DUAL SENSING RECEPTACLES

• US 20150259140A1
• Filed: 03/05/2015
• Published: 09/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Simplehuman LLC
• Original Assignee: Simplehuman LLC
• Inventors: Yang, Frank, Yen, Kenneth, Cohen, Guy, Bushroe, Frederick N., Anderson, Perry, Fruhauf, Christopher B., Wolbert, David, Basha, Michael James, Meyer, Azhar, Steiner, Bradley William, Tachibana, Brian Y., Dethman, Jesse
• Granted Patent: US 9,751,692 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 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;

a lid portion pivotably coupled with the body portion;

a sensor assembly configured to generate a signal when an object is detected within a sensing region, the sensor assembly comprising 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 being different from a transmission axis of at least one transmitter in the second subset of transmitters; and

an electronic processor 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 the object within the sensing region.

2. The trashcan assembly of claim 1, wherein the sensor assembly comprises a single receiver.

3. The trashcan assembly of claim 1, wherein each transmitter in the first subset of transmitters has a transmission axis extending generally outward from a lateral surface of the sensor assembly, and wherein each transmitter in the second subset of transmitters has a transmission axis extending generally upward from an upper surface of the sensor assembly.

4. The trashcan assembly of claim 1, wherein the transmission axes of the first subset of transmitters are generally parallel.

5. The trashcan assembly of claim 1, wherein the first subset of transmitters includes a greater number of transmitters than the second subset of transmitters.

6. The trashcan assembly of claim 1, wherein the sensor assembly is coupled to a trim ring portion, the trim ring portion engaging an upper edge of the body portion.

7. The trashcan assembly of claim 6, wherein the sensor assembly comprises a lens covering having a front surface and an upper surface, the front surface of the lens covering being substantially flush with a front surface of the trim ring portion, the upper surface of the lens covering being substantially flush with an upper surface of the trim ring portion.

8. A trashcan assembly comprising:

a body portion;

a lid portion pivotably coupled with the body portion;

a sensor assembly configured to create a the sensing region having an upward-directed portion and an outward-directed portion extending in a direction different from the upward-directed portion, such that the sensor assembly is configured to detect an object within the sensing region that is positioned below a top surface of the lid portion and configured to detect an object that is above the top surface of the lid portion, behind the front surface of the trashcan assembly; and

an electronic processor 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 the object within the sensing region.

9. The trashcan assembly of claim 8, wherein a range of the upward-directed portion is substantially the same as a range of the outward-directed portion of the sensing region.

10. The trashcan assembly of claim 8, wherein the sensing region comprises a ready-mode region and a hyper-mode region extending beyond the ready-mode region, and wherein the sensor assembly is configured to detect the object within the hyper-mode region only after the object is detected within the ready-mode region.

11. The trashcan assembly of claim 10, wherein an upward-directed range of the ready-mode region is greater than an outward-directed range of the ready-mode region.

12. The trashcan assembly of claim 8, wherein a width of the sensing region extends across at least a majority of a width of the trashcan assembly.

13. The trashcan assembly of claim 8, wherein the sensing region forms a beam angle of at least about 60 degrees, the beam angle measured from an outer periphery of the sensing region to a central axis of the sensing region.

14. A method of manufacturing a trashcan assembly, the method comprising:

pivotably coupling a lid portion to a body portion;

configuring a sensor assembly to generate a signal when an object is detected within a sensing region, the sensor assembly comprising 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 being different from a transmission axis of at least one of transmitter in the second subset of transmitters; and

configuring an electronic processor 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 the object within the sensing region.

15. The trashcan assembly of claim 14, wherein the sensor assembly comprises a single receiver.

16. The trashcan assembly of claim 14, wherein each transmitter in the first subset of transmitters has a transmission axis extending generally outward from a lateral surface of the sensor assembly, and wherein each transmitter in the second subset of transmitters has a transmission axis extending generally upward from an upper surface of the sensor assembly.

17. The trashcan assembly of claim 14, wherein the transmission axes of the first subset of transmitters are generally parallel.

18. The trashcan assembly of claim 14, wherein the first subset of transmitters includes a greater number of transmitters than the second subset of transmitters.

19. The trashcan assembly of claim 14, further comprising:

coupling the sensor assembly to a trim ring portion; and

engaging the trim ring portion with an upper edge of the body portion.

20. 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, such that the sensor assembly is configured to detect a change in at least a portion of the environment within the sensing region; and

an electronic processor comprising aa software module 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 an 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 one or more changes in the portion of the environment.

21. The trashcan assembly of claim 20, wherein the one or more changes in the portion of the environment correspond to a change in at least one static element of the environment.

22. The trashcan assembly of claim 20, wherein the adaptable sensing condition is a normalized sensing threshold being normalized to the change in the portion of the environment.

23. The trashcan assembly of claim 22, 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.

24. The trashcan assembly of claim 20, wherein the sensor assembly is configured to detect a present state and one or more past states of the portion of the environment.

25. The trashcan assembly of claim 24, wherein the electronic processor is configured to compute a stability threshold, based on the one or more past states of the environment.

26. The trashcan assembly of claim 25, 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.

27. The trashcan assembly of claim 26, 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.

28. The trashcan assembly of claim 27, 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.

29. The trashcan assembly of claim 27, 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.

30. The trashcan assembly of claim 27, wherein the adaptable sensing condition is modified to the calibrated value when the calibrated value exceeds the change in the portion of the environment.

31. A 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, such that the sensor assembly is configured to detect changes in at least a portion of the environment within the sensing region,

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;

measure a present state of the portion of the environment located in each sensing region;

determine whether the portion of environment of each sensing region is stable, the determination being based on a stability threshold for each sensing region;

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.

32. The trashcan assembly of claim 31, 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.

33. The trashcan assembly of claim 32, 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.

34. The trashcan assembly of claim 31, 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.

35. The trashcan assembly of claim 34, wherein the environmental measurement is based on the average of the set of past measurements.

36. The trashcan assembly of claim 34, wherein the environmental measurement is based on the measured present state of the environment.

37. The trashcan assembly of claim 34, wherein the calibrated value is a predetermined value, such that the object detected within the sensing region causes the processor to send the electronic signal.

38. The trashcan assembly of claim 34, 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.

39. The trashcan assembly of claim 34, 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.

40. The trashcan assembly of claim 34, 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.