Waste collection bin and method of using such a bin

Abstract

A waste collection bin (100) and a method of using such a bin are provided. In some implementations, the waste collection bin has a locking device (250) which is operated using a magnetic force to switch the bin between an unlocked state and a locked state. In some implementations, the waste collection bin comprises a locking mechanism including a magnet (450) having a first configuration and a second configuration. In the first configuration the magnetic field overcomes a biassing force and in the second configuration the magnetic field does not overcome the biassing force. For one of the first and second configurations, the locking mechanism is held in a locked state to prevent access to the bin. For the other of the first and second configurations, the locking mechanism is held in an unlocked state to permit access to the bin.

Description

[0001] WASTE COLLECTION BIN AND METHOD OF USING SUCH A BIN

[0002] Field

[0003] The present application relates to a waste collection bin having a locking mechanism and a method for using such a waste collection bin.

[0004] Background

[0005] Waste management involves the collection and disposal of waste. The handling of domestic waste is generally the concern of individual households in conjunction with the relevant local authority. In particular, members of the household dispose of unwanted items into one or more bins which are then emptied by refuse operators who collect the waste on behalf of the local authority in accordance with a predetermined timetable (schedule). For example, a refuse operator might collect bins from all the households in a given area on a weekly or fortnightly basis. In the United Kingdom, the charge for the waste collection service is included in local (council) taxes, and the charge to an individual household is therefore mostly independent of the amount of refuse that the household produces.

[0006] It is common for households to be provided with different bins for different types of refuse. For example, one or more bins (often referred to as recycling bins) might be used for particular classes of refuse, such as paper, cardboard, metal, glass, and garden waste, which will be reused or recycled in some manner. In addition, householders generally have an ‘other’ bin for refuse that is not suitable for the recycling bin(s). There are also certain classes of refuse, such as hazardous products, electrical items, and so on, that a householder should dispose of separately at a dedicated facility (rather than being put in a bin for handling via the standard waste collection service).

[0007] The contents of the ‘other’ bin are typically sent to a landfill site, or may potentially be incinerated. Neither of these outcomes is desirable from an environmental perspective, and landfill and incineration facilities may be unpopular with local residents, for example due to concerns regarding possible pollution. The different types of waste from the recycling bin(s) may be sorted (as needed) and sent for recycling, re-use, or some other such outcome.

[0008] Some buildings, such as blocks of flats or apartments, accommodate multiple householders. In this context, rather than each household being provided with their own individual set of bins, the building (or parts of the building) may be provided with larger bins to share between multiple households in the building. Management of these larger bins is typically performed by some intermediate service provider which may be regarded as sitting between the householders and the waste collection services of the local authority. For example, the intermediary may be an entity which has wider responsibilities for site maintenance services at the building.

[0009] Businesses and other municipal organisations such as schools and hospitals also generally require a waste collection service for their premises. These organisations produce waste from their business activities and from staff working at the premises. For example, restaurants produce food waste both from the preparation of meals and also from any portions of meals that are not consumed by their customers. Businesses and other similar organisations will generally have larger bins (compared with domestic households) and again these may in some cases be managed by a third- party service provider. In some situations, for example on a small industrial estate, the waste collection service may be provided by site management for the site as a whole, and shared between the various businesses that are located on the industrial estate.

[0010] The present application primarily relates to a context having larger bins (compared with standard domestic bins for an individual residential household). Such a context typically involves shared waste collection bins and may relate to shared domestic waste (for example, from a block of flats) and / or to non-domestic waste, for example from an entity such as one or more businesses, municipal facilities, and so on.

[0011] There are some similarities between residential household bins and shared larger (non- residential) bins regarding the provision and operation of waste collection. For example, both residential and non-residential bins may support recycling by having different bins for different types of waste according to whether or not such waste can be recycled. For both residential and non- residential bins, this generally involves some sorting of the refuse into different types of waste to allow the refuse to be placed into the appropriate bin. Such sorting may typically be performed by a user of the waste management service, for example a person who generates or handles refuse prior to disposing of the refuse into an appropriate bin. However, there may be problems where a non- residential bin is shared between different people and / or businesses, and some users may be more or less careful (accurate) in their sorting.

[0012] There may also be some significant differences between the operation of residential household bins compared with the operation of shared larger (non-residential) bins. Thus as mentioned above, residential bins are generally emptied according to a fixed timing schedule. For any given scheduled period, the actual amount of refuse generated by a particular household may vary. For example, if household members have been away on vacation, the amount of refuse generated in a particular period may be very small. Conversely, household members may generate a larger volume of refuse over a period such as Christmas. This variability in the amount of refuse to be collected in accordance with the fixed schedule may average out (at least to some extent) over a given area which shares the same collection schedule.

[0013] However, the number of larger (shared) non-residential bins that can be collected by a given lorry is smaller (compared to the number of residential bins), and hence this averaging out tends to be less effective for non-residential bins. Furthermore, while individual households pay a fixed rate for their waste collection service, the situation may be different for non-residential entities. For example, the waste collection charges for some commercial organisations may depend on (i) the volume of refuse to be collected and / or (ii) the number of collections to be performed. These two factors better reflect the cost of performing waste collection and detection. In some cases therefore, a business may seek to reduce costs by having their (non-residential bins) emptied only once they are close to full, i.e. akin to a ‘just-in-time’ or real-time approach, rather than relying on a predetermined schedule. Note also that the charge may vary for handling different types of refuse. For example, the cost for collecting waste that can be recycled may be less than the cost for collecting waste that cannot be recycled (because the latter has no economic value, just a disposal cost). This may increase the importance of sorting waste properly into refuse that can, or cannot, be recycled.

[0014] Although waiting until the shared bins are (nearly) full before they are emptied has the potential to reduce costs, it also may also involve more sophisticated management of the shared bins as a waste collection resource. For example, a service provider responsible for the bins may have to monitor waste level in the bins to determine when to arrange a bin collection. Furthermore, as noted above, in a shared context some users may lack accuracy in terms of sorting waste into the correct categories. This may be problematic if some material is placed incorrectly into a bin for recycling when that material is not, in fact, suitable for recycling. For example, there may potentially be a financial penalty for handling waste which is not properly sorted.

[0015] The present application seeks to address some of the above issues to support the effective and efficient use of shared bins for waste collection and disposal.

[0016] Summary

[0017] The invention is defined by the appended claims.

[0018] A waste collection bin and a method of using such a bin are provided. In some implementations, the waste collection bin has a locking device which is operated using a magnetic force to switch the bin between an unlocked state and a locked state (i.e. from unlocked to locked and vice versa). In some implementations, the waste collection bin comprises a locking mechanism including a magnet having a first configuration and a second configuration. In the first configuration the magnetic field overcomes a biassing force and in the second configuration the magnetic does not overcome the biassing force. For one of the first and second configurations, the locking mechanism is held in a locked state to prevent access to the bin. For the other of the first and second configurations, the locking mechanism is held in an unlocked state to permit access to the bin.

[0019] Brief Description of the Figures

[0020] Various implementations of the claimed invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the following drawings.

[0021] Figure 1 is a picture of a typical existing bin used for waste collection.

[0022] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a control box as described herein, wherein the control box may be fitted, for example, into the bin shown in Figure 1 .

[0023] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing an example of various ways in which a smartphone or other device may be used to support a range of interactions with a bin fitted with a control box such as shown in Figure 2.

[0024] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a locking mechanism as disclosed herein that may fitted, for example, to the bin shown in Figure 1 .

[0025] Figure 5 is a lower-level schematic diagram showing an example of a control box as described herein, wherein the control box may be fitted, for example, into the bin shown in Figure 1 .

[0026] Detailed Description Figure 1 is a picture of a bin 100 for waste collection, for example from commercial business locations. The bin has a main hollow tank and is fitted with a hinged lid 110 that raises and opens to allow material to be added into or extracted from the interior of the bin 100. The bin 100 is further provided with four wheels 105, each wheel being located at a respective corner of the bin. The wheels 105 are able to swivel about a vertical axis to support easy steerage of the bin 100. The bin is fitted with a label 115 that provides guidance on the use of the bin. In this particular example, the label 115 indicates that the bin is to be used for disposing of items for recycling. This type of bin is generally available with a capacity or volume in the (approximate) range 400-2400 litres; the bin shown in Figure 1 would most commonly have a capacity in the range 600-1200 litres.

