U.S. patent application number 15/204093 was filed with the patent office on 2017-01-12 for bin for transporting waste or recyclable material.
The applicant listed for this patent is Divert, Inc.. Invention is credited to Ryan R. Begin, Nicholas L. Whitman.
Application Number | 20170008671 15/204093 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 57686121 |
Filed Date | 2017-01-12 |
United States Patent
Application |
20170008671 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Whitman; Nicholas L. ; et
al. |
January 12, 2017 |
BIN FOR TRANSPORTING WASTE OR RECYCLABLE MATERIAL
Abstract
Systems, methods and devices are provided for transporting,
tracking and managing waste or recyclable materials, which may
include one or more devices for transporting waste or recyclable
material. The device may comprise a base; and a collapsible sleeve
movable between an open state and a collapsed state, wherein the
collapsible sleeve in the open state interfaces in a nesting manner
with the base to form a bin for receiving and transporting waste
material.
Inventors: |
Whitman; Nicholas L.;
(Lincoln, MA) ; Begin; Ryan R.; (North Billerica,
MA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Divert, Inc. |
Concord |
MA |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
57686121 |
Appl. No.: |
15/204093 |
Filed: |
July 7, 2016 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
62190055 |
Jul 8, 2015 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06Q 30/018 20130101;
H04L 67/42 20130101; Y02W 90/00 20150501; G01G 19/083 20130101;
B65D 19/14 20130101; G09F 3/0297 20130101; B66F 9/06 20130101; G06K
2209/19 20130101; H04W 4/44 20180201; B60P 1/00 20130101; B65D
21/086 20130101; B65F 2250/106 20130101; Y02W 30/82 20150501; B65F
2220/1063 20130101; G06K 9/183 20130101; G06Q 10/30 20130101; B65D
19/16 20130101; B65F 1/1468 20130101; B65F 2220/106 20130101; B65F
2250/105 20130101; H04N 5/332 20130101; B65F 1/06 20130101; G06Q
50/28 20130101; G09F 2003/0272 20130101; H04W 4/40 20180201; H04W
4/029 20180201; G06F 16/58 20190101; B65F 2210/138 20130101; H04N
5/2258 20130101; B65F 9/00 20130101; G06Q 30/04 20130101; G06K
7/10009 20130101; B65D 19/0004 20130101; B65F 2210/1026 20130101;
B65F 2250/114 20130101; G06K 7/10316 20130101; G06Q 10/0875
20130101; B65F 2240/138 20130101; B65F 2210/128 20130101 |
International
Class: |
B65D 21/08 20060101
B65D021/08; B65F 1/14 20060101 B65F001/14; B65D 19/00 20060101
B65D019/00; B65F 1/06 20060101 B65F001/06 |
Claims
1. A device for transporting waste or recyclable material, the
device comprising: a base; and a collapsible sleeve movable between
an open state and a collapsed state, wherein the collapsible sleeve
in the open state interfaces in a nesting manner with the base to
form a bin for receiving and transporting waste or recyclable
material.
2. The device of claim 1, wherein the collapsible sleeve, when in
the collapsed state, and the base are adapted to function as a
pallet for transportation of goods.
3. The device of claim 1, wherein the base has an interface adapted
to allow the device to be lifted by at least one of: a forklift and
a pallet jack.
4. The device of claim 1, wherein the base comprises an attachment
mechanism to secure the collapsible sleeve in the open state to the
base.
5. The device of claim 1, wherein the collapsible sleeve comprises
at least one of plastic and cardboard material.
6. The device of claim 1, wherein the collapsible sleeve is
collapsible with a z-fold such that it may be contained within the
outer edges of the base.
7. The device of claim 1, wherein the collapsed state of the
collapsible sleeve, allows the base and the collapsed sleeve to be
transported together like a standard wooden palette.
8. The device of claim 1, further comprising a cover, wherein the
cover is integral to or separate from the collapsible sleeve and
fits on top of the open collapsible sleeve.
9. The device of claim 8, wherein the base, the open collapsible
sleeve and the cover together are stackable on another similar
device.
10. The device of claim 8, wherein the collapsible sleeve, when in
the collapsed state, fits within the cover.
11. The device claim 8, wherein the collapsible sleeve, when in the
collapsed state, and the cover fit within the outer edges of the
base for transport.
12. The device of claim 8, wherein the collapsible sleeve, when in
the collapsed state, the cover, and the base are attachable
together for transport.
13. The device of claim 8, wherein the cover comprises an exterior
frame that fits over a peripheral edge of the open collapsible
sleeve and a hinged interior portion.
14. The device of claim 1, wherein the base forms a reservoir for
containing a liquid portion of the waste material.
15. The device of claim 1, wherein the reservoir comprises one or
more channels.
16. The device of claim 15, wherein the one or more channels
comprise a plurality of channels along an exterior edge of the
base, each of the plurality of channels having a corresponding
lip.
17. The device of claim 15, wherein the collapsible sleeve has
notches in bottom edges to accommodate the plurality of
channels.
18. The device of claim 1, further comprising a disposable liner
adapted to be disposed within the open collapsible sleeve to
provide lining for the interior of the bin.
19. The device of claim 1, wherein the collapsible sleeve has an
opening to accommodate an attachment mechanism of the base.
20. The device of claim 1, wherein the collapsible sleeve comprises
a location indicator for placement of at least one of an RFID tag,
a GPS tracker and an asset tracker.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional
patent application 62/190,055 (FEED-0001-P01), filed Jul. 8, 2015,
which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
BACKGROUND
[0002] 1. Field
[0003] The present disclosure generally relates to computing and
information technology systems, devices, and methods for
collecting, managing, measuring, and tracking recyclable and waste
materials and providing feedback on the material collected for the
purposes of billing, compliance assurance, performance assessment,
and the like.
[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0005] Many commercial organizations undertake recycling
initiatives with associated goals and incentives. However, in the
case of large organizations, such as where the material for
recycling may be collected from a plurality of stores and
locations, with today's limited information technology
infrastructure it may be difficult to track how individual stores
are performing, individually or relative to one another, with
respect to recycling efficiency and goal compliance. A large
organization that uses a distribution center for the receipt,
temporary storage, and redistribution of goods and materials may be
able to obtain measurements made at the distribution center that
indicate the total amount of material received in a given period
from stores in a chain, but with current systems it can be
difficult to identify the relative contribution made by each of the
different stores. In such cases, different stores may be allocated
equal or proportionate credit for recycling based on the total
amount of material, without regard to each individual store's
actual contribution. As a result, individual stores may not be
rewarded or penalized based on their actual performance, relative
to organizational goals of recycling, which may tend to cause
individual stores to undertake only minimal efforts and in turn
tend to diminish aggregate success. In the absence of the means to
adequately track recycling efforts, or in the absence of success of
those efforts, some organizations and stores may chose not to
implement, or to abandon, a recycling or backhauling program. Such
challenges are compounded in situations where waste material takes
different forms; for example, grocery organizations may have
organic waste of various types, materials that are subject to
deposit regulations (like deposit soda and beer bottles), and a
variety of packaging materials and containers, such as cardboard
boxes, glass containers, plastic containers of various sizes,
shapes, and constituent materials. Each different kind of material
may be subject to distinct regulations, pricing agreements, and
other requirements, such that a need exists to track and manage
each different material separately from other materials. However,
current systems for tracking such information are inadequate,
requiring manual tracking of information by untrained employees and
lacking facilities for rapid, efficient collection, integration,
and analysis of data of disparate types for large numbers of
stores.
[0006] In situations where third party providers transport
recyclables, organic waste, trash and the like for smaller
organizations on the return portion of a delivery trip (referred to
herein in some cases as "backhaul"), the difficulties associated
with adequately tracking material returned by different stores are
magnified, as owners may have no effective mechanism for obtaining
information about the nature of the contents of a backhaul trip
from the third party.
[0007] A need exists for methods and systems that help stores,
enterprises, transport service providers and the like adequately
track and characterize the material handled in streams of
recyclable and waste material.
SUMMARY
[0008] In accordance with exemplary and non-limiting embodiments,
systems, methods and devices are provided for tracking and managing
waste materials, which may include one or more devices enabled to
record information (such as from a bar code, label or the like)
about the handling of waste material at a point in a distribution
chain, as well as information technology systems for collecting,
processing, analyzing and otherwise managing information about a
large number and variety of streams of waste material, such as from
various originating sources.
[0009] The present disclosure describes a system for tracking waste
or recyclable material in a transported material stream and
providing at least one of billing information, credit information,
and reporting information with respect to the material, wherein the
system according to one disclosed non-limiting embodiment of the
present disclosure mau include a label associated with a batch of
waste or recyclable material at an originating site, the label
including label information and being associated with at least one
of the batch of material and a container for the material at the
originating site, the label information comprising at least one of
identifier information identifying the originating site and
information about the material, a label reader at a material
handling site that is remote from the originating site and is
capable of reading the label information on the label, and a
communications facility for communicating to a server the label
information read by the label reader, wherein the server uses the
label information to report or determine, with respect to the
material, specific information about at least one of the type and
the amount of the material.
[0010] In embodiments, the specific information relates to the
amount of the material and at least one of a credit owed and an
obligation owed.
[0011] In embodiments, information reported by the server further
comprises at least one of: an amount of recycled material, a type
of the material, an owner of the facility that produced the
material, a time of origination of the material, a transporter of
the material, a time of transportation of the material, an image of
the material, a weight of the material, a temperature of the
material, a volume of the material, and a location of handling of
the material.
[0012] In embodiments, a forklift is configured to handle the
material, or a container for the material is configured to be
handled by a forklift.
[0013] In embodiments, information reported by the server about the
material includes information about the transport of the
material.
[0014] In embodiments, the information about the transport of the
material comprises at least one of: a pick-up location, a time of
pick-up, a drop-off location, a time of drop-off, a duration of
transport, a temperature of the material during transport, a weight
of the material, and a weight at a particular time.
[0015] In embodiments, the system further comprises an image
processing subsystem for acquiring an image of at least one of the
material and a container for the material, wherein the image is
used in a compliance analysis.
[0016] In embodiments, the compliance analysis includes at least
one of: a determination of presence or absence of contaminants in
the material, such as with the use of an image capture system, a
determination of proper or improper container assembly, a
determination of proper or improper liner set-up, such as with the
use of an image capture system, a determination of whether
temperature of the material is within a predetermined range, and a
determination of compliance or noncompliance with regulations.
[0017] In embodiments, the system further includes an image
processing subsystem for acquiring an image of at least one of the
material and a container for the material, wherein the server uses
the image to determine a nature of the material and associates the
nature of the material with information about the origination and
handling of the material.
[0018] In embodiments, the system further includes a scale to
determine a weight of the material.
[0019] In embodiments, the same or a different server tracks
information with respect to a plurality of batches of material to
determine at least one of a net credit and a net obligation with
respect to the plurality of batches.
[0020] The present disclosure describes a system for tracking
material in a transported waste stream and providing information
with respect to the material, the method according to one disclosed
non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure can include a
label associated with a batch of waste or recyclable material at an
originating site, the label including label information and being
associated with at least one of the batch of material and a
container for the material at the originating site, the label
information comprising at least one of identifier information
identifying the originating site and information about the
material, a label reader at a material handling site that is remote
from the originating site and is capable of reading the label
information on the label; and a communications facility for
communicating to a server the label information read by the label
reader, wherein the server uses the label information to determine
analytics with respect to the material.
[0021] In embodiments, the information with respect to the material
includes at least one of a credit owed, an obligation owed,
reporting information, destination site, type of material, and
classifications.
[0022] In embodiments, the analytics include analyzed information
of the material including a cost analysis, a time analysis, and an
efficiency analysis.
[0023] The present disclosure describes a device for transporting
waste or recyclable material, the device according to one disclosed
non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure may include a
base and a collapsible sleeve movable between an open state and a
collapsed state, wherein the collapsible sleeve in the open state
interfaces in a nesting manner with the base to form a bin for
receiving and transporting waste material.
[0024] In embodiments, the collapsible sleeve in the collapsed
state and the base are adapted to function as a pallet for
transportation of goods.
[0025] In embodiments, the base has an interface adapted to allow
the device to be lifted by at least one of: a fork lift and a
pallet jack.
[0026] In embodiments, the base comprises an attachment mechanism
to secure the collapsible sleeve in the open state to the base.
[0027] In embodiments, the collapsible sleeve comprises at least
one of plastic and cardboard material.
[0028] In embodiments, the collapsible sleeve is collapsible with a
z-fold such that it may be contained within the outer edges of the
base.
[0029] In embodiments, the collapsed state of the collapsible
sleeve allows the base and the collapsed sleeve to be transported
together like a standard wooden palette.
[0030] In embodiments, the device further comprises a cover,
wherein the cover is integral to or separate from the collapsible
sleeve and fits on top of the open collapsible sleeve.
[0031] In embodiments, the base, the open collapsible sleeve and
the cover together are stackable on another similar device.
[0032] In embodiments, the collapsible sleeve in the collapsed
state fits within the cover.
[0033] In embodiments, the collapsible sleeve, when in the
collapsed state, and the cover fit within the outer edges of the
base for transport.
[0034] In embodiments, the collapsible sleeve, when in the
collapsed state, the cover, and the base are attachable together
for transport.
[0035] In embodiments, the cover comprises an exterior frame that
fits over a peripheral edge of the open collapsible sleeve and a
hinged interior portion.
[0036] In embodiments, the base forms a reservoir for containing a
liquid portion of the waste material.
[0037] In embodiments, the reservoir comprises one or more
channels.
[0038] In embodiments, the one or more channels comprise a
plurality of channels along an exterior edge of the base, each of
the plurality of channels having a corresponding lip.
[0039] In embodiments, the collapsible sleeve has notches in bottom
edges to accommodate the plurality of channels.
[0040] In embodiments, the device further comprises a disposable
liner adapted to be disposed within the open collapsible sleeve to
provide lining for the interior of the bin.
[0041] In embodiments, the collapsible sleeve has an opening to
accommodate an attachment mechanism of the base.
[0042] In embodiments, the collapsible sleeve comprises a location
indicator for placement of at least one of an RFID tag, a GPS
tracker and an asset tracker.
[0043] In embodiments, at least the interior of the collapsible
sleeve is coated by a wax coating.
[0044] In embodiments, the device further comprises at least one of
an RFID tag, a GPS tracker and an asset tracker.
[0045] In embodiments, the base and the collapsible sleeve are
adapted for repeated use as a bin for transporting waste or
recyclable material.
[0046] The present disclosure describes a method of a system for
tracking waste or recyclable material, wherein the system according
to one disclosed non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure
may include an imaging device for capturing an image of at least
one of a batch of waste or recyclable material and any bin for the
material, wherein the imaging device is located at or on at least
one of the originating site, a transport device for the material,
and a material handling site that is remote from the originating
site, wherein the imaging device is associated with at least one
communications facility for communicating with a system that tracks
the batch of material, and wherein the image captured by the
imaging device is sent with information enabling the captured image
to be associated with at least one of a batch of waste or
recyclable material and a bin for the material.
[0047] In embodiments, a portion of the material is organic
material.
[0048] In embodiments, the system further comprises a label
configured to be associated with the batch of material, wherein the
label comprises an identifier including at least one of information
identifying the originating site and information about the batch of
material and a label reader at a material handling site that is
remote from the originating site and is capable of reading the
identifier on the label, the label reader associated with a first
communications facility for communicating the information read by
the label reader to a server, wherein the system that tracks the
batch of material in the bin associates the image captured by the
imaging device with the label.
[0049] In embodiments, the captured image of the material may be
processed to identify at least one of: an estimate of the
temperature of organic material, a presence of inorganic material,
an estimate of the percent of inorganic material, an estimate of
the number of inorganic items, an estimate of the type of inorganic
items, an estimate of volume of material, an estimate of weight of
the material, an estimate of the quality of the material, and an
estimate of the age of the organic material.
[0050] In embodiments, the imaging device is sensitive to infrared
wavelengths.
[0051] In embodiments, the captured image may be used to document
the quality of material received at the material handling site.
[0052] In embodiments, the information about the batch of material
includes information about the destination of the material.
[0053] In embodiments, the information about the batch of material
includes information about the destination of the material.
[0054] In embodiments, the information about the batch of material
comprises at least one of: a type of the material, a facility that
produced the material, a time of origination of the material, a
transporter of the material, a time of transportation of the
material, a transport duration, an image of the material, a weight
of the material, a temperature of the material, a volume of the
material, and a location of handling of the material.
[0055] In embodiments, the system further includes a liner for the
bin, wherein the label is attached to the liner.
[0056] In embodiments, the label is attached to the bin.
[0057] In embodiments, the bin is configured to be handled by a
forklift.
[0058] In embodiments, the system further comprises a scale for
weighing the bin to determine a weight of the material.
