Pest control system and method of operating same

• US 10,548,308 B2
• Filed: 08/28/2019
• Issued: 02/04/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ecolab USA Incorporated (Ecolab, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dow Agrosciences LLC (Corteva, Inc.)
• Inventors: Howard, Phillip J., Baxter, Jr., Richard V., Brune, Douglas K., Kluk, Uriel, Beistle, Edward G., Siler, Christopher, Black, Marc
• Primary Examiner(s): Hunnings, Travis R
• Application Number:
  US16/553,295
• Publication Number:
  US 20190380327A1
• Time in Patent Office: 160 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 1/02 with devices or substances, e.g. food, pheronones attracting the insects
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 1/026 combined with devices for monitoring insect presence, e.g. termites bait stations A01M1/2005; detecting other animals in a given area A01M31/002
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 1/10 Catching insects by using Traps using suction effect A01M1/06
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 23/30 Break-back traps , i.e. mouse-trap type
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 31/002 Detecting animals in a given area

Abstract

A pest control device comprising a capacitive sensor array including a plurality of sensor pads, the capacitive sensor array being configured to generate an electrical output signal indicating the state of each sensor pad, and an electronic controller electrically connected to the capacitive sensor array, the electronic controller including a processor and a memory including a plurality of instructions, which, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to: receive the electrical output signals from the capacitive sensor array, determine a measured capacitance value for each sensor pad based on each electrical output signal, calculate a baseline for each sensor pad based on the measured capacitance value of the sensor pad, determine whether a difference between the measured capacitance value of at least one sensor pad and its corresponding baseline exceeds a first predetermined threshold, update a counter when the first predetermined threshold is exceeded, and record an event indicative of a presence of a pest when the counter exceeds a predetermined limit.

Claims

1. A pest control system comprising:

a pest control device, comprising;

a position sensor operable to generate a plurality of electrical output signals indicative of the position of the pest control device, and

an electronic controller electrically connected to the position sensor,

wherein the electronic controller including a processor and a memory including a plurality of instructions, which, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to;

receive the electrical output signal from the position sensor,

determine, based on the electrical output signal, whether the pest control device has been in a first position for a predetermined period of time,

determine, based on the electrical output signal, a deflection angle of the pest control device when the pest control device has been in the first position for the predetermined period of time,

compare the deflection angle of the pest control device to a predetermined angular threshold, and

generate an output signal when the deflection angle is greater than the predetermined angular threshold.

2. The pest control system of claim 1, wherein the position sensor is an accelerometer.

3. The pest control system of claim 1, wherein the memory further includes a plurality of instructions, which, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to transmit the output signal to a remote system when the deflection angle is greater than the predetermined angular threshold.

4. The pest control system of claim 1, wherein the pest control system further comprises:

a pest trap device, and

the pest control device is configured to be coupled to the pest trap device.

5. The pest control system of claim 4, wherein the pest control device further comprises an outer casing and a support leg pivotally coupled to the outer casing, the support leg including a panel sized to be positioned below the pest trap device.

6. The pest control system of claim 5, wherein the support leg is coupled to the outer casing via a mounting arm of a plurality of mounting arms, each mounting arm extending along a sidewall of the outer casing.

7. The pest control system of claim 4, wherein:

the pest trap device includes a hinged bar operable to pivot about an axis, and

the pest control device further comprises an outer casing and at least one clip operable to engage the hinged bar such that the pest control device is moved with the hinged bar when the hinged bar is pivoted about the axis.

8. The pest control system of claim 4, wherein the pest trap device further comprises a base and a pivoting member pivotally coupled to the base, and the pest control device is mounted on a top surface of the pivoting member.

9. A method of monitoring for pests, the method comprising:

recording a plurality of orientation values from an orientation sensor of a pest control device that is removably coupled to a pest trap device, each orientation value is comprising (x, y, z) coordinates corresponding to an orientation of the pest control device,

determining whether the pest control device is stable based on the plurality of orientation values,

determining an orientation of the pest control device when the pest control device is stable, and

determining a trap condition of the pest trap device based on the orientation of the pest control device.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising transmitting the trap condition to a remote system to determine a trap status of the pest trap device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein determining the trap condition comprises comparing the orientation of the pest control device to a previous stable orientation of the pest control device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein:

comparing the orientation of the pest control device to the previous stable orientation of the pest control device comprises determining whether the orientation of the pest control device differs from the previous stable orientation by a predetermined angular threshold; and

transmitting the trap condition comprises transmitting the trap condition in response to determining that the orientation of the pest control device differs from the previous stable orientation by the predetermined angular threshold.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein recording the plurality of orientation values further comprises recording each orientation value from the orientation sensor after a predetermined time interval has lapsed until a predetermined number of the orientation values are recorded.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the predetermined number of the orientation values is at least 8 orientation values.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein recording the plurality of orientation values comprises (i) incrementing a counter in response to recording each orientation value from the orientation sensor and (ii) clearing the counter after the predetermined number of the orientation values are recorded.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein recording the plurality of orientation values further comprises replacing an oldest orientation value of a predetermined number of the orientation values with an orientation value from the orientation sensor after a predetermined time interval has lapsed.

17. The method of claim 9, wherein determining whether the pest control device is stable based on the plurality of orientation values comprises:

determining maximum orientation values and minimum orientation values from the plurality of orientation values for each of the (x, y, z) coordinates,

determining differences between the maximum orientation values and the minimum orientation values for each of the (x, y, z) coordinates of the plurality of orientation values,

determining whether all of the differences are less than or equal to a first set of predetermined thresholds,

determining average orientation value for each of the (x, y, z) coordinates of the plurality of orientation values when all of the differences are less than or equal to the first set of predetermined thresholds, and

storing the (x, y, z) coordinates of the average orientation value with a new stable orientation value to indicate that the pest control device is stable.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein determining an orientation of the pest control device when the pest control device is stable comprises:

identifying a (x, y, z) coordinates of a previous stable orientation value,

determining a deflection angle of the pest control device using the (x, y, z) coordinates of the new stable orientation value,

determining the deflection angle exceeds a second predetermined threshold,

updating the trap condition when the second predetermined threshold is exceeded, and

updating the previous stable orientation value with the new stable orientation value.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein calculating the deflection angle of the pest control device includes using the following equations:

20. The method of claim 9, wherein determining whether the pest control device is stable based on the plurality of orientation values comprises:

determining maximum orientation values and minimum orientation values from the plurality of orientation values for each of the (x, y, z) coordinates,

determining differences between the maximum orientation values and the minimum orientation values for each of the (x, y, z) coordinates,

determining whether a sum of the differences is less than or equal to a first predetermined threshold,

determining average orientation values for each of the (x, y, z) coordinates from the plurality of orientation values when the sum of the differences is less than or equal to the first predetermined threshold, and

updating the average orientation values to a new stable orientation coordinates.