[0027] Although bin 100 at the level of detail shown in Figure 1 represents a generally well-known and standard waste collection facility, the components and functionality of bin 100 have been extended as described herein to provide a next generation, tech-led waste and recycling system. In particular, the approach described herein may be used to implement, inter alia, a smart, responsive waste and recycling service using data, analytics and an advanced collection network.

[0028] Furthermore, it is known for bins 100 to be provided with a mechanical key-lock to allow a user having a suitable key to lock the lid 110 of the bin 100 for a closed configuration and to unlock the lid 110 of the bin 100 using the key to produce an open configuration. Unlocking the bin lid 110 allows the bin lid 110 to be raised to provide access to the interior of the bin, for example for a user to deposit waste within the bid or for subsequent removal of the deposited waste out of the interior of the bin, such as for recycling.

[0029] The provision of a key-lock allows the bin lid 110 to be maintained in a closed (locked) condition when a user does not need access to the interior of the bin to add material into the bin, to remove material from the bin interior, or to check the bin contents. For example, the bin lid 110 may be locked to prevent unauthorised material being placed into the bin (such as by a person who is not actually paying to use the bin), and / or to prevent the unauthorised or unintentional removal of material from the bin. However, it is standard practice in many existing implementations for a given supplier of bins 100 to provide bins which all operate using the same mechanical lock and key. Although such an arrangement provides more flexibility and simpler management of the keys for the bin supplier / manager, there is the potential for abuse, since the key-lock is not specific to a particular customer, but rather different customers use key-locks which are the same as one another.

[0030] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a control box 200 as described herein, wherein the control box may be fitted, for example, to the bin 100 shown in Figure 1 . More generally, the control box 200 is an electrical / mechanical hardware device that can be retrofitted to an existing bin or incorporated into a new bin 100 to create a new lock. The retrofitting to an existing bin might serve as a replacement or upgrade for an existing lock, or the new lock may be fitted into an existing bin which was not previously equipped with a lock. The control box 200 supports a range of functionality, including both locking and other facilities, and different users may be interested in some or all of this functionality.

[0031] The control box 200 may be implemented using one or more printed circuit boards (PCBs) and is shown in Figure 2 comprising a communications facility 210, a control unit 220, a battery 230, storage 240, a locking mechanism 250 and a sensor 260. The communications facility 210 may implement one or more communications links which may be wired and / or wireless. Examples of possible wireless communications links include a near field communications (NFC) system, (low energy) Bluetooth, and / or a radio frequency identifier (RFID). RFID is a type of one-way contactless communication while NFC is a two-way communication that involves user input. An example of a possible wired link is a universal serial bus (USB) connection (such as Type C).

[0032] According to the specifics of a given implementation, the communication facility 210 may support data connectivity with a range of devices (not shown in Figure 2) which are external to the bin 100. Examples of these external devices include a (smart) bracelet, watch or other wearable device worn by a person working regularly with one or more bins 100; a smartphone (such as a mobile phone / cellphone) including an app for connecting via the communications facility 210; some other electronics device for running the app or other suitable software for connecting via the communications facility, such as a tablet, laptop, handheld portable terminal, etc; and a vehicle which might (for example) be used to transport a bin 100 and which incorporates a suitable facility for making a (wired or wireless) connection with the control box 200.

[0033] The control unit 220 may be implemented by at least one suitable processing device, such as a microcontroller and / or microprocessor. The control unit may implement software instructions which are stored (such as in storage 240) before being loaded onto the processing device for execution of the software instructions by the processing device. The control unit 220 will generally be in communication as appropriate with the other components in the control box 200 (as shown in Figure 2), such as to send instructions and commands to these other components and to receive feedback and data from the other components. The PCB(s) which implement the control box 100 may be designed to provide this connectivity between the control unit 220 and the other components in the control box 200. The control unit 220 may also provide some relatively simple input / output (I / O) facilities 222, for example one or more buttons for switching the control unit, and more generally the control box 200, off and on, and one or more indicator lights which may be used to indicate one or more states such as on / off, bin lid open, bin full, error condition, and so on.

[0034] The battery 230 may typically be a lithium ion battery which provides high energy storage density at relatively low cost. Some implementations of bin 100 and control box 200 may support recharging of the battery 230 in situ, such as by using a USB connection for this purpose, the USB cable being linked to a power source available from a building, a vehicle, etc.. In other implementations, recharging of the battery 230 might involve (for example) removal of the battery 230 (or the control box 200 as a complete unit) from the bin 100, whereby once the battery 230 has been recharged, battery 230 (or control box 200) may be reinstalled into the bin 100 (or potentially into a different bin). A further possibility is that the bin 100 may be provided with one or more solar cells, for example located on the lid 110, for utilising solar power to recharge the battery 230 on an ongoing basis.

[0035] It is generally noted that the control box 200 and the electronic functionality provided to bin 100 are intended to draw a relatively low level of power from the battery 230 in order to provide a relatively long battery lifetime (before the battery has to be recharged). However, the control box 200 and overall system must remain responsive. For example, the electronic components such as the control unit 220 and / or the communications facility 210 may have a sleep mode to reduce energy consumption, but the sleep mode does not involve a significant delay to power up again, since such a delay may negatively impact the overall efficiency of waste handling for the bins 100. Rather, such electronic components 210, 220 may be able to retain their configuration during sleep mode, thereby supporting a quick transition when required to return to a fully operational condition.

[0036] The storage 240 may be implemented for example using flash ROM or similar. The storage may be used to store computer program code for execution by other components of the control box 200 and / or data, for example information about the use of the bin 100 as described further below such as may be acquired from sensor(s) 260. Rather than having storage as a separate component within the control box 200, some or all of the storage 240 may be incorporated into other devices in the control box 200, for example, the control unit 220 may have its own storage for holding software programs for execution by the control unit 220.

[0037] Figure 2 shows the storage 240 holding a bin ID 242 and / or an access key 244. The bin ID 242 may identify a particular bin, for example to track the location of the bin, the use of the bin by different customers for different purposes, and so on. In some cases, the bin ID 242 may be provided electronically (as shown in Figure 2) and / or mechanically. For example, the bin ID may be provided in a barcode which is attached to or printed, stamped, moulded, etc onto the bin 100.

[0038] The key 244 is generally provided electronically for holding in secure (electronic) storage. The key acts as a form of authentication or authorisation (akin to a password) for controlling use of the bin 100. For example, a user may have to provide a copy of the key which can then be matched against the key 244 held in storage 240 to confirm that the user is authorised to use the bin. The use of the key 244 therefore provides a way to control which people are able to store waste into the bin, thereby helping to ensure that the bin is not used by other people who do not pay for use of the bin 100 and who are therefore not entitled to store waste into the bin.

[0039] The locking mechanism 250 (which may also be referred to herein as a locking device) provides the function of a lock as previously described to allow the lid 110 of the bin to be transitioned between a closed (locked) state and an open (unlocked) state. In the former case, the lid is prevented from opening while in the locked state, so that a third party is generally unable to add material into the bin 100 and / or remove material from the bin 100. In the latter case, the lid 110 is allowed to open while in the unlocked state, such that the person who unlocked the bin (typically an authorised operator of the bin 100) can add material to and / or remove material from the bin 100. In contrast to bins which may have a conventional mechanical lock, the locking mechanism 250 may be electrically (electronically) activated to lock or unlock the bin 100. In particular, this locking / unlocking may be instructed by the control box 200, for example in response to the receipt of some external signal or command such as from a smartphone (as discussed in more detail below with reference to Figure 3). As noted above, a portion (or all) of the locking mechanism 250 may be provided separately from the control box 200, for example, as a different physical unit within the bin 100. However, even in a location external to the control box 200, the locking mechanism 250 is generally configured to receive control instructions and activations from the control box 200. The sensor 260 may comprise a set of one or more sensing elements or devices. The sensor 260 may detect whether the bin lid 110 is open or closed, and / or when the locking mechanism 250 has been locked or unlocked. The sensor may measure or provide an estimate for the amount (e.g. volume and / or weight) of refuse placed into the bin 100 or removed from the bin. In a similar manner, the sensor may detect how near the bin 100 is to being full, for example by using one or more optical sensing elements. The information obtained by the sensor 260 may be saved into storage 240 and / or transmitted using the communications facility 210 to an appropriate party, such as a site manager where the bin is located or a worker responsible for maintaining the bin 100. The one or more sensors 260 may be located within the control box 200, and / or may be at least partly outside the control box as required, for example adjacent the lid to detect movement of the lid 110.

