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Patent Office Approves Patents by HomeSafe Home Services
26 Aug, 2008 PMP Buzz Online eNewsletterOXFORD, Miss. — The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has approved four patents filed by HomeSafe Home Services covering the usage of infrared and acoustic technologies in the pest management industry.p>
HomeSafe's technologies were initially developed as part of a Department of Agriculture-funded research project at the National Center for Physical Acoustics (NCPA) at the University of Mississippi.
The patents cover the following termite detection technologies and methods:
- A procedure for uncovering wood-destroying insect activity in a structure consisting of an infrared (thermal imaging) scan to locate areas of possible infestations and listening for the sounds of wood-destroying insects in the areas
- The usage of IR scanning to locate areas indicating infestations of wood-destroying insects followed by additional methods of detection, including but not limited to a listening device, a fiber-optic scope, microwave motion detector, X-rays, a gas detector or termite-sniffing dogs, to confirm the presence of termites
- An acoustic termite detection device which utilizes powerful acoustic (listening) sensors to literally hear termite sounds that are beyond the range of human hearing
- A method to prevent termite infestations by generating very low-amplitude acoustical vibrations within the house's interior walls which repel termites and drive them out of the house. These vibrations have a custom-selected frequency and amplitude experimentally proven to be highly effective at modifying termite behavior.
Along with a traditional visual inspection, the patented procedure begins with a full infrared scan of the house. If the infrared scan detects signs of moisture that suggest termite activity (subterranean termites bring their own water supply into an infested area), HomeSafe employs its high-tech, handheld acoustic sensors which detect termite noises that the human ear cannot hear.
If suspicious noises are detected, the signals are fed into a handheld or tablet PC equipped with specially designed pattern recognition software. This software swiftly analyzes the incoming signals, compares them to a database of insect sounds and objectively confirms, on the spot, if termites are making the sounds.
For additional information, visit www.homesafeinspection.com.
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