Waste management system having vendor opportunity platform

• US 10,198,718 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2016
• Issued: 02/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rubicon Technologies Holdings LLC (Founder SPAC)
• Original Assignee: Rubicon Global Holdings, LLC (Founder SPAC)
• Inventors: Rodoni, Philip
• Primary Examiner(s): Desai, Resha
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kringen, Michelle T
• Application Number:
  US15/185,475
• Publication Number:
  US 20170124533A1
• Time in Patent Office: 963 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/30 Administration of product recycling or disposal
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0611 Request for offers or quotes
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 90/00 Enabling technologies or technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to greenhouse gas [GHG] emissions mitigation

Abstract

A system is disclosed for managing waste. The system may have a first portal configured to receive input indicative of a customer service opportunity, a second portal configured to receive input indicative of a vendor'"'"'s acceptance of the customer service opportunity, and a central processing unit in electronic communication with the first and second portals. The central processing unit may be configured to determine, from a list of registered vendors stored in memory, a shorter list of vendors capable of accommodating the customer service opportunity. The central processing unit may also be configured to offer the customer service opportunity to at least one vendor on the shorter list of vendors via the second portal, to receive an acceptance from the at least one vendor via the second portal to accommodate the customer service opportunity, and to automatically generate at least one contract based on the acceptance.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for tracking and scheduling services using a distributed system, comprising:

collecting, by a plurality of distributed processors, information about vehicle movements and associated changes made to environments using a plurality of on-board vehicle sensors connected to an on-board vehicle controller, the plurality of on-board vehicle sensors including a first location sensor and a first performance sensor, each on-board vehicle controller configured to transmit a plurality of signals to a cloud-based electronic network, the information including a location of the respective vehicle, a travel path of the respective vehicle, and data from the plurality of on-board vehicle sensors;

wherein the location and travel path of the respective vehicle is tracked by the plurality of distributed processors based on triangulating a relative 3-D geographic position and orientation of each vehicle relative to a reference point using a respective location sensor;

filtering and aggregating, by the plurality of distributed processors, the plurality of signals using the cloud-based electronic network, the cloud-based electronic network including the plurality of distributed processors;

storing, by one or more processors of the plurality of distributed processors, the plurality of signals in a first database;

receiving, by one or more processors of the plurality of distributed processors, a query for a service request from a first user device, the service request including a location, time, and type of service;

submitting the query to the first database;

determining, by the plurality of distributed processors, service provider ranking criteria based on the plurality of signals stored in the first database, including at least one of service performance, service capability, and service provider relationship;

filtering and ranking, by the plurality of distributed processors, a list of service providers based on the service provider ranking criteria via a first processor of the plurality of distributed processors;

transmitting, by one or more processors of the plurality of distributed processors, a message to a first service provider including a link, wherein activation of the link includes an availability to accept or reject a first service corresponding to the service request; and

in response to receiving acceptance of the first service, transmitting, by one or more processors of the plurality of distributed processors, instructions to the first service provider, the instructions directing the first service provider to a customer location to perform the first service.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the on-board vehicle sensors are configured to detect an amount of waste inside one or more waste receptacles.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein each on-board vehicle controller is configured to rank service providers based on the communicated information related to the service request.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein a first on-board vehicle controller is configured to provide real-time feedback in response to the service request.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising an input device configured to allow an administrator to provide input regarding the service request and the first service.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, further comprising causing graphical user interface (GUI) to be shown on a first input device, the GUI providing at least one of a count of each vehicle currently operating, statistics associated with stops made by each vehicle, information regarding outstanding customer service opportunities, routes followed by each vehicle, and the first service.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising receiving input via an input device regarding manual selection of a particular vendor from a shorter list of vendors;

and

selectively offering the first service only to the particular vendor on the shorter list of vendors based on the input.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, further comprising providing a time window in which the particular vendor from the shorter list of vendors is allowed to accept the first service.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a rate quote associated with acceptance of the first service;

and

awarding the first service to a particular vendor from the shorter list of vendors based on the acceptance and the rate quote.

