GB2584700A

GB2584700A - A device for silencing insects having an audible song

Info

Publication number: GB2584700A
Application number: GB1908412.8A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Kyriacou Mario
Original assignee: Mkyri Ltd
Current assignee: Mkyri Ltd
Priority date: 2019-06-12
Filing date: 2019-06-12
Publication date: 2020-12-16
Anticipated expiration: 2039-06-12
Also published as: GB201908412D0; GB2584700B

Abstract

A device 100 for silencing insects that have an audible song, e.g. cicadas, comprises a light emitter that causes a nearby insect to stop generating noise when the device is activated. A method of muting a chirping insect comprises locating the insect, directing the silencing device toward the insect, and activating the device. The emitted light 108 has a wavelength within a predetermined range of preferably 520-570nm (green to yellow visible light) and more preferably 523nm. The light source is preferably a laser, e.g. with a 25-metre range, may emit two or more dots or spots of light, and may be activated for about 5-30 seconds in use. A method of producing an insect silencer comprises determining a frequency range of a recorded insect song and configuring a device to emit light within a wavelength range that depends on the audio frequency range.

Description

A Device for Silencing Insects having an Audible Song

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a device and a method of manufacturing a device for silencing insects having an audible song. More specifically, the present invention relates to a device for silencing insects having an audible song by emitting a light having a wavelength with which the audible insects interact.

Background to the Invention

Cicadas are a type of insect particularly known for the especially loud "mating song" that they produce by vibrating membranous structures within their abdomen, which can be up to 120 dB for a single cicada. As cicadas generally sing in groups, the collective noise can be extremely loud and disruptive to people within the vicinity.

Accordingly, there is need for a way of at least temporarily silencing the cicadas, as well as other insects with a loud audible song, in a way that does not harm them.

Summary of the Invention

Embodiments of the present invention address the above noted problem by providing a device for silencing insects having an audible song, such as cicada insects, and a method of manufacturing said device. Specifically, the device has been specially adapted so as to produce a light having a particular wavelength that has the effect of causing the insects to become at least temporarily silent upon propagation of said light within the vicinity of said insects. For example, the device may be a light emitting device such as a laser that produces light of the particular wavelength having the effect of silencing audible insects for a period of time.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, a device for silencing insects having an audible song is provided, wherein the device comprises a light source adapted to emit a light having a wavelength within a predetermined range, such that, in use, the emitted light causes at least one audible insect within the vicinity of the device to stop generating noise upon activation thereof.

In some embodiments, the emitted light causes at least one cicada insect within the vicinity of the device to stop generating noise upon activation thereof.

That is to say, upon activation of said device, the device emits a light with which audible insects, particularly cicada insects, interact or become distracted by, with the wavelength of the emitted light being such that the audible insects become at least temporarily silent. The insects may stay this way for up to several hours. As such, the device is able to silence audible insects, in particular cicada insects, without causing them any physical harm. This is proven by the return of their song after several hours.

The predetermined range may be determined based on a range of frequencies of a sound emitted by an audible insect. That is to say, the predetermined wavelength suitable for silencing these types of audible insects is determined by the range of frequencies that audible insects emit and its corresponding colour harmonic in the visible spectrum of light. Based on this range of frequencies, the wavelength of the light emitted by the device can be determined such that the insects will be affected by said light.

More specifically, the predetermined range may be about 520 nanometres up to about 570 nanometres. More preferably, the light source may be adapted to emit a light having a wavelength of about 523 nanometres. Lights having this particular range of wavelengths have been found to be particularly effective in silencing cicada insects.

As noted above, the device comprises a light source configured to emit a light having a wavelength within a predetermined range. For example, the device may be a laser, preferably, a laser configured to emit a green light. Light sources emitting a light within the green range of wavelengths are particularly effective at providing the silencing effect for cicada insects.

In use, the emitted light may cause at least one audible insect within a distance of up to about 25 metres from the device to stop generating noise. That is to say, the device can be activated up to 25 metres away from an audible insect and provide the silencing effect.

