Dual sensing receptacles

• US 9,586,755 B1
• Filed: 09/16/2015
• Issued: 03/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Simplehuman LLC
• Original Assignee: Simplehuman LLC
• Inventors: Wilkins, Bryce, Yang, Frank, Wolbert, David, Cohen, Guy
• Primary Examiner(s): Leykin, Rita
• Application Number:
  US14/856,309
• Publication Number:
  US 20170073158A1
• Time in Patent Office: 538 Days
• Field of Search: 318/9, 318/4, 491/04, 493/81, 491/66, 493/71, 493/24, 49/1, 491/40, 340/545.1, 340/545.2
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B65F 1/04 with removable inserts
• CPC Class Codes: B65F 1/06 with flexible inserts, e.g. bags or sacks B65F1/0073 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65F 1/062 having means for storing or dispensing spare bags
• CPC Class Codes: B65F 1/1607 with filling openings
• CPC Class Codes: B65F 1/1638 Electromechanically operated lids
• CPC Class Codes: B65F 1/1646 provided with means for mounting on receptacles, e.g. hinges
• CPC Class Codes: B65F 2210/168 Sensing means
• CPC Class Codes: B65F 2210/181 Ventilating means, e.g. holes
• CPC Class Codes: B65F 2210/1815 for assisting the removal of a liner
• CPC Class Codes: B65F 2250/11 Metal
• CPC Class Codes: B65F 2250/111 Aluminum
• CPC Class Codes: B65F 2250/112 Steel
• CPC Class Codes: B65F 2250/114 Plastics
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/73 responsive to movement or presence of persons or objects
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making

Abstract

A trashcan assembly can include a body portion, a lid portion pivotably coupled with the body portion, and a sensor assembly configured to generate a signal when an object is detected within a sensing region. The sensor assembly can include a plurality of transmitters having a first subset of transmitters and a second subset of transmitters. A transmission axis of at least one transmitter in the first subset of transmitters can be different from a transmission axis of at least one of the transmitters in the second subset of transmitters. An electronic processor can generate an electronic signal to a power-operated drive mechanism for moving the lid portion from a closed position to an open position, such as in response to the sensor assembly detecting the object.

Claims

1. A trashcan assembly comprising:

a body portion;

a lid portion pivotably coupled with the body portion;

a sensor assembly coupled to the body portion, the sensor assembly comprising a controller, a first transmitter, a second transmitter, and a receiver, wherein a transmission axis of the first transmitter is generally perpendicular to a transmission axis of the second transmitter, and wherein the controller comprises one or more hardware processors and is configured to;

instruct the first transmitter to emit a first signal;

receive, from the receiver, a first indication that an object is detected in a first region;

instruct the second transmitter to begin emitting a second signal in response to receiving the first indication; and

transmit an instruction to a power-operated drive mechanism in response to receiving the first indication, wherein the instruction causes the power-operated drive mechanism to move the lid portion from a closed position to an open position.

2. The trashcan assembly of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to:

receive a second indication from the receiver, the second indication indicating that the object or another object is detected in the first region or the second region;

transmit another instruction to the power-operated drive mechanism in response to the second indication not being received after a predetermined period, wherein the another instruction causes the power-operated drive mechanism to move the lid portion from the open position to the closed position; and

instruct, in response to the second indication not being received after the predetermined period, the second transmitter to stop emitting the second signal.

3. The trashcan assembly of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to instruct the second transmitter not to emit any signals before the first indication is received.

4. The trashcan assembly of claim 1, wherein the first transmitter has a transmission axis extending generally vertically and wherein the second transmitter has a transmission axis extending generally horizontally.

5. The trashcan assembly of claim 4, wherein the first region is a region that extends generally vertically from the upper surface of the sensor assembly.

6. The trashcan assembly of claim 5, wherein the second region is a region that extends generally horizontally from the lateral surface of the sensor assembly.

7. The trashcan assembly of claim 1, wherein the receiver is configured to transmit the first indication in response to reception of a reflection of the first signal.

8. The trashcan assembly of claim 1, wherein:

in a first state, the first region comprises a ready-mode region; and

in a second state, the first region comprises a hyper-mode region extending beyond the ready-mode region;

the receiver being configured to transmit the first indication in response to detection of the object in the ready-mode region.

9. The trashcan assembly of claim 1, wherein the second region forms a beam angle of at least about 60 degrees, wherein the beam angle is measured from an outer periphery of the second region to a central axis of the second region.

10. The trashcan assembly of claim 1, wherein the sensor assembly further comprises a third transmitter and a fourth transmitter, and wherein the controller is further configured to, in response to receiving the first indication, instruct the second transmitter to emit the second signal, instruct the third transmitter to emit a third signal, and instruct the fourth transmitter to emit a fourth signal.

11. A computer-implemented method for determining a position of a lid portion of a trashcan assembly, the method comprising:

generating a first command that instructs a first transmitter of a sensor assembly to emit a first signal, wherein the trashcan assembly comprises the sensor assembly;

receiving, from a receiver of the sensor assembly, a first indication that an object is detected in a first region;

generating a second command that instructs a second transmitter of the sensor assembly to emit a second signal in response to receiving the first indication, wherein a transmission axis of the first transmitter being generally vertical and the transmission axis of the second transmitter being generally horizontal; and

generating a third command that instructs a power-operated drive mechanism in response to receiving the first indication, wherein the third command causes the power-operated drive mechanism to move the lid portion from a closed position to an open position;

said method performed under control of program instructions executed by one or more computing devices.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving a second indication from the receiver, the second indication whether the object or another object is detected in the first region or the second region; and

generating, in response to the second indication indicating that the object or another object is detected in the first region or the second region, a fourth command that instructs the power-operated drive mechanism to move the lid portion from the open position to the closed position.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, further comprising:

generating, in response to the second indication indicating that the object or another object is detected in the first region or the second region, a fifth command that instructs second transmitter to stop emitting the second signal.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, further comprising instructing the second transmitter not to emit any signals before the first indication is received.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the first region is a region that extends generally upward from the upper surface of the sensor assembly.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the second region is a region that extends generally outward from the lateral surface of the sensor assembly.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the first region comprises a ready-mode region and a hyper-mode region extending beyond the ready-mode region, and wherein receiving a first indication comprises receiving the first indication in response to detection of the object in the ready-mode region.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the second region forms a beam angle of at least about 60 degrees, wherein the beam angle is measured from an outer periphery of the second region to a central axis of the second region.

19. A trashcan assembly comprising:

a body comprising a top end, bottom end, sidewall, and internal cavity;

a lid unit coupled with the top end of the body, the lid unit comprising a lid and a motor, the motor configured to move the lid between an open position and a closed position;

a sensor assembly comprising;

a first sensor configured to emit first signals generally vertically to produce a first sensing region;

a second sensor configured to emit second signals generally horizontally to produce a second sensing region;

a receiver configured to receive one or more reflected signals, the reflected signals comprising the first or second signals reflected off an object in the first or second sensing regions; and

a lens cover positioned over the first sensor, second sensor, and receiver;

a controller operably connected with the sensor assembly and the motor;

the trashcan assembly being configured such that, in response to the receiver receiving one or more reflected signals, the trashcan assembly moves the lid from the closed position to the open position and begins emitting the second signals from the second sensor; and

the trashcan assembly being further configured to detect the presence of contaminants on the lens covering.

20. The trashcan assembly of claim 19, wherein the trashcan assembly is configured to detect the presence of contaminants on the lens covering by determining whether a proximity measurement to a detected object is less than a threshold distance.

21. The trashcan assembly of claim 20, wherein the threshold distance is less than about 0.5 inches.