Storage bin for waste delivery, in particular for authenticated waste delivery

Abstract

The present invention relates to a storage bin (10) for authenticated waste delivery, wherein said storage bin (10) comprises a containment body (17) in which there is at least one waste collection compartment, said containment body (17) having at least one aperture (11) for delivering waste into said collection compartment, and a door (12) movably connected to the containment body (17) for selectively opening or closing said aperture (11), wherein said storage bin (10) is associated with an electronic board (20) configured to receive signals indicative of a request to open said door (12) for depositing waste into the collection compartment of the storage bin (10), wherein said electronic board (20) is configured to allow the door (12) to be opened upon authentication of a user enabled to deliver waste, wherein said electronic board (20) is connected to at least one sensor for making an estimate of the waste volume delivered into the storage bin (10) by means of a three- dimensional reconstruction of the contents of the storage bin (10) and by calculating a difference in the occupied volume and / or in the available volume of the storage bin (10) before and after the delivery of waste by the enabled user, said electronic board (20) being configured to associate the delivered volume with said enabled user. The peculiar feature of the present invention lies in the fact that said at least one sensor comprises a detection device (180) positioned in the collection compartment of the storage bin (10) for making said estimate of the waste volume delivered, said detection device (180) comprising: - a base (181) having a quadrangular plan, in particular square or rectangular; - a body (182) comprising four sidewalls (183 A, 183B, 183C, 183D), in particular said body (182) being shaped substantially like a truncated pyramid, - four sensors (184A, 184B, 184C, 184D) of optical type positioned within the body (182), wherein each sensor (184A, 184B, 184C, 184D) is associated with a respective sidewall (183 A, 183B, 183C, 183D) so as to emit and receive a plurality of light beams in order to take an optic volumetric measurement of the collection compartment by computing a distance between the waste in the collection compartment and each sensor (184A, 184B, 184C, 184D), wherein said distance is computed by the electronic board (20) by detecting the phase difference between a first signal representative of the emitted light beams and a second signal representative of the received light beams.

Description

[0001] STORAGE BIN FOR WASTE DELIVERY, IN PARTICULAR FOR AUTHENTICATED WASTE DELIVERY

[0002] DESCRIPTION

[0003] The present invention relates to a storage bin for waste delivery, in particular for authenticated waste delivery, according to the preamble of claim 1.

[0004] It is known in the art that differentiated collection of household waste has become generally widespread. Different materials are collected according to provisions or regulations issued by local authorities, and such different materials may be glass, plastic, paper, metal, and also organic (“wet”) waste, or other objects, e.g. depleted batteries.

[0005] At present people use, for differentiated household waste collection, different containers for each type of waste, with no particular limitation or preference.

[0006] The waste thus collected can then be delivered into suitable storage bins.

[0007] Generally, the costs incurred by municipal administrations for waste collection are then shared among the citizens by taxation or billing.

[0008] Taxation is currently based on possession or use, for whatever purpose, of premises or outdoor areas where municipal waste can be produced, irrespective of the amount of waste actually generated.

[0009] It is therefore one object of the present invention to provide a system which allows for waste collection taxation or billing based on the actual volume of waste delivered.

[0010] It is another object of the present invention to provide a system which makes it possible to arrange a waste collection / disposal taxation or billing system based on the amount of waste sorted into fractions, i.e. based on the quality of the delivered waste.

[0011] It is a further object of the present invention to provide a storage bin for authenticated waste delivery, which can be remotely controlled.

[0012] It is yet another object of the invention to achieve the above-mentioned results in a practical and economical manner.

[0013] The above objects are achieved by means of a storage bin for authenticated waste delivery, said storage bin comprising a waste containment body, a door for opening and closing the storage bin in order to deliver waste therein, and an unloading door, wherein said storage bin is associated with an electronic board configured to receive signals indicative of a request to open said door for depositing waste (possibly contained in one or more waste containers) into said storage bin, and wherein said electronic board is configured to allow the cover of the storage bin to be opened upon authentication of a user enabled to deliver waste, and wherein said electronic board is connected to a detection device configured to estimate the volume of the waste container deposited into the storage bin by said enabled user, and is configured to associate the delivered volume with said enabled user.

