The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 30, 2005
Filed:
Mar. 27, 2003
James P. Gardner, Jr., Stillwater, MN (US);
Louis Mark Holzman, Saint Paul, MN (US);
Kraig S. Lund, Longmont, CO (US);
Stephen X. Skaff, Owatonna, MN (US);
James P. Gardner, Jr., Stillwater, MN (US);
Louis Mark Holzman, Saint Paul, MN (US);
Kraig S. Lund, Longmont, CO (US);
Stephen X. Skaff, Owatonna, MN (US);
Ecolab Inc., St. Paul, MN (US);
Abstract
A method and apparatus for capacitively sensing one or more pests is disclosed. The detector may be employed as either a passive detector and/or as a part of a combined detector and trap. The sensor system includes at least two sensor electrodes and a capacitance sensing circuit. When a non-capacitive object, such as a pest, approaches the sensor electrodes, the capacitance of the sensor electrodes increases due to the object having a higher dielectric constant than air. A capacitance sensing circuit detects the increased capacitance and provides an output signal that a pest has entered the area being monitored. The capacitance sensing circuit may also be constructed to measure the change in the electrode in order to determine the size and/or type of pest based on a characteristic change.