Containers with multiple sensors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11027916-B2
Application number	US-201916678970-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 8, 2019
Priority date	Mar 14, 2014
Publication date	Jun 8, 2021
Grant date	Jun 8, 2021

Abstract

A trashcan assembly can include a body portion, a lid portion pivotably coupled with the body portion, and a sensor assembly configured to generate a signal when an object is detected within a sensing region. The sensor assembly can include a plurality of transmitters having a first subset of transmitters and a second subset of transmitters. A transmission axis of at least one transmitter in the first subset of transmitters can be different from a transmission axis of at least one of the transmitters in the second subset of transmitters. An electronic processor can generate an electronic signal to a power-operated drive mechanism for moving the lid portion from a closed position to an open position, such as in response to the sensor assembly detecting the object.

First claim

The following is claimed:

1. A trashcan assembly comprising:
a body portion;
a lid portion pivotably coupled with the body portion;
a microphone; and
a controller comprising one or more hardware processors configured to:
cause a prompt to be communicated to a user to indicate that the user can provide a sound to be associated with a first action;
process an electrical audio signal received from the microphone that corresponds to the sound provided by the user;
perform a recognition algorithm on the electrical audio signal to generate data representing the sound; and
transmit an instruction to a power-operated drive mechanism in response to a determination that the data representing the sound corresponds to a second sound received by the microphone, wherein the instruction causes the power-operated drive mechanism to perform the first action on the lid portion.

2. The trashcan assembly of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to store the data representing the sound in memory.

3. The trashcan assembly of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
determine that an obtained audio signal corresponds to the sound; and
transmit the instruction to the power-operated drive mechanism in response to the determination that the audio signal corresponds to the sound.

4. The trashcan assembly of claim 1 , further comprising at least one of a button or switch.

5. The trashcan assembly of claim 4 , wherein the controller is further configured to cause the prompt to be communicated requesting that the user provide the sound in response to the button or switch being enabled.

6. The trashcan assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first action comprises a movement of the lid portion from a first position to a second position.

7. The trashcan assembly of claim 6 , wherein the first position is a closed position, and wherein the second position is an open position.

8. The trashcan assembly of claim 6 , wherein the first position is an open position, and wherein the second position is a closed position.

9. The trashcan assembly of claim 6 , further comprising a sensor assembly coupled to the body portion, the sensor assembly comprising the controller, a first transmitter, and a second transmitter, wherein an angle is formed between a transmission axis of the first transmitter and a transmission axis of the second transmitter.

10. The trashcan assembly of claim 9 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
instruct the first transmitter to emit a first signal;
determine that no object is detected in a first region based on an indication received from the receiver; and
if the first position is a closed position, transmit a second instruction to the power-operated drive mechanism to move the lid portion from the second position to the first position.

11. The trashcan assembly of claim 9 , wherein the first position is a closed position and the second position is an open position, and wherein the controller is further configured to:
instruct the first transmitter to emit a first signal;
determine that no object is detected in a first region based on an indication received from the receiver;
determine that a threshold period of time has not expired; and
not cause the power-operated drive mechanism to move the lid portion to the first position in response to the determination that the threshold period of time has not expired.

12. The trashcan assembly of claim 9 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
instruct the first transmitter to emit a first signal;
determine that an object is detected in a first region based on an indication received from the receiver; and
if the first position is an open position, transmit a second instruction to the power-operated drive mechanism to move the lid portion from the second position to the first position.

13. The trashcan assembly of claim 9 , wherein the first position is an open position and the second position is a closed position, and wherein the controller is further configured to:
instruct the first transmitter to emit a first signal;
determine that an object is detected in a first region based on an indication received from the receiver;
determine that a threshold period of time has not expired; and
not cause the power-operated drive mechanism to move the lid portion to the first position in response to the determination that the threshold period of time has not expired.

14. The trashcan assembly of claim 9 , further comprising a light sensor coupled to the body portion, wherein the light sensor detects a first lux level of ambient light at a first time before the trashcan assembly detects an object and a second lux level of ambient light at a second time after the trashcan assembly detects the object, wherein the second lux level is greater than the first lux level.

15. The trashcan assembly of claim 14 , wherein the first position is an open position and the second position is a closed position, and wherein the controller is further configured to not transmit a second instruction to the power-operated drive mechanism that causes the power-operated drive mechanism to move the lid portion from the second position to the first position in response to a determination that the second lux level is greater than the first lux level by a threshold value.

16. The trashcan assembly of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
cause a second prompt to be communicated to a second user to indicate that the second user can provide a second sound to be associated with the first action;
process a second electrical audio signal received from the microphone that corresponds to a second sound provided by a second user; and
perform the recognition algorithm on the second electrical audio signal to generate second data representing the second sound.

17. The trashcan assembly of claim 16 , wherein the sound comprises a first pronunciation of a keyword, and wherein the second sound comprises a second pronunciation of the keyword.

18. The trashcan assembly of claim 17 , wherein the controller is further configured to perform the first action on the lid portion in response to a determination that the first pronunciation of the keyword is uttered or the second pronunciation of the keyword is uttered.

19. A trashcan assembly comprising:
a body portion;
a lid portion pivotably coupled with the body portion; and
a controller comprising one or more hardware processors and memory, the controller configured to:
process a first obtained audio signal that corresponds to a first state and a sound;
store data derived from the first obtained audio signal in the memory; and
in response to a determination that a second obtained audio signal corresponds to the stored data, transmit an instruction to a power-operated drive mechanism, wherein the instruction causes the power-operated drive mechanism to move the lid portion into the first state.

20. The trashcan assembly of claim 19 , wherein the first state comprises the lid portion in a closed position.

21. The trashcan assembly of claim 19 , wherein the first state comprises the lid portion in an open position.

22. The trashcan assembly of claim 19 , further comprising a user input component.

23. The trashcan assembly of claim 22 , wherein the audio signal is obtained in response to a user enabling the user input component and producing the sound.

24. The trashcan assembly of claim 19 , wherein th

Assignees

• Simplehuman Llc

Inventors

• Yang Frank
• Wolbert David
• Cohen Guy
• Wilkins Bryce

Classifications

• B65F2210/168

  Sensing means · CPC title

• Y10T29/49002

  Electrical device making · CPC title

• B65F2250/112

  Steel · CPC title

• B65F2210/1815

  for assisting the removal of a liner · CPC title

• G10L2015/088

  Word spotting · CPC title