Load monitoring system for waste receptacle based on a speed of powertrain

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10405071-B2
Application number	US-201816030511-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 9, 2018
Priority date	Aug 16, 2017
Publication date	Sep 3, 2019
Grant date	Sep 3, 2019

Abstract

A system is disclosed for monitoring waste collected by a service vehicle. The system may include a lift actuator configured to cause lifting of the waste, a power takeoff driven by a powertrain of the service vehicle to power the lift actuator, and a sensor configured to generate a speed signal indicative of a speed of the powertrain. The system may also include an output device, and a controller in communication with the sensor and the output device. The controller may be configured to receive the speed signal from the sensor, determine an amount of waste lifted by the lift actuator based on the speed signal, and relay the amount of waste to the output device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for monitoring waste collected by a service vehicle, comprising:
a non-transitory memory;
one or more processors coupled to the non-transitory memory and configured to execute instructions to perform operations comprising:
monitoring, by a sensor, a speed of a powertrain coupled to a service vehicle, the powertrain configured to power a lift actuator of the service vehicle;
determining when the service vehicle is at a service stop; and
determining a weight of waste inside a receptacle when the service vehicle is at the service stop based on signals from the sensor.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the speed of the powertrain is remotely detected.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the speed of the powertrain is remotely detected using an acoustic or vibrational type sensor.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein a deviation in the speed of the powertrain from a normal speed during lifting of the waste is detected; and
the operations further comprise determining the weight of the waste lifted as a function of the deviation.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the operations further comprise determining the weight of the waste lifted as a function of a duration of the deviation.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein determining when the service vehicle is at a service stop is based on vibrational or acoustic frequency responses.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein determining when the service vehicle is at a service stop is based on fluctuations in tire pressure.

8. A method of monitoring waste collected by a service vehicle, comprising:
monitoring, by a sensor, a speed of a powertrain coupled to a service vehicle, the powertrain configured to power a lift actuator of the service vehicle;
determining when the service vehicle is at a service stop; and
determining a weight of waste inside a receptacle when the service vehicle is at the service stop based on signals from the sensor.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the speed of the powertrain is remotely detected.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the speed of the powertrain is remotely detected using an acoustic or vibrational type sensor.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein a deviation in the speed of the powertrain from a normal speed during lifting of the waste is detected; and
the method further comprises determining the weight of the waste lifted as a function of the deviation.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising determining the weight of the waste lifted by the lift actuator as a function of a duration of the deviation.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein determining when the service vehicle is at a service stop is based on vibrational or acoustic frequency responses.

14. The method of claim 8 , wherein determining when the service vehicle is at a service stop is based on fluctuations in tire pressure.

15. The method of claim 8 , further comprising causing the weight of the waste to be shown on a display, along with at least one of an identification and coordinates of the service stop.

16. A non-transitory computer readable medium containing computer-executable programming instructions for performing a method for monitoring waste collected by a service vehicle, the method comprising:
monitoring, via a sensor, a speed of a powertrain coupled to a service vehicle, the powertrain configured to power a lift actuator of the service vehicle;
determining when the service vehicle is at a service stop; and
determining a weight of waste inside a receptacle when the service vehicle is at the service stop based on signals from the sensor.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the speed of the powertrain is remotely detected.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16 , further comprising causing the weight of the waste to be shown on a display, along with at least one of an identification and coordinates of the service stop.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16 , wherein determining when the service vehicle is at a service stop is based on vibrational or acoustic frequency responses.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16 , wherein determining when the service vehicle is at a service stop is based on fluctuations in tire pressure.

Assignees

• Rubicon Global Holdings Llc

Inventors

• Dunbar Hunter Dane

Classifications

• G08C2201/93

  Remote control using other portable devices, e.g. mobile phone, PDA, laptop · CPC title

• B65F2003/022

  the discharging means comprising a device for determining the weight of the content of refuse receptacles · CPC title

• B65F3/02

  with means for discharging refuse receptacles thereinto (conveyor construction B65G; loaders separate from vehicles B66F; fluid power control systems in general F15B) · CPC title

• G08G1/20

  Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles · CPC title

• H04Q2209/823

  where the data is sent when the measured values exceed a threshold, e.g. sending an alarm · CPC title