U.S. patent application number 10/338412 was filed with the patent office on 2004-07-08 for radio-frequency tags for sorting post-consumption items.
Invention is credited to Hodges, Donna K., Kreiner, Barrett M..
Application Number | 20040133484 10/338412 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 32681442 |
Filed Date | 2004-07-08 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040133484 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Kreiner, Barrett M. ; et
al. |
July 8, 2004 |
Radio-frequency tags for sorting post-consumption items
Abstract
An apparatus and method of selectively sorting post-consumption
items that are associated with radio-frequency tags based on data
received from the RF tag. One embodiment includes a conveyor, a
picker arm, and an RF reader. Another embodiment includes an RF
reader and a receptacle for selectively holding post-consumption
items based on data retrieved from the associated RF tag.
Inventors: |
Kreiner, Barrett M.;
(Norcross, GA) ; Hodges, Donna K.; (Cumming,
GA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
WOODCOCK WASHBURN LLP
ONE LIBERTY PLACE - 46TH FLOOR
PHILADELPHIA
PA
19103
US
|
Family ID: |
32681442 |
Appl. No.: |
10/338412 |
Filed: |
January 8, 2003 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
705/28 ; 209/509;
705/1.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06Q 10/30 20130101;
B07C 2501/0054 20130101; Y02W 90/00 20150501; G06Q 30/02 20130101;
G06K 19/07758 20130101; B07C 2301/0016 20130101; Y02W 90/20
20150501; G06Q 10/087 20130101; B07C 5/3412 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
705/028 ;
705/001; 209/509 |
International
Class: |
G06F 017/60; B07C
005/00; B07C 009/00 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A method for selectively sorting commingled post-consumption
items, comprising: determining data corresponding to a
post-consumption item of a plurality of commingled post-consumption
items based on a radio-frequency (RF) tag associated with the
post-consumption item; selectively sorting the post-consumption
item based on the determined data.
2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein determining data
comprises receiving an RF signal from the RF tag and determining a
composition of the post-consumption item based on the received RF
signal
3. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein sorting the
post-consumption item comprises transferring the item to a selected
one of a plurality of locations based on the determined composition
of the item.
4. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein sorting the
post-consumption item comprises transferring the item to a selected
one of a plurality of conveyors based on the determined composition
of the item.
5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein sorting the
post-consumption item comprises determining an estimated location
of the post-consumption item by triangulation among a plurality of
RF receivers.
6. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein sorting the
post-consumption item comprises retrieving the post-consumption
item based on the estimated location of the post-consumption
item.
7. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein retrieving the
post-consumption item comprises gripping the item.
8. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein retrieving the
post-consumption item comprises magnetically securing the item.
9. An apparatus for selectively sorting commingled post-consumption
items, comprising: a first conveyor that conveys commingled
post-consumption items; a radio-frequency (RF) reader that reads
data corresponding to a post-consumption item of a plurality of
commingled post-consumption items based on an RF tag associated
with the post-consumption item; and a picker arm that removes the
post-consumption item from the conveyor based on the read data.
10. The apparatus as recited in claim 9, further comprising a
computing device in communication with the RF reader and the picker
arm, the computing device processes data received from the RF tag
and controls the picker arm.
11. The apparatus as recited in claim 9, wherein the picker arm
further comprises a sensor for locating the post-consumption item
by triangulation.
12. The apparatus as recited in claim 9, wherein the picker arm
comprises a magnet that magnetically secures a magnetic
post-consumption item.
13. The apparatus as recited in claim 9, wherein the picker arm
comprises a suction device that secures the post-consumption
item.
14. The apparatus as recited in claim 9, wherein the picker arm
comprises a pointed device that secures the post-consumption item
by piercing the item.
15. The apparatus as recited in claim 9, further comprising a
plurality of second conveyors located proximate the first conveyor,
wherein each of the plurality of second conveyors conveys
post-consumption items of a particular composition.
16. The apparatus as recited in claim 15, wherein the further
comprising a computing device in communication with the RF reader
and the picker arm and the computing device causes the picker arm
to transfer the post-consumption item to one of the plurality of
second conveyors based on a composition of the post-consumption
item determined from the read data.