[0014] One advantage of the invention lies in the fact that it makes it possible to associate the delivered waste volume with an individual user, and possibly also to arrange a taxation or billing system based on an estimate of the waste volume actually produced by the user and delivered into the storage bin.

[0015] According to the present invention, said waste volume estimate is obtained by means of a detection device, in particular based on ToF (Time of Flight) technology, associated with the electronic board for reconstructing in three dimensions, through the use of a proprietary algorithm, the contents of the storage bin, and then geometrically measuring the difference in the occupied volume and / or in the available volume of the storage bin before and after the delivery of waste by the enabled user.

[0016] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the electronic board comprises a first processor of ultra-low-consumption type, which performs the task of constantly monitoring a plurality of sensors adapted to trigger alarms in real time, wherein such sensors include, by way of example and with no limitations whatsoever, an accelerometer, a battery charge sensor, an ultrasonic sensor for detecting when the storage bin is full, a temperature sensor, a sensor for detecting the opening of the unloading door of the storage bin, a sensor for detecting the opening of the cover of the storage bin, and a sensor for detecting the unlocking of a lock of the cover of the storage bin.

[0017] One advantage of this implementation is that it can provide real-time information about the operational status of the storage bin for authenticated waste delivery.

[0018] According to another embodiment of the present invention, the electronic board comprises a second processor performing the task of managing the waste delivery logic, managing the visualization of the data on the display, communicating with a remote server, executing intensive arithmetic operations and, if necessary, logging data into local memories.

[0019] According to a further embodiment of the present invention, a first auxiliary electronic board including a GNSS module and a second auxiliary electronic board including a module for wireless connection to a remote server are associated with said electronic board, wherein said auxiliary boards are removably connected to said electronic board by means of connectors.

[0020] Further features of the invention can be inferred from the dependent claims.

[0021] Further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in light of the following detailed description and of the accompanying drawings, which are provided herein merely by way of non-limiting explanatory example, wherein:

[0022] - Figure 1 schematically shows a storage bin for waste delivery according to one embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] - Figure 2 schematically shows a control panel of the storage bin of Figure 1;

[0024] - Figure 3 schematically shows a pen drive equipped with an RFID tag which can be used with the storage bin shown in Figure 1;

[0025] - Figure 4 schematically shows a main electronic board and two auxiliary electronic boards used for managing the storage bin shown in Figure 1;

[0026] - Figure 5 shows a first processor of the main electronic board and the main components connected to said first processor;

[0027] - Figure 6 shows a second processor belonging to the main electronic board and the main components connected thereto;

[0028] - Figure 7 is a perspective view of a detection device according to the present invention;

[0029] - Figure 8 is a plan view of a detection device according to the present invention;

[0030] - Figure 9 is a sectional view of the detection device according to the present invention. The invention will now be described with particular reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 shows a storage bin for waste delivery according to an embodiment of the present invention, which is designated as a whole by reference numeral 10.

[0031] The storage bin 10 for waste delivery comprises a containment body 17, in which there is at least one waste collection compartment (not shown in the accompanying drawings, since it is of a per se known type), said containment body 17 being provided with a top wall 15 and at least one aperture 11 permitting the delivery of waste into said collection compartment.

[0032] The container 1 comprises also a door 12 movably connected to the containment body 17 for selectively opening or closing said aperture 11 and allowing or inhibiting access to the collection compartment.

[0033] Preferably, the storage bin 10 according to the present invention is of the type intended to be emptied from below, i.e. the type comprising at least one loading aperture 11 for depositing waste into the collection compartment, positioned in the upper part of the containment body 17, while waste can be removed from the collection compartment of the storage bin 10 through another aperture (not shown in the accompanying drawings, since it is of a known type) provided in the bottom part of the containment body 17. Said at least one aperture 11 for waste delivery may have a rectangular, square or circular section, or may be suitably shaped to match the dimensions and shape of the waste to be delivered; in addition, said aperture 11 has such dimensions that facilitate the introduction of waste into the collection compartment.

[0034] Generally, storage bins of this type (intended to be emptied from below) are bell-shaped or have a quadrangular and / or rectangular cross-section. In the case of the storage bin 10 according to the present invention, the containment body 17 has a quadrangular crosssection with rounded angles, wherein the area of said quadrangular cross-section tapers off slightly from the bottom part or base of the containment body 17 to a top wall 15 of said containment body 10; as a result, the shape of the containment body 17 resembles a truncated cone with rounded or smoothed edges.

