Materials Packaging with Virtual Sorting

Abstract

Disclosed are computer-implemented methods, systems, and apparatus for operating a product recycling process for recycling materials contained in a product associated with at least one product identifier.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Technical Field The present disclosure relates to computer-implemented methods and systems, devices, uses, and computer elements that provide a material identifier package for use in recycling materials.

Background Art

[0002] Technical Background The general background of the present disclosure relates to recycling materials. The material recycling process is highly decentralized and inflexible. In view of the increasing need for material recycling, there is a need to operate the recycling process more reliably and flexibly. U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016 / 371658 discloses (i) using a mobile device to identify recyclable materials based on the detected vibration frequencies of oscillators associated with the recyclable materials, and (iii) creating scheduling instructions for the identified recyclable materials by a controller. International Publication No. WO 2013 / 184217 discloses a method, system, and apparatus for receiving a first plurality of product identifiers associated with a product purchased by a consumer to form a purchase record. A second plurality of product identifiers associated with a product recycled by the consumer are received. A record of the product purchased by the consumer and recycled is authenticated. U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014 / 106185 discloses that while a rechargeable battery can be used in a network-connected device, determining the state of the battery, updating a rechargeable battery database with the state of the battery via a network, determining a recycling instruction, and outputting the recycling instruction to the network-connected device, and that the rechargeable battery can be recycled through a cycle including one or more of these actions.

Summary of the Invention

Means for Solving the Problems

[0003] Summary of the Invention A computer implementation method is disclosed that provides a material identifier package usable for recycling materials contained in a product, and the method is: - A step of providing at least one product identifier and corresponding material composition data associated with at least one component of the product to be recycled, - A step of determining at least one material identifier package by relating at least one material configuration provided by material configuration data to at least one material configuration that is processable or processed in at least one factory, - A step of providing at least one material identifier package that can be used to recycle materials contained in a product that includes at least one product identifier. Includes.

[0004] Disclosed is a computer implementation that provides a package of material identifiers usable for recycling materials contained in a product in a decentralized computing environment, or a computer implementation that operates a product recycling process for recycling materials contained in a product associated with at least one product identifier, the method being: - A step of providing corresponding material composition data associated with at least one product identifier and at least one component of a product to be recycled, wherein material composition data associated with materials used in the production of the product or component of the product is provided by a decentralized computing node associated with a producer that produces or uses the materials, and optionally, material composition data associated with materials used in the production of the product or at least one component of the product is accessed by a decentralized computing node associated with one or more recycling systems or classification instructions. - A step of determining at least one material identifier package by relating at least one material configuration provided by material configuration data to at least one material configuration that is processable or processed in at least one factory, - A step of providing at least one material identifier package that can be used to recycle materials contained in a product that includes at least one product identifier, - Preferably, the step of operating the recycling process by providing a material identifier package for controlling and / or monitoring the recycling system. Includes.

[0005] A computerized method for operating a product recycling process is disclosed, by providing at least one material identifier package, and the method is: - A step of providing at least one product identifier and corresponding material composition data associated with at least one component of the product to be recycled, - A step of determining at least one material identifier package by relating at least one material configuration provided by material configuration data to at least one material configuration that is processable or processed in at least one factory, - A step of providing at least one material identifier package that can be used to recycle materials contained in a product that includes at least one product identifier. Includes.

[0006] Disclosed is a computer-aided method for operating a product recycling process that recycles at least one product identifier and the materials contained in the associated product, the method being: - A step of providing at least one product identifier and corresponding material composition data associated with at least one component of the product to be recycled, - A step of determining at least one material identifier package by relating at least one material configuration provided by material configuration data to at least one material configuration that is processable or processed in at least one factory, - A step of providing at least one material identifier package that can be used to recycle materials contained in a product which includes at least one product identifier, wherein the at least one material identifier package includes a collection of product identifiers which are associated with at least one product or at least one component of a product to be recycled and which are associated with at least one material composition which is processable or processed by at least one recycling plant, - A step of driving a product recycling process that recycles materials contained in products associated with at least one product identifier based on at least one material identifier package. Includes.

[0007] Disclosed is a computer-aided method for operating a product recycling process by providing at least one material identifier package, the method being: - A step of providing at least one product identifier and corresponding material composition data associated with at least one component of the product to be recycled, - A step of determining at least one material identifier package by relating at least one material configuration provided by material configuration data to at least one material configuration that is processable or processed in at least one factory, - The step of driving a product recycling process by providing at least one material identifier package that can be used for recycling materials contained in a product, which includes at least one product identifier.

[0008] Further disclosed is a device that provides a material identifier package usable for recycling materials contained in a product, the device comprising one or more computing nodes and one or more computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions, the computer-executable instructions, when executed by one or more computing nodes, to the device, - A step of providing at least one product identifier and corresponding material composition data associated with at least one component of the product to be recycled, - A step of determining at least one material identifier package by relating at least one material configuration provided by material configuration data to at least one material configuration that is processable or processed in at least one factory, - A step of providing at least one material identifier package that can be used to recycle materials contained in a product that includes at least one product identifier. It is structured in such a way that it executes [the command / action].

[0009] Further disclosed is an apparatus for operating a product recycling process by providing at least one material identifier package, the apparatus comprising one or more computing nodes and one or more computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions, wherein when the computer-executable instructions are executed by one or more computing nodes, the apparatus provides - A step of providing at least one product identifier and corresponding material composition data associated with at least one component of the product to be recycled, - A step of determining at least one material identifier package by relating at least one material configuration provided by material configuration data to at least one material configuration that is processable or processed in at least one factory, - A step of providing at least one material identifier package that can be used to recycle materials contained in a product that includes at least one product identifier. It is structured in such a way that it executes [the command / action].

[0010] Disclosed is a device that provides a material identifier package usable for recycling materials contained in a product in a decentralized computing environment, or operates a product recycling process for recycling materials contained in a product associated with at least one product identifier, the device comprising one or more computing nodes and one or more computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions, the computer-executable instructions, when executed by one or more computing nodes, to the device, - A step of providing corresponding material composition data associated with at least one product identifier and at least one component of a product to be recycled, wherein the material composition data associated with the materials used in the production of the product or at least one component of the product is accessed by decentralized computing nodes associated with one or more recycling systems, and the material composition data associated with the materials used in the production of the product or component of the product is provided by decentralized computing nodes associated with producers who produce or use the materials. - A step of determining at least one material identifier package by relating at least one material configuration provided by material configuration data to at least one material configuration that is processable or processed in at least one factory, - A step of providing at least one material identifier package that can be used to recycle materials contained in a product that includes at least one product identifier, - Preferably, the step of operating the recycling process by providing a material identifier package for controlling and / or monitoring the recycling system. It is structured in such a way that it executes [the command / action].

[0011] Disclosed is an apparatus for operating a product recycling process that recycles at least one product identifier and materials contained in the associated product, the apparatus comprising one or more computing nodes and one or more computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions, the computer-executable instructions, when executed by one or more computing nodes, to the apparatus, - A step of providing at least one product identifier and corresponding material composition data associated with at least one component of the product to be recycled, - A step of determining at least one material identifier package by relating at least one material configuration provided by material configuration data to at least one material configuration that is processable or processed in at least one factory, - Providing at least one material identifier package that can be used to recycle materials contained in a product that includes at least one product identifier, the at least one material identifier package being associated with at least one product or at least one component of the product to be recycled and including a collection of product identifiers associated with at least one material composition that can be processed or is processed by at least one recycling plant. - Operating a product recycling process to recycle materials contained in a product associated with at least one product identifier based on the at least one material identifier. It is structured to cause the execution.

[0012] Further disclosed is an apparatus for operating a product recycling process by providing at least one material identifier package, the apparatus comprising one or more computing nodes and one or more computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions, the computer-executable instructions, when executed by the one or more computing nodes, causing the apparatus to - Providing corresponding material composition data associated with at least one product identifier and at least one component of the product to be recycled. - Determining at least one material identifier package by associating at least one material composition provided by the material composition data with at least one material composition that can be processed or is processed in at least one plant. - Operating a product recycling process by providing at least one material identifier package that can be used to recycle materials contained in a product that includes at least one product identifier. It is structured to cause the execution.

[0013] Further disclosed is the use of a product or at least one component of a product that includes at least one product identifier element, in any of the methods disclosed herein or using any of the devices disclosed herein. Further disclosed is a method of using a product or at least one component of a product that includes at least one product identifier element, the method including the step of reading the product identifier element and providing a product identifier by generating at least one material identifier package provided by any of the methods disclosed herein or by any of the devices disclosed herein.

[0014] Further disclosed is the use of a material identifier package provided by any of the methods disclosed herein or by any of the devices disclosed herein for sorting, collecting, transporting, storing, and / or recycling a recycled product or at least one component of a recycled product. Further disclosed is a method of sorting, collecting, transporting, storing, and / or recycling a recycled product or at least one component of a recycled product, the method including the steps of providing a material identifier package provided by any of the methods disclosed herein or by any of the devices disclosed herein, generating sorting instructions, collection instructions, transport instructions, storage instructions, and / or recycling instructions based on the material identifier package, and providing the sorting instructions, collection instructions, transport instructions, storage instructions, and / or recycling instructions.

[0015] Further disclosed is a method of sorting, collecting, transporting, storing, and / or recycling a recycled product or at least one component of a recycled product, the method including the steps of providing at least one material identifier package generated by any of the methods disclosed herein, generating sorting instructions, collection instructions, transport instructions, storage instructions, and / or recycling instructions based on the provided material identifier package, and providing the sorting instructions, collection instructions, transport instructions, storage instructions, and / or recycling instructions.

[0016] Further disclosed is an apparatus for sorting, collecting, transporting, storing, and / or recycling a product to be recycled or at least one component of a product to be recycled, the apparatus comprising one or more computing nodes and one or more computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions, the computer-executable instructions being configured such that, when executed by one or more computing nodes, the apparatus performs the steps of: providing at least one material identifier package generated by any of the methods disclosed herein; generating sorting instructions, collection instructions, transport instructions, storage instructions, and / or recycling instructions based on the provided material identifier package; and providing sorting instructions, collection instructions, transport instructions, storage instructions, and / or recycling instructions.

[0017] Further disclosed are computer elements such as computer programs or computer-readable storage media having instructions, the instructions being configured, when executed by one or more computing nodes of a computing environment, to perform any step of the methods disclosed herein and / or a step provided by any of the devices disclosed herein.

[0018] Any disclosures and embodiments described herein relate to the methods, systems, uses, apparatus, and computer elements disclosed herein, and vice versa. The advantages provided by any embodiment and example provided herein apply equally to all other embodiments and examples, and vice versa.

[0019] Advantageously, the disclosures referenced herein provide an efficient, sustainable, and robust method for operating a recycling process. By virtually sorting and / or collecting the products or at least one component of the products to be recycled and by virtually packaging the products or at least one component of the products to be recycled based on their material composition, the material composition resulting from recycled materials can be virtually tracked. Such tracking can be provided across different stages of the recycling process to different stakeholders, including producers. Operating a recycling process through tracking components via identity-based data footprints in a decentralized computing environment is simpler because it is operated digitally rather than physically. Such digital operation reduces the complexity of the physical processing environment. For example, recycling processes and plant operations can be simplified. For example, complex separation processes resulting from improper mixing in the recycling feed can be avoided, reducing the burden on refining or other process steps. In particular, identifier-based sorting or collection allows waste materials supplied to the recycling process to be controlled with respect to their material composition or chemical composition. Furthermore, the composition of recycled materials can be adapted to production needs throughout the recycling chain, thus increasing the quantity of recycled materials. As a result, by virtually sorting recycled materials according to their composition throughout the recycling process, the quantity of recyclables and the materials produced from such recyclables can be maintained compared to materials produced solely from natural sources.

[0020] A product may represent any final product containing recycled materials. At least one component of a recycled product may include a single product type or a single or multiple components of multiple product types. At least one recycled product or at least one component of a product may include multiple products or multiple components of multiple products. At least one component of a product may include any component, any combination of components, or one or more products having one, two or more, or all of the components.

[0021] Recycling of materials contained in a product may include materials from any recycling process from the end of the product's lifespan to any recycle rate that can be used to produce new products. New products produced from recycle rates may be of a different product type than the final product that was recycled. In other words, new products produced from recycled materials may be different products from the recycled products from which the recycled materials or recycle rates are produced. Recycling processes may include collection processes, dismantling processes, sorting processes, mechanical processing processes, chemical processing processes, heat treatment processes, or any other processes for converting used materials into recyclable raw materials. Recycling of materials contained in a product may include the recycling of one or more components of the product. Recycling of materials contained in a product may include one or more recycling processes that convert used materials into recyclable raw materials. Recycled raw materials may be used to produce new materials. New materials may be used to produce final products.

[0022] A plant may include any plant that processes products, product components, or product materials. Such processing may include recycling or production. A plant may perform one or more process steps, such as collecting, dismantling, sorting, mechanical processing, chemical processing, heat treatment, production, production of product components, production of materials, or any other process for converting used materials of used products into recycled raw materials or new products. A recycling order may include collection, sorting, transport, storage, other process orders, or any combination thereof relating to the recycling process. Such a recycling order may be provided to one or more systems configured to monitor and / or control process steps, such as collection, sorting, transport, storage, other process orders, or any combination thereof.

[0023] A material identifier package may include any data structure relating to product identifiers according to at least one material composition that can or will be processed by at least one plant or recycling plant. A material identifier package may include one or more product identifiers associated with at least one material composition that can or will be processed by at least one recycling plant. A material identifier package may include a collection of product identifiers associated with at least one or more products or at least one or more components of a product that are recycled, and also associated with at least one material composition that can or will be processed by at least one recycling plant. A material identifier package may include any data for collecting, sorting, transporting, storing, processing, or providing products or components for subsequent recycling processes. A material identifier package may include product or component identifiers and corresponding material composition data associated with material compositions that can or will be processed by at least one recycling plant. A material identifier package may include product or component recycling classification data or instructions. A material identifier package may further include operational data and / or product or component location data indicating process requirements for material compositions. In other words, a material identifier package may contain data that enables the selection or allocation of products or components to be recycled to at least one recycling plant.

[0024] A product identifier may include any identifier uniquely associated with the recycled product or at least one component of the recycled product. A product identifier may include identifiers associated with the product and / or at least one component of the product. A product identifier may include two or more identifiers associated with the product and / or at least one component of the product. A product identifier may include any unique identifier uniquely associated with the data owner and material composition data associated with the recycled product or at least one component of the product. A product identifier may include or be associated with one or more decentralized identifiers. A decentralized identifier may include or be associated with one or more universally unique identifiers (UUIDs) or digital identifiers (DIDs). A decentralized identifier may be issued by a centralized or decentralized identity issuer. Access to the material composition data may be controlled by the data owner through the unique association between the decentralized identifier and the data owner and the material composition data. The data owner may be a material producer, a component producer that uses materials produced by a material producer to produce one or more components, and / or a product producer that uses materials produced by a material producer to produce one or more products. The data owner of material identifier packages and / or recycled material data may be one or more recycling systems or one or more plants, a component producer that uses materials produced by a material producer to produce one or more components, and / or a product producer that uses materials produced by a material producer to produce one or more products. The data owner of plant data, plant allocation data, and / or operational data may be one or more recycling systems or one or more plants, a component producer that uses materials produced by a material producer to produce one or more components, and / or a product producer that uses materials produced by a material producer to produce one or more products. This is in contrast to a centralized authority scheme, in which identifiers are provided by such centralized authority and access to data is controlled by such centralized authority. In this context, decentralized refers to the use of identifiers in embodiments controlled by the data owner.Decentralized identifiers may be linked to digital representations of environmental attributes. These digital representations may include representations for accessing environmental attributes or parts thereof. Decentralized identifiers may be linked to authentication and / or authorization information. Decentralized identifiers may be linked to further product or component data.

