Method and system for disposing of discarded items

• US 20060261165A1
• Filed: 07/28/2006
• Published: 11/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Freshub Ltd. (IKAN Holdings LLC)
• Original Assignee: Fabio Zsigmond, Frederico Wagner, Geraldo Luiz Yoshizawa
• Inventors: Zsigmond, Fabio, Wagner, Frederico, Yoshizawa, Geraldo Luiz
• Granted Patent: US 7,303,124 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/385
• 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 1/06 with flexible inserts, e.g. bags or sacks B65F1/0073 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65F 1/1638 Electromechanically operated lids
• CPC Class Codes: B65F 2001/008 Means for automatically selecting the receptacle in which refuse should be placed
• CPC Class Codes: B65F 2210/1125 Colors
• CPC Class Codes: B65F 2210/128 Data transmitting means
• CPC Class Codes: B65F 2210/138 Identification means
• CPC Class Codes: B65F 2210/164 Printers
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 30/10 Waste collection, transportation, transfer or storage, e.g. segregated refuse collecting, electric or hybrid propulsion

Abstract

An electronic trash disposal unit comprises a control unit which scans and identifies disposed items to store them in an appropriate recycling bin. The unit is connectable to a communication network which updates a central database with the contents of each unit. The unit initiates a reorder instruction to suppliers.

Claims

1. A processing unit comprising:

a central processing unit (CPU);

at least one user input device coupled to the CPU;

a display coupled to the CPU;

at least one button positioned beneath the display;

a scanning device; and

program software stored in memory configured to;

read information scanned from an item by the scanning device;

access a price for a replacement for the item;

display the price on the display;

display an order history on the display.

2. The processing unit as defined in claim 1, further comprising an identification database, wherein information that corresponds to items is accessed over a network from the identification database using information scanned by the scanning device as a locator.

3. The processing unit as defined in claim 1, wherein the program software is further configured to display on the display identification information retrieved from a remote identification database accessed via a network.

4. The processing unit as defined in claim 1, wherein the program software is further configured to display on the display an order history.

5. The processing unit as defined in claim 1, wherein the program software is further configured to cause an advertisement to be displayed via the display.

6. The processing unit as defined in claim 1, wherein the scanning device includes a user interface via which the user can manually initiate a scan.

7. The processing unit as defined in claim 1, further comprising a user configurable button.

8. The processing unit as defined in claim 1, wherein the scanner device is a bar code scanner.

9. The processing unit as defined in claim 1, further comprising a speech output device.

10. The processing unit as defined in claim 1, further comprising an interface via which content can be transferred from the processing unit to another user device.

11. The processing unit as defined in claim 1, further comprising an interface to the Internet.

12. The processing unit as defined in claim 1, further comprising a wireless interface.

13. The processing unit as defined in claim 1, further comprising an antenna.

14. The processing unit as defined in claim 1, further comprising an interface to a cable network or a DSL network.

15. The processing unit as defined in claim 1, further comprising a discard item bin.

16. The processing unit as defined in claim 1, further comprising a voice recognition input.

17. The processing unit as defined in claim 1, further comprising a user interface via which the user can manually enter an item code.

18. A system, comprising:

a computer;

a scanner;

a database configured to store a user specified preference related to delivery timing and a user specified preference related to a supplier, the database accessible by the computer; and

program software stored in memory configured to;

receive input from the at least one user operable input device, wherein the received input includes an instruction to reorder an item scanned by the scanner;

read a user specified supplier preference from the database;

generate an order that corresponds to at least one scanned item, wherein the order is provided to a first supplier in accordance with the user specified supplier preference.

19. The system as defined in claim 18, further comprising an identification database, wherein information corresponding to at least one item scanned using the scanner is locatable in the identification database using information scanned from the at least one item.

20. The system as defined in claim 18, further comprising a bypass input which, when activated, causes the ordering of at least one item to be inhibited.

21. The system as defined in claim 18, wherein the database is further configured to store a user preference that indicates that an order is to be placed based on a value of the order.

22. The system as defined in claim 18, wherein the database is further configured to store a user preference that indicates that an order is to be placed based on a reorder period.

23. The system as defined in claim 18, wherein the program software is further configured to take a first action based on a total value of an order.

24. The system as defined in claim 18, wherein the program software is further configured to display an order history.

25. A system comprising:

a computer;

a scanner;

memory that stores user specified preferences accessible by the computer;

an interface to an identification database; and

a display accessible by the computer;

program software stored in memory configured to;

accessing scanned item information for an item;

search for information on the item using scanned item information;

if the searched for information is not located, accept a manually input code that corresponds to the item;

if the searched for information is located, display via the display at least a portion of the information,

wherein the portion of the information includes an item title and price.

26. The system as defined in claim 25, wherein the item information is accessed over a network.

27. The system as defined in claim 25, wherein the item information is accessed locally.

28. The system as defined in claim 25, wherein the program software is further configured to cause an advertisement to be displayed.

29. The system as defined in claim 25, wherein the program software is further configured to take a first action based on a total value of an order.

30. The system as defined in claim 25, wherein the program software is further configured to display an order history.

31. The system as defined in claim 25, wherein the scanning device includes a user interface via which the user can manually initiate a scan.

32. The system as defined in claim 25, wherein the scanner device is a bar code scanner.

33. The system as defined in claim 25, further comprising a speech output device.

34. The system as defined in claim 25, further comprising an interface to the Internet.

35. The system as defined in claim 25, further comprising a wireless interface.

36. A system, comprising:

an input device operatively configured to scan information from an item;

a computer coupled to the input device;

a display device; and

program software stored in memory configured to;

receive a code that corresponds to the scanned item from the input device;

retrieve information from a database that identifies the scanned item based at least in part on the code;

display the information retrieved from the database on the display device;

read user specified preference information on when a re-order is to be placed;

generate a re-order instruction for the scanned item at least partly in response to the user specified preference information.

37. The system as defined in claim 36, further comprising a waste receptacle.

38. The system as defined in claim 36, further comprising a coded liner corresponding to a type of recyclable.

39. The system as defined in claim 36, wherein the input device is configured to read a magnetically encoded label.

40. The system as defined in claim 36, wherein the input device is a barcode scanner.

41. The system as defined in claim 36, further comprising an interface that can be coupled to a personal digital assistant, wherein the system is configured to transfer via the interface information to a personal digital assistant.

42. The system as defined in claim 36, further comprising a wireless communication link coupled to an antenna and used to communicate with a communications network.

43. The system as defined in claim 36, wherein the user specified preference information specifies that a reorder is to be placed when the value of the reorder reaches at least a first amount.

44. The system as defined in claim 36, wherein the user specified preference information specifies that a reorder is to be placed at specified time intervals.

45. The system as defined in claim 36, wherein the user specified preference information specifies a supplier preference.