US 11,969,764 B2
Sorting of plastics
Nalin Kumar, Fort Worth, TX (US); Manuel Gerardo Garcia, Jr., Fort Wayne, IN (US); Isha Kamleshbhai Maun, Arlington, TX (US); Jeffrey Lacey, Ammon, ID (US); and Lorenzo J. Vega Montoto, Idaho Falls, ID (US)
Assigned to Sortera Technologies, Inc., Markle, IN (US); and Battelle Energy Alliance, LLC, Idaho Falls, ID (US)
Filed by Sortera Alloys, Inc., Fort Worth, TX (US)
Filed on Feb. 8, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/667,397.
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 17/667,397 is a continuation in part of application No. 17/495,291, filed on Oct. 6, 2021.
Application 17/495,291 is a continuation of application No. 17/380,928, filed on Jul. 20, 2021.
Application 17/380,928 is a continuation in part of application No. 17/227,245, filed on Apr. 9, 2021.
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.
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 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.
Application 17/667,397 is a continuation in part of application No. 17/491,415, filed on Sep. 30, 2021, granted, now 11,278,937.
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.
Application 16/358,374 is a continuation in part of application No. 15/963,755.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/146,892, filed on Feb. 8, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/173,301, filed on Apr. 9, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0161298 A1, May 26, 2022
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)] 23 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method comprising:
capturing a first visual image of a first material piece resulting in a first image data packet pertaining to the first material piece;
capturing a second visual image of a second material piece resulting in a second image data packet pertaining to the second material piece, wherein the first material piece has a first chemical signature, and wherein the second material piece has a second chemical signature different than the first chemical signature;
processing the first and second image data packets with a machine learning system that has previously learned to visually discern between material pieces having the different chemical signatures; and
classifying with the machine learning system the first and second material pieces into two different classifications as a function of the learned visual discernment between material pieces having the different chemical signatures.