. For instance, the various sensors 1 14 may be molded within a plastic tag body. In another embodiment, a portion of the one or more sensors may be exposed in order to enhance measurements of one or more parameters.

[0085] The one or more sensors 1 14, as discussed previously herein, may include any sensor technology known in the art for measuring physiological and/or behavioral parameters. For example, the one or more sensors 1 14 may include, but are not limited to, a temperature sensor (e.g., IR temperature sensor, thermocouple, thermistor and the like), a heart rate monitor (e.g., optical heart monitor), an accelerometer, a magnetometer, a gyroscope, an inertial measurement unit, a location sensor, a chemical sensor and the like. In the embodiment depicted in FIG. 2D, the one or more sensors 1 14 include a temperature sensor 206, an accelerometer 208, and a gyroscope 209. It is noted that the tag assembly of FIG. 2D is not limited to this set of sensors, which are depicted merely for illustrative purposes. Any of the various sensor technologies described throughout the present disclosure may be implemented in the context of the tag 102 of FIG. 2D. [0086] In the case of the temperature sensor 206, the temperature sensor 206 may be integrated into the tag body 202 of the tag 102 such that it is exposed at the surface of the tag facing the connect 204. Such a configuration provides for adequate contact to the animal's ear (in the case a thermistor or thermocouple bases temperature sensor) and/or line of sight (in the case of an IR-based temperature sensor).

[0087] In another embodiment, the tag 102 may be equipped with one or more processors 1 16 and memory 1 17. In another embodiment, the tag 102 may be equipped with communication circuitry 120 (e.g., antenna) for communicating with the concentrator 104.

[0088] In one embodiment, the one or more sensors 1 14 sensors may collect data associated with the animal's movements, activity, and/or temperature. Data may be stored in memory 1 17. In another embodiment, the data may be processed or pre- process on the tag 102 via the one or more processors 1 16. In another embodiment, the raw data or processed/pre-process data is transmitted to from the tag 102 to the concentrator 104 via the communication circuitry 120. As discussed previously herein, the concentrator 104, or base station, may be communicatively coupled to a secure cloud (i.e., server), where the various data results can be analyzed and decisions can be made about the state of the tagged animal. An indicator indicative of a particular decision related to the tagged animal may then be transmitted to one or more user devise 1 10a-1 10c so that that user may take action in regard to the animal.

[0089] In another embodiment, the tag 102 includes one or more indicators. For example, the tag 102 may include one or more LEDs 216. In this regard, one or more signals indicative of the state of the tagged animal may be transmitted back to the tag 102 on the given animal from the concentrator 104. In one embodiment, based on the state of health of the animal, the LED may be activated. For example, the tag 102 may be programmed to activate the LED when one or more parameters falls below a selected threshold. In this regard, the LED may be activated when the animal is in need of attention. By way of another example, the LED may be activated when the animal is deemed in good health. Alternatively, different colors of LED may be used for different health states (e.g., green for satisfactory health condition, red for less-than-satisfactory health condition).

[0090] In another embodiment, feedback from the concentrator 104/controller 108 to the tag 102 may update the sampling conditions of the given tag 102. For example, in a situation where the given animal is in a poor or stressed health state, the concentrator 104/controller 108 may direct the tag 102 to increase the sampling rate or change the parameters that are sampled.

[0091] In another embodiment, diagnostic decisions may be made by users/manager themselves based on the measured parameters, such as, but not limited to, movement, activity, and/or temperature.

[0092] In another embodiment, the tag 102 is equipped with one or more RFID devices. In this regard, a particular animal may be identified utilizing an RFID reader. For example, the RFID may include, but is not limited to, a low frequency passive RFID device. By way of another example, the RFID may include, but is not limited to, an active RFID device.

[0093] In another embodiment, the tag 102 may be equipped with one or more communication lines (not shown) for communicatively connecting the various components of the tag 102 to each other and/or to the communication circuitry 120.

[0094] In another embodiment, the tag 102 includes one or more power supplies. The one or more power supplies may include one or more batteries 121 . The one or more batteries 121 may include one or more rechargeable batteries. In one embodiment, one or more rechargeable batteries may be sealed within the tag 102 and recharged via recharging circuitry. In one embodiment, the recharging circuitry may include conductive charging circuitry. In this embodiment, the tag 102 may include an electrical charging port, which may be electrically coupled to an external charger for power transfer. In another embodiment, the recharging circuitry may include inductive charging circuitry. In this embodiment, the tag 102 may include one or more inductive coils, which may be inductively coupled to one or more external inductive coils for power transfer. [0095] While the battery 121 of FIG. 2D is depicted as a commercially available battery, this configuration should not be interpreted as a limitation on the scope of the present disclosure. It is recognized herein that the battery 121 may include a customized battery formed to have a shape that is contoured to the shape of the particular tag. For example, the battery 121 may take on a flat planar shape so as to fit to the profile of the tag depicted in FIG. 2D.