[0035] Furthermore, the containment body 17 of the storage bin 10 according to the present invention consists of a shell that may be made as one suitably shaped element or, alternatively, as a given number of shaped (e.g. moulded) components joined together through the use of various methods known in the art (e.g. screws, rivets, welding, spot welding, etc.).

[0036] The storage bin 10 comprises coupling means 2 that permit coupling said storage bin 10 to a hooking device, which is usually carried by a motor vehicle and adapted to hook and lift the storage bin 10 in order to empty the collection compartment by having the waste fall through the additional aperture provided in the bottom part of the containment body 17. Note that the motor vehicle and its hooking device are not shown in the annexed drawings.

[0037] In a preferred embodiment, said coupling means 2 comprise a cylindrical bushing with one end firmly fixed to a top wall 15 of the containment body 17 of the storage bin 10; the storage bin 10 also includes actuation means (not shown in the accompanying drawings) associated with the cylindrical bushing, which are preferably positioned inside the containment body 17 of said storage bin 10, said actuation means being configured to allow opening and / or closing at least one waste unloading door associated with an aperture provided in the bottom part of the storage bin 10. Preferably, said actuation means are substantially similar to those disclosed in European patent No. EPl 172308B1, the contents of which shall be considered as fully incorporated in the present description. The storage bin 10 is associated with an electronic board 20 configured to receive signals indicative of a request to open the door 12 for depositing waste (possibly contained in one or more containers or bags) into the collection compartment of the storage bin 10.

[0038] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the electronic board 20 is configured to allow the door 12 of the storage bin 10 to be opened upon authentication of a user enabled to deliver waste.

[0039] In particular, with reference to Figure 2, which schematically illustrates a control panel 200 of the storage bin 10 of Figure 1, in order to open the door 12 of the storage bin 10 the user brings a pen drive 300, equipped with an RFID tag, close to an NFC reader 40 of the control panel 200, possibly as per instructions shown on a display 30.

[0040] The electronic board 20 will then recognize the enabled user, store the user’s identification data into a memory 100’, and open the door 12 to allow the user to deposit one or more waste containers into the storage bin 10.

[0041] Along with this mode, the electronic board 20 may also provide user authentication through an application 60 for smartphones 70, using Bluetooth as communication technology.

[0042] The electronic board 20 is also connected to a detection device 180 configured to make an estimate of the waste volume delivered into the storage bin 10, and configured to associate the delivered volume with the enabled user.

[0043] According to one aspect of the invention, the estimate of the waste volume delivered by an enabled user is obtained by means of a detection device 180 positioned in the collection compartment of the storage bin 10, in particular said detection device 180 comprising four sensors 184A, 184B, 184C, 184D based on ToF (Time of Flight) technology, i.e. an optical system for distance estimation which first reconstructs the contents of the storage bin 10 in three dimensions, through the use of a proprietary algorithm, and then geometrically measures the difference in the occupied volume or in the available volume in the collection compartment of the storage bin 10 before and after delivery.

[0044] The detection device 180 is calibrated to reconstruct, with an adequate resolution, the contents of all waste containers adopted by the system.

[0045] In this way, due to the univocal association between the user and the pen drive / smartphone, and to the fact that the door 12 can be opened by bringing the pen drive / smartphone close to the control panel 200, it is possible to associate the delivered waste volume with each individual user, and optionally also to arrange a taxation or billing system based on the waste volume actually produced by the user and delivered into the storage bin 10.

[0046] As shown in Figure 1, the detection device 180 is positioned in the collection compartment of the storage bin 10, coupled to a top wall 15 of the containment body 17 of the storage bin 10; in this regard, it should be noted that the detection device 180 is outlined in Figure 1 by means of dashed lines to indicate that it is located inside the containment body of the storage bin 10.

[0047] In this respect, the coupling between the detection device 180 and said top wall 15 may be either direct, i.e. the detection device 180 is directly fastened to said top wall 15 (as schematically shown in Figure 9), or indirect, i.e. through the interposition of coupling means (not shown in the annexed drawings, but including, for example, at least one bracket or similar elements) between the detection device 180 and the top wall 15.

