ES2933379A1 - SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR THE CONTROL OF RODENT PESTS THROUGH THE INTERNET OF THINGS (Machine-translation by Google Translate, not legally binding) - Google Patents

Abstract

System and method for rodent pest control through the internet of things. The present invention refers to a method and a system to control the presence of rodents in sewers and premises. It comprises a LoRa gateway (5) to serve one or more wireless sensors (5) arranged inside the premises within the coverage area and send the measurements collected by a specific sensor to a central server (6). , which stores the measurements in a database and keeps them accessible to the operators, who by capturing a two-dimensional code (10) with a mobile device (8), where wireless sensors are sensors with LoRa transmission, makes it possible to dispense with WiFi networks or other types of connections and also allows optimization of a few strategically located connection points, which makes it more efficient, flexible, scalable, simple and economical. (Machine-translation by Google Translate, not legally binding)

Description

DESCRIPTION

SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR THE CONTROL OF RODENT PESTS THROUGH THE INTERNET OF THINGS

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is both a system and the method used to control rodent pests through the Internet of things, using the LoRAWAN specification, which is a specification for low-power, wide-area networks, LPWAN (in English, Low Power Wide Area Network), specifically designed for low power consumption devices that operate in local, regional, national or global networks.

The present invention refers to the technical field of monitoring rodents in sewers by means of a sensor with a mounted bait that detects when rodents eat the bait by means of a weight or vibration sensor, determining the presence and quantity of rodents and sending it to the center. control through low energy LoRaWan from which the number is determined based on how much they eat (weight) and the number of rodents and the historical ones are evaluated by geopositioning, the convenience of changing the baits based on the weights is determined and the They record the data on a platform either in the cloud or on a specific server. In addition, the data can be made available to maintenance services through the control website and in turn through a QR code to make it easy to change baits due to their depletion. The platform, in turn, can issue warnings for lack of baits through different formats (SMS, Telegram, Email, etc.)

The sensor design includes either a load cell to assess the weight of the bait, or a tilt sensor to assess movement, or a water presence sensor to prevent flooding, a processor to assess these data and transmit them when necessary or every time interval (one hour by default) through a low energy LoRaWAN transmission equipment, so that through batteries without any type of electrical installation, it can work for years without changing the battery. As a fastening system to the manhole cover, it will have magnets or tabs for its mooring.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Currently, the baits are hung without any kind of warning, the rodents act and after a while the operators come to change the baits, the number of rodents is determined by the number of baits eaten in that period, since there is no equipment of low energy measurement (batteries and long duration) such as the one of the present invention, this project was made economically unfeasible to date as it required a watertight electrical installation through the sewer.

This invention evaluates the presence of rodents in real time, registers it on a visualization platform and allows the change of baits through warnings from the platform or the direct vision of the operators on their phones. Improving maintenance costs by going to replace the bait only in the necessary places and when necessary. Real-time control of the presence is improved, allowing measures to be taken against the pest more quickly.

The use of low-energy communication technology LoRaWAN means that no type of pre-installation is necessary in the manhole manhole and the magnets allow for quick placement. In addition, this technology allows the management of a multitude of sensors with little economic cost given the possibility the use of open networks such as TTN in which there is no cost for data transmission as occurs in networks such as 4G, 5G, Narrow band, etc.

On the other hand, there is the possibility of using WiFi coverage points, but ignoring that it also requires monthly payments, the main stumbling block is that they require a one-to-one configuration of the sensors. The deployment, therefore, is not practical, since it requires the intervention of a technician with access to the local WiFi, which on the other hand leads to a security problem when sharing the keys that, if they are changed again to preserve security , forces to reconfigure the sensors again and a high energy consumption.

Therefore, a practical, flexible and scalable solution to measure the concentration of rodents is lacking in the state of the art and that this information is also accessible to operators and municipal controllers in a simple way before accessing a premises.