[0025] A product identifier element may include any physical arrangement that associates a product identifier with a product or at least one component of a product. A product identifier element may include, but is not limited to, passive or active elements, such as QR codes (registered trademarks) or RFID tags. A product identifier element may be a physical identifier that is physically attached to a product or at least one component of a product. An identifier element may include a marker embedded in a material, a barcode, a QR code, a tag such as an RFID tag, or a similar physical arrangement that enables the digital identification of a chemical product.

[0026] Material composition data may include the material composition of a product or product component. Material composition data may be associated with at least one material type, at least one material property, and / or at least one chemical composition related to at least one component of the recycled product. Material composition data may include the material type, material property, and / or chemical composition of the materials used in the production of the product or product component. The material type, material property, and / or chemical composition may at least partially specify the material composition. The material type may include material specifications such as plastics, composite materials, metal-containing materials, etc., present in the final product, intermediate product, by-product, or raw material, but not limited to these. Material properties may include physical material properties, such as thermodynamic, mechanical, electrodynamic, optical, and acoustic material properties, as well as chemical properties, such as standard potential, but not limited to these. The chemical composition may correspond to at least one component included in the chemical composition. For example, the chemical composition may be specified by the absolute or relative amounts of one or more elements, chemical compounds, or components included in the material.

[0027] Material composition data may be associated with the material composition of one or more components of a product. Material composition data may specify the material composition on a component-by-component basis. For example, material composition data may specify at least partially the chemical composition of one or more components of a product. A product identifier may be associated with any component of a product. A product identifier may be linked to or related to one or more identifiers related to the materials used in the production of the product or at least one component of the product.

[0028] In one embodiment, material composition data is provided for access when providing materials for producing a product, providing materials for at least one component of a product, and / or producing materials used in the production of a product or at least one component of a product. Material composition data may be accessed when recycling a product or component containing that material. A product identifier may be associated with a product to be recycled or at least one component of a product to be recycled. The association between a product identifier and a product, component, or material may be provided before or during the production of the product. A product identifier may relate to one or more decentralized identifiers, and at least one decentralized identifier may be associated with materials used in the production of a product or at least one component of a product. A product identifier may relate to a relational expression. A relational expression may relate a product identifier to an identifier of a material used in the production of a product or at least one component of a product. A relational expression may reflect a physical connection between a material and a product, or in other words, the use of that material to produce that product. Thus, product identifiers and identifiers associated with materials used in the production of a product or at least one component of a product may be linked or related. Upon receiving a product identifier, it may be possible to identify the materials used in the production of the product or at least one component of the product, and the associated identifiers. Material composition data can be retrieved, in particular, from material producers, based on the materials used in the production of the product or at least one component of the product, and the associated identifiers.

[0029] A product identifier may uniquely associate a product or component, for example, a material, a product, or at least one component of a product, with data owner and / or material composition data related to the materials used in the production of the product or at least one component of a product, provided before or during production. Material composition data may specify the material composition of the materials used in the production of the product or at least one component of a product. "Before or during production of a material, product, or at least one component of a product" may include any point leading to the production of the material, product, or at least one component of a product. "Before or during production of a material, product, or at least one component of a product" may include the time of material production, the time of provision of materials for producing the product or at least one component of a product, or the time of production of the product or at least one component of a product.

[0030] Material composition data may be provided for access when materials are supplied to produce a product. Material composition data may be accessed when recycling a product containing materials or at least one component of a product. Material composition data may be accessed via digital representations such as pointers, links, or linkpointings to the material composition data. Material composition data may be accessed during recycling, for example, by reading product identifiers, by identifying identifiers associated with materials via product identifiers through relational representations, and by collecting at least digital representations associated with identifiers associated with materials. Material composition data may be accessed via digital representations linked to identifiers associated with materials used in the production of a product or component of a product. Material composition data associated with materials used in the production of a product or component of a product may be accessed or requested from decentralized computing nodes associated with the recycling system. Material composition data associated with materials used in the production of a product or component of a product may be provided or obtained from decentralized computing nodes associated with producers who produce or use materials, such as material producers, product producers, and / or component producers. Access to material composition data may be based on decentralized identifiers of materials used in the production of a product or component of a product. Material composition data may be provided or transferred by at least one decentralized computing node associated with producers who produce or use materials, such as material producers, product producers, and / or component producers. Material composition data may be provided or received by a decentralized computing node associated with a recycling system.

[0031] In one embodiment, material composition data relates to the chemical composition of a product or at least one component of a product. Material composition data may specify at least one component of the chemical composition of a product or component, such as a transition metal containing a component, a precious metal containing a component, or a plastic. At least one production identifier may relate to a component of a product for which the material composition data specifies the material composition. At least one product identifier may relate to a first component of a product for which the material composition data specifies the material composition, and a second component may relate to the first product identifier. At least one product identifier may relate to a product or at least one component of a product, and identifiers related to the materials used in the production of a product or at least one component of a product may relate to at least one product identifier.

[0032] In one embodiment, material configuration data or recycled material data is provided by a computer-executable instruction executed in at least partially decentralized or decentralized computing environment, and the computer-executable instruction accesses the material configuration data based on a packaged product identifier or product identifier based on a package identifier or recycled material data. Material configuration data may be provided at the end of life of a product or at least one component of a product. Recycled material data may be provided at any stage of the recycling process for a product or at least one component of a product. Identity-based access allows decentralized data services to be used for flexible and secure access to material data, such as recycled material data or material configuration data, controlled by the data owner. In such embodiments, material configuration data or recycled material data may be provided by a storage environment under the control of a material data provider, such as a material producer or recycling system. Such a storage environment may be accessible by a computer-executable instruction based on an authentication and / or authorization process or protocol. A computer-executable instruction accessing material configuration data based on a product identifier may initiate data transfer and / or data processing, followed by the transfer of the processing results. Processing may include, for example, the identification of a material identifier package. Computer executable instructions that access recycled material data based on packaged product identifiers and / or package identifiers may initiate data transfer. A material data provider may be a provider of the physical material or the owner of the material data. In the case of material composition data, the material data provider may be a material producer. Material composition data may be provided by compute nodes in a decentralized computing environment, and a material producer may be associated with the compute node. In the case of recycled material data, the material data provider may be one or more recycling systems. Recycled material data may be provided by compute nodes in a decentralized computing environment, and a recycling system may be associated with the compute node. A material data provider may also be a third party controlling the material data on behalf of the provider of the physical material or the owner of the material data.This allows owners of material data to control how their material composition data is used. In addition, it enables secure data sharing or exchange among stakeholders in the recycling or production chain.

[0033] In one embodiment, at least one material identifier package includes one or more product identifiers associated with the recycled product or at least one component of the product, and corresponding material composition data. In one embodiment, at least one material identifier package includes material composition data associated with recycled material produced from the product or at least one recycled component of the product, the material composition data being identified from the product identifiers and their corresponding material composition data. For example, a material identifier package may include at least one product package associated with recycled material produced from the product or at least one recycled component of the product, and corresponding material composition data. The material composition data may be identified from the product identifier package and their corresponding material composition data. Furthermore, for example, a material identifier package may include one or more product or component identifiers and material composition data identified from their corresponding material composition data. Recycled material data may include at least one package identifier and corresponding material composition data associated with recycled material produced from one recycled component of the product or at least one recycled component of the product. In one embodiment, at least one material identifier package includes material quantity data associated with recycled materials produced from a product or at least one component of a product to be recycled, the material quantity data being identified from product identifiers and their corresponding material composition data. The material quantity data may include the number, mass, weight, or volume of the recycled product, component, or material.

[0034] At least one material identifier package may be associated with at least one material configuration that can or will be processed by at least one factory, such as a recycling plant or a production plant. With respect to at least one material configuration that can or will be processed by at least one factory, the factory may perform at least one process, such as a recycling process or a production process, for one or more material configurations. At least one predetermined process, such as a recycling process or a production process, may be predetermined. At least one material configuration that can or will be processed by at least one factory may include material configurations that can or will be processed by at least one factory in one or the same process execution. At least one material configuration that can or will be processed by at least one factory may include material configurations that can or will be processed by the same factory or the same type of factory. At least one material configuration that can or will be processed by at least one factory may include material configurations that can or will be processed together. At least one material configuration that can or will be processed by at least one factory may include material configurations that can or will be processed by one factory. At least one material configuration that can or is processed by at least one plant may include material configurations that can or are processed together in one or the same process run. At least one material configuration that can or is processed by at least one plant may include material configurations that can be assigned to one plant or process.

[0035] In one embodiment, identifying at least one material identifier package involves providing a classification instruction that is executed in at least a partially decentralized computing environment, the classification instruction collecting product identifiers according to a material configuration that can or will be processed by at least one factory.

[0036] In one embodiment, identifying at least one material identifier package includes classification according to a classification directive that provides a material composition that can or will be processed by at least one plant. The classification may be performed according to a classification directive that associates a material classification that can or will be processed by at least one plant with at least one product identifier.

[0037] In one embodiment, identifying at least one material identifier package involves providing a classification command that runs in at least partially decentralized or decentralized computing environment, the classification command collecting product identifiers according to material configurations that can or are processed by at least one plant, such as a recycling plant. The classification command may include collecting product identifiers based on material configuration data and material configurations that can or are processed by at least one plant. The classification command may include classifying material configurations that can or are processed by at least one plant and collecting product identifiers according to the classification of material configurations. The classification command may initiate matching of material configurations provided by material configuration data with material configurations that can or are processed by at least one plant. The classification command may relate material configuration data to plant identifiers and corresponding material configurations that can or are processed by the plant. The classification command may be dynamically adjustable based on operational data, in particular process data indicating the current operation of at least one plant.

[0038] Identity-based classification allows classification services to be used for flexible and secure classification. In such embodiments, material composition data may be provided by a storage environment under the control of the material data provider. Such a storage environment may be accessible by classification commands based on authentication and / or authorization processes or protocols. A classification command accessing material composition data based on a product identifier may initiate classification, followed by the transfer of the classification results. Classification commands may be triggered by one or more recycling processes during product recycling or at the end of the product's lifecycle. Classification commands may access material composition data via product identifiers provided by the material provider. Classification commands may transfer the classification results to one or more recycling systems. The material composition data provider may be a provider of physical materials or an owner of material composition data. The material composition data provider may be a third party controlling material composition data on behalf of the provider or producer of physical materials or the owner of material composition data. This allows the owner of material composition data to control the use of such data without sharing it with recycling systems. In addition, it enables secure data sharing or exchange across stakeholders in the recycling chain or production chain.

[0039] In one embodiment, at least one product identifier is provided by a sensor reading an identifier element of a product or component, the product or component identifier element being physically connected to the product or at least one component of the product being recycled. The identifier element may be physically connected to a product, e.g., a product housing, to uniquely identify the product. The identifier element may be physically connected to any component of the product, e.g., a product module, to uniquely identify a component of the product.

[0040] Further steps may include operating a recycling process by providing a material identifier package to control and / or monitor the recycling system. The identifier package may include package identifiers such as decentralized identifiers. The identifier package may be provided to one or more recycling systems and associated decentralized computing nodes. The identifier package may be generated by one or more recycling systems and associated decentralized computing nodes. One or more recycling systems and associated decentralized computing nodes may control and / or monitor one or more recycling systems. Operating based on at least one material identifier package may include operating a product recycling process that recycles materials contained in products associated with at least one product identifier. Operating based on at least one material identifier package may include operating a recycling process by providing collection, sorting, storage, and / or recycling orders configured to monitor and / or control the recycling system. Operating based on at least one material identifier package may include operating a recycling process by providing collection, sorting, transport, storage, and / or recycling orders, or collection, sorting, transport, storage, and / or recycling orders configured to monitor and / or control each system. Operating based on at least one material identifier package may include operating a recycling process by collecting, sorting, transporting, storing, and / or recycling materials contained in products associated with at least one product identifier. Further steps may include operating a recycling process by collecting product identifiers and providing material identifier packages to a recycling system to control and / or monitor such a system. A product recycling process that recycles materials contained in products associated with at least one product identifier may be operated based on at least one material identifier package. A product recycling process may be operated by providing material identifier packages to control and / or monitor a recycling system.A product recycling process may be operated by providing collection, sorting, transporting, storage, and / or recycling orders configured to monitor and / or control collection, sorting, transporting, storage, and / or recycling. A product recycling process may be operated by collecting, sorting, transporting, storing, and / or recycling materials contained in a product associated with at least one product identifier. A recycling system may include a sorting system, a collector system, a transport system, and / or storage systems. The systems may be controlled and / or monitored based on a material identifier package. Further steps may include sorting, collecting, transporting, and / or storing recycled materials based on a material identifier package, preferably based on sorting, collection, transporting, and / or storage orders based on a material identifier package. The sorting system, collector system, transport system, and / or storage system may be monitored, controlled, and / or operated based on a material identifier package, preferably based on each order generated from a material identifier package. In a recycling process, a product or component may be packaged by providing a material identifier package according to the material composition of the product or component. Recycled materials can be supplied by mechanical, thermal, and / or chemical recycling plants.

[0041] One embodiment further includes the step of providing sorting and / or collection instructions based on or generated from a provided material identifier package, wherein the sorting and / or collection instructions include instructions to sort and / or collect at least one component of the product to be recycled based on the material composition of at least one component of the product to be recycled.

[0042] Also disclosed are methods and corresponding apparatus for providing sorting and / or collection instructions based on material identifier packages. Any method steps disclosed in conjunction with such methods may be performed by corresponding apparatus comprising one or more computing nodes and one or more computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions of a certain structure when executed by the one or more computing nodes. To generate and / or provide such instructions, individual steps may be performed in combination with methods, systems, apparatus, or computer elements for providing material identifier packages or driving a recycling process.

[0043] The steps may include providing a material identifier package that includes at least one product identifier relating to at least one material identifier package, the at least one material identifier package being associated with at least one material composition that can or will be processed by at least one factory.

[0044] Further steps may include generating sorting instructions based on material identifier packages, the sorting instructions relating product identifiers provided by sensor readings of product or component identifier elements to material configurations that can or will be processed by at least one plant. Preferably, the sorting instructions relate product identifiers provided by sensor readings to at least one material identifier package.

[0045] Further steps may include generating a collection command based on a material identifier package, the collection command associating a product identifier provided by a sensor reading of a product or component identifier element with at least one material identifier package.

[0046] Furthermore, it includes at least one product or product one This may involve providing collection point data that indicates the collection points of the components. The collection point data may be included in the material identifier package.