The device may be adapted to emit two or more dots of light. For example, the device may emit a number of dots of light that form a grid to thereby cover a certain area. Any suitable number of dots may be used to cover the desired area, preferably, as wide an area as possible. For example, the grid of dots may cover an area of up to 10 metres by 25 metres.

A further aspect of the present invention provides a method of silencing insects having an audible song, comprising locating at least one audible insect, wherein the at least one audible insect is generating a noise, directing a device comprising a light source adapted to emit a light having a wavelength within a predetermined range towards the at least one audible insect, and activating said device such that the at least one audible insect becomes substantially silent in response to the emitted light.

In some embodiments, the at least one audible insect is a cicada insect.

The predetermined range may be about 520 nanometres up to about 570 nanometres. Preferably, the light source may be adapted to emit a light having a wavelength of about 523 nanometres.

As noted above, the device comprises a light source configured to emit a light having a wavelength within the predetermined range. For example, the device may be a laser, and preferably, a laser configured to emit a green light.

The step of directing the device may comprise positioning the device within a distance of up to about 10 metres from the at least one audible insect.

The step of activating the device may comprise activating a switch on the device for about 5 seconds up to about 30 seconds. The length of time needed to activate the device and emit the required wavelength may depend on the number of audible insects within the vicinity, and the size of the area over which those audible insects are distributed. For example, a particularly large group of audible insects (hundreds or thousands), the device may need to be activated for around 20 to 30 seconds to silence the whole group.

Another aspect of the present invention provides a method of manufacturing a device to silence insects having an audible song, the method comprising capturing an audio signal of at least one audible insect, determining a frequency range of the audio signal, and configuring a device to emit a light having a wavelength within a predetermined range in dependence on the frequency range of the audio signal.

Using the principles of converting audio tones to the visible spectrum, the range of frequencies of the audio signal emitted by a particular type of insect is found to correspond to a light within a particular range of wavelengths. Lights within this particular range have thus been found to have the effect of at least temporarily silencing that type of insect when activated within the vicinity.

In some cases, the at least one audible insect is a cicada insect. Lights within the range of wavelengths corresponding to the frequency of the song emitted by cicada insects are particularly effective in silencing cicada insects for a period of time.

The step of determining a frequency range of the audio signal may comprise inputting the audio signal to a Fast Fourier Transform algorithm. In doing so, the captured audio signal is converted to the frequency domain to thereby identify the frequencies of the sound emitted by the insects.

The step of configuring the device to a emit a light having a wavelength within a predetermined range in dependence on the frequency range of the audio signal may comprise converting the frequency range of the audio signal to a corresponding wavelength in the visible spectrum.

Preferably, the predetermined range may be about 520 nanometres up to about 570 nanometres. More preferably, the device may be configured to emit a light having a wavelength of about 523 nanometres.

The method may further comprise configuring the device to emit two or more dots of light.

For example, the device may be configured to emit a number of dots of light that form a grid of light. Any suitable number of dots may be used to cover the desired area, preferably, as wide an area as possible. For example, the grid of dots may cover an area of up to 10 metres by 25 metres.

Yet a further aspect of the present invention provides a device for silencing cicada insects, wherein the device is adapted to emit a light having a wavelength corresponding to a frequency bandwidth of a sound emitted by a cicada insect.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Embodiments of the invention will now be further described by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts, and wherein: Figure 1 is an example of a device according to the present invention; Figure 2 is a flow diagram illustrating a method of manufacturing a device according to the present invention; Figures 3A-3D illustrate part of the method of manufacturing a device according to the present invention.

Detailed Description of the Embodiments

The present invention relates to a device that can be actuated so as to at least temporarily silence insects having an audible song, in particular, cicada insects. Using the principles of a sound to light unit that coverts audio signals into light pulses, as well as the relationship between visible light and sound, it can be found that the particular frequency range of the sound emitted by an insect corresponds to a particular range of wavelengths within the visible spectrum, and that light within this range of wavelengths has the effect of silencing that insect when directed at an area containing one or more of those insects.

Figure 1 illustrates an example of a device 100 according to the present invention that is configured to silence insects having an audible song, specifically, cicada insects. In this example, the device 100 comprises a light emitting device 102 mounted within a housing 104, which may be configured in any suitable way. For example, the light emitting device may be housed within a box or unit suitable for mounting to a surface such as a wall, or it may be housed within a hand-held or portable component.

