Wireless notification systems and methods for electronic rodent traps

• US 9,743,657 B2
• Filed: 12/31/2015
• Issued: 08/29/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Woodstream Corporation
• Original Assignee: Woodstream Corporation
• Inventors: Rich, Christopher T., Daly, Thomas J., Lunger, Aaron W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Barakat, Mohamed
• Application Number:
  US14/986,353
• Publication Number:
  US 20160192635A1
• Time in Patent Office: 607 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 23/00 Traps for animals
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 23/38 Electric traps
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 31/002 Detecting animals in a given area
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/18 Status alarms G08B21/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/10 using wireless transmission systems G08B25/009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/00 Telephonic communication systems specially adapted for combination with other electrical systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/022 Paging systems personal calling arrangements or devices G08B3/1008; selective calling networks H04W84/022
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/18 Network protocols supporting networked applications, e.g. including control of end-device applications over a network

Abstract

A remote notification electronic rodent trapping system and method is provided having a plurality of rearming electronic rodent trapping devices configured to wirelessly communicate trap information to a base station that is in communication with a cloud server. When a trap is activated by a rodent trigger it changes from a set state to a kill alert state and initiates a killing cycle. The trap waits a first time period and then sends a notification signal to the base station of trap activation which the base station forwards to the cloud server. The cloud server waits a second predetermined time period before sending a pushed notification to a remote user of the trap'"'"'s kill alert state. If the trap rearms prior to expiration of the second time period, it alerts the base station which notifies the cloud server. The cloud server updates trap status to the set state and does not send a notification to the user.

Claims

1. A remote notification electronic rodent trapping system that enables a user with a computing or other smart device to monitor status of a trapping device without having to be in physical proximity to the trap comprising:

a base station;

at least one automatically rearming electronic rodent trapping device at a distance from said base station and in communication therewith, said at least one electronic rodent trapping device having a high-voltage output circuit with at least two plates and an RF transceiver configured to send an alert notification as an RF transmission following activation of the output circuit and completion of a killing cycle, said trap, after activation, waiting a delay period before sending the alert notification to the base station, said trap confirming whether impedance across the plates indicates presence or absence of a rodent after the killing cycle; and

a cloud server in communication with said base station, said base station being configured to receive said RF transmission indicating trap activation and to forward an alert notification to the cloud server of a change in trap state from a set state to a kill alert state;

said cloud server updating a user interface to indicate the change in trap state and then waiting until a predetermined time period has expired before sending a notification to the user of the trap'"'"'s kill alert state, said cloud server upon receipt of a further signal from the base station indicating the trap has rearmed and is back in the set state, updating the user interface with the change in trap state and, if the time period has not expired, taking no action to push notification to the user, said cloud server, in an absence of further communication from the base station before expiration of the time period following receipt of the alert notification, sending an alert to the user advising of the trap'"'"'s kill alert state and that trap servicing is advised.

2. The remote notification electronic rodent trapping system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said system includes a plurality of automatically rearming electronic rodent trapping devices configured to send RF transmissions containing trap status data to the base station.

3. The remote notification electronic rodent trapping system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said delay period is between about 10 and 60 seconds.

4. The remote notification electronic rodent trapping system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said delay period is between about 20 and 30 seconds.

5. The remote notification electronic rodent trapping system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said delay period is between about 90 and 150 seconds.

6. The remote notification electronic rodent trapping system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said delay period is about two minutes.

7. The remote notification electronic rodent trapping system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said delay period corresponds with a length of the killing cycle.

8. The remote notification electronic rodent trapping system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said delay period is longer than the killing cycle.

9. The remote notification electronic rodent trapping system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the cloud server stores a trap state data history for user review by logging onto the cloud server through the user interface.

10. The remote notification electronic rodent trapping system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the predetermined period is between about 6 hours and about 48 hours.

11. A method of remotely monitoring an automatically rearming electronic rodent trapping device by a user, the trapping device having a high-voltage output circuit with at least two plates and an RF transceiver, a base station at a distance from said trapping device and in communication therewith, and a cloud server in communication with said base station and having a user interface, the method comprising:

placing said trapping device in a set state;

initiating, by said trap in response to a triggering condition, a killing cycle during which high-voltage is output to the two plates, said killing cycle changing a state of said trap to a kill alert state;

waiting, by the trap, a first predetermined time period and then sending an RF transmission with an activation notification to said base station indicating the trap to be in the kill alert state;

forwarding, by said base station, said kill alert state notification to said cloud server;

updating, by said cloud server, a user interface to indicate the trap is in the kill alert state and waiting a second predetermined time period before notifying the user;

determining, by said trap after the killing cycle, whether impedance across the plates is consistent with rodent presence and, if so, remaining in the kill alert state and not rearming;

said cloud server, upon expiration of the second time period, sending a notification to the user;

upon determining, by the trap, that the impedance across the plates indicates an absence of rodent presence, said trap rearming and notifying the base station that the trap has returned to the set state;

said base station forwarding the trap notification of return to the set state to the cloud server;

updating, by said cloud server, the user interface to indicate the change in trap state back to the set state and, if the second time period has not expired, sending no notification to the user regarding trap activation; and

if the second predetermined time period has expired before the change in trap state back to the set state is received, said cloud server sending an alert to the user advising of the trap'"'"'s kill alert state.

12. The method as set forth in claim 11, further comprising the steps of:

checking battery status of the trap and, if battery power is low, sending a notification to the base station;

said base station forwarding said low battery power notification to the cloud server; and

said cloud server sending a notification to the user.

13. The method as set forth in claim 12, wherein said step of said cloud server sending a notification includes sending at least one of a text and en email.

14. The method as set forth in claim 11, wherein said first time period is between about 10 and 60 seconds for mice.

15. The method as set forth in claim 11, wherein said first time period is between about 90 and 150 seconds for rats.

16. The method as set forth in claim 11, wherein said first time period corresponds with a length of the killing cycle.

17. The method as set forth in claim 11, wherein said first time period is longer than the killing cycle.

18. The method as set forth in claim 11, wherein the second predetermined period is between about 6 hours and about 48 hours.

19. The method as set forth in claim 11, further comprising the cloud server storing a trap state data history, said user reviewing the history by logging onto the cloud server through the user interface.