[0048] With reference to Figures 7 to 9, it can also be noticed that the detection device 180 comprises:

[0049] - a base 181 having a quadrangular plan shape, in particular square or rectangular (note that the shape of the base 181 is clearly visible in a plan view of the detection device 180 like, for example, the one shown in Fig. 8);

[0050] - a body 182 comprising four sidewalls 183 A, 183B, 183C, 183D, in particular said body 182 being shaped substantially like a truncated pyramid,

[0051] - four sensors 184A, 184B, 184C, 184D of optical type positioned within the body 182, wherein each sensor 184A, 184B, 184C, 184D is associated with a respective sidewall 183 A, 183B, 183C, 183D so as to emit and receive a plurality of light beams in order to take an optic volumetric measurement of the collection compartment by computing a distance between the waste in the collection compartment and each sensor 184A, 184B, 184C, 184D, wherein said distance is computed by the electronic board 20 by detecting the phase difference between a first signal representative of the emitted light beams and a second signal representative of the received light beams.

[0052] It should be noted that the major base of the body 182 shaped as a truncated pyramid coincides with the base 181 (or consists of the base 181); in this regard, the word “substantially” referring to the truncated pyramid shape of the body 182 implies that said body 182 may optionally lack a minor base 185, thus having (consequently) a pyramidal shape.

[0053] In this regard, as it can be noticed from Figure 9, the detection device 180 comprises fastening means 187 for coupling it (whether directly or indirectly, as previously explained herein) to the top wall 15 of the containment body 17 of the storage bin 10. In particular, said fastening means 187 may comprise a flange, in particular a threaded one, developing from the base 181 in a direction opposite to the direction of development of the body 182.

[0054] As particularly visible in Figure 8, each sensor 184A, 184B, 184C, 184D comprises:

[0055] - a respective emitter 184AE, 184BE, 184CE, 184DE configured to emit at least one light beam towards the objects (in particular, the pieces of waste) contained in the collection compartment of the containment body 17, the distance from which is to be measured,

[0056] - a respective receiver 184AR, 184BR, 184CR, 184DR configured to receive at least one light beam reflected by each object (in particular, each piece of waste) contained in the collection compartment of the containment body 17.

[0057] Preferably, each sensor 184A, 184B, 184C, 184D is based on a ToF (Time of Flight) type technology and co-operates with the electronic board 20 to make the three-dimensional reconstruction of the contents of the collection compartment of the containment body 17 of the storage bin 10 by geometrically measuring the difference in the occupied or available volume in the collection compartment of the storage bin 10 before and after delivery.

[0058] For this purpose, each emitter 184AE, 184BE, 184CE, 184DE comprises an infrared “Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser” or “VCSEL” device, in particular a 940 nm one. In addition, each receiver 184AR, 184BR, 184CR, 184DR comprises a “Single Photon Avalanche Diode” or “SPAD” device, in particular with an 8x8 matrix.

[0059] In this respect, the “Field of View” (FoV) of said SPAD device, i.e. the total angle of vision allowing each SPAD sensor to acquire photons, is approximately 45 degrees.

[0060] For each SPAD device or sensor in the matrix, the electronic board 20 is configured to compute the distance from the object under measurement by means of a phase difference. The light signal emitted by each emitter 184AE, 184BE, 184CE, 184DE, in particular of VCSEL type, is frequency-modulated and, upon reception of the signal reflected by the object under measurement at each receiver 184AR, 184BR, 184CR, 184DR, the electronic board 20 is configured to compute the distance as a function of the difference between the phase of the emitted modulated signal and the phase of the received signal. The sensors 184 A, 184B, 184C, 184D are arranged in a truncated pyramid configuration, corresponding to the conformation of the body 182 of the detection device 180, at an angle of approximately 22.5 degrees from the horizon in order to combine their angles of vision into a single cone with a “Field of View” (FoV) of 90 degrees relative to a vertical axis AV (drawn in Figure 9 with a dashed-dotted line) of the detection device 180.

[0061] Preferably, the total resolution of the sensor system 184A, 184B, 184C, 184D is 16x16 dots.

[0062] The electronic board 20 controls and supplies power to all four sensors 184A, 184B, 184C, 184D at the same time. It acquires data from the sensors 184A, 184B, 184C, 184D, processes such data, and may optionally send the data to an external control device, e.g. a smart electronic control unit installed near the storage bin 10.