The light emitting device 102 comprises a light source (not shown) that is configured to emit a light from the light emitting device 102. In the example, the light source emits a light from an end 108 of light emitting device 102, however, it will be appreciated that light may be directed from the light emitting device 102 in any suitable way. It will also be appreciated that the light source may be powered by any suitable means. For example, in the case of a handheld device such as that shown in Figure 1, the light source may be powered by a battery means. In the case of a wall mounted device, the light source may be connected to a mains power supply.

The light emitting device 102 may be, for example, a 100mW laser unit, that has been specially adapted to emit a light having a wavelength that has the effect of causing the cicada insects to stop generating sound, as discussed in more detail below. For example, the light emitting device 102 may be configured to emit a green light having a frequency of 5.64 x 1014 Hz and a wavelength of 523 nanometres. The light emitting device 102 has a switch 106, which may be in the form of a button, that when actuated causes the light source within the light emitting device 102 to emit the light. The switch 106 may be actuated for any length of time required for the cicadas within the vicinity, for example, within 1 to 25 metres of the light emitting device 102, to become silent, which may be between 5 and 30 seconds. Once the cicadas have been silenced, they may remain this way for up to 5 hours.

The light emitting device 102 can also be adapted to scatter the light emitted such that a spray of dots of light are emitted from the device 102 to thereby cover a wider area and maximise the silencing effect. For example, the device 102 may be adapted to produce a plurality of dots that cover an area of up to 10 by 25 metres. It will of course be appreciated that the number of dots of light emitted by the device 102 may adjusted. Any suitable means may be used to scatter the light, for example, a diffraction grating or the like may be located in the end 108 of the light emitting device 108 to scatter the light emitted by the light source.

The method by which the device 100 is manufactured will now be described with reference to Figure 2.

At the first step 2.2, the audio signal generated by the cicadas is captured, which may be done with any conventional recording device or a computing device having audio recording capabilities, for example, through the use of a microphone. Preferably, a number of recordings are taken, capturing the audio signal for at least 30 seconds. For example, recordings may be taken at different times of day.

Each of the recordings of the audio signal are then input to a frequency conversion algorithm (s.2.4), from which the frequency and the pitch of the audio signal can be identified (s.2.6). For example, the audio signal may be input to an audio processing software application stored on a computing device, which then passes the audio signal through a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) algorithm to thereby convert the audio signal into the frequency domain. It will however be appreciated that any suitable method of frequency conversion may be used to identify the frequency of the recording.

By using a number of different recordings, a range of frequencies can be found. Figures 3A-3D illustrate four different recordings of cicadas that have been input to an audio processing software application to identify the frequency and pitch of the audio signal.

Here it can be seen that the sound emitted by cicadas may have a frequency in the range of around 2500 Hz up to around 4500 Hz.

Once the target frequency bandwidth has been identified, the light emitting device 100 can be adapted so as to emit a light having a wavelength that has the effect of silencing the cicadas (s.2.8). As discussed above, using the relationship between visible light and sound, the audio tone of the cicada insects can be converted to find the corresponding colour harmonic in the visible spectrum of light. To do this, the audio tone generated by the cicadas is raised by 37 octaves to give a frequency of an order of 10" Hz, corresponding to that of visible light. This is then converted into a wavelength, which corresponds to a wavelength in the visible light spectrum. For example, if we were to take the audio tone of a cicada insect to be 4000Hz, raising the audio tone by 37 octaves gives a frequency of approximately 5.49 x 10" Hz, which corresponds to a wavelength of approximately 546 nanometres.

As such, it is found that a light emitting device configured to emit a green light, for example, a green laser having a frequency of around 5.64 x 10" Hz and a wavelength of 523 nanometres, has the effect of silencing cicadas. In contrast, a light emitting device configured to emit a red light having a frequency of around 4.47 x 10" Hz and a wavelength of around 671 nanometres does not have the same effect. Similarly, a light emitting device configured to emit a violet light having a frequency of around 7.41 x 10' Hz and a wavelength of around 405 nanometres also does not have the same effect.