[0047] Further steps may include providing transport and / or storage instructions based on or generated from a provided material identifier package. These transport and / or storage instructions may include information on how the product or at least one component of the product should be transported and / or stored. The transport and / or storage instructions may relate to the location and / or quantity of the product or components of the product.

[0048] Also disclosed are a method and corresponding apparatus for providing transport and / or storage instructions based on a material identifier package. Any method step disclosed in conjunction with such a method may be performed by a corresponding apparatus comprising one or more computing nodes and one or more computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions, the computer-executable instructions having such a structure when executed by one or more computing nodes. To generate and / or provide such instructions, individual steps may be performed in combination with a method, system, apparatus, or computer element for providing or operating a recycling process for a material identifier package.

[0049] Further steps may include providing operational data associated with at least one operational characteristic of the plant. The operational data may relate to at least one plant identifier. The operational data may include corresponding plant location data associated with the plant's plant location, capacity data associated with the plant's processing capacity, process data associated with one or more processes in the plant, and / or material processing data associated with at least one material composition that the plant can process or is processed by. The operational data may relate to at least one static operational characteristic of the plant and / or at least one dynamic operational characteristic of the same plant or plant type. Dynamic operational characteristics enable real-time insights into processing capacity, process data, and / or material processing data. Plants can be matched based on real-time information, thereby enabling more efficient and targeted use of plant resources in the recycling process.

[0050] Furthermore, it includes at least one product or product one This may involve providing collection point data that indicates the collection points of the components. The collection point data may be included in the material identifier package.

[0051] Further steps may include generating transport orders based on collection point data and operational data, particularly factory location data. Based on such data, one or more transport routes may be determined. Collection point data may indicate the starting point of the transport, and factory location data may indicate the destination points of the transport route.

[0052] Further steps may include determining a storage order based on operational data, particularly capacity data and quantities relating to the amount of material that can or will be processed by at least one plant, or quantities relating to the amount of material that has a material configuration that can or will be processed by at least one plant.

[0053] Brief explanation of the drawing The details of this disclosure will be described below with reference to the attached drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0054] [Figure 1] A schematic representation of a battery with a battery identification element is shown as a product that has reached the end of its lifespan. [Figure 2] A schematic diagram of a battery component having a battery identification element is shown as an end-of-life product. [Figure 3a] Examples of embodiments of centralized and decentralized computing environments having computing nodes are shown. [Figure 3b] Examples of embodiments of centralized and decentralized computing environments having computing nodes are shown. [Figure 3c] This document presents an example of one embodiment of a decentralized computing environment. [Figure 3d] This shows an example environment for making data accessible for processing. [Figure 4]This document provides a material identifier package that can be used for recycling materials contained in a product, and specifically shows a flowchart of an example method for operating a recycling process. [Figure 5] This flowchart illustrates one embodiment of providing a material identifier package that can be used for recycling materials contained in a product, particularly for operating the recycling process. [Figure 6] This shows an example data structure based on a decentralized product identifier. [Figure 7] This shows another example data structure based on a decentralized identifier for a product or component package. [Figure 8] This document shows an example of a flowchart that provides factory allocation data usable for processing recycled materials, particularly for operating the recycling process. [Figure 9] This flowchart illustrates one embodiment of providing plant allocation data that can be used for processing recycled materials, particularly for operating the recycling process. [Figure 10] This shows an example of one embodiment of a flowchart for assigning plants to operate the recycling process. [Figure 11] An example data structure based on a decentralized identifier for material packages or recycled material packages, along with a factory identifier, is shown. [Figure 12] An example data structure based on a decentralized identifier for material packages or recycled material packages, along with a factory identifier, is shown. [Figure 13] An example data structure based on a decentralized identifier for material packages or recycled material packages, along with a factory identifier, is shown. [Figure 14] This document illustrates an example system for operating a recycling process within the recycling chain of end-of-life products. [Figure 15] This shows an example of a recycling chain for a product that has reached the end of its lifespan. [Figure 16] A flowchart illustrating an example of a method for providing a recyclable feed content that produces at least one component of an end-of-life product is shown. [Figure 17] Another example method is presented that provides a recycle rate feed content, which includes the optional selection of a production plant, in order to produce at least one component of a product based on availability data. [Figure 18] Another example method is presented that provides a recyclable feed content, including a chemical performance check, for the production of at least one component of a product. [Figure 19] Another example method is presented that provides a recyclable feed content, including emission target checks and optional factory selection, for producing at least one component of a product. [Figure 20] This document illustrates an embodiment of a user interface for inputting recycling quotas, chemical performance parameters, or emission targets. [Figure 21] This document illustrates an embodiment of a user interface for inputting recycling quotas, chemical performance parameters, or emission targets. [Figure 22] This document illustrates an embodiment of a user interface for inputting recycling quotas, chemical performance parameters, or emission targets. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0055] Detailed description of the embodiment The following embodiments are merely examples of how to implement the methods, systems, or computer elements disclosed herein, and should not be considered limiting.

[0056] Figure 1 schematically shows a battery 10 having battery identification elements 12, 14. This is an arbitrary example of an end-of-life product. Any plastic package, electronic device, or other end-of-life product can be equally used, and the mere illustration by the battery example does not limit the scope of the underlying concepts described herein.

[0057] The battery 10 may include a battery management system 16 and a plurality of battery cells 18, which are located inside the battery housing 20. The battery cells 18 can be located in a battery pack or module that includes a plurality of battery cells 18. The battery cell 10 may include an electrolyte 22, an anode element 24, a cathode element 26, and / or a separator 28.

[0058] Depending on the application, batteries have different material compositions for different components. For example, a battery may be a lithium-ion battery. The cathode element 26 may include an active material coated on a collector foil such as aluminum foil or copper foil. Further binders such as polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and / or carbon as a conductive agent may be included. The cathode active material may include layered oxides such as LiMO2 (M=Co, Ni, Mn, Al), e.g., LCO(LiCoO2), NCM(LiNixMnyCozO2), NCA(LiNixCoyAlzO2)), spinel (LiM2O4 (M=Mn, Ni), e.g., LMO(LiMnO4)), or phosphates (LiMPO4 (M=Fe, Mn, Co, Ni), e.g., LiFePO4).

[0059] The anode element 24 may include an anode active material coated on a collector foil such as aluminum foil or copper foil. The active material may include artificial graphite, natural graphite, or compositions thereof. The active material may include silicon, SiO2, lithium titanate (LTO), or combinations thereof. The active material may include a binder, such as a polymeric thickener like styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) or carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), and a carbonate as a conductive agent.

[0060] The electrolyte may contain salts, solvents, and additives such as carbonates, esters, or ethers that provide conductivity. It may also contain mixtures of ethylene carbonate (EC) having open-chain carbonates such as dimethyl carbonate (DMC) or cyclic carbonates such as propylene carbonate (PC). As conductive salts, lithium hexafluoride phosphate (LiPF6), lithium bis(trifluoromethyl)sulfonylimide (LiTFSI) and its derivatives (e.g., lithium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide (LiFSI)), or lithium [tris(pentafluoroethyl)trifluorophosphate] (LiFAP), lithium 4,5-dicyano-2-trifluoromethyl-imidazolide (LiTDI), lithium bis(oxalate)borate (LiBOB)), ethyl methyl carbonate (EMC), and / or diethyl carbonate (DEC) may be used.

[0061] The separator can divide the space between electrodes and is ion-permeable. Separator types include: microporous membranes, ceramic-coated separators, nonwoven mats, inorganic solid electrolytes, or polymer electrolytes. For example, PVDF or ceramic-coated polyolefin membranes may be used.

[0062] Battery identification elements 12 and 14 may be physically associated with the battery 10. Identification elements 12 and 14 may be physically attached to the battery housing or may be part of the battery management system 16. Identification elements 12 and 14 may be located inside or outside the battery housing 20. Identification elements 12 and 14 may be passive identification elements 14. Passive elements 14 may be located on the outer surface of the battery housing 20. Passive elements 14 may be based on markers embedded in the material. Passive elements 14 may include printed codes such as barcodes or QR codes. Identification elements 12 and 14 may be active identification elements 14. Active elements 14 may be, for example, NFC, Bluetooth oThe transmitter or transceiver may be an RFID tag or similar device that enables communication via oth®, Zigbee®, or other suitable short-to-medium-range communication protocols. The identification element 14 may be part of the battery management system 16, for example, a digital product identifier may be stored in the battery management system 16, and may be NFC, Bluetooth o The battery may be taken out of the battery management system via a communication protocol such as OTH, Zigbee, or other suitable short-to-medium range communication protocols.

[0063] The battery identification elements 12 and 14 may be associated with a digital battery identifier or a digital product identifier. The digital product identifier may be unique to a battery. The digital product identifier may be further associated with data relating to the identified battery. Such data may include any data collected during the production or lifespan of the battery 10. For example, such data may include material data such as material composition data collected during the production of the battery, or monitoring data collected during the use of the battery, to which the digital battery identifier may be associated. Data relating to the identified battery or a part thereof may relate to or include material composition data. Material composition data may be controlled by one or more material producers, for example, through authentication and / or authorization mechanisms. One or more material producers may provide each material composition data for access by participating nodes in a decentralized computing environment. Data relating to the battery or a part thereof may be stored in a database associated with participating nodes in a decentralized computing environment, in particular with producers of batteries, components, or materials, or users of batteries. An involved node storing data related to an identified battery or part thereof may provide access to other involved nodes, for example, via peer-to-peer communication including authentication and / or authorization mechanisms. The data related to an identified battery or part thereof may be obtained or include material configuration data relating to cathode elements such as cathode active material, anode elements, separators, and / or electrolytes. For example, electrode active material may be associated with the material configuration data. Such data may be provided by material producers for access by involved nodes in a decentralized computing environment, for example, via peer-to-peer communication including authentication and / or authorization mechanisms.

[0064] A digital product identifier may include or be associated with at least one decentralized identifier. The decentralized identifier may include any unique identifier uniquely associated with the data owner and / or the identified battery 10. The inclusion of data points may relate to data packages that virtually or digitally form a data package, including such data points and / or data digitally linked to or associated with the data points in any way. The decentralized identifier may include data related to the identified battery, such as material composition data, and any unique identifier uniquely associated with the identified battery 10. The decentralized identifier may include or be associated with one or more universally unique identifiers (UUIDs) or one or more digital identifiers (DIDs). The decentralized identifier may be issued by a centralized or decentralized identity information issuer. The decentralized identifier may include authentication information for the authentication of data related to the identified battery. Through a decentralized identifier and its unique association with the identified battery 10, access to data related to the identified battery can be controlled by at least one data owner. This is in contrast to a centralized authority scheme, in which the identifier is provided by such centralized authority and access to the data is controlled by such centralized authority. In this context, decentralized refers to the use of an identifier controlled by any data owner. The data may be hosted in a database associated with the data owner or under the control of the data owner. Identification elements 12, 14 may be configured to provide a digital product identifier for accessing data related to the identified battery.

[0065] A decentralized identifier may include one or more identifiers used in a decentralized computing environment that enable data exchange over the decentralized computing environment, such as a peer-to-peer communication channel. Data exchange may include the discovery of decentralized identifiers of participating nodes in a decentralized network, authentication of participating nodes in a decentralized network, and / or authorization of data transfer over peer-to-peer communication between participating nodes in a decentralized network.

[0066] A data owner may include any entity that generates data, particularly data relating to identified batteries. A generation node may be linked to an entity that owns the physical product from which the data, particularly data relating to identified batteries, is generated or relates to. The data, particularly data relating to identified batteries, may be generated by a third-party entity acting on behalf of the entity that owns the physical product from which the data is generated or relates to. A data owner may be a producer of materials, components contained in batteries, or batteries themselves, such as a material producer, component producer, or product producer. Access to each piece of data may be controlled by the data owner through a unique association between the data owner and the data relating to identified batteries. The data owner may have access to the data relating to identified batteries. Therefore, the data owner may directly or indirectly own or control the data relating to identified batteries. The data relating to identified batteries may be stored in the data owner's database or a database associated with the data owner. The data relating to identified batteries may be stored in a database accessible to the data owner. The data owner may control access to the data relating to identified batteries through their data provision services. The data owner may control access to the data relating to identified batteries. Data related to an identified battery may be associated with a data owner. The data owner may be the owner or controller of data related to the identified battery or data that associates the identified battery with the owner. Data related to an identified battery may be stored in the data owner's database or under the data owner's control. In this sense, the data owner may have access rights to data related to the identified battery or its components and may be related to entities that control access to data related to the identified battery or its components by data consumption services in a decentralized computing environment.

[0067] In particular, the digital product identifier may relate to material configuration data that specifies the material composition of one or more components of the battery. The digital product identifier may be associated with the battery 10, and the material configuration data may specify the material composition of one or more components of the battery 10.

[0068] Figure 2 schematically shows a battery component 30 having identification elements 32 and 34. As mentioned with respect to Figure 1, the selection of a battery as an example of an end-of-life product is arbitrary and should not be interpreted as limiting.

[0069] The battery component 30 may include one or more subcomponents of the battery 10. The subcomponents may include a battery management system 16, a battery housing 20, a battery module or pack having a plurality of battery cells 22, a battery cell 22, or a combination of such subcomponents. The battery component 30 may be associated with the battery component identification elements 32, 34. The identification elements 32, 34 may be physically attached to the battery component 30. The identification elements 32, 34 may be located inside or outside the battery component 30. The identification elements 32, 34 may be passive or active identification elements 32, 34, as described with respect to Figure 1. A digital battery component identifier may be associated with the battery identification elements 32, 34. The digital product identifier may include at least one decentralized identifier associated with the identified battery component 30, as described with respect to Figure 1. In particular, the identification elements 32, 34 may be configured to provide a digital battery component identifier for accessing data related to the identified battery component, such as material composition data, as described, for example, with respect to Figure 1. The product identifier may relate to the component 30 that specifies the material composition data.

[0070] Figures 3a to 3c illustrate different computing environments: centralized, decentralized, and distributed. The methods, apparatus, systems, uses, and computer elements of this disclosure may be implemented in a decentralized or at least partially decentralized computing environment. Data provision, determination, or processing may be implemented by different computing nodes that may be implemented in a centralized, decentralized, or distributed computing environment.

[0071] Figures 3a and 3b show an example of a centralized and decentralized computing environment with computing nodes. Figure 3c shows an example of a decentralized computing environment. Figure 3d shows an example of an environment that makes data accessible. Such an environment may be implemented in accordance with standards based on digital identifiers from the International Data Space (IDS) or the W3C. Such implementation helps make decentralized identifiers and associated data from material providers accessible to data consumers.

[0072] Figure 3a shows an exemplary embodiment of a centralized computing system 100, which includes a central computing node 101 (a solid circle in the center) and several peripheral computing nodes 101.1 to 101.n (shown as peripheral solid circles). In this specification, the term “computing system” is broadly defined to include one or more computing nodes, a system of nodes, a network of nodes, or a combination thereof. In this specification, the term “computing node” is broadly defined to refer to any device or system including at least one physical, tangible processor and / or physical, tangible memory capable of having computer-executable instructions executed by the processor. Computing nodes are now increasingly taking on diverse forms. Computing nodes may be, for example, handheld devices, production facilities, sensors, monitoring systems, control systems, consumer electronics, laptop computers, desktop computers, mainframes, data centers, or even devices that have not traditionally been considered computing nodes, such as wearables (e.g., eyeglasses, watches, etc.). Memory may take any form and depends on the nature and form of the computing node.