17. An apparatus for storing post-consumption items, comprising: a
receptacle for containing a post-consumption item having an
associated radio-frequency (RF) tag; and an RF reader associated
with the receptacle that receives data from the RF tag; and a
controller in communication with the RF reader, the controller
responds to the data received from the RF tag.
18. The apparatus as recited in claim 17, wherein the receptacle
comprises a plurality of compartments and a diverter that diverts
between the plurality of compartments and wherein the controller
causes the diverter to divert the post-consumption item to a
particular compartment based on the data received from the RF
tag.
19. The apparatus as recited in claim 18, wherein the RF reader
receives an indication of a composition of the post-consumption
item from the RF tag and wherein the controller causes the diverter
to divert the post-consumption item to a particular compartment
based on the indication of the composition received from the RF
tag.
20. The apparatus as recited in claim 17, wherein the receptacle
comprises a door and a latch and the controller causes the door to
unlatch based on the data received from the RF tag.
21. The apparatus as recited in claim 17, further comprising an
audible alarm in communication with the controller and wherein the
controller causes the audible alarm to alarm based on the data
received from the RF tag.
22. The apparatus as recited in claim 21, wherein the controller
causes the audible alarm to alarm if the received data indicates
that the item does not have a predefined composition.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The invention relates to the field of post-consumer resource
management. More particularly, the invention relates to using
radio-frequency tags to sort post-consumption items.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Nearly everything we do leaves behind some kind of waste.
During the 1980's, waste management issues became a matter of
heightened public concern because of increasing waste production,
shrinking landfill capacity, rising disposal costs, public
opposition to new landfills, and public concern for the health of
the planet. All of these factors have increased the importance of
thoughtfully managing waste.
[0003] An article of waste can be considered to be unwanted matter,
which is left after useful substances or parts have been used, or
alternatively, an article of waste can be considered a
post-consumption item or material, a resource to be recycled or
handled in a particular way to increase usefulness or to decrease
harmfulness. Almost all post-consumption items (which include both
the post-consumption items themselves and/or the containers that
house the items) are either recyclable or should be managed in some
particular way (e.g., hazardous materials should be isolated from
non-hazardous materials to avoid contaminating the non-hazardous
materials, hazardous materials should be properly disposed).
[0004] Households, for example, typically generate recyclable
post-consumption items and materials such as cereal boxes and other
paper products, steel and aluminum cans, plastic milk and juice
cartons, glass jars, and so on. Industries, manufacturers,
commercial establishments, agricultural concerns and so on also
typically generate recyclables.
[0005] Recycling is one method that increases the usefulness of
post-consumption items. Recycling includes a series of activities
associated with collecting and re-using materials that would
otherwise fill landfills. Recycling includes sorting and processing
recyclables into component materials and using these component
materials to manufacture new products. Household and
business-generated recyclables typically are collected at the curb,
are taken to drop-off centers or buy-back centers, or are collected
through deposit/refund programs. After collection, recyclables are
typically sent to a materials recovery facility to be sorted and
prepared into marketable commodities for input to further
manufacturing processes. Recyclables generated by industries,
manufacturers, agricultural concerns, and the like are frequently
sold to materials recovery facilities, brokers, or manufacturers
under private contracts.
[0006] Recycling typically depends largely on manual
labor-intensive tracking and sorting operations. For example,
consumers and businesses typically separate their post-consumption
items into recyclables and non-recyclables, and separate
recyclables into different categories (e.g., paper, plastic,
aluminum, and so on). As with all manual labor-intensive
activities, these processes are error prone. For example, a
consumer may not have time or the inclination to separate
recyclables from non-recyclables, resulting in recyclables that
needlessly end up in an incinerator or landfill. There are other
problems with manual sorting as well. A consumer may not place a
recyclable in the proper recycling container (e.g., may place a
glass jar in the "plastic" recycling bin). Hence, even after
recyclables are sorted into categories, they typically are
inspected and resorted before further processing, adding to the
costs involved with recycling. Once separated and cleaned, these
post-consumption items and materials may be ready to be recycled
into new products.
