Airborne biota monitoring and control system
US6653971B1 · kind B1 · utility
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | May 14, 2000 |
| Grant date | Nov 25, 2003 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 14, 2020 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
- CPC primaryA01M2200/012
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A method and system for detecting airborne plant material, such as mold spores and pollen, and flying insects and birds, and classifying them as to whether they are harmful to field crops, production animals or other assets within a protected volume or area. Lasers, radar, and other types of radiation may be used to illuminate at least a perimeter around such assets to be protected, with radiation returns detected and applied to a pattern classifier to determine whether the detected objects of interest are harmful, benign or beneficial. In the event the objects are determined to be harmful (pests), a variety of measures controllable via the radiation returns may be taken to eliminate the harmful objects, these measures including firing pulses of laser, microwave or other radiation of a sufficient intensity to at least incapacitate them, or mechanical measures such as controlled drone aircraft to macerate the pests with propellers or spray limited amounts of pesticide in the area of the pests.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.