DE29820802U1 - Device for automated, intelligent defense against vertebrates and insects - Google Patents

Description

· I »Dipk-Ingf {järtier Waldmann Koldestrasse 8 c 91052 Erlangen

Phone: 09131/301313 Fax: 09131/301313

contraption

to

automated, intelligent
Defense

from
Vertebrates and insects

in November 1998

CONTENTS

Description State of the art

How the invention works

Hearing thresholds Object of the invention Protection claims Fig.l: Block diagram Fig.2: Event sequence

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Description

The invention relates to a device for the automated protection of areas, zones and/or objects from pests such as wild animals or insects.

The device automatically registers the approach and/or presence of pests acoustically; it can also be activated by external noise or by intervention.

Areas, zones and objects that are worth protecting include, for example, agricultural land, reforestation areas, biotopes, etc. that should be protected from damage by wild animals; as well as sections of road that should be kept clear of wild animals when vehicles approach. Objects and zones that are worth protecting also include open or closed spaces that are frequented by insects such as mosquitoes.

Devices designed according to the invention are advantageous wherever the desired protection against wild animal browsing or movement can previously only be achieved by construction measures such as game protection fences, e.g. in reforestation areas and country roads, or cannot actually be practiced, e.g. in agricultural areas.

To protect against insects such as mosquitoes, devices designed according to the invention replace, for example, chemical agents. In contrast to state-of-the-art ultrasound devices, they react to the flying noises of the insects.

The device is so compact in terms of dimensions and weight that it can be easily positioned practically anywhere.

It requires little or no maintenance and has a long service life thanks to its low power consumption when running on batteries or rechargeable batteries. The battery can be kept fully charged using a solar cell panel and charging current regulator.

Compared to measures such as wildlife protection fences, the device designed according to the invention is considerably more cost-effective, easier to install and more flexible.

State of the art

According to the current state of technology, agricultural land is practically not protected against wild animals. Effective fencing is expensive, hinders the harvesting process, is often not permitted by law and is useless against birds anyway.

The same applies to protected areas and/or reforestation areas. In mountain forests, the construction of wildlife protection fences is extremely complex. Wildlife browsing is a major source of damage to forestry, and in protected forests it also represents a potential danger. Hunting is often prevented by hunting rights and/or closed seasons.

Chemical sprays are available against insects such as mosquitoes, but they are only effective in enclosed spaces. Ultrasonic devices against mosquitoes work continuously and are not based on the actual presence of these insects - in the bedrooms of small children
not beneficial. Living comfort, such as the use of terraces, is often greatly reduced by mosquitoes in or near wetlands.

-A-

How the invention works

The device uses the hearing ability of mammals and the sensitivity of various insect species deep into the ultrasound range, beyond the upper human hearing threshold.

It basically consists of the components sound recording (1), signal digitization (2), sound comparison (3), switch (4), ultrasound source (5) and/or voice source (6).

The device registers, for example, movement noises from roaming game in or around protected areas via a microphone (1). The noise is digitized as a signal in the A/D converter (2) and its frequency/phase response is compared with tolerable noises in a microprocessor (3). If there is no match or similarity, a circuit (4) activates the ultrasound source (5) or a voice source (6).

The ultrasound source emits signals in the frequency range 20 - approx. 100 kHz. These sounds are not perceptible to humans, but cause wild animals, for example, to flee.

In birds, the upper hearing threshold is in the range of 10 kHz. They therefore do not react to ultrasonic signals. Here, the voice generator simulates a bird of prey call, which also triggers flight reactions.

In the memory of the microprocessor (3), harmless or tolerable noises are stored as digitized frequency/phase responses in a fixed file. Such tolerable background noises include, for example, street noise, rail traffic, aircraft noise, church bells, etc.

If similar noises are heard through the microphone

(I) they are suppressed in the microprocessor, i.e. the ultrasound or voice source is not activated.

This is intended to prevent the animals from becoming accustomed to the device during long-term operation and to protect the internal energy supply.

The device is switched on and off via a main circuit (8) either manually or via cable or radio signal (9).

The device can be equipped with a fault indicator (7) which, by specifying the position or an identifier, reports faults such as voltage drops etc. via a data line to a control center (10).

(II). This is useful for large areas that are protected by a large number of devices. A monitor can also be connected via an interface, which graphically displays the areas and positions of the devices.

In a simplified form, the device can also be implemented with the components (1), (4), (5) and/or (6).

To prevent wild animals from crossing roads or to avoid accidents involving wild animals, a section of road at risk is equipped with a series of devices. The distances between the individual devices are determined by their effective ultrasonic signal range.

The first device registers the sound of an approaching vehicle via microphone (1) and passes it on to the processor (3) via (2). In this application, all other ambient noises are suppressed. The processor (3) only reacts to vehicle noises and activates the ultrasound generator (5). At the same time, the next devices are activated via the telemetry transmitter (7), which receive the telemetry signal via their receivers (8).

Through a sequence of telemetry signals between the devices, a longer stretch of road can be kept clear of wild animals crossing the road, and only when a vehicle is actually approaching. In phases without traffic, the road is clear for wild animals crossing the road.

