Networked disposal and sample provisioning apparatus

• US 7,344,063 B2
• Filed: 07/21/2006
• Issued: 03/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Freshub Ltd. (IKAN Holdings LLC)
• Original Assignee: Ikan Technologies Inc.
• Inventors: Zsigmond, Fabio, Wagner, Frederico, Yoshikawa, Geraldo Luiz
• Primary Examiner(s): PAIK, STEVEN SANGYUL
• Application Number:
  US11/490,618
• Publication Number:
  US 20060255137A1
• Time in Patent Office: 606 Days
• Field of Search: 235/375, 235/383, 235/462.01, 235/462.14, 235/376, 235/451, 235/385
• US Class Current: 235/375
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 7/005 Computer assisted manual sorting, e.g. for mail
• CPC Class Codes: B65F 1/004 the receptacles being divided in compartments by partitions
• CPC Class Codes: B65F 1/06 with flexible inserts, e.g. bags or sacks B65F1/0073 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65F 1/1638 Electromechanically operated lids
• CPC Class Codes: B65F 2001/008 Means for automatically selecting the receptacle in which refuse should be placed
• CPC Class Codes: B65F 2210/1125 Colors
• CPC Class Codes: B65F 2210/128 Data transmitting means
• CPC Class Codes: B65F 2210/164 Printers
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 30/10 Waste collection, transportation, transfer or storage, e.g. segregated refuse collecting, electric or hybrid propulsion

Abstract

A waste disposal system comprises a waste disposal unit, including a processor, a scanner, a network interface coupled to a network, and a remote processing system coupled to the waste disposal unit via the network. The remote processing system includes a database storing user sample preferences, wherein the sample preferences are used to select samples to be provided to the user, and instructions configured to receive scanned information from the waste disposal unit for a first item, determine from the received scanned information that the first item is a sample, receive an indication via the waste disposal unit whether the user wants to order a replacement for the sample, locate replacement options for the sample, transmit the replacement options to the waste disposal unit, and receive from the waste disposal unit an option selection by the user.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a scanner system configured to scan a code from an item, the scanner system associated with a user; and

a remote processing system configured to be coupled to the scanner system via a network, the remote processing system including;

program code stored in computer readable memory, the program code configured to;

receive scanned information from the scanner system for at least a first item;

determine if the first item is a sample from the received scanned information;

if the first item is a sample, receive an indication as to whether the user wants to order a replacement for the sample, wherein the replacement is not a sample.

2. The system as defined in claim 1, further comprising a waste receptacle coupled to the scanner system.

3. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the scanner system further comprises a display and a plurality of user interface keys.

4. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the scanner system further comprises a presence detection circuit that activates the scanner in response to detecting the presence of an object.

5. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the scanner system includes a barcode scanner.

6. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the scanner system includes a radio frequency scanner.

7. The system as defined in claim 1, further comprising a database that stores a sample preference specified by the user.

8. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the first item was provided without cost to the user.

9. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the program code is further configured to:

locate replacement options for the first item;

inform the user of the replacement options;

process a replacement option selection from the user.

10. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the program code is further configured to receive an indication as to why the user does not want to order a replacement for the first item.

11. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the program code is further configured to provide the user with selectable reasons for not ordering a replacement for at least one sample.

12. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the program code is further configured to:

to receive a reason for not ordering a replacement for at least one sample; and

provide the reason to at least one of a manufacturer, retailer, distributor, marketing entity, or an advertiser.

13. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the program code is further configured to cause a non-sample replacement for the first item to be delivered to the user in response to a user instruction.

14. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the scanner system further comprises a detachable display and user input apparatus.

15. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the scanner system is configured to request a user password before performing a first scan.

16. A method of processing sample information, comprising:

receiving information scanned from a first item by a user;

determining whether the first item is a sample from the received scanned information; and

at least partly in response to determining the first item is a sample, requesting an indication from the user as to whether the user wants to order a replacement for the first item, wherein the replacement is not a sample.

17. The method as defined in claim 16, wherein the user scanned the first item using a barcode or and RFID scanner.

18. The method as defined in claim 16, wherein the user scanned the first item using a barcode or and RFID scanner coupled to a waste disposal system.

19. The method as defined in claim 16, the method further comprising:

requesting the user to provide at least one sample-related preference; and

storing at least one sample-related preference received from the user in a database.

20. The method as defined in claim 16, wherein the first item was provided without cost to the user.

21. The method as defined in claim 16, the method further comprising:

identifying replacement options for the first item;

informing the user of the replacement options;

receiving a replacement option selection from the user.

22. The method as defined in claim 16, the method further comprising storing an indication as to why the user does not want to order a replacement for the first item.

