Mini-kiosk for recycling electronic devices

• US 9,881,284 B2
• Filed: 03/09/2013
• Issued: 01/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ecoatm Incorporated (Coinstar Asset Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Ecoatm Incorporated (Coinstar Asset Holdings, LLC)
• Inventors: Bowles, Mark Vincent
• Primary Examiner(s): Mincarelli, Jan P
• Application Number:
  US13/792,030
• Publication Number:
  US 20130191236A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,788 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/30 Administration of product recycling or disposal
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0278 Product appraisal
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0287 being disposable or recyclable
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/24 Arrangements for testing
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 90/00 Enabling technologies or technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to greenhouse gas [GHG] emissions mitigation

Abstract

A mini-kiosk for recycling and financial remuneration for submission of an electronic device such as a mobile phone is disclosed herein. The mini-kiosk is designed to be placed on a counter-top. The mini-kiosk includes electrical connectors and an inspection area with at least one camera in order to perform a visual analysis and an electrical analysis of the electronic device for determination of a value of the electronic device. The mini-kiosk also includes a processor and a display for user interaction.

Claims

1. A counter-top apparatus for recycling electronic devices, the apparatus comprising:

a housing having a volume no greater than one cubic meter;

an inspection area within the housing;

at least an upper chamber camera within the inspection area; and

a processor in electrical communication with at least the upper chamber camera, wherein the inspection area further comprises a transparent plate and a plurality of mirrors, wherein the plurality of mirrors allow for obtaining multi-angled views of an electronic device placed within the inspection area, wherein the combination of each of the upper chamber camera, a lower chamber camera and the plurality of mirrors allow for obtaining a 360 degree view of the electronic device placed on the transparent plate, and wherein the transparent plate is rotatable.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising a plurality of electrical connectors, each of the plurality of electrical connectors different and at least one of the electrical connectors being removably connectable to the electronic device.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the processor is in communication with each of the plurality of electrical connectors and a user interface on an exterior of the housing, the processor configured to identify a brand and model number of the electronic device based on at least one of information from a user and images from at least the upper chamber camera, the processor configured to determine the at least one electrical connector to dispense to the inspection area, the processor configured to perform a visual analysis of a display of the electronic device, the processor configured to perform an electrical analysis of the electronic device, and the processor configured to determine a financial remuneration value for the electronic device.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the inspection area has ultraviolet lighting.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of mirrors in the inspection area allow for an image of a reflection of the electronic device placed on the transparent plate.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the apparatus has a mass ranging from 2 kilograms to 50 kilograms.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the apparatus has a length, L, ranging from 20 centimeters to 100 centimeters, a width, W, ranging from 20 centimeters to 100 centimeters, and a height, H, ranging from 20 centimeters to 100 centimeters.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the processor is further configured to offer a consumer a pre-acquisition purchase price for a recycled electronic device with the pre-acquisition purchase price established by a winning bid from a bidder of a plurality of bidders.

9. A kiosk for recycling electronic devices, the kiosk comprising:

a housing;

an inspection area within the housing;

a transparent plate within the inspection area and configured to support an electronic device placed thereon;

at least first and second mirrors positioned within the inspection area, wherein the first mirror is positioned to reflect a first image of the electronic device, and wherein the second mirror is positioned to reflect a second image of the electronic device;

at least a first imaging component positioned within the inspection area above the transparent plate, wherein the first imaging component is configured to obtain a multiple view image of the electronic device, the multiple view image comprising the first image reflected by the first mirror and the second image reflected by the second mirror; and

a processor in electrical communication with at least the first imaging component, wherein the processor is configured to evaluate the electronic device based on the first and second images of the electronic device.

10. The kiosk according to claim 9, further comprising an electrical connector for connection to the electronic device, the electrical connector in electrical communication with the processor, and wherein the processor is also configured to perform an electrical analysis of the electronic device via the electrical connector.

11. The kiosk according to claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to measure a luminescence from a LCD screen of the electronic device within an illumination period.

12. The kiosk according to claim 9 further comprising a user interface on an exterior surface of the housing for the user to input information.

13. The kiosk according to claim 9 wherein the inspection area further comprises an upper chamber, and wherein the first and second mirrors are disposed within the upper chamber.

14. The kiosk according to claim 9 wherein the kiosk has a mass ranging from 2 kilograms to 50 kilograms.

15. The kiosk of claim 9 wherein the multiple view image obtained by the first imaging component is used by the processor to determine the height, width and depth of the electronic device.

16. The kiosk of claim 9, further comprising a second imaging component positioned within the inspection area below the transparent plate, wherein the second imaging component is configured to obtain a third image of the electronic device through the transparent plate, and wherein the processor is configured to evaluate the electronic device based on the first, second, and third images of the electronic device.

17. The kiosk of claim 9 wherein the processor is further configured to identify the electronic device by comparison of at least one of the first and second images to a reference image.

18. The kiosk of claim 9 wherein the processor is further configured to identify the electronic device by normalizing at least one of the first and second images, and then comparing the normalized image to a reference image.

19. The kiosk of claim 9 wherein the processor is further configured to generate a 3-D profile of the electronic device based at least in part on the first and second images.

20. The kiosk of claim 9, wherein the housing has a length, L, ranging from 20 centimeters to 100 centimeters, a width, W, ranging from 20 centimeters to 100 centimeters, and a height, H, ranging from 20 centimeters to 100 centimeters.