IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,293,561
Granted Patent B2
US 12,293,561 · App. 17/736,078 · Granted May 6, 2025

Device and method for automatically identifying and categorizing waste, and directing a desired user action

Inventors: Wolfgang Decker (Frisco, TX); Maithreya Chakravarthula (Richardson, TX); Cristopher Luce (The Colony, TX); Christopher Heney (Plano, TX); Clifton Luce (Plano, TX)
G06V10/255G06T7/194G06V10/82G06V30/19173G06T2207/20081
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,293,561
App. No.
17/736,078
Filed
May 3, 2022
Granted
May 6, 2025
Kind
B2
Art Unit
2681
USPC
382/103
Abstract

Embodiment herein discloses methods and devices for waste management by using an artificial intelligence based waste object categorizing engine. The method includes acquiring at least one image and detecting at least one waste object from the at least one acquired image. Additionally, the method determines that the at least one detected waste object matches with a pre-stored waste object and identifies a type of the detected waste object using the pre-stored waste object. Furthermore, the method includes displaying the type of the detected waste object based on the identification.

Claims (80)

1. A method of waste management for aligning a user context with media content and a waste object disposed by the user to inform the user at a user waste object disposal location, comprising:

acquiring, by an artificial intelligence based waste object categorizing engine, at least one image;

detecting, by the artificial intelligence based waste object categorizing engine, at least one waste object from the at least one acquired image based on a foreground portion of the at least one acquired image, and a background portion of the at least one acquired image deriving at least one feature parameter therefrom;

determining, by the artificial intelligence based waste object categorizing engine, a feature value corresponding to the at least one feature parameter for pixel clarification associated with the at least one acquired image;

determining, by the artificial intelligence based waste object categorizing engine, that the at least one detected waste object matches with a pre-stored waste object;

performing at least one of:

identifying, by the artificial intelligence based waste object categorizing engine, a type of the detected waste object using the pre-stored waste object; or

when a detected waste object is not identified, placing the at least one detected waste object in a queuing library to:

manually create a new classification for an unknown object, or

properly align the at least one detected waste object with a correct classification in the pre-stored waste object, and then

adding the new classification to the artificial intelligence based waste object categorizing engine to continue a training process;

displaying, by the artificial intelligence based waste object categorizing engine, the type of the detected waste object based on the identification; and

notifying, by the artificial intelligence based waste object categorizing engine, the type of the detected waste object to a user.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the artificial intelligence based waste object categorizing engine notifies the user of the type of the detected waste object through a visual alert, an audio message, or an electronic message, so as to allow the user to automatically sort the waste object.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the pre-stored waste object is generated by:

acquiring a waste object dataset comprising a waste object with various categories;

acquiring a portion of an image corresponding to the waste object from the acquired waste object dataset;

training the portion of the image corresponding to the waste object using a machine learning model; and

generating the pre-stored waste object based on the trained portion of the image corresponding to the waste object.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein detecting, by the artificial intelligence based waste object categorizing engine, the at least one waste object from the at least one acquired image comprises:

identifying the at least one waste object from the at least one acquired image;

extracting the at least one identified waste object from the at least one acquired image by processing the foreground portion of the at least one acquired image and the background portion of the at least one acquired image;

determining the at least one feature parameter based on the extraction;

analyzing a pixel corresponding to the at least one identified waste object based on the determined feature parameter; and

detecting the at least one waste object from the at least one acquired image based on the analyzed pixel.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying, by the artificial intelligence based waste object categorizing engine, the type of the detected waste object using the pre-stored waste object comprises:

determining whether multiple types of the detected waste object are detected; and

performing one of:

in response to determining that multiple types of the waste object are not detected, identifying the type of the detected waste object using the at least one feature parameter, and

in response to determining that multiple types of the waste object are detected, determining the at least one feature parameter based on the at least one identified waste object, analyzing a pixel corresponding to the at least one identified waste object based on the determined feature parameter, and detecting the at least one waste object from the at least one acquired image based on the analyzed pixel.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the feature parameter comprises a shape of the waste object, a color of the waste object, an intensity of the waste object.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the feature parameter comprises a shape of the waste object, a color of the waste object, an intensity of the waste object.

