Abstract:
An example trackable cart includes a body having an upper body portion defining an opening for loading and unloading items from the body and a lid for closing the opening of the body. The lid pivotably attaches to the body along a hinge axis. The trackable cart includes an identifier contained adjacent the hinge axis.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/974,688, which was filed 24 Sep. 2007 and is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    This invention generally relates to carts and, more particularly, to trackable carts. 
         [0003]    Carts for moving recyclables, trash, and other items are well known. Some municipalities provide residents with carts, especially large, roll-out recyclable carts. The residents load the cart with recyclables and then roll filled carts to a collection location. A recyclable truck next maneuvers to a position adjacent the collection location. A lift arm extending from the recyclable truck lifts and rotates a filled cart to pour the recyclables into the recyclable truck. Moving recyclables to the truck in this manner is often referred to as “tipping” the cart. Once emptied, the lift arm returns the cart to the collection location. 
         [0004]    Carts may include identifiers that facilitate associating the cart with a particular location. The identifiers assist during waste collection billing or when tracking recycling participation, such as billing the resident for emptying recyclables from their carts, for example. Adding identifiers to recyclable carts complicates the cart manufacturing process. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0005]    An example trackable cart includes a body having an upper body portion defining an opening for loading and unloading items from the body and a lid for closing the opening of the body. The lid pivotably attaches to the body along a hinge axis. The trackable cart includes an identifier contained adjacent the hinge axis. 
         [0006]    Another example trackable cart includes a body having an upper body portion defining an opening for loading and unloading items from the body and a lid for closing the opening of the body. A hinge member pivotally connects the body to the lid. The trackable cart further includes a handle and an identifier. One of the hinge member and the handle contains the identifier. 
         [0007]    An example method of assembling a trackable cart includes securing a non-optical identifier relative a cart, the cart having an associated optical identifier. The method further includes reading the non-optical identifier and associating the non-optical identifier with the optical identifier. In one example, the non-optical identifier is written with information about the optical identifier, which associates the non-optical identifier with the optical identifier. 
         [0008]    These and other features of the example disclosure can be best understood from the following specification and drawings, the following of which is a brief description: 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an example roll-out recyclable cart; 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a recyclable truck tipping the  FIG. 1  roll-out recyclable cart; 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  is a front view of a portion of the lift arm extending from the  FIG. 2  roll-out recyclable cart; 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  schematically shows an example roll-out cart tracking system for tracking the  FIG. 1  roll-out recyclable cart; 
           [0013]      FIG. 5  is a perspective, partial exploded view of another example roll-out recyclable cart; 
           [0014]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of an example fixture assembly for associating a cart with a non-optical identifier; 
           [0015]      FIG. 7  shows the  FIG. 5  cart within the  FIG. 6  fixture; and 
           [0016]      FIG. 8  shows an example display from the  FIG. 6  fixture. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0017]      FIG. 1  illustrates an example roll-out recyclable cart  10  having a hollow body portion  14  coverable with a lid member  18 . A hinge member  22  connects the lid member  18  to the hollow body portion  14 . The roll-out recyclable cart  10  includes handle members  26  and wheels  34  for manipulating the position of the roll-out recyclable cart  10 . Other examples include using the roll-out recyclable cart  10  for collecting other items, such as trash, non-recyclable items, or leaves. 
         [0018]    The roll-out recyclable cart  10  includes a non-optical identifier  30  secured to an exterior surface of the roll-out recyclable cart  10 . In this example, the non-optical identifier  30  is a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag. The roll-out recyclable cart  10  also includes an optical identifier  32 , such as a barcode sticker, secured to an exterior surface of the roll-out recyclable cart  10 . The lid member  18  and the hollow body portion  14  are typically injection molded from a polymer material such as High Density Polyethylene (HDPE). The non-optical identifier  30  is in-molded during the injection molding process to secure the non-optical identifier  30  to the roll-out recyclable cart  10 , and the optical identifier  32  is secured to an outer surface of the hollow body portion  14  using adhesive, for example. In this example, the non-optical identifier  30  and the optical identifier  32  contain similar information about the roll-out recyclable cart  10 . 
