US 11,952,212 B2
Trash collection management systems and methods
Doug Moore, Southfield, MI (US); Abhishek Sharma, Troy, MI (US); Laura Elliott, Dearborn, MI (US); Raina Kumar, Dearborn, MI (US); Gwen Hickey, Dearborn, MI (US); Jash Patel, Dearborn, MI (US); Angela Ayers, Bloomfield Hills, MI (US); and Eric H. Wingfield, Ann Arbor, MI (US)
Assigned to Ford Global Technologies, LLC, Dearborn, MI (US)
Filed by Ford Global Technologies, LLC, Dearborn, MI (US)
Filed on Dec. 28, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/135,227.
Prior Publication US 2022/0204259 A1, Jun. 30, 2022
Int. Cl. B65F 5/00 (2006.01); B25J 9/16 (2006.01); B25J 11/00 (2006.01); G06Q 50/26 (2012.01)
CPC B65F 5/00 (2013.01) [B25J 9/1664 (2013.01); B25J 11/0085 (2013.01); G06Q 50/26 (2013.01); B65F 2210/168 (2013.01)] 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method comprising:
determining, by a dumpster monitoring apparatus, that an amount of garbage in a dumpster exceeds a threshold level;
transmitting, to a dumpster management apparatus, upon determining that the amount of garbage in the dumpster exceeds the threshold level, a request to dispatch a garbage truck to service the dumpster;
determining, by the dumpster monitoring apparatus, whether the dumpster has been serviced by the garbage truck;
determining, by the dumpster monitoring apparatus, that a first location at which the dumpster is stationed is inaccessible to the garbage truck;
transmitting, to a robot vehicle, a first request to move the dumpster from the first location to a second location that is accessible to the garbage truck;
determining, by the dumpster monitoring apparatus, that the robot vehicle has moved the dumpster from the first location to the second location; and
informing the dumpster management apparatus of the second location along with the request to dispatch the garbage truck to service the dumpster.