[0073] In this example, peripheral computing nodes 101.1 to 101.n may be connected to a single centralized computing system (or server). In another example, peripheral computing nodes 101.1 to 101.n may be connected to a central computing node via, for example, a terminal server (not shown). Most of the functions may be performed by or obtained from the central computing node (also called a remote centralized management location). One peripheral computing node 101.n is enlarged to show an overview of the components present in a peripheral computing node. The central computing node 101 may have the same components as those described in relation to peripheral computing node 101.n.

[0074] Each computing node 101, 101.1 to 101.n may comprise at least one hardware processor 102 and memory 104. The term “processor” may refer to any logic circuit and / or generally any device configured to perform computations or logical operations that are configured to perform basic operations of a computer or system. In particular, a processor or computer processor may be configured to process basic instructions that drive a computer or system. A processor may be a semiconductor-based processor, a quantum processor, or any other type of processor configured to process instructions. For example, a processor may be a central processing unit ("CPU") or may comprise a CPU. A processor may be a graphics processing unit ("GPU"), a tensor processing unit ("TPU"), a composite instruction set computing microprocessor ("CISC"), a reduced instruction set computing ("RISC") microprocessor, a very long instruction word ("VLIW") microprocessor, a processor that implements other instruction sets, or a processor that implements combinations of instruction sets. The processing means may also be one or more dedicated processing devices, such as application-specific integrated circuits ("ASICs"), field-programmable gate arrays ("FPGAs"), composite programmable logic circuits ("CPLDs"), digital signal processors ("DSPs"), and network processors. The methods, systems, and devices described herein may be implemented as software within a DSP, microcontroller, or any other side processor, or as hardware circuits within an ASIC, CPLD, or FPGA. The term processor may also refer to one or more processing devices, such as a distributed system of processing devices deployed across multiple computer systems (e.g., cloud computing), and should be understood that, unless otherwise specified, it is not limited to a single device.

[0075] Memory 104 may include physical system memory that may be volatile, non-volatile, or a combination thereof. Memory may include non-volatile mass storage devices such as physical storage media. Memory may be computer-readable storage media such as RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM, or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, non-magnetic disk storage such as solid-state disks, or any other physical and tangible storage media that can be used to store desired program code means in the form of computer-executable instructions or data structures and can be accessed by the computing system. Furthermore, memory may be a computer-readable medium (also called a transmission medium) having computer-executable instructions. Furthermore, when program code means in the form of computer-executable instructions or data structures reach various computing system components, they may be automatically transferred from the transmission medium to the storage medium (and vice versa). For example, computer-executable instructions or data structures received via a network or data link may be buffered in RAM in a network interface module (e.g., "NIC") and then finally transferred to the RAM of the computing system and / or to a less volatile storage medium in the computing system. Therefore, it should be understood that a storage medium may be included in a computing component that also (or even primarily) utilizes a transmission medium.

[0076] Computing nodes 101, 101.1, ..., 101.n may often contain multiple structures 106 referred to as “executable components, executable instructions, computer executable instructions, or instructions.” For example, the memory 104 of computing nodes 101, 101.1, ..., 101.n may be shown as containing executable components 106. The term “executable component” may be the name of a structure that is well understood by those skilled in the art as a structure that may be software, hardware, or a combination thereof, or a structure that can be implemented in software, hardware, or a combination thereof. For example, when implemented in software, those skilled in the art will understand that the structure of an executable component includes software objects, routines, methods, etc., that are executed on computing nodes 101, 101.1, ..., 101.n, whether such executable components exist on many computing nodes 101, 101.1, ..., 101.n, or whether the executable component resides on a computer-readable storage medium. In such cases, a person skilled in the art will recognize that the structure of the executable component exists in a computer-readable medium so that, when interpreted by one or more processors of the compute nodes 101, 101.1, ..., 101.n (for example, by a processor thread), the compute nodes 101, 101.1, ..., 101.n can perform functions. Such a structure may be directly computer-readable by the processor (as if the executable component were binary). Alternatively, the structure may be structured to be interpretable and / or compiled (whether in one or more stages) to produce a binary that is directly interpretable by the processor. Such an exemplary understanding of the structure of an executable component is well within the understanding of a person skilled in the art when using the term “executable component.” Examples of executable components implemented in hardware include hardcoded or wired logic gates implemented exclusively or partially in hardware, such as in field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), or any other dedicated circuits.In this explanation, terms such as "component," "agent," "manager," "service," "engine," "module," and "virtual machine" are used synonymously with the term "executable component."

[0077] The processor 102 of each computing node 101, 101.1, ..., 101.n may instruct the operation of each computing node 101, 101.1, ..., 101.n in response to executing computer executable instructions that constitute an executable component. For example, such computer executable instructions may be embodied in one or more computer-readable media that form a computer program product. Computer executable instructions may be stored in the memory 104 of each computing node 101, 101.1, ..., 101.n. Computer executable instructions include instructions and data that, when executed by processor 101, cause a general-purpose computing node 101, 101.1, ..., 101.n, a dedicated computing node 101, 101.1, ..., 101.n, or a dedicated processing device to perform a specific function or set of functions. Alternatively or additionally, computer executable instructions may be configured to perform specific functions or sets of functions on compute nodes 101, 101.1, ..., 101.n. Computer executable instructions may be binaries or even instructions that undergo some translation (such as compilation) before being directly executed by the processor, such as assembly language or even intermediate format instructions such as source code.

[0078] Each computing node 101, 101.1, ..., 101.n may include a communication channel 108, for example, a network (shown as a solid line between peripheral computing nodes and the central computing node), which enables each computing node 101.1, ..., 101.n to communicate with the central computing node 101. "Network" may be defined as one or more data links that enable the transmission of electronic data between computing nodes 101, 101.1, ..., 101.n, modules, and / or other electronic devices. When information is transferred to or provided to computing nodes 101, 101.1, ..., 101.n via the network or another communication connection (either wired, wireless, or a combination of wired and wireless), computing nodes 101, 101.1, ..., 101.n appropriately consider the connection as a transmission medium. The transmission medium can be used to carry desired program code means in the form of computer-executable instructions or data structures and may include networks and / or data links accessible by general-purpose or dedicated computing nodes 101, 101.1, ..., 101.n. The above combinations may also fall within the scope of computer-readable media.

[0079] Computation nodes 101, 101.1 to 101.n may further comprise a user interface system 110 used for interface with a user. The user interface system 110 may include an output mechanism 110A and an input mechanism 110B. The principles described herein are not limited to a precise output mechanism 110A or input mechanism 110B, for such a thing would depend on the nature of the device. However, the output mechanism 110A may include, for example, a display, speaker, haptic output, hologram, etc. Examples of the input mechanism 110B include, for example, a microphone, touchscreen, hologram, camera, keyboard, mouse or other pointer input, any type of sensor, etc.

[0080] Figure 3b shows an example of one embodiment of a decentralized computing environment 100' having several computing nodes 101.1'~101.n', shown as solid circles. The decentralized network may include protocols set up for authentication and / or authorization. In contrast to the centralized computing environment 100 shown in Figure 3a, the computing nodes 101.1'~101.n' of the decentralized computing environment are not connected to the central computing node 101 and are therefore not under the control of the central computing node. Instead, both hardware and software resources may be allocated to each individual computing node 101.1', ..., 101.n' (local or remote computing systems), and data may be distributed among the various computing nodes 101.1', ..., 101.n' for task execution. Thus, in a decentralized system environment or decentralized network, program modules may be located on both local and remote memory storage devices. The image zooms in on one of the compute nodes 101' to show an overview of the components present in compute node 101'. In this example, compute node 101' has the same components as those described in relation to Figure 3a.

[0081] Figure 3c shows an example of one embodiment of a distributed computing environment 103. In this description, “distributed computing” can refer to any computing that utilizes multiple computing resources. Such use can be achieved through the virtualization of physical computing resources. An example of distributed computing is cloud computing. “Cloud computing” can refer to a model that enables on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources (e.g., networks, servers, storage, applications, and services). When distributed, the cloud computing environment can be distributed internally within one organization and / or across multiple organizations. In this example, the distributed cloud computing environment 103 may include the following computing resources: mobile devices 114, applications 116, databases 118, data storage 120, and servers 122. The cloud computing environment 103 can be deployed as a public cloud 124, a private cloud 126, or a hybrid cloud 128. The private cloud 124 may be owned by an organization, and only members of the organization with appropriate access can use the private cloud 126, and the data in the private cloud is kept at least confidential. In contrast, data stored in the public cloud 126 can be open to anyone via the internet. A hybrid cloud 128 can be a combination of a private cloud 124 and a public cloud 126, where some data can be kept confidential, while other data can be made public.

[0082] Referring again to Figures 1 and 2, examples of battery or battery component identifiers provided by the battery identification elements 12, 14, 32, and 34 as products to be recycled can be processed in a decentralized computing environment or decentralized network, at least partially. For example, a battery or battery component identifier may be configured to access battery or battery component data, such as material data or material composition data. A product or product component identifier may be configured to access product or product component data, such as material data or material composition data. Further decentralized identifiers may be associated with recycling plants or production plants involved in the recycling or production of batteries. Recycling or production plant identifiers may be configured to access operational data, such as recycling or production plant data. Examples of operational data may be processing capacity data, process-specific data, or location data. By associating such decentralized identifiers with authentication information and optionally authorization rules, data can be securely and reliably shared across such players or systems in the production and / or recycling chain via decentralized network nodes, such as peer-to-peer communication, associated with the players.

[0083] Figure 3d shows an example environment or decentralized network 300 that enables access to data in accordance with standards set by the International Dataspace Association (IDSA; e.g., IDS Reference Architecture version 3.0 April 2019) or the W3C (Decentralized Identifier (DID) v1.0, Core Architecture, Data Model, and as expressed in W3C Proposal Recommendation 03 August 2021). Such implementations help make decentralized identifiers and associated data from material providers accessible to data consumers.

[0084] In this example, a data provision service 304, which includes a data retrieval system 308 and a connector 310, shares material data 316 with a data consumption service 306, which includes a data retrieval system 312 and a connector 314, via a decentralized network protocol. Network nodes or compute nodes of the network are associated with the data provision service 304 and the data consumption service 306. Local databases 320a and 320b, controlled by each participating node, are associated with the data provision service 304 and the data consumption service 306.

[0085] Data relating to an identified battery or part thereof may be provided or made accessible in association with the material components and / or battery 302, depending on the identifier of such data. The material, components, and / or battery 302 may be associated with a digital identifier. The digital identifier may include one or more decentralized identifiers, such as those described with respect to Figures 1 to 3. The decentralized identifier may be an identifier in the decentralized network 300 that enables data exchange between involved nodes via the decentralized network 300 through data providing / consuming services 304, 306. One involved node in Figure 3d may be associated with data providing service 304. Another involved node in Figure 3d may be associated with data consuming service 306. Data exchange may include discovery of decentralized identifiers of involved nodes in the decentralized network 300, authentication of involved nodes in the decentralized network 300, and / or authorization of data transfer via peer-to-peer communication between involved nodes in the decentralized network 300.

[0086] For example, when an identifier element is read via the reader element 308 as described in Figure 1 or Figure 2, the digital identifier for each battery, component, or material may be provided, for example, via a decentralized network database (not shown). Digital relationships between identifiers may be provided, and these digital relationships may reflect the physical relationships between the battery, its components, and its material. Identifiers may relate to digital representations of battery data or parts thereof concerning the battery, its components, or its material.

[0087] A battery identifier may include, or relate to, a decentralized identifier uniquely associated with the identified battery. Similarly, the identifier may relate to the battery's components or materials. The decentralized identifier may include one or more universally unique identifiers (UUIDs) or digital identifiers (DIDs). The decentralized identifier may include any unique identifier uniquely associated with the data owner, battery, components, and / or materials. The data owner may be the producer of the battery, components, or materials. Through the decentralized identifier and the unique association with the data owner, battery, components, and / or materials, access to the battery data or any portion thereof may be controlled by the data owner.

[0088] A decentralized identifier may be associated with a digital representation of battery data related to a battery, its components, or the materials contained in the battery. The digital representation may include a representation for accessing battery data or parts thereof, such as material data or material composition data, which may be provided by material producers. The digital representation of battery data or parts thereof may be stored in a decentralized database (not shown). The battery data or parts thereof, such as material data or material composition data, may be stored in a local database associated with the data owner, such as the producer of the materials, components, or battery.

[0089] The battery 10 may relate to or relate to digital representations of the battery, its components, and / or materials contained in the battery or its components, and related battery data or parts thereof. The digital representations may relate to digital identifiers for the battery 10, its components, and / or materials contained in the battery 10 or its components. The digital representations may refer to, be linked to, or provide links to battery data or parts thereof, such as the battery components and / or the battery or materials contained in its components. The digital representations may include at least one interface to a data delivery service 304 configured to make each battery data or part thereof accessible or to transfer each battery data or part thereof. The digital representations may include at least one interface to a data consumption service configured to make each battery data or part thereof accessible or to receive each battery data or part thereof. The digital representations may include endpoints for data exchange or sharing (resource endpoints) or endpoints for service interaction (service endpoints) that are uniquely identified via a communication protocol. Sue This may include (points). Therefore, a digital representation referring to data related to a battery or part thereof can be uniquely associated with a decentralized identifier.

[0090] By providing an identifier, each data, for example, a representation referring to material data or material composition data, may be provided to the data consumption service 306, for example, via a decentralized registry. In the example of material composition data, which is not considered an limitation, the material composition data may be stored in a database 310 associated with the material producer or provider. The data consumption service 306 associated with the reader 308 may request access to such data from the data provision service 304 of the material producer or provider. Authentication and / or authorization information linked to the identifier may be shared to authenticate and / or authorize access from the data consumption service 306 to the data provided by the data provision service 304. Authentication and / or authorization information may be provided for authentication and / or authorization of the data provision service 304 and / or the data consumption service 306.

[0091] In one embodiment, or Some of the data relating thereto is linked to or includes material composition data or part thereof. In one embodiment, a battery or The data relating to part of it includes, for example, one or more digital representations that point to, link to, or provide a link to battery data, materials, data, or parts thereof stored in the material provider's local database. In this regard, pointing to, linking to, or providing a link to battery data stored in the local database or This refers to any network representation or address suitable for accessing data relating to a portion of it. or Data relating to a portion of it may include multiple digital representations that point to, link to, or provide links to distinct portions of the battery data. Data relating to a battery may include multiple digital representations that point to, link to, or provide links to different portions of the battery data. Such different portions may overlap in several data points. Representations may include access points to the battery data, links to access the battery data, endpoints to access the battery data, and / or service endpoints to access the battery data. In this way, the battery data can be maintained and controlled by the data owner. Access may be provided through representations of access points that simplify data validation, integrity checks, or quality checks and access control, as there is no need to check and control access to multiple decentralized data points. Battery data may be stored in the data owner's database 320 or a database associated with the data owner. Battery data may be stored in a database 320 accessible to the data owner. Digital representations that point to, link to, or provide links to a battery or a portion thereof may be associated with or relate to any such database associated with or accessible by the data owner. To enhance security, digital representations of battery data or any part thereof may indirectly relate to any such database associated with or accessible by the data owner.