[0096] In another embodiment, the tag 102 may be equipped with one or more power lines (not shown) for electrically connecting the various components of the tag 102 to the power supply 121 .

[0097] FIGS. 3A-3D illustrate a tag assembly 300, in accordance with an additional embodiment of the present disclosure. In one embodiment, the tag assembly 300 is shaped and sized so as to fit within an ear of a cow. As shown in FIGS. 3A-3B, the tag assembly 300 includes a sensor 302 (e.g., temperature sensor (e.g., thermopile)). It is noted that any of the sensory devices described previously herein may be integrated into the structure of the tag assembly 300. In addition, the tag assembly 300 includes an attachment pass through 304 (or hole) for securing the tag assembly 300 to the animal's ear. Further, the tag assembly 300 includes a battery 306. In addition, the tag assembly 300 includes an antenna 308. FIG. 3C depicts the tag assembly 300 as attached to the ear of the animal (e.g., cow). As shown in FIGS. 3C-3D, the tag assembly 300 is suitable for attaching to the ear at a position (marked by "X") that is approximately between the head of the cow and the end of the ear. In addition, the tag assembly 300 may be placed between the 2nd and 3rd cartilage ridges (as shown in FIG. 3D, at the inside edge of the middle third of the ear). In this regard, the tag assembly may be placed on the inner part of the middle 3rd of the ear with the antenna end of the tag assembly 300 situated at the outer edge of the ear. This will allow the tag to sit in the groove between the cartilage ridges, which will aid in maintaining a more constant temperature as well as allowing a sensor to measure the temperature of the inner ear canal itself.

[0098] FIGS. 4A-4C illustrate multiple views of a tag assembly 400, in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 4A illustrates an angled top view of the tag assembly 400. FIG. 4B illustrates a bottom view of the tag assembly 400. FIG. 4C illustrates a cross-sectional view of tag assembly 400. [0099] In one embodiment, the tag body 402 may be secured to a portion of the animal (e.g., ear of the animal) via one or more connection pass-throughs (or holes) 408a, 408b. It is noted that the number of connector pass-throughs of the tag assembly 400 defines the number of attachment points to the animal. It is further noted that the number and orientation of the one or more contact points may influence the stability of the tag assembly 400 on the animal. For example, the use of two or more punches aids in reducing rotation of the tag assembly 400 out of the animal's ear.

[00100] In another embodiment, the tag assembly 400 includes a first sensor 404 (e.g., first temperature sensor) and a second sensor 406 (e.g., second temperature sensor). For example, the first sensor 404 may be used to measure the ear canal temperature of the animal, while the second sensor 406 may be used to measure the temperature of the face of the ear of the animal. It is noted herein that the tag assembly 400 is not limited to the sensor configuration described above. Rather, the sensor configuration is provided merely for illustrative purposes. It is recognized herein that the two or more sensors of the tag assembly 400 may include any number and any type of sensor known in the art, including those described previously herein. In another embodiment, the tag assembly 400 includes a battery 410 (e.g., replaceable battery). It is further noted that the various components and embodiments described previously herein should be interpreted to extend to the embodiments of FIGS. 4A-4C unless otherwise noted.

[00101] FIGS. 5A and 5B illustrate a crimper tool 500 for attaching a tag assembly to an animal, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. In one embodiment, the crimper tool 500 is structured so as to connect the tag assembly 400, depicted in FIGS. 4A-4C, to an ear of an animal via the one or more connection pass-throughs, or holes, 408a, 408b. In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5A, the crimper tool 500 includes a hinged body 502. In another embodiment, the hinged body 502 includes a first arm 504 and a second arm 506. In another embodiment, the crimper tool 500 includes a puncture assembly 508. In another embodiment, the punch assembly 508 includes two or more punches. For example, the punch assembly 508 may include, but is not limited to, a first punch 510 and a second punch 508. For example, the relative spacing of the first punch 510 and the second punch 512 may correspond with the spacing of the connection pass- throughs, or holes, 408a, 408b or tag assembly 400. It is noted herein that the crimper tool 500 is not limited to two punches or the arrangement depicted in FIGS. 5A and 5B. Rather, the punch configuration of FIGS. 5A and 5B are provided merely for illustrative purposes. For example, the punch assembly 508 may include any number of punches (e.g., two, three, four and so on) and may be arranged in any geometrical arranged so as to corresponding with the connection pass-throughs of the tag assembly 400.