         [0019]    As shown in  FIG. 2 , a lift arm  58  extending from a recyclable truck  50  lifts and tips the roll-out recyclable cart  10  to empty recyclables from the roll-out recyclable cart into the recyclable bin  54 . A pair of forks  62  extending from the lift arm  58  receive the roll-out recyclable cart  10  and maintain the position of the roll-out recyclable cart  10  relative to the lift arm  58  while lifting the roll-out recyclable cart  10  over the recyclable bin  54 . After recyclables move from the roll-out recyclable cart  10  into the recyclable bin  54 , the lift arm  58  returns the roll-out recyclable cart  10  to the collection location position adjacent the recyclable truck  50 . As known, a recyclable truck operator manipulates the roll-out recyclable cart  10  between a received position within the forks  62  and the collection location. 
         [0020]      FIG. 3  illustrates a portion of the lift arm  58  having the forks  62  for receiving the roll-out recyclable cart  10 . A reader  74  mounts to a portion of the lift arm  58 . When the roll-out recyclable cart  10  of  FIG. 2  is received within the forks  62  of the lift arm  58 , the non-optical identifier  30  generally aligns with the reader  74 . In such a position, the reader  74  communicates with the non-optical identifier  30  in a known manner. For example, the reader  74  may transmit a radio frequency signal to the non-optical identifier  30 , which returns a signal to the reader  74  containing identification information. As discussed previously, the example non-optical identifier  30  in this example is a passive RFID tag, which relies on the radio frequency signal from the reader  74  to provide the necessary power to the non-optical identifier  30  for transmitting a response back to the reader  74 . Other examples include mounting the reader  74  to the recyclable bin  54 . 
         [0021]    The non-optical identifier  30  contains identification information corresponding to the particular roll-out recyclable cart  10 . For example, the non-optical identifier  30  includes an alphanumeric identification code (ID) associated with the roll-out recyclable cart  10 . In this example, the information on the non-optical identifier  30  is set or established during assembly of the roll-out recyclable cart  10 . The recyclable truck  50  collects information about the tipped roll-out recyclable cart  10  through the non-optical identifier  30 . Although described in this example as an RFID tag, those skilled in the art and having the benefit of this disclosure may understand other types of non-optical identifiers for storing such information. In one example, the non-optical identifier  30  is written with information about the optical identifier  32 . 
         [0022]      FIG. 4  schematically illustrates of an example system  80  utilizing the roll-out recyclable cart  10  of  FIG. 1  with the non-optical identifier  30 . The system  80  collects and stores data within data storage  84  from at least one non-optical identifier  30  using the reader  74 . This data collection occurs within the recyclable truck  50  and includes saving identification from more than one non-optical identifier  30 . Example information may include recording the data and time of the tip, GPS data, and recording the ID of the tipped roll-out recyclable cart  10  obtained from the non-optical identifier  30 . 
         [0023]    The data within the data storage  84  communicates to a computer server  88 . Communicating the data to the computer server  88  may take place after the recyclable truck  50  returns from collecting recyclables on a particular route or after filling the recyclable bin  54  with recyclables. In another example, the recyclable truck  50  communicates collected data wirelessly after each tip, or periodically. 
         [0024]    The computer server  88  associates the ID, date, and time information with further information by communicating with an information database  92 . The ID from the non-optical identifier  30  associates the roll-out recyclable cart  10  with other information in the database  92 , such as an address corresponding to a resident utilizing the roll-out recyclable cart  10 . Thus, the non-optical identifier  30  provides the computer server  88  with the information needed to associate an address for the roll-out recyclable cart  10  with date and time information about the tip. 
