Patent Publication Number: US-2021176980-A1

Title: System And Method For Controlling A Shock Output Of An Electronic Animal Trap

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to an electronic animal trap and, more particularly, to controlling a shock output of an electronic animal trap. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Electronic animal traps function by delivering an electric shock of a certain power to an animal in the trap. The level of delivered power is designed to reliably kill the trapped animal. To generate the shock, some electronic animal traps draw power from batteries. The output voltage from the batteries dictates in part the power of the shock delivered by the trap. 
     The output voltage of the batteries, however, decreases over the life of the batteries. The power of the shock output by the trap is therefore dependent on the remaining battery life; the electronic trap outputs a shock with more power than designed when the batteries are new, and outputs a shock with less power than designed when the batteries are low. Using more power than necessary when the batteries are new results in a shorter lifespan of the batteries and a correspondingly lesser number of uses of the electronic trap before replacing the batteries. Using less power than necessary when the batteries are low results in a less reliable kill of the trapped animal. 
     SUMMARY 
     A system for controlling a shock output of an electronic animal trap includes a battery, a transformer having a primary coil connected to the battery, and a controller connected to the battery and the primary coil. The controller has a shock cycle module determining a battery capacity of the battery and determining a shock enable time based on the battery capacity. The shock cycle module controls a primary current from the battery to run through the primary coil for the shock enable time. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying Figures, of which: 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic block diagram of a system of an electronic animal trap according to an embodiment; 
         FIG. 2  is a circuit diagram of a controller of the system; 
         FIG. 3  is a circuit diagram of the system; 
         FIG. 4  is a flowchart of an adjustment of a shock output voltage of the system; 
         FIG. 5A  is a graph of a voltage in a primary coil of a transformer of the system according to a first embodiment; 
         FIG. 5B  is a graph of a current in the primary coil in the first embodiment; 
         FIG. 5C  is a graph of a current in a secondary coil of the transformer of the first embodiment; 
         FIG. 5D  is a graph of a shock output voltage of the secondary coil in the first embodiment; 
         FIG. 6A  is a graph of the voltage in the primary coil according to a second embodiment; 
         FIG. 6B  is a graph of the current in the primary coil in the second embodiment; 
         FIG. 6C  is a graph of the current in the secondary coil in the second embodiment; and 
         FIG. 6D  is a graph of the shock output voltage of the secondary coil in the second embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENT(S) 
     Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described hereinafter in detail with reference to the attached drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements. The present disclosure may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiment set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that the present disclosure will convey the concept to those skilled in the art. 
     A system of an electronic animal trap according to an embodiment for controlling a shock output of the electronic animal trap is shown in  FIGS. 1-3 . The system, as shown in  FIG. 1 , comprises a controller  10 , a battery  20 , a charge pump  30  connected to the controller  10  and the battery  20 , a voltage adjuster  40  connected to the controller  10  and the charge pump  30 , a transformer  50  connected to the battery  20 , a field-effect transistor  60  connected to the voltage adjuster  40  and the transformer  50 , and a plurality of shocking plates  70 . 
     The controller  10 , as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , includes a processor  12 , a memory  14  connected to the processor  12 , and a shock cycle module  16 . The memory  14  is a non-transitory computer readable medium, such as ROM or RAM, capable of storing computer instructions thereon that are executable by the processor  12 . The shock cycle module  16 , described in greater detail below with reference to  FIG. 4 , is a process or a series of functions performed by the controller  10  when the processor  12  executes an algorithm stored in the memory  14 . 
     The controller  10 , as shown in  FIG. 1 , transmits a first charge pulse  17  and a second charge pulse  18  to the charge pump  30 , and transmits a shock pulse  19  to the voltage adjuster  40 . In an embodiment, the first charge pulse  17 , the second charge pulse  18 , and the shock pulse  19  are each 3.3 volts (V). 
     The battery  20 , as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 3 , is connected to the controller  10 , the charge pump  30 , and the transformer  50  and supplies a battery voltage  22  to the controller  10 , the charge pump  30 , and the transformer  50 . In an embodiment, the battery voltage  22  is approximately 6 V. In an embodiment, the battery  20  is a plurality of D cell batteries, for example, four D cell batteries. In other embodiments, the battery  20  may be a single or any combination of known batteries capable of supplying a voltage necessary for a shock power described herein. The battery  20  has a battery capacity  24  corresponding to an approximate remaining life or capacity of the battery  20 . In the shown embodiment, the battery capacity  24  is expressed as a percentage, but may alternatively be any other measure of capacity. 
