US 12,134,516 B2
Semi-autonomous refuse collection
Stanley L. Maroney, Attalla, AL (US); David G. Lewis, Chattanooga, TN (US); and Robert B. Williams, Albertville, AL (US)
Assigned to The Heil Co., Chattanooga, TN (US)
Filed by The Heil Co., Chattanooga, TN (US)
Filed on Mar. 17, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/185,948.
Application 18/185,948 is a division of application No. 17/734,624, filed on May 2, 2022, granted, now 11,608,226.
Application 17/734,624 is a continuation of application No. 16/781,857, filed on Feb. 4, 2020, granted, now 11,319,147, issued on May 3, 2022.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/800,985, filed on Feb. 4, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2023/0242336 A1, Aug. 3, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. B66F 3/04 (2006.01); B65F 3/04 (2006.01); B65F 3/02 (2006.01)
CPC B65F 3/04 (2013.01) [B65F 2003/0276 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A computer-implemented method of operating a refuse collection vehicle to eject refuse from a body of the refuse collection vehicle, the method performed by at least one computer device, the method comprising:
responsive to a detected engaging of a switch, initiating an ejection cycle to be performed by the refuse collection vehicle on the refuse in the body;
responsive to a detected disengaging of the switch, causing the refuse collection vehicle to automatically stop the ejection cycle;
determining a point at which the ejection cycle was stopped based at least partly on data collected by one or more sensors on the refuse collection vehicle; and
responsive to a detected reengaging of the switch subsequent to the detected disengaging, causing the refuse collection vehicle to continue the ejection cycle from the point at which the ejection cycle was stopped, wherein the ejection cycle continues to completion as long as the switch remains reengaged.