         [0025]    In another example, the identification information provided to the reader  74  from the non-optical identifier  30  already contains the address information about the roll-out recyclable cart  10 , and perhaps other information such as mold date, distribution date, or both. In such an example, the computer server  88  obtains necessary information directly from the non-optical identifier  30  rather than associating the ID with data in the information database  92   
         [0026]    The computer server  88  generates data reports  96  using the associations from the computer server  88 . Example data reports  96  generate recyclable collection bills for customers based on the number of tips associated with their roll-out recyclable cart  10 . Other examples, such as when using another type of cart, also generate collection bills based on the number of tips. Other example data reports  96  plan routes for the recyclable truck  50 , which are optimized or otherwise modified based on the number of tips associated with a particular area. That is, the recyclable truck  50  would plan a shorter route if, over time, the smaller route resulted in as many tips, and therefore as much recyclables, as another larger route. Thus, the system  80  estimates future volumes of recyclables based on the past number of tips of the roll-out recyclable cart  10  at particular locations. 
         [0027]    Other examples may include providing a website for customers to track their roll-out recyclable cart  10  using ID from the non-optical identifier  30 . In such an example, a resident logs on to an internet website, provides their ID, and tracks progress of repairs to their roll-out recyclable cart  10 , for example. Recyclable truck weight  50  and average weight per stop are also reported on the internet website or elsewhere in some examples. 
         [0028]    The non-optical identifier  30  is sometimes added to the roll-out recyclable cart  10  after manufacturing, rather than as a controlled manufacturing step. For example, referring to  FIG. 5 , another example roll-out recyclable cart  10   a  includes a hinge member  22   a  that defines a chamber  100 , here a cylindrical chamber. In this example, the hinge member  22   a  connects to a handle section  102  used to manipulate the position of the roll-out recyclable cart  10   a . An optical identifier  32   a  is secured to a outer surface of the roll-out recyclable cart  10   a  during manufacturing. 
         [0029]    In this example, the hinge member  22   a  includes portions molded with both the hollow body portion  14   a  and the lid member  18   a , while the handle section  102  is molded jtogether with the hollow body portion  14   a . Removing a pin  104  from the hinge member  22   a  along a hinge axis X permits separating the lid member  18   a  from the hollow body portion  14   a , and exposes the chamber  100 , which extends along the hinge axis  104  through the hinge member  22   a  and the handle section  102 . In this example, the chamber  100  stores a non-optical identifier  108 , here a flexible RFID tag. The pin  104  stores the non-optical identifier  108  in another examples. 
         [0030]    The walls of the chamber  100  protect the non-optical identifier  108  during use of the roll-out recyclable cart  10   a . Further, utilizing the chamber  100  to hold the non-optical identifier  108  facilitates adding the non-optical identifier  108  to the roll-out recyclable cart  10   a , even after manufacturing the roll-out recyclable cart  10   a . In such examples, the optical identifier  32   a , rather than both the optical identifier  32   a  and the non-optical identifier  108 , includes specific information about the roll-out recyclable cart  10  because only the optical identifier  32   a  was secured or associated with the roll-out recyclable cart  10  as part of a controlled manufacturing step, for example. If the non-optical identifier  108  is added later, or otherwise lacks an association with the roll-out recyclable cart  10 , the non-optical identifier  108  may need to be associated with the optical identifier  32 , the roll-out recyclable cart  10 , or both. 
         [0031]    Referring to  FIG. 6  with continuing reference to  FIG. 5 , a fixture  110  includes a non-optical scanner  114  for reading the non-optical identifier  108  and a handheld optical scanner  118  for reading the optical identifier  32 . Other examples include read the non-optical identifier  108  and the optical identifier  32  with a single handheld scanner. A display  116  displays scanning results for example. 
         [0032]    Referring to  FIG. 7 , the roll-out recyclable is moved within the fixture  110  to properly position the non-optical identifier  108  and the optical identifier  32  for scanning. A general purpose computer  122  is used for associating the optical identifier  32  with the non-optical identifier  114 . The fixture  110  also verifies presence of the optical identifier  32  and the non-optical identifier  114 .  FIG. 8  illustrates a screen shot from the display  116  showing an example reading from the non-optical scanner  114  and the optical scanner  118 . 
         [0033]    Although a preferred embodiment has been disclosed, a worker of ordinary skill in this art would recognize that certain modifications would come within the scope of this invention. For that reason, the following claims should be studied to determine the true scope and content of this invention.