[0063] In this regard, it should be noted that the connection among the various components of the storage bin 10 according to the present invention may be either wired or wireless. For example, the various components of the storage bin 10 according to the present invention may be designed to comprise known communication means, e.g. said communication means comprising at least one of the following interfaces: a WiFi interface, a Bluetooth interface, a GSM interface, an LTE interface, a 5G interface, a CANBUS interface, an Ethernet interface, etc.

[0064] The previously described configuration of the detection device 180 represents an ideal trade-off between performance and costs.

[0065] In particular, the geometry of the detection device 180, combined with the positioning of said detection device 180 at a specific point of the top wall 15 of the storage bin 10 (i.e. near the centre of said top wall 15 or at a comer between the top wall 15 and a sidewall of the storage bin 10), permits covering most of the collection compartment of the containment body 17, thus reducing to a minimum the required number of sensors, in particular of the ToF type.

[0066] Furthermore, the truncated pyramid configuration of the body 182 of the detection device 180 results in an extremely compact device, which translates into said detection device 180 being installed in less time and at lower costs.

[0067] Ordinary maintenance operations, e.g. cleaning the detection device 180, are faster as well, since the operator only needs to work in a circumscribed area of the storage bin 10, which is easily accessible from outside the storage bin 10, e.g. through a dedicated door (not shown in the annexed drawings).

[0068] In a preferred embodiment, each sidewall 183 A, 183B, 183C, 183D of the detection device 180 according to the present invention comprises a respective window 186A, 186B, 186C, 186D made of transparent material, which is adapted to permit the passage of the light beams emitted and received by each sensor 184A, 184B, 184C, 184D.

[0069] As an alternative, each sidewall 183 A, 183B, 183C, 183D of the detection device 180 may be substantially entirely made of transparent material to permit the passage of the light beams emitted and received by each sensor 184A, 184B, 184C, 184D.

[0070] As shown in Figure 4, the electronic board 20 comprises a first processor 100, of ultra- low-consumption type, which performs the task of constantly monitoring a plurality of sensors adapted to trigger alarms in real time.

[0071] The electronic board 20 further comprises a second processor 120, equipped with its own memory 120’, which performs the task of managing the waste delivery logic, i.e. in particular, the associations between delivered waste volumes and users, managing the visualization of the data on the display 30, communicating with a remote server (or cloud) 190, executing intensive arithmetic operations on the collected data, and, if necessary, logging the data into local memories.

[0072] In addition, the main electronic board 20 is associated with a first auxiliary electronic board 20’, including a GNSS module 50, and with a second auxiliary electronic board 20”, including a module 220 for wireless connection to the remote server 190.

[0073] Alternatively, the connection to the remote server 190 may be provided by using the GSM / LTS system and an associated SIM 230.

[0074] As is known, the term GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) refers to any satellite constellation providing positioning, navigation and time measurement services on a global or regional level, such as the GPS system or, for example, the GLONASS, BEIDOU, GALILEO, A-GPS, QZSS systems and the like.

[0075] The GNSS module 50 can be used in order to know the position of the storage bin 10 and, in particular, to check if the storage bin 10 has been moved.

[0076] The auxiliary boards 20’, 20” are removably connected to the electronic board 20 by means of connectors 110.

[0077] This offers the possibility of removing said auxiliary boards in case of damage or when a specific module needs to be updated. For example, should it be decided to switch to LoRa technology for communications, it will suffice to install a modem instead of replacing the whole board.

[0078] As shown in Figure 5, the first processor 100 belonging to the main electronic board 20 is connected to a plurality of sensors, which may also be used for detecting any anomalous conditions of the storage bin 10.

[0079] Such sensors include an accelerometer 80, which can be used to signal when the storage bin 10 is hit or turns over, a battery charge sensor 90, and an ultrasonic sensor 130 for detecting when the storage bin is full.

[0080] In particular, the electronic board uses a rechargeable battery pack, e.g. rechargeable by means of solar panels, having a maximum voltage of 16.8 V and a capacity of 6,000 mAh. It is also possible to house a battery pack having greater capacity.