23. The method as defined in claim 16, the method further comprising providing the user with selectable reasons for not ordering a replacement for at least one sample.

24. The method as defined in claim 16, the method further comprising:

receiving from the user a reason for not ordering a replacement for at least one sample; and

providing the reason to at least one of a manufacturer, retailer, distributor, marketing entity, or an advertiser.

25. The method as defined in claim 16, the method further comprising causing a non-sample replacement for the first item to be delivered to the user in response to a user instruction.

26. A method of selectively providing samples, comprising:

receiving over a network a user specified sample preference;

storing the sample preference in a database;

receiving information providing an indication regarding user consumption of a first item;

causing, at least in part, a first sample to be delivered to the user based at least in part on the sample preference and the user consumption information;

receiving over the network information scanned by the user from the first sample; and

providing a user interface via which a regular version of the first sample can be ordered by the user.

27. The method as defined in claim 26, wherein the indication regarding user consumption of the first item is related to barcode or RFID information scanned from the first item.

28. The method as defined in claim 26, wherein the indication regarding user consumption of the first item is provided by a networked waste system.

29. The method as defined in claim 26, the method further comprising receiving an indication from the user that the user does not want to order a regular version of the first sample;

and

causing a communication to be provided to the user, wherein the communication requests the user to provide a reason for not wanting to order a regular version of the first sample.

30. The method as defined in claim 26, the method further comprising at least partly causing selectable reasons for not ordering a non-sample version for the first sample to be presented to the user via the waste disposal unit.

31. The method as defined in claim 26, the method further comprising:

receiving a reason for not ordering a non-sample version for the first sample; and

providing the reason to at least one of a manufacturer, a retailer, a distributor, a marketing entity, or an advertiser.

32. The method as defined in claim 26, further comprising offering the user selectable reasons for not ordering the regular version of the first sample.

33. The method as defined in claim 26, further comprising offering the user selectable reasons for not ordering the regular version of the first sample, wherein the user selectable reasons include at least one of the following:

the user does not use first sample item-type products;

the user used the first sample but did not like it;

the user used, but prefers another brand.

34. The method as defined in claim 26, further comprising:

receiving over the network coupon information from the user; and

causing an item corresponding to the coupon to be delivered to the user.

35. The method as defined in claim 26, the method further comprising at least partly causing a non-sample replacement for the first sample to be delivered to the user.

36. A method of selectively providing samples, comprising:

receiving a user specified sample preference from a first user over a network;

storing the sample preference in computer readable memory;

at least partly causing a first sample that satisfies the user specified sample preference to be delivered to the user; and

receiving over the network an indication that the user has used the first sample.

37. The method as defined in claim 36, wherein the indication that the user has used the first sample is provided by a waste disposal system.

38. The method as defined in claim 36, further comprising receiving information scanned from the first sample by the user using a scanner coupled to a waste disposal unit.

39. The method as defined in claim 36, further comprising causing, at least in part, the first sample to be delivered to the user at least partly in response to receiving information scanned from a first item by the user.

40. The method as defined in claim 36, further comprising causing a communication to be presented to the user regarding whether the user wants to order a non-sample version of the first sample.

41. The method as defined in claim 36, further comprising:

receiving an indication that at least a packaging portion of the first sample has been deposited in a disposal system;

causing a communication to be presented to the user regarding whether the user wants to order a non-sample version of the first sample; and

receiving a response to the communication.

42. The method as defined in claim 36, further comprising:

causing a communication to be presented to the user regarding whether the user wants to order a non-sample version of the first sample;

causing at least one query to be presented to the user in order to determine at least one of a size or a quantity of the non-sample version that the user wants.

43. The method as defined in claim 36, further comprising:

receiving demographic information and a sample preference associated with a second user; and

causing a sample that corresponds to the second user sample preference and demographics to be delivered to the second user.

44. The method as defined in claim 36, further comprising determining at least one of a percent or a number of users that ordered a non-sample version of the first sample after receiving a sample of the product.

45. The method as defined in claim 36, further comprising determining at least one of a percent or a number of users that disposed of the first sample and did not order a non-sample version.

46. The method as defined in claim 36, further comprising providing an indication as to a number of users that ordered a non-sample version of the first sample after receiving the first sample.

47. A method of selectively providing samples, comprising:

receiving a user specified sample preference from a first user over a network;

storing the sample preference in a database;

causing a first sample that corresponds to the user specified sample preference to be delivered to the first user;

causing a query to be presented to the first user in order to determine if the first user wants to order a non-sample version of the first sample;

receiving a negative response to the query;

causing a query to be presented to the first user in order to determine why first the user did not want to order a non-sample version of the first sample;

receiving a response from the first user including at least a first reason from the first user indicating why first the user did not want to order a non-sample version of the first sample; and

providing information related to the response to a first entity.

