Calculating a carbon-saving quantity for an individual

• US 10,572,364 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2019
• Issued: 02/25/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Advanced New Technologies Company Limited (Ant Group Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.
• Inventors: Jin, Huajing, Xu, Di, Li, Zhenhua, Bai, Xue
• Primary Examiner(s): Peters, Lisa E
• Application Number:
  US16/355,524
• Publication Number:
  US 20190213097A1
• Time in Patent Office: 347 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3013 where the computing system is an embedded system, i.e. a combination of hardware and software dedicated to perform a certain function in mobile devices, printers, automotive or aircraft systems testing or monitoring of control systems or parts thereof G05B23/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3058 Monitoring arrangements for monitoring environmental properties or parameters of the computing system or of the computing system component, e.g. monitoring of power, currents, temperature, humidity, position, vibrations thermal management in cooling arrangements of a computing system G06F1/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3409 for performance assessment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3438 monitoring of user actions tracking the activity of the user H04L67/535
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2219/10 Environmental application, e.g. waste reduction, pollution control, compliance with environmental legislation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/018 Certifying business or products
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/26 Government or public services business processes related to the transportation industry G06Q50/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/84 Greenhouse gas [GHG] management systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/845 Inventory and reporting systems for greenhouse gases [GHG]

Abstract

Behavior data associated with a user is obtained. The behavior data is generated when the user uses an Internet service and includes a user identification and identification information indicating the Internet service. At least one predefined carbon-saving quantity quantization algorithm is determined based on the identification information related to the Internet service. A carbon-saving quantity associated with the user is calculated based on the obtained behavior data and the determined at least one predefined carbon-saving quantity quantization algorithm. Based on the calculated carbon-saving quantity associated with the user and the user identification, user data is processed. The user data is related to the carbon-saving quantity associated with the user.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

obtaining behavior data that is generated when a first user uses a particular on-line service from among a plurality of on-line services, the obtained behavior data comprising (i) a user identification that is associated with the first user, and (ii) identification information that identifies the particular on-line service that is used by the first user;

selecting, from among a plurality of carbon-saving quantity quantization algorithms that are each pre-associated with a respective on-line service of the plurality of on-line services and that are each specific to a respective carbon-emitting activity that is avoided when a user uses the respective on-line service, a particular, predefined carbon-saving quantity quantization algorithm that is pre-associated with the particular on-line service based at least on the identification information that identifies the particular on-line service that was used by the first user;

determining a carbon-saving quantity representing an amount of carbon that would likely have been emitted by a particular carbon-emitting activity that was avoided when the first user used the particular on-line service based at least on performing the particular predefined carbon-saving quantity quantization algorithm that is pre-associated with the particular on-line service using the obtained behavior data; and

based on the determined carbon-saving quantity representing the amount of carbon that would likely have been emitted by the particular carbon-emitting activity that was avoided by the first user through usage of the particular on-line service, determining a quantity of points that are associated with the determined carbon-saving quantity.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the particular on-line service comprises an electronic payment service or an on-line ticketing service,

the particular carbon-emitting activity that is avoided when the user uses the particular on-line service comprises consuming paper products and driving a vehicle, and

the amount of carbon that would have been emitted by the particular carbon-emitting activity that was avoided by the first user through usage of the particular on-line service comprises a first amount of carbon that would have been emitted through consumption of the paper products and a second amount of carbon that would have been emitted through driving the vehicle, had the first user not used the electronic payment service or the on-line ticketing service.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the particular on-line service comprises an on-line reservation service,

the particular carbon-emitting activity that is avoided when the user uses the particular on-line service comprises driving a vehicle, and

the amount of carbon that would have been emitted by the particular carbon-emitting activity that was avoided by the first user through usage of the particular on-line service comprises a first amount of carbon that would have been emitted through driving the vehicle, had the first user not used the on-line reservation service.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the particular on-line service comprises an on-line step tracking service,

the particular carbon-emitting activity that is avoided when the user uses the particular on-line service comprises driving a vehicle, and

