Patent Application
20140279577
Any and all applications for which a foreign or domestic priority claim is identified in the Application Data Sheet as filed with the present application are hereby incorporated by reference under 37 C.F.R. §1.57.
Organic fertilizers are useful for assisting in the growth of agricultural crops, residential plants, and landscaping flora without the need for synthetic or petroleum-based fertilizers. It is known in the art that organic fertilizers have enhanced benefits over traditional fertilizers that extend beyond the plant to positively affect the health of soils. Compared to traditional fertilizers, organic fertilizers have been shown to decrease negative environmental impacts associated with nutrient leaching into the environment, and increase useful biotic activity in soils.
The organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW), and more specifically, the food waste subcomponent therein, is a nuisance and environmental waste issue. Rainwater percolates through landfills, where food waste is deposited, and leads to heavy metals and minerals leaching, thus contributing to the contamination of soils, surface water and ground water. Decaying waste emits greenhouse gasses which subsequently cause significant environmental concern. Food waste also causes odor, vector and rodent issues both in landfills and composting facilities, the latter of which have been specifically designed to recover food waste nutrition. In the United States alone, some 34 million tons of food waste are produced each year and nearly 33 million tons is committed to landfills for disposal, the cost of which is usually borne by the waste producer in the form of tipping fees.
Despite being considered waste that is unsuitable for human or animal consumption, a high level of valuable nutrition remains in the food waste that can be processed into various agricultural or other products. Agricultural products derived from organic waste, including food waste, have been shown to: (a) exhibit plant growth acceleration that equals or outperforms traditional, synthetic or petroleum based fertilizers; (b) increase the long-term health of carbon-depleted soils; and (c) command monetary premiums in distribution markets. It is therefore a useful economic and environment-sustaining endeavor to develop a process to produce fertilizers from food waste for the dual benefits of providing for nutrient-rich organic fertilizers for agricultural purposes, and to reduce the nuisance and cost issues related to traditional food waste disposal.
Additional economic and environmental benefits can be achieved by producing fertilizers that are approved for use in organic crop production by an accredited certifying agent. The use of food waste as a feedstock may produce fertilizers that are approved for use, whereas many traditional fertilizers derived from traditional synthetic and petroleum-based sources generally cannot be approved.
Anaerobic digestion is a biological process in which microorganisms break down a material in the absence (or limited presence) of oxygen. Although this may take place naturally within a landfill over extended periods of time, the term anaerobic digestion typically describes a contained and accelerated operation. Anaerobic digestion can be used for processing various waste materials, such as sewage or food waste.
Anaerobic digestion can yield components including biogas, digestate (or solid effluent), and liquid effluent. Biogas is generated by the microorganisms digesting the organic material and may be comprised of, including but not limited to; methane, carbon dioxide, water, and other gases. This biogas, and in particular methane, can be used as an alternative energy source. The digestate (solid effluent) may be further processed and used as compost. The liquid effluent may be disposed (for example, via municipal wastewater treatment), or may be utilized as a nutrient-rich organic fertilizer, or may be further nutritionally augmented with organic material and be utilized as a nutrient-rich fertilizer, or may be further nutritionally augmented with synthetic material and be utilized as a nutrient-rich fertilizer, or may be nutritionally augmented with both organic and synthetic material and utilized as a fertilizer.
Generally described, aspects of the present disclosure relate to the management of waste and information related to waste processing. In an illustrative embodiment, a waste processing unit is configured to receive and at least partially process waste, such as organic-based food waste. As part of the collection process, the waste processing unit can include a user interface and input devices that receive or generate waste processing information associated with the deposit of the waste in the waste processing unit. Examples of waste processing information can include, but is not limited to, user identification information, waste categorization information, environmental information, multi-media information (such as images or weight), and the like. The waste processing information can be processed locally by the waste processing unit. Additionally, the collected or processed waste processing information can be transmitted to a waste processing unit information service for further data collection and analysis.
Although aspects of the present disclosure will be described with regard to illustrative waste processing units and component interactions, communication protocols, flow diagrams and user interfaces, one skilled in the relevant art will appreciate that the disclosed embodiments are illustrative in nature and should not be construed as limiting. Specifically, although the present disclosure references a waste processing unit, one skilled in the relevant art will appreciate that a waste processing unit may also be referred to as a wireless computing device, a mobile communication device, or a computing device. Still further, although the present disclosure is described with regard to specific displays and specific methodologies and frameworks for generating communication categories and identifying communication activities, the present disclosure should not be construed to require combination of the disclosed embodiments or any specific variation unless such combination or variation is expressly identified.
