Back to results
US 12,717,061 B2Granted
Method and apparatus for cockroach monitoring
AssigneeEcolab USA Inc.
InventorsDaniel Ronald Schwartz, Brandon Matthew Davis
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A cockroach monitor includes a monitoring chamber with one or more openings to allow cockroaches to enter. A light is emitted from a light emitter into the monitoring chamber and received by a photoelectric transducer for detecting cockroaches by analyzing the received light for obstruction in the path of the light. In various embodiments, a board having a sticky surface can be attached to a ceiling of the monitoring chamber to capture cockroaches by their backs. In various embodiment, the light emitter and the photoelectric transducer are arranged in the cockroach monitor for the photoelectric transducer to receive the emitted light directly form the light emitter (without reflection) or to receive the emitted light as reflected from a surface.
Claims22
A pest control system, comprising:
- a cockroach monitor including:
- a housing forming a monitoring chamber having one or more openings to allow cockroaches to enter the monitoring chamber and a ceiling to face backs of the cockroaches entering the monitoring chamber;
- a transparent board having a sticky surface, the transparent board configured to be detachably attached to the ceiling to capture the cockroaches in the monitoring chamber by the backs of the cockroaches using the sticky surface;
- and
- a cockroach detector including:
- a light emitter configured to emit a light, the light emitter positioned and oriented to emit the light toward a surface on which the cockroach monitor is placed;
- a photoelectric transducer configured to receive the light and to produce an electrical signal indicative of an intensity of the received light, the photoelectric transducer positioned and oriented to receive the light reflected from the surface on which the cockroach monitor is placed;
- a detection circuit configured to detect presence of one or more cockroaches in the monitoring chamber by analyzing the electrical signal to determine presence of obstruction on a path of the light between the light emitter and the photoelectric transducer;
- and
- a circuit board placed between the ceiling and the transparent board, the circuit board including the light emitter and the photoelectric transducer,
- wherein the light emitter and the photoelectric transducer are each positioned adjacent the ceiling and oriented such that the path of the light includes a turn at which the light is reflected before being received by the photoelectric transducer.
8 more elements
A method for pest control, comprising:
- providing a cockroach monitor including a housing forming a monitoring chamber having one or more openings to allow cockroaches to enter the monitoring chamber and a ceiling to face backs of the cockroaches entering the monitoring chamber;
- emitting a light from a location adjacent the ceiling into the monitoring chamber, the light emitted toward a surface on which the cockroach monitor is placed;
- receiving the light at another location adjacent the ceiling, the received light reflected from the surface on which the cockroach monitor is placed;
- and
- automatically detecting presence of one or more cockroaches in the monitoring chamber by analyzing the received light to determine presence of obstruction on a path of the light, the path of the light including a turn at which the light is reflected before being received,
- wherein providing the cockroach monitor comprises:
- detachably attaching a transparent board having a sticky surface to the ceiling to capture the cockroaches in the monitoring chamber by the backs of the cockroaches using the sticky surface;
- and
- placing a circuit board between the ceiling and the transparent board, the circuit board including a light emitter to emit the light and a photoelectric transducer to receive the light.
6 more elements
A pest control system, comprising:
- a cockroach monitor including:
- a housing forming a monitoring chamber having one or more openings to allow cockroaches to enter the monitoring chamber and a ceiling to face backs of the cockroaches entering the monitoring chamber;
- a transparent board having a sticky surface, the board configured to be detachably attached to the ceiling to capture the cockroaches in the monitoring chamber by the backs of the cockroaches using the sticky surface;
- and
- a cockroach detector configured to detect a status of the board indicating one or more cockroaches trapped on the board when the board is attached to the ceiling, the cockroach detector including:
- a light emitter configured to emit a light;
- a photoelectric transducer configured to receive the light and to produce an electrical signal indicative of an intensity of the received light;
- and
- a detection circuit configured to detect the status of the board by analyzing the electrical signal to determine presence of obstruction on a path of the light between the light emitter and the photoelectric transducer.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.