[0092] Similar to the data access and transfer described above for example material composition data, other data can also be securely shared in a decentralized network between different players and associated nodes in the network. Any data provided in the different methods, embodiments, and systems described may be provided by nodes in a decentralized network.

[0093] A decentralized structure based on decentralized identifiers enables novel methods, apparatus, systems, computer elements, computer executable instructions, and their use in the product recycling process described below.

[0094] Figure 4 shows a flowchart illustrating an example method for providing a material identifier package usable for recycling materials contained in a product, particularly a method for operating a recycling process based on the material identifier package or a method for selecting products to be recycled, such as batteries, based on product identifiers and associated material composition data. The method can be implemented over a network, as shown in Figure 3d.

[0095] A material identifier package may include digital identifiers associated with products to be recycled, such as batteries. By bundling the digital identifiers according to the associated material configuration, products to be recycled, particularly batteries, can be physically bundled by a material configuration that would not be readily accessible from the physical product, especially the battery, without the use of this invention. In this way, physical products such as batteries can be bundled virtually or digitally to enable a more efficient recycling process. To this end, collection orders, sorting orders, and / or transport orders can be derived based on the material identifier package to physically bundle each product, particularly batteries, according to its material configuration, thereby simplifying the recycling process.

[0096] Product identifiers associated with the recycled product may be provided. Such data may be provided, for example, through identifier elements physically attached to the recycled product or its components, as described with respect to Figures 1 to 3. Thus, product identifiers teeth, Products and / or product components that are recycled. to They can be associated. The product identifier element can be read as described with respect to Figures 1 and 2. Material data can be retrieved by a node in a decentralized network associated with reading the identifier element. A decentralized identifier can be retrieved. Based on the decentralized identifier, a digital representation of battery data or a part thereof can be retrieved. The representation may include a link or pointer to the data. The battery data may include material composition data. Material composition data can be provided by a node in a decentralized network associated with the product, the components of the product, or the materials used in the production of the product, for example, the producer of the cathode active material used in the production of the cathode element of battery 10. The node in the decentralized network associated with reading the identifier element may request access to the material composition data, for example, as described with respect to Figures 1 to 3.

[0097] Based on the product identifier, material data such as material composition data can be accessed, as described with respect to Figures 1 to 3. For example, cathode active material is valuable for the recycling process due to the precious metals it contains. To recover and recycle such material for producing new batteries, battery material composition data relating to the material composition of the cathode active material can be accessed. For example, material data can be accessed through a data service that requests access to material data associated with each product identifier and controlled by the material data owner. The data service may include computer executable instructions that operate in at least partly a decentralized computing environment. Such computer executable instructions may be based on a JSON Web Token (JWT) that includes authentication information, authorization information, and / or a digital representation pointing to material composition data or a portion thereof. The digital representation may include an endpoint for data exchange or sharing (resource endpoint) or an endpoint for service interaction (service endpoint) that is uniquely identified via a communication protocol. The digital representation pointing to material composition data or a portion thereof may be uniquely associated with the product identifier.

[0098] Material data may include material composition data associated with at least one component of product 10. Material composition data may indicate the material composition of one or more components of product 10. Material composition may include the material type, material properties, and / or chemical composition of at least one component of product 10. Material type may include, but is not limited to, plastics, metal-containing materials, polymer-containing materials, composite materials used in product 10 or intermediate products, raw materials, or by-products when producing product 10. Material properties may include, but are not limited to, physical material properties, such as thermodynamic, mechanical, electrodynamic, optical, and acoustic material properties, and / or chemical material properties, such as standard electrode potential and electronegativity. Chemical composition may relate to one or more components and their quantities. The term "components of product 10" may include all components contained in product 10, such as the cathode element 26 or the anode element 24. For example, material composition data may provide cell chemistry, such as the percentage of cathode active material Al, Li, Co, Ni, anode active material such as graphite, composition electrolyte such as conductive salt or solvent, separator, or other components contained in the battery cell.

[0099] The material composition data may be associated with one component, for example, the electrode element 26 of a battery or the cathode active material. In such examples, the material composition may specify the chemical composition of the cathode active material. Examples include material compositions based on lithium nickel manganese (NCM type), e.g., lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide (LiNiCoMnO2), lithium iron phosphate (LPF type), e.g., lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4 / C), lithium nickel manganese (LMNO type), e.g., lithium nickel manganese spinel (LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4), lithium nickel cobalt aluminum (NCA type), e.g., lithium nickel cobalt aluminum oxide (LiNiCoAlO2), lithium manganese (LMO type), e.g., lithium manganese oxide (LiMn2O4), lithium cobalt (LCO type), e.g., lithium cobalt oxide (LiCoO2), or combinations thereof. The material composition data may also be associated with the anode element 24 or the anode active material. In such embodiments, the material composition may indicate the chemical composition of the anode active material. Examples include natural graphite, artificial graphite, other graphite types, or combinations thereof. The material composition data may be associated with the electrolyte 22, separator 28, cell 18, or module packaging, housing 20, etc. For example, the material composition data may provide cell chemistry, e.g., the percentage of cathode active material Al, Li, Co, Ni, anode active material, e.g., graphite, composition electrolyte, e.g., conductive salt or solvent, separator, or other components contained in the battery cell.

[0100] As shown in Figure 6, a product identifier can be associated with different product components and corresponding material configurations. In the example in Figure 6, the cathode element, anode element, separator element, and housing are exemplary components. The cathode element may relate to the material configuration of the electrode active material, i.e., LOM in the case of ID1, and NCM in the case of ID2. The anode element may relate to the material configuration of the anode active material, i.e., natural graphite in the case of ID1, and artificial graphite and silicon in the case of ID2. Similarly, the material configuration of the separator may be specified by the film type, and the material configuration of the housing may be specified by the plastic type. In other embodiments, component identifiers may be associated with each component such as the cathode element, anode element, separator element, and / or housing. Through the product identifier and / or component identifier, each material configuration data can be retrieved. Identifiers may include decentralized identifiers.

[0101] Based on product identifiers and associated material composition data, at least one material composition that can or will be processed by at least one recycling plant can be determined to provide a material identifier package. For example, with respect to the battery ID in Figure 6, as shown in Figure 7, two packages may be collected: package ID1 of the cathode element of a battery having ID1 and having LCO as the cathode active material; package ID2 of the cathode element of a battery having ID2; and IDn having NCM as the cathode active material. Based on the material composition data, product 10 or product component 30 can be identified as having a material composition that can be recycled by or together with the same recycling plant. Thus, products or components to be recycled can be virtually collected or sorted by such material composition and associated product identifier. Different embodiments of such determination are also possible. Only a few examples are described here as exemplary embodiments and are not to be considered limiting.

[0102] In one example, matching logic may be used to identify material identifiers relating to material compositions that can or will be processed by at least one recycling plant. Such matching may be based on the material composition of one or more components. Many algorithms, ranging from search algorithms to data-driven classification models, can be employed for matching.

[0103] For example, matching may be performed by the chemical composition of the components. A classification instruction may be provided for matching. Such a classification instruction may be predetermined or dynamically adjustable. For example, material compositions A, B, and C may be predetermined by at least a part of the chemical composition of one component, such as specifying the electrolyte composition, anode active material composition, and cathode active material composition. In principle, the matching method may look like this: Matching based on one component in the battery example Classification by component composition A: Cathode active materials x, y, z; B: Cathode active materials a, b, c; C: Cathode active materials d, e, f; Material composition of the constituent elements Battery ID1, cathode active material x Battery ID2, cathode active material y Battery component material composition matching Battery ID1, cathode active material x → Class A Battery ID2, cathode active material y → Class A In the case of multiple components, material compositions A, B, and C can be predetermined by specifying at least partially the compositions of the multiple components. For example, in the case of a battery, the compositions of the housing, electrolyte, anode, and cathode, or any other components, can be predetermined. The matching method can, in principle, appear as follows: Matching based on more components in the battery example Classification by component composition A: Electrolyte x, y, z; Anode l, m, k; Cathode e, d, f B: Electrolyte g, h, i; Anode j, n, o; Cathode p, q, r Material composition of the constituent elements Battery ID1, electrolyte x, anode l, cathode f Battery ID2, electrolyte y, anode l, cathode e Battery material composition matching Battery ID1, electrolyte x, anode l, cathode f → Class A Battery ID2, electrolyte y, anode l, cathode e → Class A In another example, matching may be performed by the chemical composition of a class. Such matching may be based on the material composition of one or more components. For example, a search may be performed by chemical composition. A classification command may be provided for the search. Such a classification command may be predetermined or dynamically adjustable. For example, material configurations A, B, and C may be predetermined by the chemical composition of at least one component, such as specifying the electrolyte composition, anode active material composition, and cathode active material composition in the example of a battery. For example, material configurations A, B, and C may be predetermined by at least partial component compositions, specifying the housing composition, electrolyte composition, anode composition, cathode composition, and the composition of any other components. In principle, the search method may look like this: Classification by component composition in the example of a battery A: Electrolyte x, y, z; Anode l, m, k; Cathode e, d, f B:... C.... Material composition of the constituent elements Battery ID1, electrolyte x, anode l, cathode f Battery ID2, electrolyte y, anode l, cathode e Search for battery material configuration by class. Class A: Battery ID1, electrolyte x, anode l, cathode f; Class B: Battery ID2, electrolyte y, anode l, cathode e.

[0104] Once matching or searching is performed, products or components that can or will be processed by a recycling plant can be identified through their identifiers associated with each material component. Such packages of product identifiers or component identifiers can be assigned to a recycling plant by providing recycling plant data associated with recycling plants that can process such material packages.

[0105] In another example, advanced logic may be used. Such advanced logic may be based on material composition data and recycling plant data for one or more components. For example, recycling plant data may include a recycling plant identifier and specifications for one or more material compositions that can or will be processed by a recycling plant that performs at least one recycling process for one or more material compositions. Thus, classifications based on material composition data may directly relate to a particular recycling plant. Each classification instruction may be provided that includes material composition data and recycling plant data for one or more other sources.

[0106] Based on the identification of a material identifier package, a material identifier package and associated product identifiers may be provided. Thus, a material identifier package may include a collection of product identifiers associated with one or more material components that can or are processed together at a recycling plant. Package identifiers may be generated by uniquely associating them with such packages. Product identifiers associated with at least one material component that can or is processed together may be linked to a package identifier. Thus, a package identifier may be associated with products or product components that can or are processed together by at least one recycling plant or process. A material identifier package may be provided that includes packages of package identifiers and / or product identifiers. In addition, a material identifier package may include material components relating to a package of a package identifier or battery identifier. For each package of a package identifier or battery identifier, a material identifier package may include a plant identifier indicating the recycling plant to which the product or product component should be processed.

[0107] Optionally, material identifier packages may be used to generate and provide sorting and / or collection commands, as will be described in more detail with respect to Figures 5 and 14. Such commands may be generated based on a package of product identifiers or component identifiers, or on product or component location data associated with a package identifier and / or product identifiers or component identifiers. In one example, a collection command may be presented in a user interface where pickup is scheduled. Sorting commands may include machine-readable commands that can be provided to a sorter. The sorter may read product identifiers and sort products or components according to the material identifier package. In other embodiments, the sorter may be provided with classification commands as described above. The sorter may read product identifiers, sort products or components based on the classification commands, and generate a virtual material identifier package.

[0108] Furthermore, optionally, material identifier packages may be used to generate and provide transport orders and / or storage orders, as will be described in more detail with respect to Figures 5 and 14. Such orders may be generated based on a package or package identifier of product identifiers or component identifiers, location data relating to product identifiers or component identifiers, and / or operational data relating to plant identifiers. Location data may be associated with the physical location of the product or product component to be recycled. Operational data may include data indicating the plant's location, processing capacity, and / or plant process details.

[0109] Figure 5 shows another embodiment of a method for sorting products to be recycled, such as batteries, based on a material identifier package that can be used for recycling materials contained in a product, and in particular a flowchart for driving a recycling process based on the material identifier package, or based on product identifiers and associated material composition data. The method can be implemented in a network, as described in Figure 3d.

[0110] One or more product identifiers, such as battery identifiers, and associated material composition data may be provided, for example, as described with respect to Figures 1, 2, 3d, and 4. The material composition data may be associated with one or more product components that make up a product such as a battery, along with associated material types, material properties, or material composition. Passive or active product identification elements 12, 14, 32, and 34 may be associated with physical products such as batteries. Identification elements may be configured to provide product identifiers, particularly battery identifiers, and associated material data for physical products, particularly batteries, as described with respect to Figures 1 to 4. Alternatively, product identifiers, particularly battery identifiers, may be provided via product elements, and material composition data may be provided through measurements.

[0111] Material classification instructions may be provided to classify identifiers of one or more components of a product, particularly a battery, with respect to material type / properties or chemical composition. For example, in the case of a battery, this may include classification by the material composition of one or more components of a battery to be recycled. In one option, the classification of material composition classes A, B, C may relate to multiple components such as the following: A: Electrolyte x, y, z; Anode (active and inactive material) l, m, k; Cathode (active and inactive material) e, d, f; Enclosure g, h, I; Battery management system m, n, o; Separator p, q, r; B: Electrolyte x2, y2, z2; Anode (active and inactive material) l2, m2, k2; Cathode (active and inactive material) e2, d2, f2; Case g2, h2, I2; Battery management system m2, n2, o2; Separator p2, q2, r2; C Electrolyte x3, y3, z3; Anode (active and inactive material) l3, m3, k3; Cathode (active and inactive material) e3, d3, f3; Case g3, h3, I3; Battery management system m3, n3, o3; Separator p3, q3, r3; Alternatively, the classification of material composition classes A, B, and C may relate to the selected components that are subject to recycling: A: Cathode (active and inactive material) abc B: Cathode (active and inactive material) def C: Cathode (active material and inactive material)ghj Products or components may be classified by material composition data through classification instructions. Material identifier packages, including the number of products or components per class, may be identified and provided. Products or components may be classified based on their identifiers, associated material composition data, and provided material classification instructions. Based on the classified product identifiers, the amount of material may be identified, for example, by the number of products or components and / or by the amount of material recycled by the components.

[0112] Plant identifiers may be provided in conjunction with operational data such as capacity data, process data, and / or location data. Operational data may be associated with plant identifiers, and may include capacity data, process data, and / or material data or material classification instructions. The quantity, number, and / or composition of products or components classified based on classified component identifiers or product identifiers may be matched with plant identifiers based on the recycling plant's capacity, process details, and / or location. A single plant identifier may be selected and provided based on the classified number, quantity, and / or composition of packages having each product identifier, each component identifier, or package identifier. Product or component identifiers for one or more material classifications may be assigned to a recycling plant. Assignments may be based on the plant's capacity, process details, material composition, and / or material classification. Operational data may be static data relating to the plant's general use or dynamic data relating to the plant's current use. The latter allows for real-time insights into capacity, process data, and / or material data. Plants can be matched based on real-time information, enabling more efficient and targeted use of plant resources in the recycling process. Material packages may be physically collected by sorting orders, collection orders, storage orders, and / or transport orders based on a product identifier or component identifier package or package identifier and potentially a factory identifier, as illustrated with reference to Figures 4 and 5, for example.

