U.S. Patent Office Approves Major Patents For HomeSafe's IR /Acoustic Methods, Technologies in Home Inspections, Termite Detection and Indoor Air Quality Assessments

*See announcement on HomeSafe's patents in the Mississippi Business Journal.  Click here to view the article online.

**Additional patents have been approved by the USPTO since the publication of the Mississippi Business Journal article. A more recent announcement has been published by Pest Management Professional Magazine. Click here to view the article online.

HomeSafe has raised the standard of home inspections and pest control industrywide by combining time-tested traditional techniques with revolutionary new methodologies that take full advantage of the power of state-of-the-art infrared and acoustic technologies. HomeSafe's groundbreaking approach to home inspections and termite detection has recently earned the stamp of approval from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), granting HomeSafe exclusive rights nationwide to utilize the procedures and equipment that we have been developing and refining for more than 10 years.

The USPTO's approvals of these patents means that only HomeSafe licensees and franchisees are permitted by federal law to use these patented procedures and technologies in the course of a home inspection or termite inspection. Any competitors in the home inspection or pest control industries using these methods or technologies are subject to legal action for patent violations.  Fortunately, we've made it easy and affordable to become a HomeSafe-licensed user or franchisee. To learn more about how you can reap the moneymaking benefits of these patented methods, call us today at (866) 327-7233!

HomeSafe's Approved Patents Include:

Residential Indoor Environmental Quality Inspection Method (Patent No. 7,369,955 – 22 Claims Approved): This patent covers the usage of an infrared camera to locate any thermal anomaly – including but not limited to an uncontrolled or hidden water intrusion – followed by obtaining data relating to indoor air quality, including visual confirmation of mold, collection of a mold sample, measurement of relative humidity, installation of a constant air/gas monitor system and/or other related measurements. A thermal anomaly is an unexplained difference in temperature from one area of a house to another, often indicating a problem that can’t be detected by ordinary means. Thermal anomalies signify a problem with faulty wiring, hidden moisture, missing insulation, heat/energy loss, termite infestations and more.

Non-Destructive Residential Inspection Method and Apparatus (Patent No. 7,445,377 - 7 Claims Approved): This patent covers HomeSafe’s method for creating a “thermal window” – that is, preparing a house for an IR inspection by creating a temperature differential between the inside and the outside of the house, followed by obtaining temperature profiles of the house’s interior and exterior components. These temperature profiles are then analyzed to uncover thermal anomalies indicating problems related to (including but not limited to) structure, moisture or electrical issues.

Infrared/Acoustic Method to Detect Termite Infestations in a Structure (Patent No. 7,385,483 – 13 Claims Approved): This patent covers HomeSafe’s four-step procedure for uncovering termite activity in a building, including: 1) a traditional visual inspection; 2) infrared detection of hidden moisture that may indicate the presence of termites; 3) usage of a moisture meter to confirm the presence of moisture in the “suspicious” area identified by IR; and 4) usage of HomeSafe’s acoustic sensor to detect the unique sound patterns of termites in the “suspicious” area and usage of HomeSafe’s pattern recognition software to analyze and confirm termite signals on the spot.

Additional Methods to Detect Termite Infestation in a Structure (Patent No. 7,434,990 – 8 Claims Approved): This patent covers the usage of IR scanning to detect moisture associated with termite infestations followed by additional methods, including a microwave motion detector, an X-ray detector, a gas detector or termite-sniffing dogs, to confirm the presence of termites.

Termite Acoustic Detection Device (Patent No. 7,271,706 - 13 Claims Approved): This patent covers HomeSafe’s acoustic termite detection device which utilizes powerful acoustic (listening) sensors to literally hear termite sounds that are beyond the range of human hearing. Paired with IR scanning to find hidden moisture associated with termite infestations, the acoustic device pinpoints the exact location of a termite nest behind walls rapidly, accurately and non-destructively.

Method to Prevent Termite Infestations by Modifying Termite Behavior (Patent No. 7,429,928 - 4 Claims Approved): This patent covers HomeSafe’s method to prevent termite infestations in a house by generating very low-amplitude acoustical vibrations within the house’s interior walls. These vibrations, which are inaudible to the human ear, disturb and repel termites and drive them out of the house. The specific vibrations have a custom-selected frequency and amplitude experimentally proven to be highly effective at modifying termite behavior.

Patents Pending:

In addition, other patent applications are under review by the USPTO. One application covers an inspection protocol for ascertaining weather conditions (such as temperature and wind speed) and interpreting these factors in relation to the correct usage of IR scanning in a structural inspection, an EIFS inspection or the inspection of other home exterior components or in detecting evidence of termite infestations in house cavities.

More About Our Patents

HomeSafe pioneered the usage of infrared technologies in home inspections and pest inspections. HomeSafe’s co-owner Peng Lee initially developed these procedures as part of a research project at the University of Mississippi’s National Center for Physical Acoustics in the 1990s. His research was funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Lee and HomeSafe president Kevin J. Seddon went on to co-found HomeSafe and to further develop his IR inspection procedures for private sector use. HomeSafe filed its initial provisional patent application in 2001. Over the next seven years, the initial patent application was split into a total of nine applications, six of which were approved in 2008 by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Due to the USDA’s funding of Lee's initial research, the U.S. government has worldwide rights to our patented processes, and the University of Mississippi has an ownership stake in the patents.

To learn more about our patents, simply visit the USPTO’s Web site and perform a search at http://patft.uspto.gov/netahtml/PTO/srchnum.htm. Our patent numbers and a summary of the patented processes are listed above.  The URL for this section is http://www.homesafeinspection.com/home-inspection-category/patent-protected-technologies-and-methodologies.

Starting in 2003, HomeSafe began promoting the use of IR as a new tool in the home inspection business. It went on to license its technologies and processes to home inspectors and PCOs nationwide and developed the industry’s first comprehensive training program specifically for IR usage in residential building inspections and wood-destroying insect detection. At that time the industry mainstream rejected the use of IR in home inspections. They said it was too expensive. They said it revealed too much and would be rejected by real estate agents. However, as time moved forward, IR has become widely accepted by the industry. This acceptance has coincided with the federal government’s approval of HomeSafe's patents on certain processes for using IR in home inspections.

With these patents, HomeSafe was granted certain rights, including the right to prohibit others from using our patented processes. Instead, HomeSafe has chosen to allow everyone to use these procedures for a reasonable licensing fee.

Although HomeSafe offers its own high-powered, specially customized IR camera for home inspectors, please be aware that HomeSafe does not require anyone to buy, lease/license or use any particular IR camera or other technology. We encourage inspectors to buy the highest-quality IR camera possible, and we feel that many manufacturers offer excellent IR cameras for the job. Furthermore, we do not require anyone to be trained or certified by HomeSafe, although we do encourage training and certification.

What we do require is that home inspectors and pest companies that are utilizing IR in their business make sure that they are not utilizing our patented processes. We also encourage inspectors that are utilizing IR to consult with patent attorneys and review in detail the patent claims to make sure they are not infringing on the patents.

HomeSafe also does require that anyone who utilizes these patented processes license usage rights from Homesafe. HomeSafe spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on the patents alone, not including the years of development time and effort. HomeSafe is required to enforce its patents and will do so whenever we feel that an infringement is taking place.

For more information on HomeSafe's patents, please call HomeSafe's corporate office at (866) 327-7233.