[0007] More and more of today's products are being manufactured
completely or partially from recycled materials. Consumers
increasingly demand more environmentally-friendly products, thereby
encouraging manufacturers to produce recycled products and to
recycle items and materials used in the manufacturing process. It
can only be expected that recycling will increase rather than
decrease as the earth's resources are depleted and as people become
increasingly concerned about the planet's health.
[0008] In addition to generating general recyclables, households
may also produce post-consumption products containing hazardous
materials that should receive special handling. For example, a
diabetic in the household may generate, syringes, lancets,
blood-contaminated alcohol pads, and the like. Empty (and
not-so-empty) cans of paint and bug spray also constitute hazardous
materials typically generated by households. This type of
post-consumption product ideally should be separated from other
products containing non-hazardous materials to prevent
contamination of the non-hazardous materials, and typically should
receive special treatment to reduce the volume or harmfulness of
the hazardous material. Many household hazardous materials can also
be recycled but may need special handling in the process.
[0009] Industries, manufacturers, commercial establishments, and
agricultural concerns also typically create hazardous byproducts
that may or may not be recyclable but should be tracked and handled
in a particular way. In industry, a manifest is typically used to
track and manage hazardous materials. The United States
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulates some types of
hazardous waste by requiring that it be tracked with a manifest and
by requiring those who generate, recycle, treat, store and/or
dispose of hazardous wastes to have permits for their operation.
Treatment of hazardous waste, like manual sorting of recyclables,
is also subject to human error. For example, workers may
incorrectly identify or classify hazardous wastes, leading to
inefficiencies in processing, or worse. Many hazardous
post-consumption products generated by industry can also be
recycled to save resources and frequently, reduce production
costs.
[0010] Hence, a need exists for an automated, less labor-intensive,
less error-prone way to identify, track, sort, distribute, and
broker post-consumption items and materials.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0011] In the invention, the aforementioned need is satisfied by a
system and method for sorting post-consumption items by using RF
tags. RF tags applied to goods and materials that have been
consumed or used and/or discarded or stored for recycling are read
by a reader. The reader collects data from the tag and stores the
data and/or transmits the collected data to a host computer. A
computing device associated with the reader may also retrieve data
associated with the RF tag from one or more datastores of
information concerning the post-consumption item. The reader or
host computer may perform additional processing to determine the
composition and other attributes of the item or material. Based
upon the data retrieved from the RF tag, and optionally, data in
the datastore(s), and/or processing occurring within the associated
computing device, characteristics including the composition and
nature of the post-consumption items, location of the items, other
characteristics of the items, and associated information are
determined. This data is used in sorting tagged items for further
processing.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] The foregoing summary, as well as the following detailed
description of illustrative embodiments of the invention, will be
better understood when read in conjunction with the appended
drawings. For the purpose of illustrating the invention, there are
shown in the drawings illustrative embodiments. As should be
understood, however, the invention is not limited to the precise
arrangements and instrumentalities shown. In the drawings:
[0013] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary post-consumption item life
cycle as is known in the art;
[0014] FIG. 2 illustrates, in a general block diagram form, an
illustrative post-consumption data acquisition system in accordance
with one embodiment of the invention;
[0015] FIGS. 3a and 3b are flowcharts of illustrative processes for
sorting post-consumption items in accordance with embodiments of
the invention;
[0016] FIG. 4 is a diagram of an illustrative apparatus for sorting
RF-tagged items in accordance with one embodiment of the
invention;
[0017] FIG. 5 is a diagram of an illustrative picker arm for
sorting RF-tagged items in accordance with one embodiment of the
invention; and
[0018] FIG. 6 is a diagram of an illustrative apparatus for holding
RF-tagged items in accordance with one embodiment of the
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS
[0019] Life Cycle of a Recycled Item
[0020] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary life cycle of an article
that is recycled or processed. An item (e.g., a box to be filled
with cereal) 10 is produced by a manufacturer 24, filled with
cereal by the same or another manufacturer and is transported to a
retail establishment such as a grocery store 12 for sale. A
consumer may purchase 14 the item, consume or use it 16, and throw
the item or the empty container in the garbage, trash or recycling
18. A waste management or recycling service 20 may collect the item
and transport the item to a recycling, processing or disposal
facility 22, or the like. Facility 22 may process the item so that
the useful components of the item (e.g., paper) can be re-used at a
manufacturer 24 to produce a new item (e.g., another cereal box to
be filled with cereal).
