Method and apparatus for automatic pest trap report generation and additional trap parameter data

• US 20030213161A1
• Filed: 03/27/2003
• Published: 11/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ecolab USA Incorporated (Ecolab, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Ecolab USA Incorporated (Ecolab, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gardner, James P. Jr., Skaff, Stephen X., Demattia, David N., Holzman, Louis Mark, Lund, Kraig S.
• Granted Patent: US 7,509,770 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 43/61
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 1/026 combined with devices for monitoring insect presence, e.g. termites bait stations A01M1/2005; detecting other animals in a given area A01M31/002
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 2200/011 Crawling insects
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 2200/012 Flying insects
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 23/00 Traps for animals
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 31/002 Detecting animals in a given area

Abstract

A reporting system for collecting, communicating and analyzing information from a plurality of pest monitoring locations is disclosed. The monitored locations include activity sensing pest devices. These devices can include traps and/or passive and active monitoring devices not having a trapping or killing functionality. While traps may constitute the majority of activity sensing pest devices in a given pest control program, devices which only monitor pest activity may be preferred in some locations and applications. The system includes automatic reporting from the plurality of activity sensing pest devices and also includes physical inspection data. Preferably an automatic real-time communication system is used, with the preferred communication system being a radio-frequency (RF) or other over-the-air system. However, hardwired systems, use of a personal digital assistant (PDA) as an interim data carrier, and other technologies may also be employed. Manual input means for providing the additional physical inspection data on the activity sensing pest device parameters and a computer based report generation means (of the resulting combined data) provide for a robust and efficient pest monitoring and/or trapping tool.

Claims

1. A pest trap reporting system, comprising:

a) a pest report database;

b) a plurality of sensors, the sensors associated with respective activity sensing pest devices, the sensors being arranged and configured to determine if a pest is in the area monitored by the sensor and to generate a pest signal; and

c) a communication device, operatively connected to the sensors, for receiving the pest signal and for communicating to the pest report database that a pest signal occurred and the specific activity sensing pest device at which the pest signal occurred, the communication devices including an RF transmitter and receiver, and wherein the pest report database is updated.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the activity sensing pest devices include a pest trap.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein at least one pest trap in the pest trap reporting system includes an electrocution grid.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein at least one pest trap in the pest trap reporting system includes a glue board for trapping flying insects.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein at least one pest trap in the pest trap reporting system includes a wind up style mouse trap.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein at least one pest trap in the pest trap reporting system includes a tin cat style mouse trap.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the activity sensing pest devices includes a pest monitor that does not include a trapping function.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the pest monitor includes a flying insect counter.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the flying insect counter includes a light beam and a sensor for detecting the intensity of the light beam, wherein when a flying insect flies through the beam, the light intensity decreases and the sensor detects the decreased light intensity as a pest event.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein at least one of the activity sensing pest devices includes a non-flying bug counter.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein at least one of the activity sensing pest devices includes a capacitance grid.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the pest signal is generated at discrete time intervals.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the discrete time intervals are short to approximate real time.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the pest signal is generated in real time.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the pest signals are stored in a memory device for batch transmission.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensors are arranged and configured to accept additional manual input.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the manual input includes data on the condition of the activity sensing pest devices when it is inspected.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the communications devices provides the manual input data to the report database.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the manual input includes data that only indicates that the activity sensing pest device was physically inspected.

20. A pest reporting system, comprising:

a) a pest report database;

b) a plurality of sensors, the sensors associated with respective activity sensing pest devices, the sensors being arranged and configured to determine if a pest is in the area monitored by the respective sensor and to generate a pest signal, the sensors being arranged and configured to accept additional manual input; and

c) a communication device, operatively connected to the sensors, for receiving the pest signal and for communicating to the pest report database that a pest signal occurred and the specific activity sensing pest device at which the pest signal occurred, and wherein the pest report database is updated.

21. The pest reporting system of claim 20, wherein at least one of the activity sensing pest devices includes a pest trap.

22. The pest reporting system of claim 21, wherein the pest trap includes an electrocution grid.

23. The pest reporting system of claim 21, wherein the pest trap includes a glue board for trapping flying insects.

24. The pest reporting system of claim 21, wherein the pest trap includes a wind up style mouse trap.

25. The pest reporting system of claim 21, wherein the pest trap includes a tin cat style mouse trap.

26. The pest reporting system of claim 20, wherein the activity sensing pest devices include a pest monitor that does not include a trapping function.

27. The pest reporting system of claim 26, wherein the pest monitor includes a flying insect counter.

28. The pest reporting system of claim 27, wherein the flying insect counter includes a light beam and a sensor for detecting the intensity of the light beam, wherein when a flying insect flies through the beam, the light intensity decreases and the sensor detects the decreased light intensity as a pest event.