[0059] The present disclosure describes a system for tracking a
batch of waste or recyclable material, wherein the system according
to one disclosed non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure
may include a label reader for reading a label that was associated
with the batch of material at the originating site, a device for
measuring a parameter indicative of the weight of the batch of
material and a communications facility for communicating the weight
of the batch of material and the label information to a system for
tracking the batch of waste material.
[0060] In embodiments, the scale measures the weight of the
material by using a transport device that transports the batch of
material.
[0061] In embodiments, the device for measuring a parameter
indicative of the weight of the batch is positioned on a transport
device that transports the batch of material.
[0062] In embodiments, the parameter indicative of the weight of
the item is at least one operating parameter of at least one
operating system on the transport device.
[0063] In embodiments, the at least one operating parameter is at
least one of a pressure associated with a lifting system of the
transport device, a load measured in the lifting system of the
transport device, a power requirement of a power system of the
transport device, and an operating parameter of a motor of the
transport device. In embodiments, a weight of a subsequent batch of
material is determined by using historical data from a plurality of
batches of the same material type as the batch of material to
determine a weight for the batch of material, such as by
calculating an average weight of batches of the same material from
the originating site.
[0064] In embodiments, the scale is a drive-through scale that
measures the weight of the material by measuring the weight of the
material and a transport device that transports the material over
the scale and subtracting the weight of the transport device.
[0065] In embodiments, the scale is located at a material handling
site that is remote from the originating site.
[0066] In embodiments, the system further comprises a bin to hold
the material.
[0067] In embodiments, the system further comprises a liner in the
bin.
[0068] In embodiments, the label is affixed to the liner.
[0069] In embodiments, the bin is configured to be handled by a
forklift.
[0070] In embodiments, the information about the material includes
information about the transport of the material.
[0071] In embodiments, the information about the material includes
information about the destination of the material.
[0072] In embodiments, the information about the material comprises
at least one of: a type of the waste material, an owner of the
facility that produced the waste material, a time of origination of
the waste material, a transporter of the waste material, a time of
transportation of the waste material, an image of the waste
material, a weight of the waste material, a temperature of the
waste material, a volume of the waste material, and a location of
handling of the waste material.
[0073] In embodiments, the system further comprises a bin to hold
the material, and wherein the scale is a drive-through scale that
measures the weight of the material by measuring the weight of the
material, the bin, and the transport device that transports the
material over the scale and subtracting the weight of the bin and
the transport device.
[0074] The present disclosure describes a system for tracking a
batch of waste or recyclable material the method according to one
disclosed non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure can
include a label reader for reading a label that was associated with
the batch of material at the originating site, a scale for
determining the weight of the batch of material, wherein the scale
is a drive-through scale that measures the weight of the material
by measuring the weight of a transport device loaded with the
material and subtracting the weight of the transport device and a
communications facility for communicating the weight of the batch
of material and the label information to a system for tracking the
batch of waste material.
[0075] The present disclosure describes a system for tracking
organic material in a waste stream, wherein the system according to
one disclosed non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure may
include a label associated with a batch of waste material at an
originating site, wherein at least a portion of the batch of waste
material is organic material and wherein the label comprises label
information identifying at least one of the originating site and
information about the batch of waste material, a label reader at a
waste handling site that is remote from the originating site and is
capable of reading the label information on the label, a
characterizing device for determining at least one characteristic
of the batch of waste material and a communications facility for
communicating to a server the label information read by the label
reader and the determined at least one characteristic of the batch
of waste material, wherein the server uses the label information
and the at least one characteristic to provide a user with data
about the organic material in the batch of the waste material.
[0076] In embodiments, a forklift is configured to handle the batch
of material, or a bin for the batch of material is configured to be
handled by a forklift.
[0077] In embodiments, the characterizing device comprises an image
processing subsystem for acquiring an image of at least one of the
material and a bin for the material. In embodiments, the acquired
image is used for documenting the nature of the batch of waste
material or a condition of the bin. In embodiments, the server for
the processing facility may associate the information about the
nature of the waste material with information about the origination
and handling of the bin. In embodiments, a condition of the bin may
include a determination as to whether the bin has been properly
assembled, whether a liner is in place, or the like, or other
compliance determinations.
[0078] In embodiments, the system further comprises a device for
measuring a parameter indicative of the weight of the waste
material.
[0079] In embodiments, the information about the batch of the waste
material includes information about the transport of the waste
material, comprising at least one of: a pick-up location, a time of
pick-up, a drop-off location, a time of drop-off, a duration of
transport, a temperature of the batch of waste material during
transport, a weight of the material, and a weight at a particular
time.
[0080] In embodiments, the information about the waste material
includes information about the destination of the waste
material.
[0081] In embodiments, the information about the batch of waste
material comprises at least one of: a type of the waste material,
an owner of the facility that produced the waste material, a time
of origination of the waste material, a transporter of the waste
material, a time of transportation of the waste material, an image
of the waste material, a weight of the waste material, a
temperature of the waste material, a volume of the waste material,
and a location of handling of the waste material.
[0082] The present disclosure describes a system for tracking waste
or recyclable material, wherein the system according to one
disclosed non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure may
include a label for a batch of material generated at an originating
site, the label being associated with at least one of the material
and any container for the material at the originating site, the
label comprising an identifier including at least one of
information identifying the originating site and information about
the material, a label reader at a material handling site that is
remote from the originating site and is capable of reading the
identifier on the label, the label reader associated with a
communications facility for communicating information to a
server.
[0083] In embodiments, the information communicated to the server
includes at least one of: a timestamp associated with a label, a
type of material, an amount of material, a read rate associated
with a label, an absence of a label, data from more than one label,
an image of the material and data associated with at least one of
signal strength and signal direction associated with each label
read.
[0084] In embodiments, the server uses at least some of the
received information to at least one of: verify that a label was
read, determine an absence of a label on the batch of material,
disambiguate between the use of the same label for different
batches of material, disambiguate between the presence of more than
one label on the same material in order to identify the correct
label information for a particular shipment of material,
disambiguate between material on a forklift and material near the
forklift, and disambiguate the association of the label with
additional measurements made on the material.
[0085] In embodiments, the server uses historical data from a
plurality of batches of the same material type to determine a
weight for the batch of the material.
[0086] In embodiments, the information about the material includes
information about the transport of the material.
[0087] In embodiments, wherein the information about the material
includes information about the destination of the material.
[0088] In embodiments, the system further comprises an image
processing subsystem for documenting the nature of the material in
the container.
[0089] In embodiments, the server for the processing facility
associates the information about the nature of the material with
the information about the origination and handling of the container
for the batch of material.
[0090] In embodiments, the system further comprises a scale for
determining a weight of the material.
[0091] In embodiments, the information about the material comprises
at least one of: a type of the material, a composition of the
material, an owner of the facility that produced the material, a
time of origination of the material, a transporter of the material,
a time of transportation of the material, an image of the waste
material, a weight of the waste material, a temperature of the
waste material, a volume of the waste material, and a location of
handling of the waste material.
[0092] The present disclosure describes a forklift system adapted
to collect and report information about items handled by a
forklift, wherein the forklift system according to one disclosed
non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure may include: a
forklift, an RFID reader with at least one antenna positioned at
least one of on and in proximity to the forklift, wherein the at
least one antenna of the RFID reader is positioned to read RFID
information from at least one RFID tag positioned on an item
handled by the forklift, a device for measuring a parameter
indicative of the weight of the item handled by the forklift; and a
processing facility with a server for associating the information
read by the RFID reader and the parameter indicative of the weight
of the item.
[0093] In embodiments, the server further associates the
information from the RFID reader with timestamp information that
indicates a time of the handling of the item by the forklift.
[0094] In embodiments, the device for measuring the parameter
indicative of the weight of the item is at least one of a drive-on
scale and a drive-through scale.
[0095] In embodiments, the device for measuring the parameter
indicative of the weight of the item is positioned on the
forklift.
[0096] In embodiments, the parameter indicative of the weight of
the item is at least one operating parameter of at least one
operating system of the forklift.
[0097] In embodiments, the at least one operating parameter is at
least one of a pressure associated with a lifting system of the
forklift, a load measured in the lifting system of the forklift, a
power requirement of a power system of the forklift, and an
operating parameter of a motor of the forklift.
[0098] In embodiments, the forklift system further includes a
communications facility of the forklift for communicating the
information captured by at least one of the RFID reader and the
device for measuring weight to the server.
[0099] In embodiments, the forklift system further includes a
camera for capturing an image of the item handled by the forklift,
wherein at least one of the captured image and information from the
captured image is associated with the information captured by the
RFID reader.
[0100] In embodiments, a communications facility communicates at
least one of the captured image and information from the captured
image to the server.
[0101] Disclosed herein are methods and systems for tracking
returned material. Such methods and systems may include a labeler
for attaching an RFID label representative of origination site to
each unit of material for return; an RFID reader for reading an
RFID label on each unit of material; and a logic and data storage
module for associating each unit of returned material with
originating site. Such methods and systems may further include a
communications module in communication with an analytic server.
[0102] Also disclosed herein are methods and systems for tracking
returned material. Such methods and systems may include a labeler
for attaching a bar code label representative of origination site
to each unit of material; a bar code scanner for reading the label
on each unit of material; and a logic and data storage module for
associating each unit of returned material with originating site.
Such methods and systems may further include a communications
module in communication with an analytic server.
[0103] Also disclosed herein are methods and systems for automatic
billing. Such methods and systems may include a labeler to label
units of material at an originating site; a reader to read labels
at distribution system; a characterization device for
characterizing each unit of material; a logic and data storage
module for associating each label information from each unit of
material with data characteristic of the unit material; and an
analytic server to associate material data with originating site
and automatically generate on of a bill and a credit for the
originating site based on the units of material moved from
originating site to distribution center. In embodiments the
characterization device may be one of a scale, a thermal sensor, an
imaging device, an odor sensor, and a noise sensor.
[0104] Also disclosed herein are methods and systems for awarding
credit for recyclable material. Such methods and systems may
include a labeler to place labels on units of recyclable materials
at an originating site; a reader to read labels at distribution
system; a characterization device for characterizing each unit of
material; a logic and data storage module for associating label
information from each unit of material with data characteristic for
each unit material; and a facility for awarding credit to the
originating site based on obtained information. In embodiments the
recyclable materials are one of cardboard, Styrofoam, corrugated
cardboard, plastics, PET plastics, waxed cardboard, glass, plastic
film, plastic bags, newspapers, waste paper, Steel and Aluminum
cans, foam, scrap metal, shrink wrap, food donation, organics, food
waste and trash. In embodiments the label comprises one of an RFID
tag, a barcode, a QR code, and an alphanumeric sequence. In
embodiments the reader comprises one of RFID reader, a barcode
scanner, and an imaging device. In embodiments the characterization
device is one of a scale, a thermal sensor, an imaging device, an
odor sensor, and a noise sensor.
[0105] Also disclosed herein are methods and systems for allocating
penalties for recyclable material. Such methods and systems may
include a labeler to place labels on units of recyclable materials
at an originating site; a reader to read labels at distribution
system; a characterization device for characterizing each unit of
material; a logic and data storage module for associating label
information from each unit of material with data characteristic for
each unit material; and a facility for allocating a penalty to the
originating site based on obtained information. In embodiments the
recyclable materials are one of cardboard, Styrofoam, corrugated
cardboard, plastics, PET plastics, waxed cardboard, glass, plastic
film, plastic bags, newspapers, waste paper, Steel and Aluminum
cans, foam, scrap metal, shrink wrap, food donation, organics, food
waste and trash. In embodiments the label comprises one of an RFID
tag, a barcode, a QR code, and an alphanumeric sequence. In
embodiments the reader comprises one of RFID reader, a barcode
scanner, and an imaging device. In embodiments the characterization
device is one of a scale, a thermal sensor, an imaging device, an
odor sensor, and a noise sensor.
[0106] Also disclosed herein are methods and systems for evaluating
a store performance. Such methods and systems may include a labeler
to place labels on units of recyclable materials at an originating
site; a reader to read labels at distribution system; a
characterization device for characterizing each unit of material; a
logic and data storage module for associating label information
from each unit of material with data characteristic for each unit
material; and a communications module for transmitting label
information and characteristic data to an analytic server, the
analytic server enabled to compare performance of one originating
site with other originating sites.
[0107] Also provided herein are methods and systems for evaluating
a store performance. Such methods and systems may include
identifying a peer set of stores based one at least one of size,
sales, location, pieces moved, division and employee count;
automatically tracking returned material using a labeler at each
store and a reader at the distribution center; calculating store
waste based on at least one of weight of organic materials
returned, volume of organic material returned; and calculating
store performance relative to stores in peer set of stores.
[0108] Also disclosed herein are methods and systems for tracking
returned material. Such methods and systems may include a labeler
for attaching an RFID tag. Such methods and systems may include
information identifying the origination site of each unit of
material for return wherein each RFID tag a comprises GPS tracker;
an RFID reader at return center for reading an RFID tag on each
unit; a logic and data storage module for associating each label
information from each unit of material with data characteristic of
the unit material; a communication module for transferring label
information and GPS data to a analytic server; and an analytic
server for tracking returned material from origination site through
return center.
[0109] Also disclosed herein are methods and systems for
documenting store shrinkage of commodity. Such methods and systems
may include identifying volume of commodity supplied to store based
on store orders calculating volume of commodity sold based on sales
receipts; capturing volume of commodity recycled based on
information from recycling center; and identifying shrinkage based
on difference between supplied commodity and combination of sold
and recycled commodity.
[0110] Also disclosed herein are methods and systems for monitoring
compliance with organic storage regulations. Such methods and
systems may include a labeler to label units of organic material at
an originating site; a reader to read label at distribution system;
an imager for capturing a digital thermal image of the content of
the unit of material; and a logic and data storage module for
associating label information from each unit of material with
captured thermal image data of said unit of material and estimating
the temperature of the organic material based on the digital
image.
[0111] Also disclosed herein are methods and systems for recycling
coffee grounds. Such methods and systems may include a container
for transporting ground coffee; a labeler for attaching a label to
the container at the originating site each label. Such methods and
systems may include information identifying the origination site; a
forklift adapted to carry the container; a reader for reading the
label on the container; a scale for assessing the weight of coffee
grounds in the container; and a logic and data storage module for
associating information from the label of each container with
assessed weight of the coffee grounds in the container.
[0112] Also disclosed herein are methods and systems for tracking
waste organics. Such methods and systems may include a bin; a bin
liner having an embedded RFID tag identifying the originating site;
an RFID reader at a destination site; a characterization device for
characterizing each bin of waste organics; a logic and data storage
module for associating label information from each bin of waste
organics with data characteristic of the bin of waste organics; and
a communications module for transmitting label information and
characteristic data to an analytic server.
[0113] Also disclosed herein are methods and systems for evaluating
a store performance. Such methods and systems may include a labeler
to place labels on units of recyclable materials at an originating
site; a reader to read labels at distribution system; a
characterization device for characterizing each unit of recyclable
material; a logic and data storage module for associating label
information from each unit of material with data characteristic for
each unit material; and a communications module for transmitting
label information and characteristic data to an analytic server,
the analytic server enabled to calculate a store incentive based on
at least one of weight, volume and quality of recycle material
relative to a defined group of stores.
[0114] Also disclosed herein are methods and systems for evaluating
a store performance. Such methods and systems may include
identifying a peer set of stores based one at least one of size,
sales, location, pieces moved, and employee count; automatically
tracking returned material using a labeler at each store and a
reader at the distribution center; evaluating store recyclable
material on at least one of weight of recyclable materials, volume
of recyclable material and quality of recyclable material; and
calculating a store incentive based on at least one of weight,
volume and quality of recycle material relative to a peer set of
stores.
[0115] Also disclosed herein are methods and systems for recycling.
Such methods and systems may include an RFID labeler to place RFID
tags on units of materials at an originating site; a RFID reader to
read RFID tags at distribution system; a characterization device
for characterizing each unit of material; and a logic and data
storage module for associating RFID tag information from each unit
of material with data characteristic for each unit material.
[0116] Also disclosed herein are methods and systems for
identifying an RFID tag associated with a unit of return material.
Such methods and systems may include reading RFID tags at multiple
locations such as at the source location, during transport to a
distribution center, at a plurality of locations within a
distribution center and locations to which the units of material
may be sent beyond the distribution center; identifying RFID tags
read each time; identifying whether RFID tags are already
associated with data; and selecting RFID tag with strongest
signal.
[0117] Also disclosed herein are methods and systems for tracking
returned material. Such methods and systems may include an RFID
labeler to place RFID tags on units of materials at an originating
site; an RFID reader to read RFID tags at a distribution system; a
drive through scale enabled to communicate measured weight with a
logic and data storage module; and a logic and data storage module
for associating RFID tag information from each unit of material
with measured weight.
[0118] Also disclosed herein are methods and systems for tracking
returned material. Such methods and systems may include an RFID
labeler to place RFID tags on units of materials at an originating
site; an RFID reader to read RFID tags at a distribution system; at
least one of an image sensor and an audio sensor enabled to capture
data about a unit of material and communicate captured data with a
logic and data storage module; and a logic and data storage module
for associating RFID tag information from each unit of material
with captured data.