[0040] It will be appreciated that the particular configuration shown in Figure 2 is provided by way of example only, and other configurations may be used. For example, the storage 240 may be integrated, at least in part, into the communications facility and / or the control unit. Some of the components shown in Figure 2, such as the locking mechanism 250, may be provided as physically separate from the control box 200, although the control box 200, in particular the control unit 220, may still be generally responsible for managing the operation of such a locking mechanism 250. Further variations in the configuration and implementation of the control box 200 (in conjunction with the overall operation of the bin 100) will be apparent to the skilled person according to the circumstances of any given implementation.

[0041] The above functionality may be utilised in different ways by different people according to the nature of their involvement with the provision of waste services. Consider, for example, the bin 100 is provided from a supplier to a customer for installing at a given location. The customer may use the communications facility 210, such as an NFC connection, to activate the control box 200. The customer may be provided with a device to initiate and support such an activation. For example, personnel who frequently work with the bins 100, such as for cleaning, may be provided with (say) a wearable bracelet or wristband to activate the control box 200 including the control unit 220. Such activation may cause the control unit 220 to instruct the locking mechanism 250 to unlock the lid 110 such that the worker is able to open the lid 110 to access the interior of the bin 100 (to remove waste from or add waste into the bin 100).

[0042] Other types of device, apart from a bracelet or wristband, may also be used to activate and interact with the control box 200. For example, a smartphone, tablet or other such system may be utilised to communicate with the control box 200 (and communication facility 210 in particular). It will be appreciated that a smartphone (or similar device) may be provided with an app or other programming to support such interaction between the user and bin 100. The use of such an app can also serve to facilitate a broad range of communications and operations with respect to a person responsible for services such as maintaining the bin 100, monitoring the status of the bin 100, exchanging commands and data with the bin 100, and so on.

[0043] Although a smartphone or similar may therefore support a broad range of activities involving bin 100, work with bin 100 may by its nature involve exposure to dirt and waste products. This may not represent that most suitable environment for operating a mainstream (consumer) smartphone (which may also be utilised for various personal matters of the user). Accordingly, some users may prefer to not to use their smartphone in a waste collection environment, and this preference may be accommodated, for example by the use of a bracelet, watch or other type of wearable device.

[0044] After a customer has activated the control box 200 as described above, the control box (and control unit 220 in particular) may interact with the locking mechanism 250 to unlock the lid 110 of the bin 100. In some implementations, such unlocking may occur directly in response to the activation of the control box. In other implementations, the activation of the bin 100 might enable the unlocking to be performed, but the unlocking itself is only initiated subject to a further specific command from the customer or other user. As mentioned above, the operating of locking mechanism 250 is therefore electro-mechanical in operation, in contrast to a purely mechanical configuration of a conventional lock and key in some existing systems.

[0045] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing an example of various ways in which a smartphone 300 (or other suitable device) may be used to perform various operations in relation to bin 100. Some of these operations involve interaction between the smartphone 300 and the control box 200, while other operations may involve interaction between the smartphone 300 and a server 320 or other form of back-end system. Note that the server 320 may be implemented on a single machine or across multiple machines. In addition, the server 320 may be implemented using a cloud computing service.

[0046] The smartphone 300 may include a position sensing capability (not shown in Figure 3) which is standard for most smartphones. This position sensing capability is typically implemented based on a combination of the global positioning system (GPS) and positioning information available from the mobile phone network infrastructure. The positioning information may be provided by the smartphone 300 to the server 320 and / or the control box 200 and may be used, for example, to assign a time and location to various operations and / or interactions, such as unlocking or locking a bin 100 (see below), emptying a bin, and so on.

[0047] It will be appreciated that the particular devices and range of operations supported in Figure 3 are provided by way of example only and without limitation, according to the particular circumstances of a given implementation. For example, other implementations may not support all the operations shown in Figure 3 and / or may support additional operations that are not shown in Figure 3.

[0048] The links to the smartphone 300 depicted in Figure 3 can be regarded as being of two types, as indicated by narrow and broad links (connectors). The first type of links represents operations which may involve the smartphone 300, while the second type represents items (hardware, data or software) that may be used to interact with the smartphone 300. The operations are generally not intended to be performed sequentially, but rather reflect a range of individual tasks or procedures which may be performed as appropriate by the smartphone 300. The items in the second type include app 305, which may eb included in (running on) smartphone 300, lorry 330, bin ID 242, key 244, and / or server 320. (To avoid repetition, items shown in Figures 1 and 2, such as the bin 100 and control box 200, are not shown again in Figure 3, but it will be understood that the smartphone 300 is connected to both the bin 100 and control box 200 as appropriate to perform the functionality described herein). In operation 310, the smartphone 300 including app 305 may be used to activate a control box 200 as described above, the control box 200 being located in a bin 100. In operation 312, the smartphone 300 and app 305 may be used to monitor the level of waste in a bin. There are various ways in which the level of waste in a bin 100 may be estimated. For example, the inside or outside of the bin 110 may be provided with a visual scale. The user can then determine visually how far the waste within the bin extends up the scale, and enter this reading into the smartphone app for forwarding to the server 320. In another implementation, a user may take an image of the interior of the bin 100 and the contents therein. The image may then be returned to the server 320 for an automated assessment of the level of waste within the bin 100; such automated assessment may be made, for example, by using a suitably trained artificial intelligence (Al) / machine-learning (ML) system. The above techniques for monitoring the level of waste in the bin as per operation 312 are provided by way of example only, and the skilled person will be aware of other possible ways of performing operation 312.

[0049] In operation 314, the smartphone 300 including app 305 may be used to book a collection from a bin 100, for example if the monitoring of operation 312 determines or predicts that the bin 100 will soon be filled. Making such a booking may involve an interaction between the smartphone app 305 with the server 320, with the smartphone app providing the server with the identification, location and other relevant information for the bin 100 to be collected.

[0050] In operation 316, the smartphone 300 including app 305 is used to report a problem to the server 320. Such a problem may, for example, indicate that a given bin 100 is malfunctioning, for example, the locking mechanism 250 is operating incorrectly such that the lid 110 on the bin 100 cannot be locked shut (or conversely, cannot be opened) using the locking mechanism 250. The report of operation 316 might also be used to flag a potential issue regarding health and safety. Following such a report, the organisation providing or responsible for the operation of bin 100 may then make appropriate arrangements to attend the bin in order to remedy the reported problem.

[0051] More generally, the server 320 may support a waste data engine (not shown in Figure 3) which brings together various forms of data obtained from the various sources such as the control box 200 and the smartphone 300 including weight of waste collection, frequency of waste collection and bin fullness to build a rich data picture which can be used for predictive collections. This information may be analysed in conjunction with other data, such as the size, type and waste profile (the relative amounts of different types of refuse for collection) to provide information that supports both operational and commercial objectives.

[0052] In operation 318, the smartphone 300 including app 305 may send a command to the control box 200 to lock (or unlock) the bin 100. As mentioned above, in some implementations the control box 200 may automatically unlock the bin 100 (without further prompting) after the control box 200 is activated in operation 310; in this case, operations 310 and 318 are in effect integrated into a single operation. In other implementations however, the activation of the control box 200 at operation 310 is only an initial step, and unlocking may involve a specific additional operation 318. In the example of Figure 3, operation 318 further encompasses instructing the control box 200 to lock the bin 100 again when the user has finished working with the bin 200 (for example, after the bin has been cleaned or monitored for waste level, etc). In some cases, a bit may automatically lock itself again in appropriate circumstances, for example after the bin has been open but inactive for a predetermined period of time.

[0053] Figure 3 further shows that the smartphone 300 including app 305 may interact with the bin ID 242 and / or the key 244. For example, if the bin ID is presented as a bar code, QR code or similar, the smartphone may be used to read the bar / QR code to obtain the bin ID 242. The smartphone and included app 305 may additionally (or alternatively) be configured to acquire the bin ID 242 electronically from the control box 200, such as by sending a request via the communications facility 210 for the control unit 220 to access the bin ID 242 from storage 240 and return the bin ID 242 from the control unit to the app 305 for transmission to server 320. The bin ID 242 may therefore be acquired by (or provided to) the server 320 to support various functionality of the server 320. For example, the server may monitor the level of waste in a particular bin according to the specified bin ID 242 (see operation 312), arrange a waste collection for a particular bin according to the specified bin ID 242 (see operation 314), and / or to report a problem for that particular bin (see operation 316).

