Technical Field

The invention relates to a smart container and waste collection system with mobile application support that provides an efficient solution to the increasing waste problem in today’s world.

State of the Art (Prior Art)

When the examples from the world and Turkey are examined, reward and motivation-based recycling services are offered. In the state of the art, municipal and public institutions have developed their own special bins to encourage this and have positioned these bins in central locations that can be reached. Most of the products previously used in the art have lost their timeliness after a while. Technical equipment has lost interest or become unusable over time due to the need to recycle the product intensively and the fact that it is not possible to spread awareness of recycling to many people.

In the state of the art, there is a utility model with application number CN202594215U and a patent application with application number WO2017175244A1.

The document with the application number CN202594215U refers to a smart container that works with a card, a reader screen, and a barcode. In the document with reference number WO2017175244A1, a smart container of the approach sensor is described.

Objects in Developing the Invention

The invention offers an efficient solution to the increasing waste problem in today’s world. The consumer will be able to view the smart container system closest to them through the mobile application very easily and leave the waste they separate to this container system and earn an income from it.

These wastes may be metal, paper, plastic, biologically based wastes, oil, electronics, textile wastes. At the basis of the climate, environment and water problem, which is one of the most important problems of the world at the moment, is that wastes are not recycled back to life. With this method, even individual users can easily leave their waste to the nearest smart container system. It can benefit both them and the environment. Thanks to mobile devices, it can connect to the recycling application from any area with the internet and view the waste container system and turn it into a profit in the system that automatically detects it and earns points in the mobile application.

Brief Description of the Invention

The invention is designed to be directly accessible to the end user. Every individual, every institution, and every business that has waste in daily life can be defined as a user of the system. The system can be considered as a contemporary recycling system that will be beneficial to the environment, nature and will provide a serious setback against climate change immediately after it becomes applicable.

If people living on Earth progress at this rate in terms of waste, environmental awareness and water consumption, the life expectancy of the planet will be far below the expected level. Therefore, knowing that it is very difficult to reduce the rate of consumption, it is very important to bring the waste released as a result of people’s consumption back to life. In the information age, a very significant number of people use mobile and smart devices. Starting from people with digital literacy and sensitivity about environmental awareness, it is aimed to quickly separate the wastes generated as a result of consumption and to deliver them to the organizations that will transform them as soon as possible.

Definitions of Figures Describing the Invention

Figure 1: A front view of a smart container and waste collection system with mobile application support

Figure 2: A top view of a smart container and waste collection system with mobile application support

Figure 3: A side view of a smart container and waste collection system with mobile application support

Figure 4: A perspective view of a smart container and waste collection system with mobile application support Figure 5: A perspective view showing a smart container and waste collection system with mobile application support and the positioning of the elements of this system.

List of References

1. Smart Container System

2. Mobile Application

3. Power Source

4. Warning System

5. Sensor Unit

6- Image Reading-Processing & Early Detection Systems

7. Control Unit

8. Location Calculation and Transmission Unit

9. QR Code Identification System

Detailed Description of the Invention

With the present invention, a system is developed that enables consumers to identify their waste with the help of a mobile application, to find the nearest smart container system, and to use it as a financial value through the same mobile application after leaving the waste to the relevant container.

The smart container system (1) developed by the invention comprises the following components: at least one uniquely designated QR code for each container, at least one mobile application (2) running on at least one consumer device and on at least one device belonging to a waste-collecting unit for scanning the QR code, at least one database accessible via the mobile application (2), where data relating to each container is stored, at least one sensor unit (5) that ensures the detection and classification of wastes in each container, a minimum location calculation and transmission unit (8), which detects the closest container information to the consumer through the mobile application (2) in the consumer device and enables the location information of each container to be obtained and ensures that this information is transmitted to the consumer by determining the closest container location obtained depending on the location of the consumer, at least one control unit (7) communicating with and controlling the operation of the mobile application (2), the database, the sensor unit (5) and the location calculation and transmission unit (8).

