The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 21, 2004
Filed:
Apr. 12, 2002
Ezequiel Mejia, Woodbury, MN (US);
Yuri Smirnov, Eagan, MN (US);
Digital Angel Corporation, South St. Paul, MN (US);
Abstract
A method and apparatus are provided to identify objects, including livestock. In one embodiment, a device is presented that includes a reflector shield mounted proximate the interrogator that is mounted on or near a livestock chute gate. The reflector shield decreases the amount of the inductive field absorbed by the livestock chute gate, thereby allowing transponders attached to livestock to be read. In a separate embodiment, multiple windings are used to form an interrogator with greater excitation and receiver capability due to the orientation of the wire windings. The multiple-winding interrogators may be used with or without the reflector shield. In yet a separate embodiment, a method is presented to utilize the device of the present invention to identify livestock moving through a livestock chute.