     The charge pump  30 , as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 3 , receives the battery voltage  22  from the battery  20  and is connected to the controller  10  and the voltage adjuster  40 . The charge pump  30  is connected to the controller  10  at a first charge point  32  and a second charge point  34 ; the first charge point  32  receives the first charge pulse  17  from the controller  10  and the second charge point  34  receives the second charge pulse  18  from the controller  10 , as described in greater detail below. The charge pump  30  is adapted to boost the battery voltage  22  to a boosted voltage  36  that is higher than the battery voltage  22 . In an embodiment, the battery voltage  22  is 6 V and the boosted voltage  36  is 10 V. 
     The voltage adjuster  40 , as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 3 , receives the boosted voltage  36  from the charge pump  30  and the shock pulse  19  from the controller  10 . The voltage adjuster  40  outputs an adjusted voltage  42  based on the boosted voltage  36  and the shock pulse  19 ; the voltage adjuster  40  ensures that the adjusted voltage  42  is output at a consistent voltage level. In an embodiment, the adjusted voltage  42  is 10 V. 
     The transformer  50 , as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 3 , has a primary coil  52  and a secondary coil  54  inductively coupled to the primary coil  52 . The primary coil  52  has a primary number of turns that is less than a secondary number of turns of the secondary coil  54 , and the turns of the secondary coil  54  are oriented in a direction opposite to the turns of the primary coil  52 . The primary coil  52  is connected to the battery  20  and receives the battery voltage  22  from the battery  20 . In an embodiment, the transformer  50  is a flyback transformer. 
     The field-effect transistor  60 , as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 3 , receives the adjusted voltage  42  from the voltage adjuster  40 . In an embodiment, the field-effect transistor  60  is a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET). The field-effect transistor  60 , based on the adjusted voltage  42  received from the voltage adjuster  40 , acts as a gate to allow or prevent a primary current from the battery  20  from flowing through the primary coil  52 . 
     At least one of the plurality of shocking plates  70 , as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 3 , is electrically connected to the secondary coil  54 . As described in greater detail below with reference to  FIGS. 4-6 , at least one of the shocking plates  70  receives a shock output voltage  56  from the secondary coil  54  induced from the current flowing through the primary coil  52 . In an embodiment, one of the shocking plates  70  is indirectly connected to the controller  10  through a protection circuitry; this shocking plate  70  does not receive the shock output voltage  56  from the secondary coil  54  but connects to ground through a diode. 
     A controlling  100  of the shock output voltage  56  executed by the shock cycle module  16  will now be described in greater detail with reference to  FIGS. 1 and 4-6D . 
     A detection step  110 , as shown in  FIG. 4 , initiates the shock cycle module  16 . In the detection step  110 , the shock cycle module  16  detects whether an animal is positioned on the shocking plates  70 . The shock cycle module  16  has a detected state and an open state. In the detected state, the shock cycle module  16  determines that an animal is positioned on the shocking plates  70  by detection of a predetermined impedance across the shocking plates  70 , with the animal itself connecting the shocking plates  70 . In the open state, the shock cycle module  16  determines that no animal is positioned on the shocking plates  70  by detection of an open circuit between the shocking plates  70 . In an exemplary embodiment, the predetermined impedance is ten kilohms to one megohm, corresponding to a resistance level of a rat. In other embodiments, the predetermined impedance level may be adjusted to correspond to the resistance level of any other animal for which the trap is intended. In other embodiments, the shock cycle module  16  could be initiated based on any other detection of the presence of an animal on the shocking plates  70 . 
     In a battery determination step  120 , as shown in  FIG. 4 , the shock cycle module  16  determines the battery capacity  24  of the battery  20  after the shock cycle module  16  is initiated. The controller  10  receives the battery voltage  22  of the battery  20 . The shock cycle module  16  determines the battery capacity  24  based on a relationship between the battery voltage  22  and the battery capacity  24  stored in the memory  14 . For a 6 V battery  20 , for example, a battery voltage  22  of 6 V corresponds to a battery capacity  24  of 100%, and a battery voltage  22  of approximately 4.8 V corresponds to a battery capacity  24  of 0%. In an embodiment, the relationship between the battery voltage  22  and the battery capacity  24  is linear and, in other embodiments, the shock cycle module  16  may determine the battery capacity  24  by any other method. 