With the system developed with the invention (1), the separated wastes are taken to recycling factories and brought back to life. Through the mobile application (2), the necessary information is communicated to both the consumer who will dispose of the waste and the logistics operator who will take the waste to the facility that will convert the waste. Thanks to the location calculation and transmission unit (8) in the system (1), both the consumer is allowed to reach the container with the help of the mobile application and the location information can be updated and sent to the field operator even if the container is moved in case of any threat. The single user who comes to the container system (1) to open the mobile application (2) and dispose of the waste can leave the waste in the container thanks to the QR code identification unit (9) on the container. The QR code identification unit (9) comprises an ID-like number. The user using the mobile application (2) can prove that they entered that container by scanning this QR code on their mobile device with the help of software. When the QR code is defined, the lid of the container is opened, and the user can load the waste into this container. The QR code on each container is unique to each container. For the consumer and the field operator, this situation does not cause any confusion and analysis, reporting and problems that may occur are eliminated in advance.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the sensor unit (5) comprises at least one approach sensor and/or at least one impulse warning system, at least one weight sensor, at least one pressure sensor, and at least one volume sensor.

The approach sensor helps the warning and warning feedback system against the threat elements such as impact, ringing, etc. that may occur on the container. The impact warning system detects physical activity such as violence, etc. above a certain pressure limit that can be applied to the container and sends an alarm and notification to the operator responsible for theft/damage by using the mobile application. Security sensors have a feature such as calling the call center in addition to the mobile warning according to the alert urgency situations.

The weight sensor is designed to notify the operator responsible if the container reaches the previously defined limit weight (e.g., 50 kg).

The pressure sensor is designed to measure the pressure applied to it on the bottom of the container. The sensor in question works in coordination with weight, volume and other sensors.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the volume sensor is placed asymmetrically in the lower, upper and middle regions of the container and communicates the occupancy rate in the container to the operator and central management unit in direct proportion to the volume by cooperating with other sensors such as weight and pressure.

In another embodiment of the invention, there are also infrared sensors that are preferably to be placed very close to the opening portion of the container. These sensors communicate with each other and transmit the possibility of being full in case of interruption of communication to the container central unit. In case this data is evaluated together with pressure, weight, volume sensors and artificial intelligence and multiple approvals are obtained, occupancy information is transmitted to the operator.

In an exemplary application of the invention, the system (1) comprises an audible -mobile notification warning system (4) that gives an audible warning of any security problem that may occur and/or sends a notification to the personnel working in the field. The warning system (4) preferably has smart management that can call the nearest field operator when there is a problem.

The warning system (4) can detect threats by receiving information from the approach sensor, the pressure sensor and the displacement-location system. It can take the vibration and impact on a certain intensity, the approach information that will come with this data at the same time and/or the displacement information of the container in the global location and report these situations to the system as an emergency warning. This notification is sent to both the center and the operator with the emergency code. In this case, the nearest operator is called and asked to take action.

In this application, the nearest operator is detected with the help of a control unit located in the warning system (4) and a notification about the safety problem is sent to the relevant operator.

The system (1) preferably comprises a calculation unit and the financial value of the waste that the consumer has disposed of in the container is determined by means of the calculation unit. Each waste to be disposed of in order to determine the financial value is identified by infrared sensors, industrial-type cameras, and image processing algorithms in the container. For example, when the user throws a pet bottle, the system can detect the discarded object through sensors and artificial intelligence and perform a volume and value analysis. In order to determine the value, the volume and weight information related to the pet scrap value in the period when the object is discarded is multiplied and calculated with the commission value to be given to the user by the application management and transferred to the user’s mobile application account. For example, if it is detected by the system that a pet bottle weighing 2 cubic centimeters and 100 grams is thrown and the current value of the pet bottle is considered to be 10 TRY per kilogram and the user commission is considered to be 5%, 0.05 TRY is charged to the person’s account.

In addition, an early detection and image reading-processing unit (6) is included in the system, which enables the detection of inappropriate wastes and wastes that will not turn into financial value, since the wastes may have unexpected or financial value since they are separated by individual users.

Detection and image processing unit (6), paper with stones in the system, water-filled pet bottles, wastes with low financial cost and difficult to be separated can be detected. The system is detected in accordance with at least one piece of information from interfaces such as, for example, infrared sensors, camera data, volume data, weight data, image processing algorithms, in order to react to waste of no financial value. As an example, if the average weight of a crumpled piece of paper is taken as 5 grams per 1 cm cube, the system can compare these values with a tolerance of 5% and consider wastes that are far above or far below this as worthless. Thanks to the smart container system (1) developed with the invention, it is ensured that the wastes are separated and transported appropriately with the help of the mobile application (2). The separated wastes are taken to the recycling factories and brought back to life.

The system (1) comprises at least one power unit (3), which may be a cell, accumulator or battery, in the preferred embodiment of the invention.