[00102] It is noted that when operated a user presses the first arm 504 and second arm 506 together, which serves to drive the punches 510, 512 through the animal's ear. It is further noted that the first punch 510 and the second punch 512 have different lengths. A first punch 510 is longer than the second punch 512 so that the first punch 510 pierces a portion of an animal before the second punch 512 begins piercing the portion of the animal. In this manner, the punches 510, 512 serves to spread out the application of force to the animal's ear over time. Such a configuration serves to reduce the maximum amount of applied force relative to two punches of identical length, which alleviates stress on the animal and allows for easier application by the user.

[00103] FIGS. 6A-6R illustrate multiple views of a tag assembly 600, in accordance with an additional embodiment of the present disclosure. It is noted that any of the devices (e.g., sensors, battery, processor, communication circuitry, antenna, memory and etc.) described previously herein may be integrated into the structure of the tag assembly 600. As shown in FIGS. 6A-6C, the tag body 602 of tag assembly 600 may be configured for being stapled to the ear of an animal with one or more staples 604. For example, as shown in FIGS. 6B and 6C, the tag body 602 includes two or more pass through holes 605 to allow one or more connections of one or more staples to secure the tag assembly 600 to an ear (or other portion) of the animal. In one embodiment, the two or more pass through holes 605 may include push nuts for securing the connecting portions of the one or more staples 604.

[00104] In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6D, the tag body 602 of tag assembly 600 is shaped and sized so as to fit within an ear (e.g., on inner portion of ear) of an animal, such as, but not limited to, a cow. FIG. 6E illustrates the backside of an ear of animal (e.g., cow), whereby a staple 604 is used to secure the tag assembly 600 within the canal of the animal's ear (as shown in FIG. 6D). While the examples provided in FIGS. 6A-6E illustrate a single staple, such a configuration is not a limitation on the present disclosure and it is recognized that the various tag assemblies of the present disclosure, such as, but not limited to, tag assembly 600 may be connected to an animal's ear (or other portion of their body) with any number of staples or other connection devices. As noted previously herein, the tag assembly 600 may be placed between the 2nd and 3rd cartilage ridges (as shown in FIG. 3D, at the inside edge of the middle third of the ear).

[00105] In another embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6F, the tag assembly 600 includes a backing layer 610. In one embodiment, the backing layer 610 may be positioned on the backside of an animal's ear and serves to provide structural support so as to limit damage and pain to the animal's ear cause by the staple 604. In one embodiment, the backing layer 610 includes two or more pass through openings 612. The pass through openings 612 allow the connecting portions of the staple 604 to pass through the body of the backing layer 610. In this regard, during application of the tag body 602 to the ear, a tag body 602 and backing layer 610 may be held to the animal's ear. Then, the connection portions of the staple 604 may pass through the pass through openings 612, through the ear and through the pass through holes 605 of the tag body 602. In another embodiment, the backing layer 610 may include one or more ventilation holes or openings 614. The one or more ventilation holes or openings may be shaped, sized and/or positioned so as to provide air flow to the back of the animal's ear.

[00106] The shape, size and configuration of the backing layer 610 is not limited to that illustrate in FIG. 6F, which is provided merely for illustrative purposes. The shape, size and/or configuration of the backing layer 610 may extend to any shape, size and/or configuration suitable for securing a tag body 102 to an ear of an animal, while reducing mechanical damage to the ear caused by the staple 604. FIGS. 6G- 6R illustrate a variety of shapes, sizes and configurations of backing layers 610 suitable for implementation in the various embodiments of the present disclosure. The backing layer 610 may formed from any suitable material known in the art, such as, but not limited to, plastic, rubber or like material. [00107] In one embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 6G-6L, the backing layer 610 may include closed pass through openings 612 (or pass through holes). In another embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 6M-6R, the backing layer 610 may include open pass through openings.

[00108] It is further noted that the backing layer 610 may include any number, size and arrangement the ventilation openings 614 of the backing layer 610 and is not limited to the arrangements of ventilation openings depicted in FIGS. 6G-6R.

