Mosquito misting system and method for using same

• US 8,994,529 B2
• Filed: 06/08/2010
• Issued: 03/31/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jeffrey C. White
• Original Assignee: Jeffrey C. White
• Inventors: White, Jeffrey C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bugg, George
• Assistant Examiner(s): Afrifa-Kyei, Anthony D
• Application Number:
  US12/795,782
• Publication Number:
  US 20100312403A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,757 Days
• Field of Search: 340/540, 239/329, 239/332, 431/321, 439/00
• US Class Current: 340/540
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 1/2022 Poisoning or narcotising insects by vaporising an insecticide
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 13/00 Fumigators; Apparatus for distributing gases poisoning or narcotising insects by vaporising an insecticide A01M1/2022
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 7/0676 by action on flow sources G05D7/0688, G05D7/0694 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 43/90 Liquid insecticide sprayer

Abstract

Embodiments described herein comprise an apparatus and method for controlling and monitoring a mosquito misting system. The apparatus includes a chemical reservoir, a delivery system, a spray system, one or more sensors, a communication network and a misting management unit. The sensors may detect normal and abnormal operations of the misting system and send this data to the misting management unit. The misting management unit may then analyze the data and determine the problem. If the problem can be fixed without personnel, the misting management unit may simply adjust the system and fix the problem. If the problem requires personnel, the system may automatically schedule the service call based on a number of criteria.

Claims

1. A method for controlling an insect population at a target area with a misting system for spraying an insecticide, the method comprising:

dispensing the insecticide at the target area;

collecting data regarding the misting system;

determining at least one current condition of the misting system;

diagnosing a current functionality of the misting system;

detecting a low level of the insecticide in a chemical reservoir of the misting system;

alerting an operator of the low level of the insecticide in the chemical reservoir by sending the operator an alert through the interne with instructions to fill the chemical reservoir;

determining an amount of time until the operator fills the chemical reservoir and rationing an amount of insecticide dispensed by the misting system based on a level of the insecticide remaining in the chemical reservoir and an amount of time remaining until the chemical reservoir is filled;

automatically determining at least one historical condition of the misting system; and

automatically changing a spray cycle based on the automatically determined historical condition as needed to optimize operating efficiency of the mosquito misting system.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the historical condition comprises temperature trends and insect population density trends that are automatically collected by a historical data unit.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising automatically determining a weather forecast from the interne and automatically changing the spray cycle based on the automatically determined weather forecast.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising sensing an insect density in the target area using a sensor and automatically changing the amount of insecticide dispensed based on the insect density in the target area.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a temperature in the chemical reservoir using a chemical sensor;

detecting a water pressure and a water temperature using a plurality of water sensors;

detecting a back pressure in a spray system which includes a mixture of the insecticide and a volume of water using a water sensor;

detecting current insect population using a bug detection sensor; and

detecting a current wind speed using an area sensor.

2. An apparatus for controlling an insect population with a misting system configured to spray an insecticide at a target area, the apparatus comprising:

a chemical unit configured to monitor at least one condition in a chemical reservoir that contains insecticide;

a historical data unit configured to automatically collect data regarding the operation of the misting system;

a diagnostic unit configured to diagnose a functionality of the misting system and take an action to optimize the functionality of the misting system;

a plurality of sensors configured to provide the diagnostic unit with data regarding the misting system, the plurality of sensors comprising;

a chemical sensor configured to determine a level of insecticide in the chemical reservoir;

a water sensor configured to determine a water pressure of a volume of water from a water source to be mixed with the insecticide in the misting system;

a delivery sensor configured to determine an operability of a pump for delivering the volume of water and insecticide to the target area;

a first area sensor configured to determine a temperature at the target area;

a second area sensor configured to determine a wind direction at the target area;

a third area sensor configured to determine a presence of people at the target area; and

a bug detection sensor configured to determine a current insect population density at the target area.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising a water unit configured to monitor at least one condition of the water source.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising a delivery system unit configured to monitor at least one condition of the delivery system.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising a spray unit configured to monitor at least one condition of the spray system.

14. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the functionality of the misting system is an automatically determined weather condition determined from a weather forecast from the internet and the action taken is changing the spray cycle based on the automatically determined weather condition.

17. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the functionality of the misting system is automatically determining an amount of insecticide remaining in the chemical reservoir using the chemical sensor and wherein the diagnostic unit is configured to alert an operator of a low level of insecticide, determine an amount of time remaining until the operator can fill the chemical reservoir and ration the remaining insecticide based on the time remaining.

6. A mosquito misting system for controlling a mosquito population a target area, the mosquito misting system comprising:

a chemical reservoir for storing an insecticide to be delivered to the target area;

a water source for providing a volume of water to be mixed with the insecticide prior to delivery to the target area;

a delivery system for delivering the volume of water and insecticide to the target area;

a spray system for distributing the volume of water and the insecticide about the target area;

a plurality of sensors for collecting data regarding the mosquito misting system, the plurality of sensors comprising;

a chemical sensor configured to determine a level of insecticide in the chemical reservoir;

a water sensor configured to determine a water pressure of a volume of water from a water source to be mixed with the insecticide in the misting system;

a delivery sensor configured to determine an operability of a pump for delivering the volume of water and insecticide to the target area;

a first area sensor configured to determine a temperature at the target area;

a second area sensor configured to determine a wind direction at the target area;

a third area sensor configured to determine a presence of people at the target area; and

a bug detection sensor configured to determine a current insect population density at the target area; and

a misting management unit for remotely controlling the operation of the mosquito misting system, the misting management unit comprising;

a chemical unit configured to monitor at least one condition in the chemical reservoir;

a historical data unit configured to automatically collect data regarding the operation of the misting system; and

a diagnostic unit configured to diagnose a functionality of the misting system and take an action to optimize the functionality of the misting system.

7. The mosquito misting system of claim 6, wherein the third area sensor further comprises a motion detector in the target area.

10. The mosquito misting system of claim 6, further comprising one or more operator computers for remotely communicating with the misting management unit using the interne.

15. The mosquito misting system of claim 6, wherein the functionality of the misting system is an automatically determined weather condition determined from a weather forecast from the internet and the action taken is changing the spray cycle based on the automatically determined weather condition.

8. The mosquito misting system 6, wherein the misting management unit further comprises a water unit configured to monitor at least one condition of the water source.

9. The mosquito misting system 8, wherein the misting management unit further comprises a delivery system unit configured to monitor at least one condition of the delivery system and a spray unit configured to monitor at least one condition of the spray system.