[0119] Also disclosed herein are methods and systems for
documenting quality of return material. Such methods and systems
may include an RFID labeler to place RFID tags on units of
materials at an originating site; an RFID reader to read RFID tags
at a distribution system; an imager positioned to capture one or
more images of the return material enabled to communicate captured
image data to a logic and data storage module; and a logic and data
storage module for associating RFID tag information from each unit
of material with captured image data.
[0120] Also disclosed herein are methods and systems for
documenting quality of return material. Such methods and systems
may include a labeler to place labels on units of materials at an
originating site; a reader to read labels on a unit of material at
a distribution system; an imager positioned to capture one or more
images of the return material enabled to communicate captured image
data to a logic and data storage module; and a logic and data
storage module for associating label information from each unit of
material with captured image data.
[0121] Also disclosed herein are methods and systems for tracking
returned cardboard. Such methods and systems may include a baler
for baling the cardboard for return. Such methods and systems may
include a labeler for applying an RFID tag representative of
origination site to each bale as it is baled; an RFID reader at
return center for reading RFID tag on each bale of cardboard; a
characterization device for obtaining data characteristic of each
bale of cardboard; and a logic and data storage module for
associating information from the label of each bale of cardboard
with data characteristic of the bale of cardboard.
[0122] Also disclosed herein are methods and systems for tracking
returned material. Such methods and systems may include a labeler
for attaching a label representative of origination site to each
unit of returned material; a reader at return center for reading a
label on each unit of returned material; a logic and data storage
module for associating information from the label of each unit of
material with a date and location for each unit of recycled return
material; a communication module enabled to receive data
characteristic of each unit of material transported; a logic and
data storage module for associating information from the label of
each unit of material with data characteristic of each unit of
material; a communications module for transmitting label
information and characteristic data to an analytic server; and an
analytic server enabled to estimate, in the absence of label
information, an origination site based on origination site of units
with similar date and location of the unit.
[0123] Also disclosed herein are methods and systems for tracking
returned plastic containers. Such methods and systems may include a
labeler to label units of material at an originating site; a reader
to read labels at distribution system; an imager for capturing a
digital image of the content of the unit of material; a logic and
data storage module for associating label information from each
unit of material with captured image data of said unit of material
and estimating at least one of a volume, weight, number, quality,
and type representative of the plastic containers in the bin based
on the digital image.
[0124] Also disclosed herein are methods and systems relating to a
smart forklift. Such methods and systems may include a forklift;
and an automatic tracking system disposed on the forklift, for
tracking items carried by the forklift. Such methods and systems
may include a communication module enabled to receive data
characteristic of each unit of material transported; a logic and
data storage module for associating information from a label of
each unit of material with data characteristic of each unit of
material; and a communications module for transmitting label
information and characteristic data to an analytic server. Such
methods and systems may further include at least one of an RFID
reader and a bar code scanner for reading a label on each unit of
material transported.
[0125] Methods and systems relating to a smart forklift may further
include a forklift; a communication module enabled to receive data
characteristic of the unit of material being transported; a logic
and data storage module for associating, for each unit of material,
information from the label and characteristic data; and a
communications module for transmitting label information and
characteristic data to an analytic server. Such methods and systems
may include an RFID reader for reading a label from unit of
material being transported and at least one RFID antenna. Such
methods and systems may include a scale for weighing the unit of
material being transported. In this disclosure, a scale is any
device which measures one or more parameters indicative of weight
and facilitates a determination or a calculation of weight. In
embodiments the scale comprises a pressure gauge to measure with
the hydraulic pressure for raising and lowering the unit of
material being transported. In embodiments, the scale comprises an
electric scale incorporated in the forks of the forklift.
[0126] Methods and systems relating to a smart forklift may further
include a forklift; an RFID reader for reading a label from unit of
material being transported; at least two RFID antennas wherein the
antennas have different characteristics; a communication module
enabled to receive data characteristic of the unit of material
being transported; a logic and data storage module for associating,
for each unit of material, information from the label and
characteristic data; and a communications module for transmitting
label information and characteristic data to an analytic server.
Such methods and systems may include a scale for weighing the unit
of material being transported. In embodiments the operating
characteristics include at least one of operating frequency,
location, coverage area, and power.
[0127] Methods and systems relating to a smart forklift may further
include a forklift; at least one of a built in RFID reader and a
build in bar code scanner; an indicator for indicating success or
failure of read; an interface for driver to manually enter label ID
upon indication of failure; a communication module enabled to
receive data characteristic of the unit of material being
transported; a logic and data storage module for associating, for
each unit of material, information from the label and
characteristic data; and a communications module for transmitting
label information and characteristic data to an analytic server.
Such methods and systems may include a scale for weighing the unit
of material being transported.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0128] The invention and the following detailed description of
certain embodiments thereof may be understood by reference to the
following figures:
[0129] FIG. 1A schematically represents an exemplary system for
labeling and tracking material.
[0130] FIG. 1B schematically represents an exemplary system for
labeling, tracking and reporting on material through a system.
[0131] FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary system for scoring a store
on the basis of weighted material type and criteria.
[0132] FIGS. 3A-3B represent a sample material report for a single
store.
[0133] FIGS. 4A-4B represent sample screens for comparing multiple
locations.
[0134] FIG. 5 illustrates sample material reports and
recommendations for a single store.
[0135] FIG. 6 represents a sample report documenting contamination
of material received from different locations.
[0136] FIGS. 7A-7B show an example of reusing a container to
transport coffee grounds.
[0137] FIG. 8A illustrates an exemplary collapsible sleeve in a
folded state.
[0138] FIG. 8B illustrates an exemplary pallet bin base.
[0139] FIG. 8C illustrates another exemplary collapsible sleeve in
an opened state.
[0140] FIGS. 8D-8E illustrate a collapsible sleeve being inserted
in a pallet bin base.
[0141] FIG. 8F illustrates a collapsible bin and liner.
[0142] FIG. 8G is a top view of an exemplary base with an exemplary
movable locking mechanism for securing a sleeve to the base.
[0143] FIG. 8H illustrates a sleeve secured to a base with a
locking mechanism.
[0144] FIG. 8I illustrates an exemplary cover for the bin which is
foldable.
[0145] FIG. 8J illustrates the underside of an exemplary base
showing an exemplary locking mechanism.
[0146] FIG. 8K illustrates another exemplary bin base.
[0147] FIG. 9 is a flow chart showing exemplary steps for reusing
collapsible bins.
[0148] FIG. 10 shows an exemplary pallet bin box with collapsible
sleeve supporting a stack of goods for transport.
[0149] FIG. 11A is a flow chart showing exemplary steps for reusing
product containers.
[0150] FIGS. 11B-11C show stacks of goods for delivery including
collapsed product containers for reuse.
[0151] FIG. 11D shows an exemplary product container and liner
being used to collect organic waste.
[0152] FIGS. 12A-12E show an enclosure for an exemplary smart
forklift system.
[0153] FIGS. 13A-13B show placement of an enclosure on a
forklift.
[0154] FIGS. 14A-14B show optional placement of an RFID antenna on
a forklift.
[0155] FIGS. 15A-15C show pictures of an RFID antenna on a
forklift.
[0156] FIGS. 16A-16C show a specialized forklift clamp for handling
reusable, collapsible bins.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0157] High-Level Description of Tracking System
[0158] Referring to FIGS. 1A and 1B, various components, methods
and systems for managing and tracking materials from a plurality of
source locations are described herein. At each source location 102,
quantities of material 104 (also referred to herein as batches or
units of material) may be uniquely identified with an identifying
label 108, and then enter a transported material stream and be
transported to a remote location 114 such as a material handling
site, distribution center, recycling center, disposal location,
recovery and processing center, and the like. In certain
alternative embodiments, an identifying label may be associated
with one or more batches of material 104 during transport or upon
arrival at one or more remote locations 114. Batches or units of
material 104 may be further trans-shipped between remote locations
114. At one or more locations, such as at the source location 102,
during shipping, at one or more remote locations 114 and the like,
the identifying label 108 on each unit of material 104 may be read
by one or more of a plurality of readers 112, and the label
information together with information characterizing the units of
material 102 may be sent using a communication module 122 to a
server or analysis system 110. There the identifying label 108
information together with information characterizing the units of
material 102 may be processed to generate a series of reports 118
which may be shared with one or more report recipients 120 such as
an individual source location 102 or store, a division manager, a
company manager, sustainability managers, other management,
shareholders, tax reporting, one or more regulatory agencies, or
the like. The reports may include information about one or more of
credits or obligations owed or reporting information associated
with the material and the transportation of the material.
[0159] At each source location 102, there may be a material
collection capability 106 that results in quantized batches or
units of material 104 such as material collected in a bin, palette,
box, cart, bag, shrink-wrapped bundle or the like. As discussed
below, homogenous material may also be aggregated together without
a container. A labeler 103 may attach an identifying label 108
comprising information regarding the source location 102, type of
material, and the like to each unit of material 104 prior to
transportation of units of material 104 to a remote location 114
such as a distribution center, recycling center, waste disposal
location, recovery and processing center, and the like. In some
embodiments the identifying labels 108 may be generated at the
source location or provided to the source location for association
with the batches of material. The identifying label 108 on each
unit of material 104 may be read by a plurality of readers 112 at
loading, during transportation, at off-loading, at various spots
within the distribution center, at offsite locations, and the like.
Additional data, characterizing each unit of material 104, may be
captured at loading, during transportation, at off-loading, at
various spots within the distribution center, at offsite locations,
and the like. In embodiments, the additional data may be captured
by entry into a user interface, such as in a mobile device, such as
by selecting a type of material from a menu, or the additional data
may be captured by an automated system, such as by capturing and
analyzing images of the material, using inputs from one or more
sensors, or using data from a system, such as an inventory
management system that indicates the nature of the item. The
additional data for each unit of material 104 may be associated
with a unique label ID associated with its specific identifying
label 108 and may be sent to an analysis system 110 which may be
local, remote, cloud-based, and the like.
[0160] The analysis system 110 may process information collected
from the identifying labels 108 and additional data characterizing
the units of material to calculate, track, analyze, manage and
report a variety of information, such as the number of units of
material 104 received from a given source location 102 or set of
source locations, the types of material received from each source
location 102, additional data associated with an individual unit of
material 104 or with a plurality of units of material 104 from an
individual source location 102, such as cumulative weight and
volume of material from a given source location, external data
about each source location 102, cost information relating to
materials, a type of the material, an owner of the facility or
source location that produced the material, a time of origination
of the material, information regarding the transport of the
material such as a transporter of the material, a time of
transportation of the material, a pick-up location, a time of
pick-up, a drop-off location, a time of drop-off, a duration of
transport, a temperature of the material during transport, and the
like, an image of the material, a weight of the material, a
temperature of the material, a volume of the material, a location
of handling of the material and the like. The analysis system 110
may be used to produce reports, bills, reimbursements, summaries,
assessments, guidance and the like for different source locations
102, as well as for collections of source locations 102, and for
various groups, divisions and chains, regulatory agencies, and the
like.
[0161] Source Location
[0162] A source location 102 may be one or more of a retail store
such as hardware store, consumer electronics store, a grocery
store, a convenience store, a restaurant, a coffee shop, or a fast
food location, a production facility, such as for production of
foods, manufactured goods, and the like, a distribution facility,
such as for distributing various goods, a warehousing facility for
holding inventory, and the like. While the general term "store" is
sometimes used to represent source location hereafter, it is not
meant to be limiting. A store may be part of a larger chain or
franchise, which provides delivery and backhauling to their
different locations, and the term may refer to a production
facility, distribution facility, or warehousing facility that is a
source of material that requires disposal or recycling, except
where context indicates otherwise. A store may refer to a single
location and may use a third party service for waste disposal and
recycling. A source location may encompass any location where
material for disposal or recycling originates or is collected and
readied for transport and where an identifying label 108 may be
associated with the material.
[0163] Material
[0164] The material handled by the methods and systems disclosed
herein may include recyclable materials, such as cardboard,
corrugated cardboard, plastics, PET plastics, Styrofoam, waxed
cardboard, glass, plastic film, plastic bags, newspapers, waste
paper, tin, steel and aluminum cans, foam, scrap metal, shrink wrap
and the like. These recyclable materials may be collected from a
plurality of source locations at the distribution center and
inserted into appropriate recycling streams. The material may be
waste for disposal or non-traditional recycling such as food
donation, organic waste, coffee grounds, garbage, and the like.
These materials may be sent to a waste stream, incinerated,
composted, or the like. Some materials, such as organic food waste,
may be turned into food, such as for pigs and other livestock, used
for compost, or sent to a landfill or waste disposal site, and the
like. Some materials may be used and/or converted into fuel sources
(e.g., biofuels or organically produced fuels), used as sources of
heat, or otherwise used as energy sources.
[0165] In some instances, the material may be collected into
homogenous collections or batches of material 104. For some
materials, such as cardboard, paper, Styrofoam, cans, bottles,
trash, or the like, a material collection capability 106 such as a
baler, compactor, crusher, condenser, densifier, or the like may be
used to create bales or other units of compressed material where
each bale or unit of crushed material represents a unit or batch of
material 104. For some materials, such as food donations, organic
waste, and the like, the material may be collected in a container.
Each container may be a unit of material 104, or a plurality of
containers may be palletized or otherwise collected such as in a
bin, box, bag, cart, shrink-wrapped bundle or the like with a
single pallet, bundle, or collection being treated as a unit of
material 104.
[0166] Labeling
[0167] An identifying label 108 may be associated with each unit of
material 104 at the source location 102 where the material is
generated or as the units of material 104 are being loaded for
transport, such as to a distribution center, disposal site or other
remote location. Identifying labels 108 may comprise RFID tags,
barcodes, QR codes, symbols, images, alphanumeric strings, and the
like. Identifying labels 108 may be applied manually to each unit
of material 104 or with a labeler 103. A labeler 103 may be
incorporated into a material collection capability 106 designed to
collect or compress material into units of material 104.
Identifying labels 108 may be embedded into or attached to a
collection container designed for use with the system, such as by
the labeler 103. Identifying labels 108 may be incorporated into a
container liner, such as provided to the source location 102 to be
used with one or more type of container. Each identifying label 108
may comprise information such as identification of the system,
information about the source location 102 (such as a store number,
store district, store division, store chain, and the like), as well
as information regarding the type of material, a unique label ID
number, and the like.
[0168] Readers
[0169] Readers 112 for extracting information from the identifying
labels 108 may be located in a plurality of locations, such as at
the point of origin of the material, at the point of loading the
unit of material 104 for transportation to a distribution center,
disposal site, or other remote location; inside or attached to a
transport vehicle; at the point of unloading the material; within
the distribution center, disposal site, or other remote location;
attached to a forklift, fork truck, transport line, conveyor
system, transport vehicle, or other facility for handling, moving
or processing the material; and the like. Readers 112 may comprise
RFID readers, barcode scanners, QR scanners, image sensors and
associated image processing such as optical character recognition,
sensor systems, cameras, receivers, transceivers, and the like. The
reader 112 may be in communication with an analysis system 110,
such as to provide data for analysis by the analysis system 110.
The reader 112 may send the information from each successfully read
identifying label 108 as each label is identified. The reader 112
may be associated with a local logic and data storage module, where
read data may be accumulated and sent at a predetermined time
interval, after a defined number of reads, after the accumulation
of a certain amount of data, or the like. At any given location,
there may be a plurality of readers 112 of different types to
provide the capacity to read a plurality of label types used at
different source sites, for different materials, by different
parties, or the like. At any given location, there may be a
plurality of readers 112 of the same type to provide redundancy and
to facilitate system identification of source location(s) and
material type(s). There may be readers 112 at a plurality of
locations.
Characterization
[0170] The methods and systems of this disclosure may include one
or more devices for characterizing the units of material 104. For
example, the system may include a scale for measuring the weight of
each unit of material 104. The term "scale" as used herein refers
to any system, method or device for calculating weight or measuring
one or more parameters indicative of weight, which may be used to
determine or calculate weight. The scale may be in communication
with a reader 112, such that the measured weight may be associated
with the unique identifying label 108 and therefore with a specific
source location 102, material type, batch of material, or the like.
The scale may be a drive-through or drive-over scale onto which a
transport device such as forklift, hand truck or the like loaded
with the material could be maneuvered and weighed with minimal
impact on workflow. The weight of the material may then be
determined by subtracting the weight of the transport device and,
if present, the weight of a container. The scale may be built into
a transport device such as a forklift, hand truck or the like such
that the measurement of a unit of material 104 occurs as the unit
of material 104 is handled by such a device. The measurement may be
of a parameter that is indicative of the weight rather than the
weight directly. The parameter may be associated with an operating
system on the transportation device such as a pressure associated
with a lifting system of the transport device, a load measured in
the lifting system of the transport device, a power requirement of
a power system of the transport device, and an operating parameter
of a motor of the transport device. The scale may be built into a
baler or compactor at the source location 102 and the information
associated with the unique identifying label 108. In some
embodiments, a weight may be assigned to a batch of material based
on previous historical data of weights associated with that
material from the same source location, such as an average weight
or median weight of batches of the same material, or another
statistical calculation of weight based on historical data. The
assigned weight may be an average of previously measured weights of
the same material from the source location as indicated by the
information on the identifying label 108.