[0054] In some implementations, the bin ID 242 may provide control of access to a bin 100, especially if the bin ID 242 for a bin is not generally available to users (for example, if the bin ID is stored securely in storage 240 rather than being displayed on the outside of the bin). In such a situation, a user might use their smartphone 300 including app 305 to acquire the bin ID 242 from the server 320. The smartphone 300 including app 305 may then try to activate a bin using this bin ID 242 acquired from the server 320 by providing the acquired bin ID 242 to the control box 200 for comparison with the bin ID in storage 240. If this comparison indicates a match, the user may be allowed to utilise (e.g. activate, unlock, etc) the bin; in the absence of a match, the user may not be able to utilise the bin. Accordingly, in such an implementation the bin ID 242 may be regarded as a form of key 244 to restrict access to bin 100.

[0055] In some cases, a bin 100 may be provided with a specific key 244, so that access to the bin 100 is controlled primarily by the key 244 (rather than the bin ID 242). For example, analogous to the procedure described above, the key 244 may generally be stored electronically within the storage 240 of the control box 200. The smartphone 300 might then acquire a key from the server 320 (or might maintain a key within the app 305 on the smartphone 300), and such a key can then be provided to the control box 200 for comparison with the key held within storage 240. If this comparison indicates a key match, then the user is allowed to utilise (e.g. activate, unlock, etc) the bin 100; in the absence of a key match, the user may not be able to utilise the bin 100.

[0056] Using a key 244 in addition to (and in conjunction with) a bin ID 242 has certain advantages. For example, the key 244 might be maintained in confidential fashion in storage 240 to control access to the bin, while the bin ID 242 is available for display on the bin itself, e.g. as per a bar code (potentially in addition to also being held in storage 240). This can then have operational benefits, for example allowing ready confirmation that a particular bin is to be emptied by performing an electronic check on a bar code ID 242 attached to the bin 100. In such an arrangement, with the bin ID 242 potentially accessible to third parties, it is then the key 244 that is used to confirm that a particular user (or set of users) are entitled to unlock the locking mechanism 250 in order to obtain access to the interior of the bin 100.

[0057] Although the above examples have primarily described performing authorisation or authentication at the level of a particular user, in some implementations the authorisation / authentication might be at a group level. For example, if a given customer has multiple bins at one or more locations, all the bins for that customer might be configured to share the same key 244 or password. This helps to make it easier for the customer to make the best use of the bins 100, for example, by reallocating the bins between different locations according to current demand levels, but without having to reconfigure keys to match the re-allocations.

[0058] In general, different functionality may be available or utilised according to the relationship between a bin 100 and a given user. For example, a person who is a member of a team that supplies and manages bins 100 may be equipped with a mobile (smart)phone app 305 which can be used to activate the control box 200. Every time the control box 200 connects to the smartphone 300 or similar, it may send to the server 320 all the data created since the last connection to the server, such as number of times the locking mechanism 250 has been activated to open the bin 100. This information might be used, for example, to indicate how rapidly the bin is filling up, and to assess when the bin 100 should next be emptied. Furthermore, the app 305 on smartphone 300 may typically allow such a team member to log relevant information, for example, to verify and map the bin 100 and arranged service against a specific bin, site and customer.

[0059] Another set of users might for example be operators located at a given site who perform site management tasks including regular interactions with the bins. Such an operator may activate a bin 100 using NFC connectivity which may be provided, for example, by a wearable device or a smartphone app 305 (the former may be better suited for an operator who has high level of interactions with waste collection bins). Other forms of connectively may also be provided to interact with the control box 200 - for example, an RFID reader might be used by a bin lorry 330 which is making a waste collection to empty a bin 100. When activated, the control box 200 unlocks the bin 100 such as to allow the waste located within the bin 100 to be emptied into the lorry 330.

[0060] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a locking mechanism 250 as described herein that may fitted, for example, to the bin 100 shown in Figure 1 . In particular, Figure 4 depicts two states for the bin 100 and locking mechanism 250: (i) the top portion, (Figure 4A), shows the bin 100 with the locking mechanism 250 in the locked (closed) state, while (ii) the bottom portion, (Figure 4B), shows the bin 100 with the locking mechanism 250 in the unlocked (open) state.

[0061] A user generally opens the bin 100 to gain access to the bin interior 150 by raising the lid 110 which rotates about hinge 410. In normal operation, the hinge 410 is typically considered to be at the back of the bin 100, while the opposing wall 160 of the bin is considered to represent the front of the bin 100. To open the bin 100, the user may raise (lift) the front portion of the lid 110, as indicated by the arrow denoted “TO OPEN” in Figure 4. If the lock 250 is in the open (unlocked) position shown in Figure 4B, the user will be able to lift the lid 110 as needed, thereby gaining access to the interior 150 of the bin. In contrast, if the lock 250 is in the closed (locked) position shown in Figure 4A, the user is unable to raise the lid in the direction indicated by the above arrow. On the contrary, it is not possible for a user to raise the lid 110 against the (closed) locking mechanism 250, and in this situation, the user is unable to obtain access to the interior 150 of the bin 100.

[0062] It will be appreciated that in most implementations, a bin 100 may be emptied using a lorry 330 or other machine which lifts the bin and then tips (rotates) the bin so to cause the waste within the bin to fall out from the interior 150 of the bin 100 into an appropriate receptable (such as might be provided on the lorry). A user may be required to activate the control box and place the locking mechanism 250 into an open (unlocked) configuration before the bin 100 is emptied in the above manner. For example, a sensor 160 in the bin 100 may detect lifting of the bin and provide (for example) an audible alert or alarm if the locking mechanism 250 has not yet been unlocked to allow for refuse to be tipped out of the bin 100. Another possibility is that the lorry 330 has a control procedure to communicate with the control box 200 of a bin 100 to be emptied (whether via the smartphone 300 or some other route). This procedure may confirm that the locking mechanism has been set to unlocked before the lorry 330 proceeds to tip the bin 100 to empty (collect) the refuse from the bin.

[0063] The locking mechanism 250 of Figures 4A and 4B comprises two sets of components which come together to close the locking mechanism and move apart to open the locking mechanism 250. The first set of components comprises a block 440 mounted on the interior side of the front wall 160 of the bin 100. Included within the block 440 is a rotatable magnet 450. The second set of components comprises a latch key which includes a fulcrum or axle 432 mounted on the internal side of the lid 110 of the bin 100, a latch bar 434, and a latch element (tab) 436.

[0064] The arrow shown in conjunction with the magnet 450 of Figures 4A and 4B indicates the field direction of the magnet 450 - in effect the direction of the axis extending between the two poles of the magnet (north and south). In the diagram of Figure 4A, when the locking mechanism 250 is closed (locked), the magnet 450 is shown having a horizontal alignment, in effect, perpendicular to the front wall 160 of the bin 100. In contrast, in the diagram of Figure 4B, when the locking mechanism 250 is open (unlocked), the magnet 450 is shown having a vertical alignment.

[0065] The fulcrum 432 generally allows the latch key to rotate about an axis which is parallel to the axis of the hinge 410 supporting the bin lid 110. However, whereas the hinge 410 is generally free to rotate, the fulcrum 432 may be configured to have a bias in favour of the latch key rotating in an anticlockwise direction (for the particular configuration of Figure 4). This bias is schematically indicated in Figure 4 by the arrow marked “BIAS”. The bias may be obtained in any suitable manner. For example, the latch key may include a spring-loaded action within the fulcrum 432 which acts against rotation of the latch key in a clockwise direction. As another example, elastic ties (not shown in Figure 4) may extend between the latch bar 434 and the lid and / or rear of the bin 100 which act to pull (urge / bias) the latch bar 434 to rotate in an anti-clockwise direction. Other possible implementations for providing the bias shown in Figure 4 will be apparent to the skilled person including, for example, the use of gravity to provide the bias.

[0066] The latch bar 434 is made of a material, e.g. a paramagnetic metal, which is attracted towards the magnet 450 (and the magnetic field thereof). However, the strength of this magnetic attraction is dependent on the orientation of the magnet 450 in relation to the position of the latch bar 434. The orientation of the magnet 450 is shown in Figure 4 and corresponds to the orientation of the arrow depicted with the magnet 450. In particular, we can regard each end of the arrow as corresponding to a pole of the magnet 450 - so that the tip (head) of the arrow indicates the location of one pole of magnet 450, and the tail end of the arrow indicates the location of the other (opposing) pole of magnet 450.

