Surveying sterilizer methods and systems

• US 20070231204A1
• Filed: 10/20/2006
• 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: Tegreene, Clarence T., Lord, Robert W., Jung, Edward K.Y., Levien, Royce A., Hyde, Roderick A., Malamud, Mark A., Rinaldo, John D., Wood, Lowell L.
• Granted Patent: US 7,754,156 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 422/62
• 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

1-93. -93. (canceled)

94. A sterilization system comprising:

circuitry for surveying one or more areas; and

circuitry for transmitting one or more signals to one or more sterilization units responsive to the circuitry for surveying one or more areas.

98. The system of claim 94, wherein the circuitry for surveying one or more areas comprises:

circuitry for determining if the one or more areas should be sterilized.

99. The system of claim 94, wherein the circuitry for surveying one or more areas comprises:

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

100. The system of claim 94, wherein the circuitry for surveying one or more areas comprises:

circuitry for mapping the one or more areas.

101. The system of claim 94, wherein the circuitry for surveying one or more areas comprises:

circuitry for modeling the one or more areas.

102. The system of claim 94, wherein the circuitry for surveying one or more areas comprises:

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

103. The system of claim 94, wherein the circuitry for surveying one or more areas comprises:

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

104. The system of claim 94, wherein the circuitry for surveying one or more areas comprises:

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

105. The system of claim 94, wherein the circuitry for transmitting one or more signals to one or more sterilization units responsive to the circuitry for surveying one or more areas comprises:

circuitry for 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.

106. The system of claim 94, wherein the circuitry for transmitting one or more signals to one or more sterilization units responsive to the circuitry for surveying one or more areas comprises:

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

107. The system of claim 94, wherein the circuitry for transmitting one or more signals to one or more sterilization units responsive to the circuitry for surveying one or more areas comprises:

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

108. The system of claim 94, wherein the circuitry for transmitting one or more signals to one or more sterilization units responsive to the circuitry for surveying one or more areas comprises:

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

109. The system of claim 94, wherein the circuitry for transmitting one or more signals to one or more sterilization units responsive to the circuitry for surveying one or more areas comprises:

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

110. The system of claim 94, wherein the circuitry for transmitting one or more signals to one or more sterilization units responsive to the circuitry for surveying one or more areas comprises:

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

111. The system of claim 94, wherein the circuitry for transmitting one or more signals to one or more sterilization units responsive to the circuitry for surveying one or more areas comprises:

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

95. A sterilization system comprising:

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

circuitry for applying one or more sterilization agents to one or more areas responsive to the circuitry for receiving one or more signals associated with one or more survey units.

112. The system of claim 95, wherein the circuitry for receiving one or more signals associated with one or more survey units comprises:

circuitry for 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.

113. The system of claim 95, wherein the circuitry for receiving one or more signals associated with one or more survey units comprises:

circuitry for 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.

114. The system of claim 95, wherein the circuitry for receiving one or more signals associated with one or more survey units comprises:

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

115. The system of claim 95, wherein the receiving one or more signals associated with one or more survey units comprises:

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

116. The system of claim 95, wherein the circuitry for receiving one or more signals associated with one or more survey units comprises:

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

117. The system of claim 95, wherein the circuitry for receiving one or more signals associated with one or more survey units comprises:

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

118. The system of claim 95, wherein the circuitry for receiving one or more signals associated with one or more survey units comprises:

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

119. The system of claim 95, wherein the circuitry for receiving one or more signals associated with one or more survey units comprises:

circuitry for 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.

120. The system of claim 95, wherein the circuitry for receiving one or more signals associated with one or more survey units comprises:

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

121. The system of claim 95, wherein the circuitry for applying one or more sterilization agents to one or more areas responsive to the circuitry for receiving one or more signals associated with one or more survey units comprises:

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

122. The system of claim 95, wherein the circuitry for applying one or more sterilization agents to one or more areas responsive to the circuitry for receiving one or more signals associated with one or more survey units comprises:

circuitry for 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.

123. The system of claim 95, wherein the circuitry for applying one or more sterilization agents to one or more areas responsive to the circuitry for receiving one or more signals associated with one or more survey units comprises:

circuitry for 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.

124. The system of claim 95, wherein the circuitry for applying one or more sterilization agents to one or more areas responsive to the circuitry for receiving one or more signals associated with one or more survey units comprises:

circuitry for 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.

125. The system of claim 95, wherein the circuitry for applying one or more sterilization agents to one or more areas responsive to the circuitry for receiving one or more signals associated with one or more survey units comprises:

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

126. The system of claim 95, wherein the circuitry for applying one or more sterilization agents to one or more areas responsive to the circuitry for receiving one or more signals associated with one or more survey units comprises:

circuitry for 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.

96. A sterilization system comprising:

means for surveying one or more areas; and

means for transmitting one or more signals to one or more sterilization units responsive to the means for surveying one or more areas.

97. A sterilization system comprising:

means for receiving one or more signals from one or more survey units; and

means for applying one or more sterilization agents to one or more areas responsive to the means for receiving one or more signals from one or more survey units.

127. A sterilization system comprising:

circuitry for surveying one or more areas; and

circuitry for applying one or more sterilization agents to the one or more areas responsive to circuitry for surveying one or more areas.