Smart containment structure for apitherapy

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11227163-B2
Application number	US-201816122791-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 5, 2018
Priority date	Sep 5, 2018
Publication date	Jan 18, 2022
Grant date	Jan 18, 2022

Abstract

An apparatus according to one embodiment includes a container having an interior, and a divider in the interior of the container. The divider selectively separates the interior into first and second compartments. The divider is configured to keep bees located in the first compartment separated from bees in the second compartment when in a closed configuration, and to allow the bees positioned in the first compartment to enter the second compartment when in an open configuration. The apparatus also includes an image capture device for capturing images of the bees in the interior of the container, and an outlet for permitting ingress and egress of the bees from the second compartment. The container is configured to prevent the bees from escaping from the first compartment.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus, comprising:
a container having an interior;
a divider in the interior of the container, the divider selectively separating the interior into first and second compartments, wherein the divider is configured to keep bees located in the first compartment separated from bees in the second compartment when in a closed configuration, wherein the divider is configured to allow the bees positioned in the first compartment to enter the second compartment when in an open configuration;
an image capture device for capturing images of the bees in the interior of the container; and
an outlet for permitting ingress and egress of the bees from the second compartment,
wherein the container is configured to prevent the bees from escaping from the first compartment.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising a mechanism for transitioning the divider from the closed configuration to the open configuration.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the image capture device is configured to perform visual recognition analysis on the images of the bees for characterizing interaction between the bees in the first compartment and the bees in the second compartment.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , comprising a mechanism for transitioning the divider from the closed configuration to the open configuration, wherein the image capture device is configured to cause the mechanism to transition the divider from the closed configuration to the open configuration in response to determining that the interaction between the bees in the first compartment with the bees in the second compartment meets predefined criteria corresponding to acclimation of the bees to an environment in the interior of the container.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising an interface for sending the images from the apparatus to a computer.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the divider has a plurality of apertures therein for allowing pheromone to pass from the second compartment to the first compartment.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising a mechanism for removing bees from an immediate proximity of the image capture device.

8. A computer-implemented method, comprising:
receiving images of bees in an interior of a container having a divider selectively separating the interior into first and second compartments, wherein the divider is configured to keep bees located in the first compartment separated from bees in the second compartment when in a closed configuration, wherein the divider is configured to allow the bees positioned in the first compartment to enter the second compartment when in an open configuration;
performing visual recognition analysis on the images of the bees for characterizing interaction between the bees in the first compartment and the bees in the second compartment; and
causing a mechanism for transitioning the divider from the closed configuration to the open configuration to transition the divider from the closed configuration to the open configuration in response to determining that the interaction between the bees in the first compartment with the bees in the second compartment meets predefined criteria corresponding to acclimation of the bees to an environment in the interior of the container.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , wherein the visual recognition analysis on the images includes detecting bees oriented head to head at the divider with proboscises passing through apertures in the divider.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , wherein the visual recognition analysis on the images includes detecting bees attempting to sting through the divider.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , comprising determining whether bees in immediate proximity of an image capture device for capturing the images are blocking greater than a threshold amount of a field of view thereof; and in response to determining that the bees in the immediate proximity of the image capture device are blocking greater than the threshold amount of the field of view thereof, sending an instruction to a mechanism for removing bees from the immediate proximity of the image capture device to remove said bees from the immediate proximity of the image capture device.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , comprising performing further visual recognition analysis on the images for determining that at least a predetermined amount of the bees from the first compartment have moved to the second compartment; and causing the mechanism for transitioning the divider from the closed configuration to the open configuration to transition the divider from the open configuration to the closed configuration in response to determining that at least the predetermined amount of the bees from the first compartment have moved to the second compartment.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , wherein causing the mechanism for transitioning the divider from the closed configuration to the open configuration to transition the divider from the closed configuration to the open configuration includes sending an instruction directly to the mechanism.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , wherein causing the mechanism for transitioning the divider from the closed configuration to the open configuration to transition the divider from the closed configuration to the open configuration includes sending an alert to a user.

15. A computer program product, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, wherein the computer readable storage medium is not a transitory signal per se, the program instructions executable by a computer to cause the computer to perform a method comprising:
receiving, by the computer, images of bees in an interior of a container having a divider selectively separating the interior into first and second compartments, wherein the divider is configured to keep bees located in the first compartment separated from bees in the second compartment when in a closed configuration, wherein the divider is configured to allow the bees positioned in the first compartment to enter the second compartment when in an open configuration;
performing, by the computer, visual recognition analysis on the images of the bees for characterizing interaction between the bees in the first compartment and the bees in the second compartment; and
causing, by the computer, a mechanism for transitioning the divider from the closed configuration to the open configuration to transition the divider from the closed configuration to the open configuration in response to determining that the interaction between the bees in the first compartment with the bees in the second compartment meets predefined criteria corresponding to acclimation of the bees to an environment in the interior of the container.

16. The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein the visual recognition analysis on the images includes detecting bees oriented head to head at the divider with proboscises passing through apertures in the divider.

17. The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein the visual recognition analysis on the images includes detecting bees attempting to sting through the divider.

18. The computer program product of claim 15 , comprising program instructions executable by the computer to cause the computer to determine whether bees in immediate proximity of an image capture device for capturing the images are blocking greater than a threshold amount of a field of view thereof; and in response to det

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Werner John S
• Overton Robert K
• Tsfasman Arkadiy O

Classifications

• G06V40/20

  Movements or behaviour, e.g. gesture recognition (recognition of facial expressions G06V40/16) · CPC title

• A01K47/06 Primary

  Other details of beehives, e.g. ventilating devices, entrances to hives, guards, partitions or bee escapes · CPC title

• G06V20/52 Primary

  Surveillance or monitoring of activities, e.g. for recognising suspicious objects (recognising microscopic objects G06V20/69) · CPC title

• G06Q50/02

  Agriculture; Fishing; Forestry; Mining · CPC title

• G06V40/103

  Static body considered as a whole, e.g. static pedestrian or occupant recognition · CPC title