METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATIC PEST TRAP REPORT GENERATION AND ADDITIONAL TRAP PARAMETER DATA

• US 20090192763A1
• Filed: 03/30/2009
• Published: 07/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ecolab USA Incorporated (Ecolab, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Ecolab, Inc.
• Inventors: Gardner, James P. JR., Skaff, Stephen X., Demattia, David N., Holzman, Louis Mark, Lund, Kraig S.
• Granted Patent: US 8,635,806 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/187
• 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 2200/011 Crawling insects
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 2200/012 Flying insects
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 23/00 Traps for animals
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 31/002 Detecting animals in a given area

Abstract

A reporting system for collecting, communicating and analyzing information from a plurality of pest monitoring locations is disclosed. The monitored locations include activity sensing pest devices. These devices can include traps and/or passive and active monitoring devices not having a trapping or killing functionality. While traps may constitute the majority of activity sensing pest devices in a given pest control program, devices which only monitor pest activity may be preferred in some locations and applications. The system includes automatic reporting from the plurality of activity sensing pest devices and also includes physical inspection data. Preferably an automatic real-time communication system is used, with the preferred communication system being a radio-frequency (RF) or other over-the-air system. However, hardwired systems, use of a personal digital assistant (PDA) as an interim data carrier, and other technologies may also be employed. Manual input means for providing the additional physical inspection data on the activity sensing pest device parameters and a computer based report generation means (of the resulting combined data) provide for a robust and efficient pest monitoring and/or trapping tool.

Claims

1. A pest trap reporting system, comprising:

a) a pest report database that includes pest activity information for a plurality of pest traps, wherein each pest trap encloses, retains or kills one or more non-human pests;

b) a plurality of sensors, each associated with one of the plurality of pest traps, wherein each sensor senses pest activity in an area monitored by the sensor and generates a pest activity signal that includes pest activity information and pest trap identification information that identifies the pest trap with which the sensor is associated; and

c) a communication device including an RF transmitter and receiver that receives the pest activity signals from the sensors and communicates the pest activity signals to the pest report database, and wherein the pest report database is updated upon receipt of the pest activity signal based on the pest trap device identification information.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of pest traps includes an electrocution grid.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of pest traps includes a glue board for trapping flying insects.

4. The system, of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of pest traps includes a wind up style mouse trap.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of pest traps includes a tin cat style mouse trap.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of sensors includes a flying insect counter.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the flying insect counter includes a light beam and a sensor for detecting the intensity of the light beam, wherein when a flying insect flies through the beam, the light intensity decreases and the sensor detects the decreased light intensity as pest activity.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of sensors includes a non-flying bug counter.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein at least one of the plurality of sensors includes a capacitance grid.

10. The system, of claim 1, wherein the pest activity signal is generated at discrete time intervals.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the discrete time intervals are short to approximate real time.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the pest activity signal is generated in real time.

13. The system of claim 1, further including a memory that stores the pest activity signals for batch transmission by the communication device.

14. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one manual input device that accepts manual input concerning at least one of the plurality of pest traps.

15. The system, of claim 14, wherein the manual input includes data concerning the condition of at least one of the plurality of pest traps.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the communication device transmits the manual input data to the pest report database.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the manual input includes data that indicates that at least one of the plurality of pest traps was physically inspected.

18. The system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of manual input devices, each of which accepts manual input concerning a different one of the plurality of pest traps.

19. The system of 1, further comprising a plurality of communication devices, each associated with one of the plurality of pest traps and each including an RF transmitter and receiver that receives the pest activity signals from the associated one of the plurality of sensors and communicates the pest activity signals to the pest report database