The hearing organs of insects differ in their structure from those of vertebrates, but do not need to be described in detail here. Nocturnal insects in particular register vibrations deep into the ultrasound range, in extreme cases up to 240 kHz. They react to sounds between 10 kHz and 175 kHz, which in nature are emitted by their main enemies, bats, with a flight or feigning death reflex.

The flight noise of mosquitoes is 380 Hz. The processor (3) filters out all ambient noise and only activates the ultrasound source when, for example, the flight noise of mosquitoes is received at the microphone (1).

Devices designed according to the invention are suitable for repelling annoying insects in living rooms, bedrooms and children's rooms, on terraces and balconies, in gardens, tents, caravans, etc.

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Hearing thresholds

The upper hearing threshold of people depends on their age. It lies between 5 kHz (in old age) and 20 kHz (in young people).

The upper limit of mammalian hearing ability is significantly different from that of humans and extends over a wide ultrasound range:

Beef 38kHz sheep 40kHz Horse 40kHz Dog 45kHz Rabbits 45kHz Pig 48kHz Cat 50kHz Deer 60kHz rat 70kHz Mouse 100kHz bat 175kHz

Table 1 : Upper hearing threshold of some
mammals.

The hearing ability of insects also varies. Nocturnal species register vibrations up to 240 kHz.

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Object of the invention

The object of the invention is to create a device that is able to independently keep unwanted or harmful animals away from objects, areas, protection zones, etc. and/or to trigger escape reactions.

The device performs protective tasks that can only be achieved to a limited extent or with great effort using conventional means, such as protective fences, or that involve environmental and/or health risks (due to chemicals).

It is a further object of the invention to realize this device very compactly and within a cost framework that allows for broad application.

The object is achieved according to the invention in that commercially available and state-of-the-art components such as microphones, pulse generators are linked to electronic hardware and software in such a way that the criteria of automation and/or "artificial intelligence" are met for the field of activity of the device.

The task is further solved by the fact that simplified variants of the device can be produced for the same activity characteristics, which do not have to meet the criterion of "artificial intelligence".

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- 10 Show:

* Fig.l the components (1) - (12) of the entire device. (1) - (8) form the actual defense device; (9) the remote control or telemetry transmitter; (10), (11), and (12) the central control station.

In detail:

(1) Microphone for recording ambient noise.

(2) A/D converter for digitizing the microphone output signals .

(3) Memory and microprocessor for analysis and comparison of noise impulses or frequency/phase responses.

(4) Switching module for activating the signal (5) and/or voice generator (6).

(5) Ultrasonic generator.

(6) Voice generator.

(7) Data output or telemetry transmitter for transmission of (fault) messages.

(8) Data input or telemetry receiver for (fault) messages.

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(9) Telemetry transmitter or remote control for on/off.

(10) Telemetry receiver for (fault) messages.

(11) Fault indication, e.g. LCD display and/or LED indicator.

(12) Monitor for displaying areas with positions of intact and/or faulty devices.

Fig.2 shows an example of the sequence of an event (E 1) and its frequency/phase response (Hz = frequency; t = time).

The frequency/phase response of a noise (E la) is compared in the microprocessor (3) with the file of harmless background noises. If there is no match or similarity, the ultrasound generator and/or the voice generator emit a signal (S).

(E Ib) is an example of the frequency/phase response of a tolerable noise, e.g. the noise of a train. Its comparable characteristics are stored in the file of (3). The noise is filtered out or suppressed, the sound generator is not activated.

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Claims (5)

- 12 - Protection claims 1. Device for the automated protection of areas, zones and/or objects against vertebrate pests or insects with independent, "intelligent" sorting according to the requirements of prevention, characterized, that state-of-the-art devices and components for acoustic signal or noise detection (1), (2) and processing (3) are provided with hardware and software for sorting and analyzing incoming noises and are coupled via a circuit to an ultrasound and/or voice generator (5), (6). that this device structure can be provided with a telemetry (7) for transmitting error/fault messages to a central control station (10), (11), (12), and that the structure (1) to (7) is provided with a remote control or a telemetry receiver (8) for on/off commands. that the device (1) to (8) can be equipped with its own mains-independent power supply. - 13 - - 13 - 2. Device according to claim 1,
characterized, that noise signals are recorded and digitized (2) via a microphone (1), compared in the memory/processor (3) as (Dat n) with a file of tolerable noises (Dat m) and that if the comparison result is negative, an ultrasound generator (5) and/or a sound generator (6) with simulated (bird of prey/predator) voices is activated via a switching stage (4). 3. Device according to claims 1 and 2,
characterized, that in addition to noise detection and noise comparison, the ultrasonic generator and/or sound generator is activated at time intervals via an integrated timer and/or calendar. 4. Device according to claim 1,2,3,
characterized, that messages are transmitted via a module or a telemetry transmitter (7) to the receiver (8) of another device or to a central control station (10), (11), (12) and an identification code and/or GPS information is added to these messages. - 14 - 5. Device according to claims 1,2,3,4
characterized, that the device is designed in simplified form (1), (2), (4), (5)/(6) or (1), (4), (5)/(6) without noise comparison or signal selection in the microprocessor (3) and without control station (10), (11), (12) which is switched on and off manually and/or by a remote control (9), (8). - 15 -