[0067] In Figure 4A, the latch bar 434 has an end-on alignment with the magnet 450 such that the latch bar 434 is relatively close to the magnetic pole (which can be regarded as located at the tail end of the arrow shown in Figure 4A for the magnet 450) compared with a side portion of the magnet 450. In contrast, in Figure 4B, the latch bar 434 has a side-on alignment with the magnet 450, in that the direction of the arrow in Figure 4B is parallel to the direction of the latch bar 434, and hence the latch bar 434 is relatively close to the side of the magnet (compared with the pole of the magnet 450).

[0068] In general terms, magnetic field lines are more concentrated close to the poles of a magnet, indicating that the magnetic field is stronger in these polar locations. Accordingly, the strength of the magnetic field from magnet 450 on latch bar 434 is greater in Figure 4A than in Figure 4B, because in Figure 4A the end-on configuration has the latch bar 434 closer to a pole of the magnet 450, whereas in Figure 4B with the side-on configuration there is greater separation between the latch bar 434 and the poles of the magnet 450.

[0069] Furthermore, the locking mechanism 250 is configured such that when the magnet 450 is aligned in the configuration shown in Figure 4A, the magnetic force exerted on the latch bar 434 is greater than the bias force on the latch bar provided by the fulcrum 432 (or other biassing mechanism). As a result, the latch bar 434 rotates as far as possible in the clockwise direction under the magnetic pull of magnet 450. The limit of this clockwise rotation is when the latch bar 434 abuts against the block or housing 440 attached to the front wall 160 of the bin 100. In this position, the block 440 acts as a physical impediment that prevents further clockwise rotation of the latch bar 434.

[0070] As illustrated in Figure 4A, a latch element or tab 436 is located at the end of the latch bar 434 (opposite to the end of the latch bar attached to the fulcrum 432). The tab 436 is formed in a direction perpendicular to the latch bar 434 and extends in a direction corresponding to clockwise rotation so as to sit underneath the housing block 440. Accordingly, the latch bar 434 and tab 436 are arranged to fit snugly around the housing block 440. Further motion of the latch bar 434 in a clockwise direction (as urged by the magnetic force from magnet 450 from the configuration of Figure 4A) is prevented by the latch bar 434 abutting against the block 440.

[0071] In addition, in the configuration of Figure 4A, it is not possible to open the lid 110 of the bin 100 in the upwards direction as indicated by the “TO OPEN” arrow. Such upward movement is prevented by the tab 436 which sits underneath the housing block 440. If an attempt is made to lift the lid 110, this is prevented by the tab 436 abutting against the underside 442 of the housing block 440. Accordingly, the configuration of Figure 4A represents a locked arrangement, in which the bin 100 cannot be opened.

[0072] Note that in some implementations, the tab 436 may directly contact the underside 442 of housing block 440 substantially preventing any upward movement of the bin lid 110 in the configuration of Figure 4A. In other implementations, there may initially be a slight clearance between the tab 436 and the underside 442 of the housing block 440. However, as the user tries to open the lid, the latch bar and hence latch element 436 are both raised until the latch element comes into direct contact with the underside of the housing block 440. At this point, the contact between the tab 436 and the underside of the housing block 440 prevents further upwards movement of the tab 436 (and hence further upwards movement of the lid 110).

[0073] It will be appreciated that the clearance between the tab 436 and the underside 442 of the housing 440 may be provided to facilitate the latch bar 434 and tab 436 rotating into the position shown in Figure 4A (without, for example, the latch element 436 being caught by or wearing against the corner of the housing block 440 that corresponds to the corner formed by the junction of the latch bar 434 and the latch element 436). However, any such clearance between the tab 436 and the underside 442 of the housing block 440 permits only a very limited distance of upwards travel of the tab 436 (and hence of lid 110) until the tab abuts against the underside of housing block 440, whereupon further upwards travel of the tab 436 is then prevented. In particular, the distance of travel of the tab 436 before abutting the underside 442 of housing 440 is such that the corresponding movement of the lid 110 is insufficient to provide useful (or any) access to the bin interior 150. For example, if the clearance is of the order of 1 mm, then the lid 110 might rise by a corresponding amount, but such a rise of (about) 1 mm does not allow the bin 100 to be opened enough for adding waste material or for performing waste collection. Furthermore, in some cases the top perimeter of the bin 100 may be provided with a collar (not shown in Figure 4) such that the lid, when closed, sits inside this collar. In the above situation, in which the locking mechanism 250 might allow the lid to move upwards by a small distance, the lid 110 may be raised only partway up the collar. Accordingly, in the locked condition, the lid 110 cannot be raised above the collar, and therefore the combination of the lid 110 and the surrounding collar maintains the closure of the bin 110 such that a user is unable to access the bin interior 150.

[0074] Figure 4B illustrates the locking mechanism 250 in the unlocked state in which the orientation of the magnetic field from magnet 450 is now rotated 90 degrees from the orientation of Figure 4A. In particular, in Figure 4B the magnetic field has a vertical orientation in which the two magnetic poles (such as may be located on either end of the arrow shown in Figure 4B) are vertically separated from one another. This produces a side-on configuration of the magnet 450 with respect to the latch bar 434, which results in a lower level of magnetic attraction between the magnet 450 and the latch bar (compared to the end-on configuration of Figure 4A).

[0075] The strength of the biassing force, such as may be provided by fulcrum 432 (for example), is typically arranged to be greater than this lower level of magnetic attraction for the side-on configuration of the magnet 450 and latch bar 434 shown in Figure 4B, but less than the higher level of magnetic attraction for the end-on configuration of the magnet 450 and latch bar 434 shown in Figure 4A. In the configuration of Figure 4A, the bias force is unable to counter the magnetic locking force experienced by the latch bar 434 from the aligned magnet 450. Accordingly, the locking mechanism 250 may be used to lock the bin 100 by rotating the magnet 450 into the orientation shown in Figure 4A, and this acts to lock the locking mechanism 250 into the locked state in which the lid cannot be opened (and to maintain the locking mechanism 250 and hence the lid 110 in this closed state). Conversely, the locking mechanism 250 may be used to rotate the magnet 450 into the orientation shown in Figure 4B. The weaker magnetic attraction from the side-on configuration of Figure 4B can be overcome by the bias produced by the fulcrum (for example), thereby causing the latch bar 434 and tab 436 to rotate in an anti-clockwise direction away from the magnet housing 440. As a result of this rotation caused by the bias force, the lid 110 can now be opened by a user, since the housing 440 no longer prevents upward movement of the latching element 436 and hence also upward movement of the lid 110, thereby providing access for the user to the interior of the bin 100. Accordingly, the arrangement of Figure 4B corresponds to an unlocked (open) configuration of the locking mechanism 250.

[0076] The locking mechanism 250 is therefore able to switch between an unlocked configuration and a locked configuration by rotating the magnet. If the magnet has the configuration shown in Figure 4A, the locking mechanism acts to lock the device. In contrast, if the magnet has the configuration shown in Figure 4B, the locking mechanism acts to unlock the device. Note that the device then remains in the locked or unlocked state (as appropriate) until the locking mechanism is next activated by a user to switch the configuration of the magnet 45.

[0077] To operate the lock (for locking or unlocking), the locking mechanism is configured to rotate magnet 450 as appropriate between the positions shown in Figures 4A and 4B. It is possible for this rotation to be performed using a rotatable mechanical key, whereby rotation of the key also drives rotation of the magnet 450. In other cases, the rotation of the magnet may be adjusted by a knob which rotates or moves in one direction to lock the bin and in the opposite direction to unlock the bin.

[0078] Another configuration may use an electrical locking mechanism 250 to perform the rotation of the magnet 450 with an electric motor or similar. Note that the locking mechanism only expends energy when transitioning between states (locked to unlocked, or vice versa), and such transitions may be relatively short and / or infrequent. In addition, as described below, the locking and unlocking also conserve (at least partly) mechanical and magnetic potential energy. As a result, the ongoing energy requirements of the locking mechanism 250 are relatively low, thereby helping to preserve a long battery life for battery 230.