Illustrative Clauses
[0171] In some implementations, systems for tracking waste or
recyclable material including a scale are described as summarized
in the following clauses.
[0172] Clause 1. A system for tracking a batch of waste or
recyclable material, the system comprising: a label reader for
reading a label that was associated with the batch of material at
the originating site; a device for measuring a parameter indicative
of the weight of the batch of material; and a communications
facility for communicating the weight of the batch of material and
the label information to a system for tracking the batch of waste
material.
[0173] Clause 2. The system of clause 1, wherein the scale measures
the weight of the material by using a transport device that
transports the batch of material.
[0174] Clause 3. The system of clause 1, wherein the device for
measuring a parameter indicative of the weight of the batch is
positioned on a transport device that transports the batch of
material.
[0175] Clause 4. The system of clause 3, wherein the parameter
indicative of the weight of the item is at least one operating
parameter of at least one operating system on the transport
device.
[0176] Clause 5. The system of clause 4, wherein the at least one
operating parameter is at least one of a pressure associated with a
lifting system of the transport device, a load measured in the
lifting system of the transport device, a power requirement of a
power system of the transport device, and an operating parameter of
a motor of the transport device.
[0177] Clause 6. The system of clause 1, wherein a weight of a
subsequent batch of material is determined by using historical data
from a plurality of batches of the same material type as the batch
of material to determine a weight for the batch of material.
[0178] Clause 7. The system of clause 1, wherein the scale is a
drive-through scale that measures the weight of the material by
measuring the weight of the material and a transport device that
transports the material over the scale and subtracting the weight
of the transport device.
[0179] Clause 8. The system of clause 1, wherein the scale is
located at a material handling site that is remote from the
originating site.
[0180] Clause 9. The system of clause 1, further comprising a bin
to hold the material.
[0181] Clause 10. The system of clause 9, wherein the bin further
comprises a liner.
[0182] Clause 11. The system of clause 10, wherein the label is
affixed to the liner.
[0183] Clause 12. The system of clause 9, wherein the bin is
configured to be handled by a forklift.
[0184] Clause 13. The system of clause 1, wherein the information
about the material includes information about the transport of the
material.
[0185] Clause 14. The system of clause 1, wherein the information
about the material includes information about the destination of
the material.
[0186] Clause 15. The system of clause 1, wherein the information
about the material comprises at least one of: a type of the waste
material, an owner of the facility that produced the waste
material, a time of origination of the waste material, a
transporter of the waste material, a time of transportation of the
waste material, an image of the waste material, a weight of the
waste material, a temperature of the waste material, a volume of
the waste material, and a location of handling of the waste
material.
[0187] Clause 16. The system of clause 1, further comprising a bin
to hold the material, and wherein the scale is a drive-through
scale that measures the weight of the material by measuring the
weight of the material, the bin, and the transport device that
transports the material over the scale and subtracting the weight
of the bin and the transport device.
[0188] Clause 17. A system for tracking a batch of waste or
recyclable material, the system comprising: a label reader for
reading a label that was associated with the batch of material at
the originating site; a scale for determining the weight of the
batch of material, wherein the scale is a drive-through scale that
measures the weight of the material by measuring the weight of a
transport device loaded with the material and subtracting the
weight of the transport device; and a communications facility for
communicating the weight of the batch of material and the label
information to a system for tracking the batch of waste
material.
[0189] The system may include an imaging device, such as a camera
or image sensor, for capturing one or more images of a unit of
material 104, such as to assist in characterizing the unit of
material 104. The imaging device is located at or on at least one
of the originating site, a transport device for the material, and a
material handling site that is remote from the originating site.
The imaging device may be sensitive at various wavelengths to
capture different types of information about the unit of material
104. For example, a thermal imaging device may provide information
about the nature and/or age of organic material, or about the
presence of mixed organics and non-organics, based on the
likelihood that organic materials will tend to have a different
profile of emitted energy relative to non-organic based materials.
The imaging device may also be sensitive in the visible light
range, such as to capture and document images indicating the nature
and the quality of the units of material 104 being sent through the
system. The images captured by the imaging system may be analyzed
to estimate: a type of material, the temperature of organic
material, the age of organic material, the presence of inorganic
material, a percentage of inorganic material present, a number of
inorganic items, an estimate of the type of inorganic items, a
volume of material, a weight of the material, a quality of the
material, a presence of contamination, a number of containers
within a single batch of material 104, and the like. These images
may also be used to for compliance analysis such as determining the
presence or absence of certain contaminants in the material (for
example organics and inorganics), how a container or bin was
assembled, the use of a liner whether its use complied with a
protocol, determination regarding whether the temperature of the
material was within a predetermined range, and other compliance
issues. There may be one or more imaging devices with different
sensitivities at various points throughout the system. The imaging
device may inspect one or more units of material 104 by emitting
energy and reading the return energy, such as by using ultrasound,
reflected light, or similar approaches. One or more imaging devices
may be in communication with a reader 112 such that the one or more
captured images may be associated with a particular identifying
label 108 and therefore with a specific source location 102,
material type, unit of material 104, or the like. Other systems for
characterizing a unit of material 104 may include one or more
microscopes (including optical and electron microscopes), imaging
devices (including computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging,
optical imaging devices, laser-based imaging devices, and other
imaging devices, as well as devices using other mechanisms for
inspection, such as sonograms, radio-based inspection, X-Rays,
microwave-based inspection, or the like.
Illustrative Clauses
[0190] In some implementations, systems for tracking waste or
recyclable material including one or more of an imaging device and
organic material are described as summarized in the following
clauses.
[0191] Clause 1. A system for tracking waste or recyclable
material, the system comprising: an imaging device for capturing an
image of at least one of a batch of waste or recyclable material
and a bin for the material, wherein the imaging device is located
at or on at least one of the originating site, a transport device
for the material, and a material handling site that is remote from
the originating site, wherein the imaging device is associated with
at least one communications facility for communicating with a
system that tracks the batch of material in the bin, and wherein
the image captured by the imaging device is sent with information
enabling the captured image to be associated with at least one of a
batch of waste or recyclable material and a bin for the
material.
[0192] Clause 2. The system of clause 1, wherein a portion of the
material is organic material.
[0193] Clause 3. A system of clause 1, further comprising: a label
configured to be associated with the batch of material, wherein the
label comprises an identifier including at least one of information
identifying the originating site and information about the batch of
material; and a label reader at a material handling site that is
remote from the originating site and is capable of reading the
identifier on the label, the label reader associated with a first
communications facility for communicating the information read by
the label reader to a server, wherein the system that tracks the
batch of material in the bin associates the image captured by the
imaging device with the label.
[0194] Clause 4. The system of clause 1, wherein the captured image
of the material may be processed to identify at least one of: an
estimate of the temperature of organic material, a presence of
inorganic material, an estimate of the percent of inorganic
material, an estimate of the number of inorganic items, an estimate
of the type of inorganic items, an estimate of volume of material,
an estimate of weight of the material, an estimate of the quality
of the material, and an estimate of the age of the organic
material.
[0195] Clause 5. The system of clause 1, wherein the imaging device
is sensitive to infrared wavelengths.
[0196] Clause 6. The system of clause 1, wherein the captured image
may be used to document the quality of material received at the
material handling site.
[0197] Clause 7. The system of clause 2, wherein the information
about the batch of material includes information about the
destination of the material.
[0198] Clause 8. The system of clause 2, wherein the information
about the batch of material comprises at least one of: a type of
the material, a facility that produced the material, a time of
origination of the material, a transporter of the material, a time
of transportation of the material, a transport duration, an image
of the material, a weight of the material, a temperature of the
material, a volume of the material, and a location of handling of
the material.
[0199] Clause 9. The system of clause 1, further including a liner
for the bin, wherein the label is attached to the liner.
[0200] Clause 10. The system of clause 1, wherein the label is
attached to the bin.
[0201] Clause 11. The system of clause 1, wherein the bin is
configured to be handled by a forklift.
[0202] Clause 12. The system of clause 1, further comprising a
scale for weighing the bin to determine a weight of the
material.
[0203] Clause 13. A system for tracking organic material in a waste
stream, the system comprising: a label associated with a batch of
waste material at an originating site, wherein at least a portion
of the batch of waste material is organic material and wherein the
label comprises label information identifying a least one of the
originating site and information about the batch of waste material;
a label reader at a waste handling site that is remote from the
originating site and is capable of reading the label information on
the label; a characterizing device for determining at least one
characteristic of the batch of waste material and a communications
facility for communicating to a server the label information read
by the label reader and the determined at least one characteristic
of the batch of waste material, wherein the server uses the label
information and the at least one characteristic to provide a user
with data about the organic material in the batch of the waste
material.
[0204] Clause 14. The system of clause 13, wherein a bin for the
batch of waste material is configured to be handled by a
forklift.
[0205] Clause 15. The system of clause 13, wherein a forklift is
configured to handle the batch of material.
[0206] Clause 16. The system of clause 13, wherein the
characterizing device comprises an image processing subsystem for
acquiring an image of at least one of the material and a bin for
the material.
[0207] Clause 17. The system of clause 13, further comprising a
device for measuring a parameter indicative of the weight of the
waste material.
[0208] Clause 18. The system of clause 13, wherein the information
about the batch of the waste material includes information about
the transport of the waste material, comprising at least one of: a
pick-up location, a time of pick-up, a drop-off location, a time of
drop-off, a duration of transport, a temperature of the batch of
waste material during transport, a weight of the material, and a
weight at a particular time.
[0209] Clause 19. The system of clause 13, wherein the information
about the waste material includes information about a destination
of the waste material.
[0210] Clause 20. The system of clause 16, wherein the acquired
image is used for documenting the nature of the batch of waste
material or the condition of the bin.
[0211] Clause 21. The system of clause 20, wherein the server for
the processing facility associates the information about the nature
of the waste material with information about the origination and
handling of the bin.
[0212] Clause 22. The system of clause 13, wherein the information
about the batch of waste material comprises at least one of: a type
of the waste material, an owner of the facility that produced the
waste material, a time of origination of the waste material, a
transporter of the waste material, a time of transportation of the
waste material, an image of the waste material, a weight of the
waste material, a temperature of the waste material, a volume of
the waste material, and a location of handling of the waste
material.
[0213] The methods and systems disclosed herein may include devices
for measuring temperature, weight, density, humidity, odors, the
presence of certain chemicals (including volatile chemicals), the
presence of particulates, the presence of organic material, the
presence of biological organisms, and the like. The methods and
systems disclosed herein may analyze noise profiles; for example,
if a forklift makes a certain noise or in a certain part of a
plant, the system can use the noise profile to know where in the
plant a measurement was taken that had the noise profile in the
background. The methods and systems disclosed herein may include
image processing techniques to be used to identify material for
food donation, quantify the types of material being disposed of
(such as packaged or non-packaged), identify recyclables that are
not in compliance with regulations regarding liners, containment,
contamination, age of material and the like, identify materials
associated with different departments, and the like. These devices
may be in communication with one or more readers 112, such that the
measured information may be associated with a particular
identifying label 108 ID and therefore with a specific source
location 102, material type, unit of material 104, or the like.
[0214] The different measurement devices may also be in
communication with a local logic and data storage module, an
analysis system 110, or the like. These systems may be located
on-site, off-site, in the cloud, or the like. Communication of data
from the label reader, scale, imaging system(s), or other material
characterization systems may occur using as a communication module
122 one of a wired connection (e.g., an LAN, WAN, Ethernet or
Internet connection, such as via an access point, switch or
router), a wireless, remote connections such as radio transmission,
infrared communications, short range wireless communications system
(such as wireless USB, Bluetooth, IEEE 802.11, WiFi and others) or
long range wireless communications systems such as 2G, 3G, 4G, LTE
and other cellular communications technologies.
[0215] Synthesis and Application of Data
[0216] An analysis system 110 may collect and track a wide variety
of data for each unit of material 104 submitted by each source
location 102 or store. The methods and systems of this disclosure
may track the number of units of material 104 submitted, the
distribution among types of material, the weights and/or volumes of
different units of material submitted, images of the units of
material submitted, thermal measurements for each unit of material,
noise measurements, and other characteristics measured with respect
to each unit of material 104. The analysis system 110 may analyze
the collected data on the basis of individual stores, various
groupings of stores, all stores in a particular chain, a regional
or national average, and the like. Comparisons may be made between
individual stores, between an individual store and the average
performance of a group of stores, between average performance of
different groups of stores, between a store and all stores of a
particular chain, between a store and a national average, and the
like. Comparisons may be based on geography, sales volumes, store
format, manager characteristics and the like. The results of the
analysis may be a series of reports 118 which may be shared with
one or more report recipients 120 such as an individual source
location 102 or store, a division manager, a company manager,
sustainability managers, other management, shareholders, tax
reporting, one or more regulatory agencies, or the like.
Illustrative Clauses
[0217] In some implementations, systems for tracking waste or
recyclable material and providing at least one of billing
information, credit information and reporting information are
described as summarized in the following clauses and illustrated in
FIG. 1.
[0218] Clause 1. A system for tracking waste or recyclable material
in a transported material stream and providing at least one of
billing information, credit information, and reporting information
with respect to the material, the system comprising: a label
associated with a batch of waste or recyclable material at an
originating site, the label including label information and being
associated with at least one of the batch of material and a
container for the material at the originating site, the label
information comprising at least one of identifier information
identifying the originating site and information about the
material; a label reader at a material handling site that is remote
from the originating site and is capable of reading the label
information on the label; and a communications facility for
communicating to a server the label information read by the label
reader, wherein the server uses the label information to report or
determine, with respect to the material, specific information about
at least one of the type and the amount of the material.
[0219] Clause 2. The system of clause 1, wherein the specific
information is about the amount of the material and relates to at
least one of a credit owed and an obligation owed.
[0220] Clause 3. The system of clause 1, wherein information
reported by the server further comprises at least one of: an amount
of recycled material, a type of the material, an owner of the
facility that produced the material, a time of origination of the
material, a transporter of the material, a time of transportation
of the material, an image of the material, a weight of the
material, a temperature of the material, a volume of the material,
and a location of handling of the material.
[0221] Clause 4. The system of clause 1, wherein a container for
the material is configured to be handled by a forklift.
[0222] Clause 5. The system of clause 1, wherein a forklift is
configured to handle the material.
[0223] Clause 6. The system of clause 1, wherein information
reported by the server about the material includes information
about the transport of the material.
[0224] Clause 7. The system of clause 6, wherein the information
about the transport of the material comprises at least one of: a
pick-up location, a time of pick-up, a drop-off location, a time of
drop-off, a duration of transport, a temperature of the material
during transport, a weight of the material, and a weight at a
particular time.
[0225] Clause 8. The system of clause 1, further comprising an
image processing subsystem for acquiring an image of at least one
of the material and a container for the material, wherein the image
is used in a compliance analysis.
[0226] Clause 9. The system of clause 8, wherein the compliance
analysis includes at least one of: a determination of presence or
absence of contaminants in the material, a determination of proper
or improper container assembly, a determination of proper or
improper liner set-up, a determination of whether temperature of
the material is within a predetermined range, and a determination
of compliance or noncompliance with regulations.
[0227] Clause 10. The system of clause 1, further comprising an
image processing subsystem for acquiring an image of at least one
of the material and a container for the material, wherein the
server uses the image to determine a nature of the material and
associates the nature of the material with information about the
origination and handling of the material.
[0228] Clause 11. The system of clause 1, further comprising a
scale to determine a weight of the material.
[0229] Clause 12. The system of clause 1, wherein the same or a
different server tracks information with respect to a plurality of
batches of material to determine at least one of a net credit and a
net obligation with respect to the plurality of batches.
[0230] Clause 13. A system for tracking material in a transported
waste stream and providing information with respect to the
material, the system comprising: a label associated with a batch of
waste or recyclable material at an originating site, the label
including label information and being associated with at least one
of the batch of material and a container for the material at the
originating site, the label information comprising at least one of
identifier information identifying the originating site and
information about the material; a label reader at a material
handling site that is remote from the originating site and is
capable of reading the label information on the label; and a
communications facility for communicating to a server the label
information read by the label reader, wherein the server uses the
label information to determine analytics with respect to the
material.
[0231] Clause 14. The system of clause 13, wherein the information
with respect to the material includes at least one of a credit
owed, an obligation owed, reporting information, destination site,
type of material, and classifications.
[0232] Clause 15. The system of clause 13, wherein analytics
include analyzed information of the material including cost
analysis, time analysis, and efficiency analysis.