With reference now to
The waste processing unit 102 can generate various displays that facilitate interaction of a user with other users or other network-based resources. The waste processing unit 102 can correspond to a wide variety of devices or components that are capable of initiating, receiving or facilitating communications over a communication network 106 including, but not limited to, personal computing devices, hand held computing devices, integrated components for inclusion in computing devices, network appliances, vehicles, machinery, smart phones, modems, personal digital assistants, laptop computers, gaming devices, media devices, and the like. Illustrative components of a waste processing unit 102 will be described in greater detail with regard to
In an illustrative embodiment, the waste processing units include a wide variety of software and hardware components for establishing communications over one or more communication networks, including wireless communication network, a wired communication network (not shown), or an IP-based telecommunication network (not shown).
The waste management environment 100 can include a waste processing unit information service 108. In an illustrative embodiment, the waste processing unit information service 108 may be utilized to provide, maintain or transmit waste processing information transmitted by one or more waste processing units 102. Examples of the processing of waste processing information include the archival of waste processing information, incorporation of waste processing information with other external information (such as inventory management systems), predictive modeling of waste processing activities, and the like.
While the waste processing unit information service 108 is depicted in
The waste processing unit information service 108 can include an external data source interface component for obtaining external information from network data sources, such as location data, contact data, inventory data, and other data. For example, an external data source interface component can obtain inventory data from a premises 104 associated with a waste processing unit 102. The waste processing unit information service 108 can also include a device interface component for obtaining information from one or more waste processing units 102. One skilled in the relevant art will also appreciate that the waste processing unit information service 108 may include any one of a number of additional hardware and software components that would be utilized in the illustrative computerized network environment to carry out the illustrative functions of the waste processing unit information service 108 or any of the individually identified components. For example, the waste processing unit information service 108 may be associated with one or more data processing components, and devices thereof, for processing waste processing information provided by the waste processing units 102 or external sources.
With reference now to
Illustratively, the waste processing unit 102 performs functions by using the processing unit(s) 202 to execute instructions provided by the system memory 204. The waste processing unit 102 may also include one or more input devices 214 for obtaining information associated with the collection or generation of waste processing information. Illustrative input devices 214 include, but are not limited to keyboard, mouse device, specialized selection keys, multi-media capture devices and the like. Additionally, the input devices 214 can also include one or more biological components for performing biological analysis or processes on waste products, as will be described below. The waste processing unit 102 can also include one or more output devices 216 for generating outputs to one or more users, including, but not limited to displays, printers, audio output mechanisms, and the like. Illustrative user interfaces for a waste processing unit will be described with regard to
With continued reference to
As previously described, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure, a waste processing unit 102 can generate one or more displays on a user interface via an output device 216. In an illustrative embodiment, the displays include various display objects that represent waste processing categories that may be selectable by a user via any one of a variety of input methods and devices. Additionally, the waste processing unit 102 can also capture multi-media information related to the collection of waste products to assist in the generation of waste processing information or assist in the waste processing process. Examples of multi-media information can include video or still images, weight, texture, aural, sound, etc. Still further, the waste processing unit 102 can further capture information associated with the waste products to be used for determining waste processing categories including weight and associated properties. For example, the waste products may be tested to determine properties related to the ability to absorb various types of electromagnetic waves. In another example, the waste products may be tested to determine the presence and quantities of biological or chemical indicators for assistance in characterizing the waste product. The waste product unit 102 may be further associated with a data store 224 for maintaining collected or generated waste product information as part of the ongoing operation of the waste processing unit. Although illustrated as a single data store, the data store 224 may correspond to any number of components, local or remote, for maintaining waste processing information.
The waste processing unit 102 can further include a waste processing subsystem 226 that at least partially initiates various biological processes related to the processing of the waste processes. An example of such a waste processing system is described in commonly owned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/749,528, entitled METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR PROCESSING ORGANIC MATERIAL, and filed on Jan. 24, 2013. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/749,528 is incorporated in its entirety by reference herein. Another example of an illustrative waste processing system is described in commonly owned U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/809,225, entitled METHODS and SYSTEMS FOR STABILIZING ORGANIC MATERIAL, and filed on Apr. 5, 2013, and which was previously incorporated by reference.
Turning now to
As previously described, an illustrative waste processing unit 102 can include various input devices 214 and output devices 216 for generating information prompting a user for information, obtaining user inputted information and initiating the processing of collected waste product.
Returning to
With continued reference to block 302, the waste processing unit 102 can also collect various environmental information that may be related to either the collection of the waste products or the user depositing the waste products. The environmental information can include video or still photograph information to verify the user that deposited the waste product. The environmental information can also include temperature, time, geographical position information and the like. Still further, the environmental information can further include information identifying a particular premises 104 that has been associated with the waste processing unit 102.