[0079] Furthermore, when unlocking the locking mechanism 250 to transition from the configuration of Figure 4A to that of Figure 4B, the latch key only needs to be rotated (counter-clockwise) until the latch key is far enough from the magnet 450 such that the bias force on the latch key exceeds the magnetic attraction from magnet 450. In the subsequent stage of unlocking, in which the latch key is driven by the bias force, the locking mechanism may be provided with a stop or similar (not shown in Figures 4A, 4B) to limit the movement of the latch key in an anti-clockwise direction. In addition, the locking mechanism 250 may be operated to provide a controlled (reduced) force of collision between the latch key and the stop. This control may involve some form of damping (not shown in Figures 4A, 4B) so that any acceleration of the latch key by the bias force is limited by the damping. An additional or alternative approach is to arrange the bias force to decrease as the latch key moves anti-clockwise away from the magnet 450 (while ensuring that the bias force remains large enough so that the locking mechanism transitions to an unlocked condition). For example, the bias may be incorporated into fulcrum 432 such that the bias force increases with rotation of the latch key in a clockwise direction, e.g. in proportion to the rotation of the latch key, and there is a corresponding decrease for rotation in the opposite (anticlockwise) rotation.

[0080] With this approach, the locking mechanism 250 can be seen as transferring (potential) energy between the magnet and the bias mechanism and vice versa. In particular, locking the locking mechanism to transition from the configuration of Figure 4B to 4A transfers (releases) mechanical potential energy from the bias mechanism. Conversely, transitioning the locking mechanism 250 from the configuration of Figure 4A to 4B releases magnetic energy. The operation of the locking mechanism 250 therefore utilises a repeated transfer of energy between the bias force and the magnetic force / field (and vice versa). This helps to reduce the energy consumption of the locking mechanism 250 from battery 230, since energy can be conserved within the magnet and the bias mechanism, and the energy consumption from the battery only has to overcome losses (such as friction within the system resulting from the operation of the locking mechanism 250).

[0081] In some implementations, the locking mechanism 250 may be biassed to transition the bin into an unlocked state (as shown in Figures 4A and 4B); in other implementations, the locking mechanism has the opposite configuration and is biassed to transition the bin into the locked state. The choice between these two configurations may reflect a desired default state (lock or unlocked) should the operation of the locking mechanism 250 suffer some level of damage.

[0082] The locking mechanism 250 may include an electrical (electronic) system for rotating the magnet 450 to transition between states. The electrical system may be subject to the control, for example, of a security key 244 as discussed above. For example, a smartphone 300 may be used to instruct the locking mechanism 250 to rotate the magnet 450 to transition into or out from the locking state. The transition request may be supported by a key entered by the user or provided from server 320. This key can then be passed to the control box 200 for comparison with the key 244 held in storage 240. If there is a match, the locking mechanism 250 implements the transition by rotating the magnet 450 as requested. However, if there is no match, the requested transition may be rejected.

[0083] In this context, different users (or different groups of users) may be readily provided with their own, different electronic keys; this improves security compared to the shared use of a single key across all users. In addition, the practical issue of having different physical keys for different users is avoided because the keys 244 are electronic, and hence not tied to a given physical location (or person).

[0084] Although Figures 4A and 4B show an example of a particular configuration for the locking mechanism, the skilled person will be aware of various additions, modifications, and so on according to the circumstances of any given implementation. For example, the latching bar 434 (or latch key or part thereof) may be made of a magnetic material or of a material of high magnetic susceptibility to increase the magnetic attraction between the magnet 450 and the latching bar 434, which can therefore provide a stronger (and hence more secure) locking state.

[0085] In some cases, the magnetic force may act at least in part on some other component(s) of the latch key, such as the latching element 436 (in contrast to acting completely or mostly on latching bar 434). For example, if the locking mechanism 250 is dependent primarily on magnetic attraction between the magnet 450 and tab 436, Figure 4B would then be closer to an ‘end-on’ configuration and hence may provide stronger attraction than the configuration of Figure 4A.

[0086] It is also noted that in Figure 4, housing 440 in effect acts both as a container to hold the magnet 450 in position and also as a stop to prevent lifting of tab 436 and thereby prevent the lid 110 from being raised to access the interior 150 of the bin 100. This dual role may allow a more compact implementation of the locking mechanism 250. However, in other implementations, two different components may act respectively as (i) a container for the magnet, and (ii) a stop for the latching element 436.

[0087] Furthermore, the configuration of Figure 4 is generally based on having a mechanical biassing component of intermediate strength between the two orientations of magnet 450. In some implementations, the two orientations of magnet 450 might provide (respectively) a strong force and a weaker force, where the strong force holds the locking mechanism in the locked condition (as discussed above). However, rather than the weak force being less than the bias force to provide unlocking directly in response to rotating the magnet 450 (as described above), the weak force of these implementations may be slight larger than the bias force. In such a case, the bin 100 would not unlock directly upon rotation of the magnet; however, if a user were to provide an additional (modest) mechanical force, this would operate in conjunction with the bias force to overcome the weak force of the magnet 450 and hence allow the lid 110 to be opened. The locking mechanism 250 may be provided with a suitable actuator or similar for the user to provide the additional force. Providing such a mechanical input from the user might further help to reduce the power consumption of battery 250.

[0088] In some implementations, the biassing force may be provided at least partly by gravity, although that may be more restrictive in terms of the level of biassing force and / or the physical configuration and operation of the locking mechanism. The use of gravity as a biassing force may help as above to reduce the power consumption of battery 250.

[0089] Another possible variation is that in Figure 4, the orientation of magnet 450 that provides a stronger attraction to latching bar 434 is used for the locked state of the locking mechanism 250 and the orientation of the magnet 450 that provides a lower attraction to the latching bar 434 is used for the unlocked state of the locking mechanism 250. However, this configuration could be reversed, so that the stronger magnetic attraction transitions the locking system 250 to the unlocked state, while the weaker magnetic attraction (and the bias force) transition the locking system 250 to the locked state.

[0090] In addition, the configuration of Figure 4 is based on rotating the magnet 450 to change the force of attraction between the magnet and the latch key, where the latch key itself also has a rotary motion. However, in other implementations, the magnet and / or latch key may have some other form of movement, such as linear, for operating the locking mechanism. Such implementations may still utilise the exchange between mechanical and magnetic force (energy) as discussed above to lock and unlock the bin 100.

[0091] In other possible implementations, the magnet 450 may not be physically moved (such as by rotation), but may be stationary. In such implementations the battery 230 may be used to modify the magnetic field strength resulting from the magnet 450. For example, the battery may provide a current which produces an electromagnetic field that may be aligned with, or contrary to, the direction of the magnetic field from magnet 450. Therefore, depending on the current direction, the overall resulting magnetic field may be (i) the field from the magnet 450 plus the field from the electromagnetic field or (ii) the field from the magnet 450 minus the field from the electromagnetic field. This differential in field strength based on current direction through the magnet may determine whether or not a biassing force (as discussed above) is overcome, and hence whether the locking system is placed into the locked or unlocked state.

[0092] Such an implementation may be designed so that the battery 230 is only used to provide a current to transition the locking system 250 from the locked state to the unlocked state or vice versa. Once the transition has been performed, the locking system 250 can be biassed or latch to remain in the selected state (lock or unlocked as appropriate) without drawing any current from the battery 230 until or unless a further transition of the locking system 250 is to be performed. It will be appreciated that this approach of drawing current only for a transition of the locking system 250 increases the battery (charge) lifetime compared with a system that draws an ongoing current for maintaining the locking system 250 in a desired state. The skilled person will appreciate that further implementations of the locking system are available. For example, some implementations may involve both an electrical power source and movement (such as in a solenoid).

[0093] The above discussion of various potential modifications to the configuration of Figure 4 is therefore provided by way of example and not by way of limitation. Accordingly, many further potential modifications will be apparent to the skilled person according to the circumstances of any given implementation.

[0094] The system and method disclosed herein help to resolve various issues which have hindered existing services relating to commercial waste and recycling collection services from using technology to streamline services. Examples of these existing issues include:

[0095] (i) data collection for traditional bin services has often been available only on conventional diesel bin lorries and not on other types of vehicle (such as side loaders, front loaders, or new electric vehicles). Furthermore, data collection has only been available when / if a bin is emptied, rather than at other occasions. This has generally not supported the provision of real-time waste production information, in contrast to the bin 100 and / or app 305 disclosed herein which may be used to provide real-time monitoring 312 of the state and operations of bin 100.

