	US 11,832,595 B2
	System and method for identification of individual animals based on images of the back
Soren Borchersen, Horsens (DK); Claus Borggaard, Viby Sj (DK); and Niels Worsoe Hansen, Lejre (DK)
Assigned to Viking Genetics FmbA, Randers SO (DK)
Filed by VIKING GENETICS FMBA, Randers SO (DK)
Filed on Jun. 9, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/343,208.
Application 17/343,208 is a continuation of application No. 15/738,823, granted, now 11,080,522, previously published as PCT/EP2016/065241, filed on Jun. 30, 2016.
Claims priority of application No. 15174783 (EP), filed on Jul. 1, 2015.
Prior Publication US 2021/0406530 A1, Dec. 30, 2021
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. G06T 7/62 (2017.01); A01K 5/02 (2006.01); A01K 11/00 (2006.01); A01K 29/00 (2006.01); G06V 40/10 (2022.01); G06V 10/46 (2022.01); G06V 20/64 (2022.01)

CPC A01K 5/02 (2013.01) [A01K 11/00 (2013.01); A01K 29/00 (2013.01); G06T 7/62 (2017.01); G06V 10/46 (2022.01); G06V 20/64 (2022.01); G06V 40/10 (2022.01); G06V 40/103 (2022.01); G06T 2207/10028 (2013.01)]

24 Claims

1. A method for determining the identity of an individual livestock animal in a population of livestock animals with known identity, the method comprising the steps of:

acquiring at least one 3D image of the back of a preselected livestock animal;

extracting data from said at least one 3D image, said extracted data relating to the anatomy of the back and/or topology of the back of the preselected livestock animal; and

comparing and/or matching said extracted data against reference data corresponding to the anatomy of the back and/or topology of the back of the livestock animals with known identity, thereby determining the identity of the preselected animal,

wherein said reference data are extracted from at least one reference 3D image acquired of the back of each of the livestock animals in the population of livestock animals, and wherein at least one reference 3D image of the back of an identified animal with known identity is obtained at least once a month.