IP Library Granted Patent US 10,849,320
Granted Patent B2
US 10,849,320 · App. 16/271,488 · Granted Dec 1, 2020

Pest trap with disposal container and wireless monitoring

Inventors: Jace W. Files (Round Rock, TX); John Trevor Morrison (Round Rock, TX); Shivshanker Somashekar Naimpally (Austin, TX)
A01M23/38A01M19/00A01M23/18A01M99/00
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,849,320
App. No.
16/271,488
Granted
Dec 1, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

In some implementations, a trap to capture and kill a pest may include a circuit. The circuit may receive sensor data from a sensor and determine that a pest has entered the trap. The circuit may cause a shutter inside the trap to move from an approximately horizontal position to an approximately vertical position, thereby causing a portion of a door of a container located inside the trap to come in contact with adhesive on an outer surface of the container to prevent the pest from leaving the container. Substantially simultaneously with the shutter moving, the circuit may provide electricity to two conductive plates located on in a inner bottom surface of the container, thereby causing the electricity to pass through the pest. The circuit may send a wireless notification message, indicating that the pest was captured in the container, over a wireless network to a computing device.

Claims (65)

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by one or more processors of a trap, sensor data from one or more sensors;

determining, by the one or more processors, that the sensor data indicates a presence of a pest in the trap;

causing, by the one or more processors, a shutter inside the trap to move from an approximately horizontal position to an approximately vertical position, thereby causing:

a portion of a door of a container located inside the trap to come in contact with adhesive on an outer surface of the container to prevent the pest from leaving the container;

providing, by the one or more processors, electricity to two conductive plates located on an inner bottom surface of the container, thereby causing the electricity to pass through the pest; and

sending, by the one or more processors, a notification message over a wireless network to a computing device, the notification message indicating that the pest was captured in the container.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the container is removed from the trap and replaced with a new container after the electricity passes through the pest.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the trap includes a bait comprising a permeable membrane infused with a liquid attractant.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the container comprises treated paper, the treated paper comprising paper treated with a coating comprising wax or plastic.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein causing the shutter inside the trap to move from the approximately horizontal position to the approximately vertical position comprises:

releasing a latch, causing a spring mechanism in a shutter hinge attached to the shutter to contract.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein causing the shutter inside the trap to move from the approximately horizontal position to the approximately vertical position comprises:

providing the electricity to a motor located in a shutter hinge attached to the shutter, causing the motor to move the shutter at the shutter hinge.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensors comprise at least one of:

a motion sensor, an imaging sensor, a microphone, a structured light sensor, an ultrasound sensor, a temperature sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, a capacitive sensor, or a micropower impulse radar sensor.

8. A trap comprising:

one or more sensors;

a first power rail and a second power rail located on an inner bottom surface of the trap and running along a width of the trap;

a container placed inside the trap, the container including a first conductive plate and a second conductive plate located on an inner bottom surface of the container, the first conductive plate connected to a first contact running along an exterior width of the container, and the second conductive plate connected to a second contact running along the exterior width of the container;

one or more processors; and

one or more non-transitory computer readable media storing instructions executable by the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

receiving sensor data from an inward facing sensor of the one or more sensors;

determining that the sensor data indicates a presence of a pest in the trap;

causing a shutter inside the trap to move from an approximately horizontal position to an approximately vertical position, the shutter causing a portion of a door of the container to come in contact with adhesive on an outer surface of the container to prevent the pest from leaving the container;

providing electricity to:

the first power rail, wherein the first power rail is touching the first contact of the container that is connected to the first conductive plate; and

the second power rail, wherein the second power rail is touching the second contact of the container that is connected to the second conductive plate;

wherein the electricity passes from the first conductive plate through the pest to the second conductive plate; and

sending a notification message over a wireless network to a computing device, the notification message indicating that the pest was captured in the container.

9. The trap of claim 8 , further comprising:

a bait comprising a permeable membrane infused with a liquid attractant.

10. The trap of claim 8 , wherein:

the container comprises treated paper, the treated paper comprising paper treated with a coating comprising wax or plastic.

11. The trap of claim 8 , wherein causing the shutter inside the trap to move from the approximately horizontal position to the approximately vertical position comprises:

releasing a latch, causing a spring mechanism in a shutter hinge attached to the shutter to contract.

12. The trap of claim 8 , wherein causing the shutter inside the trap to move from the approximately horizontal position to the approximately vertical position comprises:

providing the electricity to a motor located in a shutter hinge attached to the shutter, causing the motor to move the shutter at the shutter hinge.

13. The trap of claim 8 , wherein the one or more sensors comprise at least one of:

a motion sensor, an imaging sensor, a microphone, a structured light sensor, an ultrasound sensor, a temperature sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, a resistance sensor, a capacitive sensor, or a micropower impulse radar sensor.

14. A trap comprising:

an inward facing sensor;

a first power rail and a second power rail located on an inner bottom surface of the trap and running along a width of the trap;

a container placed inside the trap, the container including a first conductive plate and a second conductive plate located on an inner bottom surface of the container, the first conductive plate connected to a first contact running along an exterior width of the container, and the second conductive plate connected to a second contact running along the exterior width of the container;

one or more processors; and

one or more non-transitory computer readable media storing instructions executable by the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

receiving sensor data from the inward facing sensor;

determining that the sensor data indicates a presence of a pest in the trap;

causing a shutter inside the trap to move from an approximately horizontal position to an approximately vertical position, thereby causing a portion of a door of the container to come in contact with adhesive on an outer surface of the container to prevent the pest from leaving the container;

providing electricity to:

the first power rail, wherein the first power rail is touching the first contact of the container that is connected to the first conductive plate; and

the second power rail, wherein the second power rail is touching the second contact of the container that is connected to the second conductive plate;

wherein the electricity passes from the first conductive plate through the pest to the second conductive plate; and

sending a notification message over a wireless network to a computing device, the notification message indicating that the pest was captured in the container.

15. The trap of claim 14 , wherein the container is removed from the trap and replaced with a new container after the electricity passes through the pest.

16. The trap of claim 14 , wherein the trap includes a bait comprising a permeable membrane infused with a liquid attractant.

17. The trap of claim 14 , wherein:

the container comprises treated paper, the treated paper comprising paper treated with a coating comprising wax or plastic.

18. The trap of claim 14 , wherein causing the shutter inside the trap to move from the approximately horizontal position to the approximately vertical position comprises:

releasing a latch, causing a spring mechanism in a shutter hinge attached to the shutter to contract.

19. The trap of claim 14 , wherein causing the shutter inside the trap to move from the approximately horizontal position to the approximately vertical position comprises:

providing the electricity to a motor located in a shutter hinge attached to the shutter, causing the motor to move the shutter at the shutter hinge.

20. The trap of claim 14 , further comprising at least one of:

a motion sensor, an imaging sensor, a microphone, a structured light sensor, an ultrasound sensor, a temperature sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, a resistance sensor, a capacitive sensor, or a micropower impulse radar sensor.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 8, 2024
From: FILES, JACE W.; MORRISON, JOHN TREVOR; NAIMPALLY, SHIVSHANKER S.
To: KATCHER LLC
Reel/Frame 066044/0129 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20200253186A1 · Aug 13, 2020