BOTTLES

The present invention refers to an incentive system for the use of returnable vacuums.

In particular, the present invention refers to a system for the automatic identification and/or storage of information relating to objects/products equipped with particular labels/electronic keys called tags, and on the ability of these to respond to the query at a distance from part of special fixed and/or portable devices, called readers/readers/interrogators .

The technology according to the present invention refers to a detection system that allows the remote identification of an object and the exchange of information with a controller through an HW-SW interaction by reading a unique return code based on a particular algorithm of counter type, made in such a way as to assign a certain score of merit to a loyal user, the returns referring to packaging/containers of a supermarket for reuse.

The present invention also relates to a computer program comprising computer program code means suitable for carrying out all or part of the steps of the above procedure when such program is executed on at least one computer, said computer program being able to be contained on a readable medium, from such a computer.

The state of the art is represented by the Italian patent 0001424511 concerning a method for the identification and automated tracing of containers for the collection, storage, conservation and transport of differentiated solid urban waste, such as organic fraction, paper, plastic, glass, metals, undifferentiated fraction, which includes the use of a data coding and storage system, based on Bar-Code and/or QR-Code and/or Tag-RFID technologies, associated with the containers, and which also includes the use of a tracking system based on GPS and/or GPRS/UMTS technology, including the phases of: acquisition, in a specific memory area of the coding and data storage system, of a Unique Identification Code, CUI, of the producer of the urban solid waste, identifying also the type of active users; acquisition of a unique identification code

C.U.I., of the container; identification of the type of urban solid waste contained, said acquisition being also carried out through a special digital system, such as an external device with reading and writing functionality referred to the technologies mentioned; detection of a displacement of the container, through the use of the electronic system for detecting movement and/or physical vibration; location of the container by means of a specific geographic delimitation function, set on GPS and/or GPRS/UMTS technology, with the sending and storage of the sampling of the detected positions, with a personalized interval, on a specific internal digital digital memory, and/or on a remote digital support in "cloud" technology; transmission of the Unique

Identification Codes, C.U.I., and of the internal information contents stored, the transmission taking place in an automated manner, when it is placed at a suitable distance from the aforementioned digital detection system; localization of differentiated and unsorted municipal solid waste in general, placed about two meters deep from the walking surfaces; elimination of the transfer of waste anonymously; and carrying out corrective and/or incentive actions, in relation to the personalized threshold for correct use of the service. Furthermore, the state of the art is represented by US patent 9,616,334 B2 concerning a combination of toy and game device which provides a game participant with access to one or more parts or features of an animated computer game played on a console, compatible game. The toy and play device combination includes: a wireless enabled toy representing a playable character in the computer animated game and comprising: a wirelessly powered radio frequency identification (RFID) tag configured to communicate wirelessly with one or more plural compatible RFID tag readers communicatively associated with the compatible game console, the RFID tag comprising a non-volatile memory configured to store game-relevant information associated with the wireless-enabled toy; a first selection of game-relevant information stored in the non-volatile memory comprising unique information associated with the wireless enabled toy; a second selection of game-relevant information stored in the non-volatile memory comprising one or more attributes of the playable character; and a third selection of game-relevant information stored in non-volatile memory comprising encrypted information that can be decrypted or authenticated using an encryption key, and where at least part of the encryption key comprises the unique information associated with the connection-enabled toy wireless.

The problem is to create a points promotion, such that a shop reimburses the variable part of the waste tax, based on a score achieved, linked to waste not produced by purchasing products in bulk and/or with reusable packaging after washing and sterilization. The solution to the problem is oriented towards respecting the environment and educating the consumer, so as to produce the least possible amount of waste in an intuitive and economically advantageous way. In particular, the solution is based on the use of Hw to read the unique code of returns as per the previous patent and of a Sw to assign a score based on the packaging saved if the products purchased are in ecological containers, for example cardboard, or non-energy-intensive, such as plastic, to packaging returned by customers for reuse, to packaging with a high energy-intensive impact for their production. Based on this score, the waste tax is refunded. The aforesaid and other objects and advantages of the invention, as will emerge from the following description, are achieved with an incentive system for the use of returnable voids such as that described in claim 1. Preferred embodiments and non-trivial variants of the present invention form the subject of the dependent claims.

It is understood that all attached claims form an integral part of the present description.

It will be immediately obvious that innumerable variations and modifications (for example relating to shape, dimensions, arrangements and parts with equivalent functionality) can be made to what is described without departing from the scope of the invention as appears from the attached claims.

The invention has a high educational value towards the environment and the circular economy, as it acts directly on the customer's habits in favor of reducing waste disposal, establishing a premium with partial or total reimbursement of the waste tax.

In addition, the invention makes it possible to record the value of a deposit on the empty to be returned in a proportional manner to the containers/packaging delivered, based on the score, the fraction of the waste tax reimbursed to the customer is calculated.

The present invention will be better described by some preferred embodiments, provided by way of non-limiting example, with reference to the attached drawings, in which Figure 1 shows an operational diagram of an embodiment of the incentivized system for the use of returnable voids according to the present invention.

