US 12,434,268 B2
Automated sorting method for circuit board recycling
Steve Budd, Annandale, MN (US); and Scott Schoen, Augusta, MN (US)
Assigned to Integrated Recycling Technologies, St. Cloud, MN (US)
Filed by Integrated Recycling Technologies, St. Cloud, MN (US)
Filed on Jun. 23, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/340,622.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/366,969, filed on Jun. 24, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2023/0415201 A1, Dec. 28, 2023
Int. Cl. B07C 5/342 (2006.01); B09B 5/00 (2006.01); G06T 7/00 (2017.01); B09B 101/17 (2022.01)
CPC B07C 5/3422 (2013.01) [B09B 5/00 (2013.01); G06T 7/0006 (2013.01); G06T 7/001 (2013.01); B07C 2501/0054 (2013.01); B09B 2101/17 (2022.01); G06T 2207/30136 (2013.01); G06T 2207/30141 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An automated method for sorting circuit boards for recycling, comprising:
scanning a layout design for a circuit board to generate an image;
comparing the scanned layout design with a database of circuit board layout designs, each of the layout designs being associated with a respective precious metal content value, the precious metal content value indicating an amount of a precious metal in a circuit board layout design;
identifying a match between the scanned layout design and a matched circuit board layout design in the database based on one or more of design, layout, size, and precious metal content;
assigning a precious metal designation to the scanned circuit board based on the identified match, wherein the precious metal designation corresponds to the precious metal content value of the matched circuit board layout design from the database; and
sorting the scanned circuit board using the assigned precious metal designation.