System for Monitoring a Container

• US 20150199446A1
• Filed: 01/09/2015
• Published: 07/16/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Advanced Custom Engineered Systems & Equipment Co.
• Original Assignee: Advanced Custom Engineered Systems & Equipment Co.
• Inventors: Flood, Christopher M.
• Granted Patent: US 11,017,049 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B30B 9/3007 Control arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B30B 9/3042 Containers provided with, or connectable to, compactor means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9554 by using bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10297 arrangements for handling protocols designed for non-contact record carriers such as RFIDs NFCs, e.g. ISO/IEC 14443 and 18092 cryptographic protocols H04L9/00; network security protocols H04L63/00; real-time communication protocols in data switching networks H04L65/00; network protocols for data switching network services H04L67/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10316 using at least one antenna particularly designed for interrogating the wireless record carriers antennas in general H01Q1/22
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10415 the interrogation device being fixed in its position, such as an access control device for reading wireless access cards, or a wireless ATM banking machines in general G07F19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/84 Greenhouse gas [GHG] management systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 90/00 Enabling technologies or technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to greenhouse gas [GHG] emissions mitigation

Abstract

A container having a compactor and bin for waste is disclosed permitting on-premises and remote monitoring of the system and collection is disclosed. The system can also detect non-complaint materials placed therein and act thereon. Methods are further disclosed for inventorying identification tags for tracking packages, merchandise and tags disposed of.

Claims

1. A method for determining the weight of the product in a container comprising the steps of:

placing at least one tag on each package storing one or more items therein with each tag having identifying information thereon relating to the weight of the empty package;

providing a waste container for disposing of the packages after the items have been removed therefrom;

providing an antenna and reader for the waste container for reading the weight information on the tags placed in the waste container; and

,

collecting the weight information associated with the tags in the container.

2. The method of claim 1 further including the step of communicating the collected weight information to a system capable of inventorying the collected weight information and calculating the total weight of packages in the container.

3. The method of claim 2 further including the step of removing the container and using the information collected relating to the total weight of the packages in the container for obtaining carbon credits.

4. The method of claim 2 further including the step of using the information collected relating to the total weight to schedule removal of the container by a hauler.

5. The container of claim 1 wherein the tags are passive RFID tags and the antenna further activates the tags.

6. The container of claim 1 wherein the tags are EAS tags.

7. The container of claim 1 wherein the tags are different types of tags, such as RFID tags and EAS tags.

8. A method of analyzing the contents of a plurality of waste containers comprising the steps of:

providing a central station having a computer and a memory;

compiling a database in the memory including identifying information and corresponding locations of a plurality of waste receptacles wherein each waste receptacle is at a location remote from the central station;

providing an antenna and reader on each waste receptacle for reading RFID tags placed on items deposited in each of the plurality of waste receptacles wherein the RFID tags include a product identifier;

reading the RFID tags and updating the database with identity of items within each of the plurality of waste receptacles to establish an inventory of items within each receptacle; and

providing a software on the computer for generating reports associated with the contents of the plurality of waste receptacles based on the product identifiers read from the RFID tags.

9. The method of claim 8 further including the step of collecting weight information associated with the items in each waste receptacle using the product identifiers on the RFID tags.

10. The method of claim 9 further including the step of communicating the collected weight information to a system capable of inventorying the collected weight information and calculating the total weight of packages in each waste receptacle.

11. The method of claim 10 further including the step of removing each waste receptacle and using the information collected relating to the total weight of the items in each waste receptacle for obtaining carbon credits.

12. The method of claim 11 further including the step of using the information collected relating to the total weight to schedule removal or emptying of each waste receptacle by a hauler.

13. The container of claim 8 wherein the antenna further activates the RFID tags.