Selective Action Animal Trap
AssigneeCaldera Services LLC
InventorAaron Dick
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and a system provide an animal trap that records digital images of animals with a camera, convolves the digital image with a kernel to create convolved feature maps that are used as input to a classifier algorithm, producing classification confidence scores that identify the animals. An algorithm categorizes the classified animal and selects an action based on the categorization. The trap has actions to deter the benign or beneficial animals and actions to detain or kill the pest animals. With this method and system, the trap is able to target pest animals with minimal harm to benign or beneficial animals.
Claims17
A selective action animal trap system comprising one or more digital cameras located in proximity to a trap, connected to computer processing circuitry configured to process the image data into convolution feature maps, that are further processed by computer processing circuitry into animal classification confidence scores, and selecting the action of the trap to one of;
- no action, deter, detain or kill based on the classification confidence scores.
A method for trapping an animal, comprising:
- acquiring a set of digital images of one or more animals,
- by way of convolution and classification algorithms run on a computer, process the said digital image set to train the algorithm parameters to create a pre-trained convolution and classification algorithm,
- acquiring digital images from a camera located in proximity to a trap,
- by way of the said pre-trained convolution and classification algorithm run on a computer, produce animal classification confidence scores for each image,
- by way of a trap action algorithm run on a computer, selecting the trap action to;
- no action, deter, kill or detain based on the animal classification confidence scores.
A method for trapping an animal, comprising:
- acquiring digital images from a camera located in proximity to a baited wire cage trap assembly with open trap doors,
- by way of a software program run on a computer, analyzing the said digital images using a Gaussian Mixture Model (GMM) motion detector to determine if an animal is present,
- by way of a software program run on a computer, when said animal is detected by said GMM motion detector, further processing the digital images with a pre-trained convolution neural network and classification algorithm to generate animal classification confidence scores,
- by way of a software program run on a computer, comparing the said animal classification confidence scores to threshold values and actuating the trap if the score of one or more animal classes exceeds the threshold value,
- by way of a software program run on a computer and trap control system, selecting the trap action to detain pest animals by closing the trap doors, or deterring non-pest animals from entering the trap by electrifying the cage to deliver a non-lethal shock.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.