48. The method as defined in claim 47, wherein the first entity is a manufacturer, a retailer, a distributor, a marketing entity, or an advertiser.

49. The method as defined in claim 47, further comprising receiving an indication that the first sample has been used from a waste disposal system.

50. The method as defined in claim 47, causing, at least in part, the first sample to be delivered to the user at least partly in response to receiving information scanned from a first item by the user.

51. The method as defined in claim 47, further comprising causing at least one query to be presented to the user in order to determine at least one of a size or a quantity of a second non-sample version of a second sample that the user wants.

52. The method as defined in claim 47, further comprising:

receiving demographic information and a sample preference associated with a second user; and

causing at least one sample that corresponds to the second user sample preference and demographics to be delivered to the second user.

53. The method as defined in claim 47, further comprising providing an indication as to how many users ordered a non-sample version of the first sample after receiving the first sample.

54. A system, comprising program code stored in computer readable memory, the program code configured to:

receive information scanned from a first item by a first user;

determine from the received scanned information that the first item is a sample;

receive an indication as to whether the user wants to order a non-sample version for the first item;

identify a replacement option for the first item; and

transmit information relating to the replacement option to the first user.

55. The system as defined in claim 54, the program code further configured to receive an indication that the first item has been used by the first user.

56. The system as defined in claim 54, the program code further configured to cause, at least in part, the first item to be delivered to the first user at least partly in response to receiving information scanned from a another item by the first user.

57. The system as defined in claim 54, the program code further configured to cause, at least in part, a query to be presented to the first user requesting the first user to specify at least one of a size or a quantity of an item corresponding to the replacement option.

58. The system as defined in claim 54, the program code further configured to:

receive demographic information and a sample preference associated with a second user; and

cause, at least in part, at least one sample that corresponds to the second user sample preference and demographics to be delivered to the second user.

59. A system comprising program code stored in computer readable memory configured to:

receive over a network from a user information regarding a first item;

determine using the received scanned information that the first item is a sample;

receive over the network an indication as to whether the user wants to order a non-sample version for the first item; and

receive over the network an indication as to why the user does not want to order a non-sample version for the first item, or an indication that the user wants to order a non-sample version for the first item.

60. The system as defined in claim 59, the program code further configured to receive an indication that the first item has been used by the first user.

61. The system as defined in claim 59, the program code further configured to cause, at least in part, the first item to be delivered to the first user at least partly in response to receiving information scanned from a another item by the first user.

62. The system as defined in claim 59, the program code further configured to cause, at least in part, a query to be presented to the first user requesting the first user to specify at least one of a size or a quantity of an item corresponding to the non-sample version for the first item.

63. The system as defined in claim 59, the program code further configured to:

receive demographic information and a sample preference associated with a second user; and

cause, at least in part, at least one sample that corresponds to the second user sample preference and demographics to be delivered to the second user.

64. The system as defined in claim 59, further comprising a database that stores a sample preference for the first user.

65. The system as defined in claim 59, further comprising a database that stores a sample preference for the first user.

66. A system comprising program code stored in computer readable memory configured to:

receive over a network from a user information regarding a first item;

determine using the received scanned information that the first item is a sample;

receive over the network an indication as to whether the user wants to order a non-sample version for the first item; and

cause selectable reasons for not ordering a non-sample version for the first item to be presented to the user.

67. The system as defined in claim 66, the program code further configured to receive an indication that the first item has been used by the first user.

68. The system as defined in claim 66, the program code further configured to cause, at least in part, the first item to be delivered to the first user at least partly in response to receiving information scanned from a another item by the first user.

69. The system as defined in claim 66, the program code further configured to cause, at least in part, a query to be presented to the first user requesting the first user to specify at least one of a size or a quantity of an item corresponding to the non-sample version for the first item.

70. The system as defined in claim 66, the program code further configured to:

receive demographic information and a sample preference associated with a second user; and

cause, at least in part, at least one sample that corresponds to the second user sample preference and demographics to be delivered to the second user.

71. A user terminal comprising:

a scanner;

a display;

a user input device; and

program code stored in computer readable memory configured to;

receive scanned information from the scanner for a first item;

provide an indication via the display as to whether the first item is a sample, wherein the first item is identified as a sample or a non-sample based at least in part on the scanned information;

display a user interface via which a user can order a non-sample replacement for the first item;

receive a user input via the user input device that indicates whether the user wants to order a non-sample replacement for the first item.