[0021] RF Tag Post-Consumption Data Acquisition
[0022] Each post-consumption item may have a radio-frequency (RF)
tag associated with it, thereby allowing more intelligent and
automated processing of the post-consumption item. That is, after
consumption or use, or upon designation of an item as "waste" or
"to be recycled," an RF tag-based post-consumption data collection
system and method retrieves data from the RF tag associated with
the post-consumption item. A radio-frequency identification (RFID)
system may be used, in which, data is carried in a tag or smart
label and is retrieved by an RF reader and converted to
machine-readable data. RFID systems offer an advantage over
bar-coding because line-of-sight access to the tagged item is not
necessary. RFID tags can be read through container walls, paint,
dirt, and in cluttered areas. In addition, RFID tags can be read
and written to at a range of up to hundreds of meters and more than
500 tags per second.
[0023] An illustrative RFID system comprises an RF reader and a RF
tag that is electronically programmed with fixed (read-only) or
variable (read-write) data. Data stored in the tag is received and
decoded by the reader and transmitted to a host computer to be
processed. Communication between the tag and the reader is
wireless.
[0024] An RF tag can be active, passive, or semi-passive. An active
tag is powered by a battery and can initiate communication with the
reader. An active RF tag can be read and updated from distances of
up to hundreds of kilometers. Passive and semi-passive tags are
activated when they are read or interrogated by another device
first and typically have shorter read ranges. The data on an RF
tag, whether active, passive, or semi-passive can be added to or
changed. RF tags may be a variety of shapes and sizes and may be
housed in a protective covering, converted into paper labels,
injected into plastic molds, inked onto surfaces, and so on. An RF
tag may emit a series of waveforms that can be interpreted by the
reader as a binary number. RF tags can be inexpensive to produce
and can be read through a variety of substances such as water,
paint, and dirt.
[0025] An RF reader typically comprises an antenna and a coupler.
The antenna emits and receives radio signals to activate the tag
and to read data from and write data to the tag. The antenna can
produce an electromagnetic field ranging from one inch to 100 feet
or more. The antenna transfers data to a coupler that controls data
acquisition and communication.
[0026] The RF tag may be attached to, embedded within or otherwise
associated with an item that has been used, consumed, designated
for disposal or recycle, or the like. Alternatively, the RF tag may
be attached to, embedded within, or otherwise associated with a
container for such an item.
[0027] The data retrieved from the RF tag is collected by an RF
reader and stored in one or more datastores of information
concerning the post-consumption item. The data retrieved from the
RF tag may be matched, combined with, added to or incorporated
within one or more additional pre-existing datastore(s). The data
may be stored and processed on a computing device associated with
the reader and/or transmitted to a host computer for storage and
processing. Characteristics such as, but not limited to, the
composition and nature of the post-consumption item are determined.
The data may be combined with other pre- or post-consumption item
data, further processed, and provided for sale.
[0028] The data on the RF tag may also be updated. For example, the
RF tag of the item may be updated with information such as the
present location of the item, an identification number of the
device updating the RF tag or any other suitable information.
[0029] The information from the RF tag may be collected when the
item is placed in a waste or recycling receptacle or the like, or
when the item is retrieved by a waste management or other type of
retrieval agent, when the item arrives at a recycling, waste or
other facility or at any other suitable time or combination
thereof.
[0030] Actions to be taken concerning the item may be determined
based on information retrieved from the RF tag. The item may be
collected, sorted, processed, recycled, brokered, and/or disposed
of in accordance to the determined characteristics of the item,
based on the RF tag information.
