Waste storage device and corresponding sorting method

• US 10,335,834 B2
• Filed: 02/17/2016
• Issued: 07/02/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Uzer Co.
• Original Assignee: Uzer Co.
• Inventors: Castelli, Clement
• Primary Examiner(s): Matthews, Terrell H
• Application Number:
  US15/551,930
• Publication Number:
  US 20180056336A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,231 Days
• Field of Search: 209549
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 2501/0054 Sorting of waste or refuse
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 7/005 Computer assisted manual sorting, e.g. for mail
• CPC Class Codes: B65F 1/004 the receptacles being divided in compartments by partitions
• CPC Class Codes: B65F 2001/008 Means for automatically selecting the receptacle in which refuse should be placed
• CPC Class Codes: B65F 2210/112 Coding means to aid in recycling
• CPC Class Codes: B65F 2210/128 Data transmitting means
• CPC Class Codes: B65F 2210/138 Identification means
• CPC Class Codes: B65F 2210/168 Sensing means
• CPC Class Codes: B65F 2210/176 Sorting means

Abstract

A waste storage device and corresponding waste sorting method. The waste storage device may include compartments for storing waste; an acquisition unit that acquires at least one characteristic of a piece of waste that is to be stored in the waste storage device; a processor unit that obtains data identifying the waste from the characteristic; a communications unit that sends the identifying data to a remote server and that receives data in response; and an advice supply unit that delivers sorting advice to a user. The sorting advice may come from the data that was received in response and it may identify at least one of the compartments of the waste storage device into which the piece of waste should be stored or placed by the user.

Claims

1. A waste storage device comprising:

at least two compartments suitable for storing waste;

an acquisition unit that acquires at least one characteristic of waste that is to be stored in said waste storage device;

a processor unit that obtains first data identifying said waste from said at least one characteristic;

a communications unit that sends the first data to a server that is remote from the waste storage device and for receiving, in response to said sending, second data; and

an advice supply unit that delivers sorting advice to a user, the sorting advice being obtained from said second data, said sorting advice serving to identify at least one compartment of said at least two compartments in which at least a portion of said waste should be stored,

the sorting advice comprising at least a first identifier of a first compartment among the at least two compartments of the waste storage device and a second identifier of a second compartment among the at least two compartments of the waste storage device that is distinct from said first compartment,

the sorting advice comprising a first instruction identifying a first portion of the waste in association with the first identifier, and a second instruction identifying a second portion of the waste in association with the second identifier.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the acquisition unit comprises at least one of the following:

an optical acquisition device that optically acquires said characteristic of the waste by performing an optical acquisition of the waste; and

a radiofrequency acquisition device that acquires said characteristic of the waste by radiofrequency communication with said waste.

3. The device according to claim 2, wherein the optical acquisition device comprises an image acquisition device suitable for capturing an image of a graphics code appearing on the waste and for obtaining said characteristic from said image.

4. The device according to claim 2, wherein the radiofrequency acquisition device comprises an RFID reader that cooperates by radiofrequency with a radio tag associated with said waste in order to acquire said characteristic.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein the communications unit sends the first data to the server via a first communications link set up between the communications unit and said server via a communications network, and receives the second data from the server via a second communications link set up between the communications unit and said server via said communications network.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein the advice supply unit comprises at least one of the following:

a display screen, the advice supply unit being configured to deliver the sorting advice to the user by causing said sorting advice to be displayed on said display screen;

a voice unit suitable for delivering the sorting advice in the form of a voice instruction; and

at least one indicator light suitable for delivering the sorting advice in the form of a luminous instruction.