Upon receipt of the user identification and environmental information, at block 304, the waste processing unit 102 then obtains a selection of waste category information. Illustratively, each waste processing unit 102 can obtain a user selection of various waste categories that best embody the waste product to be deposited at the waste processing unit 102. Illustratively, the waste categories are determined by either the waste processing information service 108 or an administrator associated with a particular premises. In one aspect, the waste category information can be utilized in the generation of waste processing information to determine how much of the particular waste category is collected and the timing associated with the collection of the particular waste category. In another aspect, the waste category information can also be utilized in determining when to initiate the biological processes used to process the collected waster or to determine which type or configurable aspects of biological processes used to process the waste.
In one embodiment, the waste category information can be statically provisioned on each waste processing unit 102. The static provision can be selected in a manner unique to each waste processing unit 102 or premises 104 or common across at least a subset of a group of waste processing units, such as in a logical grouping 106. In another embodiment, the waste category information can also be dynamically provisioned such that the category information may be selectively displayed based on a particular user, premises, time of day, or based on an initial set of user responses. For example, the waste processing unit 102 can generate a number of additional hierarchical based displays that collect more detailed waste category information based an initial set of category selections by the user.
In another embodiment, the determination of product category information can correspond to a determination of attributes or characteristics of potential waste products by the waste processing unit 102. In this embodiment, the waste processing unit 102 can conduct one or more processing steps on waste products, or representative samples, to determine the characteristics of the waste product. In some embodiments, the waste processing unit 102 can conduct the processing steps without requiring any action or intervention by the users. For example, the waste processing unit 102 can include components for transmitting electromagnetic radiation to a sample of the waste product to determine characteristics or attributes of the waste product sample, such as color, light absorbance, and the like. In another example, the waste processing unit 102 can conduct chemical or biological processes to test for the presence of specific chemical or biological properties of the waste product sample. For example, the waste processing unit 102 can conduct a test to identify whether a waste product sample has any indications of having a specific protein. In these embodiments, the results of the determination of the waste product characteristics can be used to associate a waste product category or to verify a user selection of a waste product category.
After collection of the waste category information, at decision block 306, the waste processing unit 102 determines whether the collection of waste is approved. Illustratively, the waste processing unit 102 can include processing rules that can be utilized to evaluate whether waste collection should be enabled. The processing rules can be based on authority associated with the identified user (either directly or indirectly), types of waste categories, time of day, associated premises, and the like. Additionally, the processing rules can determine whether adequate information has been collected about the user or the waste to be collected. If the waste processing unit 102 determines that the waste product should not be collected, the routine 300 terminates at block 308. Additionally, the waste processing unit 102 can initiate error processing routine(s) that documents data entry errors, unauthorized access, and the like. In other embodiments, the waste processing unit 102 can transmit requests for authorization to the waste processing unit information service 108 to validate at least a portion of the collected information, to obtain additional information, or request additional or supplemental authorization. For example, the waste processing unit information service 108 can determine whether an identified user has been previously associated with fraudulent waste product collection or whether a collection of waste processing information for multiple waste processing units 102 may be indicative of an error condition, fraudulent transaction or escalation event.
Alternatively, if at decision block 306, the waste processing unit 102 determines that waste collection is authorized, the waste processing unit 102 enables waste collection at block 310. Illustratively, the waste processing unit 102 can maintain a waste collection component that is selectably enabled to receive waste (e.g., a door that may be locked or unlocked by the waste processing unit).
Once the waste has been collected, at block 312, the waste processing unit 102 then obtains waste identification information. In one embodiment, the waste processing unit 102 can utilize various multi-media or other input devices to collect information about the waste product deposited in the waste processing unit. For example, the waste processing unit 102 can include video or still camera equipment that can capture information about the collected waste. In another example, the waste processing unit 102 can include additional sensors, such as light sensors, color sensors, aural sensors, temperature sensors, etc. that collect information about characteristics of the deposited waste. Still further, the waste processing unit 102 can obtain a weight of the collected waste. In one example, the waste processing unit 102 can process the weight of a collection tray prior to collecting waste materials and the cumulative weight of the collection tray and the collected weight. In another example, the waste processing unit 102 can have a weight sensor (or be in communication with a weight sensor) that provides a weight for the waste processing unit (in whole) prior to the collection of the waste material and a weight from the waste processing unit (in whole) after the collection of the waste material. In these embodiments, the waste processing unit 102 conducts additional processing to determine a weight.