Referring to the figure, it is possible to note that a system incentivized for the use of returnable empty bottles in the management of commercial processes, includes at least one centralized server (a) shared through a telecommunication transmitting station, at least one telemetry gateway (b) preferably with TCP/IP network protocol for routing data packets in the Internet, at least one data acquisition platform (c) via a server to store RFID/UHF type data, at least one platform for the appropriate management of each product/service transaction (d) via a data processing server, at least one mobile radio terminal (e). In particular, the telemetry gateway (b) is configured, for each container, to classify as purchase/return, with high/low energy impacts.

Advantageously, a game platform (f) is configured to be able to entertain at least one loyal customer in possession of a container adapted to be able to play on the game platform. In fact, each container is associated with an RFID label managed by the platform for the appropriate management of each product/service transaction (d) via the data processing server.

The game platform (f) includes at least one display screen, one or more sensors (IoT) configured to intercept and interact with respect to each container associated with an RFID tag, the effects of the interaction being displayed on the display screen. An orientation to the use of the gaming platform (f) is to educate the loyal customer to produce the least possible number of waste in an intuitive and cost-effective way, each container associated with an RFID label being of the low energy-intensive type. The system of the invention is based on a HW- SW interconnection infrastructure configured to realize a discrete systems logic, as described by means of a block diagram. The transmitting station (a) used in the monitoring device of the present invention, preferably of the "Libelium Waspmote" type, transmits data via radio waves or via GPRS (data connection) through a telecommunications network, preferably UMTS/4G, and is composed by a group of sensors necessary for the correct detection of the information described for each individual involved, or a series of operational processes according to the purpose set by the connected GDO, including: reading the unique code for each packaging to be returned; the association of the unique code for each customer who has the right to return.

The transmitting station (a) is composed of a data transmission module, preferably with TCP/IP network protocol which at regular intervals sends the values detected by the sensors through the connection with the IoT type gateway (b) such as the "Libelium Meshlium Xtreme", capable of receiving and processing the data generated/sent by the telecommunication transmitting station (a) and transmitting them to an information traffic processing subsystem (c) for the historicization and archiving of the data received which is reused and possibly reprogrammed according to the packaging used, i.e. a data acquisition and normalization platform configured both to historicize all the data received from the telemetry gateway (b) and insert them into a database, and to aggregate the normalized acquired data on a time basis at regular intervals indicating the information stored. A mobile radio terminal (e), whose technical characteristics are identified by a system that manages the resources of the device, is used to send/receive the measurements made by the platform (c) including: the labeling of the recyclable container (Glass, PET, etc.); the loading of the product into the memory by the operator; the calculation and storage of sales transactions by applying a return. The mobile radio device (e) is used by those involved in all the activities/functions to be performed and/or the emerging/primary actions to be undertaken. The platform for the management of activities (d) acquires the data present in the platform (c) and the data provided by the field surveys as specified above, forming a set of deterministic data useful for the processing phase, including: reading of the codes associated with packaging with the returnable vacuum method. A dedicated software is created to assign the unique codes of the packaging to the unique code of the loyal customer, in such a way as to: allow the reading of the codes of the empty containers to be returned; count the packages/containers saved/purchased; count the packaging/containers returned for their reuse; count the high-impact energy-intensive packaging for their production. The score assigned/associated with the return will be calculated/measured according to the type of commercial strategy adopted by large-scale distribution to manage this use.

The "We'll pay you the waste tax" solution is designed and oriented towards respecting the environment and educating the consumer to produce as little waste as possible in an intuitive and cost-effective way.

The idea is based on an algorithm with which to carry out a points promotion such that a shop will reimburse the variable part of the waste tax based on the score achieved, linked to waste not produced by purchasing bulk and/or packaged products, reusable after washing and sterilization. This promotion has an educational aspect, for the respect of the environment, towards the customer who will have a discount on the waste tax based, not on how much he buys, but on how much less waste he produces and on how much impact it is in terms of resources and energy, production of packaging which, when purchased in a shop without packaging, is eliminated.

The algorithm assigns a score (points collection) based on the packaging and waste present in normal supermarkets and on the basis of the resources used to produce it, on the same products sold in a store without packaging, it also assigns a weight to the cans and/or packaging reported in such a way as to be able to apply a very low returnable deposit on the vacuum and thus overcome the impact of a deposit that is too high but necessary. This part of the idea is very important as it can be applied to any shop with a returnable vacuum and payment of a deposit.

A product that has more packaging such as plastic and cardboard outer packaging will have a certain score higher than a product with only plastic packaging as less waste is produced. A product such as puree that is made of glass in both normal and unpackaged stores will have a lower score because the glass is completely recyclable and, even if in the zero-pack store, the environmental footprint is reused is lower. Hemp packaging as an alternative to plastic has a very high score and so on. A product with multi-material packaging that is difficult to separate and therefore recyclable has a higher score if, for example, reusable glass is used. Water in glass bottles has a high average score as it does not create plastic waste, etc.

If a loyal customer buys pasta in our shop in a glass container, he saves plastic and cardboard compared to traditional supermarkets and this is worth a lot of points. If, on the other hand, he buys the puree since the glass is completely recyclable both at the supermarket and with us, when he returns the bottle, he will have a lower score. Likewise, if he buys drinks in cans (energy- intensive production) instead of glass, he will have a higher score and so on.