Refuse vehicle with a camera for container area image capture
OwnerAmanda Miller, Greg Steffens +2inventors
InventorsAmanda Miller, Greg Steffens, Brendan Chan, Jeff Verhagen
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Abstract
A method of operating a refuse vehicle includes capturing an image of a target area. The target area includes a collection exception that prevents lifting of a refuse container from the target area at the location. The method further includes classifying the collection exception and including the classified collection exception in collection data, and transmitting the image of the target area and the collection data to a remote server or cloud platform.
Claims20
A method of operating a refuse vehicle, the method comprising:
- capturing an image of a target area, the target area including a collection exception that prevents lifting of a refuse container from the target area;
- classifying the collection exception and including the classified collection exception in collection data;
- and
- transmitting the image of the target area and the collection data to a remote server or cloud platform.
A refuse vehicle comprising:
- a chassis;
- a cab coupled to the chassis;
- a refuse compartment supported by the chassis and including a storage section and a hopper section, the hopper section being arranged between the cab and the storage section;
- a lift assembly operable to engage and lift a refuse container;
- a camera coupled to a portion of the cab or the refuse compartment;
- and
- a controller including a processor and at least one memory, the controller being in communication with the camera and being configured to:
- instruct the camera to capture an image of a target area in response to an image capture input, and
- transmit the image and a collection exception to a remote server or cloud platform.
A method of operating a refuse vehicle, the method comprising:
- traveling along a planned route;
- capturing an image of a target area in response to:
- activating a camera to capture the image of the target area;
- detecting that the refuse vehicle did not stop at a predefined stopping location along the planned route;
- or
- detecting that the refuse vehicle stopped at the predefined stopping location and failed to actuate a lift assembly;
- classifying a collection exception in the image as:
- a refuse container not being present at the predefined stopping location;
- a refuse container being present at the predefined stopping location and overflowing;
- or
- a refuse container being irretrievable from the predefined stopping location;
- and
- transmitting the image of the target area and the collection exception to a remote server or cloud platform.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.