7. A server that communicates with a waste storage device according to claim 1 in order to sort waste, the server comprising:

a processor unit that obtains second data from first data received from the waste storage device that is situated remotely from said server, said first data identifying waste for storing in the waste storage device, said second data containing at least one piece of information enabling the waste storage device to identify at least one of its compartments in which at least a portion of said waste should be stored; and

a communications unit that sends the second data to the waste storage device in response to said first data being received,

the information contained in the second data comprising at least a first identifier of a first compartment of the waste storage device and a second identifier of a second compartment of the waste storage device that is distinct from said first compartment,

the information contained in the second data comprising a first instruction identifying a first portion of the waste in association with the first identifier, and a second instruction identifying a second portion of the waste in association with the second identifier.

8. The server according to claim 7, wherein the processor unit of the server obtains location data indicative of the location of the waste storage device, and obtains the second data on the basis of said location data.

10. A waste sorting method implemented by a waste storage device according to claim 1, the method comprising:

acquiring at least one characteristic of waste that is to be stored in said waste storage device;

obtaining, from said at least one characteristic, first data identifying said waste;

sending the first data to a server that is remote from the waste storage device;

in response to said sending, receiving second data; and

supplying a user with sorting advice obtained from said second data, said sorting advice serving to identify at least one compartment of said waste storage device in which at least a portion of said waste should be stored,

the sorting advice comprising at least a first identifier of a first compartment among the at least two compartments of the waste storage device and a second identifier of a second compartment among the at least two compartments of the waste storage device that is distinct from said first compartment,

the sorting advice comprising a first instruction identifying a first portion of the waste in association with the first identifier, and a second instruction identifying a second portion of the waste in association with the second identifier.

12. A control method implemented by a server according to claim 7, the method comprising:

obtaining the second data from the first data received from the waste storage device that is situated remotely from said server, said first data identifying the waste for storing in the waste storage device, wherein said second data contains at least information enabling said waste storage device to identify at least one of its compartments in which at least a portion of said waste should be stored; and

in response to receiving said first data, sending the second data to the waste storage device.

13. A non-transitory computer readable medium that includes instructions that, when executed by a computer, perform the control method according to claim 12.

9. A waste sorting system comprising:

a waste storage device comprising;

at least two compartments suitable for storing waste;

an acquisition unit that acquires at least one characteristic of waste that is to be stored in said waste storage device;

a first processor unit that obtains first data identifying said waste from said at least one characteristic;

a first communications unit that sends the first data to a server that is remote from the waste storage device and that receives, in response to said sending, second data; and

an advice supply unit that delivers sorting advice to a user, the sorting advice being obtained from said second data, said sorting advice serving to identify at least one compartment of said at least two compartments in which at least a portion of said waste should be stored; and

a server comprising;

a second processor unit that obtains the second data from the first data received from the waste storage device, said first data identifying the waste for storing in the waste storage device, said second data containing at least one piece of information enabling the waste storage device to identify at least one of its compartments in which at least a portion of said waste should be stored; and

a second communications unit that sends the second data to the waste storage device in response to said first data being received,

the sorting advice comprising at least a first identifier of a first compartment among the at least two compartments of the waste storage device and a second identifier of a second compartment among the at least two compartments of the waste storage device that is distinct from said first compartment,

the sorting advice comprising a first instruction identifying a first portion of the waste in association with the first identifier, and a second instruction identifying a second portion of the waste in association with the second identifier.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including instructions, that when executed by a computer, perform a method comprising:

acquiring at least one characteristic of waste that is to be stored in a waste storage device;

obtaining, from said at least one characteristic, first data identifying said waste;

sending the first data to a server that is remote from the waste storage device;

in response to said sending, receiving second data; and

supplying a user with sorting advice obtained from said second data, said sorting advice serving to identify at least one compartment of said waste storage device in which at least a portion of said waste should be stored,

the sorting advice comprising at least a first identifier of a first compartment among the at least two compartments of the waste storage device and a second identifier of a second compartment among the at least two compartments of the waste storage device that is distinct from said first compartment,

the sorting advice comprising a first instruction identifying a first portion of the waste in association with the first identifier, and a second instruction identifying a second portion of the waste in association with the second identifier.