Refuse Vehicle Camera Alignment Indicator

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Solution Overview

Problem

Refuse vehicles often struggle to accurately align with waste receptacles, leading to potential knocking or tipping over during collection, which requires manual intervention and can result in spilled waste.

Innovation Solution

A system equipped with a camera and processing circuits that detect the movement of the lift apparatus and waste receptacle, generating a user interface to provide visual indications of alignment, and controlling the lift apparatus to prevent knocking or tipping by limiting its operation until proper alignment is achieved.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the lift apparatus operates without alignment monitoring, then the collection speed is maintained, but the waste receptacle may be knocked or tipped over causing spillage

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvealignment accuracyVSAvoidcollection speed

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary alignment detection using a camera and processing circuit before the lift apparatus engages with the waste receptacle. The processing circuit determines the position of the waste receptacle relative to the lift apparatus and generates visual indications to guide proper alignment, preventing knocking or tipping before it occurs.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system provides real-time feedback through visual indications displayed to the operator showing the relative position of the waste receptacle and lift apparatus. This feedback loop allows the operator to adjust the vehicle or lift apparatus position to achieve proper alignment, ensuring reliable engagement without spillage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Reliability

If manual intervention is used to correct misalignment, then spillage is prevented, but operational time increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvespillage preventionVSAvoidoperational time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system enables the operator to self-correct alignment issues by providing clear visual indications of the waste receptacle's position relative to the lift apparatus. The processing circuit continuously monitors and guides the operator through visual feedback, allowing quick self-correction without requiring external intervention or stopping the collection process.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

3Object-affected harmful factors

If the lift apparatus is limited until proper alignment is achieved, then knocking or tipping is prevented, but the collection process is slowed

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveknocking or tipping preventionVSAvoidcollection efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary alignment verification using image data from the camera and position determination by the processing circuit before allowing the lift apparatus to operate. Visual indications are generated to confirm proper alignment is achieved, ensuring the waste receptacle will not be knocked or tipped during engagement.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS20240362832A1Simplified alignment indicator

Publication Date: 2024.10.31 OSHKOSH CORPORATION

AI summary

A refuse vehicle can include a camera and one or more processing circuits. The one or more processing circuits can detect a movement of the refuse vehicle, receive image data that includes a waste receptacle, determine a position of the waste receptacle relative to the refuse vehicle based on the image data, and generate a user interface that includes a visual indication of the position of the waste receptacle relative to the refuse vehicle.