Granted Patent B2

US 12,335,807 · App. 17/232,855 · Granted Jun 17, 2025

Inventors: Jeffrey Koga (Oshkosh, WI); Emily Davis (Rochester, MN); Jerrod Kappers (Oshkosh, WI); Vince Schad (Oshkosh, WI); Robert S. Messina (Oshkosh, WI); Christopher K. Yakes (Oshkosh, WI); Joshua D. Rocholl (Rochester, MN); Vincent Hoover (Byron, MN); Clinton T. Weckwerth (Pine Island, MN); Zachary L. Klein (Rochester, MN); John Beck (Oshkosh, WI); Brendan Chan (Oshkosh, WI); Skylar A. Wachter (Dodge Center, MN); Dale Matsumoto (Oshkosh, WI); Bryan S. Datema (Rochester, MN); Cody D. Clifton (Oshkosh, WI); Zhenyi Wei (Oshkosh, WI); Kevin Dunn (Oshkosh, WI)

Assignee: OSHKOSH CORPORATION

H04W4/021G06Q50/26H04W4/029H04W4/12

Abstract

Claims (42)

1. A system for tracking refuse collection vehicles, the system comprising:

one or more memory devices having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

receiving, from a user device operated by a customer of a refuse collection company, a first user input indicating one or more parameters of a geofence, the geofence defining a virtual perimeter around a geographical location of a stop along a collection route for refuse pickup in which the customer allows initiation of access, by a refuse collection vehicle of the refuse collection company, to an area in which a waste receptacle is positioned;

determining whether the refuse collection vehicle is within the virtual perimeter of the geofence based on cellular communications obtained via a cellular network from the refuse collection vehicle, the cellular communications including a current location of the refuse collection vehicle;

transmitting, to the user device, a first notification based on a determination that the refuse collection vehicle is within the geofence, the first notification indicating to a user of the user device that the refuse collection vehicle is within the geofence and is approaching the stop along the collection route; and

in response to the refuse collection vehicle being within the geofence, transmitting a command to an access control system that is at the stop along the collection route, the command initiating operation of an actuator of the access control system to open a door or gate to allow access to the area in which the waste receptacle is positioned while the refuse collection vehicle is en route to the area such that the door or gate is open when the refuse collection vehicle arrives at the door or gate;

wherein the one or more processors are remote from the stop along the collection route and wherein the refuse collection vehicle does not communicate directly with the access control system at the stop along the collection route.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first notification is transmitted to the user device by at least one of a text message, a push notification, an automated phone call, or an email.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first notification further indicates a distance of the refuse collection vehicle from a central point of the geofence.

4. The system of claim 1 , the operations further comprising transmitting, to the user device, a second notification based on a determination that the refuse collection vehicle has left the geofence.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more parameters of the geofence comprise a central location for the geofence and a radius of the geofence.

6. The system of claim 1 , the operations further comprising:

presenting, via a user interface, a map of an area based on a second user input of an address; and

receiving, via the user interface, a third user input defining one or more boundaries of the geofence within the map.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the refuse collection vehicle comprises a global positioning system (GPS) transceiver, wherein the current location of the refuse collection vehicle is determined based on GPS data received by the one or more processors from the refuse collection vehicle.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the refuse collection vehicle comprises a cellular network transceiver, wherein the current location of the refuse collection vehicle is triangulated based on signals from one or more cellular towers.

9. A method for tracking a refuse collection vehicle, the method comprising:

receiving, by a server and from a user device operated by a customer of a refuse collection company, a first user input indicating one or more parameters of a geofence, the geofence defining a virtual perimeter around a geographical location of a stop along a collection route for refuse pickup in which the customer allows initiation of access, by the refuse collection vehicle of the refuse collection company, to an area in which a waste receptacle is positioned;

determining, by the server, whether the refuse collection vehicle is within the virtual perimeter of the geofence based on cellular communications obtained via a cellular network from the refuse collection vehicle, the cellular communications including a current location of the refuse collection vehicle;

transmitting, by the server to the user device, a first notification based on a determination that the refuse collection vehicle is within the geofence, the first notification indicating to a user of the user device that the refuse collection vehicle is within the geofence and is approaching the stop along the collection route; and

in response to the refuse collection vehicle being within the geofence, transmitting, by the server to an access control system that is at the stop along the collection route, a command initiating operation of an actuator of the access control system to open a door or gate to allow access to the area in which the waste receptacle is positioned while the refuse collection vehicle is en route to the area such that the door or gate is open when the refuse collection vehicle arrives at the door or gate;

wherein the server is remote from the stop along the collection route and wherein the refuse collection vehicle does not communicate directly with the access control system at the stop along the collection route.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first notification is transmitted to the user device by at least one of a text message, a push notification, an automated phone call, or an email.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first notification further indicates a distance of the refuse collection vehicle from a central point of the geofence.

12. The method of claim 9 , further comprising transmitting, by the server to the user device, a second notification based on a determination that the refuse collection vehicle has left the geofence.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the one or more parameters of the geofence comprise a central location for the geofence and a radius of the geofence.

14. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

presenting, via a user interface, a map of an area based on a second user input of an address; and

receiving, via the user interface, a third user input defining one or more boundaries of the geofence within the map.

15. The method of claim 9 , wherein the refuse collection vehicle comprises a global positioning system (GPS) transceiver, wherein the current location of the refuse collection vehicle is determined based on GPS data received by the server from the refuse collection vehicle.

16. A device comprising:

a user interface;

one or more processors; and

one or more memory devices having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

receive, via the user interface operated by a customer of a refuse collection company, a first user input indicating one or more boundaries of a geofence, the geofence defining a virtual perimeter around a geographical location of a stop along a collection route of a refuse collection vehicle in which the customer allows initiation of access, by the refuse collection vehicle of the refuse collection company, to an area in which a waste receptacle is positioned, the geofence configured to trigger a server to transmit, in response to the refuse collection vehicle being within the geofence, a command to an access control system, the command initiating operation of an actuator of the access control system to open a door or gate to allow access to the area in which the waste receptacle is positioned while the refuse collection vehicle is en route to the area such that the door or gate is open when the refuse collection vehicle arrives at the door or gate, wherein the server is remote from the access control system and the refuse collection vehicle communicates with the server and does not communicate directly with the access control system;

transmit the first user input to a remote server;

receive a first notification based on a determination that the refuse collection vehicle is within the geofence and is approaching the area, the first notification indicating a distance of the refuse collection vehicle from a central point of the geofence; and

receive a second notification based on a determination that the refuse collection vehicle has left the geofence.

17. The device of claim 16 , wherein the first notification and the second notification are received as at least one of a text message, a push notification, an automated phone call, or an email.

18. The device of claim 16 , further comprising:

presenting, via the user interface, a map of an area based on a current location of the device; and

receiving, via the user interface, the first user input defining the one or more boundaries of the geofence within the map.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (2)

References Cited (200)