[00109] FIGS. 6S-6Y illustrate various views of a stapling tool 650 for attaching a tag assembly, such as, but not limited to, tag assembly 600, to an animal, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. In one embodiment, the stapling tool 650 is structured so as to connect the tag assembly 600 (or any other tag assembly), depicted in FIG. 6A, to an ear of an animal. In one embodiment, the connecting portions of a staple may be forced through the base portion of the tag assembly 600 to form the one or more holes 605. In this regard, at least the base of the tag assembly 600 may be formed from a material with which the connecting portions of a staple may pass through, while also providing structural integrity so as to maintain connection to the animal's ear. For instance, at least the base of the tag assembly 600 may be formed from a plastic, rubber or like material. In another embodiment, the holes 605 of the tag assembly 600 may be pre-formed. In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6F, the stapling tool 650 includes a stapling unit 652 (e.g., stapler). It is noted that the stapling unit 652 may include any stapling unit or stapler known in the art. For example, as shown in FIG. 6S, the stapling unit 652 may include a stapler mechanism 659 or device for forcing one or more staples 604 through the animal's ear and securing the tag assembly 600 to the animal's ear by bending the end portions of the staple (e.g., bent staple in FIG. 6D). For instance, upon pulling trigger 655, the stapler mechanism 659 may force a staple 604 through the animal's ear and a portion of the tag assembly 600 so as to secure the tag assembly 600 to the animal's ear. Further, as shown in FIG. 6S, the stapling unit

652 may include a staple supply unit 657 (e.g., staple tray located beneath handle

653 of stapling unit 652).

[00110] In another embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6T, the stapling tool 650 includes a tag securing bracket 654. The bracket 654 may be shaped so as to conform to the shape of the tag body of the selected tag assembly 600. Further, the tag securing bracket 654 serves to secure or hold the body of the tag assembly 600 in place, while the stapling mechanism 659 drives a staple through the animal's ear and through the base portion of the tag assembly 600. For example, during application of a tag assembly 600 to an ear of animal, the animal's ear may be positioned between the tag assembly 600 held in bracket 654 and the stapling mechanism 659. Further, the bracket 654 may provide an opposing portion or face that serves to bend the end of the staple 604 after it is forced through the animal's ear and the base of the tag assembly 600.

[00111] In another embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 6U-6Y, the stapling tool 650 includes a tag assembly magazine 656 for holding multiple tag assemblies 600. For example, as shown in FIG. 6U, the tag assembly magazine may include a spring 658 for pushing the tag assemblies 600 into position for application. In this regard, once a first tag assembly 600 is applied to an animal's ear, the spring 658 pushes the tag assemblies 600 up so the next tag assembly moves into position for tagging. The use of magazine 656 allows for the tagging of multiple animals in rapid succession. The tag assembly magazine 656 may be configured in any manner suitable manner. For example, as shown in FIG. 6U, the tag assembly magazine 656 is arranged in a vertical configuration. By way of another example, as shown in FIGS. 6V-6W, the tag assembly 656 may be arranged in a horizontal configuration. By way of another example, as shown in the end view of FIG. 6X, the tag assembly 656 may be arranged in a side-loading vertical configuration. By way of another example, as shown in the end view of FIG. 6Y, the tag assembly 656 may arranged in a side- loading horizontal configuration. It is noted herein that the present disclosure is not limited to the magazine configurations provide above, which are provided merely for illustrative purposes. For example, the tag assembly magazine may be arranged in a drum or circular configuration.

[00112] It is noted herein that the stapling tool 650 of the present disclosure is not limited to the application of tag assembly 600 or any other tag assembly described previously herein. It is recognized herein that the stapling tool 650 may be used to connect any tag or tag assembly known in the art to a portion (e.g., ear) of an animal with one or more staples. FIG. 7 A illustrates a schematic view 700 of a passive tag 702. In one embodiment, the stapling tool 650 may be used to connect the passive tag 702 to a portion of the animal via staple 604. In this regard, the connecting portions (e.g., parallel straight portions) of the stable 604 are forced through a portion of the passive tag 702 to form holes 704. As noted previously herein, the bracket 654 (shown in FIGS. 6F-6J) may bend the portions of the staple, which serves to secure the passive tag 702 to the animal.

[00113] FIG. 7B illustrates a schematic view 710 of a retrofitted passive tag 712. In one embodiment, an adapter assembly 715 may be used to allow for stapling of the tag 712 to an animal. For example, the adapter assembly 715 may include a connector 708 that passes through the pass-through hole 710. Such a configuration then provides a connecting surface for receiving staple 604. For example, the staple tool 650 may drive the staple 604 through the connecting surface of the adapter assembly 715, thereby forming holes 706. In this regard, the ear of the animal may be placed between the connecting surface of the adapter assembly 715 and the stapling mechanism 659 (shown in FIGS. 6S-6Y) so that the staple 604 secures the retrofitted passive tag 712 to the animal's ear.