72. The user terminal as defined in claim 71, wherein the scanner comprises a barcode scanner, an RFID scanner or a magnetic reader.

73. The user terminal as defined in claim 71, wherein the scanner is configured to initiate a scan at least partly in response to sensing the presence of at least one item.

74. The user terminal as defined in claim 71, further comprising a waste receptacle.

75. The user terminal as defined in claim 71, wherein the first item is a sample selected for the user based at least in part on a user preference stored in computer readable memory.

76. The user terminal as defined in claim 71, wherein the user input device includes a keyboard.

77. The user terminal as defined in claim 71, wherein the user input device includes a touch screen.

78. The user terminal as defined in claim 71, further comprising a wireless network interface.

79. The user terminal as defined in claim 71, further comprising an antenna.

80. The user terminal as defined in claim 71, further comprising removable non-volatile memory.

81. The user terminal as defined in claim 71, wherein the user terminal is configured to establish a secure connection with a remote system and transmit information scanned from one or more items and/or information related thereto, to the remote system.

82. The user terminal as defined in claim 71, wherein the user terminal is configured to establish a connection with a remote system and receive information regarding the non-sample replacement for the first item from the remote system.

83. The user terminal as defined in claim 71, wherein the user terminal is configured to provide a user notification when a connection attempt to a remote system fails.

84. The user terminal as defined in claim 71, wherein the user input device provides a user interface via which a user can indicate with what entity an order is to be placed.

85. The user terminal as defined in claim 71, wherein the user input device provides a user interface via which a user can indicate how an order is to be delivered.

86. The user terminal as defined in claim 71, wherein the user input device provides a user interface via which a user can indicate an order period.

87. The user terminal as defined in claim 71, wherein the user input device provides a user interface via which a user can specify an order trigger event, wherein when a specified event occurs relating to time or an order quantity, at least one order will be automatically placed.

88. The user terminal as defined in claim 71, wherein the user input device provides a user interface via which a user can indicate that the user desires items from a socially conscious source.

89. The user terminal as defined in claim 71, further comprising a local product database, wherein the user terminal is configured to synchronize the local product database with a remote product database coupled to the system via a network.

90. The user terminal as defined in claim 71 further comprising a printer.

91. A method of processing scanned information, the method comprising:

storing in computer readable memory information scanned from a first item;

causing, at least in part, an indication that the first item is a sample to be displayed to a user;

causing, at least in part, a user interface to be presented to the user via which the user can order a replacement for the first item, where the replacement is not a sample; and

receiving a user input via the user interface, the user input indicating whether the user wants to order the non-sample replacement for the first item.

92. The method as defined in claim 91, wherein the information scanned from the first item is scanned using a barcode scanner, a magnetic scanner, or an RFID scanner.

93. The method as defined in claim 91, the method further comprising causing a scan to be initiated at least partly in response to sensing at least one item to be scanned.

94. The method as defined in claim 91, wherein the first item is stored in a discard container.

95. The method as defined in claim 91, wherein the first potential substitute item is identified based in part on a user preference stored in computer readable memory.

96. The method as defined in claim 91, wherein the user interface includes a keyboard.

97. The method as defined in claim 91, wherein the user interface includes a touch screen.

98. The method as defined in claim 91, wherein the user interface includes voice recognition.

99. The method as defined in claim 91, the method further comprising:

communicating the scanned information and/or information related to the scanned information from the user terminal to a remote system; and

receiving the information regarding the first potential substitute item from the remote system.

100. The method as defined in claim 91, the method further comprising communicating the scanned information and/or information related to the scanned information over a wireless network.

101. The method as defined in claim 91, the method further comprising:

establishing a secure connection with a remote system; and

transmitting information scanned from one or more items and/or information related thereto, to the remote system.

102. The method as defined in claim 91, the method further comprising providing a user notification when a connection attempt by the user terminal to a remote system fails.

103. The method as defined in claim 91, the method further comprising providing a user interface via which the user can specify with what entity an order is to be placed.

104. The method as defined in claim 91, the method further comprising providing a user interface via which a user can indicate how an order is to be delivered.

105. The method as defined in claim 91, the method further comprising providing a user interface via which a user can indicate an order period.

106. The method as defined in claim 91, the method further comprising providing a user interface via which a user can specify an order trigger event, wherein when a specified event occurs relating to time or an order quantity, at least one order will be automatically placed.

107. The method as defined in claim 91, the method further comprising providing a user interface via which a user can indicate that the user desires items from a socially conscious source.

108. The method as defined in claim 91, the method further comprising synchronizing a user terminal product database with a remote product database over a network.