Networked pest control system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017195824-A1
Application number	US-201715402977-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 10, 2017
Priority date	Sep 9, 2008
Publication date	Jul 6, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A pest control device system includes a plurality of pest control devices and a data collector. The system may further include the data collector in the form of a gateway that is connected to a data management server via a computer network along with other gateways in corresponding pest control device groups. Each pest control device includes a pest sensor and a wireless communication circuit to transmit information from the corresponding sensor. The devices also configure to define a local wireless communication network that can relay the information from one to the next and ultimately to the data collector.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method, comprising:
operating a pest control system including a plurality of pest control devices and a data collector, the pest control devices each including a respective pest sensor and a respective wireless communication circuit; wirelessly transmitting sensor information from the respective sensor of a first one of the pest control devices to a second one of the pest control devices; and wirelessly providing the sensor information from the second one of the pest control devices to the data collector.

2 . The method of claim 1 , which includes installing the pest control devices, comprising:
activating an installation operational mode of the selected one of the pest control devices; and if the selected one of the pest control devices establishes a wireless communication link with any other of the pest control devices, providing output to an operator indicating establishment of the wireless communication link.

3 . The method of claim 2 , which includes applying a magnetic field proximate to a selected one of the pest control devices to initiate the activation of the installation operation mode, and wherein the selected one of the pest control devices includes a magnetic switch responsive to the magnetic field, the output includes a first visual indicator output, and further comprising:
providing a second visual indicator output different than the first visual indicator output if the selected one of the pest control devices fails to establish the wireless communication link after a predefined period of time; in response to the second visual indicator output, installing one or more other of the pest control devices; and after the installing of the one or more other of the pest control devices, attempting again to establish the wireless communication link for the selected one of the pest control devices.

4 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the selected one of the pest control devices fails to establish the wireless communication link and further comprising:
changing position of the selected one of the pest control devices; and establishing the wireless communication link with the selected one of the pest control devices after the changing of the position thereof

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein one or more of the pest control devices includes a respective bait for one or more species of pest.

6 . The method of claim 5 , which includes attracting at least one of termites and bedbugs with the bait.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein at least some of the pest control devices include at least one of: (a) an active transponder and (b) two or more sensor types.

8 . The method of claim 1 , which includes:
providing the data collector as a form of gateway; interfacing the gateway to a computer network; and providing a user access to data gathered with pest control devices through the computer network.

9 . The method of claim 8 , which includes:
providing a number of different gateways, the gateways each corresponding to a respective one of several different pest control device groups; monitoring each of several different locations with the respective on of the different pest control device groups, the different locations being remote from one another; from each of the different gateways, communicating information through the computer network to a data management server; and establishing the user access with the data management server.

10 . The method of claim 1 , which includes:
providing one or more of the pest control devices with a respective bait for a rodent; and detecting rodent activity with the respective pest sensor of at least one of the one or more of the pest control devices.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the one or more of the pest control devices includes a respective rodent trap and the respective pest sensor of each of the one or more of the pest control devices signals activation of the respective rodent trap.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the respective wireless communication circuit of the first one of the pest control devices is out of communication range with the data collector, and the relaying of the sensor information from the second one of the pest control devices includes sending the sensor information through at least a third one of the pest control devices before the sensor information reaches the data collector.

13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a first group of the pest control devices each communicate data to the data collector through one or more of a second group of pest control devices.

14 . A method, comprising:
providing a pest control system including a data collector and several pest control devices, the pest control devices each including a respective sensor, and a respective wireless communication circuit; activating a network installation mode of a selected one of the pest control devices; during the network installation mode, attempting to establish a wireless communication link with a pest control system communication network; if the wireless communication link is established, providing a first type of output to an operator; and if the wireless communication link is not established, providing a second type of output to the operator.

15 . The method of claim 14 , which includes:
wirelessly communicating information through the wireless communication link from the selected one of the pest control to the data collectors by relaying the information with a least one other of the pest control devices; and in response to the second type of output to the operator, reattempting to establish the wireless communication link.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the reattempting includes:
increasing quantity of the pest control devices in the pest control communication network; and after increasing the quantity, reapplying the magnetic field proximate to the selected one of the pest control devices to establish the wireless link with the pest system communication network.

17 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the reattempting includes:
changing relative position between the selected one of the pest control devices and at least one of: the data collector and any other of the pest control devices; and after changing the relative position, reapplying the magnetic field proximate to the selected one of the pest control devices to establish the wireless link with the pest system communication network.

18 . The method of claim 14 , which includes storing a first communication path including the communication link for the selected one of the pest control devices, the first communication path including a first one of the pest control devices to relay information to the data collector from the selected one of the pest control devices.

19 . The method of claim 18 , which includes:
detecting degradation of the first communication pathway; replacing the first communication pathway with a second communication pathway for the selected one of the pest control devices, the second communication pathway including a second one of the pest control devices instead of the first one of the pest control device; and storing the second communication path for the selected one of the pest control devices.

20 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the selected one of the pest control devices includes an operator activated switch, the first type of output includes a first illumination arrangement, and the second type of output includes a second illumination arrangement.

Assignees

• Dow Agrosciences Llc

Inventors

• Borth Paul W
• Scherer Peter N
• Tolley Mike P
• Voglewede Christopher J
• Schneider Brian M
• Orr Nailah
• Baxter Richard V
• Brune Douglas K

Classifications

• H04W88/04

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

• H04L67/025

  for remote control or remote monitoring of applications · CPC title

• H04W4/005 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• A01M1/026

  combined with devices for monitoring insect presence, e.g. termites (bait stations A01M1/2005; detecting other animals in a given area A01M31/002) · CPC title

• A01M23/38

  Electric traps · CPC title