Systems and methods for identifying and collecting banned waste

• US 7,994,909 B2
• Filed: 03/10/2009
• Issued: 08/09/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Casella Waste Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Casella Waste Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Kintzer, John A., Maruca, Dominic, Cronin, Nancy Edwards, Leone, Gerald A.
• Primary Examiner(s): TRIEU, VAN THANH
• Application Number:
  US12/401,468
• Publication Number:
  US 20090169348A1
• Time in Patent Office: 882 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572.1, 340/572.4, 340/572.8, 340/568.1, 340/539.1, 340/539.11, 340/539.13, 340/539.12, 235/384, 235/385, 235/492, 701/1, 177/136, 177/139
• US Class Current: 340/539.1
• 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: B65F 3/00 Vehicles particularly adapted for collecting refuse vehicles in general B60; driving vehicle equipment or auxiliaries B60K; discharging contents by tilting entire vehicles B65G; wheeled apparatus for emptying sewers or cesspools E03F7/10
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0637 Strategic management or analysis, e.g. setting a goal or target of an organisation; Planning actions based on goals; Analysis or evaluation of effectiveness of goals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management

Abstract

Systems and methods for authorizing a waste item to be removed from a site. In one embodiment, a waste collection vehicle includes a reader configured to obtain identification information from an identification tag associated with the waste item. A transceiver associated with the vehicle is configured to: receive the identification information from the reader, wirelessly transmit the identification information to a remote computer for processing, and wirelessly receive an indication of whether the waste item should be collected and removed by the waste collection. The received indication is based on at least one hazardous characteristic associated with the identified waste item, a determination that the waste collection vehicle is authorized to collect the waste item having the at least one hazardous characteristic, and a determination that a driver of the waste collection vehicle is authorized to collect the waste item having the at least one hazardous characteristic.

Claims

1. A system for authorizing a waste item to be removed from a site, comprising:

a waste collection vehicle comprising a reader configured to obtain identification information from an identification tag associated with the waste item; and

a transceiver associated with the waste collection vehicle, configured to;

receive the identification information from the reader;

wirelessly transmit the identification information to a remote computer for processing;

wirelessly receive an indication of whether the waste item should be collected and removed by the waste collection vehicle based on at least one hazardous characteristic associated with the identified waste item;

wirelessly receive position coordinates of the waste collection vehicle; and

wirelessly receive an indication of whether the position coordinates are associated with a customer in good standing, who has authorized removal of the identified waste item.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the identification tag is a radio frequency identification tag.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the transceiver transmits the position coordinates to the remote computer, and receives an indication of whether the position coordinates are associated with a customer in good standing.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein the remote computer utilizes at least one data repository to determine i) the at least one hazardous characteristic associated with the identified waste item, ii) that the waste collection vehicle is authorized to collect the waste item having the at least one hazardous characteristic, and iii) that driver of the collection vehicle is authorized to collect the waste item having the at least one hazardous characteristic.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the collection vehicle further comprises a camera to record an image of the waste item.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one hazardous characteristic is a digital identification number.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the digital identification number is indicative of at least one of ignitability, corrosivity, reactivity, or toxicity.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the digital identification number is set according to at least one of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act or the Environmental Protection Agency standards.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the basis of whether the waste item should be collected and removed by the waste collection vehicle further comprises a determination that the waste collection vehicle is authorized to collect the waste item having the at least one hazardous characteristic, and a determination that a driver of the waste collection vehicle is authorized to collect the waste item having the at least one hazardous characteristic.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein the transceiver wirelessly receives an indication of all items that customer has authorized to be removed from the site.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein the transceiver is configured to transmit an alert when the waste collection vehicle removes a material that customer has not authorized to be removed from the site.

12. A method for authorizing a collection vehicle to remove waste item from a site, comprising:

reading identification information from an identification tag associated with the waste item;

wirelessly transmitting the identification information from the collection vehicle to a remote computer for processing;

receiving wirelessly at the collection vehicle an indication of whether the waste item should be collected and removed by the collection vehicle based on at least one hazardous characteristic associated with the identified waste item;

receiving wirelessly at the collection vehicle an indication of position coordinates of the waste collection vehicle; and

receiving wirelessly at the collection vehicle an indication of whether the position coordinates are associated with a customer in good standing who has authorized removal of the waste item.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the identification tag is a radio frequency identification tag.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the received indication is further based on a location at which the collection vehicle will deposit the waste item.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein a data repository is utilized to determine the at least one hazardous characteristic associated with the identified waste item.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the basis of whether the waste item should be collected and removed by the waste collection vehicle further comprises a determination that the waste collection vehicle is authorized to collect the waste item having the at least one hazardous characteristic, and a determination that a driver of the waste collection vehicle is authorized to collect the waste item having the at least one hazardous characteristic.

17. A waste collection vehicle, comprising:

a reader configured to obtain identification information from an identification tag associated with a waste item;

at least one data repository that utilizes the identification information to determine whether the waste item should be collected and removed by the waste collection vehicle based on;

at least one hazardous characteristic associated with the identified waste item;

a transceiver that receives position coordinates of the waste collection vehicle; and

wherein the transceiver receives and indication of whether the position coordinates are associated with a customer in good standing who has authorized removal of the waste item.

18. The waste collection vehicle according to claim 17, wherein the identification tag is a radio frequency identification tag.

19. The waste collection vehicle according to claim 17, wherein the determination is further based on utilizing the at least one data repository to determine a location at which the waste collection vehicle will deposit the waste item.

20. The waste collection vehicle according to claim 19, wherein the data repository utilizes the position coordinates to indicate whether a customer associated with the position coordinates is in good standing.

21. The waste collection vehicle according to claim 17, wherein the collection vehicle further comprises a camera to record an image of the waste item.

22. The waste collection vehicle of claim 17, wherein the basis of whether the waste item should be collected and removed by the waste collection vehicle further comprises a determination that the waste collection vehicle is authorized to collect the waste item having the at least one hazardous characteristic, and a determination that a driver of the waste collection vehicle is authorized to collect the waste item having the at least one hazardous characteristic.