Consequently, it is the object of the present application to overcome the drawbacks of the state of the art, developing a system for the control of rodent pests that allows access to information from the sensors in an easy and simple way by developing a system and a method such as which is described below and is collected in its essentials in the first claim.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In order to achieve the objectives and avoid the drawbacks mentioned above, the present invention describes, in a first aspect, a system for determining the presence of rodents, comprising:

- At least one wireless sensor provided with means to determine the weight of a bait linked to the wireless sensor in addition to means configured to obtain rodent presence measurements and send the measurements through a first wireless communication with a gateway,

- The gateway, which can be one or more, is configured to establish the first wireless communication using the LoRaWan standard with the remote wireless sensor in a coverage area and to establish a second wireless communication via IP connection with a central server ,

- A central server configured to receive, through the second wireless communication, the measurements of the presence of rodents from each gateway,

- A database housed in the central server, configured to store the received measurements of weights and presence of rodents together with a unique identifier assigned to each wireless sensor,

- A two-dimensional code arranged outside each room or sensorized chest, where the two-dimensional code encodes the unique identifier assigned to the sensor located in each room,

- At least one mobile device with two-dimensional code reading means, configured to read the two-dimensional code located outside the premises or chest to access, through an Internet connection, the measurements of the presence of rodents or the need to change the bait stored in the database associated with the unique identifier encoded in the two-dimensional code read.

In a possible embodiment of the invention, the first wireless communication is a transmission on the 868Mhz frequency using LoRa technology. In other embodiments, it is contemplated to use the 433 Mhz or 915 Mhz frequency band to adapt to the spectrum available in different territories.

The second wireless communication is contemplated to be established under IP protocol over a telecommunication network of a telecommunication service provider. Thus, advantageously, the data from thousands of sensors are centralized in a single gateway, and it is only necessary to connect said gateway to the Internet so that all of them can share their data with the central server.

Wireless sensors are preferably long-range, low-power sensors implemented with LoRa technology.

According to one of the embodiments of the invention, the wireless sensors are sensors of at least one of the following parameters: bait weight, movement or tilt (tilt) and humidity. Thus, advantageously a direct relationship can be established between the quality of the bait eaten and the number of rodents that exist based on measurements of one, two or all of the above parameters.

The database is contemplated to be an open source database specifically developed to handle large time series data. Specifically, in one possible embodiment, the InfluxDB ® database and other similar databases are implemented, with a user interface adapted to visualize the measurements collected by the sensors. Additionally, the database is configured, in one of the embodiments, to store a timestamp associated with each measurement received.

In the present invention, the two-dimensional codes are contemplated to be QR codes, which are encoded with the unique identifier information assigned to a wireless sensor. Thus, advantageously, operators can capture the QR code from their mobile phones before accessing a manhole and automatically receive the information from the need to change bait on your screen, through an internet connection between the phone and the central server that stores the data.

In one of the embodiments of the present invention, establishing the second wireless communication comprises establishing an IP connection via a wireless telecommunication network provided by a telecommunication service provider.

According to one of the embodiments of the invention, obtaining measurements of weight or movement comprises obtaining a measurement of the concentration of rodents, through a sensor of this type, a measurement of humidity can serve as prevention of certain levels of flooding.

Additionally, in one of the embodiments of the invention, storing the measurements in the database further comprises adding a timestamp to each stored measurement.

The present invention can be implemented, therefore, through open and free technologies, which makes it feasible to place as many sensors as desired without generating appreciable monthly expenses, as it requires minimal Internet connection points in the 868Mhz LoRa band to cover large areas. As an example, a city like León would enjoy complete coverage with only two gateways.

The architecture of the present invention based on sensors with LoRa transmission, within the concept of the Internet of Things, allows the generation of an ecosystem that also covers urban and rural areas, overcoming the difficulties that existed to date. This network architecture, combined with the specifically designed software application and the QR codes arranged in the manholes, generate an absolutely advantageous ecosystem for rodent control, especially relevant in massive environments such as cities or towns.

Another of the great advantages provided by the present invention derives from the fact that LoRa radio transmission at 868 Mhz offers very wide coverage, which makes it possible to dispense with WiFi networks or other types of connections, the monthly cost of which is significant, for a single connection point, located in a strategic place such as a nearby mountain, which covers the environment of the sensors.

