US 12,279,606 B2
Wildlife detection and deterrent system and method for environmental instrumentation
Alistair Knox, Carlton (AU); and Victor Depoorter Ruelle, Carlton (AU)
Assigned to PROA HOLDINGS PTY LTD, Balwyn (AU)
Appl. No. 18/043,747
Filed by PROA HOLDINGS PTY LTD, Balwyn (AU)
PCT Filed Jul. 16, 2021, PCT No. PCT/AU2021/050762
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Mar. 2, 2023,
PCT Pub. No. WO2022/047519, PCT Pub. Date Mar. 10, 2022.
Claims priority of application No. 2020903149 (AU), filed on Sep. 3, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0309549 A1, Oct. 5, 2023
Int. Cl. A01M 29/00 (2011.01); A01M 29/06 (2011.01); A01M 29/16 (2011.01); A01M 29/32 (2011.01); B08B 3/02 (2006.01); B08B 13/00 (2006.01)
CPC A01M 29/32 (2013.01) [A01M 29/06 (2013.01); A01M 29/16 (2013.01); B08B 3/024 (2013.01); B08B 13/00 (2013.01)] 24 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A deterrence and self-cleaning system for deterring animals from a vicinity of an environmental monitoring apparatus and cleaning the environmental monitoring apparatus, the system comprising:
a cleaning arm having one or more nozzles;
a drive unit configured to move the cleaning arm about a path;
a reservoir in fluid communication with the nozzle;
a pump; and
a cleaning processing module configured to control operation of the drive unit and the pump,
wherein the cleaning processing module is operative to cause the deterrence and self-cleaning system to perform a cleaning action comprising:
controlling the drive unit to move the cleaning arm about the path; and
controlling the pump to cause a movement of liquid from the reservoir to the one or more nozzles such that the liquid exits the one or more nozzles,
wherein the path and one or more nozzles are configured such that the liquid is caused to contact an active area of the environment monitoring apparatus, thereby causing cleaning of the environment monitoring apparatus,
a detector system comprising at least one sensor configured to generate a presence signal indicative of the presence of an object within a predefined vicinity of the active area of the environment monitoring apparatus;
a deterrence processing system; and
a repulsion system,
wherein the deterrence processing system is configured to:
monitor the presence signal;
determine, from the presence signal, the presence of an object within the predefined vicinity of the environment monitoring apparatus; and
communicate a command for the repulsion system to perform a sequence of one or more repulsion events actions in response to determining that an object is present, and
wherein the repulsion system is configured to:
perform one or more repulsion events responsive to receipt of the command from the deterrence processing system,
wherein at least one repulsion event of the one or more repulsion events is a physical repulsion action comprising moving the cleaning arm through the path and in which at least a portion of the cleaning arm moves within the vicinity of the active area of the environment monitoring apparatus,
wherein the physical repulsion event involves physically interfering with the animal solely by movement of the cleaning arm and without the use of liquid for repulsion.