Waste management system implementing remote auditing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9754382-B1
Application number	US-201615206469-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jul 11, 2016
Priority date	Feb 20, 2016
Publication date	Sep 5, 2017
Grant date	Sep 5, 2017

Abstract

A system is disclosed for auditing waste retrieved by a service vehicle. The system may have an optical sensor mountable onboard the service vehicle and configured to capture image data associated with the waste as the waste falls into the service vehicle during completion of a waste service activity. The system may also have at least one controller in communication with the optical sensor and being configured to generate at least one of an alert and a recommendation regarding a mix of the waste based on the image data.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for auditing waste retrieved by a service vehicle, comprising:
an optical sensor configured to capture image data associated with the waste as the waste falls into the service vehicle during completion of a waste service activity;
a sensor configured to generate a signal indicative of a start of the waste service activity, wherein the at least one controller is in further communication with the sensor and configured to selectively activate the optical sensor based on the signal; and
at least controller in communication with the optical sensor and being configured to generate at least one of an alert and a recommendation regarding a mix of the waste based on the image data.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is one of a location sensor, a lift sensor, and an acoustic sensor.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the image data is video of the waste falling into the service vehicle.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one controller is configured to determine the mix of the waste in real time as the waste falls into the service vehicle.

5. The system of claim 1 , further including a locating device mountable onboard the service vehicle and configured to generate a location signal indicative of a location of the service vehicle, wherein the at least one controller is further configured to provide the at least one of the alert and the recommendation to a particular customer based on the location signal.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the recommendation includes a recommendation to recycle or amass a portion of the waste based on the mix of the waste.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the optical sensor is modular and configured to be connected to the service vehicle periodically.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
at least some of the waste is contained within a container having an identifiable characteristic; and
the at least one controller is configured to determine the mix of the waste based on detection of the characteristic.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein:
at least some of the waste is contained in different types of containers having different identifiable characteristics; and
the at least one controller is configured to determine the mix of the waste based on detection of the different identifiable characteristics.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the identifiable characteristics are colors.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the system further includes a display and an input device; and
the at least one controller is further configured to:
show the image data on the display;
receive input from a user via the input device indicative of visual observations of the waste made by the user when viewing the image data; and
selectively determine the mix of the waste based further on the input.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the at least one controller includes:
an audit controller located remotely from the service vehicle; and
an onboard controller in communication with the audit controller; and

the optical sensor communicates with the onboard controller wirelessly.

13. The system of claim 12 , further including a communication device configured to transmit the image data live from the onboard controller to the audit controller.

14. The system of claim 12 , wherein the image data is stored within a memory of optical sensor or the onboard controller for later download to the audit controller.

15. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one controller is further configured to selectively adjust a schedule of the service vehicle after retrieving the waste based on the mix of the waste.

16. A method for performing an audit of waste retrieved by a service vehicle, the method comprising:
sensing a start of a waste service activity;
capturing image data of the waste as the waste falls into the service vehicle during completion of the waste service activity after the start of the waste service activity has been sensed; and
generating at least one of an alert and a recommendation regarding a mix of the waste based on the image data.

17. The method of claim 16 , further including:
showing the image data to a user;
receiving input from the user indicative of visual observations of the waste made by the user when viewing the image data;
selectively determining the mix of the waste based further on the input.

18. A non-transitory computer readable medium containing computer-executable programming instructions for performing an audit of waste retrieved by a service vehicle, the method comprising:
sensing a start of the waste service activity;
capturing image data of the waste as the waste falls into the service vehicle during completion of a waste service activity after the start of the waste service activity has been sensed;
showing the image data to a user;
receiving input from the user indicative of visual observations of the waste made by the user when viewing the image data; and
generating at least one of an alert and a recommendation regarding a mix of the waste based on the input.

Assignees

• Rubicon Global Holdings Llc

Inventors

• Rodoni Philip

Classifications

• G06Q10/30 Primary

  Administration of product recycling or disposal · CPC title

• G06T7/40

  Analysis of texture (depth or shape recovery from texture G06T7/529) · CPC title

• H04N23/63

  by using electronic viewfinders · CPC title

• Y02W90/00

  Enabling technologies or technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to greenhouse gas [GHG] emissions mitigation · CPC title

• B65F3/041

  Pivoted arms or pivoted carriers · CPC title