Waste identification systems and methods

• US 9,639,535 B1
• Filed: 04/06/2016
• Issued: 05/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2015
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Waste Repurposing International, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Waste Repurposing International, Inc.
• Inventors: Ripley, Christopher Barnard
• Primary Examiner(s): Randazzo, Thomas
• Application Number:
  US15/092,598
• Time in Patent Office: 391 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 2501/0054 Sorting of waste or refuse
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 5/00 Sorting according to a characteristic or feature of the articles or material being sorted, e.g. by control effected by devices which detect or measure such characteristic or feature; Sorting by manually actuated devices, e.g. switches sorting by hand only B07C7/00; separating solids from solids by sieving, screening, or sifting or by using gas currents or other separating by dry methods applicable to bulk material B07B
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 5/34 Sorting according to other particular properties material testing per se G01N; quality control G07C3/14
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 5/342 according to optical properties, e.g. colour according to radiation transmittivity B07C5/3416
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/434 using image data, e.g. images, photos, pictures taken by a user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/50 of still image data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/583 using metadata automatically derived from the content
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/5854 using shape and object relationship
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/40 Data acquisition and logging for input to computer G06F3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/2413 based on distances to training or reference patterns

Abstract

In certain embodiments, a system may include an interface configured to couple to a network, at least one optical sensor configured to capture optical data associated with packaging of a waste product, and a processor coupled to the interface and to the at least one optical sensor. The processor may be configured to search at least one data source to automatically identify the waste product based on the optical data and, when the waste product is not automatically identified based on its packaging, send an alert including the optical data to a social media website through the network to solicit identifying information from one or more subscribers.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

an interface configured to couple to a network;

at least one optical sensor configured to capture optical data associated with packaging of a waste product; and

a processor coupled to the interface and to the at least one optical sensor, the processor configured to;

search at least one data source to automatically identify the waste product based on the optical data; and

when the waste product is not automatically identified based on its packaging, send an alert including the optical data to a social media website through the network to solicit identifying information from one or more sub scribers.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to automatically send the alert.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to:

provide an interface including the optical data and one or more user-selectable options to a computing device associated with an operator;

receive a selection corresponding to one or more of the user-selectable options from the computing device; and

send the alert in response to receiving the selection.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the alert further includes one or more user-selectable options accessible by a user to provide data corresponding to the waste product.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive potentially identifying information corresponding to the waste product; and

provide an alert to a computing device associated with an operator to verify if the potentially identifying information matches the waste product.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive verified identifying information corresponding to the waste product; and

update a database to include identifying information for the waste product.

7. A system comprising:

an interface configured to couple to a network; and

a processor coupled to the interface and configured to;

provide an interface to a first computing device through the network, the interface including data corresponding to an unidentified waste product and including one or more selectable elements accessible to provide information to identify the unidentified waste product;

receive input corresponding to the unidentified waste product from an operator via the interface;

apply a time stamp to the input; and

send an alert including data corresponding to the input to a second computing device through the network.

8. The system of claim 7, further comprising storing data corresponding to the input in a memory.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein, before sending the alert, the processor is configured to:

automatically compare data associated with the input to data corresponding to the unidentified waste product to determine a number of corresponding elements; and

send the alert when the number of corresponding elements exceeds a predetermined threshold.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive a validation of the data associated with the input from the second computing device;

update the data corresponding to the unidentified waste product to indicate identification in response to receiving the validation; and

send data including the data associated with the input to a household hazardous waste (HHW) product identification system.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to update a user account associated with the operator associated with the input to credit the user account.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive a rejection of the data associated with the input from the second computing device;

update a user account corresponding to the operator in response to receiving the rejection.

13. The system of claim 7, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive the data corresponding to the unidentified waste product from a household hazardous waste (HHW) product identification system; and

store the data in a database configured to store information including images of a plurality of unidentified waste products.

14. The system of claim 7, wherein the processor is further configured to:

provide a login interface to the computing device;

receive login data corresponding to a user account in response to the login interface;

authenticate the login data against user account data; and

when the login data is authenticated, provide the interface including the data corresponding to the unidentified waste product.

15. A computer-readable data storage device storing instructions that, when executed, cause a processor to:

provide an interface to a first computing device through the network, the interface including data corresponding to an unidentified waste product and including one or more selectable elements accessible to provide information to identify the unidentified waste product;

receive input corresponding to the unidentified waste product in response to the interface;

apply a time stamp to the input; and

send an alert including data corresponding to the input to a second computing device through the network.

16. The computer-readable data storage device of claim 15, further including instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to:

automatically compare data associated with the input to data corresponding to the unidentified waste product to determine a number of corresponding elements; and

send the alert when the number of corresponding elements exceeds a predetermined threshold.

17. The computer-readable data storage device of claim 16, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive a validation of the data associated with the input from the second computing device;

update the data corresponding to the unidentified waste product to indicate identification in response to receiving the validation; and

send data including the data associated with the input to a household hazardous waste (HHW) product identification system.

18. The computer-readable data storage device of claim 17, wherein the processor is further configured to update a user account associated with the operator associated with the input to credit the user account.

19. The computer-readable data storage device of claim 17, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive a rejection of the data associated with the input from the second computing device;

update a user account corresponding to the operator in response to receiving the rejection.

20. The computer-readable data storage device of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive the data corresponding to the unidentified waste product from a household hazardous waste (HHW) product identification system; and

store the data in a database configured to store information including images of a plurality of unidentified waste products.