System and Method for Tagging Products for Use in Identification of the Components Therein
First Claim
1. A method of estimating a composition of a heterogeneous mix of products, comprising:
- receiving a heterogeneous mix of products including a plurality of types of products, each product containing a corresponding at least one material, wherein at least a plurality of the products each include a product tag associated with information about the product, the information including at least information describing the corresponding at least one material;
scanning the mix of products to detect the tags included with the plurality of products;
retrieving the information describing the corresponding at least one material of the products that include tags detected during the scanning of said mix; and
estimating a total quantity of a selected material present in the heterogeneous mix of products based on the retrieved information describing the corresponding at least one material of the products that include tags detected during the scanning of said mix.
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Abstract
The present invention provides a system and method for tagging complex products for use in the identification and, optionally, segregation of the components therein. In particular, the present invention provides techniques for identifying products included in a mixed waste stream based on its product type or on the materials of which the product is comprised. According to the system and method of the present invention, if the product type or its material of construction are designated for removal from the mixed waste stream, the product is segregated, thereby enabling exclusion of such products and materials from an optimum fuel created from the remaining items in the mixed waste stream.
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Citations
29 Claims
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1. A method of estimating a composition of a heterogeneous mix of products, comprising:
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receiving a heterogeneous mix of products including a plurality of types of products, each product containing a corresponding at least one material, wherein at least a plurality of the products each include a product tag associated with information about the product, the information including at least information describing the corresponding at least one material; scanning the mix of products to detect the tags included with the plurality of products; retrieving the information describing the corresponding at least one material of the products that include tags detected during the scanning of said mix; and estimating a total quantity of a selected material present in the heterogeneous mix of products based on the retrieved information describing the corresponding at least one material of the products that include tags detected during the scanning of said mix. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method of sorting a heterogeneous mix of products, comprising:
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receiving a heterogeneous mix of products, wherein at least a plurality of the products each include a product tag associated with information about the product, wherein the product tag includes a compound that emits light of a predetermined range of wavelengths when exposed to a light source; scanning the mix of products to detect the tags included with the plurality of products; and sorting at least a portion of the plurality of products based on at least one of the product tags and information associated with the tags. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method of tagging material for use in making products, comprising:
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receiving a heterogeneous mix of products, each product containing a corresponding at least one material; sorting at least a portion of the plurality of products into groups based on the corresponding at least one material contained in the products, each group having products that include a predetermined material; mixing a tagging agent with at least one of the groups of sorted products based on the predetermined material of the group so that the tagging agent distinguishes the material contained in the products of the at least one group from other materials. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A method of determining the composition of a product, comprising:
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receiving a product, wherein the product includes more than one component, each component having a component tag identifying the component; scanning the product to detect the component tags included in the product; retrieving information describing the components associated with the detected tags; and estimating the composition of the product based on the information describing the components associated with the detected tags. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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Specification