Electronic waste recycling

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10410183-B2
Application number	US-201615165093-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 26, 2016
Priority date	May 26, 2016
Publication date	Sep 10, 2019
Grant date	Sep 10, 2019

Abstract

A method and system for recycling electronic waste is provided. The method includes detecting electronic devices at a location of a user of a mobile device. Identification data identifying each electronic device is retrieved and a status for each device is determined. The electronic devices are analyzed with respect to electronic waste data and values for the electronic devices are determined with respect to recycling options. A score for each electronic device is generated and a comparative analysis is executed for the electronic devices with respect to the values and recycling options. Recommendations associated with the values and recycling options are generated and presented to the user via the mobile hardware device. The user selects a recycling option with respect to the recommendations and a recycling process associated with the recycling option selection is enabled.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device waste recycling method comprising:
detecting and sensing via a wireless sensor of a specialized mobile hardware device comprising special purpose hardware, by a processor of the mobile hardware device via a network scan, a plurality of electronic devices at a location associated with a user of said specialized mobile hardware device, wherein said special purpose hardware comprises electronic circuitry comprising a programmable logic array utilizing state information of specialized firmware program code configured to execute specialized software for personalizing said electronic circuitry for performing said electronic device waste recycling method;
retrieving, by said processor via said wireless sensor, identification data identifying each device of said plurality of electronic devices;
tracking, by said processor via said wireless sensor, a status for each said device, wherein said status indicates a power function status for each said device, a condition of each said device, a frequency of use status for each said device, and a device usage status for each said device;
analyzing, by said processor based on said identification data and each said status, said plurality of electronic devices with respect to electronic waste data in an electronic waste repository;
identifying, by said processor via said wireless sensor, precious metals within said plurality of electronic devices;
determining, by said processor, values for said plurality of electronic devices with respect to recycling options;
generating, by said processor based on said values, a score for each electronic device of said plurality of electronic devices with respect to said values and said recycling options;
executing, by said processor based on each said score, a comparative analysis for said plurality of electronic devices with respect to said values, said precious metals, and said recycling options;
generating, by said processor based on results of said comparative analysis, recommendations associated with said values and said recycling options;
presenting, by said processor to said user via said mobile hardware device, said recommendations;
receiving, by said processor from said user via said mobile hardware device, a recycling option selection with respect to said recommendations, wherein said recycling option selection comprises selecting an e-waste pickup option with respect to said plurality of electronic devices; and
enabling, by said processor, a recycling process associated with said recycling option selection, wherein said recycling process comprises:
generating an optimal travel route for traveling between a recycling facility and said location associated with said user for retrieval of at least one of said plurality of electronic devices;
presenting said optimal travel route to a driver associated with said recycling facility; and
directing said driver such that said driver retrieves said at least one of said plurality of electronic devices and travels from said location to said recycling facility via said optimal travel route for disposal of said at least one of said plurality of electronic devices at said recycling facility.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said sensor is selected from the group consisting of an RFID tag reader, a Wi-Fi sensor, and a Bluetooth sensor.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said determining said values for said plurality of electronic devices comprises:
determining current resale values for said plurality of electronic devices;
determining material values for materials comprised by said plurality of electronic devices;
determining current trade in values for said plurality of electronic devices; and
determining recycling royalty values associated with recycling said plurality of electronic devices.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein said determining current resale values comprises;
determining a current physical and operating condition for said plurality of electronic devices; and
analyzing a profile of said user, wherein said profile comprises resale vendor criteria associated with user preferred resale vendors and resale vendors located within a specified geographical area.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein said determining material values comprises;
identifying precious metal values for said precious metals comprised by said plurality of electronic devices; and
analyzing a profile of said user, wherein said profile comprises resale vendor criteria associated with user preferred resale vendors and resale vendors located within a specified geographical area.

6. The method of claim 3 , wherein said determining material values comprises;
identifying retailer or manufacturer customer retention incentives associated with retailers or manufactures associated with said plurality of electronic devices; and
analyzing a profile of said user, wherein said profile comprises resale vendor criteria associated with user preferred resale vendors and resale vendors located within a specified geographical area.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
providing at least one support service for at least one of creating, integrating, hosting, maintaining, and deploying computer-readable code in the control hardware, said code being executed by the computer processor to implement: said detecting and sensing, said retrieving, said tracking said status, said analyzing, said determining said values, said generating said score, said executing, said generating said recommendations, said presenting, said receiving, and said enabling.

8. An electronic device waste recycling method comprising:
detecting and sensing via a wireless sensor of a specialized mobile hardware device comprising special purpose hardware, by a processor of the mobile hardware device via a network scan, a plurality of electronic devices at a location associated with a user of said specialized mobile hardware device, wherein said special purpose hardware comprises electronic circuitry comprising a programmable logic array utilizing state information of specialized firmware program code configured to execute specialized software for personalizing said electronic circuitry for performing said electronic device waste recycling method;
retrieving, by said processor via said sensor, identification data identifying each device of said plurality of electronic devices;
tracking, by said processor via said wireless sensor, a status for each said device, wherein said status indicates a power function status for each said device, a condition of each said device, a frequency of use status for each said device, and a device usage status for each said device;
analyzing, by said processor based on said identification data and each said status, said plurality of electronic devices with respect to electronic waste data in an electronic waste repository;
identifying, by said processor via said wireless sensor, precious metals within said plurality of electronic devices;
determining, by said processor, values for said plurality of electronic devices with respect to recycling options;
generating, by said processor based on said values, a score for each electronic device of said plurality of electronic devices with respect to said values and said recycling options;
executing, by said processor based on each said score, a comparative analysis for said plurality of electronic devices with respect to said values, said precious metals, and said recycling options;
generating, by said processor based on results of said comparative analysis, recommendations associated with said values and said recycling options;
presenting, by said processor to said user via said mobile hardware device, said recommendations;
receiving, by said processor

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Bostick James E
• Ganci Jr John M
• Keen Martin G
• Rakshit Sarbajit K

Classifications

• G01C21/343

  Calculating itineraries (travelling salesman problem G06Q10/04; optimisation of routes G06Q10/047) · CPC title

• G06Q10/30 Primary

  Administration of product recycling or disposal · CPC title

• H04W4/021

  Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences · CPC title

• H04W4/80

  Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication · CPC title

• G06Q50/184

  Intellectual property management · CPC title