Systems and methods for detecting missing refuse cans

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025136364-A1
Application number	US-202418923401-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 22, 2024
Priority date	Oct 27, 2023
Publication date	May 1, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

1. A system for detecting a refuse can including at least one sensor and one or more processing circuits communicably coupled to the sensor. The one or more processing circuits are configured to capture, from the at least one sensor, data regarding a pickup location associated with a refuse can, determine, based on the data, if the refuse can is present at the pickup location, upon determining that the refuse can is absent from the pickup location, generate an indication that the refuse can is absent from the pickup location, and upon determining that the refuse can is present at the pickup location, generate a command to initiate a refuse collection operation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A system for detecting a refuse can, the system comprising:
at least one sensor; one or more processing circuits communicably coupled to the sensor, the one or more processing circuits configured to:
capture, from the at least one sensor, data regarding a pickup location associated with a refuse can;
determine, based on the data, if the refuse can is present at the pickup location;
upon determining that the refuse can is absent from the pickup location, generate an indication that the refuse can is absent from the pickup location; and
upon determining that the refuse can is present at the pickup location, generate a command to initiate a refuse collection operation.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor is coupled to a refuse vehicle and configured to capture data on one or more sides of the refuse vehicle.

3 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the at least one sensor includes at least one of a visible light camera, a LIDAR camera, or a radar sensor.

4 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the one or more processing circuits includes at least one of (i) a first processing circuit located on the refuse vehicle or (ii) a second processing circuit located remote from the refuse vehicle.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processing circuits are configured to share the indication with at least one of a refuse vehicle, a user device, a service manager, or a network.

6 . The system of claim 5 , wherein the one or more processing circuits are configured to receive the pickup location from the user device responsive to a user providing an input associated with the pickup location to the user device.

7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processing circuits are configured to determine if the refuse can is present at the pickup location based on a detection of a characteristic or an absence of the characteristic in the data.

8 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the characteristic includes at least one of a contour, edge, shape, texture, or color of the refuse can, and wherein the one or more processing circuits are configured to perform object recognition to determine if the refuse can is present at the pickup location.

9 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the characteristic includes at least one or a barcode, a QR code, or a tracking tag.

10 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processing circuits are configured to:
calculate, based on the data, a confidence value associated with the pickup location, the confidence value being indicative of whether the refuse can is present at the pickup location; compare the confidence value with a threshold confidence value; and upon determining that the confidence value is greater than the threshold confidence value, determine that the refuse can is present at the pickup location.

11 . The system of claim 1 , wherein upon determining that the refuse can is absent from the pickup location, the one or more processing circuits are configured to capture and store data including the pickup location to verify that the refuse can is absent from the pickup location.

12 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processing circuits are configured to provide the indication for display on at least one of a display of a refuse vehicle or a display of a user device.

13 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the indication includes a bounding box indicating the pickup location where the one or more processing circuits expect the refuse can to be.

14 . The system of claim 1 , an actuator assembly configured to engage with the refuse can and to move the refuse can, and wherein the refuse collection operation includes actuating, in response to the one or more processing circuits generating the command, the actuator assembly to engage and move the refuse can.

15 . A refuse vehicle comprising:
a chassis coupled to a plurality of tractive elements; a body assembly supported by the chassis, the body assembly defining a refuse compartment configured to receive refuse therein; an actuator assembly configured to engage with a refuse can and to move the refuse can relative to the body assembly; a sensor coupled to at least one of the chassis, the body assembly, or the actuator assembly; and a control system configured to:
capture, from the sensor, data regarding a pickup location associated with the refuse can;
determine, based on the data, if the refuse can is present at the pickup location;
upon determining that the refuse can is absent from the pickup location, generate an indication that the refuse can is absent from the pickup location; and
upon determining that the refuse can is present at the pickup location, initiate, by the actuator assembly, a refuse collection operation.

16 . The refuse vehicle of claim 15 , wherein the control system is configured to determine if the refuse can is present at the pickup location based on a detection of a characteristic or an absence of the characteristic in the data, wherein the characteristic includes at least one of a contour, edge, shape, texture, color, barcode, QR code, or tracking tag.

17 . The refuse vehicle of claim 15 , wherein the control system is configured to:
calculate, based on the data, a confidence value associated with the pickup location, the confidence value being indicative of whether the refuse can is present at the pickup location; compare the confidence value with a threshold confidence value; and upon determining that the confidence value is greater than the threshold confidence value, determine that the refuse can is present at the pickup location.

18 . The refuse vehicle of claim 15 , wherein upon determining that the refuse can is absent from the pickup location, the control system is configured to capture and store data including the pickup location to verify that the refuse can is absent from the pickup location.

19 . The refuse vehicle of claim 15 , wherein the control system is configured to provide the indication for display on at least one of a display of the refuse vehicle or a display of a user device.

20 . A method for detecting a refuse can, the method comprising:
acquiring data of an area surrounding a refuse vehicle from at least one sensor coupled to the refuse vehicle, the area including a pickup location associated with a refuse can; determine, based on the data, if the refuse can is present at the pickup location; upon determining that the refuse can is absent from the pickup location, generate an indication that the refuse can is absent from the pickup location; and upon determining that the refuse can is present at the pickup location, initiate a refuse collection operation.

Assignees

• Oshkosh Corp

Inventors

• Schad Vince
• Cornelius Andy
• Weykamp Nick
• Wittman Quincy
• Kappers Jerrod
• Chan Brendan
• Olson Eric
• Wei Zhenyi
• Ehlke Alec
• Meyer Jeff
• Patel Umang
• Mahoney Austin
• Vale Thomas
• Young William
• Bui Johnny
• Gurumurthy Nagabhushana Sharma

Classifications

• B65F2003/0263

  Constructional features relating to discharging means · CPC title

• B65F3/02 Primary

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

• B65F2210/168

  Sensing means · CPC title

• B65F2210/138

  Identification means · CPC title

• B65F2210/128

  Data transmitting means · CPC title