Bin sensor
A method comprises emitting detection radiation into a container; receiving a reflection of the emitted radiation from contents of the container; interpreting the received reflection to determine the contents of the container.
1 . A sensor system for a container, the system comprising:
an emitter of a detection radiation into the container;
a receiver of reflected radiation arranged to produce a signal based on received reflected radiation, wherein the received reflected radiation is produced by reflection of contents of the container;
a processor for interpreting the signal and preparing a transmission signal;
a transmitter of the transmission signal;
wherein the emitter, the receiver, the processor and the transmitter are housed within a package that is integrally formed in a moulded plastic hinged lid of the container, with a layer of plastic covering the emitter and receiver, wherein the emitter emits radiation that passes through the layer of plastic, wherein the layer of plastic covering the emitter and the receiver is formed during moulding of the moulded plastic lid so as to be integral with and continuous with the rest of the moulded plastic lid.
2 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the system further comprises a power source for powering at least one of the emitter, the receiver, the processor and the transmitter; wherein the power source is permanently housed in the package such that the power source is sealed in the package when the moulded plastic lid is formed.
3 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the system further comprises a sensor inside the package for detecting a property of the lid.
4 . The system according to claim 3 , wherein the property is acceleration and/or orientation and/or movement.
5 . The system according to claim 2 , wherein the package comprises a heat shield for shielding one or more of the emitter, the receiver, the processor, the transmitter and the power source from heat during plastic moulding the package into the lid.
6 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor system is sealed in the lid of the container, by a continuous flow of moulded plastic so as to prevent ingress of liquid or particles inside of the package.
7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the interpreting the signal is to determine a level of the contents in the container and a type of contents of the container, wherein the type of contents is determined from reflection of pulsed coherent radar.
8 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the emitter emits pulsed coherent radar and the processor is configured to determine a type of material inserted into the container based on the reflected radar.
9 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to determine a density of the material of a deposited article and/or a thickness and/or spectral characteristic reflective properties based on the received reflected radiation, wherein the received reflected radiation comprises reflected pulsed coherent radar.
10 . The system according to claim 8 , wherein scanning of the inside of the container is with the pulsed coherent radar such that a shape or a dimension of an article inserted can be determined.
11 . The system according to claim 1 further comprising:
a processor for using a model to determine an event has occurred in relation to the container, wherein the event is one of: emptying of the container; and tipping over of the container.
12 . The system according to claim 11 , wherein the model is configured to determine a type of material inserted into the container.
13 . The system according to claim 11 , wherein the model is used determine a characteristic of an article deposited into the container or a material that the article is made of based on the emitted and reflected radiation being radio frequency radiation.
14 . The system according to claim 11 , wherein the model applies data available to decide what is being inserted into the container or other event occurring to the container and whether to do something about that event, wherein the event is one of: emptying of the container; and tipping over of the container.
15 . The system according to claim 11 , the model employs an ongoing learning/artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm learns household one or more of: waste disposal habits, street rubbish disposal habits, event disposal habits.
16 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the layer of plastic covering the emitter and receiver is a layer of the moulded plastic hinged lid formed in a continuous flow of moulded plastic.