29. The pest reporting system of claim 26, wherein the activity sensing pest devices include a non-flying bug counter.

30. The pest reporting system of claim 29, wherein the non-flying bug counter includes a capacitance grid.

31. The pest reporting system of claim 20, wherein the pest signal is generated at discrete time intervals.

32. The pest reporting system of claim 31, wherein the discrete time intervals are short to approximate real time.

33. The pest reporting system of claim 20, wherein the pest signal is generated in real time.

34. The pest reporting system of claim 20, wherein the pest signals are stored in a memory device for subsequent batch transmission.

35. The pest reporting system of claim 20, wherein there are a plurality of communication devices, including an RF transmitter and receiver, corresponding to the plurality of sensors.

36. The pest reporting system of claim 20, wherein the manual input includes data on the condition of the activity sensing pest devices when it is inspected.

37. The pest reporting system of claim 36, wherein there are a plurality of communication devices, including an RF transmitter and receiver, corresponding to the plurality of sensors and the plurality of communications devices provide the manual input data to the report database corresponding to the respective sensor.

38. The pest reporting system of claim 37, wherein the manual input includes data that only indicates that the activity sensing pest device was physically inspected.

39. A pest reporting method for a plurality of activity sensing pest devices, comprising:

a) monitoring a plurality of pest presence signaling devices associated with a similar number of activity sensing pest devices;

b) recording the occurrence of pest presence signals and associating the pest presence signal with individual activity sensing pest devices;

c) physically inspecting the activity sensing pest devices which generate a pest presence signal;

d) determining whether the pest presence signal is due to a pest or some other event; and

e) recording additional data based on step d.

40. The method of claim 39, further comprising the step of electronically recording additional data on activity sensing pest device parameters.

41. The method of claim 39, further comprising the step of physically inspecting a selected number of the plurality of activity sensing pest devices which did not generate a pest presence signal.

42. The method of claim 39, further comprising the step of generating a first report on the activity sensing pest devices which generate a pest presence signal.

43. The method of claim 42, further comprising the step of generating a second report which includes the pest presence signal data and the additional data.

44. A non-destructive flytrap, comprising:

a) a fly attractant for luring flies to the flytrap;

b) a sensor device for generating a pest detection signal when a fly has come into the proximity of the restraining element;

c) a counter, operatively connected to the sensor, for recording the number of generated pest detection signals; and

d) means for transmitting the number of generated pest detection signals to a database.

45. The flytrap of claim 44, wherein the fly attractant is an ultraviolet light source.

46. The flytrap of claim 44, further comprising a restraining element, the element being arranged and configured to restrain flies from leaving the element when the flies come into contact with the element.

47. The flytrap of claim 46, wherein the restraining element is a glue board.

48. The flytrap of claim 44, further comprising a transmitter for receiving the pest detection signal and for generating a pest event signal in real time.

49. The flytrap of claim 44, further comprising a data input device for receiving additional flytrap parameter data from a physical inspection of the flytrap.

50. The flytrap of claim 49, further comprising

a) a plurality of flytraps;

and

b) a flytrap reporting system, including;

i) a processor;

ii) memory accessible to the processor, wherein the pest event signals and the additional flytrap parameter data are provided to the processor and are stored in memory; and

iii) a computer database running on the processor and accessing the information in memory, whereby reports on the flytrap activity may be generated.

51. The flytrap of claim 44, wherein the sensor device uses a light extinction sensor.

52. A pest trap comprising:

a trap which is constructed and arranged to trap a pest;

a transmitter connected to the trap;

a sensor connected to the trap, the sensor operatively connected to the transmitter for transmitting a signal indicating a sensor detection event;

a first feedback device connected to the trap and operatively connected to the transmitter for transmitting a signal indicating that the trap has been inspected.

53. The pest trap of claim 52 wherein the pest is a rodent.

54. The pest trap of claim 52 wherein the pest is an insect.

55. The pest trap of claim 52 wherein the first feedback device is selected from the group consisting of a button, a switch, a dipswitch, and a computer.

56. The pest trap of claim 55 wherein the first feedback device is a button.

57. The pest trap of claim 52 wherein the transmitter wirelessly transmits signals.

58. The pest trap of claim 57 wherein the transmitter is a radio frequency transmitter.

59. The pest trap of claim 58 wherein the radio frequency transmitter transmits strobed signals.

60. The pest trap of claim 52 wherein the transmitter conductively transmits signals.

61. The pest trap of claim 52 wherein the transmitter optically transmits signals.

62. The pest trap of claim 52 wherein stored signal data is transmitted optically.

63. The pest trap of claim 52 wherein the sensor is selected from the group consisting of a mechanical switch, a laser sensor, a voltage sensor, and a current sensor.

64. The pest trap of claim 63 wherein the sensor is a mechanical switch.

65. The pest trap of claim 52 wherein the first feedback device is constructed and arranged so that when depressed the transmitter transmits a signal indicating that the trap has been inspected and no animal was trapped.

66. The pest trap of claim 52 wherein the first feedback device is constructed and arranged so that when depressed the transmitter transmits a signal indicating that the trap has been inspected and an animal was trapped.