Surveying sterilizer methods and systems

• US 20070231190A1
• Filed: 04/25/2006
• Published: 10/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Enterprise Science Fund, LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Searete LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Jung, Edward, Hyde, Roderick, Malamud, Mark, Tegreene, Clarence, Lord, Robert, Levien, Royce, Rinaldo, John, Wood, Lowell
• Granted Patent: US 7,638,090 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 422/3
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/07 Steam
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/08 Radiation
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/10 Ultraviolet radiation
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/20 Gaseous substances, e.g. vapours
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/24 Apparatus using programmed or automatic operation

Abstract

Methods and systems for surveying and sterilizing one or more areas or one or more portions of one or more areas are described.

Claims

1. A sterilization method comprising:

surveying one or more areas; and

transmitting one or more signals to one or more sterilization units in response to the surveying one or more areas.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the surveying one or more areas comprises:

determining if the one or more areas should be sterilized.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the surveying one or more areas comprises:

determining one or more objects within the one or more areas that should be sterilized.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the surveying one or more areas comprises:

mapping the one or more areas.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the surveying one or more areas comprises:

modeling the one or more areas.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the surveying one or more areas comprises:

obtaining one or more readings from one or more sensor units.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the surveying one or more areas comprises:

surveying the one or more areas with one or more survey units that are stationary.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the surveying one or more areas comprises:

determining if one or more humans are present or absent within the one or more areas.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting one or more signals to one or more sterilization units in response to the surveying one or more areas comprises:

transmitting the one or more signals associated with one or more instructions for the one or more sterilization units to apply one or more sterilization agents to the one or more areas.

27. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting one or more signals to one or more sterilization units in response to the surveying one or more areas comprises:

transmitting the one or more signals associated with one or more maps of the one or more areas.

28. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting one or more signals to one or more sterilization units in response to the surveying one or more areas comprises:

transmitting the one or more signals associated with one or more models of the one or more areas.

31. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting one or more signals to one or more sterilization units in response to the surveying one or more areas comprises:

transmitting the one or more signals associated with one or more readings obtained from one or more sensor units.

33. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting one or more signals to one or more sterilization units in response to the surveying one or more areas comprises:

transmitting the one or more signals to the one or more sterilization units from one or more survey units that are stationary.

37. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting one or more signals to one or more sterilization units in response to the surveying one or more areas comprises:

transmitting the one or more signals associated with one or more humans that are present or absent within the one or more areas.

41. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting one or more signals to one or more sterilization units in response to the surveying one or more areas comprises:

transmitting the one or more signals associated with one or more instructions for one or more recording units.

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43. A sterilization method comprising:

receiving one or more signals associated with one or more survey units; and

applying one or more sterilization agents to one or more areas in response to the receiving one or more signals associated with one or more survey units.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein the receiving one or more signals associated with one or more survey units comprises:

receiving the one or more signals associated with one or more instructions to apply the one or more sterilization agents to the one or more areas.

48. The method of claim 43, wherein the receiving one or more signals associated with one or more survey units comprises:

receiving the one or more signals associated with one or more instructions to apply the one or more sterilization agents to one or more objects within the one or more areas.

50. The method of claim 43, wherein the receiving one or more signals associated with one or more survey units comprises:

receiving the one or more signals associated with one or more maps of the one or more areas.

51. The method of claim 43, wherein the receiving one or more signals associated with one or more survey units comprises:

receiving the one or more signals associated with one or more models of the one or more areas.

54. The method of claim 43, wherein the receiving one or more signals associated with one or more survey units comprises:

receiving the one or more signals associated with one or more readings obtained from one or more sensor units.

56. The method of claim 43, wherein the receiving one or more signals associated with one or more survey units comprises:

receiving the one or more signals associated with the one or more survey units that are stationary.

61. The method of claim 43, wherein the receiving one or more signals associated with one or more survey units comprises:

receiving the one or more signals associated with one or more humans that are present or absent within the one or more areas.

64. The method of claim 43, wherein the receiving one or more signals associated with one or more survey units comprises:

receiving the one or more signals associated with one or more instructions that indicate where to apply the one or more sterilization agents within the one or more areas.

67. The method of claim 43, wherein the receiving one or more signals associated with one or more survey units comprises:

receiving the one or more signals associated with one or more recording units.

68. The method of claim 43, wherein the applying one or more sterilization agents to one or more areas in response to the receiving one or more signals associated with one or more survey units comprises:

applying the one or more sterilization agents to the one or more areas.

74. The method of claim 43, wherein the applying one or more sterilization agents to one or more areas in response to the receiving one or more signals associated with one or more survey units comprises:

applying the one or more sterilization agents to the one or more areas in accordance with one or more maps of the one or more areas.

75. The method of claim 43, wherein the applying one or more sterilization agents to one or more areas in response to the receiving one or more signals associated with one or more survey units comprises:

applying the one or more sterilization agents to the one or more areas in accordance with one or more models of the one or more areas.

78. The method of claim 43, wherein the applying one or more sterilization agents to one or more areas in response to the receiving one or more signals associated with one or more survey units comprises:

applying the one or more sterilization agents to the one or more areas in accordance with one or more readings obtained from one or more sensor units.

80. The method of claim 43, wherein the applying one or more sterilization agents to one or more areas in response to the receiving one or more signals associated with one or more survey units comprises:

applying the one or more sterilization agents to the one or more areas from one or more sterilization units that are stationary.

87. The method of claim 43, wherein the applying one or more sterilization agents to one or more areas in response to the receiving one or more signals associated with one or more survey units comprises:

avoiding application of the one or more sterilization agents to the one or more areas if one or more humans are present within the one or more areas.

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98. A sterilization method comprising:

surveying one or more areas; and

applying one or more sterilization agents to the one or more areas in response to the surveying one or more areas.