[0113] Collection, sorting, storage, and / or transport orders may be generated and provided for collector systems, sorting systems, storage systems, and / or transport systems. Sorting orders may be determined based on a package of product identifiers or component identifiers or a material identifier package having a package identifier. Sorting orders may associate product identifiers or component identifiers provided by a sensor reading the identifier elements of a product or component with material configurations that can or will be processed together, such as being processable or processed by at least one recycling plant. Such relationships may include using classification orders that provide material configurations that can or will be processed together, such as being processable or processed by at least one plant. Such relationships may include using classification orders that associate material configurations that can or will be processed together with at least one plant identifier. Sorting orders may associate product identifiers or component identifiers provided by a sensor reading the identifier elements of a product or component with product identifiers or component identifiers contained in a material identifier package. Sorting orders may be provided to a sorting system to sort products or components to be recycled. A sorting system may be controlled and / or monitored based on such instructions. In some embodiments, a sorting instruction may be provided to a sorting system configured to read product identifiers or component identifiers from products or components and sort such identifiers toward sorting the products or components. Since the sorting logic may be carried out at least partially in a decentralized computing environment and the sorting system may be based on reading elements combined with sorting hardware such as robots, such sorting enables simple and efficient sorting.

[0114] As shown in Figure 14, product identifiers or component identifiers may be provided to the sorting system. The sorting system may be configured to monitor and / or control the sorting of products or components associated with one or more classes based on sorting and / or classification commands. The sorting system may also be configured to monitor and / or control the sorting of products or components by material composition based on sorting and / or classification commands. Thus, the sorting of products or components may be performed by reading the identifiers associated with the products or components, simplifying the sorting of such products or components by material composition.

[0115] Alternatively, or in addition to the above, collection orders may be determined based on a material identifier package. The collection orders may associate product identifiers or component identifiers provided by sensors reading the identifier elements of the product or component with material configurations that can or will be processed together, such as being processable or processed by at least one recycling plant. Such relationships may include using classification orders that provide material configurations that can or will be processed together, such as being processable or processed by at least one recycling plant. Such relationships may include using classification orders that associate material configurations that can or will be processed together with at least one plant identifier. Further collection point data indicating collection points for at least on-parts of a product may be provided. Collection point data may be included in the material identifier package. In this way, products or components can be sorted by targeted collections, enabling simultaneous sorting of collections and simplifying the recycling process.

[0116] As shown in Figure 14, a classification and associated product identifier or component identifier may be provided to the collector system. The collector system may be configured to monitor and / or control a collection of products or components associated with one or more classes based on collection and / or classification orders. Based on collection and / or classification orders, the collector system monitors and / or controls products or components by material composition. ofThe system can be configured to monitor and / or control the collection. In this way, product or component sorting can be performed directly on the collection, thereby making further sorting processes redundant.

[0117] The collector system may be configured to collect products or components and provide product identifiers or component identifiers for classification by material class. The classified product identifiers or component identifiers may be provided to the sorting system. Such provision may be direct from the collector system to the sorting system or indirectly to the sorting system via a computing environment. The collector system may be configured to collect products or components, classify product identifiers or component identifiers by material composition, store associated identifiers, and provide product identifiers or component identifiers for each material class to, for example, the sorting system. A product identifier or component identifier associated with one classification may be provided to the sorting system. The sorting system may be configured to sort the collected products or components associated with one or more classes. The sorting system may be configured to provide identifiers for classification by material composition and sort products or components based on material composition. A product ID or component ID associated with a material classification may be provided by the collector system or the computing environment.

[0118] In addition to or instead of this, a transport order may be generated. At least of the product or product one Collection point data indicating the collection points of components may be provided. This collection point data may be included in a material identifier package. Transportation orders may be determined based on the collection point data and factory location data or storage location data. Based on such data, one or more transportation routes may be determined. The collection point data may indicate the starting point of the transportation, and the factory location data may indicate the destination of the transportation route. Such transportation routes may be provided to a transportation system, such as an autonomous vehicle, or to a user interface, such as a display.

[0119] In addition to or instead of this, storage orders may be determined based on processing capacity data and the number of products or components having material configurations that can or will be processed together. The quantity of material or the number of products or components per class or subclass may be determined based on material classification. The quantity of material may be provided to the storage system to manage the storage of products or components and / or to the transport system or computing environment to transport products or components. Storage orders may be provided to the storage management system or to the transport system as transport orders.

[0120] Recycling runs for recyclable materials can be scheduled by providing a package identifier to a plant operating system that has a plant identifier. Sorting orders, collection orders, storage orders, and / or transport orders can be provided to the recycling plant operating system. Recycling runs can be scheduled for each package or class of a product or component by providing the recycling plant operating system with a package of product identifiers or component identifiers or a package identifier. The assigned identifier can be provided to the recycling plant operating system, indicated by the recycling plant identifier, together with the material identifier package, in order to schedule recycling runs.

[0121] Figure 8 shows an example embodiment of a flowchart that provides plant allocation data usable for processing recycled materials, particularly for operating the recycling process. The method can be implemented in a network, as described in Figure 3d.

[0122] Recyclable material data, as shown in the examples of material identifier packages in Figures 4 and 5, can be generated and provided for the recycling of materials contained in a product, particularly for use in operating the recycling process. Such identifier data can be used to operate the recycling process for the mechanical and / or chemical recycling of a product or at least one component of a product. The recyclable material data may include product identifiers or component identifiers associated with at least one material component that can or will be processed by at least one recycling plant. Such identifiers may be associated with a package or package identifier that collects product identifiers or component identifiers. In the example of a battery, electrode elements may be separated from the battery by dismantling and disassembly and further processed according to a package that collects identifiers for the battery or electrode elements. Thus, recyclable materials such as black mass can be virtually tracked during the recycling process, and such tracking can be used to operate the plant that processes each material.

[0123] Recycled materials, associated recycled material identifiers, and corresponding recycled material data may be provided. A recycled material identifier may relate to one or more product identifiers or component identifiers and corresponding material composition data of products that are recycled and provide recycled material. Recycled material data may be provided by computer executable instructions executed in a decentralized computing environment, at least partially decentralized, which access the recycled material data of recycled material based on the recycled material identifier. Material composition data may be provided by computing nodes in a decentralized computing environment associated with producers that produce or use the material, such as material producers. Material composition data may be provided as part of recycled material data. Material composition data may be provided by accessing the material composition data via product identifiers included in the recycled material data. Recycled material data may include the material composition of recycled material identified based on or based on the generation of a material identifier package. To access recycled material data, a recycled material data provider may include one or more recycling systems that generate material identifier packages. Recycled material data may preferably be provided by computing nodes in a decentralized computing environment associated with one or more recycling systems, configured to generate material identifier packages and / or identify the material composition of recycled materials based on the material identifier packages. Recycled material identifiers may relate to material package identifiers or corresponding material composition data associated with recycled materials. Recycled materials may include, for example, black mass materials provided by battery cells or recycled electrode elements of batteries.

[0124] Operational data may be provided that relates to at least one operational characteristic of a plant. The operational data may be provided by computer-executable instructions executed in at least partially decentralized computing environments, which access the plant's operational data based on a plant identifier. The operational data may be provided by decentralized computing nodes associated with one or more plants, such as recycling plants, and / or one or more recycling systems, such as collectors, sorting systems, transport systems, and storage systems. Operational data may be provided for access to, or to be accessed by, decentralized computing nodes associated with one or more recycling systems and / or classification instructions that relate one or more plants to recycled material data and / or recycled material identifiers. The operational data may be accessed upon request by decentralized computing nodes associated with one or more recycling systems and / or classification instructions that relate one or more plants to recycled material data and / or recycled material identifiers. The operational data may include classification instructions that relate one or more plants to recycled material data and / or recycled material identifiers. The operational data may be provided to determine plant identifiers that identify plants suitable for processing recycled materials associated with recycled product identifier data, such as recycled material data and / or recycled material identifiers. Operating data may include a plant identifier, plant processing capacity related to the plant's processing capacity, process data related to the plant's process characteristics, and / or material classification data related to the materials that the plant can or is processed. Operating data may be provided or accessed in a decentralized computing environment. Operating data may include the plant's static production characteristics and / or dynamic productivity. Quality This may be relevant. Plant operation data may be static data relating to the general use of the plant or dynamic data relating to the current use of the plant. The latter allows for real-time insights into processing capacity, process data, and / or material data. The plant can be matched based on real-time information, enabling more efficient and targeted use of plant resources in recycling or production processes.

[0125] The assignment of factory identifier data, such as factory identifiers, to recycled product or component identifier data, such as recycled material data and / or recycled material identifiers, may be based on factory processing capacity data, process data, and / or material data. A factory may be any recycling plant, including, for example, mechanical, thermal, chemical, or a combination thereof. For example, in the case of batteries, a factory may be a metallurgical plant that recovers transition metals from battery materials. A metallurgical plant may be a wet smelting plant and / or a high-temperature metallurgical plant. Recycled materials may be assigned to a one-stage process, a two-stage process, or a multi-stage process, including at least one wet smelting plant and / or a high-temperature metallurgical plant. Recycled materials may include electrode active materials. Recycled materials may be black mass.

[0126] Factory identifier data, such as factory identifiers, may be determined by classification according to a classification command that provides material data that can or will be processed by a factory. A classification command may be provided or executed by at least one node of a decentralized system. A classification command may be executed in a computing environment that is at least partially decentralized, and it collects each factory identifier and a recycled material identifier that associates one or more factories with recycled material data such as recycled material composition. A classification command that accesses recycled material data based on recycled material or product identifiers may initiate classification, followed by the transfer of the classified results. A classification command may be triggered by one or more recycling systems at any stage of the recycling process following the generation of a material identifier package. A classification command may access recycled material data via recycled material identifiers provided by one or more recycling systems and / or product identifiers provided by material producers. A classification command may transfer the classification results to one or more recycling systems, such as a sorting system, collection system, transport system, or storage system, and / or one or more factories, such as a recycling plant and / or production plant.

[0127] Such classification instructions may include material compositions that can or will be processed by a plant. In the example of a battery, if the battery material composition shows Li as a component, the assigned plant may be a wet smelter. Furthermore, for example, if Li is not included as a component, a high-temperature metallurgy plant or a wet smelter may be assigned. In addition to or instead of this, the determination of plant identifier data may include processing capacity or process details. For example, in the case of a battery, if the electrolyte fluid is part of the recycled material, the plant's operating details, such as electrolyte separation, may need to be adapted, or a plant with appropriate process details may need to be assigned. Furthermore, for example, if the plant's processing capacity is already full, another plant may be assigned. For example, the quantity or amount of recycled material may be determined through recycled material identifier and material composition data. Material composition includes the relative quantity or amount of components and / or the absolute quantity of material. or This may include quantity. The determination of factory identifier data and production data may be related to the factory's production process. Factory identifiers may be determined based on operations in conjunction with material classification. Factory identifiers may be provided. Factory allocation data including factory identifiers and related recycled material identifiers may be provided. In this way, input recycled materials can be identified and processed by the factory.

[0128] At least one recycled product identifier and at least one factory identifier associated with a factory that processes the associated recycled material can be determined. Determining at least one factory identifier may involve selecting a factory identifier associated with a factory that processes the associated recycled material based on operational data, either the recycled product identifier data or the recycled material identifier data. Determining at least one factory identifier may involve classifying a classification instruction that provides material data associated with one or more material components that can or are processed by at least one factory. Determining at least one factory identifier may involve matching at least one recycled material identifier with at least one factory identifier based on the amount of recycled material and the processing capacity of the factory. Determining at least one factory identifier may involve matching at least one recycled material identifier with at least one factory identifier based on process data associated with one or more recycling processes and / or material data associated with at least one material component that can or is processed by at least one factory.

[0129] Plant assignment data may be provided, including at least one recycled material identifier associated with at least one plant identifier. From the plant assignment data, transport orders and / or storage orders may be determined and provided. Operation orders may be provided and transmitted to at least one manufacturing execution system of the plant.

[0130] Transportation and / or storage orders based on recycled material identifiers and associated recycled material and plant identifiers and associated location data may be generated and provided, for example, as disclosed with respect to Figures 5 and 14. Operational orders may be provided to at least one manufacturing execution system of the plant. The plant may be controlled and / or monitored in accordance with operational orders which may include one or more execution tasks.

[0131] Figure 9 shows an example of one embodiment of a flowchart for assigning plants to operate the recycling process. The method can be implemented via a network, as shown in Figure 3d.

[0132] Product identifiers or component identifiers and corresponding material configurations may be provided. Classification instructions for classifying products or components by chemical composition may be provided. For example, in the case of a battery, the cathode active material may be accessible or provided. Product identifiers or component identifiers may be matched according to the chemical composition of one or more products, for example, in the case of a battery, according to the cathode active material of the battery. In the case of a battery, package identifiers associated with the chemical composition of the package, such as a black mass package, may be generated, for example, as disclosed with respect to Figures 1 to 7 and Figures 14 and 15.

[0133] To match a suitable recycling plant for operating the recycling process, operational data and plant identifiers may be accessed or provided. Operational data may include process and capacity data and associated plant identifiers. Based on operational data, package identifiers may be matched to plant identifiers. For example, package identifiers may identify the number of products or components or the amount of material to be recycled. Based on quantity, volume, or number and plant capacity, a plant may be assigned to a material package. Each plant identifier may be provided along with a package identifier associated with the product, component, or material package.

[0134] Packages may be collected by storage or transport orders based on package identifiers and plant identifiers. In addition to or instead of this, plant recycling operations on each package of product, component, or material may be scheduled by providing the package identifier to the recycling plant operating system.

[0135] Figure 10 shows an example of one embodiment of a flowchart for assigning plants to operate the recycling process. The method can be implemented in a network, as shown in Figure 3d.

[0136] Product identifiers or component identifiers and associated material composition data, as well as plant identifiers and associated operational data may be provided. Operational data may include processing capacity, material handling, and process data related to the plant indicated by the plant identifier.

[0137] Processing capacity data may be matched with the quantity or volume of recycled material or the number of products or components associated with a product identifier or component identifier. Additional matching criteria may include plant process data and / or material processing data, in addition to material composition data associated with a product identifier or component identifier, or recycled material data associated with a recycled material identifier.

[0138] If a suitable factory is not identified, a storage command may be generated, and the relevant product identifier, component identifier, or recycled material identifier may be stored in a database for unassigned recycled material packages.

[0139] When a plant with recycling capacity is identified, the product identifier, component identifier, or recycled material identifier may be matched with material processing data or process data.

[0140] When a suitable factory is identified, a product identifier, component identifier, or recycled material identifier may be assigned to the factory identifier. The assigned factory can then receive the identifier and schedule the recycling process.

[0141] If a suitable factory is not identified, a storage instruction may be generated, and each identifier may be stored in a database for unassigned packages.

[0142] Figures 11-13 visualize examples of data structures that can be implemented in at least partially decentralized environments based on decentralized identifiers. Such data structures can be implemented in decentralized or centralized storage environments based on relational databases, graph databases, etc. The example shows batteries as the final product to be recycled. This is an arbitrary choice and should not be considered an limitation.

