LIGHTING SYSTEM FOR INSECT CONTROL

• US 20170006848A1
• Filed: 01/15/2015
• Published: 01/12/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2014
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: Signify Holding B.V. (Signify N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Philips Lighting BV (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: BARROSO, Andre Melon, van HOOF, Willem Piet, CHATTERJEA, Supriyo, GARCIA MORCHON, Oscar, SCHOBBEN, Danil Willem Elisabeth
• Granted Patent: US 10,251,384 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 1/04 Attracting insects by using illumination or colours A01M1/08 and A01M1/145 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 29/10 using light sources, e.g. lasers or flashing lights

Abstract

An insect control system has a light source arrangement (10) comprising one or more light sources with tuneable spectrum, polarization, intensity and or flickering pattern. The system enables a particular type of insect to be attracted or repelled in a particular time period.

Claims

1. An insect control system, comprising:

a light source arrangement comprising one or more light sources with tuneable spectrum, polarization, intensity and/or flickering pattern such that the light source arrangement has at least two settings with different spectrum, polarization, intensity and/or flickering pattern, wherein one setting is for attracting a particular type of insect more than the other setting, and wherein the two settings have the same visual appearance to a human.

2. A system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a controller for controlling the light source arrangement to the desired setting.

3. A system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the light source arrangement comprises a set of light sources which are independently controllable by the controller.

4. A system as claimed in claim 2, comprising a user input interface for providing user insect control commands to the controller for selecting an insect type and a desired insect response.

5. A system as claimed in claim 4 wherein the controller comprises a memory which stores a database of insect types and their responses to different lighting stimuli.

6. A system as claimed in claim 1, comprising an indoor system, wherein the light source arrangement comprises at least two light sources, wherein at least one light source is for illuminating a first area in the home, and at least one light source is for illuminating a second area in the home, such that the insect control system is for moving insects between the areas.

7. A system as claimed in claim 1, comprising an outdoor system, wherein the controller is adapted to control the light source arrangement in a sequence, said sequence is for inducing a wave of insects which propagate along a path of the light sources towards an insect processing area.

8. A system as claimed in claim 7, further comprising a detection system for detecting insects in the vicinity of each light source, and for providing automated controller operation in response to the insect detection.

9. A system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the timing of the sequence is controlled to control the speed of propagation of the wave in dependence on the insect detection.

10. A method of controlling insect movement, comprising:

controlling a light source arrangement which comprises one or more light sources with tuneable spectrum, polarization, intensity and/or flickering pattern to provide at least two settings with different spectrum, polarization, non-zero intensity and or flickering pattern at different times;

wherein one setting is for attracting a particular type of insect more than the other setting, and wherein the two settings have the same visual appearance to a human.

11. A method of controlling insect movement according to claim 10, further comprising:

independently controlling the light source arrangement in a sequence to induce a wave of insects which propagate along a path of the light source arrangement towards an insect processing area.

12. A method of controlling insect movement according to claim 10, further comprising:

receiving a user input providing insect control commands defining an insect type and a desired insect response; and

controlling the light source arrangement to provide the desired insect response.