With state-of-the-art solutions, each of the sensors installed in a network required payment for the connection point or having them to introduce it to the Internet, paying each and every one of those points each month, however, the system of the present invention optimizes a few strategically placed connection points, making it more efficient, flexible, scalable, simple and economical.

Unless otherwise indicated, all technical and scientific elements used herein have the meaning that is usually understood by a normal person skilled in the art to which this invention pertains. Similar or equivalent procedures and materials to those described herein may be used in the practice of the present invention.

Throughout the description and claims, the word "comprises" and its variants are not intended to exclude other technical characteristics, additives, components or steps. For those skilled in the art, other objects, advantages and characteristics of the invention will emerge in partly the description and partly the practice of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

To complete the description of the invention and in order to help a better understanding of its characteristics, according to a preferred embodiment of the same, a set of drawings is attached where, for illustrative and non-limiting purposes, represented the following figures:

- Figure 1 represents a network architecture of an embodiment of the system of the invention.

- Figure 2 represents its location in the chest for the detection of rodents.

- Figure 3 represents the sensor with a load cell to monitor the presence of rodents.

- Figure 4 represents a sensor model with only a movement sensor (TILT) and limit switch for empty bait.

- Figure 5 represents the screen of a mobile phone from which you can access a central server.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

The present invention discloses a method and a system to evaluate the concentration of rodents in a room or chest based on the use of sensors that detect the interaction with a rodent bait and humidity in a LoRa work environment and with a software application. specifically designed for mobile devices, which allows users to read a QR code (or other two-dimensional code) placed in the chest or its vicinity and thus directly access the levels of presence of rodents in the premises or chest that have been registered by the sensors previously and the need or not to change baits.

In view of the figures, a preferred embodiment of the proposed invention is described below.

Figure 1 represents a basic diagram of a preferred embodiment, where it can be seen that the system comprises one or more wireless sensors (1) mounted in the room or place where control is to be carried out, and that in the embodiment shown they are linked to a chest (2), where the wireless sensors (1) are associated with a bait (3) and have means to send the measurements made through a first wireless communication (14) using the LoRaWan standard with a security door. link (5) associated with said wireless sensor (1) for falling within its coverage area.

Each of the gateways (5) has a coverage area and is configured to establish said first wireless communication (4) with each of the wireless sensors (1) that fall within its coverage area.

On the other hand, each gateway (5) has means to establish a second wireless communication (7) in this case via IP connection with a central server (6), sending measurements of the presence of rodents from each gateway. link (5).

The system also has a series of mobile devices (8) that establish communication via the Internet (9) with the central server (6), which allows access to all the information contained in said server relative to a wireless sensor (1).

Each wireless sensor is linked with a two-dimensional code (10), which in one embodiment may be a QR code.

Figure 2 shows how the wireless sensor (1) is mounted inside a chest (2) being held by any of the known means, such as magnetic, flanges, etc.

A bait (3) hangs from the wireless sensor (1) via a cable (11) and the wireless sensor (1) has means to detect whether the bait has been eaten or not, either by load cells or by sensors. of tilting (titl).

Figure 3 shows a first type of wireless sensor (1) that has a load cell (15), associated with a microprocessor board (12), powered from a battery (13), the entire assembly being housed in a casing suspended by means of magnets (14).

Figure 4 shows a second type of wireless sensor (2), which does not have a load cell to detect the presence of rodents, but a tilt sensor (16) and a limit switch (17). , also having this sensor with an adjustable tensioner (18) for sensitivity, also having a lever (19) from which to hang the bait (3).

Finally, Figure 5 shows how, on the screen of a mobile phone (8) or any other intelligent device, once the unique identification code of each wireless sensor has been read and an Internet connection has been established with the central server, it is possible to access the information relative to said sensor, showing on the screen of said mobile phone (8) a graph of the evolution of the weight (21) of the bait or of the evolution of humidity (21).

