# US 11,439,136 B2 · Automated pest warning and eradication system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,439,136 B2 - Document ID: US11439136B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/846,036 - Filed: 2020-04-10 - Published: 2021-10-14 - Granted: 2022-09-13 - Earliest claimed: 2020-04-10 - Assignees: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc. - Applicants: Toyota Motor Engineering And Manufacturing North America, Inc. - Inventors: Ryan M. Wiesenberg; Emily S. Lerner; Mahendra T. Kute - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11439136B2 ## CPC - A01M 1/20: Poisoning, narcotising, or burning insects {(fumigation apparatus A01M13/00)} - A01M 1/223: {by using electrocution} - A01M 1/226: {by using waves, fields or rays, e.g. sound waves, microwaves, electric waves, magnetic fields, light rays} - A01M 29/12: using odoriferous substances, e.g. aromas, pheromones or chemical agents - A01M 29/30: preventing or obstructing access or passage, e.g. by means of barriers, spikes, cords, obstacles or sprinkled water - G06N 5/04: Inference or reasoning models - G06N 20/00: Machine learning - G07C 5/0808: {Diagnosing performance data (testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005)} - 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 - G06N: COMPUTING ARRANGEMENTS BASED ON SPECIFIC COMPUTATIONAL MODELS - G07C: TIME OR ATTENDANCE REGISTERS; REGISTERING OR INDICATING THE WORKING OF MACHINES; GENERATING RANDOM NUMBERS; VOTING OR LOTTERY APPARATUS; ARRANGEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS FOR CHECKING NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE ## Abstract Apparatuses, methods and systems provide technology to detect a pest-related fault or failure of an electronic control unit (ECU). The technology may also detect a presence of one or more pests via cameras, LiDAR sensors, RADAR sensors, motion sensors, one or more sound sensors, or one or more heat sensors. The technology may also provide countermeasures to disable, remove or eradicate the pests from the vehicle. The countermeasures may include one or more of a laser to target small pests, an electrical discharge insect control system to exterminate insects, and a vibration or sound emission system to target rodents. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A vehicle pest detection and eradication system, the system comprising: a fault detection subsystem to detect a fault or failure of an electronic control unit (ECU), wherein the fault or failure is determined to be consistent with a pest-related cause; a sensor detection subsystem to detect a presence of one or more pests, wherein the sensor detection subsystem includes one or more of: one or more cameras, one or more LiDAR sensors, one or more RADAR sensors, one or more motion sensors, one or more sound sensors, or one or more heat sensors; and an eradication subsystem to provide countermeasures to disable, remove, or eradicate the one or more pests from the vehicle. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the eradication subsystem includes one or more of: one or more lasers to target the one or more small pests; an electrical discharge insect control system to exterminate one or more insects; and a vibration or sound emission system to target one or more rodents or other large pests. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the eradication subsystem includes one or more physical barriers to prevent the one or more pests from accessing the ECU, other electrical systems, or physical systems, wherein the one or more physical barriers includes air locks. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein: the eradication subsystem includes a control substance system to release a gas, liquid spray, or deterrent material in or around the vehicle, and the control substance system is to be activated only after a user lockout is initiated, and to ventilate the vehicle for a period of time before the user lockout is terminated. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising a warning system to warn a driver of a presence and a severity of the one or more pests, wherein the severity is to be used to determine a response including one or more of the countermeasures. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising: a machine learning module to: receive information from one or more vehicles; and process the received information to determine if pest populations are changing in an area in which the vehicle is located. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The system of claim 6, wherein the machine learning module is further to: warn one or more other vehicles of the presence of pests in the area; link to other devices, the other devices including a smart phone, a smart home, or an Internet-of-Things (IoT) device to provide a warning to a user and to utilize other external cameras or sensors to assist with pest detection; and recommend potential countermeasures for pest prevention. ### Claim 8 At least one computer readable storage medium comprising a set of instructions, which when executed by a computing device, cause the computing to: detect, via a fault detection subsystem, a fault or failure of an electronic control unit (ECU), wherein the fault or failure is determined to be consistent with a pest-related cause; detect, via a sensor detection subsystem, the presence of one or more pests, wherein the sensor detection subsystem includes one or more of: one or more cameras, one or more LiDAR sensors, one or more RADAR sensors, one or more motion sensors, one or more sound sensors, or one or more heat sensors; and provide, via an eradication subsystem, countermeasures to disable, remove or eradicate the one or more pests from the vehicle. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The at least one computer readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the computing device to: target the one or more small pests via one or more lasers; exterminate insects via an electrical discharge insect control system; or target one or more rodents or other large pests via a vibration or sound emission system. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The at least one computer readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the computing device to prevent pests from accessing the ECU or other electrical systems via one or more physical barriers, wherein the one or more physical barriers includes air locks. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The at least one computer readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein: the instructions, when executed, cause the computing device to release a gas, liquid spray, or deterrent material in or around the vehicle via a control substance system, the control substance system is to be activated only after a user lockout is initiated, and to ventilate the vehicle for a period of time before the user lockout is terminated. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The at least one computer readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the computing device to warn the driver of a presence and a severity of one or more pests via a warning system, wherein the severity is to be used to determine a response including one or more suggested countermeasures. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The at least one computer readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the computing device to: receive information from one or more vehicles; and process the received information to determine if pest populations are changing in the defined area. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The at least one computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the computing device to: warn one or more other vehicles of the presence of pests in the defined area; link to other devices including a smart phone, a smart home, or an Internet-of-Things (IoT) device to provide a warning to a user and to utilize other external cameras or sensors to assist with pest detection; and recommend potential countermeasures for pest prevention. ### Claim 15 A method of operating a vehicle pest detection and eradication system comprising: detecting, via a fault detection subsystem, a fault or failure of an electronic control unit (ECU), wherein the fault or failure is determined to be consistent with a pest-related cause; detecting, via a sensor detection subsystem, the presence of one or more pests, wherein the sensor detection subsystem includes one or more of: one or more cameras, one or more LiDAR sensors, one or more RADAR sensors, one or more motion sensors, one or more sound sensors, or one or more heat sensors; and providing, via an eradication subsystem, countermeasures to disable, remove or eradicate the one or more pests from the vehicle. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, including at least one of: targeting the one or more small pests via one or more lasers; exterminating insects via an electrical discharge insect control system powered by the vehicle; and targeting one or more rodents or other large pests via a vibration or sound emission system. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, comprising preventing pests from accessing the ECU or other electrical systems via one or more physical barriers, wherein the one or more physical barriers includes air locks. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, comprising releasing a gas, liquid spray or deterrent material in or around the vehicle, wherein the control substance system is to be activated only after a user lockout is initiated, and to ventilate the vehicle for a period of time before the user lockout is terminated. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, comprising warning the driver of a presence and a severity of one or more pests, wherein the severity is to be used to determine a response including one or more suggested countermeasures. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, comprising: receiving information from one or more vehicles; processing the received information to determine if pest populations are changing in a defined area; warning one or more other vehicles of the presence of pests in the defined area; linking to other devices including a smart phone, a smart home, or an Internet-of-Things (IoT) device to provide a warning to a user and to utilize other external cameras or sensors to assist with pest detection; and automatically determining potential countermeasures for pest prevention.