the amount of carbon that would have been emitted by the particular carbon-emitting activity that was avoided by the first user through usage of the particular on-line service comprises a first amount of carbon that would have been emitted had the user driven a vehicle for a distance that is equal to a distance that the first user walked, as tracked by the on-line step tracking service.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein each predefined carbon-saving quantity quantization algorithms determines a carbon footprint for a different carbon-emitting activity, or for a different combination of carbon-emitting activities, that was avoided when the user uses a different on-line service.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the obtained behavior data further comprises (iii) geographic data indicating a geographic location of the user when the user used the particular on-line service, and

wherein the carbon-saving quantity representing the amount of carbon that would have been emitted by the particular carbon-emitting activity that was avoided when the first user used the particular on-line service is determined further based on the geographic data.

7. The method of claim 1, comprising:

before the carbon-saving quantity representing the amount of carbon that would have been emitted by the particular carbon-emitting activity that was avoided when the first user used the particular on-line service is determined, selecting a proper subset of the obtained behavior data that is indicated as necessary for determining the carbon-saving quantity,

wherein the carbon-saving quantity is determined based on the proper subset of the obtained behavior data.

8. The method of claim 1, comprising:

assigning one or more virtual trees to the first user based on the determined carbon-saving quantity.

9. A non-transitory, computer-readable medium storing one or more instructions executable by a computer system to perform operations comprising:

obtaining behavior data that is generated when a first user uses a particular on-line service from among a plurality of on-line services, the obtained behavior data comprising (i) a user identification that is associated with the first user, and (ii) identification information that identifies the particular on-line service that is used by the first user;

selecting, from among a plurality of predefined carbon-saving quantity quantization algorithms that are each pre-associated with a respective on-line service of the plurality of on-line services and that are each specific to a respective carbon-emitting activity that is avoided when a user uses the respective on-line service, a particular, predefined carbon-saving quantity quantization algorithm that is pre-associated with the particular on-line service based at least on the identification information that identifies the particular on-line service that was used by the first user;

determining a carbon-saving quantity representing an amount of carbon that would have been emitted by a particular carbon-emitting activity that was avoided when the first user used the particular on-line service based at least on performing the particular predefined carbon-saving quantity quantization algorithm that is pre-associated with the particular on-line service using the obtained behavior data; and

based on the determined carbon-saving quantity representing the amount of carbon that would have been emitted by the particular carbon-emitting activity that was avoided by the first user through usage of the particular on-line service, determining a quantity of points that are associated with the determined carbon-saving quantity.

10. The medium of claim 9, wherein:

the particular on-line service comprises an electronic payment service or an on-line ticketing service,

the particular carbon-emitting activity that is avoided when the user uses the particular on-line service comprises consuming paper products and driving a vehicle, and

the amount of carbon that would have been emitted by the particular carbon-emitting activity that was avoided by the first user through usage of the particular on-line service comprises a first amount of carbon that would have been emitted through consumption of the paper products and a second amount of carbon that would have been emitted through driving the vehicle, had the first user not used the electronic payment service or the on-line ticketing service.

11. The medium of claim 9, wherein:

the particular on-line service comprises an on-line reservation service,

the particular carbon-emitting activity that is avoided when the user uses the particular on-line service comprises driving a vehicle, and

the amount of carbon that would have been emitted by the particular carbon-emitting activity that was avoided by the first user through usage of the particular on-line service comprises a first amount of carbon that would have been emitted through driving the vehicle, had the first user not used the on-line reservation service.

12. The medium of claim 9, wherein:

the particular on-line service comprises an on-line step tracking service,

the particular carbon-emitting activity that is avoided when the user uses the particular on-line service comprises driving a vehicle, and

the amount of carbon that would have been emitted by the particular carbon-emitting activity that was avoided by the first user through usage of the particular on-line service comprises a first amount of carbon that would have been emitted had the user driven a vehicle for a distance that is equal to a distance that the first user walked, as tracked by the on-line step tracking service.