[0096] (ii) the systems described herein provide additional information which is generally not available in existing systems, for example, relating to the location where a particular set of rubbish or recycling was collected and / or relating to the split of usage between different bin categories, such as recycling waste and other forms of refuse. Obtaining this additional information supports the waste management service provider in predicting the type and frequency of various collections as required, based on a user’s historical information and the type of consumer they are.

[0097] (iii) most existing commercial bins use the same locking mechanism, which raises the risk that bad actors may use bins which are paid for by another company. In contrast, the present approach allows soft-copy keys to be provided such that different users (or different groups of users) may be allocated their own key which is different from the keys allocated to other users, thereby preventing unauthorised usage of a bin 100 by other users.

[0098] The use of magnet 450 for locking / unlocking the bin has been found to have advantages over various other techniques. For example, testing was performed on the use of a high torque servo mechanism to lock the bin lid in the closed position, however such a device required a relatively high level of power such that the operational lifetime prior to recharging of battery 230 was too short for a practical, efficient solution. Overall, it is difficult to find a motor with sufficient power at reasonable cost (for the particular application described herein) which is resilient to an outdoor environment including rain, wind, dirt, and so on. Using a permanent magnet as discussed above in relation to Figures 4A and 4B as part of the locking mechanism 250 avoids having to power an electromagnet for the main switching operation

[0099] Figure 5 is a lower-level schematic diagram (compared with Figure 2) showing an example of electrical / electronic control components which may be located within the bin 100 shown in Figure 1 . In particular, Figure 5 is primarily directed towards the electrical circuitry within the control box 200 {whereas Figure 2 is more directed towards a functional consideration of the control box 200). Accordingly, the components of the control box 200 shown in Figure 2 and the components shown in Figure 5 are not mutually exclusive, and given implementation may have some or all of the components shown in Figure 2 and some or all of the components shown in Figure 5. Again, it will be appreciated that the particular implementation shown in Figure 5 is presented by way of example, not by way of limitation.

[0100] Figure 5 shows the control box 200 containing at least one battery 230 to power the control box 200. This battery 230 may be substantially as described above in relation to Figure 2. The control box 200 further includes a microcontroller 290 (or other form of processing device) to run control programs relating to the overall operation of the control box 200. In this context, microcontroller 290 may represent an example of a control unit 220 as described above in relation to Figure 2. The microcontroller 290 may be provided with one or more user input facilities 222 and / or one or more output facilities 222. For example, the input facilities 222 may be used to configure or otherwise interact with the control box 200 and / or other components included with the bin 100, for example, to enter a bin id 242 for the bin 100. The user output facilities may be used to indicate a measured status such as determined by sensor 260, for example a warning of low battery charge, successful locking of the bin lid 110 using the locking mechanism 250, and so on.

[0101] A regulated power supply 292 is included to provide the microcontroller 290 with a suitable power supply, for example by removing any noise spikes and / or compensating for any drift in the voltage output from the battery 230. In some implementations, the regulated power supply 292 may be configured to receive the battery 230 so that these two components act together in a single unit. The control box 200 may include another regulator 296, this time for conditioning the signal to or from the sensor 260 show in Figure 2. Again, the regulator may be utilised to reduce or eliminate noise such as spikes on the electronic connections (not explicitly shown in Figure 5).

[0102] The control box 200 of Figure 5 further includes a switchable servo motor drive 295 which can be used to control the switching of the magnet 450. In this context, the servo motor drive 295 may be regarded as part of the locking mechanism 250. The servo motor drive may be activated to transition the magnet 450 between the two configurations of Figures 4A and 4B to switch between the locking mechanism 250 being locked or unlocked as described above.

[0103] The present application discloses, inter alia, a waste collection bin having a locking device which is operated using a magnetic force to switch the bin between an unlocked state and a locked state (including vice versa). The waste collection bin may be implemented, for example, based on some or all of the implementations disclosed in the above description and figures. The waste collection bin is generally made of plastics, but might also be made of metal or any other suitable material (or combination of materials). Typically, the waste that accumulates in the waste collection bin is emptied at appropriate intervals into a collection lorry which takes the waste for separation (if needed) prior to disposal such as by recycling, incineration, or landfill.

[0104] In some implementations, waste collection bin 100 includes a lid 1 10. The lid may lie across the top of the bin and be hinged to the body of the bin. When the lock is in the unlocked state, hinged movement of the lid is permitted to open the lid to provide access inside the bin (such as for adding or removing waste to / from the bin). In contrast, the locked state prevents movement of the lid, and so is used to retain the lid in the closed position to prevent access inside the waste collection bin. The ability to lock the bin helps to ensure that the waste collection bin is only used by suitably authorised personnel, such as people who are paying for the waste collection service.

[0105] In some implementations, at least some of the magnetic force is generated and / or controlled by a permanent magnet such as magnet 450. In some cases, at least some of the magnetic force is generated and / or controlled by an electromagnet. The permanent magnet and / or the electromagnetic may be incorporated into the locking device (such as locking mechanism 250). For example, the permanent magnet may be movable, such as by rotation, between a first position corresponding to the unlocked state and a second position corresponding to the locked state.

[0106] In some implementations, the strength and / or directionality of the magnet force is changed (modified) to switch the bin between the unlocked state and the locked state (and vice versa). For example, the change in the magnetic force may be achieved by movement (translation and / or rotation) of the permanent magnet. In some implementations, the locking device may include a latching mechanism such that movement of the permanent magnet between first and second positions interoperates with the latching mechanism to switch the bin between the unlocked state and the locked state (and vice versa). For example, the latching mechanism may be held against or engaged with the permanent magnet in the second position corresponding to the locked state in which the lid cannot be moved. Conversely, the latching mechanism may be separated or disengaged from the permanent magnet in the first position corresponding to the unlocked state to allow opening of the lid.

[0107] In some implementations, the latching mechanism may include a biassing force that urges the latching mechanism into one of the first and second positions corresponding to the unlocked state and the locked state respectively. In one of the first and second positions of the magnet, the biassing mechanism may overcome the magnetic force, and in the other of the first and second positions of the magnet, the biassing mechanism may be unable to overcome the magnetic force. For example, the biassing force may urge the latching mechanism into the first position corresponding to the unlocked state. If the magnet is in first position, the biassing force overcomes the magnetic force, and hence the locking device transitions into the unlocked state. Conversely, if the magnet is in the second position, the magnetic force overcomes the biassing force, and hence the locking device is maintained in the locked state to prevent access into the bin.

[0108] In some implementations, the strength of the magnet force may be controlled, such as by changing the level of an electrical current supplied to an electromagnet. For example, the bin may be held (biassed) in the locked state in the absence of a current. However, if the electromagnet is supplied with a high current, so that the magnet force is relatively strong, the bin may be transitioned into the unlocked state.

[0109] In some implementations, the locking device may comprise shielding which is movable with respect to a magnet responsible for the magnetic force. If the shielding is held in a retracted position, this may have little or no impact on the magnetic force provided by the magnet. However, if the shielding is advanced closer to the magnet, this may impact the magnetic force provided to the locking device (which may be used to transition from the locked state to the unlocked state and vice versa). The shielding may be provided by a material such as mu-metal (https: / / en.wikipedia.org / wiki / Mu-metal) having high permeability. In another example, the shielding may be provided by an electromagnet. In a rest state, the electromagnet may not receive an electrical current, hence there is no impact on the magnetic force to be provided to the locking device. However, if the current to the electromagnet is increased, with an alignment to oppose the magnetic field from the magnet, this may impact the magnetic force provided to the locking device. In particular, the reduced magnetic force provided to the locking device can again be used to transition between states (locked to unlocked or vice versa).

[0110] A waste collection bin as described above (see Figures 1 -5 and associated text) may be provided with a key which is used in switching the bin between the unlocked state and the locked state. In particular, the key may interact with the locking device and the magnetic force to switch the bin between states (unlocked to locked and vice versa). In some implementations, the key may be a hardware key to physically engage with and operate the locking device; in other implementations, the key is a software key (see key 244 in Figures 2 and 3) which is provided, such as by a user, to the locking device using a wired or wireless data communications link. In the latter case, the locking device may include or have access to the stored key, and the locking device is configured to verify the provided software key against the stored key. The use of a soft copy key avoids some of the overhead associated with using and maintaining hardware keys and generally facilitates updating the keys (subject to suitable authorisation), for example, to reflect a change in customer for a given waste collection bin.

