US 12,488,319 B2
Waste management device
Carl Michael Anderson, Richmond (CA); and Colin Edward Bell, Richmond (CA)
Assigned to RecycleSmart Solutions Inc., Richmond (CA)
Filed by RecycleSmart Solutions Inc., Richmond (CA)
Filed on Sep. 27, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/485,936.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/083,152, filed on Sep. 25, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0101279 A1, Mar. 31, 2022
Int. Cl. G06Q 10/00 (2023.01); B65F 1/02 (2006.01); G01F 23/00 (2022.01); G01F 23/80 (2022.01); G01F 25/00 (2022.01); G01F 25/20 (2022.01); G06Q 10/30 (2023.01); H04B 1/02 (2006.01)
CPC G06Q 10/30 (2013.01) [B65F 1/02 (2013.01); G01F 23/802 (2022.01); G01F 25/20 (2022.01); H04B 1/02 (2013.01); B65F 2210/128 (2013.01); B65F 2210/1443 (2013.01); B65F 2210/168 (2013.01); B65F 2210/20 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A waste management device comprising:
a housing having at least one mounting point for attaching the waste management device to a waste bin;
at least three sensors configured to sense contents of the waste bin, wherein the sensors include a camera sensor and an ultrasonic transducer,
the ultrasonic transducer comprising:
an ultrasonic actuator configured to emit ultrasonic waves; and
an ultrasonic sensor configured to detect ultrasonic waves;
the housing further comprising:
a cone shaped to direct ultrasonic waves from the ultrasonic actuator in a direction of interest; and
a shroud extension configured to reduce signal received by the ultrasonic sensor from angles not of interest;
wherein the cone is arranged between the ultrasonic transducer and the shroud extension;
a processor encased by the housing and electrically coupled to the sensors, the processor configured to:
collect sensory information related to the contents of the waste bin from the sensors;
determine a fill level of the waste bin based on the sensory information from the ultrasonic sensor;
verify the fill level of the waste bin based on an image from the camera sensor;
add an offset to the ultrasonic sensor, the offset based on the fill level as verified by the image from the camera sensor; and
a wireless transmitter electrically coupled to the processor, wherein the wireless transmitter configured to send the sensory information to a server.