Systems for and methods of asset management in a waste management service environment

• US 7,511,611 B2
• Filed: 05/18/2006
• Issued: 03/31/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fleetmind Seon Solutions Inc.
• Original Assignee: Casella Waste Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Hewitt, Jessica, Sabino, Alan, Petrow, William
• Primary Examiner(s): Pope; Daryl C
• Application Number:
  US11/435,688
• Publication Number:
  US 20070268759A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,048 Days
• Field of Search: 340/500, 340/539.1, 340/539.13, 340/572.1, 340/825.36, 340/825.49
• US Class Current: 340/500
• CPC Class Codes: B65F 1/1484 relating to the adaptation of receptacles to carry identification means
• CPC Class Codes: B65F 2210/128 Data transmitting means
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal

Abstract

One embodiment of the present invention includes an identification mechanism, such as a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag or barcode, associated with a waste container. The identification mechanism contains an identifier that can be used to identify the waste container, and that can be read by a vehicle with an identification reader. In addition, the location of the waste container can be determined using a GPS receiver. The waste container identifier and its corresponding location can then be stored in a computer for later transmission to a second computer, for example, by using a wireless communication link. The second can be used to associate the waste container identifier and the waste container'"'"'s position with a customer.

Claims

1. A system for tracking and monitoring a plurality of waste containers in a waste collection environment, comprising:

an identification mechanism, associated with each waste container of the plurality of waste containers, the identification mechanism comprising a waste container identifier;

a vehicle comprising;

a reader for reading the identification mechanism associated with the waste container and determining the waste container identifier,

a global positioning device for determining position data associated with the waste container, the global positioning device determining the position data when the waste container is at least one of deployed and serviced, and

a first computer receiving, via wireless transmission, and storing the waste container identifier transmitted by the reader, and further receiving and storing the position data associated with the waste container; and

a second computer receiving from the first computer, via wireless transmission, and storing the waste container identifier and the position data, and associating the waste container identifier and the position data with a customer.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the identification mechanism comprises at least one of a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag and a barcode.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the second computer further receives, stores and associates with the waste container identifier at least one of a waste container purchase date, a street address at which the waste container is deployed, a name of the customer, an asset manufacturer, an asset model number, and an asset value.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein the computer records a time at which the waste container is emptied.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein the computer transmits to the second computer the time at which the waste container is emptied.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the second computer further receives, stores and associates with the waste container identifier at least one of a waste container purchase date, a street address at which the waste container is deployed, a customer name, an asset manufacturer, an asset model number, and an asset value.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the computer is configured to receive global positioning system (GPS) data, and the GPS data is stored as the position data.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein the second computer further receives, stores and associates with the waste container identifier at least one of a waste container purchase date, a street address at which the waste container is deployed, a customer name, an asset manufacturer, an asset model number, and an asset value.

9. A computer-implemented and user assisted method for tracking and monitoring a plurality of waste containers in a waste collection environment, comprising:

providing an identification mechanism, associated with each waste container of the plurality of waste containers, comprising a waste container identifier;

providing a vehicle comprising;

a reader for reading the identification mechanism associated with the waste container and determining the waste container identifier,

a global positioning device for determining position data associated with the waste container, the global positioning device determining the position data when the waste container is at least one of deployed and services, and

a first computer receiving and storing the waste container identifier from the reader, and further receiving and storing the position data associated with the waste container; and

receiving via wireless transmission and storing at a second computer, the waste container identifier and the position data transmitted to the second computer by the first computer.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the identification mechanism comprises at least one of a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag and a barcode.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising receiving, storing and associating at the second computer, the waste container identifier with at least one of a waste container purchase date, a street address at which the waste container is deployed, a name of the customer, an asset manufacturer, an asset model number, and an asset value.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

recording at the first computer a time at which the waste container is serviced; and

transmitting to the second computer the time at which the waste container is serviced.

13. A computer-implemented and user assisted method for deployment of a plurality of waste containers in a waste collection environment, comprising:

providing an identification mechanism, associated with each waste container of the plurality of waste containers, comprising a waste container identifier;

deploying at least one waste container of the plurality of waste containers at a predetermined location in the waste collection environment;

reading the identification mechanism associated with the deployed waste container and determining the deployed waste container identifier;

determining global positioning data of the location at which the waste container is deployed;

receiving and storing at a first computer the waste container identifier and the position data associated with the deployed waste container;

transmitting form the first computer to a second computer the waste container identifier and the position data associated with the deployed waste container; and

storing and associating at the second computer, the waste container identifier with at least one of a waste container purchase date, the global positioning data at which the waste container is deployed, a name of the customer, an asset manufacturer, an asset model number, and an asset value.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

recording at the first computer a time at which the waste container is serviced; and

transmitting to the second computer the time at which the waste container is deployed.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the first computer is an onboard computer on a vehicle.