[0143] A battery identifier may be associated with different components of a battery. Such a battery identifier can be matched and assigned to a package identifier, as described with respect to Figure 7. Through such a virtual classification based on the relevant material composition, packages can be collected and / or sorted and matched with a recycling process. The method can be carried out in a network, as shown in Figure 3d.

[0144] The package may be assigned to a recycling plant for recycling the packaged material composition of the battery material. The package identifier may be virtually assigned to a recycling plant identifier at the first and / or second stage of the recycling process, as described with respect to Figures 15 and 16, for example.

[0145] The produced recycled material packages can be assigned to further recycling plants that produce recyclerates via their associated package identifiers. The recyclerates can then be assigned to plants that use the recyclerates to produce new batteries, and to associated plant identifiers via their associated package identifiers.

[0146] Figure 14 shows an example system for operating a recycling process in a recycling chain. The example shows batteries as the final product to be recycled. This is an arbitrary choice and is not to be considered limiting. The system may include methods that can be implemented in a network as shown in Figure 3d, or the system may be part of a network as shown in Figure 3d.

[0147] At the start of the recycling chain, there is an end-of-life product 1400. In this case, the end-of-life product 1400 is a lithium-ion battery. The lithium-ion battery may include identifier elements, as described with respect to Figures 1 and 2. Such battery identifiers or component identifiers may be used in a decentralized computing environment or network, as outlined, for example, with respect to Figures 3a to 3d.

[0148] The identifier of a battery 1400 that has reached the end of its life can be provided by reading the identifier element using a reader 1404, as described with respect to Figures 1, 2, 4, and 5, for example. Reading the identifier of a battery that has reached the end of its life allows access to other data, such as material composition data and condition data collected during the battery's lifespan, via the identifier. Material composition data can be accessed via a decentralized computing network. For example, material composition data may be provided by a decentralized computing node associated with the material producer or user.

[0149] Based on the material composition data associated with the end-of-life battery 1400, the battery identifier can be classified into a package of identifiers that can be processed together in the subsequent recycling chain. For example, the ID package generator 1406 may be configured to perform the method described with respect to Figures 4 and 5, which provides battery recycling data. Such data can be used to provide sorting and / or collection of batteries by sorting and / or collection commands, for example, as described with respect to Figures 4 and 5. For example, the collector and / or sorter system 1402 may be configured to receive such commands and sort and / or collect batteries based on such commands. In other embodiments, the reader 140 4th grade The ID package generator 1406 may be part of the collector and / or sorting system 1402. The batteries may be sorted directly at reading time based on the classification provided by the ID package generator 1406.

[0150] Based on the end-of-life battery and associated condition data, the battery may be discharged and / or disassembled by a discharge and / or disassembly command. Such a command may include an analysis of condition data collected during its lifespan, an end-of-life measurement protocol for collecting condition data from an end-of-life battery, an analysis of condition data collected by the end-of-life measurement protocol, or any combination thereof. The analysis of condition data collected during its lifespan may include data relating to self-discharge, the charge / discharge process, or state variables (e.g., cell temperature). Thus, further processing commands for the use of battery 1400 can be determined without measurement effort. The end-of-life measurement protocol may include measurements of processing capacity, power, physical or chemical properties, or resistance. Analysis of such measurement data may lead to further processing commands for the use of the battery. Alternatively or in addition to this, such commands may include discharge and / or disassembly commands from a robotic system. For example, a discharger and / or disassembly system 1404 may be configured to receive such a command and disassemble and / or discharge battery 1400 based on such a command.

[0151] Components of an end-of-life battery, such as cells, cathode elements, anode elements, electrolyte, separators, or housings, may be associated with product identifiers and / or separate component identifiers. Based on the identifier package provided by the battery recycling data, transport and / or storage commands for the battery or, if disassembled, the battery components may be generated, as described, for example, with respect to Figures 4 and 5. For example, the transport and / or storage system 1406 may be configured to receive such commands and transport and / or store the battery or components based on such commands. The collector and / or sorting system 1402, the discharge and / or disassembly system 1404, and the transport and / or storage system 1406 may be a recycling system connected via a decentralized computing network. The system may be associated with computing nodes of the decentralized computing system. Each node may be configured to access or provide data in the decentralized computing system.

[0152] Based on battery identifiers and associated battery recycling data, and plant identifiers and associated operating data, batteries or battery components may be assigned to plant identifiers by providing plant assignment data, as described with respect to Figures 6-8. Plants associated with plant identifiers may be mechanical or chemical recycling plants. Plant assignment data may include two or more plant identifiers if the recycling chain includes two or more recycling plants. For example, as shown in Figure 15 for cathode elements, the recycling chain may include mechanical processing of battery material provided to the production process as recycled battery material, followed by high-temperature metallurgical processing, followed by wet metallurgical processing. Alternatively, the recycling chain may include mechanical processing of battery material provided to the production process as recycled battery material, followed by wet metallurgical processing. The recycling process provides transition metals separately or already in the desired stoichiometry to create new material. For example, plant assigner 1408 may be configured to provide plant assignment data and to provide such plant assignment data to the chemical / mechanical plant recycling system 1410 of each plant associated with a plant identifier. Based on the factory allocation data and location data, the transport and / or storage system 1406 may generate transport and / or sorting orders, as described herein, for example in Figures 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8. For example, the factory assigner 1406 may be configured to provide factory allocation data and to provide such factory allocation data to the production system 1416 of each production plant associated with the factory identifier. The factory assigner, transport and / or storage system 1406 and the chemical / machinery plant recycling system may be part of a decentralized computing environment. Each system may be associated with a computing node of a decentralized computing system in order to access and / or provide data in a decentralized computing network.

[0153] Based on tracked recycled material packages and recycle rate data, production data may be provided by the recycle rate allocation generator 1418. Any calculations may be performed via the computing environment. The computing environment may be based on a decentralized computing architecture, as described with respect to Figures 3a to 3d. The collector system 1402 may include a collection mechanism for collecting batteries or components of battery 1400 to be recycled. The sorting system 1402 may include a mechanism for sorting batteries or components of battery 1400 to be recycled. The factory recycling system 1410 may include a recycling plant for recycling batteries or battery components to be recycled. The output of the factory recycling system 1410 may be recycled material suitable for use in the production plant. The recycling plant may include chemical, mechanical, thermal, and / or magnetic recycling plants. The production system 1416 may include a production plant for producing batteries or battery components, at least in part, based on recycled material such as that provided by the recycling plant. The input materials to the production plant may include unused material and recycled material. The collector system 1404, the discharger system 1404, the transport and / or storage system 1406, the computing environment, the sorting system 1402, the production system 1416, and / or the factory recycling system 1410 may be coupled to each other in a communicative manner. The communication may be peer-to-peer communication provided by a decentralized computing environment, as described with respect to Figure 3d. The ID package generator 1406, the factory assigner 1408, and the recycle rate content generator 1418 may be decentralized service applications or may be part of one or more computing nodes associated with the recycling system and / or factory.

[0154] The computing environment, collector system, or sorting system 1402 may be configured to generate collection and / or sorting orders based on a material identifier package, as described with reference to Figures 4 and 5, for example. The computing environment, collector system, sorting system 1402, production plant system 1416, or recycling plant system may be configured to generate transport and / or storage orders based on a material identifier package, as described with reference to Figures 4 and 5, for example.

[0155] The collector system and / or sorting system 1402 may be configured to provide a battery identifier to the computing environment. The battery identifier may be provided via an identification element, as described in Figures 1 and 2. For example, the collector system and / or sorting system 1402 may be configured to read a QR code on a battery or a battery component. The collector system and / or sorting system 1402 may be configured to provide location data to the computing environment. Location data may be provided by a user terminal, such as a sensor, reading an identification element, or by an identifier of a system registered with the service. For example, a user accessing the service may provide location data.

[0156] A computing environment, collector system, and / or sorting system 1402 having decentralized computing nodes may be configured to access material data based on provided battery identifiers. The computing environment may include an ID generator configured to determine a material identifier package containing a package of battery identifiers, as described with reference to Figures 4 and 5. The computing environment, collector system, and / or sorting system 1402 may be configured to provide material identifier packages to drive the recycling process. The computing environment, collector system, and / or sorting system 1402 may be configured to provide collection commands and / or sorting commands.

[0157] For example, a computing environment or a node of the computing environment may be configured to determine collection point data indicating the collection location of batteries or battery components to be recycled, based on the location of a material identifier package and the associated battery. A collection command may include a collection location. A collection command may be provided to a collector system. A collection command may include a collection location for the battery identifier package contained in each package identifier or material identifier package. In this way, batteries or battery components may be collected so that they can be processed together or processed together and no further sorting is required. The collector system 1402 may be configured to collect batteries or battery components to be recycled, preferably by material configuration. In this way, sorting of batteries or battery components to be recycled may be performed directly on the collection, making further sorting processes redundant. The collector system 1402 may be configured to collect batteries or battery components to be recycled, provide battery IDs to generate material identifier packages according to a classification command, or provide material identifier packages to, for example, a sorting system, classify battery IDs according to a classification command, store associated recycling data, or provide associated recycling data to, for example, each material configuration, to the sorting system.

[0158] Furthermore, for example, a computing environment or a node of the computing environment may be configured to generate sorting instructions based on a set of package identifiers or battery identifiers. The sorting instructions may include a battery identifier for each package. The sorting instructions may be provided to a sorting system 1402. The sorting system may be configured to provide a product identifier for each battery or battery component to be recycled and to sort such batteries or battery components according to the provided sorting instructions. In this way, batteries or battery components may be sorted by reading their identification elements so that they can be processed together or processed together.

[0159] The computing environment, collector system 1402, sorting system 1402, production plant system 1416, or recycling plant system 1410 may be configured to generate transport orders and / or storage orders based on material identifier packages. A transport order may be determined based on location data of the batteries or components to be recycled, as well as the target location of the batteries or components to be recycled. The target location may relate to a recycling plant that processes the material configuration. A storage order may be determined based on the processing capacity of the recycling plant and / or the number of batteries or components per package identifier or per package of battery identifiers. If the processing capacity of the plant is higher than the number of batteries or components per package collected for the material configuration, a storage order may be generated. Such a storage order may include a storage location for storing batteries or their components until the number reaches the processing capacity of the plant.

[0160] As described herein, different variations exist in the implementation of the methods, apparatus, and systems described herein. Different systems may implement different method steps or service components. The embodiments described are merely examples and should not be considered limiting.

[0161] Figure 15 shows an example recycling chain for cathode active material. The example shows a battery as the final product to be recycled. This is an arbitrary choice and should not be considered limiting.

[0162] The battery contains materials for different components, as illustrated in Figure 1. The recycling chain may include different steps and have different designs. First, the end-of-life battery may be discharged and then dismantled. The battery may be discharged and broken down into separate components such as cells. The battery components may be fed into a subsequent recycling stream. For example, mechanical processing may follow. This may include mechanical crushing (shredding) of the battery cells and separation of materials. Electrolyte residue may be removed from the active material by drying or thermal decomposition before subsequent steps. Mechanical separation of "black mass" (e.g., Co, Ni, Mn, C) conductive foil and separator components may be carried out by a combination of crushing, drying, sorting, and classification processes. Materials may be sorted according to physical properties such as particle size, morphology, density, and electrical and magnetic properties. For example, foil and active material containing transition metals may be separated. Such recycled materials may be called black mass.

[0163] The separated components can be fed into a subsequent recycling stream. For example, battery cells can be recycled to recover transition metals contained in the electrode elements. In particular, lithium-ion batteries contain electrode active materials containing lithium. The recycling process may follow different process layouts depending on the material composition used in the lithium-ion battery cell. The recycled material from mechanical recycling can be further processed by dry metallurgy and / or wet smelting. For example, depending on the composition of the recycled material, dry metallurgy, wet smelting, or a combination of both may be used. One process design may be based on a wet smelting treatment following dry metallurgy of the battery material. Another process design may be based on a direct wet smelting treatment of the battery material. Such a process may separate the transition metals or use the already desired stoichiometry to create a new cathode active material. offer do.

[0164] Based on the virtual packaging of batteries via battery identifiers, the material composition of recycled materials can be tracked. Furthermore, the composition of recycled materials can be identified by classifying battery identifiers based on the relevant material composition. In this way, the composition of recycled materials can be adapted for subsequent recycling process steps. Moreover, such tracking of recycled materials can be performed up to the recycle rate, and the tracking can be used, for example, to track the availability of the recycle rate or recycle rate composition. A decentralized computing environment that allows access to specific material data via identifiers enables highly reliable and efficient operation throughout the recycling process, from end-of-life products to recycle rates that can be reused in the production of new materials.

[0165] Figure 16 shows a flowchart illustrating an example of a method for providing a recyclable feed content to produce at least one component of a product.

[0166] Recycling data may be provided relating to the use of recycled precursor materials in the production of at least one component of the product. The recycling data may indicate the recyclable feed content of at least one component of the product. The recyclable feed content may specify the total recyclable feed content of the component or the recyclable feed content for each precursor. The recycling data may include the recyclable amount or allocation for one or more precursor products.

[0167] In the case of a battery, for the electrode active material of a lithium-ion battery, a specific recycling amount or allocation may be provided for a specific precursor, such as a metal like cobalt, lithium, copper, or nickel. In addition to or instead of this, the total recyclable feed content of at least one component of the product may be provided. In the case of a battery, for a lithium-ion battery, a total amount or percentage of recyclables independent of the precursor may be provided. Such a total amount or percentage may relate to individual components, combinations of components, or all components. In the case of a battery, for a lithium-ion battery, the total amount or percentage may relate to an electrode element containing the electrode active material, an anode element containing the anode active material, a cell having components, or a battery having components. Recycling data may specify, for example, that 20% of copper is recycled copper, 10% of lithium is recycled lithium, and 12% of nickel is recycled nickel. Recycling data may specify, for example, that 15% or 20% of transition metals are recycled transition metals. Recycling data may specify, for example, that 30% of the materials used in the production of components are recycled materials. Figure 20 shows one embodiment of a user interface for inputting the recycling quota. In other embodiments, such data may be provided through an application programming interface or any other service that provides such data.

[0168] At least one operational characteristic of at least one production plant and related operational data may be accessed and provided. Such operational data may relate to the availability of one or more recycled precursors for the production of at least one component of a product. For example, availability may be derived from different storage levels of recycled precursors, recycle package identifiers associated with the amount of recycled precursor available from the recycling process, or recycled material identifiers including identifiers associated with the amount recycled and available from the recycling process. Plants may be further associated with such availability data. For example, a particular material may be available at production plants in the vicinity of the plant, e.g., within an area of ​​several hundred kilometers or less. Other examples of operational data may include capacity data showing the current processing capacity of a production plant, process data showing process details of a production plant, performance data showing performance details of a production plant, or emissions data associated with a production plant.

[0169] Based on recycling data and operational data, the recyclate feed content of one or more recycled precursors may be determined. The recyclate feed content of one or more precursors may be determined according to the recyclate amount of one or more precursor products, the recyclate allocation amount of one or more precursor products, and / or the overall recyclate feed content of at least one product of the product to be produced. For example, if a recyclate amount or allocation amount is provided, the minimum recyclate feed content may correspond to the recyclate amount or allocation amount.