[00114] All of the embodiments described herein may include storing results of one or more steps in a storage medium. The results may include any of the results described herein and may be stored in any manner known in the art. The storage medium may include any storage medium described herein or any other suitable storage medium known in the art. After the results have been stored, the results can be accessed in the storage medium and used by any of the method or system embodiments described herein, formatted for display to a user, used by another software module, method, or system, etc. Furthermore, the results may be stored "permanently," "semi-permanently," temporarily, or for some period of time. For example, the storage medium may be random access memory (RAM), and the results may not necessarily persist indefinitely in the storage medium.

[00115] Those having skill in the art will recognize that the state of the art has progressed to the point where there is little distinction left between hardware and software implementations of aspects of systems; the use of hardware or software is generally (but not always, in that in certain contexts the choice between hardware and software can become significant) a design choice representing cost vs. efficiency tradeoffs. Those having skill in the art will appreciate that there are various vehicles by which processes and/or systems and/or other technologies described herein can be effected (e.g., hardware, software, and/or firmware), and that the preferred vehicle will vary with the context in which the processes and/or systems and/or other technologies are deployed. For example, if an implementer determines that speed and accuracy are paramount, the implementer may opt for a mainly hardware and/or firmware vehicle; alternatively, if flexibility is paramount, the implementer may opt for a mainly software implementation; or, yet again alternatively, the implementer may opt for some combination of hardware, software, and/or firmware. Hence, there are several possible vehicles by which the processes and/or devices and/or other technologies described herein may be effected, none of which is inherently superior to the other in that any vehicle to be utilized is a choice dependent upon the context in which the vehicle will be deployed and the specific concerns (e.g., speed, flexibility, or predictability) of the implementer, any of which may vary. Those skilled in the art will recognize that optical aspects of implementations will typically employ optically-oriented hardware, software, and or firmware.

[00116] While particular aspects of the present subject matter described herein have been shown and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that, based upon the teachings herein, changes and modifications may be made without departing from the subject matter described herein and its broader aspects and, therefore, the appended claims are to encompass within their scope all such changes and modifications as are within the true spirit and scope of the subject matter described herein.

[00117] Furthermore, it is to be understood that the invention is defined by the appended claims. It will be understood by those within the art that, in general, terms used herein, and especially in the appended claims (e.g., bodies of the appended claims) are generally intended as "open" terms (e.g., the term "including" should be interpreted as "including but not limited to," the term "having" should be interpreted as "having at least," the term "includes" should be interpreted as "includes but is not limited to," etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is intended, such an intent will be explicitly recited in the claim, and in the absence of such recitation no such intent is present. For example, as an aid to understanding, the following appended claims may contain usage of the introductory phrases "at least one" and "one or more" to introduce claim recitations. However, the use of such phrases should not be construed to imply that the introduction of a claim recitation by the indefinite articles "a" or "an" limits any particular claim containing such introduced claim recitation to inventions containing only one such recitation, even when the same claim includes the introductory phrases "one or more" or "at least one" and indefinite articles such as "a" or "an" (e.g., "a" and/or "an" should typically be interpreted to mean "at least one" or "one or more"); the same holds true for the use of definite articles used to introduce claim recitations. In addition, even if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is explicitly recited, those skilled in the art will recognize that such recitation should typically be interpreted to mean at least the recited number (e.g., the bare recitation of "two recitations," without other modifiers, typically means at least two recitations, or two or more recitations). Furthermore, in those instances where a convention analogous to "at least one of A, B, and C, etc." is used, in general such a construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the art would understand the convention (e.g., " a system having at least one of A, B, and C" would include but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.). In those instances where a convention analogous to "at least one of A, B, or C, etc." is used, in general such a construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the art would understand the convention (e.g., " a system having at least one of A, B, or C" would include but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that virtually any disjunctive word and/or phrase presenting two or more alternative terms, whether in the description, claims, or drawings, should be understood to contemplate the possibilities of including one of the terms, either of the terms, or both terms. For example, the phrase "A or B" will be understood to include the possibilities of "A" or "B" or "A and B."

[00118] It is believed that the present disclosure and many of its attendant advantages will be understood by the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the components without departing from the disclosed subject matter or without sacrificing all of its material advantages. The form described is merely explanatory, and it is the intention of the following claims to encompass and include such changes.