10. A system for tracking and scheduling services using a plurality of distributed processors, comprising:

a non-transitory memory;

a plurality of distributed processors coupled to the non-transitory memory and configured to execute instructions to perform operations comprising;

collecting information about vehicle movements and associated changes made to environments using a plurality of on-board vehicle sensors connected to an on-board vehicle controller, the plurality of on-board vehicle sensors including a first location sensor and a first performance sensor, each on-board vehicle controller configured to transmit a plurality of signals to a cloud-based electronic network, the information including a location of the respective vehicle, a travel path of the respective vehicle, and data from the plurality of on-board vehicle sensors;

wherein the location and travel path of the respective vehicle is tracked based on triangulating a relative 3-D geographic position and orientation of each vehicle relative to a reference point using a respective location sensor;

filtering and aggregating the plurality of signals using the cloud-based electronic network, the cloud-based electronic network including the plurality of distributed processors;

storing the signals in a first database;

receiving a query for a service request from a first user device, the service request including a location, time, and type of service;

submitting the query to the first database;

determining service provider ranking criteria based on the signals stored in the first database, including at least one of service performance, service capability, and service provider relationship;

filtering and ranking a list of service providers based on the service provider ranking criteria via a first processor of the plurality of distributed processors;

transmitting a message to a first service provider including a link, wherein activation of the link includes an availability to accept or reject a first service corresponding to the service request; and

in response to receiving acceptance of the first service, transmitting instructions to the first service provider, the instructions directing the first service provider to a customer location to perform the first service.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the on-board vehicle sensors are configured to detect an amount of waste inside one or more waste receptacles.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein each on-board vehicle controller is configured to rank service providers based on the communicated information related to the service request.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein a first on-board vehicle controller is configured to provide real-time feedback in response to the service request.

14. The system of claim 10, further comprising an input device configured to allow an administrator to provide input regarding the service request and the first service.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising causing graphical user interface (GUI) to be shown on a first input device, the GUI providing at least one of a count of each vehicle currently operating, statistics associated with stops made by each vehicle, information regarding outstanding customer service opportunities, routes followed by each vehicle, and the first service.

16. The system of claim 10, further comprising receiving input via an input device regarding manual selection of a particular vendor from a shorter list of vendors;

and

selectively offering the first service only to the particular vendor on the shorter list of vendors based on the input.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising providing a time window in which the particular vendor from the shorter list of vendors is allowed to accept the first service.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising receiving a rate quote associated with acceptance of the first service;

and

awarding the first service to a particular vendor from the shorter list of vendors based on the acceptance and the rate quote.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including computer-executable programming instructions for tracking and scheduling services using a plurality of distributed processors, the method comprising:

collecting information about vehicle movements and associated changes made to environments using a plurality of on-board vehicle sensors connected to an on-board vehicle controller, the plurality of on-board vehicle sensors including a first location sensor and a first performance sensor selected from the group consisting of a load cell, a force gauge, and a pressure sensor;

each on-board vehicle controller configured to transmit a plurality of signals to a cloud-based electronic network, the information including a location of the respective vehicle, a travel path of the respective vehicle, and data from the plurality of on-board vehicle sensors;

wherein;

the location and travel path of the respective vehicle is tracked based on triangulating a relative 3-D geographic position and orientation of each vehicle relative to a reference point using a respective location sensor; and

the plurality of on-board sensors further includes an optical sensor utilized to determine characteristics of waste material inside receptacles;

filtering and aggregating the plurality of signals using the cloud-based electronic network, the cloud-based electronic network including the plurality of distributed processors;

storing the signals in a first database;

receiving a query for a service request from a first user device, the service request including a location, time, and type of service;

submitting the query to the first database;

determining service provider ranking criteria based on the signals stored in the first database, including at least one of service performance, service capability, and service provider relationship;

filtering and ranking a list of service providers based on the service provider ranking criteria via a first processor of the plurality of distributed processors;

transmitting a message to a first service provider including a link, wherein activation of the link includes an availability to accept or reject a first service corresponding to the service request; and

in response to receiving acceptance of the first service, transmitting instructions to the first service provider, the instructions directing the first service provider to a customer location to perform the first service.