The architecture developed with the system is a star architecture, where the basic architecture can be scaled with more gateways to increase reach range, resulting in a network of star networks. Most cities do not require more than one or two gateways to have full coverage.

The LoRa wireless technology chosen for the communication network of the present invention enables low-power, long-distance communications that cover an area of 10 to 20 kilometers around the gateway. Therefore, it is preferable to place the gateway (5) in a strategic place that facilitates the greatest possible coverage, such as, for example, on some high ground that covers the area to be sensorized.

The communications between the gateway and the sensors distributed in the premises where the quality of their indoor air is to be monitored is carried out using radio waves at the 868Mhz frequency typical of LoRa technology, although this communication depends on the deployment region. It can vary its frequency band, such as the 915Mhz frequency in the United States or 433Mhz in Asia.

The rodent presence and humidity sensors arranged in the premises to be monitored measure their interaction with the baits and therefore the level of presence and humidity inside the premises or chest, giving a measure of air quality. . Preferably the sensors are placed on the covers separated from wet areas by magnets. The power supply for the sensors comes from long-lasting batteries integrated into the sensors themselves, although in other embodiments sensors powered by removable batteries and even powered by solar panels integrated into the manholes are contemplated. In either case, these low-power sensors integrated into the low-power LoRa network of the present invention have very low power consumption.

The measurements recorded by each of the rodent presence sensors located in the premises are transmitted to the gateway at a working frequency of 868Mhz using CSS modulation typical of the LoRa network. The sensors each have an assigned unique identifier associated with them, which is also transmitted together with the measurements and a time stamp.

The gateway receives information from all connected sensors and forwards it to a central server via your Internet connection. The central server hosts a database that stores the time series recorded by each of the sensors and keeps them available for access from a specifically designed software application that can be, for example, InfluxDB ®.

In the central server, a visualization module is included to process the measurements received and generate visual information to show to users who access through the software application.

The access of the users to the information stored in the database of the central server to know data of the need to change baits of a certain place, is done by reading, through a mobile device such as a smartphone, a QR code. visibly placed in the vicinity of the premises or chest. The unique identifier of the wireless sensors (1) of the premises has been previously encoded in the QR code, so reading said code using the user's mobile phone gives immediate access to the information on the presence of rodents recorded by the sensors. of that place. The information is presented through the software application that users have previously downloaded to their mobile phones.

The system of the present invention is preferably implemented in open networks for public use. LoRa technology, InfluxDB ® or similar databases and the choice of two-dimensional QR codes, facilitate the expansion of the network and the incorporation of as many sensors as desired, without the need for reconfigurations, payments, or forecasts in its deployment, since a single gateway can serve thousands of sensors.

The procedure followed in one of the preferred embodiments of the present invention begins with the deployment of a gateway (5) in a strategically selected place to guarantee a coverage area over the premises that will eventually be sensorized. Next, wireless sensors (1) LoRa measuring the presence of rodents by hanging baits (3) are attached to the sensor. The wireless sensors (1) periodically measure the weight of the bait (3), for example every hour, if the wireless sensor (1) has a tilt sensor (TILT) installed, it verifies how many times the bait has moved or if it has been emptying and humidity, the measurements are encrypted and transmitted using LoRa technology on a frequency 868Mhz to the gateway (5), along with a unique identifier assigned to each wireless sensor (1). From the gateway (5) a wireless communication is established, through the Internet by means of an IP connection, with a central server (6), which stores in a database the measurements obtained by the sensors associated with the unique identifier of each sensor, thus resulting in time series of data. These time series remain accessible on the central server for the users of the specific software application.

In the present invention it is assumed that users and maintenance operators have previously downloaded the specifically developed software application on their mobile phones (8) as a requirement to access the bait weight information (3) stored in the central server (6 ). Thus, a user who is going to access a store finds a QR code that stores the unique identifier of the sensors placed in said store at an easily visible point and close to the access to the store or chest. The user opens the application on his mobile phone (8) and captures the QR code using the mobile phone's camera. The reading of the code by the application links directly to the central server (6) through an Internet connection (9), accessing and displaying on the screen of the mobile phone the information on the weight of the bait (3), the presence of both rodents and a history of said weight stored in the central server database for the premises associated with the unique identifier encoded in the QR code.

