Dual sensing receptacles

• US 9,751,692 B2
• Filed: 03/05/2015
• Issued: 09/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Simplehuman LLC
• Original Assignee: Simplehuman LLC
• Inventors: Yang, Frank, Wolbert, David, Yen, Kenneth, Cohen, Guy, Bushroe, Frederick N., Anderson, Perry, Basha, Michael James, Fruhauf, Christopher B., Meyer, Azhar, Steiner, Bradley William, Tachibana, Brian Y., Dethman, Jesse
• Primary Examiner(s): Duda, Rina
• Application Number:
  US14/639,862
• Publication Number:
  US 20150259140A1
• Time in Patent Office: 915 Days
• Field of Search: 318 3, 318 9, 318 14, 318139, 318560
• 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 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 when the sensor assembly detects the object within the sensing region.

Claims

1. A trashcan assembly comprising:

a body portion configured to be positioned in an environment;

a lid portion pivotably coupled with the body portion;

a sensor assembly configured to create at least one sensing region during an automated calibration mode, wherein during the automated calibration mode the sensor assembly is configured to substantially continuously and automatically scan the sensing region to detect a change in at least a portion of the environment within the sensing region, the change comprising the detection of a stationary object in the sensing region that was previously not within the sensing region; and

an electronic processor comprising a software module, wherein during the automated calibration mode the electronic processor is configured to update a sensing threshold to inhibit unintended opening of the lid portion, and wherein during a non-calibration mode the electronic processor is configured to generate an electronic signal to a power-operated drive mechanism for moving the lid portion from a closed position to an open position when the sensor assembly detects a non-stationary object located within the portion of the environment,

wherein the software module provides one or more adaptable sensing conditions that can be modified based on the change in the portion of the environment.

2. The trashcan assembly of claim 1, wherein the stationary object comprises the underside of a table or desk and the non-stationary portion comprises a hand.

3. The trashcan assembly of claim 1, wherein the adaptable sensing condition is a normalized sensing threshold being normalized to the change in the portion of the environment.

4. The trashcan assembly of claim 3, wherein the electronic processor is configured to generate the electronic signal to the power-operated drive mechanism only when the detected object exceeds the normalized sensing threshold.

5. The trashcan assembly of claim 1, wherein the sensor assembly is configured to detect a present state and one or more past states of the portion of the environment.

6. The trashcan assembly of claim 5, wherein the electronic processor is configured to compute a stability threshold, based on the one or more past states of the environment, the stability threshold being determined based on proximity measurements in at least one of the sensing regions.

7. The trashcan assembly of claim 6, wherein the electronic processor is configured to determine whether the portion of the environment is stable, based at least in part on a comparison of the present state of the portion of the environment and the stability threshold.

8. A trashcan assembly of claim 7, wherein the electronic processor is configured to modify the adaptable sensing condition when the environment is stable, based on a comparison of the change in the portion of the environment and a calibrated value.

9. The trashcan assembly of claim 8, wherein the calibrated value is a predetermined value, such that the object detected within the sensing region causes the electronic processor to generate the electronic signal when the detection exceeds the calibrated value.

10. The trashcan assembly of claim 8, wherein the adaptable sensing condition is normalized to the changes in the portion of the environment when the change in the portion of the environment exceeds the calibrated value.

11. The trashcan assembly of claim 8, wherein the adaptable sensing condition is modified to the calibrated value when the calibrated value exceeds the change in the portion of the environment.

12. The trashcan assembly of claim 1, wherein:

the adaptable sensing condition comprises a sensing threshold of a receiver of the sensing assembly, the trashcan assembly being configured to open the lid portion in response to the receiver detecting a signal about the sensing threshold; and

in response to the detection of the stationary object in the sensing region that was previously not within the sensing region, the sensing threshold is reduced.

13. The trashcan assembly comprising:

a body portion being surrounded by an environment;

a lid portion pivotably coupled with the body portion;

a sensor assembly configured to create one or more sensing regions, wherein the sensor assembly is configured to detect changes in at least a portion of the environment within the one or more sensing regions,

a computer-readable memory storing executable instructions; and

one or more physical processors in communication with the computer-readable memory, wherein the one or more physical processors are programmed by the executable instructions to at least;

instruct the sensor assembly to perform a substantially continuous scan of the sensing regions to enable the trashcan assembly to substantially continuously and automatically monitor a present state of the portion of the environment located in each sensing region;

determine whether the portion of the environment of each sensing region is stable, the stability determination being based on a stability threshold for each sensing region, the stability threshold being determined based on proximity measurements in at least one of the sensing regions;

adjust a sensing threshold corresponding to at least one of the plurality of sensing regions, the adjustment being based on a calibrated value and an environmental measurement for the corresponding sensing region; and

send an electric signal to operate the lid portion of the trashcan assembly from a closed position to an open position when an object is detected within at least one sensing region, based in part on the detection of the object exceeding the adjusted sensing threshold.

14. The trashcan assembly of claim 13, wherein the determining the portion of the environment of each sensing region is stable further comprises instructions to:

retrieve a set of past measurements related to past states of the portion of the environment;

determine the stability threshold for each of the sensing region, based on the set of past measurement for each sensing region; and

compare the stability threshold and the measured present state of the portion of the environment for each sensing region, wherein the portion of the environment for each sensing region is stable when the present state of the portion of the environment is within the stability threshold.

15. The trashcan assembly of claim 13, wherein the stability threshold includes an average of the set of past measurements and a variation in the average of the set of past measurements.

16. The trashcan assembly of claim 13, wherein the instructions to adjust the sensing threshold of at least one of the plurality of sensing regions, further comprises instructions to compare the environmental measurement and a calibrated value.

17. The trashcan assembly of claim 16, wherein the environmental measurement is based on the average of the set of past measurements.

18. The trashcan assembly of claim 16, wherein the environmental measurement is based on the measured present state of the environment.

19. The trashcan assembly of claim 16, wherein the calibrated value is a predetermined value, such that the object detected within the sensing region causes the processor to send the electric signal.

20. A trashcan assembly of claim 16, wherein the instructions to adjust the sensing threshold of at least one of the plurality of sensing regions, further comprises instructions to set the sensing threshold to the calibrated value when the environmental measurement is less than the calibrated threshold.

21. The trashcan assembly of claim 16, wherein the instructions to adjust the sensing threshold of at least one of the plurality of sensing regions, further comprises instructions to set the sensing threshold to the environmental measurement when the environmental measurement is greater than the calibrated value.

22. The trashcan assembly of claim 16, wherein the instructions to adjust the sensing threshold of at least one of the plurality of sensing regions, further comprises instructions to set the sensing threshold to the environmental measurement plus a margin when the environmental measurement is greater than the calibrated value.