Load monitoring system for waste receptacle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10694266-B2
Application number	US-201916559328-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 3, 2019
Priority date	Aug 16, 2017
Publication date	Jun 23, 2020
Grant date	Jun 23, 2020

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

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 rotational speed of a powertrain coupled to a service vehicle, the powertrain configured to power a lift actuator of the service vehicle; and
determining a weight of waste inside a receptacle when the service vehicle is at a service stop based on the sensed rotational speed of the powertrain.

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, by a sensor, a rotational speed of a powertrain coupled to a service vehicle, the powertrain configured to power one or more lift actuators of the service vehicle,
the one or more lift actuators configured to raise lift arms of the service vehicle; and
determining a weight of waste inside a receptacle when the service vehicle is at a service stop based on the sensed rotational speed of the powertrain.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the power output of the one or more lift actuators are 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

• H04Q2209/47

  using RFID associated with sensors · CPC title

• B65F3/00

  Vehicles particularly adapted for collecting refuse (vehicles in general B60; driving vehicle equipment or auxiliaries B60K; discharging contents by tilting entire vehicles B65G; wheeled apparatus for emptying sewers or cesspools E03F7/10) · CPC title

• H04Q2209/40

  using a wireless architecture · CPC title

• H04Q2209/823

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

• H04Q9/00 Primary

  Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom · CPC title