# US 10,499,633 B2 · Wireless notification systems and methods for electronic rodent traps

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- Number: US 10,499,633 B2
- Document ID: US10499633B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/160,163
- Filed: 2018-10-15
- Published: 2019-07-18
- Granted: 2019-12-10
- Earliest claimed: 2012-09-25
- Assignees: Woodstream Corporation
- Applicants: Woodstream Corporation
- Inventors: Christopher T. Rich; Thomas J. Daly, Jr.; Aaron W. Lunger
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10499633B2

## CPC

- A01M 23/00: Traps for animals
- A01M 23/38: Electric traps
- A01M 31/002: {Detecting animals in a given area}
- A01M 99/00: Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
- G08B 21/18: Status alarms (G08B21/02 takes precedence)
- G08B 25/10: using wireless transmission systems {(G08B25/009 takes precedence)}
- H04L 67/125: involving control of end-device applications over a network
- H04M 11/00: Telephonic communication systems specially adapted for combination with other electrical systems
- H04L 67/55: Push-based network services
- H04M 11/022: {Paging systems (personal calling arrangements or devices G08B3/1008; selective calling networks H04W84/022)}
- H04W 88/04: adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user
- Y04S 40/18: Network protocols supporting networked applications, e.g. including control of end-device applications over a network
- A01M: CATCHING, TRAPPING OR SCARING OF ANIMALS (appliances for catching swarms or drone-catching A01K57/00; fishing A01K69/00 - {A01K99/00}; biocides, pest repellants or attractants A01N); APPARATUS FOR THE DESTRUCTION OF NOXIOUS ANIMALS OR NOXIOUS PLANTS
- G08B: SIGNALLING SYSTEMS, e.g. PERSONAL CALLING SYSTEMS; ORDER TELEGRAPHS; ALARM SYSTEMS
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)
- H04M: TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION (circuits for controlling other apparatus via a telephone cable and not involving telephone switching apparatus G08)
- H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72)
- Y04S: SYSTEMS INTEGRATING TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO POWER NETWORK OPERATION, COMMUNICATION OR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES FOR IMPROVING THE ELECTRICAL POWER GENERATION, TRANSMISSION, DISTRIBUTION, MANAGEMENT OR USAGE, i.e. SMART GRIDS

## 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

### Claim 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:
at least one electronic rodent trapping device having a high-voltage output circuit with at least two plates and a transceiver configured to send an alert notification as a transmission following activation of the electronic rodent trapping device, activation of said trapping device including completion of a killing cycle, said trapping device waiting a delay period after activation before sending the alert notification and confirming a presence or absence of a rodent after trap activation;
a base station in communication with said trapping device; and
a server in communication with said base station, said base station being configured to receive said transmission indicating trap activation and to forward an activation notification to the server of a change in trap state.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The remote notification electronic rodent trapping system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said electronic rodent trapping device automatically rearms after confirming absence of a rodent after the killing cycle.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The remote notification electronic rodent trapping system as set forth in claim 2, wherein said delay period corresponds with a length of the killing cycle.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

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

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The remote notification electronic rodent trapping system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said server stores a trap state data history that is accessible to the user, said trap state data history including the activation notification.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

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

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The remote notification electronic rodent trapping system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said delay period is between about 10 and 150 seconds.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The remote notification electronic rodent trapping system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the server, upon receipt of the activation notification, updates a user interface to indicate the change in trapping device state and then waits until a predetermined time period has expired before sending an update notification to the user's computing or other smart device regarding the state of the trapping device.

### Claim 9

A method of remotely monitoring an 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 in communication with said trapping device, and a 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 trapping device in response to a triggering condition, an activation period that includes outputting high-voltage to the at least two plates for a killing cycle;
waiting, by the trapping device, a predetermined time period and then sending an RF transmission with an activation notification to said base station indicating the trapping device to be in a kill alert state;
forwarding, by said base station, said activation notification to said server; and
storing, by said server, a trap state data history that is accessible to the user, said trap state data history including an activation notification history of the device.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method as set forth in claim 9, further comprising the steps of:
determining, by said trapping device 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; and
upon determining, by the trapping device, that the impedance across the plates indicates an absence of rodent presence, said trapping device rearming and notifying the base station that the trapping device has returned to the set state.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method as set forth in claim 10, further comprising the steps of:
said base station forwarding the trap notification of return to the set state to the server; and
said server adding the change in trap state back to the set state to the trap state data history.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method as set forth in claim 11, further comprising the step of said server, upon receipt of the activation notification from the base station and after waiting a second predetermined time period, sending an update notification to the user's computing or other smart device of the kill alert state of the trapping device.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

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

### Claim 14 (depends on 9)

The method as set forth in claim 9, wherein the predetermined time period is between about 10 and 60 seconds for mice.

### Claim 15 (depends on 9)

The method as set forth in claim 9, wherein the predetermined time period is between about 90 and 150 seconds for rats.

### Claim 16 (depends on 9)

The method as set forth in claim 9, further comprising the user reviewing the trap state data history by logging onto the server using the user interface.