US 12,167,728 B2
Systems and method for detecting the presence of pests
Robert Fryers, Cambridge (GB); Neil D'Souza-Mathew, Cambridge (GB); and Gareth Funk, Cambridge (GB)
Assigned to SPOTTA LIMITED, Cambridge (GB)
Appl. No. 17/797,960
Filed by SPOTTA LIMITED, Cambridge (GB)
PCT Filed Feb. 5, 2021, PCT No. PCT/GB2021/050262
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Aug. 5, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/156630, PCT Pub. Date Aug. 12, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 2001718 (GB), filed on Feb. 7, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0064467 A1, Mar. 2, 2023
Int. Cl. A01M 31/00 (2006.01); A01M 1/02 (2006.01)
CPC A01M 31/002 (2013.01) [A01M 1/026 (2013.01); A01M 2200/01 (2013.01)] 21 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system for detecting the presence of insects, the system comprising an imaging system including:
a housing including one or more insect entrances,
an insect attractant arranged within the housing;
an insect detection surface;
an image capture device, said image capture device configured to capture one or more images of the insect detection surface;
a triggering sensor arrangement for detecting a target insect that is on or about to enter the insect detection surface, said triggering sensor arrangement being configured to monitor an area between the one or more entrances and the insect attractant such that any path made by an insect between the one or more entrances and the attractant crosses said monitored area and provide a trigger-signal if the presence of an object is detected, the image capture device being configured to take an image of the insect detection surface in response to the trigger-signal; and
at least one active component with a limited lifespan indicated by a lifespan-parameter, and a control unit configured to:
receive a service-interval-parameter representative of a predetermined time interval between scheduled services of the system;
determine a current operating time of the at least one active component;
compare the lifespan-parameter to a difference between the service-interval-parameter and the current operating time; and
determine a service-status-signal on the basis of the comparison result.