     In a total shock time step  130 , as shown in  FIG. 4 , the shock cycle module  16  sets a total shock time for applying the shock output voltage  56  to the shocking plates  70  for a single detection of an animal on the shocking plates  70 . The total shock time, as described in greater detail below, includes a plurality of shock cycles  200  as shown in  FIGS. 5A-6D . In an embodiment, if the animal detected on the shocking plates  70  is a mouse, the total shock time is 20 seconds. In another embodiment, if the animal detected on the shocking plates  70  is a rat, the total shock time is 120 seconds. In other embodiments, the particular animal detected on the shocking plates  70  and the total shock time can vary based on the desired application. 
     The shock cycle module  16  calculates a wait time  240  and a shock enable time  230  of the shock cycle  200 , shown in  FIGS. 5A-6D , in a shock cycle calculation step  140  shown in  FIG. 4 . In an embodiment, the wait time  240  is calculated according to the following equation: 
       Wait Time=6*(Battery Capacity)+800  (Equation 1)
 
     The shock cycle module  16  performs the calculation of Equation 1 with the battery capacity  24  determined from step  120  in units of whole number percentages (i.e. percentage* 100 ), calculating the wait time  240  in units of microseconds (μs). In an embodiment, the shock enable time  230  is calculated according to the following equation: 
       Shock Enable Time=2300−Wait Time  (Equation 2)
 
     The shock cycle module  16  performs the calculation of Equation 2 after the wait time  240  is calculated, calculating the shock enable time  230  in units of microseconds. 
     Although each of the shock enable time  230  and the wait time  240  depend on the battery capacity  24  as shown in the above equations, a total duration of the shock enable time  230  and the wait time  240  is the same and is independent of the battery capacity  24 . In the shown embodiment, the total duration of the shock enable time  230  and the wait time  240  is 2.3 ms. 
     With the shock enable time  230  and the wait time  240  calculated, the shock cycle module  16  performs a start charge pump step  150 , shown in  FIG. 4 . In the step  150 , the shock cycle module  16  controls the controller  10  to send the first charge pulse  17  to the first charge point  32 , and thereafter sends the second charge pulse  18  to the second charge point  34 . The shock cycle module  16  continues to control the controller  10  to alternatingly send the first charge pulse  17  to the first charge point  32  and the second charge pulse  18  to the second charge point  34  for a number of cycles. In an embodiment, the number of cycles is 20, and the first charge pulse  17  and the second charge pulse  18  each have a duration of 1 millisecond (ms). The step  150  in part allows the charge pump  130  to boost the battery voltage  22  to the boosted battery voltage  36  that is sufficient to operate the field-effect transistor  60 . 
     After the charge pump  30  is activated in the start charge pump step  150 , as shown in  FIG. 4 , the shock cycle module  16  executes a shock cycle process  160  corresponding to the shock cycle  200  shown in  FIGS. 5A-6D . 
     In a first pulse step  162  of the shock cycle process  160 , as shown in  FIG. 4 , the shock cycle module  16  controls the controller  10  to send the first charge pulse  17  to the first charge point  32  for a first charge pulse time  210  shown in  FIGS. 5A-6D . In the shown embodiment, the first charge pulse time  210  is 1 ms. 
     In a second pulse step  164  of the shock cycle process  160 , as shown in  FIG. 4 , the shock cycle module  16  controls the controller  10  to send the second charge pulse  18  to the second charge point  34  for a second charge pulse time  220  shown in  FIGS. 5A-6D . The second charge pulse time  220  is the same as the first charge pulse time  210  and, in the shown embodiment, is 1 ms. In addition to the start charge pump step  150 , the steps  162  and  164  allow the charge pump  130  to boost the battery voltage  22  to the boosted voltage  36  that is sufficient to operate the field-effect transistor  60 . 
     In a shock pulse step  166  of the shock cycle process  160 , as shown in  FIG. 4 , the shock cycle module  16  activates the field-effect transistor  60 . The shock cycle module  16  controls the controller  10  to output the shock pulse  19  through the voltage adjuster  40  and to the field-effect transistor  60 . With the boosted voltage  36  from steps  150 ,  162 , and  164 , and the shock pulse  19 , the adjusted voltage  42  output by the voltage adjuster  40  is sufficient to activate the field-effect transistor  60 . The shock pulse  19  is output by the controller  10  for the shock enable time  230  determined in step  140 , activating the field-effect transistor  60  for the shock enable time  230 . In an embodiment, in the shock pulse step  166 , the shock cycle module  16  also controls the controller  10  to send the first charge pulse  17  to the charge pump  30  for the shock enable time  230  to maintain a charge of the charge pump  30 . 