8. An electronic device for waste management, comprising:

a memory;

a processor coupled to the memory; and

an artificial intelligence based waste object categorizing engine, coupled to the processor, configured to:

acquire at least one image;

detect at least one waste object from the at least one acquired image based on a foreground portion of the at least one acquired image, and a background portion of the at least one acquired image deriving at least one feature parameter therefrom;

determine a feature value corresponding to the at least one feature parameter for pixel clarification associated with the at least one acquired image;

determine that the at least one detected waste object matches with a prestored waste object;

perform at least one of:

identify a type of the detected waste object using the pre-stored waste object; or

provide an option to place the at least one detected waste object in a queuing library to either manually create a new classification for an unknown object, or properly align the at least one detected waste object with a correct classification in the pre-stored waste object and then add to the artificial intelligence based waste object categorizing engine to continue an artificial intelligence training process;

display the type of the detected waste object and a message based on the identification; and

notify a user of the type of the detected waste object, a proper waste type icon associated with the type of detected waste object, and a proper bin for disposing of the detected waste object.

9. The electronic device of claim 8 wherein the artificial intelligence based waste object categorizing engine notifies the type of the detected waste object to the user through a visual alert, an audio message, or an electronic text or visual message, so as to automatically direct the user to properly sort of the waste object into one of at least two receptacles.

10. The electronic device of claim 8 wherein the pre-stored waste object is generated by:

acquiring a waste object dataset comprising a waste object with various categories;

acquiring a portion of an image corresponding to the waste object from the acquired waste object dataset;

training the portion of the image corresponding to the waste object using a machine learning model; and

generating the pre-stored waste object based on the trained portion of the image corresponding to the waste object.

11. The electronic device of claim 8 wherein detecting the at least one waste object from the at least one acquired image comprises:

identifying the at least one waste object from the at least one acquired image;

extracting the at least one identified waste object from the at least one acquired image by processing the foreground portion of the at least one acquired image and the background portion of the at least one acquired image;

determining at least one feature parameter based on the extraction;

analyzing a pixel corresponding to the at least one identified waste object based on the determined feature parameter; and

detecting the at least one waste object from the at least one acquired image based on the analyzed pixel.

12. The electronic device of claim 8 wherein identifying the type of the detected waste object using the pre-stored waste object comprises:

determining whether multiple types of the detected waste object are detected; and

performing one of:

in response to determining that multiple types of the waste object are not detected, identifying the type of the detected waste object using the at least one feature parameter, and

in response to determining that multiple types of the waste object are detected, determining the at least one feature parameter based on the at least one identified waste object, analyzing a pixel corresponding to the at least one identified waste object based on the determined feature parameter, and detecting the at least one waste object from the at least one acquired image based on the analyzed pixel.

13. The electronic device of claim 11 wherein the feature parameter comprises a shape of the waste object, a color of the waste object, an intensity of the waste object.

14. The electronic device of claim 12 wherein the feature parameter comprises a shape of the waste object, a color of the waste object, an intensity of the waste object.

15. A device that trains and alters human behaviour related to waste recycling practices, comprising:

a first waste bin for accepting waste products that are a compostable waste type, and a second waste bin for accepting a first recyclable waste type, and a third waste bin for accepting a first non-recyclable waste type;

a form factor having a visual indicator and a bin housing for maintaining the first waste bin, the second waste bin, and the third waste bin;

the form factor having an electronic device comprising

a memory;

a processor coupled to the memory; and

an artificial intelligence based waste object categorizing engine, coupled to the processor, configured to:

acquire at least one image;

detect at least one waste object from the at least one acquired image based on a foreground portion of the at least one acquired image, and a background portion of the at least one acquired image deriving at least one feature parameter therefrom;

determine a feature value corresponding to the at least one feature parameter for pixel clarification associated with the at least one acquired image;

determine that the at least one detected waste object matches with a prestored waste object;

perform at least one of:

identify a type of the detected waste object using the pre-stored waste object; or

provide an option to place the at least one detected waste object in a queuing library to either manually create a new classification for an unknown object, or properly align the at least one detected waste object with a correct classification in the pre-stored waste object and then add to the artificial intelligence based waste object categorizing engine to continue an artificial intelligence training process;

display the type of the detected waste object and a message based on the identification; and

notify a user, via the visual indicator, of the type of the detected waste object, a proper waste type icon associated with the type of detected waste object, and a proper bin for disposing of the detected waste object.

Continuity (2)
Continuation 16826213 · Mar 21, 2020
Related Publication 20220301299A1 · Sep 22, 2022
References Cited (2)
US 10955284B2 · Balachandran · 2021 [cited by examiner]
US 11854419B2 · Mekhsian · 2023 [cited by examiner]