[0081] As far as energy consumption and alarm management is concerned, the following thresholds have been set:

[0082] - Voltage below 14.0 V: low voltage alarm

[0083] - Voltage of 13.2 V: connection suspension and local event buffering awaiting recharge

[0084] - Voltage below 13.0 V: the system will not close the storage bin at the end of the cycle, so that, in case the board can no longer be turned on, the user will still be able to deliver waste.

[0085] Such operating thresholds and logics can be modified.

[0086] As regards energy consumption, one should consider an operating time of at least ninety (90) days without requiring recharging from the solar panel.

[0087] There are also a temperature sensor 140, trained by artificial intelligence to detect a possible fire inside the storage bin 10, a sensor 150 for detecting the opening of the unloading door of the storage bin 10, a sensor 160 for detecting the opening of the door 12 of the storage bin 10, and a sensor 170 for detecting the unlocking of a lock of the door 12 of the storage bin 10.

[0088] The above-listed sensors acquire data continuously, supported by the low-consumption processor 100. If the value read by a given sensor exceeds a target value, e.g. a punctual threshold or a metric trend study, then the processor 100 will activate the processor 120, which will connect to immediately send such information to a cloud system.

[0089] In addition to accumulating data in order to detect any anomalies, the main electronic board 20 gathers such data into its own internal memory in the form of time-based sets which will then be stored in the cloud at every connection. The acquisition of a detailed history of the operation of the electronic board 20 (e.g. punctual data about battery temperature and percent charge) makes it possible to supply power to systems based on artificial intelligence (Al) and allowing for predictive maintenance before the final customer reports the malfunction.

[0090] It should be noted that alarm messages have the highest priority and are sent to the cloud as soon as they occur, while for all other data the system will wait for a communication window (e.g. every four hours, but this value can be changed) in order to limit the power consumption.

[0091] When the system is in operation, the user approaches the storage bin 10 and brings the pen drive 300 close to the NFC reader 40 beside the display 30.

[0092] Communication of credentials is encrypted to ensure arbitration security.

[0093] The main electronic board 20 reads the user identity and, after confirming delivery authorization, enables the user by unlocking a lock of the door 12, guiding the user through a few explanatory screens displayed on the display 30.

[0094] Once the waste has been deposited into the collection compartment of the storage bin 10 and the door 12 of the storage bin 10 has been closed, the delivery information is prepared for cloud transmission to the remote server 190.

[0095] The collected information may include:

[0096] - User identity;

[0097] - Delivery date and time;

[0098] - Delivery duration;

[0099] - Level of the contents of the storage bin 10 before and after delivery;

[0100] - Delivery result;

[0101] - Waste type.

[0102] The operators in charge of managing the storage bin 10 also have at their disposal a set of customized RFID tags allowing them to start diagnostic routines should any device be malfunctioning.

[0103] The features of the storage bin 10 according to the present invention, as well as the advantages thereof, are apparent from the above description.

[0104] As a matter of fact, the provisions of the present invention make it possible to overcome the drawbacks of prior-art storage bins and to provide a storage bin 10 comprising a detection device 180 which has been so conceived as to represent an ideal trade-off between performance and costs. In particular, the geometry of the detection device 180, combined with the positioning of said detection device 180 at a specific point of the top wall 15 of the storage bin 10 (i.e. near the centre of said top wall 15 or at a corner between the top wall 15 and a side wall of the storage bin 10), permits covering most of the collection compartment of the containment body 17, thus reducing to a minimum the required number of sensors, in particular of the ToF type.

[0105] Furthermore, the truncated pyramid configuration of the body 182 of the detection device 180 results in an extremely compact device, which translates into said detection device 180 being installed in less time and at lower costs.

[0106] Ordinary maintenance operations, e.g. cleaning the detection device 180, are faster as well, since the operator only needs to work in a circumscribed area of the storage bin 10, which is easily accessible from outside the storage bin 10, e.g. through a dedicated door (not shown in the annexed drawings).