[0111] In some implementations, a waste collection bin as disclosed herein includes an identifier of the waste collection bin such as a bar code or QR code, for example to provide Bin ID 242 in Figure 2. Such a rapid form of bin identification allows an operative to readily record a status of a waste collection bin and / or operations associated with the waste collection bin (such as filling or emptying). This information can then be utilised in various management services, such as confirming the location and state of a waste collection bin, billing according to usage of the waste collection service, and tracking in real-time the utilisation and maintenance of a bin (for example, to support a contractual level of service).

[0112] In some implementations, a waste collection bin as disclosed herein comprises a rechargeable or replaceable battery 230 or use in operating the locking device and / or the data communications link. The recharging and / or replacing of batteries may, for example, be performed as part of the waste collection service and may in some implementations be monitored using the bin identifier described above.

[0113] It will be appreciated that waste collection bins 100 as described herein may be configured to reduce electrical consumption, thereby allowing smaller (cheaper) batteries to be used and / or extending the battery lifetime until the next recharging and / or replacement. This reduction in electrical consumption may achieved at least in part by having little or no ongoing power drain from the battery. Rather, as described above (see for example Figures 4A and 4B), power may be taken at a transition (switch) from a locked state to an unlocked state (including vice versa). However, once the transition to a given state has been performed, the waste collection bin may be held (such as latched) in that state without further power consumption.

[0114] It will further be recognised that the electrical and electronic components such as shown in Figures 2 and 3 will also consume some level of power from the battery 230, however the operation of these electrical and electronic components is again generally periodic rather than continuously ongoing. In addition, the specific components such as in the control box 200 may be selected to help reduce power consumption. For example, the communications facility 210 may implemented using Bluetooth Low Energy (see https: / / en.wikipedia.org / wiki / Bluetooth_Low_Energy) rather than just a standard Bluetooth link.

[0115] Also described herein is a method of operating a waste collection bin. The method includes operating the locking device using a magnetic force to switch the bin between states (from an unlocked state to a locked state and vice versa). The method may further comprise switching the bin to the unlocked state, opening the lid of the bin, and adding waste material into the bin or removing waste material from the bin. A key may be provided for the waste collection bin. In some implementations, the key is provided on the basis that a set of bins for a particular party (such as an organisation paying for a waste collection service) share the same key, while other bins (such as for other customers) utilise a different key. This approach restricts the usage of bins to the particular party who is paying for the waste collection service, but at the same time avoids the complications and limitations of an existing approach of having to provide a different (physical) key for each individual bin. The approach described herein is well-suited to the use of software keys (see, for example, key 244 in Figure 2) thereby allowing a given bin to be reassigned to a different set of bins (for example if a particular party might want to increase or decrease their number of bins).

[0116] Also described herein is a method for controlling the use of a set of waste collection bins provided as part of a waste collection service. The method includes providing each bin with a soft copy key such as a codeword (see, for example, key 244 in Figure 2) and dividing the set of waste collection bins into two or more subsets, at least one subset including multiple waste collection bins. Given subsets of the waste collection bins may be allocated for example to different customers of the waste collection service. The method further includes configuring waste collection bins such that all the waste collection bins in a given subset utilise the same key; this key is different from the keys used by waste collection bins belonging to different subsets. In other words, for each subset of waste collection bins, the bins in that subset all share a respective key which is exclusive to that subset. When a waste collection bin is transferred from a first subset to a second subset, the key for the transferred waste collection bin is updated from the key for the first subset to the key for the second subset. In conclusion, while various implementations and examples have been described herein, they are provided by way of illustration, and many potential modifications will be apparent to the skilled person having regard to the specifics of any given implementation. Accordingly, the scope of the present case should be determined from the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

Claims1 . A waste collection bin having a locking device which is operated using a magnetic force to switch the bin between an unlocked state and a locked state, in which the strength and / or directionality of the magnet force is changed to switch the bin between: the unlocked state and the locked state, where the locking device includes shielding which is movable with respect to a magnet responsible for the magnetic force to switch the waste collection bin between the unlocked state and the locked state.

2. The waste collection bin of claim 1 , wherein the bin includes a lid and the unlocked state allows movement of the lid to provide access inside the bin, whereas the locked state inhibits movement of the lid to prevent access inside the bin.

3. The waste collection bin of claim 1 or 2, wherein at least some of the magnetic force is provided by permanent magnet.

4. The waste collection bin of claim 3, wherein the permanent magnet is movable between a first position corresponding to the unlocked state and a second position corresponding to the locked state.

5. The was collection bin of claim 4, wherein the permanent magnet is movable between a second position corresponding to the locked state and a first position corresponding to the unlocked state.

6. The waste collection bin of either of claims 4 and 5, wherein the movement of the permanent magnet comprises rotation between the first and second positions.

7. The waste collection bin of any of claims 4 to 6, wherein the locking device includes a latching mechanism, and the latching mechanism is held against or for engagement with the permanent magnet in the second position corresponding to the locked state and the latching mechanism is separated or disengaged from the permanent magnet in the first position corresponding to the unlocked state.

8. The waste collection bin of claim 7, wherein the latching mechanism includes a biassing force that urges the latching mechanism into one of the first and second positions corresponding to the unlocked state and the locked state respectively.

9. The waste collection bin of claims 7 or 8, wherein in one of the first and second positions of the magnet, the biassing mechanism overcomes the magnetic force, and in the other of the first and second positions of the magnet, the biassing mechanism does not overcome the magnetic force.

10. The waste collection bin of any preceding claim, in which the strength and / or directionality of the magnet force is changed to switch the bin between the locked state and the unlocked state.11 . The waste collection bin of any preceding claim, where the shielding is movable with respect to a magnet responsible for the magnetic force to switch the waste collection bin between the locked state and the unlocked state.

12. The waste collection bin of any preceding claim, wherein the locking device is configured to control an electrical current to generate an electromagnetic field to control the magnetic force.

13. The waste collection bin of claim 12, further comprising a permanent magnet, wherein the electrical current is controlled to generate an electromagnetic field to oppose the permanent magnet.

14. The waste collection bin of any preceding claim, further comprising an electromagnet which is provided to switch the bin between the unlocked state and the locked state.

15. The waste collection bin of claim 14, in which the electromagnet is provided to switch the bin between the locked state and the unlocked state16. The waste collection bin of any of any preceding claim, wherein a lid is hinged along a first side of the bin and the locking device is located on a second side of the bin, wherein the second side of the bin is opposed to the first side of the bin.

17. The waste collection bin of any preceding claim, wherein the waste collection bin is associated with a key which is used in switching the bin between the unlocked state and the locked state18. The waste collection bin of claim 17, wherein the key is a hardware key to physically engage with and operate the locking device.

19. The waste collection bin of claim 17 or 18, wherein the key is a software key which is provided to the locking device using a wired or wireless data communications link.

20. The waste collection bin of claim 19, wherein the locking device includes or has access to a stored key, and the locking device is configured to verify the provided software key against the stored key.21 . The waste collection bin of any preceding claim, wherein the waste collection bin includes an identifier of the waste collection bin.

22. The waste collection bin of claim 21 , in which the identifier is a bar code or QR code.

23. The waste collection bin of any preceding claim, further comprising a rechargeable or replaceable battery for use in operating the locking device and / or the data communications link.

24. A waste collection bin comprising a locking mechanism including a magnet having a first configuration and a second configuration, whereby in the first configuration the magnetic field overcomes a biassing force and in the second configuration the magnetic does not overcome the biassing force, whereby for one of the first and second configurations, the locking mechanism is held in a locked state to prevent access to the bin, and for the other of the first and second configurations, the locking mechanism is held in an unlocked state to permit access to the bin.

25. A method of operating a waste collection bin according to any preceding claim, the method including operating the locking device using a magnetic force to switch the bin between an unlocked state and a locked state; opening the lid of the bin, and adding waste material into the bin or removing waste material from the bin.

26. The method of claim 25, optionally further comprising switching the bin to the unlocked state.

27. The method of either of claims 25 and 26, further comprising providing a key for each waste collection bin such that a group of bins all share the same key, but bins outside this group utilise different keys.

28. A method for controlling the use of a set of waste collection bins as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 24, the method including: providing each bin with a soft copy key; dividing the set of waste collection bins into two or more subsets, at least one subset including multiple waste collection bins; configuring waste collection bins such that all the waste collection bins in a given subset utilise the same key, which is different from the keys used by waste collection bins belonging to other subsets; transferring a waste collection bin from a first subset to a second subset and updating the key for the waste collection bin from the key for the first subset to the key for the second subset.

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