US 12,280,403 B2
Sorting based on chemical composition
Nalin Kumar, Fort Wayne, IN (US); and Manuel Gerardo Garcia, Jr., Austin, TX (US)
Assigned to SORTERA TECHNOLOGIES, INC., Markle, IN (US)
Filed by Sortera Technologies, Inc., Markle, IN (US)
Filed on Jun. 21, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/751,179.
Application 16/852,514 is a division of application No. 16/358,374, filed on Mar. 19, 2019, granted, now 10,625,304, issued on Apr. 21, 2020.
Application 18/751,179 is a continuation of application No. 17/696,831, filed on Mar. 16, 2022, granted, now 12,017,255.
Application 17/696,831 is a continuation in part of application No. 17/667,397, filed on Feb. 8, 2022, granted, now 11,969,764.
Application 17/667,397 is a continuation in part of application No. 17/495,291, filed on Oct. 6, 2021, granted, now 11,975,365, issued on May 7, 2024.
Application 17/495,291 is a continuation in part of application No. 17/491,415, filed on Sep. 30, 2021, granted, now 11,278,937, issued on Mar. 22, 2022.
Application 17/495,291 is a continuation in part of application No. 17/380,928, filed on Jul. 20, 2021.
Application 17/491,415 is a continuation in part of application No. 17/227,245, filed on Apr. 9, 2021, granted, now 11,964,304, issued on Apr. 23, 2024.
Application 17/227,245 is a continuation in part of application No. 16/939,011, filed on Jul. 26, 2020, granted, now 11,471,916, issued on Oct. 18, 2022.
Application 17/491,415 is a continuation in part of application No. 16/852,514, filed on Apr. 19, 2020, granted, now 11,260,426, issued on Mar. 1, 2022.
Application 16/939,011 is a continuation of application No. 16/375,675, filed on Apr. 4, 2019, granted, now 10,722,922, issued on Jul. 28, 2020.
Application 16/375,675 is a continuation in part of application No. 15/963,755, filed on Apr. 26, 2018, granted, now 10,710,119, issued on Jul. 14, 2020.
Application 16/358,374 is a continuation in part of application No. 15/963,755, filed on Apr. 26, 2018, granted, now 10,710,119, issued on Jul. 14, 2020.
Application 15/963,755 is a continuation in part of application No. 15/213,129, filed on Jul. 18, 2016, granted, now 10,207,296, issued on Feb. 19, 2019.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/249,069, filed on Sep. 28, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/258,964, filed on Jun. 10, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/173,301, filed on Apr. 9, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/146,892, filed on Feb. 8, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/490,219, filed on Apr. 26, 2017.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/193,332, filed on Jul. 16, 2015.
Prior Publication US 2024/0342757 A1, Oct. 17, 2024
Int. Cl. B07C 5/34 (2006.01); B07C 5/342 (2006.01); B07C 5/04 (2006.01)
CPC B07C 5/3422 (2013.01) [B07C 5/34 (2013.01); B07C 5/342 (2013.01); B07C 5/04 (2013.01); B07C 2501/0054 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system comprising:
a camera configured to capture one or more visually observed characteristics of each of a mixture of material pieces, wherein the mixture of material pieces comprises material pieces having different material classifications, wherein the one or more captured visually observed characteristics were captured by the camera configured to capture visual images of each of the mixture of material pieces as they were conveyed past the camera;
a data processing system comprising a machine learning system implementing a neural network configured to classify each material piece of the mixture of material pieces as belonging to one of a plurality of different material classifications based on the captured visually observed characteristics, wherein the data processing system comprises:
circuitry configured to determine a chemical composition of each material piece based on the determined classification; and
circuitry configured to continually determine an aggregate chemical composition of all of the sorted material pieces; and
a sorting device configured to sort certain ones of the material pieces from the mixture of material pieces as a function of the classification of each material piece of the mixture of material pieces, wherein the sorting produces a collection of material pieces possessing a predetermined specific aggregate chemical composition, wherein the data processing system comprises:
circuitry configured to instruct the sorting device to sort a next material piece in order to increase a weight percentage of a specific chemical element of the aggregate chemical composition of the sorted material pieces; and
circuitry configured to instruct the sorting device to sort a next material piece in order to decrease a weight percentage of a specific chemical element of the aggregate chemical composition of the sorted material pieces.