Wireless Trap Sensor Switching for Low-Power Remote Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional animal trap monitoring systems are inadequate for remote locations, as they often require manual checking and can lead to prolonged animal suffering, with existing solutions being too expensive, sophisticated, and energy-intensive, limiting their use in high-volume, low-tech fields like pest control.
Innovation Solution
A wireless animal trap sensor system using a switch with a first and second metallic element that forms a closed circuit when triggered, transmitting a signal to an off-site receiver, incorporating a test mode and accelerometer to ensure sensor functionality and minimize battery drain, employing Low Power Wide Area technologies for efficient communication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional manual trap checking is used, then device complexity is low, but trap monitoring reliability deteriorates due to prolonged animal suffering and missed detections
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical trap checking with electronic sensing systems including Hall effect sensors, magnetoresistors, and wireless transmitters that automatically detect and report trap activation, thereby improving reliability without requiring sophisticated continuous monitoring infrastructure
Solution Approach 2:
The trap sensor system performs self-monitoring and automatic wireless transmission of activation status, eliminating the need for manual inspection while maintaining simplicity through autonomous operation at the trap location
2Measurement precision
If sophisticated sensing techniques such as infrared or motion sensors are used, then trap activation detection accuracy is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs inexpensive, simple magnetic sensors and Hall effect devices that can be easily replaced if needed, providing sufficient detection accuracy without the complexity and cost of sophisticated infrared or motion sensing systems
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the detection parameter from complex infrared or motion detection to simple magnetic field detection using Hall effect sensors, maintaining adequate measurement precision for trap activation while significantly reducing device complexity
3Reliability
If battery operated audio alert devices are used, then trap activation alerting is improved, but energy consumption increases causing battery to run down
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses wireless transmission that operates periodically or on-demand rather than continuous audio alerting, significantly reducing energy consumption while maintaining reliable notification of trap activation through intermittent signal transmission
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces high-energy audio alert mechanisms with low-power wireless electronic transmission, achieving reliable alert functionality with minimal energy consumption suitable for battery-operated remote trap monitoring
4Measurement precision
If imaging systems are used to report animal presence, then detection accuracy is improved, but energy consumption and bandwidth requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential information needed for trap monitoring (activation status) rather than transmitting full imaging data, achieving sufficient detection accuracy while dramatically reducing energy consumption and bandwidth requirements through selective data transmission
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables efficient remote monitoring of animal traps with minimal energy consumption, reducing false positives and negatives, and allowing for easy identification of operational sensors, thus improving trap maintenance and reducing animal suffering while being cost-effective for high-volume applications.
Implementation Method 1
Other sensors that may be used with the pest control device include, but are not limited to, Hall effect devices or magnetoresistors, which change resistance based on the strength of a magnetic field
Implementation Method 2
A wireless animal trap sensor system using a switch with a first and second metallic element that forms a closed circuit when triggered, transmitting a signal to an off-site receiver, incorporating a test mode and accelerometer to ensure sensor functionality
Data Source
AI summary
An animal trap sensor includes a base having a distal end and a proximal end, a switch having a first metallic element and a second metallic element, and a signal unit, in which, when the first metallic element contacting the second metallic element, thereby forming a closed circuit, such that the signal unit transmits a signal to an off-site receiver. Or, an animal trap sensor includes a first portion and a second portion electrically connected with a signal unit including a power supply, in which, when the first and the second portions are disposed at a first distance between each other, thereby generating an output property, in which, when the first and the second portions are disposed at a second distance between each other, which is different from the first distance, thereby changing the output property and causing the signal unit to transmit a signal to an off-site receiver.