[0233] As shown in FIG. 2, the data for each material type 202 may
be evaluated with respect to one or more criteria 204, where each
criterion 204 may have an independent criterion weighting 206.
Additionally, different material types 202 may have independent
material weighting 208. The resulting weighted scores for the
different material criteria 204 and material types 202 may be used
in producing individual store scores, peer set rankings 210,
district rankings 212, performance evaluations and scoring, and the
like. The rankings may be produced for individual material types
202 and criteria 204 as well as an overall ranking 214.
[0234] The material characteristics data collected by the system
may be combined with other data, such as the data on the label
(e.g., information about the chain, division, district, store ID,
material type and the like) as well as additional background
information such as relating to the different source locations,
such as store location, type of location (e.g., urban, suburban,
rural), store format (e.g. small footprint, corner store, big box),
quality of roads used to reach a location, sales volumes for a
store (possibly including both total volumes and volumes for
various departments within the store), store manager, chain, brand
name, and the like. This data may be summarized in a dashboard and
may be shared with other systems, such as financial systems,
accounting systems, regulatory compliance systems, planning
systems, and the like.
[0235] A large chain of stores may have its own distribution
center, such that any savings accrued from recycling, improved
efficiencies and the like contributes to overall reduction in
operating costs for the chain. These large chains may utilize the
data obtained to evaluate store compliance with different
initiatives, such as recycling goals and waste reduction targets.
Evaluation may be used to determine the allocation of funds from
recycling of material or other savings back to the contributing
store(s), to determine allocation of incentives, and the like. This
may be done on the basis of material contribution, ranking within a
peer set as to particular objectives and the like. This
distribution may result, for example, in a low-ranked store
receiving reduced credit or no credit. In illustrative examples,
the overall top ranked store in a peer set may receive 20% of the
profits, the next two stores may receive 10%, and the like. In some
instances, compliance with very specific criteria, or with a
weighted combination of criteria, may result in receipt of benefits
relating to certain initiatives, such as 5% for compliance with
unit preparation procedures comprising proper use of a liner, the
absence of leaking, and the like or with penalties associated with
non-compliance.
[0236] Analytics to Improve Store Performance
[0237] Analysis of data regarding amounts of recycled and waste
materials, types of material, the quality of recycled and waste
materials, performance on store initiatives (e.g. the use of
liners), and the like may be used to assess the absolute and
relative performance of individual stores. The data gathered by the
methods and systems of this disclosure may be combined with
external databases that may store and handle information about
different locations, such as store size, store volume, store
location, store turnover, volume and types of goods and materials
shipped to a location, volume of material donated, number of
employees, experience of the manager, and the like. Two or more
stores may be grouped into a peer set on the basis of this
information. In some instances a chain or district may indicate
peer stores for a given location. A store may be placed in multiple
peer groups based on different criteria for the purposes of
different analyses.
[0238] The system may provide information and analytics regarding
the relative performance of an individual source location 102
relative to that of a peer group, organization or the like on the
basis of data gathered by the system (FIGS. 3A-3B). Stores may
receive reports on individual performance, as well as on the
performance of the stores' peer set(s), such as with respect to
metrics such as volume of material recycled, types of material
recycled, percentage of materials recycled 302, tax benefits, money
saved by recycling, money generated by recycling, cost analysis,
time analysis, efficiency analysis and the like. Reports may
include information on average performance by the members of a
store's peer set as well as best and worst in class performance.
Reports may include performance relative to target performance 306.
In an illustrative example, an organization may reward stores on
the basis of their participation in waste and recycling programs.
Stores may receive an extra incentive or penalty based on their
performance relative to other stores in the same peer group. Store
management may be evaluated in part on the basis of store
performance relative to peer group.
[0239] Collected data may be accrued over time, trends identified,
and a variety of information, comparisons, trends, suggestions, and
the like, may be provided to individual source locations, district,
division and chain managers, governmental agencies and the like.
FIG. 3B shows a sample dashboard displaying recycling statistics
for a given store, including data such as total tons recycled that
day, a breakdown of the types of material, recycling performance
for the month compared to plan, performance relative to national
and regional averages, as well as a comparison to a peer set. FIG.
3A shows trends in performance also seen with a summary of
districts and stores whose rankings are changing for the better and
for the worse. For example, performance over the past 12 months, or
over the past 3 months may be plotted together with performance of
peer group average and best performer. Data from current and
previous report cards may be shown with trending data, days in
category, and the like
[0240] Managers may be provided with tools and dashboards (FIGS.
4A-4B) to filter data based on various criteria such as store IDs
402, district 406, overall tonnage 404, stores trending in a
particular direction 408, highest waste cost, best recycling,
largest volume, and the like. In embodiments, this data may be
shown as a coded overlay on other data. In an illustrative example,
FIG. 4B shows stores, color-coded by cost, overlaid on a map.
[0241] In embodiments, the methods and systems of this disclosure
may serve as a basis to measure participation in an incentive plan.
In an illustrative example, an organization with a plurality of
locations may have each source location 102 attach a label to each
unit of material 104, identifying the unit of material 104 with one
or more of a store ID, a material ID, a location ID and the like.
The unit of material 104 may then be transported to a centralized
location, such as a distribution center, and the amount of material
associated with each source location 102 may be measured or
otherwise characterized, using the identifying labels 108 to
associate the measured or otherwise characterized material with a
source location 102. The information about a material may include a
count of the number of units of material 104, a volume of material,
a weight of material, a density of material, a count of units of
material making up the unit of material 104, a type of material,
and the like. In this way, the information about the material, such
as the amount of material, may be allocated to each source location
102 on the basis of the identifying label 108 associated with each
unit of material 104. In embodiments, stores or source locations
102 may be compared relative to one another on the simple basis of
overall amount of material provided, each source location 102 may
be compared relative to an average performance, to a performance of
a cohort of similar store locations, to a target performance, to
the store's past performance, to requirements of governmental
regulations, and the like.
[0242] In addition to being provided with performance information
and data, a source location may also receive tips and ideas to
improve performance in those areas where the store is performing
below a target, below a peer group or the like. The data obtained
may be used to improve the performance of individual stores and
their employees, such as by providing suggestions of areas on which
to focus, providing specific information (e.g. data, pictures and
graphs) regarding performance gaps, providing general guidelines
for improved compliance with initiatives, providing targeted
training and the like. In an illustrative example shown in FIG. 5,
a store may be provided with one or more suggestions to improve its
performance, such as recycling certain types of containers to
increase the store's recycling volume. If overall performance is
below that of peers on a number of different criteria, the methods
and systems disclosed herein may provide guidance on ways to
improve overall performance, such as tips to increase employee
compliance with a recycling initiative, additional instructions on
how to prepare materials of different types, or collateral material
such as stickers and labels to display at the source location to
motivate associates. In some instances best in class performers and
their tactics may be highlighted.
[0243] Incentive Systems
[0244] The information shown in the sample dashboard and similar
information may be used in a variety of ways. In an illustrative
example, a chain may provide incentives for stores relative to
goals, such as relating to total recycling, improved recycling
performance, performance against the store's peers and the like.
The data provided by this system allows a chain to evaluate the
performance of individual locations rather than simply an overall
performance level for a given division or district.
[0245] Third Party Suppliers
[0246] Smaller businesses typically hire a third party distribution
services provider for delivery of goods. In the future these third
party distribution services providers may provide backhauling of
recyclables as well. A third party distribution service provider
typically services multiple locations, multiple stores, and
multiple chains with a single distribution center. A third party
distribution service provider may utilize the methods and systems
of this disclosure to facilitate contracts based on analytics of
materials handled, rather than charging a flat fee. For example,
the third party distribution service provider may charge a customer
on the basis of total weight or volume transported, negotiate a
profit sharing of proceeds from recycling in exchange for reduced
transport rates, and the like. The capability of detailed tracking
of the quantity and quality of materials back to source location
may allow the third party distribution service provider to track
and enforce quality requirements, such as relating to
contamination, proper packaging and the like with the specific
customer. When the transport and distribution/recycling center is
run by a third party supporting a plurality of business and source
locations, the detailed information may be used to provide detailed
tracking to support contracts tax credits, verification of
regulatory compliance and for providing detailed billing and credit
reports.
[0247] Analytics as Basis for Contractual Terms
[0248] In embodiments, the system of this disclosure may be part of
an automatic billing system in which a client may be automatically
billed or credited based on the amount and type of material that
the client's store(s) have sent into the system. A client may
represent a single source location 102 such as an individual
restaurant or store, a store district, a store division, a store
chain, or the like.
[0249] A transporter may transport a plurality of materials such as
cardboard, styrofoam, plastics, organics, food donations and other
materials to be recycled. In some instances the transporter may pay
a small fee to obtain the recyclable material. In some instances,
the transporter may remove the recyclable material and then share a
portion of the proceeds from the recycling activity with the source
location, such as on the basis of the amount of material provided
by the various source locations.
[0250] A transporter may transport waste materials, such as organic
waste, coffee grounds, refuse, and the like. The transporter may
bill the source location on the basis of the volume of material
collected at a given location, on the basis of volume in excess of
a fixed amount, contamination and the like. In some instances, a
transporter may transport both recyclable material and waste
materials. The credit for the recyclable materials and the charges
for the waste materials may be accrued together into a net credit
or charge for the source location. In some cases, if a source
location does not prepare the waste appropriately, a transporter
may impose a fee, which may be taken against the credit for
recycled material, thus avoiding the need to charge a source
location for fee reimbursement.
[0251] The client may receive a portion of the value of recyclable
material that it has collected for recycling while being charged
for an amount of waste that they have submitted to the system. In
an illustrative example, a store may have an agreement with a
transporter to pay for the amount of material back hauled on the
basis of weight transported during a given billing period. A label
may be attached to each unit of material 104 to be hauled at the
source location 102. Each unit of material 104 may be loaded onto
transport, such as truck, which may stop at a plurality of
locations during a single run. Upon arrival at a distribution
center where the material is to be unloaded, a reader located near
a dock may identify and record each identifying label 108 as a unit
of material 104 is unloaded from the transport. As each unit of
material 104 is moved through the facility, each unit of material
104 may be weighed. Each scale may have an associated reader 112
such that the measured weight may be associated with the unique ID
of the identifying label 108 attached to the unit of material 104
being weighed. A reader 112 may be associated with one or more
measuring devices. The reader 112 may be in communication with the
measuring devices such as a scale, imaging device and the like.
Information regarding the unit of material may be transferred from
one or more of a reader 112, a measuring device, and the like to an
analytic system. One or more of the scale and the reader 112 may
provide information regarding the weight associated with each label
ID to an automatically billing system. The analytic system may then
correlate the weight of material associated with each unique ID
from the identifying labels 108. This information may be used in
conjunction with other information from the identifying labels 108,
business rules, tax rules, contractual information, and the like to
identify a client to be billed or credited for the units of
material 104 processed. The client to be billed may be an
individual store, a larger parent company associated with a
plurality of stores and the like.
[0252] Credits and Penalties for Recycled Materials
[0253] In embodiments, the system may provide reimbursement or
allocate credit to source locations 102 based on quantity and
quality of recycled units of material 104 provided by the source
location. FIG. 6 shows an example where the characteristic data
collected by the system includes images of the units of material
associated with a particular source location. Examples of
contaminated materials, material not conforming to specified
packaging and the like may be flagged and documented, and the store
may not receive recycling credit for those materials. In instances
where the distribution center receives both recycle material for
credit and waste material for a fee; the accrued credit may be
docked for poor packaging, regulation violations etc. related to
the waste material.
[0254] Routing Logistics of Pickup
[0255] Information on the overall volume and weight of material
generated as well as information on trends, such as increased waste
or recycling volume at the end of the month, during the summer
season, local holding capacity, regulations, delivery schedules,
and the like may be used to optimize routing and logistics of pick
up from a plurality of locations. For example, locations that are
not visited regularly with deliveries may have material collected
on return trips from delivery and pickup at other locations. In
addition to picking up material when making deliveries, pickups may
be scheduled based on a particular frequency, such as based on
analysis of the previous waste generation and recycling rates and
volumes initiated by the location, and the like. The frequency of
pickup may vary over time as there are changes in the volume and
weight of material that is picked up. Routes may be varied to
optimize efficiency, cost, response time to pickup requests,
frequency rates, and the like.
[0256] Reporting for Compliance
[0257] In some locations there are regulations regarding recycling,
such as mandatory recycling of specific materials, landfill bans on
certain materials and types of materials, and the like. Similarly,
there are regulations in certain regions banning disposal of
commercial organic waste by businesses or restrictions on
institutions that dispose of large amounts of materials such as one
ton or more of these materials per week. There may be regulations
regarding food donation such as favoring food donation over waste
disposal. The data provided by the methods and systems of this
disclosure may be used to meet legal reporting requirements with
reports of compliance with the different regulations, to document
food donations for tax credits, sustainability reporting, and the
like.
[0258] System Implementation Details
[0259] Label Logistics: Duplicate, Redundant or Erroneous
Labels
[0260] In some instances, there may be multiple identification
labels 108 applied to a single unit of material 104. This may be
done mistakenly at the source location or may occur over time, such
as when a container for transporting waste is reused. In some
instances, a label may be missing or unreadable. In all of these
situations, it may still be important that the unit of material be
allocated to the appropriate source location and that credits or
charges be generated as appropriate.
[0261] For multiple labels, historic label data may be used to
identify previously used labels. In some cases, a single label may
be selected and the other ignored based on a set of rules. In some
cases, details of a missing or unreadable label may be inferred,
such as based on the identification details from labels on nearby
units of material. Alternately, the details may be inferred from
the location of the material within the distribution system or the
location on the dock. In some cases, the identification information
from the missing or unreadable labels may be inferred based on an
analysis of historic patterns, scheduled pickups, and the like.
[0262] In some instances, there may be an alert to indicate the
failure of the reader to locate or read an identifying label on a
unit of material. There may be a device to facilitate manual entry
of information regarding the unit of material if the reader fails
to automatically read an identifying label. In some instances, data
about the unit of material may be inferred on the basis of
additional characteristics or measurements of the unit of material
such as weight of a unit of material, visual properties, thermal
properties and the like.
[0263] RFID Label Logistics
[0264] In some embodiments, certain technology components may be
used for the identifying labels and reader. For example, in
embodiments, an antenna for reading an RFID label may be located in
one or more locations, such as on a forklift, fork truck, hand
cart, palette mover and the like, on or near drive through scales
or other measuring equipment, throughout a distribution, recycling
or disposal center, and the like.
[0265] The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulates the
amount of power an antenna may emit. For readers 112 located within
a distribution center or in proximity to a measurement device, the
selection of antenna type may be dependent on the particular
geometry of the location of the antenna relative to the anticipated
location(s) of the units of material. A directional antenna aligned
to focus a cone of available energy on the location where the
identifying label 108 is anticipated may be desirable where the
likely location of the units of material 104 is known; otherwise,
an omnidirectional antenna, where the energy is distributed evenly
over a sphere, may be preferred. The particular geometry of antenna
location relative to anticipated location of the units of material
and RFID labels together with cost of individual labels may be
considerations in selecting a particular frequency band for the
system. In embodiments, an UHF RFID system may be used due to the
large read range, approximately 12 meters, and relatively low cost
per label.
[0266] A number of label characteristics may be considered when
selecting a label type for a particular system, environment,
material type to be labeled and the like, as described in the
following illustrative examples. For systems where the intent is to
avoid any impact on existing workflow, and where the units of
material 104 may arrive in any orientation, a "3D" label, which can
be read irrespective of label orientation relative to antenna, may
be a preferable despite higher costs per label. For systems where
the units of material will have a consistent orientation, it may be
feasible to use lower cost "2D" labels, even though the labels may
need to be oriented relatively parallel to the antenna to be read.
In another example, labels, RFID and others, may be made of various
materials or films, which may vary in price and environmental
stability, with some material selections resulting in labels that
are unreadable after exposure to the temperature and humidity
outside their tolerance. For a system where units of material 104
may be stored outside at one or more points in the flow of
materials it may be important to select a water resistant film for
the label to help ensure readability.
[0267] RFID tags typically work by absorbing and reflecting energy
emitted from an antenna in a unique pattern. Slight discrepancies
in the tags' respective reflective patterns allow the RFID reader
to discern one tag from another. Therefore, when these tags are
placed against a highly reflective material, such as water or
metal, some or all of the energy from the reader may be reflected,
and the RFID reader may have trouble discerning the subtle changes
in reflection of the tags' designed reflective pattern(s). This is
particularly a concern for organic waste, such as food waste, which
is composed primarily of water, a highly reflective material. The
antenna frequency, tag position on the recyclable, label material
and the like may be selected based in part on optimizing the
readability of a tag against the background of the material being
labeled. In an illustrative example, for labels to be placed in
units of organic material, a material designed to absorb the energy
emitted from the antenna may be placed between the RFID tag and the
organic material.