[0107] A further advantage of the storage bin 10 according to the present invention lies in the fact that it makes it possible to associate the delivered waste volume with each individual user, and also, optionally, to arrange a taxation or billing system based on an estimate of the waste volume actually produced by the user and deposited into the storage bin 10, wherein said estimate may also concern the delivered amount of waste sorted into fractions (i.e. based on the quality of the delivered waste). This advantage turns out to be particularly important in such a competitive context as the current one, where environmental service providers are going through a transformation phase in order to enforce the various national laws (e.g. Padoan’s law in Italy about volume-based billing). In this respect, all providers will be required to implement a digital system allowing for waste measurement (in terms of volume or weight of the waste delivered) and to associate such waste volume with the user.

[0108] The provisions of the electronic board 20 and of the optional processors 100, 120 implemented therein make it possible to obtain real-time information about the operational status of the storage bin 20 for authenticated waste delivery. In particular, the provision of a first processor 100 of ultra-low-consumption type ensures constant monitoring of a plurality of sensors adapted to trigger alarms in real time, wherein such sensors comprise, without being limited thereto, an accelerometer 80 (for signalling when the storage bin 10 is hit or turns over), a battery charge sensor 90, an ultrasonic sensor 130 for detecting when the storage bin 10 is full, a temperature sensor 140 (e.g. adapted to detect a fire or risk of fire in the storage bin 10), a sensor 150 for detecting the opening of an unloading door of the storage bin 10, a sensor for detecting the opening of the cover of the storage bin, and a sensor 170 for detecting the unlocking of a lock of the door 12 of the storage bin 10. In addition to this, the provision of a second processor 120 on the electronic board 20 makes it possible to manage the waste delivery logic, manage the visualization of the data on the display 30, even according to user-interactive communication logics, communicate with a remote server 190, execute intensive arithmetic operations, and, if necessary, log data into local memories.

[0109] The storage bin 10 described herein by way of example may be subject to many possible variations without departing from the novelty spirit of the inventive idea; it is also clear that in the practical implementation of the invention the illustrated details may have different shapes or be replaced with other technically equivalent elements.

[0110] It can therefore be easily understood that the present invention is not limited to the abovedescribed storage bin 10, but may be subject to many modifications, improvements or replacements of equivalent parts and elements without departing from the inventive idea, as clearly specified in the following claims.

Claims

CLAIMS1. Storage bin (10) for waste delivery, in particular for authenticated waste delivery, wherein said storage bin (10) comprises a containment body (17) in which there is at least one waste collection compartment, said containment body (17) having at least one aperture (11) for delivering waste into said collection compartment, and a door (12) movably connected to the containment body (17) for selectively opening or closing said aperture (11), wherein said storage bin (10) is associated with an electronic board (20) configured to receive signals indicative of a request to open said door (12) for depositing waste into the collection compartment of the storage bin (10), wherein said electronic board (20) is configured to allow the door (12) to be opened upon authentication of a user enabled to deliver waste, wherein said electronic board (20) is connected to at least one sensor for making an estimate of the waste volume delivered into the storage bin (10) by means of a three- dimensional reconstruction of the contents of the storage bin (10) and by calculating a difference in the occupied volume and / or in the available volume of the storage bin (10) before and after the delivery of waste by the enabled user, said electronic board (20) being configured to associate the delivered volume with said enabled user, said storage bin (10) being characterized in that said at least one sensor comprises a detection device (180) positioned in the collection compartment of the storage bin (10) for making said estimate of the waste volume delivered, said detection device (180) comprising:- a base (181) having a quadrangular plan, in particular square or rectangular;- a body (182) comprising four sidewalls (183 A, 183B, 183C, 183D), in particular said body (182) being shaped substantially like a truncated pyramid,- four sensors (184A, 184B, 184C, 184D) of optical type positioned within the body (182), wherein each sensor (184A, 184B, 184C, 184D) is associated with a respective sidewall (183 A, 183B, 183C, 183D) so as to emit and receive a plurality of light beams in order to take an optic volumetric measurement of the collection compartment by computing a distance between the waste in the collection compartment and each sensor (184A, 184B, 184C, 184D), wherein said distance is computed by the electronic board (20) by detectingthe phase difference between a first signal representative of the emitted light beams and a second signal representative of the received light beams.

2. Storage bin (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that each sensor (184A, 184B, 184C, 184D) is based on a “Time of Flight” type technology and co-operates with the electronic board (20) to make the three-dimensional reconstruction of the contents of the collection compartment of the containment body (17) of the storage bin (10) by geometrically measuring the difference in the occupied or available volume in the collection compartment of the storage bin (10) before and after delivery.