[0031] Referring to FIG. 2, a system for identifying and collecting
data concerning post-consumption items via an RF tag 101 includes a
reader 105 for receiving, controlling, and transferring information
ascertained from an RF tagged item or material (not shown) or
RF-tagged receptacle or container 103 for such an item or material,
and a computing device 107 for processing and storing the collected
information. Computing device 107 may be associated with internal
(not shown) or external storage media 109 for storing the RF tag
data. Software resident at the computing device 107 or another
device in communication with the computing device 107 or reader 105
may process and incorporate the collected information with
information collected from other readers and optionally other
computing devices. The system may include means for sorting,
storing, processing, transmitting, and brokering the
information.
[0032] The RF tag 101 may be embedded within the item or within an
object attached to the item (such as, but not limited to, a label),
applied to the surface of the item either directly or indirectly,
attached to the item permanently or non-permanently, or otherwise
suitably affixed to or associated with the item. Alternatively, RF
tag 01 may be embedded within or applied upon a container 103 that
holds the item or embedded within or applied upon an object
attached to the container (such as but not limited to a label),
applied to the surface of the container either directly or
indirectly, attached to the container permanently or
non-permanently, or otherwise suitably affixed to the container.
For example, an RF tag may be inked onto a can by applying a
non-conductive material to the can and then applying a circuit upon
the non-conductive material by using a liquid metal ink.
[0033] The RF tag may be an active, passive, or semi-passive RF
tag. The RF tag may be a read-only or a read-write tag. In one
embodiment the RF tag is a read-write passive tag.
[0034] After RF-tagged item 103 or the material contained within
RF-tagged item 103 has been used or when the RF-tagged item or
material contained within the RF-tagged item is available for
disposal, treatment, or recycling, item 103 may be placed within a
receptacle 111 to which a reader 105 is attached or alternatively,
may be placed in proximity to (within read range of) reader 105.
Reader 105 may emit a radio-frequency of a specified frequency or
frequency range. If RF tag 101 is a passive tag, the emission of
the radio-frequency energy by the reader causes the passive RF tag
101 to emit a series of waveforms. Alternatively, if RF tag 101 is
an active RF tag, RF tag 101 may emit the waveforms even if reader
105 does not generate RF energy.
[0035] The waveforms emitted by the RF tag may be interpreted by
reader 105 as an identification code such as a binary number or as
some other identifying code. In one embodiment, the code received
by the reader is a relatively large binary number, on the order of
96 bits or more, but any suitable binary number or other
identifying code may be emitted by the RF tag. The identification
code may include any or all of the following data items:
[0036] a recyclable indicator to indicate whether the item or its
contents can be recycled;
[0037] a hazardous material indicator to indicate whether the item
or its contents comprises a hazardous material;
[0038] a biodegradable indicator to indicate whether the item or
its contents comprises a biodegradable material;
[0039] a recall indicator to indicate whether the item or its
contents contains the subject of a recall;
[0040] a serial number for the item or its contents;
[0041] a production lot number for the item or its contents;
[0042] one or more location fields for tracking current and
previous locations of the post-consumption item or it contents;
[0043] a date, such as but not limited to, a date of changes of
location;
[0044] a weight of the item or its contents (for example, if the
item is a can of dog food, the weight indicated here may be the
weight of the empty can);
[0045] a volume of the item or its contents (for example, if the
item is a can of dog food, the volume may be the space the
compacted or uncompacted can may occupy in a receptacle);
[0046] one or more composition fields (for example, if the item is
a computer, valuable recyclables may include the gold used in
circuit boards, if the item contains a hazardous material, the
amount of the hazardous material contained in the item, as
manufactured, for example);
[0047] one or more subcomponent fields (for example, if the item is
a computer, subcomponents may be circuit boards, memory, and
batteries);
[0048] a reader identification number (identifying the particular
reader that last updated the RF data, for example);
[0049] an identification of a reader owner (name, address,
location, etc.);
[0050] one or more fields for an identification of a retrieval
company (for example, the name of the waste management company and
the name of the recycling service that the owner has contracted
with for retrieval of post consumption items and material);
[0051] a shelf life of the item or contents of the item; and
[0052] other suitable information.