[0268] Label Logistics: Multiple Labels & Identifying
Appropriate Label
[0269] The methods and systems of this disclosure are envisioned to
be capable of operating in distribution centers where there may be
a plurality of units of material 104 in close proximity. Given
these conditions certain safeguards may be put in place to help
assure that, when a plurality of RFID labels are read, the correct
label is associated with the correct unit of material. When using
certain combinations of RFID antennas and operating frequencies, a
plurality of RFID labels may be identified for each read. For the
system to be effective, the correct label may be identified and
associated with a specific unit of material and its various
characteristics.
[0270] In an illustrative and non-limiting example, the methods and
systems of this disclosure may include one or more of various
features that aid in readability of the tags and discrimination
between read information in order to associate a tag's information
with the appropriate unit of material. For example, these goals may
be achieved in part by selecting a suitable antenna waveform, such
as one with reduced side lobes, in order to focus a field of view
of the reader onto the fork tines of a forklift on which a unit of
material is loaded. An amplitude of the antenna may be tuned to
focus its read distance to materials on the fork tines of the
forklift, while providing sufficient energy to overcome possible
attenuation due to material incompatibility such as wet metal or
the like. Readings may be scheduled to occur only when weight on
the fork tines is detected, such as measured by a pressure
transducer, or when a determined weight is within a predetermined
range. Sequential RFID tags may be utilized which have unique
serial numbers to distinguish between third party tags, tags read
multiple times, or the addition of multiple labels to a single
material load. Images from a camera on-board a forklift may be used
to capture data on the material handled by the forklift. Image
capture may be triggered by weight, time, fork position, or other
occurrence that may provide targeted data capture. Image processing
may then be utilized, in combination with other data, to determine
if a unit of material is received without a proper RFID label or
label placement.
[0271] As mentioned, the label reader may be enabled to scan for
tags periodically when there is a unit of material at a designed
location, such as on a forklift on which a reader is installed. The
read rate (the number of times label is read per second) for each
label may be negatively correlated with the distance of the label
from the antenna, such that a label that is in close proximity to
the antenna may have a read rate of 8 or higher while a label
placed on a unit of material 10 feet away from the antenna may have
a read rate of 4. Typically the label with the highest read rate,
and therefore in the closest proximity, is the label that is on a
unit of material that is on the fork truck. There may also be a
method to measuring the signal strength returned by the tag to
discern the proximity to the reader. The label reader may scan
periodically for the entire time that a unit of material is on the
fork truck. This assures that neighboring units of material with
labels in close proximity to one another are not confused. The
initial read rate would be similar for the two labels in proximity,
but the read rate of the label on the stationary unit of material
will gradually decrease as another bale or unit of material 104
changes position. There may be a timing element associated with
reading where rather than continuously reading the label, the label
reader may read at less frequent intervals, at times defined
relative to other events (e.g. read 10 seconds after picking up a
unit of material), after a predefined sequence of events (e.g. read
after picking up a unit of material and transporting the material
15 feet), at a particular location such as one identified by noise,
GPS coordinates, and the like, or at other parameter triggered
points.
[0272] Illustrative Clauses
[0273] In some implementations, there may be a system for tracking
waste or recyclable materials as described in the following
clauses:
[0274] Clause 1. A system for tracking waste or recyclable
material, the system comprising: a label for a batch of material
generated at an originating site, the label being associated with
at least one of the material and any container for the material at
the originating site, the label comprising an identifier including
at least one of information identifying the originating site and
information about the material; a label reader at a material
handling site that is remote from the originating site and is
capable of reading the identifier on the label, the label reader
associated with a communications facility for communicating
information to a server.
[0275] Clause 2. The system of clause 1, wherein the information
communicated to the server includes at least one of: a timestamp
associated with a label, a type of material, an amount of material,
a read rate associated with a label, an absence of a label, data
from more than one label, an image of the material and data
associated with at least one of signal strength and signal
direction associated with each label read.
[0276] Clause 3. The system of clause 1, wherein the server uses at
least some of the received information to at least one of: verify
that a label was read, determine an absence of a label on the batch
of material, disambiguate between the use of the same label for
different batches of material, disambiguate between the presence of
more than one label on the same material in order to identify the
correct label information for a particular shipment of material,
disambiguate between material on a forklift and material near the
forklift, and disambiguate the association of the label with
additional measurements made on the material.
[0277] Clause 4. The system of clause 3, wherein the server uses
historical data from a plurality of batches of the same material
type as the batch of material to determine a weight for the batch
of the material.
[0278] Clause 5. The system of clause 1, wherein the information
about the material includes information about the transport of the
material.
[0279] Clause 6. The system of clause 1, wherein the information
about the material includes information about the destination of
the material.
[0280] Clause 7. The system of clause 1, further comprising an
image processing subsystem for documenting the nature of the
material in the container.
[0281] Clause 8. The system of clause 7, wherein the server for the
processing facility associates the information about the nature of
the material with the information about the origination and
handling of the container for the batch of material.
[0282] Clause 9. The system of clause 1, further comprising a scale
for determining a weight of the material.
[0283] Clause 10. The system of clause 1, wherein the information
about the material comprises at least one of: a type of the
material, a composition of the material, an owner of the facility
that produced the material, a time of origination of the material,
a transporter of the material, a time of transportation of the
material, an image of the waste material, a weight of the waste
material, a temperature of the waste material, a volume of the
waste material, and a location of handling of the waste
material.
[0284] Recycling Organics and Handling Materials not Recycled Today
(Waste)
[0285] While recycling of certain materials such as cardboard and
plastic is well known, the recycling of organic material on a large
scale is relatively new. It is being driven by regulatory
initiatives, sustainability goals, economics, and the like.
Organics may be diverted to composting facilities, animal
agriculture facilities, energy facilities, landfills, and the like.
However, each may have certain quality requirements, such as
requirements relating to contamination levels of non-organic
materials, age of materials, level of bio-decay, volatile organic
compound VOC) emissions and the like. Additionally, a transporter
or a distribution center may have certain requirements regarding
moisture and odor containment, and the like, for organic waste.
[0286] It may be desirable to assess compliance by a source
location 102 with various regulations. Images using one or more
radiation bands may be captured for each unit of material 104 as it
enters the system. Depending on the type of image captured, the
image may be evaluated for contamination. Evaluation may be done
manually, or through use of various image-processing techniques.
Images may be taken using different wavelengths of radiation such
as infrared, UV and the like, where organic and inorganic material
will be imaged quite differently. Source locations may be provided
feedback with respect to units not meeting contamination standards
and may be provided instruction on improving quality. Source
locations may be charged a fee or a reduction of credit with
respect to units of material that fail to comply with quality
regulations. FIG. 6 shows a dashboard with images of contaminated
organic waste units to provide supporting evidence of contamination
as well as to enhance understanding of violations such as by
highlight, marking or otherwise drawing attention to the
contamination. Additionally, thermal imaging of a unit of material
may provide information on the age of the contents of the unit of
material as the organic material may increase in temperature (and
corresponding brightness) with the age of the material and the
extent of decomposition.
[0287] An issue with the transportation of organic material and
waste is the need to limit seepage of liquid and odors from
decomposition. In some instances, a container (bin) may be designed
to be watertight. In some instances, a liner may be used to prevent
seepage and reduce odors. In some embodiments, delivery packaging,
such as boxes and containers in which the material is delivered,
may be used to hold organic material for recycling and waste
disposal. In a non-limiting example, as shown in FIGS. 7A-7B,
restaurants, cafes, coffee shops, and other locations where large
amounts of coffee are consumed might reuse the delivery packaging
(containers 702 in which the coffee was delivered to the site) or
other available containers for collecting and disposing of the
coffee grounds 704. Once the coffee container has been emptied, it
may have an identifying label applied, be filled with used coffee
grounds, sealed (FIG. 7B) and sent back for recycling.
[0288] In another non-limiting example, a source location may reuse
large containers or bins. These containers or bins may be
stockpiled at the store. These containers or bins may include
collapsible sleeves or boxes, which are delivered to the store as
part of a regular shipment of goods or these may be containers or
bins in which other products or items were delivered. With
reference to FIGS. 8A-8F, a bin may include a collapsible sleeve
802, which may fold flat such as shown in FIG. 8A for shipment to
the store, together with a special pallet bin base 804, such as
shown in FIG. 8B. Once a flat collapsible sleeve 802 is received,
it may be opened such as shown in FIG. 8C and inserted in the
special pallet bin base 804, as shown in FIGS. 8D-8E. The
collapsible sleeve 802, may have various features that allow it,
when open, to interface or nest with features on the pallet bin
base 804 to align and hold the two components together for receipt
and transport of waste or recyclable materials. In embodiments, an
opened sleeve is easily inserted in and removed from the base. A
liner 806 may be inserted in the collapsible sleeve for receiving
waste or recyclable materials. Together, the assembled collapsible
sleeve 802 and special pallet bin base 804 may be referred to
herein as a bin or container.
[0289] As shown in FIG. 8B, the special pallet bin base 804 may be
continuous with a continuous bottom surface (having no holes) and
side walls forming one or more reservoirs 816, such that any holes
in a liner 806 allow leaked material to be contained within a
reservoir 816 of the pallet bin base. The bin base 804 may include
one or more elevated surfaces 808 to hold the bin materials above
the bottom surface of the base, wherein the elevated surface may
cover only a portion of the entire base, to reduce the amount of
material otherwise required to form a pallet bin base. The elevated
surface 808 may include drainage channels 807 for aiding in
drainage of liquid from the material in the bin into the reservoirs
816. This may improve sanitation within the store relative to
standard pallets where the liquid would otherwise be able to leak
into the surrounding area. The special pallet bin base 804 may
include edge channels 803 between the outer edge of the base and
the elevated surface 808 for receiving and constraining the
collapsible sleeve 802. The edge channels 803 may include lips or
ledges 817 for holding the sleeve 802 above the bottom of the
reservoirs 816 in order to prevent the sleeve from contacting
material in the reservoir (provided such material is below the edge
of the collapsible sleeve 802). The reservoirs 816 may be
interconnected to allow liquid to flow between them and settle to a
low level to provide improved base stability. There may be one or
more of an RFID tag and a GPS tracker embedded or attached to the
special pallet bin base 804.
[0290] FIG. 8J illustrates the underside of an exemplary base 804,
showing underside channels 801 formed between feet 811 in order to
facilitate movement of the bin via forklift, as explained
below.
[0291] The collapsible sleeve 802 may be made of thin, lightweight
plastic, such as shown in FIG. 8A, or cardboard, such as shown in
FIG. 8C, or the like. The collapsible sleeve 802 may be
sufficiently strong to hold another full bin stacked on top of it,
such as during transport or prior to processing. A collapsible
sleeve 802 made of cardboard may, in embodiments, be approximately
0.5 inches thick, and the interior or exterior or both may have a
coating, such as a waxed coating, to protect the collapsible sleeve
802 from the contents of the bin, such as food waste, associated
liquids, and the like. A collapsible sleeve 802 made of thin
lightweight plastic may be approximately 3/16 to 7/16 inches thick.
The use of plastic rather than cardboard may make the collapsible
sleeve more robust and easier to clean. In such embodiments, the
plastic of the collapsible sleeve 802 may have a corrugated
interior structure to provide strength and rigidity. A plastic
collapsible sleeve 802 may have rolled edges to provide a smooth
edge, which may reduce the potential for tears and rips to a bin
liner from the edge of the collapsible sleeve. The rolled edge may
reduce the potential of cuts to the hands of those handling the
collapsible sleeve 802. The rolled edge may provide a seal against
liquids entering the interior of the plastic collapsible sleeve 802
and reduce the potential of contamination.
[0292] In embodiments, such as shown in FIGS. 8A and 8C, the
collapsible sleeve 802 may have cutouts 812 for aiding in the
attachment of the sleeve to the base 804 as more fully described
below. In the case of a cardboard base, the cutouts 812 may include
a reinforcement portion 813 for preventing tearing of the cardboard
around the cutout. The cutouts 812 may be on two or more sides of
the sleeve, and may be placed both at the top and bottom of the
sleeve for reversibility of the sleeve.
[0293] In embodiments, the collapsible sleeve 802 may have notches
805 in the bottom edges (and also at the top edges for
reversibility of the sleeve) to rest within pallet bin base 804,
while accommodating the elevated surfaces 808 of base 804, such as
in the case of a base 804 without edge channel 803, such as shown
in FIG. 8J. The notches 805 may improve the stability of the
collapsible sleeve 802 when assembled together with the special
pallet bin base 804. The combination of the notches 805 in the
collapsible sleeve 802 and/or the edge channels 803 in the special
pallet bin base 804 of FIG. 8B may facilitate "locking" the
collapsible sleeve 802 into its position on the special pallet bin
base 804. The length that the collapsible sleeve 802 extends
downwards from the upper edge of the notches 805 may be less than
the depth of the reservoirs so as to limit contact between the
collapsible sleeve 802 and any liquid which may collect in the
reservoirs of the special pallet bin base 804.
[0294] In embodiments, the collapsible sleeve 802 may have flat,
un-notched, top and bottom edges and be substantially vertically
symmetrical. The vertical symmetry may facilitate assembly of the
collapsible sleeve 802 with the pallet base 804 at the origination
site, as the collapsible sleeve may be inserted into the pallet
base 804 in either of two vertical orientations. The flat edges of
the collapsible sleeve 802 may improve the stability of goods
transported on top of a flattened/collapsed sleeve sitting on a
pallet bin base 802. The absence of notches on the bottom edge of
the collapsible sleeve 802 will enable the opened collapsible
sleeve to sit higher in the special pallet bin base 804,
potentially creating a larger bin for accepting waste.
[0295] The collapsible sleeve 802 may comprise one or more of an
RFID tag, a GPS tracker or other tracking device. In embodiments,
the collapsible sleeve 802 may have a location indicator for
placement of an RFID tag, GPS tracker and the like such that the
marker will be positioned so as to facilitate access by a label
reader.
[0296] When collapsed, the collapsible sleeve 802 and special
pallet bin base 804 may occupy a small amount of space; for
example, in one embodiment they may, together, occupy less than 7
cubic feet. The collapsible sleeve 802 may be collapsible with a
z-fold such that, lying flat, it may be contained within the outer
edges of the pallet bin base 804. Together the collapsible sleeve
802 and pallet bin base 804 may be adapted to function as a pallet
for transportation of goods. The pallet bin base 804 may be adapted
to facilitate its transport using a forklift of pallet jack. Goods
for delivery may be stacked on top of the collapsed sleeve 802 and
pallet bin base 804. This compact form, which is comparable in
scale to a typical wooden shipping pallet, may facilitate low cost
or essentially cost-free shipping of the bin.
[0297] Further, there may be a locking mechanism 810, as shown in
FIGS. 8G, 8H, and 8J, on the special pallet bin base 804, which
interacts with a cutout 812 on the collapsible sleeve 802, to lock
the collapsible sleeve 802 to the base. In this case, the locking
mechanism is movable back and forth from the bottom of the bin
(using one's finder in the hole shown in locking mechanism 810 in
FIG. 8J) to engage with the cutout. As noted above, in the case of
a cardboard sleeve, the cutout 812 may be reinforced with a
reinforcement portion 813 such as an edge made of plastic, rubber
or the like to strengthen the collapsible sleeve 802 at the
location of the cutout 812, while a plastic sleeve may not need
reinforcement along a cutout.
[0298] The bin may be emptied via dumping it, such as with a
forklift clamp, hydraulic tipper, or other dumping mechanism. There
may be a modified clamp adapted to hold the bin and retain the bin
when the contents of the bin are dumped. The clamp may be adapted
to rotate on the forklift to facilitate tipping or dumping of the
bin. Once the contents have been dumped, the components of the bin,
the collapsible sleeve 802, special pallet bin base 804 and
optional cover 814, such as shown in FIG. 8I, may be cleaned and
the sleeve 802 collapsed for reuse. The cover may include hinges
815 so as to allow the cover to be opened along an axis of the
cover. The components of the bin may be recyclable.
[0299] In embodiments, the special pallet bin base 804 may be
approximately 40 inches by 48 inches to fit standard grocery pallet
jacks or forklifts. The underside channels 801 between the feet 811
may be at least 10 inches wide to accommodate tandem pallet jacks.
The bin may be moved around inside the store with a standard
pallet-jack, to where waste is being generated at a given time,
such as fruit cutting stations or salad bars. This may provide
improved convenience relative to other organic waste receptacles.
While the special pallet bin base 804 may replace a wooden pallet,
it may be stacked on top of a wooden pallet. The dimensions given
above are exemplary and it should be understood that the dimensions
of the special pallet bin base 804 may be varied to accommodate the
fork and pallet sizes specific to a particular distribution
system.
[0300] There may be a cover 814 which may be placed on top of the
assembled collapsible sleeve 802. The cover 814 may be a single,
contiguous component. The cover may comprise an exterior frame that
fits over the edge of the collapsible sleeve 802 and a hinged
interior portion, which may be opened to add waste material and
remain closed at other times to reduce odor. The exterior frame may
distribute the weight if a container of waste is rested in the edge
of the collapsible sleeve when the waste is being added to the bin.
