Surveying sterilizer methods and systems

• US 7,638,090 B2
• Filed: 04/25/2006
• Issued: 12/29/2009
• 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., Wood, Lowell L. Jr., Lord, Robert W., Levien, Royce A., Jung, Edward K. Y., Hyde, Roderick A., Malamud, Mark A., Rinaldo, John D. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): McKane; Elizabeth L
• Application Number:
  US11/411,207
• Publication Number:
  US 20070231190A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,344 Days
• Field of Search: 422/3
• 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:

receiving one or more signals associated with one or more maps of one or more portions of one or more rooms; and

applying one or more sterilization agents to the one or more portions of the one or more rooms in response to the receiving one or more signals,

wherein the applying one or more sterilization agents to the one or more portions of the one or more rooms in response to the receiving one or more signals includes avoiding application of the one or more sterilization agents to the one or more portions of the one or more rooms if one or more humans are present within the one or more portions of the one or more rooms.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving one or more signals associated with one or more maps of one or more portions of one or more rooms 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 portions of one or more rooms.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving one or more signals associated with one or more maps of one or more portions of one or more rooms 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 portions of the one or more rooms.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving one or more signals associated with one or more maps of one or more portions of one or more rooms comprises:

receiving the one or more signals associated with one or more models of the one or more portions of the one or more rooms.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving one or more signals associated with one or more maps of one or more portions of one or more rooms comprises:

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

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving one or more signals associated with one or more maps of one or more portions of one or more rooms comprises:

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

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving one or more signals associated with one or more maps of one or more portions of one or more rooms comprises:

receiving the one or more signals associated with one or more humans that are present or absent within the one or more portions of the one or more rooms.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving one or more signals associated with one or more maps of one or more portions of one or more rooms 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 portions of the one or more rooms.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving one or more signals associated with one or more maps of one or more portions of one or more rooms comprises:

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

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the applying one or more sterilization agents to the one or more portions of the one or more rooms in response to the receiving one or more signals comprises:

applying the one or more sterilization agents to the one or more portions of the one or more rooms.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the applying one or more sterilization agents to the one or more portions of the one or more rooms in response to the receiving one or more signals comprises:

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

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the applying one or more sterilization agents to the one or more portions of the one or more rooms in response to the receiving one or more signals comprises:

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

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the applying one or more sterilization agents to the one or more portions of the one or more rooms in response to the receiving one or more signals comprises:

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

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the applying one or more sterilization agents to the one or more portions of the one or more rooms in response to the receiving one or more signals comprises:

applying the one or more sterilization agents to the one or more portions of the one or more rooms from one or more sterilization units that are stationary.