Fish trap system
View Patent ↗The fish trap system includes an enclosure having a revolving trap door attached to a coned gate Gargoor. Still and video cameras are included in the enclosure to provide snapshot and moving pictures of fish caught in the trap. A buoy (float) is included, from which images of fish in the enclosure are relayed via digital link to the user on the Internet. Moreover, user-controlled electrical gates are provided to either retain a fish or release a fish by closing and opening the gates via the Internet connection. The video camera, being disposed in the trap housing, is movable and provides views of the area around the fish trap when submerging the trap until it reaches the ground in order to locate the right flooring for the fish trap. Aside from fishing purposes, the fish trap system may be used for experimental purposes.
1. A fish trap system, comprising:
a submersible geodesic mesh fish enclosure;
a cone-shaped fish guideway extending radially inward from an outward end thereof at an opening in the geodesic mesh fish enclosure and tapering towards an inward end thereof within a central portion of the geodesic fish enclosure;
an arcuate wall having a first end and a second end, the tapered inward end of the cone-shaped fish guideway being connected to the arcuate wall between the first and second ends at an opening allowing fish to pass through the arcuate wall;
a pair of rotating bifurcated arms extending to meet the ends of the arcuate wall, thereby forming a temporary fish trap between the rotating bifurcated arms and a concave portion of the arcuate wall;
a first elongate wall extending from the first end of the arcuate wall to a peripheral wall of the geodesic mesh fish enclosure;
a second elongate wall extending from a rotational axis of the rotating bifurcated arms to the peripheral wall of the geodesic mesh fish enclosure, the first elongate wall, one of the bifurcated arms, the second elongate wall, and the peripheral wall of the geodesic mesh fish enclosure forming a permanent trap area for the fish, and the second elongate wall, the other one of the bifurcated arms, and the peripheral wall of the geodesic mesh fish enclosure forming a release area for the fish;
means for remotely observing the fish in the temporary fish trap, the permanent trap area, and the release area for the fish;
means for remotely rotating the bifurcated arms so that the other one of the bifurcated arms sweeps the arcuate wall from the second end of the arcuate wall to the first end of the arcuate wall, thereby transferring fish caught in the temporary fish trap to the permanent trap area;
means for remotely rotating the bifurcated arms so that the one of the bifurcated arms sweeps the arcuate wall from the first end of the arcuate wall to the second end of the arcuate wall, thereby transferring fish caught in the temporary fish trap to the release area for the fish;
a release door disposed in the peripheral wall of the geodesic mesh fish enclosure in the release area; and
means for remotely controlling opening and closing the release door, thereby controlling release of the fish from the geodesic mesh fish enclosure.
2. The fish trap system according to claim 1 , wherein said bifurcated arms are disposed at an angular distance from each other, the angular distance being selected from the group consisting of 120°, 90°, and 60°.
3. The fish trap system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
means for sensing fish entering said temporary trap area; and
means for transmitting the number of sensed fish to a remote user.
4. The fish trap system according to claim 1 , further comprising means for warning a user when the fish trap system is being pulled out of the water by an unauthorized agent.
5. A fish trap system, comprising:
a submersible geodesic mesh fish enclosure;
a cone-shaped fish guideway extending radially inward from an outward end thereof at an opening in the geodesic mesh fish enclosure and tapering towards an inward end thereof within a central portion of the geodesic mesh fish enclosure;
an arcuate wall having a first end and a second end, the tapered inward end of the cone-shaped fish guideway being connected to the arcuate wall between the first and second ends at an opening allowing fish to pass through the arcuate wall;
a pair of rotating bifurcated arms extending to meet the ends of the arcuate wall, thereby forming a temporary fish trap between the rotating bifurcated arms and a concave portion of the arcuate wall;
a first elongate wall extending from the first end of the arcuate wall to a peripheral wall of the geodesic mesh fish enclosure;
a second elongate wall extending from a rotational axis of the rotating bifurcated arms to the peripheral wall of the geodesic mesh fish enclosure, the first elongate wall, one of the bifurcated arms, the second elongate wall, and the peripheral wall of the geodesic mesh fish enclosure forming a permanent trap area for the fish, and the second elongate wall, the other one of the bifurcated arms, and the peripheral wall of the geodesic mesh fish enclosure forming a release area for the fish;
at least one rotatable camera disposed in the geodesic mesh fish enclosure, the at least one rotatable camera being rotatable to observe the fish in the temporary fish trap, the permanent trap area, and the release area for the fish;
means for remotely rotating the at least one rotatable camera;
means for remotely receiving image frames transmitted from the at least one rotatable camera;
means for remotely rotating the bifurcated arms so that the other one of the bifurcated arms sweeps arcuate wall from the second end of the arcuate wall to the first end of the arcuate wall, thereby transferring fish caught in the temporary fish trap to the permanent trap area;
means for remotely rotating the bifurcated arms so that the one of the bifurcated arms sweeps the arcuate wall from the first end of the arcuate wall to the second end of the arcuate wall, thereby transferring fish caught in the temporary fish trap to the release area for the fish;
a release door disposed in the peripheral wall of the geodesic mesh fish enclosure in the release area; and
means for remotely controlling opening and closing of the release door, thereby controlling release of the fish from the geodesic mesh fish enclosure.