The cover 814 may facilitate stacking of filled bins for
transport.
[0301] The collapsible sleeve may be collapsible with a Z-fold such
that it may lie flat on top of the pallet bin base 804 or within
the cover 814 and be contained within the pallet's edges, which may
extend approximately one inch vertically above the interior
surface. Thus, when the sleeve is collapsed and placed on top of
the pallet base 804, other products and goods may be stacked on top
of the collapsible sleeve. This may facilitate return of the
collapsible sleeve to a waste origination site for reuse. For
transport of empty bins to the origination source, the collapsible
sleeve 802 may fit inside the cover 814 and together they may be
strapped to the pallet bin base 804. In some embodiments, the
components may be strapped together in the order: pallet bin base
804, cover 814, and collapsible sleeve 802, while in others they
may be strapped together in the order: pallet bin base 804,
collapsible sleeve 802, and cover 814.
[0302] The liner 806 may be used to protect the bin components,
contain potential liquids and odors, and maintain sanitation in all
settings while the bin is full. The liner 806 may be clear to allow
visibility of the bin contents when it is tied over the contents.
The liner 806 may include a masking odor or other odor-blocking
technology. Additionally, the liner may comprise enzymes to slow or
speed up degradation of the organic waste deposited within the
liner 806. The liner 806 may be of a sufficient height such that,
when applied inside the assembled collapsible bin 802, the liner
806 extends outside far enough beyond the edge of the bin that it
may be twisted or tied over the bin contents. In one embodiment the
liner is at least 96 inches long. In some embodiments the liner 806
may be a one-time use liner. In other embodiments the liner 806 may
be reused for this purpose after enclosing a stack of banana boxes
or other materials intended to be sold in supermarkets. The liner
806 may be embedded with one or more of an RFID tag or a GPS
tracker.
[0303] The liner may be sent directly to the store. The liner may
have an identifying label 108 incorporated or attached to the liner
806. Some goods such as banana and other fruit, seafood and the
like are shipped with a liner to protect freshness. These liners
may be reused as liners for the collapsible sleeve 802.
[0304] Illustrative Clauses
[0305] In some implementations, there may be a device for
transporting waste or recyclable materials as described in the
following clauses and as illustrated in FIGS. 8A-8I.
[0306] Clause 1. A device for transporting waste or recyclable
material, the device comprising: a base; and a collapsible sleeve
movable between an open state and a collapsed state, wherein the
collapsible sleeve in the open state interfaces in a nesting manner
with the base to form a bin for receiving and transporting waste
material.
[0307] Clause 2. The device of clause 1, wherein the collapsible
sleeve, when in the collapsed state, and the base are adapted to
function as a pallet for transportation of goods.
[0308] Clause 3. The device of clause 1, wherein the base has an
interface adapted to allow the device to be lifted by at least one
of: a fork lift and a pallet jack.
[0309] Clause 4. The device of clause 1, wherein the base comprises
an attachment mechanism to secure the collapsible sleeve in the
open state to the base.
[0310] Clause 5. The device of clause 1, wherein the collapsible
sleeve comprises at least one of plastic and cardboard
material.
[0311] Clause 6. The device of clause 1, wherein the collapsible
sleeve is collapsible with a z-fold such that it may be contained
within the outer edges of the base.
[0312] Clause 7. The device of clause 1, wherein the collapsed
state of the collapsible sleeve, allows the base and the collapsed
sleeve to be transported together like a standard wooden
palette.
[0313] Clause 8. The device of clause 1, further comprising a
cover, wherein the cover is integral to or separate from the
collapsible sleeve and fits on top of the open collapsible
sleeve.
[0314] Clause 9. The device of clause 8, wherein the base, the open
collapsible sleeve and the cover together are stackable on another
similar device.
[0315] Clause 10. The device of clause 8, wherein the collapsible
sleeve, when in the collapsed state, fits within the cover.
[0316] Clause 11. The device clause 8, wherein the collapsible
sleeve, when in the collapsed state, and the cover fit within the
outer edges of the base for transport.
[0317] Clause 12. The device of claim 8, wherein the collapsible
sleeve, when in the collapsed state, the cover, and the base are
attachable together for transport.
[0318] Clause 13. The device of clause 8, wherein the cover
comprises an exterior frame that fits over a peripheral edge of the
open collapsible sleeve and a hinged interior portion.
[0319] Clause 14. The device of clause 1, wherein the base forms a
reservoir for containing a liquid portion of the waste
material.
[0320] Clause 15. The device of clause 1, wherein the reservoir
comprises one or more channels.
[0321] Clause 16. The device of clause 15, wherein the one or more
channels comprise a plurality of channels along an exterior edge of
the base, each of the plurality of channels having a corresponding
lip.
[0322] Clause 17. The device of clause 15, wherein the collapsible
sleeve has notches in bottom edges to accommodate the plurality of
channels.
[0323] Clause 18. The device of clause 1, further comprising a
disposable liner adapted to be disposed within the open collapsible
sleeve to provide lining for the interior of the bin.
[0324] Clause 19. The device of clause 1, wherein the collapsible
sleeve has an opening to accommodate an attachment mechanism of the
base.
[0325] Clause 20. The device of clause 1, wherein the collapsible
sleeve comprises a location indicator for placement of at least one
of an RFID tag, a GPS tracker and an asset tracker.
[0326] Clause 21. The device of clause 1, wherein at least the
interior of the collapsible sleeve is coated by a wax coating.
[0327] Clause 22. The device of clause 1, further comprising at
least one of an RFID tag, a GPS tracker and an asset tracker.
[0328] Clause 23. The device of clause 1, wherein the base and the
collapsible sleeve are adapted for repeated use as a bin for
transporting waste or recyclable material.
[0329] With reference to FIG. 9, a method 900 of reusing these
collapsible containers includes a number of steps:
[0330] First, a stack is unloaded from delivery trailer (Step 912).
A stack of goods with a pallet bin base is unloaded from a delivery
trailer along with other goods for delivery to the store. This
typically occurs in the back room of a store, such as on a
loading/unloading dock.
[0331] Next a sleeve may be separated from stack of goods (Step
914). The goods may be unloaded from off the top of the pallet bin
base 804, and the collapsed sleeve 802 may be retrieved from the
bottom of the stack.
[0332] Next, the liner may be assembled and added (Step 916). The
collapsed sleeve 802 may be assembled and placed on the pallet bin
base 804. A liner 806 may be inserted into the open sleeve 802 on
the pallet bin base 804. The store may have a supply of liners 806
for this use.
[0333] Next, the lined sleeve 802 may be filled as necessary (step
918). Food waste and other organic material may be added to the
assembled and lined sleeve 802 as it is generated throughout the
day.
[0334] Next, the label may be applied (Step 919). An identifying
label 108 may be applied to the liner bag or the assembled sleeve
802 when the bin is sealed. In some instances an identifying label
may be incorporated into the liner bag. As noted above, the label
108 may capture various other types of information about the
material, the owner, the store, the individual working with the
bin, and the like.
[0335] Next the bin may be loaded into the return trailer (Step
920). Once the assembled sleeve 802 has been filled and sealed it
may be loaded into a trailer along with other recyclable materials
to be returned to a central warehouse.
[0336] Next, the bin is unloaded from a return trailer (Step 922).
Once the trailer has returned to the central warehouse/distribution
center the fully assembled sleeve 802, otherwise known as a unit of
material 104, is unloaded into the warehouse.
[0337] Next, the label is read, the unit may be weighted and an
image captured (Step 924). Once the unit of material 104 has been
unloaded a reader 112 may read the identifying information on the
sleeve 802 or liner 806. Additional data may be captured such as
weight and images and that data associated with the unique ID of
the identifying label 108 identified by the reader.
[0338] Next, the bin is dumped with the forklift clamp (Step 926).
The assembled sleeve 802 and liner 806 may then be dumped for
processing, composting and the like. A special clamp to maneuver
the assembled sleeve 802 and liner 806 without damage may be used
as discussed elsewhere herein.
[0339] Next the empty bin is collapsed (Step 928). After the
contents have been dumped, the empty sleeve 802 may be collapsed or
folded.
[0340] Next, the pallet bin base 804 is used as the pallet base
(Step 930). The collapsed sleeve 802 is placed flat on top of the
pallet bin base 804. Outgoing goods are then loaded onto the pallet
bin base 804 and collapsed sleeve 802 as shown in FIG. 10.
[0341] Next, the stack is loaded into delivery trailer (Step 932).
The stack of goods is loaded into an outgoing trailer to a store
where the cycle will begin again with unloading the stack from the
delivery trailer (Step 912).
[0342] In some cases, a store may reuse shipping containers in
which they receive goods such as watermelon bins, pumpkin bins,
potato bins, and the like. These bins carry goods to the store and,
once emptied, may have a liner inserted and be used for collecting
food waste, organic waste, trash and the like to be backhauled to
the distribution center for disposal. After dumping out the liner
filled with organic waste, these bins may be folded and sent back
to the store for reuse as a collection bin. Unlike the collapsible
sleeve 802, these bins typically do not fold flat and may be
inserted among the pallets of goods on the truck, either on edge
between pallets or lying on top of the loaded pallets.
[0343] With reference to FIG. 11A, a method 1110 of reusing these
shipping containers includes:
[0344] First, goods and collapsed bins are unloaded from delivery
trailer (Step 1102)
[0345] Next, a bin is emptied and a liner added to the bin (Step
1104). Goods are emptied from a large bin such as a watermelon bin
and a liner is inserted into the bin. This bin may be newly
delivered or one already present in the store. The liner may be new
or it may be a reused produce bag such as a banana bag. In some
instance, the new liners may comprise an RFID tag for an
identifying label 108.
[0346] In some instances, a collapsed bin may be reassembled and a
bin liner added (Step 1106). In some instances, collapsed
previously used product bins 1122 may be part of the received
shipment as shown in FIGS. 11B-11C. These boxes may be unloaded
from the truck, assembled and a liner inserted.
[0347] Next, a reused product bin 1122 is filled as necessary (Step
1108). Once the bin is lined, organic material and waste may be
placed into the bin for disposal (FIG. 11D).
[0348] Next, the liner is sealed and a label applied (Step 1110).
Once the bin is full, the liner is sealed and a label applied. The
label may be applied to the liner or the container. The label may
be incorporated into the liner.
[0349] Next, the bin is loaded onto a return trailer (Step 1112).
The full bins with the sealed liners are loaded into the truck to
be hauled to the distribution center.
[0350] Next the bin is unloaded from return trailer (Step 1114).
Upon arrival at the distribution center, the full bins are unloaded
from the trailer.
[0351] Next, the label is read and additional data captured (Step
1112). At the distribution center, the identifying label 108 may be
read for each bin and additional data captured such as weight, an
image, and the like.
[0352] Next, the bin is dumped with special forklift clamp (Step
1114). The bin may then be emptied into the appropriate disposal
stream. A special forklift clamp may be used to prevent damage to
the liner.
[0353] Next, the product bin is collapsed (Step 1118). The now
empty bin may be collapsed for return to the store.
[0354] Next, the collapsed bin is loaded into delivery trailer
together with goods for the store (Step 1120). The collapsed bin
may be loaded into the deliver trailer for reuse at the store.
[0355] Smart Forklifts
[0356] In some embodiments, many of the features of the above
described system may be incorporated into a forklift, fork truck,
hand truck, pallet jack and the like. This combination will be
referenced as a smart forklift in the ensuing description but it
should be understood to include other variations of equipment for
hoisting and transporting heavy and/or bulky objects, whether
carried on a pallet or not. The incorporation of these features
with a piece of machinery (e.g. a hopper, a receiving trailer, and
the like) already typically used in many distribution centers may
facilitate introduction of the methods and systems of this
disclosure into existing warehouses and distribution centers while
minimizing workflow This set of features, described hereafter as a
smart forklift system, may include at least one of an RFID reader,
a bar code scanner, a QR code scanner and the like together. The
smart forklift system may include a logic and data storage module
for associating and storing a unique ID from an identifying label
108 on a unit of material 104 with received data characterizing the
same unit of material 104. The smart forklift system may include a
communications module for transmitting the stored data to a
centralized location such as an analysis system 110. The smart
forklift system may include one or more sensors for obtaining data
about the unit of material such as such as a scale, GPS tracker,
thermal sensors, noise sensors, imaging sensors for various
wavelengths, and the like. The smart forklift system may include a
power management system, a reserve battery, one or more antennas,
power interface devices, and the like. In some instances, the
majority of the smart forklift system components may be situated in
a single enclosure attached to the smart forklift. In some
instances, some system components such as a scale, a reader, an
imaging system and the like, may be located apart from the smart
forklift but in communication with the smart forklift system. A
smart forklift system may be designed to operate automatically with
little or no additional input from the operator of the smart
forklift beyond that required for the operation of a standard
forklift.
[0357] In the following illustrative example, a smart forklift
system (FIGS. 12A-12E) may include an enclosure 1202 comprising a
logic and data storage module 1206, a power management module 1204,
a communications module 1208, an RFID reader 1210, a reserve
battery 1212, and the like. The logic and data storage module 1206
may comprise a single chip computer on a PCB, one or more data
ports for communicating with the RFID reader 1210, an imaging
system 1224 and other sensors, and memory. The RFID reader 1210 may
be connected to an external RFID antenna 1222 which may be
positioned so as to achieve the best signal for reading an
identifying label 108 on the unit of material 104 being
transported.
[0358] The smart forklift system may include a communications
module 1208. The communications module 1208 may have the ability to
wirelessly communicate information to a remote server or analysis
system 110. The communication module 1208 may utilize one of a
short range wireless communications system such as wireless USB,
Bluetooth, IEEE 802.11, WiFi and others or long range wireless
communications systems such as 2G, 3G, LTE and other cellular
communications technologies. The communications module 1208 may be
located within the enclosure while having a connection to an
externally mounted antenna 1220 to provide adequate signal strength
and coverage. The throughput of the communications module 908 may
be co-optimized with the capacity of the reserve battery to assure
the ability to upload an entire shift's worth of data after power
down of the forklift.
[0359] In embodiments a scale may be integrated into the smart
forklift system. In some instances the scale may be integrated with
the forks on which the load, e.g. a unit of material 104, sits. In
some instances, the scale may utilize a pressure gauge 1230
attached to the hydraulics used to raise and lower the load. The
pressure required to raise and lower the forks may vary with the
weight of material on the forks. The pressure gage 1230 may be
designed to transmit pressure data to the logic and data storage
module 1206 at a frequency and resolution designed to provide
adequate weight differentiation when processed by the logic and
data storage module 1206. As the forklift moves with the load there
may be some level of variability in the mast hydraulics and the
associated pressure data transmitted. Therefore, the transmission
rate may be chosen so as to assure that weight data is captured
throughout to allow for processing or filtering of the pressure
data to increase the accuracy of the measurement. The pressure
gauge 1230 may include a local analog to digital (A-to-D) converter
or the A-to-D converter may be located within the enclosure,
incorporated into one of the logic and data storage module 1206,
the power management module 1204, and the like. Thus, a pressure
gauge 1230 may provide the information necessary for the logic and
data storage module 1206 to calculate weight based on pressure used
to raise and lower a unit of material 104.
[0360] The smart forklift may include one or more sensors such as
thermal sensors, noise sensors, imaging systems 1224 for various
wavelengths, and the like. The speed of the computer and the size
of the memory of the logic and data storage module 1206 may be
variable to allow for customization of the system for its intended
environment including factors such as the number of images
anticipated per unit of material, store ID, and the like, the type
and resolution of the images, the frequency of uploading of the
images, the number of pictures per shift and per day, the desired
safety margin in terms of retaining pictures on system, and the
like. As an illustrative example, close to 4 GB of memory would be
needed to support a smart forklift in a warehouse supporting 400
stores, where the expectation was that there would be about three
images per store per day with each image being about 800 KB and an
ability to store four days worth of pictures in the logic and data
storage module 1206.
[0361] The smart forklift components may draw power by connecting
directly to the forklift power adapter 1232. When the forklift is
running the smart forklift components may draw power from the
forklift power adapter 1232 and charge a reserve battery 1212.
There may be a set of rules that governs when and how power may be
drawn from the primary forklift power adapter 1232. These rules may
include charging the reserve battery 1212 when the primary battery
charge exceeds a predefined level, charging the reserve battery
1212 when the forklift is plugged into a power source, and the
like. When the forklift is shut off the smart forklift components
may draw power from the reserve battery 1212 to complete
operations, such as conveying information to the analytic server,
backing up information, performing self diagnostics, and the like.
The reserve battery 1212 may be one of lithium ion, a fuel cell,
and the like.
[0362] The enclosure may include LED status lights 1228 to indicate
status of the smart forklift system (e.g. red for scale being read,
yellow for RFID tag being red, green for communication with the
remote server). Access to the enclosures internal components may be
limited by specialized tool (screwdriver, etc.).
