Wireless notification systems and methods for electronic rodent traps

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10111416-B2
Application number	US-201715668958-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 4, 2017
Priority date	Sep 25, 2012
Publication date	Oct 30, 2018
Grant date	Oct 30, 2018

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.

First claim

What is claimed is:

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 automatically rearming electronic rodent trapping device having a high-voltage output circuit with at least two plates and an RF transceiver configured to send, an alert notification as an RF transmission following activation of the output circuit and completion of a killing cycle, said trap, after activation, waiting a delay period before sending the alert notification and confirming whether impedance across the plates indicates presence or absence of a rodent after the killing cycle;
a base station at a distance from said trapping device and in communication therewith; and
a cloud server in communication with said base station, said base station being configured to receive said RP transmission indicating tract activation and to forward an activation notification to the cloud server of a change in trap state from a set state to a kill alert state, said cloud server storing a trap state data history that is accessible to the user, said trap state data history including the activation notification.

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

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

4. The remote notification electronic rodent trapping system as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said delay period corresponds with a length of the killing cycle.

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

6. The remote notification electronic rodent trapping system as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the cloud server, upon receipt of the activation notification, updates a user interface to indicate the change in trap 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 of the trap's kill alert state.

7. The remote notification electronic rodent trapping system as set forth in claim 6 , wherein said cloud server does not send the update notification in the event that a further signal from the base station, indicating the trap has rearmed and is back in the set state, is received prior to expiration of the predetermined time period.

8. The remote notification electronic rodent trapping system as set forth in claim 6 , wherein the predetermined time period is between about 6 hours and about 48 hours.

9. A method of remotely monitoring an automatically rearming electronic rodent trapping device by a user, the trapping device having a high-voltage output circuit with at Least two plates and an RE transceiver, a base station at a distance from said trapping device and in communication therewith, and a cloud 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 trap in response to a triggering condition, a killing cycle during which high-voltage is output to the two plates, said killing cycle changing a state of said trap to a kill alert state;
waiting, by the trap, a first predetermined time period and then sending an RE transmission with an activation notification to said base station indicating the trap to be in the kill alert state;
forwarding, said base station, said activation notification to said cloud server;
storing, by said cloud server, a trap state data history that is accessible to the user, said trap state data history including the trap's kill alert state at activation notification;
determining, by said trap 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;
upon determining, by the trap, that the impedance across the plates indicates an absence of rodent presence, said trap rearming and notifying the base station that the trap has returned to the set state;
said base station forwarding the trap notification of return to the set state to the cloud server; and
said cloud server adding the change in trap state back to the set state to the trap state data history.

10. The method as set forth in claim 9 , further comprising the step of said cloud 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 trap's kill alert state.

11. The method as set forth in claim 10 , wherein said step of said cloud server sending the update notification includes sending at least one of a text and an email.

12. The method as set forth in claim 9 , further comprising the steps of:
said cloud server, upon receipt of the activation notification from the base station, waiting a second predetermined time period before sending an update notification to the user's computing or other smart device of the trap's kill alert state; and
in the event that a further signal from the base station, indicating the trap has rearmed and is back in the set state, is received prior to expiration of the second predetermine d time period, the cloud server not sending the update notification to the user.

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

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

15. The method. as set forth in claim 9 , wherein said first time period corresponds with at least a length of the killing cycle.

16. The method as set forth in claim 10 , wherein the second predetermined period is between about 6 hours and about 48 hours.

17. The method as set forth in claim. 12 , wherein the second predetermined period is between about 6 hours and about 48 hours.

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

19. 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 automatically rearming electronic rodent trapping device having a high-voltage output circuit with at least two plates and a transmitter configured to send an alert notification as a wireless transmission following activation of the output circuit and completion of a killing cycle, said trap, after activation, waiting a period before sending the alert notification and confirming whether impedance across the plates indicates presence or absence of a rodent after the killing cycle;
a base station in wireless communication with said trapping device; and
a remote server in wireless communication with said base station, said base station being configured to receive said wireless transmission indicating trap activation and to forward a wireless activation notification to the remote server a change in trap state from a set state to a kill alert

Assignees

• Woodstream Corp

Inventors

• Rich Christopher T
• Daly Jr Thomas J
• Lunger Aaron W

Classifications

• H04W88/04

  adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user · CPC title

• H04M11/022

  Paging systems (personal calling arrangements or devices G08B3/1008; selective calling networks H04W84/022) · CPC title

• H04M11/00

  Telephonic communication systems specially adapted for combination with other electrical systems · CPC title

• H04L67/125

  involving control of end-device applications over a network · CPC title

• A01M99/00

  Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass · CPC title