[0053] The identification code and accompanying information may
identify an item uniquely (e.g., a particular CD player) or may
identify an item as belonging to a particular group of items (e.g.,
the RF tag may identify that a particular can of dog food was one
of a group of cans of a particular brand of dog food produced by a
particular manufacturing plant on a certain day or range of
days).
[0054] Information concerning the above listed and other attributes
may be updated on the RF tag.
[0055] Information retrieved from the RF tag may be collected and
stored within datastore 109. A typical datastore may include the
information retrieved from the RF tag and other data elements.
[0056] Reader 105 typically includes an antenna (not shown) for
sending and receiving RF signals and for transferring the data
received from RF tag 101 to a coupler (not shown). Reader 105 may
include a coupler for receiving the data sent from the antenna. The
coupler may be in communication with one or more computing devices
107 associated with internal or external datastores 109. The
coupler may also be in communication with one or more computing
devices connected to a network 113.
[0057] The coupler or computing device 107 may include software
that processes the data received from RF tag 101. Alternatively, or
additionally, the coupler may transmit the RF tag data to other
computing devices via network 113 for processing and data storage.
Computing device 107 may itself comprise a wired or wireless
internal or external network of computing devices, such as but not
limited to a LAN, WAN, intranet, the Internet, or any suitable
network. The network 113 may comprise a wired or wireless network
of connected computing devices. For example, the computing device
107 may comprise a building management system connected to network
113.
[0058] Hence, the coupler may transmit the data received from the
antenna of reader 105 directly or indirectly via network 113 for
processing on a computing device within network 113. The
information collected from the RF tag reader 105 may be
incorporated within a datastore of information including
information collected by a plurality of readers at the same or
different locations.
[0059] The data collected and compiled within one or more
datastores within network 113 may be further processed, combined
with other information, offered for sale, and sold. For example,
the information retrieved from and written to RF tags may be used
to show how items are being consumed or used. For example,
marketers and retailers may use the data collected by RF tag
readers to see how items are being used, as opposed to how items
are being sold. As a specific example, an inventory system of a
grocery store may show that a large quantity of an item has been
sold during a particular time period. The grocery store management
may find it helpful to know the consumption patterns of the item as
well in order to predict future demand for the item. If most of the
items are consumed or used quickly, it may be more likely that
demand will increase, giving the grocery store notice that it
should restock the item. On the other hand, if the item is not
being consumed or used, perhaps the demand will not be as great
because the purchasers still have the item and so have no need to
purchase additional items. Information collected from a number of
RF tags may be collected, processed, combined with information from
other sources, sorted, filtered, and sold to interested parties or
otherwise used.
[0060] Information concerning a post-consumption item may be linked
(by serial number, for example) with information concerning the
pre-consumed item collected by other data collection systems.
Inventory systems keyed on data elements such as serial number, for
example, stored in RF tags may be used to capture pre-consumer
information with post-consumption information, thereby allowing the
entire life cycle of an item to be tracked. This information may be
useful to any number of entities, including retailers,
manufacturers, distributors, and the like.
[0061] This data may be helpful to track consumer purchase versus
consumer use patterns, which may be very useful in today's mobile
society. For example, a pet owner who lives in Atlanta but has a
cabin in the mountains may chose to purchase pet food in the
mountains because pet food is less expensive there. A grocery store
in Atlanta may find this information useful for pet food pricing
decisions. A recycling facility may find it useful to know where
items dropped off at the recycling center were originally
purchased. Grocery stores, pharmacies, and retailers may find it
useful to know how long it takes a particular item to go from being
stocked on the shelf to being placed in a waste or recycling
receptacle. This information may be correlated with item shelf life
to determine the prevalence of storage of an item past its
allowable shelf life. The information collected may be processed to
provide information that is valuable to particular industries.