3. Storage bin (10) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that each sensor (184A, 184B, 184C, 184D) comprises.- a respective emitter (184AE, 184BE, 184CE, 184DE) configured to emit at least one light beam towards the objects, in particular the pieces of waste, contained in the collection compartment of the containment body (17), the distance from which is to be measured,- a respective receiver (184AR, 184BR, 184CR, 184DR) configured to receive at least one light beam reflected by each object, in particular each piece of waste, contained in the collection compartment of the containment body (17).

4. Storage bin (10) according to claim 3, characterized in that each emitter (184AE, 184BE, 184CE, 184DE) comprises an infrared “Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser” or “VCSEL” device, in particular a 940 nm one.

5. Storage bin (10) according to one or more of claims 3 and 4, characterized in that each receiver (184AR, 184BR, 184CR, 184DR) comprises a “Single Photon Avalanche Diode” or “SPAD” device, in particular with an 8x8 matrix and a total angle of vision of approximately 45 degrees.

6. Storage bin (10) according to one or more of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that said electronic board (20) is configured to compute the distance from the object under measurement by means of a phase difference, wherein the light signal emitted by each emitter (184AE, 184BE, 184CE, 184DE) is frequency -modulated and, upon reception of the signal reflected by the object under measurement at each receiver (184AR, 184BR, 184CR, 184DR), the electronic board (20) is configured to compute the distance as a function of the difference between the phase of the emitted modulated signal and the phase of the received signal.

7. Storage bin (10) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized inthat said sensors (184A, 184B, 184C, 184D) are arranged in a truncated pyramid configuration, in particular corresponding to the conformation of the body (182) of the detection device (180), at an angle of approximately 22.5 degrees from the horizon in order to combine their angles of vision into a single cone with a “Field of View” of 90 degrees relative to a vertical axis (AV) of the detection device (180).

8. Storage bin (10) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said detection device (180) is positioned in the collection compartment of the storage bin (10) by coupling it to a top wall (15) of the containment body (17) of the storage bin (10).

9. Storage bin (10) according to claim 8, characterized in that the detection device (180) comprises fastening means (187) for establishing said coupling with the top wall (15) of the containment body (17) of the storage bin (10), in particular said fastening means (187) comprising a threaded flange developing from the base (181) in a direction opposite to the direction of development of the body (182).

10. Storage bin (10) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that each sidewall (183 A, 183B, 183C, 183D) of the detection device (180) comprises a respective window (186A, 186B, 186C, 186D) made of transparent material, which is adapted to permit the passage of the light beams emitted and received by each sensor (184A, 184B, 184C, 184D).

11. Storage bin (10) according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein said electronic board (20) is associated with a control panel (200) arranged in a position accessible to the users, wherein said control panel (200) comprises a display (30) and a reader (40) configured to authenticate the users enabled to deliver waste into the storage bin (10).

12. Storage bin (10) according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein said electronic board (20) comprises a first processor (100), of ultra-low-consumption type, which performs the task of constantly monitoring at least one sensor (80, 90, 130, 140, 150, 160, 170) adapted to trigger alarms in real time, wherein said at least one sensor (80, 90, 130, 140, 150, 160, 170) comprises one or more of the following elements: an accelerometer (80), a battery charge sensor (90), an ultrasonic sensor (130) for detecting when the storage bin (10) is full, a temperature sensor (140), a sensor (150) for detecting the opening of an unloading door of the storage bin (10), a sensor (160) for detecting the opening of the cover (15) of the storage bin (10), and a sensor (170) for detecting theunlocking of a lock of the cover (15) of the storage bin (10).

13. Storage bin (10) according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein said electronic board (20) comprises a second processor (120) configured to manage the waste delivery logic and / or to manage the visualization of the data on the display and / or to communicate with a remote server (190) and / or to execute intensive arithmetic operations and, if necessary, log data into local memories.

14. Storage bin (10) according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein a first auxiliary electronic board (20’) including a GNS module (50) and a second auxiliary electronic board (20”) including a module (220) for wireless connection to a remote server (190) are associated with said electronic board (20), wherein said auxiliary boards (20’, 20”) are removably connected to the electronic board (20) by means of connectors (HO).

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