# US 2024/0201409 A1 · Pest detection using sensor with textured surface > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2024/0201409 A1 - Document ID: US20240201409A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 18/588,817 - Filed: 2024-02-27 - Published: 2024-06-20 - Earliest claimed: 2020-11-19 - Assignees: Ecolab USA Inc. - Applicants: Ecolab USA Inc. - Inventors: Larry Arvid Lake; Morgan Ann Manderfield; Joelle Francine Olson; Liliana Reategui; Daniel Ronald Schwartz - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20240201409A1 ## CPC - A01M 1/023: {Attracting insects by the simulation of a living being, i.e. emission of carbon dioxide, heat, sound waves or vibrations} - G01V 3/02: operating with propagation of electric current - A01M 1/026: {combined with devices for monitoring insect presence, e.g. termites (bait stations A01M1/2005; detecting other animals in a given area A01M31/002)} - A01M 99/00: Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass - A01M 1/103: {for crawling insects} - A01M 2200/011: Crawling insects - 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 - G01V: GEOPHYSICS; GRAVITATIONAL MEASUREMENTS; DETECTING MASSES OR OBJECTS; TAGS (means for indicating the location of accidentally buried, e.g. snow-buried, persons A63B29/02) ## Abstract A pest detection device including a capacitive sensor having a plurality of traces that can be capacitively sensed using self-capacitance or mutual capacitance measurements. The sensor including conductive shield traces to facilitate a number of sensing applications. The sensor including a coated portion to facilitate crawling of pests over the sensing area of the circuit board. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A pest detection device, comprising: a sensing surface comprising a plurality of traces at least in part beneath a textured material, the textured material having sufficient texture to enable climbing pests to climb across the sensing surface mounted at a nonhorizontal angle; a controller connected to at least some of the plurality of traces of the sensing surface; and a power supply connected to the controller. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The pest detection device of claim 1, wherein the textured material includes pumice. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The pest detection device of claim 2, wherein at least some of the plurality of traces and controller are configured to provide two independent capacitive sensors. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The pest detection device of claim 2, wherein at least some of the plurality of traces and controller are configured to provide three independent capacitive sensors. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The pest detection device of claim 2, wherein at least some of the plurality of traces and controller are configured to provide a plurality of capacitive sensors. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The pest detection device of claim 5, wherein at least one capacitive sensor of the plurality of capacitive sensors includes a trace that is of a different size or shape than a trace of another capacitive sensor of the plurality of capacitive sensors. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The pest detection device of claim 5, wherein at least one capacitive sensor of the plurality of capacitive sensors includes a conductive trace disposed above a conductive shield layer. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) The pest detection device of claim 5, wherein each trace is shielded by a shield trace and is insulated from the shield trace. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The pest detection device of claim 7, wherein each of the capacitive sensors of the plurality of capacitive sensors includes a trace that is of a different size or shape than a trace of another capacitive sensor of the plurality of capacitive sensors. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The pest detection device of claim 8, wherein at least one of the capacitive sensors includes a trace that is of a different size or shape than a trace of another capacitive sensor of the plurality of capacitive sensors. ### Claim 11 (depends on 5) The pest detection device of claim 5, further comprising the controller configured to measure mutual capacitance of pairs of sensor traces. ### Claim 12 (depends on 5) The pest detection device of claim 5, further comprising the controller configured to measure self-capacitance of each sensor with respect to ground. ### Claim 13 (depends on 5) The pest detection device of claim 5, wherein the at least one of the plurality of capacitive sensors includes a trace on a circuit board and the solder mask is disposed over at least part of the trace. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The pest detection device of claim 11, wherein the controller is connected to at least one trace to detect capacitance changes. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The pest detection device of claim 14, wherein the controller includes a microprocessor. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The pest detection device of claim 14, wherein the controller includes a microcontroller. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The pest detection device of claim 1, wherein the textured material includes at least MT-11007 of texture. ### Claim 18 (depends on 2) The pest detection device of claim 2, wherein the textured material includes at least MT-11007 of texture. ### Claim 19 A method for making a sensor, comprising: mounting a circuit board at a nonhorizontal angle, the circuit board including a plurality of traces wherein at least a portion of the traces are coated with a textured material that pests can more easily climb at the nonhorizontal angle; connecting a controller to at least two traces of the plurality of traces, the controller configured to sense capacitance of at least some of the plurality of traces; and connecting a power supply to at least the controller. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, wherein the textured material includes pumice. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The method of claim 20, further comprising disposing the circuit board and controller in a housing having an opening for pests to enter and climb on the circuit board. ### Claim 22 (depends on 20) The method of claim 20, further comprising configuring the controller to detect bed bugs that climb onto the textured material. ### Claim 23 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, wherein the textured material includes at least MT-11007 of texture. ### Claim 24 (depends on 20) The method of claim 20, wherein the textured material includes at least MT-11007 of texture.