Waste Container Access System Using Indirect Server Communication
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing garbage container access control systems face high energy consumption and costs due to direct communication with servers, especially in public spaces where energy supply is problematic and network usage fees are excessive.
Innovation Solution
A system where the garbage container has a first communication interface for data transfer to a user's communication device, which then initiates indirect data transmission to a server via a second communication interface, reducing the energy requirement and shifting network costs to the user's device, using wireless technologies like NFC or RFID for short-range communication and cellular networks for longer-range data transfer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If direct communication interface is provided in the garbage container for data transmission to the server, then data exchange functionality is improved, but energy consumption and network costs increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The user's communication device (smartphone, tablet, or computer) serves as an intermediary between the garbage container's communication interface and the server. The container transmits data to the user's device via short-range wireless communication (NFC, RFID, Bluetooth), and the user's device then communicates with the server via long-range network connections. This mediator approach allows the container to maintain data exchange functionality while avoiding the high energy consumption and network costs of direct server communication.
2Reliability
If powerful communication interface is installed in the garbage container for direct server connection, then communication reliability is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The user's communication device acts as a mediator that handles complex server communication protocols, authentication, and data formatting. The garbage container only needs a simple short-range wireless interface (NFC, RFID, or Bluetooth) for basic data transmission to the user's device. This division of complexity allows the container to maintain communication reliability through the user's sophisticated device while keeping the container's own interface simple and cost-effective.
3Reliability
If cellular network transmission is used for data transfer between container and server, then data exchange capability is improved, but network usage costs and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The data transmission process is segmented into two distinct stages: (1) short-range wireless transmission from the container to the user's communication device using low-cost technologies like NFC, RFID, or Bluetooth, and (2) long-range network transmission from the user's device to the server using the user's existing cellular or internet connection. This segmentation shifts the costly network transmission burden from the container to the user's device, eliminating network usage fees for the container while maintaining reliable data exchange capability.
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
The present invention relates to a system (1) for controlling and managing user access to a waste container (2), comprising a waste container (2) with an electronic control unit (3), with a first communication interface (4) for sending and receiving data, and a server (5) located apart from the waste container, which has a second communication interface (6), an authentication manager (7), and a database (8), wherein, to identify a user before using the waste container (2), a transfer of data (11) can be initiated between the first communication interface (4) and a third communication interface (10) of a communication device (9) attributable to a user, wherein the authentication manager (7) assigns user data (12) from the database (8) to the data (11) and, based on this assignment, grants or denies access to this waste container (2) for this user.wherein the first communication interface (4) does not have a means for direct data transmission to the second communication interface (6), wherein the communication device (9) assignable to the user has an interface via which indirect data transmission between the first communication interface (4) and the second communication interface (6) can be initiated. The invention further relates to a method for controlling and managing a user's access to a waste container.