[0062] Sorting Apparatus
[0063] Commingled RF-tagged and untagged items may be sorted, based
on data retrieved from RF tags associated with the items. If an
RF-tagged item comes within reading proximity of the reader, the
reader may receive the RF data from the RF tag and send the RF data
to a coupler/computing device, as described above. The
coupler/computing device may process the RF data to determine, for
example, characteristics of the item, such as the composition
(e.g., plastic, steel, aluminum, etc.) of the item. Alternatively,
or in addition thereto, the coupler/computing device may match the
RF data received from the antenna to a datastore of RF tag data to
determine characteristics, etc. of the item. Characteristics of the
item may include composition, whether the item is recyclable,
whether the item is biodegradable, whether the item is the subject
of a recall, whether the item is a hazardous material, the volume
of the item (compacted or not compacted), the weight of the item,
and the like. These and other characteristics may be determined
from the data received from the RF tag and/or from the datastore(s)
associated therewith, as described above.
[0064] For example, the first four digits of the serial number of
the item may indicate the composition of the item. For example,
items with serial numbers between 0000 and 0999 may denote
plastics. By retrieving the serial number and determining that the
first four digits of the serial number of the item fall within the
range between 0000 and 0999, it may be determined that the item is
plastic. Alternatively, the composition may be determined by
matching the serial number or lot number of the post-consumption
item to a datastore of items or materials. The datastore may
contain the composition of the item or material. The coupler and/or
associated computing device may capture and store information
concerning the nature, number, volume, and weight of items
currently stored within the receptacle associated with the reader.
This information may be maintained in a datastore stored within the
coupler/computing device. Instead, or in addition to maintaining
the datastore, the coupler/computing device may transmit current
contents information to another component, such as the facilities
computer or to a network.
[0065] Also, the computing device may cause post-consumption items
having RF tags to be sorted based on data included in the RF tags.
FIG. 3a shows a flow chart of a method for selectively sorting
post-consumption items based on RF tags associated with a post
consumption item.
[0066] At step 301, the reader reads the data from the RF tag
associated with a post-consumption item. The reader may read
characteristics of the item which may include a composition of the
item, whether the item is recyclable, whether the item is
biodegradable, whether the item is the subject of a recall, whether
the item is a hazardous material, the volume of the item (compacted
or not compacted), the weight of the item, and the like. The reader
may communicate the data to the computing device for
processing.
[0067] At step 303, the computing device may cause the item to be
sorted based on the data read from the RF tag. Sorting may be
implemented in a variety of ways, as described in more detail
below.
[0068] FIG. 4 illustrates a sorting apparatus in accordance with
one embodiment of the invention. Commingled tagged items 401, 402
and untagged items 403 are placed on a primary conveyor 404.
Primary conveyor 404 may be positioned so as to readily receive the
commingled items. As primary conveyor 404 transports commingled
tagged items 401, 402 and untagged items 403, a reader 405 may read
data from RF-tagged items 401, 402. Reader 405 or readers 409, 411,
and 412, associated with pushing arms 406, 407, and 408 may
determine the composition or other attributes of RF-tagged items
401, 402. Data from readers 405, 409, 411, and 412 may be processed
by associated computing devices, as described above. The computing
devices may return instructions and information to pushing arms
409, 410, and 411. In response to the information and instructions
received from computing devices associated with this computing
device or devices, pushing arms 409, 410, and 411 may push or
otherwise convey the tagged items 401 and 402, based on composition
or another suitable attribute determined from data retrieved from
readers 405, 409, 410, and 411, onto corresponding secondary
conveyor belts 412, 413, or 414.
[0069] While FIG. 4 illustrates push arms for transferring items
from primary conveyor 404 to secondary conveyors 412, 413, and 414,
other techniques may be implemented. For example, the apparatus may
include a pick arm that grips the item, a magnetic device that
secures the item magnetically, a pointed device that secures the
item by piercing the item, a suction device that secures the item
using suction, and the like. To assist the apparatus in locating
the item, the apparatus may implement triangulation to determine an
estimated location of the device and use the estimated location to
transfer the item to a secondary conveyor 412, 413, or 414.