[0363] The smart forklift system enclosure 1202 may be positioned
on the smart forklift in a location that minimizes its
susceptibility to damage, such as adjacent to or on interior
elements of the frame. The smart forklift system enclosure 1202 may
be mounted on the forklift such that it does not obstruct the
operator's field of view or violate OSHA and/or forklift
manufacturer requirements. In one embodiment, as shown in FIGS.
13A-13B the enclosure 1202 may be placed above the driver enclosure
1302.
[0364] In some cases placement of the RFID antenna 1222 may be
important to achieving reliable readings while protecting the
antenna from physical damage. An antenna 1222 placed as shown in
FIG. 14A, inside the driver enclosure 1302, may be problematic in
some cases, as the large metal supports of the forklift mast 1402,
positioned between the antenna 1222 and the unit of material 104
and the associated identifying label 108, may interfere with the
ability of the antenna 1222 to detect a sufficient signal to enable
an RFID Reader to detect the RFID based identifying labels 108.
Alternately, an antenna 1222 that is positioned between the metal
masts 1402 of the forklift, as shown in FIG. 14B, may be able to
detect the RFID identifying labels 108 with more reliability.
Furthermore, positioning the RFID antenna 1222 between the metal
masts 1402 of the forklift 1404 may provide some physical
protection as the metal masts may prevent physical damage to the
antenna 1222 during normal operations. The field of view or wave
shape of the antenna would be selected based on the position on the
forklift to prevent signal attenuation.
[0365] For RFID antennas 1222 located on a smart forklift, an
identifying label 108 attached to a unit of material 104 may be
expected to be located in a particular direction relative to the
RFID antenna 1222, such that it may desirable to use a directional
antenna aligned to focus its cone of available energy on the
location where the identifying label 108 is anticipated rather than
use an omnidirectional antenna where the energy is distributed
evenly over a sphere. Depending on the type of material to be
handled by the smart forklift one or more RFID antennas 1222 may be
positioned on the smart forklift where different antennas 1222 are
optimized for different potential materials. For example, organics
and cardboard may have different reflective and absorption profiles
and thus would interact differently with antennas designed for
different operating frequencies. It may be possible to optimize the
RFID antenna 1222 for reading identifying labels 108 attached to
units of material 104 of a particular material type. Thus, for a
smart forklift designed to work with multiple materials it may be
desirable to have more than one antenna 1222, each antenna 1222
optimized for a particular material type.
[0366] A smart forklift may have a user interface through which
information about the system operation such as read status, data
read, battery status, status and error messages associated with the
various system components and sensors, and the like may be
communicated to the operator of the smart forklift. In addition to
information about the smart forklift system, the user interface may
display information from an analytic system regarding larger system
topics, such as a cumulative loading calculator that would instruct
the operator of the need to stop loading onto a particular truck as
its maximum weight has been reached, the need to move to a new
dumpster as total capacity has been reached, and the like. This
ability to receive overall system information while loading a
trailer may reduce occurrences of overloading a trailer, weighing
the trailer and discovering that the trailer is overweight or
having to partially unload the trailer to comply with weight
restrictions. In some instances, the user interface may include the
ability for the operator to enter additional information such as
general notations about the unit of measurement, filling in
information in the event of a failed read, noting if a unit of
recyclable material included contaminants, noting if a unit of
organics failed to include a liner, and the like. This information
may be used to flag a unit for additional review or processing. In
addition to a user interface, there may be an additional manually
operated reader such as a handheld scanner, smart phone, and the
like with which an operator might read the identifying label 108 in
the event of a failure by the standard reader 112.
[0367] A smart forklift may include a special clamp optimized for
specialized units of material 104. For example, a clamp may be
optimized to handle the containers 702 of recycled coffee grounds.
In another example, the specialized clamp may be designed to hold a
recycled sleeve 802 and liner to dump out the liner containing the
waste while retaining the sleeve 802 for subsequent reuse. In an
illustrative example of a specialized forklift clamp as shown in
FIGS. 16A-16C the forks 1604 may be lowered relative to the sides
of the clamp 1602 to expand the intervening gap 1608 by about one
inch. The sides of the clamp 1602 may be adjusted such that they
angle inward toward the bin being transported with distance from
the forks 1604. The incline may be created using a shim 1608 as
shown in FIG. 16B. The angle prevents the bin from falling in when
the contents, such as a liner 806 filled with garbage, food waste
and the like is dumped. The maximum pressure produced by the clamp
may be reduced to minimize damage to cardboard bins. There may be
adjustable stops on the clamp that enable an operator to set a
minimum distance between the clamp walls to limit damage to the
reusable bins.
Illustrative Clauses
[0368] In some implementations, information about smart forklifts
for tracking waste and recycle materials in the following clauses,
and as illustrated in FIGS. 13A-B, 14A-B, 15A-C, and 16A-C.
[0369] Clause 1. A forklift system adapted to collect and report
information about items handled by a forklift, the system
comprising: a forklift; an RFID reader with at least one antenna
positioned at least one of on and in proximity to the forklift,
wherein the at least one antenna of the RFID reader is positioned
to read RFID information from at least one RFID tag positioned on
an item handled by the forklift; a device for measuring a parameter
indicative of the weight of the item handled by the forklift; and a
processing facility with a server for associating the information
read by the RFID reader and the parameter indicative of the weight
of the item.
[0370] Clause 2. The system of clause 1, wherein the server further
associates the information from the RFID reader with timestamp
information that indicates a time of the handling of the item by
the forklift.
[0371] Clause 3. The system of clause 1, wherein the device for
measuring the parameter indicative of the weight of the item is at
least one of a drive-on scale and a drive-through scale.
[0372] Clause 4. The system of clause 1, wherein the device for
measuring the parameter indicative of the weight of the item is
positioned on the forklift.
[0373] Clause 5. The system of clause 4, wherein the parameter
indicative of the weight of the item is at least one operating
parameter of at least one operating system of the forklift.
[0374] Clause 6. The system of clause 5, wherein the at least one
operating parameter is at least one of a pressure associated with a
lifting system of the forklift, a load measured in the lifting
system of the forklift, a power requirement of a power system of
the forklift, and an operating parameter of a motor of the
forklift.
[0375] Clause 7. The system of clause 1, further comprising a
communications facility of the forklift for communicating the
information captured by at least one of the RFID reader and the
device for measuring weight to the server.
[0376] Clause 8. The system of clause 1, further comprising a
camera for capturing an image of the item handled by the forklift,
wherein at least one of the captured image and information from the
captured image is associated with the information captured by the
RFID reader.
[0377] Clause 9. The system of clause 8, wherein a communications
facility communicates at least one of the captured image and
information from the captured image to the server.
[0378] While only a few embodiments of the present invention have
been shown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in
the art that many changes and modifications may be made thereunto
without departing from the spirit and scope of the present
disclosure as described in the following claims. All patent
applications and patents, both foreign and domestic, and all other
publications referenced herein are incorporated herein in their
entireties to the full extent permitted by law.
[0379] The methods and systems described herein may be deployed in
part or in whole through a machine that executes computer software,
program codes, and/or instructions on a processor. The processor
may be part of a server, cloud server, client, network
infrastructure, mobile computing platform, stationary computing
platform, or other computing platform. A processor may be any kind
of computational or processing device capable of executing program
instructions, codes, binary instructions and the like. The
processor may be or include a signal processor, digital processor,
embedded processor, microprocessor or any variant such as a
co-processor (math co-processor, graphic co-processor,
communication co-processor and the like) and the like that may
directly or indirectly facilitate execution of program code or
program instructions stored thereon. In addition, the processor may
enable execution of multiple programs, threads, and codes. The
threads may be executed simultaneously to enhance the performance
of the processor and to facilitate simultaneous operations of the
application. By way of implementation, methods, program codes,
program instructions and the like described herein may be
implemented in one or more thread. The thread may spawn other
threads that may have assigned priorities associated with them; the
processor may execute these threads based on priority or any other
order based on instructions provided in the program code. The
processor may include memory that stores methods, codes,
instructions and programs as described herein and elsewhere. The
processor may access a storage medium through an interface that may
store methods, codes, and instructions as described herein and
elsewhere. The storage medium associated with the processor for
storing methods, programs, codes, program instructions or other
type of instructions capable of being executed by the computing or
processing device may include but may not be limited to one or more
of a CD-ROM, DVD, memory, hard disk, flash drive, RAM, ROM, cache
and the like.
[0380] A processor may include one or more cores that may enhance
speed and performance of a multiprocessor. In embodiments, the
process may be a dual core processor, quad core processors, other
chip-level multiprocessor and the like that combine two or more
independent cores (called a die).
[0381] The methods and systems described herein may be deployed in
part or in whole through a machine that executes computer software
on a server, cloud server, client, firewall, gateway, hub, router,
or other such computer and/or networking hardware. The software
program may be associated with a server that may include a file
server, print server, domain server, internet server, intranet
server and other variants such as secondary server, host server,
distributed server and the like. The server may include one or more
of memories, processors, computer readable media, storage media,
ports (physical and virtual), communication devices, and interfaces
capable of accessing other servers, clients, machines, and devices
through a wired or a wireless medium, and the like. The methods,
programs or codes as described herein and elsewhere may be executed
by the server. In addition, other devices required for execution of
methods as described in this application may be considered as a
part of the infrastructure associated with the server.
[0382] The server may provide an interface to other devices
including, without limitation, clients, other servers, printers,
database servers, print servers, file servers, communication
servers, distributed servers and the like. Additionally, this
coupling and/or connection may facilitate remote execution of
program across the network. The networking of some or all of these
devices may facilitate parallel processing of a program or method
at one or more location without deviating from the scope of the
disclosure. In addition, any of the devices attached to the server
through an interface may include at least one storage medium
capable of storing methods, programs, code and/or instructions. A
central repository may provide program instructions to be executed
on different devices. In this implementation, the remote repository
may act as a storage medium for program code, instructions, and
programs.
[0383] The software program may be associated with a client that
may include a file client, print client, domain client, internet
client, intranet client and other variants such as secondary
client, host client, distributed client and the like. The client
may include one or more of memories, processors, computer readable
media, storage media, ports (physical and virtual), communication
devices, and interfaces capable of accessing other clients,
servers, machines, and devices through a wired or a wireless
medium, and the like. The methods, programs or codes as described
herein and elsewhere may be executed by the client. In addition,
other devices required for execution of methods as described in
this application may be considered as a part of the infrastructure
associated with the client.
[0384] The client may provide an interface to other devices
including, without limitation, servers, other clients, printers,
database servers, print servers, file servers, communication
servers, distributed servers and the like. Additionally, this
coupling and/or connection may facilitate remote execution of
program across the network. The networking of some or all of these
devices may facilitate parallel processing of a program or method
at one or more location without deviating from the scope of the
disclosure. In addition, any of the devices attached to the client
through an interface may include at least one storage medium
capable of storing methods, programs, applications, code and/or
instructions. A central repository may provide program instructions
to be executed on different devices. In this implementation, the
remote repository may act as a storage medium for program code,
instructions, and programs.
[0385] The methods and systems described herein may be deployed in
part or in whole through network infrastructures. The network
infrastructure may include elements such as computing devices,
servers, routers, hubs, firewalls, clients, personal computers,
communication devices, routing devices and other active and passive
devices, modules and/or components as known in the art. The
computing and/or non-computing device(s) associated with the
network infrastructure may include, apart from other components, a
storage medium such as flash memory, buffer, stack, RAM, ROM and
the like. The processes, methods, program codes, instructions
described herein and elsewhere may be executed by one or more of
the network infrastructural elements.
[0386] The methods, program codes, and instructions described
herein and elsewhere may be implemented on a cellular network
having multiple cells. The cellular network may either be frequency
division multiple access (FDMA) network or code division multiple
access (CDMA) network. The cellular network may include mobile
devices, cell sites, base stations, repeaters, antennas, towers,
and the like. The cell network may be a GSM, GPRS, 3G, EVDO, mesh,
or other networks types.
[0387] The methods, programs codes, and instructions described
herein and elsewhere may be implemented on or through mobile
devices. The mobile devices may include navigation devices, cell
phones, mobile phones, mobile personal digital assistants, laptops,
palmtops, netbooks, pagers, electronic books readers, music players
and the like. These devices may include, apart from other
components, a storage medium such as a flash memory, buffer, RAM,
ROM and one or more computing devices. The computing devices
associated with mobile devices may be enabled to execute program
codes, methods, and instructions stored thereon. Alternatively, the
mobile devices may be configured to execute instructions in
collaboration with other devices. The mobile devices may
communicate with base stations interfaced with servers and
configured to execute program codes. The mobile devices may
communicate on a peer to peer network, mesh network, or other
communications network. The program code may be stored on the
storage medium associated with the server and executed by a
computing device embedded within the server. The base station may
include a computing device and a storage medium. The storage device
may store program codes and instructions executed by the computing
devices associated with the base station.
[0388] The computer software, program codes, and/or instructions
may be stored and/or accessed on machine readable media that may
include: computer components, devices, and recording media that
retain digital data used for computing for some interval of time;
semiconductor storage known as random access memory (RAM); mass
storage typically for more permanent storage, such as optical
discs, forms of magnetic storage like hard disks, tapes, drums,
cards and other types; processor registers, cache memory, volatile
memory, non-volatile memory; optical storage such as CD, DVD;
removable media such as flash memory (e.g. USB sticks or keys),
floppy disks, magnetic tape, paper tape, punch cards, standalone
RAM disks, Zip drives, removable mass storage, off-line, and the
like; other computer memory such as dynamic memory, static memory,
read/write storage, mutable storage, read only, random access,
sequential access, location addressable, file addressable, content
addressable, network attached storage, storage area network, bar
codes, magnetic ink, and the like.
[0389] The methods and systems described herein may transform
physical and/or or intangible items from one state to another. The
methods and systems described herein may also transform data
representing physical and/or intangible items from one state to
another, such as from usage data to a normalized usage dataset.
[0390] The elements described and depicted herein, including in
flow charts and block diagrams throughout the figures, imply
logical boundaries between the elements. However, according to
software or hardware engineering practices, the depicted elements
and the functions thereof may be implemented on machines through
computer executable media having a processor capable of executing
program instructions stored thereon as a monolithic software
structure, as standalone software modules, or as modules that
employ external routines, code, services, and so forth, or any
combination of these, and all such implementations may be within
the scope of the present disclosure. Examples of such machines may
include, but may not be limited to, personal digital assistants,
laptops, personal computers, mobile phones, other handheld
computing devices, medical equipment, wired or wireless
communication devices, transducers, chips, calculators, satellites,
tablet PCs, electronic books, gadgets, electronic devices, devices
having artificial intelligence, computing devices, networking
equipments, servers, routers and the like. Furthermore, the
elements depicted in the flow chart and block diagrams or any other
logical component may be implemented on a machine capable of
executing program instructions. Thus, while the foregoing drawings
and descriptions set forth functional aspects of the disclosed
systems, no particular arrangement of software for implementing
these functional aspects should be inferred from these descriptions
unless explicitly stated or otherwise clear from the context.
Similarly, it will be appreciated that the various steps identified
and described above may be varied, and that the order of steps may
be adapted to particular applications of the techniques disclosed
herein. All such variations and modifications are intended to fall
within the scope of this disclosure. As such, the depiction and/or
description of an order for various steps should not be understood
to require a particular order of execution for those steps, unless
required by a particular application, or explicitly stated or
otherwise clear from the context.
[0391] The methods and/or processes described above, and steps
thereof, may be realized in hardware, software or any combination
of hardware and software suitable for a particular application. The
hardware may include a general purpose computer and/or dedicated
computing device or specific computing device or particular aspect
or component of a specific computing device. The processes may be
realized in one or more microprocessors, microcontrollers, embedded
microcontrollers, programmable digital signal processors or other
programmable device, along with internal and/or external memory.
The processes may also, or instead, be embodied in an application
specific integrated circuit, a programmable gate array,
programmable array logic, or any other device or combination of
devices that may be configured to process electronic signals. It
will further be appreciated that one or more of the processes may
be realized as a computer executable code capable of being executed
on a machine readable medium.
[0392] The computer executable code may be created using a
structured programming language such as C, an object oriented
programming language such as C++, or any other high-level or
low-level programming language (including assembly languages,
hardware description languages, and database programming languages
and technologies) that may be stored, compiled or interpreted to
run on one of the above devices, as well as heterogeneous
combinations of processors, processor architectures, or
combinations of different hardware and software, or any other
machine capable of executing program instructions.
[0393] Thus, in one aspect, each method described above and
combinations thereof may be embodied in computer executable code
that, when executing on one or more computing devices, performs the
steps thereof. In another aspect, the methods may be embodied in
systems that perform the steps thereof, and may be distributed
across devices in a number of ways, or all of the functionality may
be integrated into a dedicated, standalone device or other
hardware. In another aspect, the means for performing the steps
associated with the processes described above may include any of
the hardware and/or software described above. All such permutations
and combinations are intended to fall within the scope of the
present disclosure.
[0394] All documents referenced herein are hereby incorporated by
reference.
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