6. The fish trap system according to claim 5 , wherein said bifurcated arms are disposed at an angular distance from each other, the angular distance being selected from the group consisting of 120°, 90°, and 60°.
7. The fish trap system according to claim 5 , wherein said at least one camera comprises a video camera.
8. The fish trap system according to claim 7 , further comprising;
means for sensing fish entering said temporary trap; and
means for transmitting the number of sensed fish to a remote user.
9. The fish trap system according to claim 5 , wherein said system further comprises a digital still camera.
10. The fish trap system according to claim 5 , further comprising means for warning a user when the fish trap system is being pulled out of the water by an unauthorized agent.
11. A fish trap system, comprising:
a submersible geodesic mesh fish enclosure having a peripheral wall;
a cone-shaped fish guideway extending radially inward from an outward end thereof at an opening in the geodesic mesh fish enclosure and tapering towards an inward end thereof within a central portion of the geodesic mesh fish enclosure;
an arcuate wall having a first end and a second end, the tapered inward end of the cone-shaped fish guideway being connected to the arcuate wall between the first and second ends at an opening allowing fish to pass through the arcuate wall;
a pair of rotating bifurcated arms extending to meet the ends of the arcuate wall, thereby forming a temporary fish trap between the rotating bifurcated arms and a concave portion of the arcuate wall;
a first elongate wall extending from the first end of the arcuate wall to the peripheral wall of the geodesic mesh fish enclosure;
a second elongate wall extending from a rotational axis of the rotating bifurcated arms to the peripheral wall of the geodesic mesh fish enclosure, the first elongate wall, one of the bifurcated arms, the second elongate wall, and the peripheral wall of the geodesic mesh fish enclosure forming a permanent trap area for the fish, and the second elongate wall, the other one of the bifurcated arms, and the peripheral wall of the geodesic mesh fish enclosure forming a release area for the fish;
at least one rotatable camera disposed in the geodesic mesh fish enclosure, the at least one rotatable camera being rotatable to observe fish in the temporary fish trap, the permanent trap area, and the release area for the fish;
a servomotor connected to the at least one rotatable camera to control rotation of the at least one rotatable camera;
a waterproof cable connected to the servomotor and the at least one rotatable camera for rotational control of the at least one rotatable camera and image transmission by the at least one rotatable camera, the waterproof cable extending from the geodesic mesh fish enclosure to a point above the geodesic mesh fish enclosure close to a surface of a body of water in which the geodesic mesh fish enclosure is submerged;
a buoy disposed on the surface of the body of water;
a USB sensing and control circuit connected to the waterproof cable;
a processor having a direct USB connection to the waterproof cable and a connection to an output of the USB sensing and control circuit;
a wireless router disposed on the buoy above the surface of the body of water and connected to the processor, the wireless router being connected to a wireless network;
a remote WLAN-enabled device connected to the network configured for receiving image frames transmitted from the at least one rotatable camera and transmitting rotation commands to the servomotor of the at least one rotatable camera through the network;
means for sensing fish entering the temporary trap;
means for transmitting the number of sensed fish to the remote user;
means for remotely rotating the bifurcated arms so that the other one of the bifurcated arms sweeps the arcuate wall from the second end of the arcuate wall to the first end of the arcuate wall, thereby transferring fish caught in the temporary fish trap to the permanent trap area;
means for remotely rotating the bifurcated arms so that the one of the bifurcated arms sweeps the arcuate wall from the first end of the arcuate wall to the second end of the arcuate wall, thereby transferring fish caught in the temporary fish trap to the release area for the fish;
a release door disposed in the peripheral wall of the geodesic mesh fish enclosure in the release area; and
means for remotely controlling opening and closing of the release door, thereby controlling release of the fish from the geodesic mesh fish enclosure.
12. The fish trap system according to claim 11 , wherein said bifurcated arms are disposed at an angular distance from each other, the angular distance being selected from the group consisting of 120°, 90°, and 60°.
13. The fish trap system according to claim 11 , wherein said at least one camera comprising a video camera.
14. The fish trap system according to claim 13 , wherein said USB sensing and control circuit is disposed on said buoy above the surface of the body of water.
15. The fish trap system according to claim 13 , wherein said processor is disposed on said buoy above the surface of the body of water.
16. The fish trap system according to claim 15 , wherein said processor is a laptop computer.
17. The fish trap system according to claim 13 , wherein said buoy further comprises a water resistant cone extending upward from said buoy, the water resistant cone protecting contents of said buoy from the weather.
18. The fish trap system according to claim 11 , wherein said system further comprises a digital still camera.
19. The fish trap system according to claim 11 , further comprising means for warning a user when the fish trap system is being pulled out of the water by an unauthorized agent.
20. The fish trap system according to claim 11 , further comprising means for adapting the fish trap system to trap birds instead of fish.