As such, it is found that light emitting devices in the green region of the light spectrum at approximately 520-570 nanometres and emitting a frequency in the range of 5.27 x 10" Hz to 5.77 x 10" Hz is suitable for silencing cicada insects.

Various further modifications to the above described embodiments, whether by way of addition, deletion or substitution, will be apparent to the skilled person to provide additional embodiments, any and all of which are intended to be encompassed by the appended claims.

Whilst the above examples relate to a device for silencing cicada insects, it will be appreciated that the same principles may be extended to other insects and the like that have an audible song. That is, by determining a frequency of the sound emitted by the insect, the corresponding colour harmonic may be determined and used to manufacture a device that emits a light having a wavelength that has the effect of at least temporarily silencing said insects.

Claims

Claims 1. A device for silencing insects having an audible song, wherein the device comprises a light source adapted to emit a light having a wavelength within a predetermined range, such that, in use, the emitted light causes at least one audible insect within the vicinity of the device to stop generating noise upon activation thereof.
2. A device according to claim 1, wherein the emitted light causes at least one cicada insect within the vicinity of the device to stop generating noise upon activation thereof.
3. A device according to claims 1 or 2, wherein the predetermined range is determined based on a range of frequencies of a sound emitted by an audible insect.
4. A device according to any preceding, wherein the predetermined range is about 520 nanometres up to about 570 nanometres.
5. A device according to any preceding claim, wherein the light source is adapted to emit a light having a wavelength of about 523 nanometres.
6. A device according to any preceding claim, wherein the device is a laser.
7. A device according to claim 6, wherein the laser is configured to emit a green light.
8. A device according to any preceding claim, wherein, in use, the emitted light causes at least one audible insect within a distance of up to about 25 metres from the device to stop generating noise.
9. A device according to any preceding claim, wherein the device is adapted to emit two or more dots of light.
10.A method of silencing insects having an audible song, comprising: locating at least one audible insect, wherein the at least one audible insect is generating a noise; directing a device comprising a light source adapted to emit a light having a wavelength within a predetermined range towards the at least one audible insect; and activating said device such that the at least one audible insect becomes substantially silent in response to the emitted light.
11. A method according to claim 10, wherein the at least one audible insect is a cicada insect.
12.A method according to claims 10 or 11, wherein the predetermined range is about 520 nanometres up to about 570 nanometres.
13. A method according to any of claims 10 to 12, wherein the light source is adapted to emit a light having a wavelength of about 523 nanometres.
14.A method according to any of claims 10 to 13, wherein the device is a laser.
15.A method according to claim 14, wherein laser is configured to emit a green light.
16.A method according to any of claims 10 to 15, wherein the directing the device comprises positioning the device within a distance of up to about 25 metres from the at least one audible insect.
17. A method according to any of claims 10 to 16, wherein the activating the device comprises activating a switch on the device for about 5 seconds up to about 30 seconds.
18.A method of manufacturing a device to silence insects having an audible song, the method comprising: capturing an audio signal of at least one audible insect; determining a frequency range of the audio signal; and configuring a device to emit a light having a wavelength within a predetermined range in dependence on the frequency range of the audio signal.
19. A method according to 18, wherein the at least one audible insect is a cicada insect.
20.A method according to claims 18 or 19, wherein the determining a frequency range of the audio signal comprises inputting the audio signal to a Fast Fourier Transform algorithm.
21.A method according to any of claims 18 to 20, wherein configuring the device to a emit a light having a wavelength within a predetermined range in dependence on the frequency range of the audio signal comprises converting the frequency range of the audio signal to a corresponding wavelength in the visible spectrum.
22. A method according to any of claims 18 to 21, wherein the predetermined range is about 520 nanometres up to about 570 nanometres.
23. A method according to any of claims 18 to 22, wherein the device is configured to emit a light having a wavelength of about 523 nanometres.
24.A method according to any of claims 18 to 23, further comprising configuring the device to emit two or more dots of light.
25.A device for silencing cicada insects, wherein the device is adapted to emit a light having a wavelength corresponding to a frequency bandwidth of a sound emitted by a cicada insect.