Pest monitoring system

• US 4,862,145 A
• Filed: 02/24/1988
• Issued: 08/29/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/1987
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Rentokil Ltd. (Rentokil Initial PLC)
• Original Assignee: Rentokil Ltd. (Rentokil Initial PLC)
• Inventors: Ash, Vernon R., Meehan, Adrian P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Myracle, Jerry W.
• Application Number:
  US07/159,664
• Time in Patent Office: 552 Days
• Field of Search: 340/540, 340/561, 340/568, 340/573, 340/541
• US Class Current: 340/573.2
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 31/00 Hunting appliances
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 31/002 Detecting animals in a given area
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 26/002 only replying the state of the sensor
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/046 prevention of tampering with detection circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/123 of line circuits

Abstract

A pest monitoring apparatus includes a plurality of detectors distributed over an area under surveillance and each linked to an indicator for indicating whether or not anything has been detected by any one or more of the detectors. The indicator sends signals to each of the detectors and each detector responds only if it has detected a pest. Responders, as distinct from detectors, are included in the apparatus to permit the indicators to check on whether or not the links between the indicator and the detectors are intact.

Claims

1. Apparatus for monitoring the activity of pests, including a plurality of detector means distributed over an area under surveillance, an indicating means for indicating whether or not a pest has been detected by any of the detector means and being capable of sending a signal to each detector means, the indicating means and each detector means being linked by transmission means, each detector means being capable of providing information to the indicating means as to whether or not a pest has been detected only on receipt of a signal from the indicating means, and, when the apparatus is in use for monitoring, responding to a said signal or making no response to the signal to indicate to the indicating means whether or not a pest has been detected by that detector means, and testing means capable of providing at the indicating means an indication as to whether or not there is a fault in the transmission means.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein each detector means, when the apparatus is in use for monitoring, responds to a said signal from the indicating means when a pest has been detected by that detector means and makes no response when no pest has been detected.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the indicating means is capable of sending a setting signal to each detector means to place each detector means in an activated state, the setting signal not being sent when the apparatus is in use for monitoring, each detector means responds to the indicating means in the event of receiving the setting signal, and the indicating means is capable of indicating from which of the detector means a response is received when the indicating means send the setting signal.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein each detector means includes a display means for indicating when it is in the activated state.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein, when the apparatus is in use for monitoring, the testing means normally sends signals to the indicating means, the failure of the indicating means to receive signals from the testing means being indicated as a fault.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein the testing means sends a signal to the indicating means only on the receipt by the testing means of a specific signal from the indicating means.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5, which includes at least one additional testing means and, if a fault is indicated,the indicating means is capable indicating from which testing means no signals have been received.

8. Apparatus as claimed claim 7, wherein each testing means occupies a position along the transmission means that is remote from the indicating means, and the detector means occupy positions between a testing means and the indicating means.

9. Apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein each testing means, when the apparatus is in use for monitoring, is incapable of detecting a pest.

10. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, capable of retaining information as to which of the detector means has or have detected a pest.

11. Apparatus as claimed in claim 10, capable of retaining, for each detector means, only the information that a pest has been detected.

12. Apparatus as claimed in claim 10, capable of retaining, for each detector means, information additional to the information that a pest has been detected.

13. Apparatus as claimed claim 10, wherein all of the information retained by the apparatus is retained by the respective detector means.

14. Apparatus as claimed claim 1, in which each detector means comprises a sensing device housed in an enclosure that is so contoured internally as to favour the entry of pests conforming to selected physical characteristics of the pests which are the target of the monitoring.

15. Apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein each enclosure is so contoured internally as to cause a pest moving in the enclosure to move into the detection field of the sensing device.

16. Apparatus as claimed claim 14, wherein each detector means comprises a plurality of sensing devices housed in an enclosure, the sensing devices being so positioned in the enclosure as to favour the detection of pests of sizes only within a selected range characteristic of the pests which are the target of the monitoring.

17. Apparatus as claimed in claim 16, wherein each detector means includes a first line-of-sight sensing device capable of detecting pests only of heights within a selected range, and a second line-of-sight sensing device capable of detecting pests only of widths within a selected range, the selected ranges being characteristic of the pests which are the target of the monitoring.

18. Apparatus as claimed claim 16, wherein each enclosure is so contoured internally as to cause a pest to pass with a specific orientation within the detection field of the, or each, sensing device.

19. Apparatus for monitoring the activity of pests, including:

a plurality of detector means distributed over an area under surveillance, each detector means being capable of providing information to an indicating means as to whether or not a pest has been detected only on receipt of a signal from the indicating means, and, when the apparatus is in use for monitoring, responding to a said signal or making no response to indicate to the indicating means whether or not a pest has been detected,

an indicating means for indicating whether or not a pest has been detected by any one of a plurality of detector means with which it is linked and being capable of sending a signal to each detector means with which it is linked,

a transmission means linking the indicating means with each detector means and providing for the exchange of signals, and

testing means which, in use, is incapable of detecting a pest, capable of providing at the indicating means an indication as to whether or not there is a fault in the transmission means.