       FIGS. 5A-5D  show a plurality of shock cycles  200  according to a first exemplary embodiment and  FIGS. 6A-6D  show a plurality of shock cycles  200  according to a second exemplary embodiment. As shown in  FIGS. 5A and 6A , the activation of the field-effect transistor  60  in step  166  of  FIG. 4  applies the battery voltage  22  to the primary coil  52  and, as shown in  FIGS. 5B and 6B , allows a primary current  152  corresponding to the battery voltage  22  to increase in the primary coil  52  for the shock enable time  230 . 
     In a wait step  168  of the shock cycle process  160 , as shown in  FIG. 4 , the shock cycle module  16  sends the second charge pulse  18  to the second charge point  34  for the wait time  240  determined in step  140 . 
     At the end of the shock enable time  230 , and the transition of the shock pulse step  166  to the wait step  168 , the field-effect transistor  60  is switched off or deactivated. When the field-effect transistor  60  is switched off, the primary current  152  in the primary coil  52  shown in  FIGS. 5B and 6B  induces a secondary current  154  in the secondary coil  54  shown in  FIGS. 5C and 6C . Because the secondary number of turns of the secondary coil  54  is greater than the primary number of turns of the primary coil  52 , and is oriented in an opposite direction, the shock output voltage  56  output from the secondary coil  54  and applied to the shocking plates  70 , shown in  FIGS. 5D and 6D , is much larger than the battery voltage  22  and has a negative charge. In an embodiment, the shock output voltage  56  is approximately 7 kV. In other embodiments, the particular value of the shock output voltage  56  can be different based on the application. 
     The shock cycle process  160 , corresponding to a single shock cycle  200 , ends at the end of the wait time  240  in step  168 . In an embodiment, the single shock cycle  200  has a total length of 4.3 ms. As shown in  FIG. 4 , after the wait step  168 , the shock cycle module  16  compares a current shock time to the total shock time determined in step  130 , the current shock time reflective of a time for the shock cycle process  160 . If the current shock time is less than the total shock time, the shock cycle module  16  initiates the shock cycle process  160  again, resulting in additional shock cycles  200  as shown in  FIGS. 5A-6D . The shock cycle module  16  continues to loop through the shock cycle process  160  until the current shock time is greater than or equal to the total shock time, upon which the process of controlling  100  the shock output voltage  56  ends. 
     As shown in the embodiment of  FIGS. 5A-5D  and the embodiment of  FIGS. 6A-6D , the calculation of the shock enable time  230  depending on the battery capacity  24  results in a shock output voltage  56  that is the same regardless of the battery capacity  24 . The battery voltage  22  and the amount of time that the field-effect transistor  60  remains open in the shock pulse step  166 , determined by the shock enable time  230 , determine an energy stored in the transformer  50  that can induce the secondary current  154  in the secondary coil  54 . Targeting a same peak primary current  152  in the primary coil  52 , as shown in  FIGS. 5B and 6B , induces a same secondary current  154  in the secondary coil  54  at the switching off of the field-effect transistor  60 , which creates a same shock output voltage  56 . The control based on the calculated shock enable time  230  permits the shock output voltage  56  to be independent of the battery capacity  24 . 
       FIGS. 5A-5D  show an exemplary embodiment in which the battery capacity  24  is 100%; in this embodiment, the shock enable time  230  is 0.9 ms according to Equation 1 and Equation 2 above.  FIGS. 6A-6D  conversely show an exemplary embodiment in which the battery capacity  24  is 5%; in this embodiment, the shock enable time  230  is 1.47 ms according to Equation 1 and Equation 2. Because the battery voltage  22  is lower in the exemplary embodiment of  FIGS. 6A-6D , the field-effect transistor  60  must remain activated for a longer shock enable time  230  in order to achieve a target peak primary current  152  in the primary coil  52 . This calculation allows the output of a consistent shock output voltage  56 , 7,500 kV in the shown embodiment, prolonging the life of the battery  22  and maintaining the shock output voltage  56  at an ideal level for effectiveness. 
     In other embodiments, the single shock cycle  200  can have any total length between 2 μs and 1 second, and the shock enable time  230  can have any length between 1 μs and 500 ms, provided the shock enable time  230  is adjusted based on the battery  20  condition as described above. In another embodiment, the first pulse step  162  and the second pulse step  164  can be omitted, with each shock cycle process  160  starting with the shock pulse step  166  and including only the shock enable time  230  and the wait time  240 .