Having sufficiently described the nature of the present invention, as well as the manner of putting it into practice, it is stated that, within its essential nature, it may be put into practice in other embodiments that differ in detail from the one indicated by way of example. , and to which the protection that is sought will also reach, as long as it does not alter, change or modify its fundamental principle.

Claims (12)

1.- System for the control of rodent pests through the internet of things, characterized in that it includes: -At least one wireless sensor (1) provided with means to determine the weight of a bait (3) linked to the wireless sensor (1) in addition to means configured to obtain rodent presence measurements and send the measurements through a first wireless communication (4) with a gateway (5), where the at least wireless sensor is a long-range, low-power sensor with LoRa technology. - The gateway (5), which can be one or more, is configured to establish a first wireless communication (4) using the LoRaWan standard with the wireless sensor (1) in a coverage area and to establish a second wireless communication (7) with a central server (6), - A central server (12) configured to receive, through the second wireless communication (7), the measurements of the presence of rodents from each gateway (5), - A database housed in the central server (12), configured to store the received measurements of weights and presence of rodents together with a unique identifier assigned to each wireless sensor (1), - A two-dimensional code (10) arranged outside each room or chest (2) sensorized, where the two-dimensional code (10) encodes the unique identifier assigned to the sensor located in each room, - At least one mobile device (8) with two-dimensional code reading means, configured to read the two-dimensional code (10) arranged outside the premises or chest (2) to be accessed, via an Internet connection (9), to the measurements of the presence of rodents or the need to change the bait stored in the database associated with the unique identifier encoded in the two-dimensional code (10) read. 2. System according to claim 1, where the first wireless communication (4) is a transmission on the 868Mhz frequency. 3. - System according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the second wireless communication (7) is an IP communication over a telecommunication network of a telecommunication service provider. 4. - System according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the wireless sensors are sensors of at least one of the following parameters: bait weight, bait movement (TILT), bait emptying, humidity in the chest. 5. - System according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the database is further configured to store a timestamp associated with each measurement received from each wireless sensor (1). 6. - System according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the two-dimensional code (10) is a QR code that contains the information of the unique identifier assigned to a sensor. 7. - System according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the mobile device (8) comprises display means configured to display information based on measurements of bait weight or movement associated with the presence of rodents. 8. - Method for the control of rodent pests according to the system of any of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises the following steps: - Have at least one wireless sensor (1) for the presence of rodents by measuring the weights of a bait (3) or movement inside sensorized premises or manholes; - Obtain some measurements of the weight or movement of the bait, by the at least wireless sensor (1); - Establishing a first wireless communication (4) between the at least wireless sensor (1) and a gateway (5); - Send the measurements through the first wireless communication (4) to the gateway (5); - Establishing a second wireless communication (7) between each gateway (5) and a central server (12); - storing the measurements in a database hosted in the central server (12), where the measurements are stored associated with a unique identifier assigned to each wireless sensor (1); - encoding each wireless sensor (1) in a two-dimensional code (10); - arrange the two-dimensional codes (1) outside each room or chest (2) sensorized; - read, by a mobile device (8), the two-dimensional code (10) arranged outside the sensorized room or chest (2); and - Access, via the mobile device (8), the weight measurements or the need to change the bait stored in the database associated with the unique identifier encoded in the two-dimensional code read. 9. - Method according to claim 9, characterized in that it also comprises displaying, in display means of the mobile device (8), information based on weight measurements or the need to change bait, indicating the presence of rodents and their frequency. 10. - Method according to any of claims 9 or 10, characterized in that the first wireless communication comprises transmitting by radio frequency at 868Mhz frequency. 11. - Method according to any of claims 9 to 11, characterized in that the second wireless communication comprises establishing an IP connection through a wireless telecommunication network provided by a telecommunication service provider. 12. - Method according to any of claims 9 to 12, characterized in that the storage of the measurements in the database also comprises adding a time stamp to each stored measurement.