[0070] For example, FIG. 5 illustrates a sorting apparatus
according to another embodiment of the invention. Commingled tagged
items 401, 402 and untagged items 403 may be placed on conveyor
501. Conveyor 501 may be a primary or secondary conveyor. Conveyor
501 may be positioned so as to readily receive the commingled
items. As conveyor 501 transports the commingled tagged items 401,
402 and untagged items 403, a reader 505 may read data from
RF-tagged items 401, 402. Alternatively, or in addition, reader 503
associated with picker arm 507 may read data from RF-tagged items
401, 402. Reader 503 associated with picker arm 507 may determine
the composition or other attributes of the tagged items 401, 402
and may use the data retrieved from the RF tag to triangulate the
position of tagged item 401, 402 for retrieval by picker arm 507.
Picker arm 507 may be provisioned with suitable apparatus for
retrieval of the selected tagged item 401, 402. For example picker
arm 507 may be provisioned with a sharp pointed end to retrieve
plastic items by stabbing the item, with a suction device to
retrieve glass, with a magnet to retrieve iron-containing objects
such as steel cans, and so on.
[0071] FIG. 6 illustrates an apparatus 600 for storing RF-tagged
items. As the tagged item 401 approaches the opening 602 of the
apparatus, the RF tag associated with item 401 is read by reader
405 and the composition of the tagged item 401 is determined as
described above. In response to the determined composition (e.g.,
plastic) of the tagged item 401, the item 401 is chuted via a chute
610 to a storage container 620 for that type of item (e.g., a
plastic storage container). Alternatively, separate receptacles 620
for different composition items may each be equipped with an RF tag
reader. As an RF-tagged item 401 approaches the opening of the
receptacle, the RF tag reader may read the RF tag associated with
the item 401. In response to determining the composition of the
tagged item 401 as described above, the receptacle may deliver an
audible message. For example, if the receptacle is a plastic
receptacle and the tagged item 401 is not plastic, the receptacle
may sound an alert to inform the user that the wrong type of item
is being placed in the receptacle. Alternatively, the receptacle
may display a visual message. For example, if the receptacle is a
plastic receptacle and the tagged item 401 is not plastic, but
instead is a steel can, the receptacle may display the image of a
crossed-out can and/or an image of a plastic milk carton that it is
not crossed out to show the user that the steel can should not be
placed within the receptacle and also optionally showing the user
an image of an item that the receptacle is meant to hold.
Optionally, if the user does not withdraw the improper item 401, an
alarm may sound, thus encouraging the user to properly dispose of
the tagged item 401.
[0072] Alternatively, a receptacle for general post-consumption
items may include a reader and may automatically sort the
post-consumption items into separate bins or containers. For
example, if an RF-tagged item comes within proximity of the reader,
the reader preferably identifies the item as described above.
Perhaps the composition of the item is identified as plastic.
Because the post-consumption item has been identified as plastic,
the item may be chuted to a plastic recycling bin. For example, if
the reader identifies the item as plastic, a panel to the plastic
recycling bin may open as the item enters the receptacle, causing
the plastic item to fall into the plastic bin. Alternatively, as
the item approaches the reader, a visual display may indicate the
correct receptacle to place the item in or the correct button to
push. If the reader identifies the item as steel, a panel to the
steel recycling bin may open. Alternatively, all items may be
initially held within a common receptacle shaped as a funnel so
that one item at a time is handled, identified, and chuted to the
appropriate bin. Alternatively, the items may be identified by the
reader and separated by a moveable arm based on the signals
received by the arm concerning composition of the item, or based on
attributes of the moveable arm. For example, a magnetized arm may
be used to separate out steel items.
[0073] The receptacle just described may be a receptacle contained
within a building or may be a receptacle affixed to a vehicle for
transporting the items to a recycling, processing, or other
facility, or may be a receptacle at the recycling, processing, or
other facility. Hence, sorting of the post-consumption items may
not occur until after the items have been picked up, delivered to
the facility, or sorting may occur at some combination of
locations.
[0074] It is noted that the foregoing examples have been provided
merely for the purpose of illustration and explanation and are in
no way to be construed as limiting of the invention. As an example,
if a function such as maintenance and/or querying of a datastore
query is attributed to a particular element such as a reader, it
will be understood that the function may be performed alternatively
or additionally by a building management component or by any
suitable network element without departing from the spirit and
scope of the invention.
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