[0170] Further operational data may be considered to determine the recycle rate feed content of one or more recyclable precursors. Operational data may include availability data derived from identifiers. This availability data may indicate the amount of recyclable material available from the recycling process. Such amounts may be derived from identifiers and material tracking, as disclosed herein, such as in Figures 1 to 15. Advantageously, recyclable material identifiers, including recyclable package identifiers associated with the amount of recyclable precursors available from the recycling process, or product identifiers or component identifiers associated with the amount available from the recycling process, can be easily accessed in a decentralized computing environment, enabling the linking of recyclable rate feed content for production with recyclable material from the recycling process. Thus, highly reliable and environmentally friendly management of material resources combined with physical recycling and production can be achieved, which is particularly advantageous in distributed systems of material flows, recycling plants, and production plants.

[0171] For example, if precursor availability data is provided, the recycle feed content of highly available precursors can be increased compared to the recycle quantity or allocation. In this way, the recycle feed content and production can be adapted to suit the recycle feed content. Furthermore, for example, if the total quantity or total allocation is provided, the recycle feed content can be distributed across different precursors. If precursor availability data is provided, the recycle feed content of highly available precursors can be increased compared to the recycle feed content of less available precursors. In this way, the recycle feed content and production can be adapted to suit the recycle feed content.

[0172] In the case of batteries, for example, determining the recycle feed content may be relevant to the process of creating the electrode active material for lithium-ion batteries. In such a process, a precursor may first be formed by coprecipitation of a transition metal as a carbonate, oxide, or preferably hydroxide. A process for producing (oxy)hydroxides of transition metal particulates, for example, in International Publication No. 2021244963A1, which is incorporated herein by reference. The (oxy)hydroxides may function as precursors for electrode active materials and may therefore also be called precursors. The formation of a transition metal-based precursor may involve recycled transition metals provided according to the determined recycle feed content for the transition metal precursor. The transition metal-based precursor may then be mixed with a lithium precursor source, such as LiOH, Li2O, or Li2CO3, but not limited to these, and calcined at high temperatures. The process for fabricating electrodes is described, for example, in International Publication No. 2020 / 069882A1, which is incorporated herein by reference, and lithium salts can be employed as hydrates or in a dehydrated form. Calcination—or firing—commonly also called heat treatment or heating of precursors—can be carried out at temperatures ranging from 600°C to 1000°C. During the heat treatment, solid-state reactions occur to form the electrode active material. Lithium-containing precursors may include recycled lithium or precursors formed from recycled lithium. Recycled lithium or precursors formed from recycled lithium may be provided according to the recyclable feed content of such precursors.

[0173] One or more recycled precursors are provided to produce at least one component of the product with a determined recyclable feed content, and instructions for operating the production plant may be generated. For example, based on the composition of the components and the recyclable feed content for each precursor, instructions for monitoring and / or controlling the product feed may be generated and provided to the operating system of the production plant. Separately from the feed, further operating instructions for monitoring and / or controlling the operation of the production plant may be generated and provided. Such further instructions may include different operating parameters depending on the feed composition or recyclable feed content. The operating plant may be operated based on the instructions provided for monitoring and / or controlling the operation of the production plant.

[0174] Figure 17 illustrates another example method for providing a recycler feed content, which includes the optional selection of a production plant, in order to produce at least one component of a product based on availability data.

[0175] The recyclable feed content may be determined, for example, according to the embodiment example in Figure 16. The recycling quota for each precursor of the product or component to be produced may be provided via a user interface, for example, as shown in Figure 20. This could be, for example, the example of a battery, which includes the recycling quota for the metal components contained in the electrode active material. Such recycling quotas can be verified by accessing a regulatory database. It can be checked whether the recycling quota is regulated. If the recycling quota is regulated, it can be checked whether the provided recycling quota conforms to the regulated recycling quota. If the recycling quota does not conform to the regulatory requirements, it can be made conform to the regulatory requirements. For example, a specified recycling quota may be used.

[0176] In this example, precursor identifiers and availability data are provided to determine the recycle feed content. A precursor identifier may be associated with at least one precursor and the amount of available recyclable precursor. A precursor identifier may be associated with a recyclable material identifier or may be derived from a product identifier or component identifier and tracking in the recycling process, as described herein, for example, with respect to Figures 1 to 15. The determination of the recycle feed content may be performed by matching the recycling quota provided for each precursor with the availability data for each precursor. Such matching may be performed for each precursor, as described with respect to Figure 16, and the adapted recycling quota for each precursor may be considered based on regulatory checks, as described above.

[0177] In addition, capacity data relating to the production processing capacity of one or more production plants, process data relating to the process details of one or more production plants, performance data relating to the performance characteristics of one or more production plants, and / or emission data relating to emissions for producing at least one component of a product may be provided. Emission data may include emissions from precursor materials and emissions from at least one production plant for producing the component or product. Emission data may include at least one emission target for the use of precursors in the production of at least one component or product. Emission data may include a total emission target for producing at least one component or product. Emission targets may be provided via a user interface, for example, as shown in Figure 22, where other emissions such as total emissions, production emissions, and transport emissions may be provided by the user. In other embodiments, such data may be provided through an application programming interface or any other service that provides such data.

[0178] Based on processing capacity data and / or emissions data, a plant may be selected to process the recyclate and produce at least one component using the recyclate feed content. Selecting a production plant to produce the component may be based on process data and / or processing capacity data, in conjunction with the determined recyclate feed content, to determine whether the plant is suitable for processing the recyclate. Selecting a production plant to produce the component may also be based on emissions data and / or performance data. A production plant may be selected that meets at least one emissions target with respect to the use of the precursor and / or the total emissions target with respect to the production of at least one component. The selection of a production plant may be based on a multidimensional metric defining distance and / or threshold measures. These distance and / or threshold measures may be determined from the recyclate feed content determined with respect to process data and / or processing capacity data, the recyclate feed content with respect to at least one emissions target for the use of the precursor, and / or the total emissions target for the production of at least one component.

[0179] Based on process data, for example, using the composition of recyclates tracked via identifiers across the recycling chain, the process details of a plant can be matched with the process details required for the recyclate composition. In the example of a battery, for electrode active materials, the recyclate may be available in the desired stoichiometry required for the production of the electrode active material, or transition metal recyclates may be available separately. In such cases, a recyclate with the desired stoichiometry may be selected in combination with a plant suitable for producing electrode active materials from such a recyclate. In the example of a battery, the plant may be an electrode active material production plant or a cathode active material (CAM) plant that processes carbonates, oxides, or hydroxides as precursors. If only transition metal recyclates are available, another plant suitable for producing electrode active materials or cathode active materials from such recyclates may be selected. In the example of a battery, the plant may be a precursor electrode active material production plant or a precursor cathode active material (PCAM) plant that processes transition metals as precursors.

[0180] Operational commands may be generated and provided to control and / or monitor a production system such as a precursor feed of at least one unused precursor and / or at least one recycled precursor. Further operational commands to control and / or monitor the operation of a selected plant may be determined, for example, based on the determined recyclable feed content, emission targets, performance data, and the selected production plant. Operational commands to control and / or monitor the operation of the selected plant may be provided to the production system. The production plant may be operated based on such operational commands.

[0181] Figure 18 shows another example of a method for providing recyclable feed content to produce at least one component of a product, including a chemical performance check. A corresponding user interface is shown in Figure 21 for illustrative purposes, and the user interface displays the chemical performance and related parameters.

[0182] The recycle rate feed content can be determined, for example, as described with respect to Figures 16 and 17. For such determination, the recycle rate for each component or precursor may be provided. In addition, target performance parameters for the components may be provided. The recycle data may include the recycle rate and target performance parameters related to the expected performance of the components produced. The target performance parameters may relate to at least one component or at least one component with respect to other components. In the example of a battery, the performance of the electrode active material or anode active material may be provided. In the case of a lithium-ion battery, such parameters may relate to energy density, charge density, degradation behavior, capacity, etc. The target performance parameters may be provided via a user interface, for example, as shown in Figure 22. In the example of a battery, charge density, capacity, and degradation may be provided by the user. In other embodiments, such data may be provided through an application programming interface or any other service that provides such data.

[0183] In addition, availability data for each recycled precursor is accessible and provided. The recyclable feed content can be determined, for example, as described with respect to Figures 16 and 17. Determining the recyclable feed content may involve determining the components produced by using the recyclable feed content and the associated chemical properties. From the determined recyclable feed content of one or more precursors, the chemical composition of at least one component can be determined, taking into account the unused feed content and the recyclable feed content. The chemical properties of at least one component produced at such a composition can be determined. For example, in the case of a battery, the energy density or capacity resulting from the chemical composition of the electrode or anode active material can be determined based on a first-principles model, a data-driven model, or a combination of both.

[0184] Therefore, based on the determined recyclable feed content, chemical performance parameters associated with the components produced according to the determined recyclable feed content can be determined. Such determined chemical performance parameters can be compared with the provided target performance parameters to determine whether the components produced using the feed composition meet the required chemical performance.

[0185] If the chemical performance is met with the determined recyclable feed content, an operating order may be generated and provided to control and / or monitor the production system, such as a precursor feed for at least one unused precursor and / or at least one recycled precursor. Further operating orders to control and / or monitor the operation of the selected plant may be determined, for example, based on the determined recyclable feed content, emission targets, performance data, and the selected production plant. Operating orders to control and / or monitor the operation of the selected plant may be provided to the production system. The production plant may be operated based on such operating orders.

[0186] Figure 19 shows another example of a method for providing a recyclable feed content to produce at least one component of a product, including emission target checks and optional factory selection.

[0187] For example, as illustrated with respect to Figures 16, 17, and 18, the recyclate feed content may be determined and provided. Optionally, a plant that processes the recyclate may be selected based on emission targets and processing capacity data, as illustrated with respect to Figures 16 and 17. From such a selection, the emissions related to the precursor material and the selected production plant can be determined and checked to see whether the emission targets are met.

[0188] If the emission targets are not met, the recycle feed content may be re-determined based on the overall emission targets, or the recycle feed content may be determined based on at least one emission target relating to the use of the precursor. Optionally, different plants may be selected.

[0189] If emission targets are met, an operating order may be generated to control the precursor feed of at least one unused precursor and / or at least one recycled precursor based on the determined recycle rate feed content and / or selected production plant. For example, an operating order may be provided to control and / or monitor the precursor feed of at least one unused precursor and / or at least one recycled precursor. Further operating orders to control and / or monitor the operation of the selected plant may be determined based on the determined recycle rate feed content and the selected production plant. Operating orders to control and / or monitor the operation of the selected plant may be provided, for example, to the production system. The production plant may be controlled and / or monitored in accordance with the operating orders.

[0190] This disclosure has been described using preferred embodiments as examples. However, those skilled in the art and practitioners of the claimed invention will be able to understand and implement other modifications by examining the drawings, this disclosure, and the claims. In particular, any of the steps specifically presented can be performed in any order, i.e., the present invention is not limited to any particular order of these steps. Furthermore, it is not necessary that the different steps be performed in a specific location or on one node of a distributed system. That is, each step may be performed on a different node using different equipment / data processing units.

[0191] As used herein, “determine” also includes “initiate or bring about a determination,” “generate,” “query,” “access,” “correlate,” and “match,” “select” also includes “initiate or bring about generation, access, query, correlation, selection, and / or matching,” and “provide” also includes “initiate or bring about determination, generation, access, query, query, correlation, selection, and / or matching, transmit, and / or receive.” “Initiate or bring about an action” includes any process signal that invokes the compute node that performs the respective action.

[0192] In the claims and specification, the terms “equipment” or “include” do not exclude other elements or steps, and the indefinite article “a” or “an” does not exclude plurality. A single element or other unit may accomplish the function of multiple entities or items described in the claims. The mere fact that certain means are described in different dependent claims does not indicate that combinations of these means cannot be used in a favorable implementation.

Claims

1. A computer-based method for operating a product recycling process that recycles materials contained in at least one product identifier and associated products, - A step of providing at least one product identifier and corresponding material composition data associated with at least one component of the product to be recycled, - A step of determining at least one material identifier package by relating at least one material configuration provided by the material configuration data to at least one material configuration that can be processed or is processed in at least one factory, - Providing the at least one material identifier package that can be used to recycle materials contained in a product containing the at least one product identifier, - A step of operating the product recycling process, which recycles the materials contained in the product associated with the at least one product identifier based on the at least one material identifier package, A method that includes this.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the material composition data relates to the chemical composition of at least one component of the product.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the material composition data related to the material used in the production of the product or the components of the product is provided by a decentralized computing node associated with a producer who produces or uses the material.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one material identifier package includes a collection of product identifiers associated with a product or component to be recycled and / or product identifiers associated with the at least one material component that can be processed or processed by at least one recycling plant.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one material identifier package includes material composition data associated with the recycled material produced from at least one recycled component of the product, the material composition data being identified from the product identifier and their corresponding material composition data.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein identifying the at least one material identifier package includes classification according to a classification instruction that provides the material configuration that can or will be processed by at least one factory.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein identifying the at least one material identifier package includes providing a classification command that is performed in at least a partially decentralized computing environment, the classification command collecting product identifiers according to a material configuration that can or will be processed by at least one recycling plant.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the product identifier is provided by a sensor that reads a product identifier element, and the product identifier element is physically connected to at least one component of the product or the product to be recycled.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the material composition data associated with the material used in the production of the product or at least one component of the product is accessed by one or more recycling systems and associated or sorting commands and decentralized computing nodes.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the recycling process is operated by providing the material identifier package for control and / or monitoring of the recycling system.

11. An apparatus for operating a product recycling process that recycles materials contained in at least one product identifier and associated products, comprising one or more computing nodes and one or more computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions, wherein, when the computer-executable instructions are executed by the one or more computing nodes, the apparatus, - A step of providing at least one product identifier and corresponding material composition data associated with at least one component of the product to be recycled, - A step of identifying at least one material identifier package by relating at least one material configuration provided by the material configuration data to at least one material configuration that is processable or processed in at least one factory, - Providing the at least one material identifier package that can be used to recycle materials contained in a product containing the at least one product identifier, - A step of operating the product recycling process, which recycles the materials contained in the product associated with the at least one product identifier based on the at least one material identifier package, A device that is structured to perform a certain action.

12. Use of a product including at least one product identifier element in the method according to any one of claims 1 to 10 or in the apparatus according to claim 11.

13. Use of a material identifier package generated by the method of any one of claims 1 to 10 for sorting, collecting, transporting, storing, and / or recycling at least one component of a product to be recycled.

14. A method for sorting, collecting, transporting, storing, and / or recycling at least one component of a product to be recycled, comprising the steps of providing at least one material identifier package by means of the method of claim 1, and operating the recycling process based on the at least one material identifier package by generating sorting orders, collection orders, transport orders, storage orders, and / or recycling orders based on the provided material identifier package, and providing sorting orders, collection orders, transport orders, storage orders, and / or recycling orders for monitoring and / or control of the recycling system.

15. A computer element having instructions, wherein, when executed by at least one computing node of a computing environment, the instructions are configured to perform a step of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, 14 or a step provided by the apparatus according to claim 11.

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