Upon collection of the waste and any waste identification information, the waste processing unit 102 can then initiate one or more biological processing routines for processing the collected waste. In one aspect, the biological processing routines can determine the appropriate biological processes and the timing of the initiation of selected biological processes. Additionally, the biological processing routines can further include the collection of information related to the organic processes being initiated within the waste processing unit. Illustrative biological processes for utilization with a waste processing unit 102 have been previously identified, although not limiting.
At block 316, the waste processing unit 102 can then process any of the collected waste or biological processing information. For example, the waste processing unit 102 can utilize additional software algorithms that process the collected data, such as image recognition, statistical processing, etc. Additionally, the waste processing unit 102 can store information in a local data store. Still further, the waste processing unit 102 can initiate the transmission of information to an external source, such as the waste processing unit information service 108. Even further, the waste processing unit 102 can also generate confirmation information related to the collection of the waste, the collection/generation of waste processing information or the biological processing of the collected waste. One skilled in the relevant art will appreciate that one or more of the processing routines may be executed prior to the initiation of the biological processes or contemporaneously with the initiation of the biological processes. At block 318, the routine 300 terminates.
Illustratively, the waste processing unit information service 108 or waste processing unit 102 can utilize waste processing information in a variety of ways. In one aspect, waste product processing information from a waste processing unit 102 can be compared to external information provided by, or associated with a premises 104. The external information can include, but is not limited to, inventory ordering information, employee attendance information, point-of-sale transaction information, and the like. For example, the waste product processing information associated with a waste processing unit 102 can be processed to determine a spoilage rate for categories of waste products. In turn, inventory management system data can be reviewed and adjusted based on the determined spoilage rate. In another example, waste product processing information can be compared on a user-by-user basis to determine differences in waste processing by particular users, including error rates, waste product rates, and the like. In still a further example, waste product processing information can be combined with financial planning information to associate a financial cost for waste products. In this example, the financial cost may correspond to an amount of lost product, a cost of processing the waste product, a benefit from recycled or repurposed waste product, a cost of operating the waste processing unit 102 and the like.
In another aspect, waste product processing information from a waste processing unit 102 can be processed to identify trends for a single waste processing unit or a selection of waste processing unit. With reference to the previous example, spoilage rates or trends can be determined for one or more waste processing units 102 (irrespective of combination with other sources of data). In another example, waste product processing rates may be utilized to identify trends related to the collection of spoilage. In this example, variations in spoilage rate may be indicative of variations in weather or political conditions that may cause variations in the time for waste product to spoil (increasing or decreasing) or affect customer or employee attendance at the premises. For example, a chain of grocery stores may detect an increase of spoilage rates for waste processing units 102 associated within a geographic region that is experiencing a rise in temperature or that is experiencing a sudden loss in power. In another example, a chain of grocery stores may detect a decrease in spoilage rates for waste processing units 102 in another geographic region in which customers are buying additional provisions due to potential upcoming weather issues or political unrest.
In yet another aspect, the waste processing unit information service 108 or waste processing units 102 can utilize the waste product processing information in support of certification of premises or vendors. In this aspect, the waste processing unit information service 108 can utilize independently collected waste product processing information to determine an amount or percentage of waste product processing information for a premises or set of premises. The waste processing unit information service 108 can then apply business logic rules to determine whether the premises or set of premises would qualify for particular certifications.
All of the processes described herein may be embodied in, and fully automated via, software code modules executed by one or more general purpose computers or processors. The code modules may be stored in any type of computer-readable medium or other computer storage device. Some or all the methods may alternatively be embodied in specialized computer hardware. In addition, the components referred to herein may be implemented in hardware, software, firmware or a combination thereof.
Conditional language such as, among others, “can,” “could,” “might” or “may,” unless specifically stated otherwise, are otherwise understood within the context as used in general to convey that certain embodiments include, while other embodiments do not include, certain features, elements and/or steps. Thus, such conditional language is not generally intended to imply that features, elements and/or steps are in any way required for one or more embodiments or that one or more embodiments necessarily include logic for deciding, with or without user input or prompting, whether these features, elements and/or steps are included or are to be performed in any particular embodiment.
Any process descriptions, elements or blocks in the flow diagrams described herein and/or depicted in the attached figures should be understood as potentially representing modules, segments, or portions of code which include one or more executable instructions for implementing specific logical functions or elements in the process. Alternate implementations are included within the scope of the embodiments described herein in which elements or functions may be deleted, executed out of order from that shown, or discussed, including substantially concurrently or in reverse order, depending on the functionality involved as would be understood by those skilled in the art.
It should be emphasized that many variations and modifications may be made to the above-described embodiments, the elements of which are to be understood as being among other acceptable examples. All such modifications and variations are intended to be included herein within the scope of this disclosure and protected by the following claims.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61778127 | Mar 2013 | US | |
| 61809225 | Apr 2013 | US |