13. The medium of claim 9, wherein each predefined carbon-saving quantity quantization algorithms determines a carbon footprint for a different carbon-emitting activity, or for a different combination of carbon-emitting activities, that was avoided when the user uses a different on-line service.

14. The medium of claim 9, wherein:

the obtained behavior data further comprises (iii) geographic data indicating a geographic location of the user when the user used the particular on-line service, and

wherein the carbon-saving quantity representing the amount of carbon that would have been emitted by the particular carbon-emitting activity that was avoided when the first user used the particular on-line service is determined further based on the geographic data.

15. The medium of claim 9, wherein the operations comprise:

before the carbon-saving quantity representing the amount of carbon that would have been emitted by the particular carbon-emitting activity that was avoided when the first user used the particular on-line service is determined, selecting a proper subset of the obtained behavior data that is indicated as necessary for determining the carbon-saving quantity,

wherein the carbon-saving quantity is determined based on the proper subset of the obtained behavior data.

16. The medium of claim 9, wherein the operations comprise:

assigning one or more virtual trees to the first user based on the determined carbon-saving quantity.

17. A system comprising:

one or more computers; and

one or more computer memory devices interoperably coupled with the one or more computers and having tangible, non-transitory, machine-readable media storing instructions, that when executed by the one or more computers, perform operations comprising;

obtaining behavior data that is generated when a first user uses a particular on-line service from among a plurality of on-line services, the obtained behavior data comprising (i) a user identification that is associated with the first user, and (ii) identification information that identifies the particular on-line service that is used by the first user;

selecting, from among a plurality of predefined carbon-saving quantity quantization algorithms that are each pre-associated with a respective on-line service of the plurality of on-line services and that are each specific to a respective carbon-emitting activity that is avoided when a user uses the respective on-line service, a particular, predefined carbon-saving quantity quantization algorithm that is pre-associated with the particular on-line service based at least on the identification information that identifies the particular on-line service that was used by the first user;

determining a carbon-saving quantity representing an amount of carbon that would have been emitted by a particular carbon-emitting activity that was avoided when the first user used the particular on-line service based at least on performing the particular predefined carbon-saving quantity quantization algorithm that is pre-associated with the particular on-line service using the obtained behavior data; and

based on the determined carbon-saving quantity representing the amount of carbon that would have been emitted by the particular carbon-emitting activity that was avoided by the first user through usage of the particular on-line service, determining a quantity of points that are associated with the determined carbon-saving quantity.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein:

the particular on-line service comprises an electronic payment service or an on-line ticketing service,

the particular carbon-emitting activity that is avoided when the user uses the particular on-line service comprises consuming paper products and driving a vehicle, and

the amount of carbon that would have been emitted by the particular carbon-emitting activity that was avoided by the first user through usage of the particular on-line service comprises a first amount of carbon that would have been emitted through consumption of the paper products and a second amount of carbon that would have been emitted through driving the vehicle, had the first user not used the electronic payment service or the on-line ticketing service.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein:

the particular on-line service comprises an on-line reservation service,

the particular carbon-emitting activity that is avoided when the user uses the particular on-line service comprises driving a vehicle, and

the amount of carbon that would have been emitted by the particular carbon-emitting activity that was avoided by the first user through usage of the particular on-line service comprises a first amount of carbon that would have been emitted through driving the vehicle, had the first user not used the on-line reservation service.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein:

the particular on-line service comprises an on-line step tracking service,

the particular carbon-emitting activity that is avoided when the user uses the particular on-line service comprises driving a vehicle, and

the amount of carbon that would have been emitted by the particular carbon-emitting activity that was avoided by the first user through usage of the particular on-line service comprises a first amount of carbon that would have been emitted had the user driven a vehicle for a distance that is equal to a distance that the first user walked, as tracked by the on-line step tracking service.

21. The system of claim 17, wherein each predefined carbon-saving quantity quantization algorithms determines a carbon footprint for a different carbon-emitting activity, or for a different combination of carbon-emitting activities, that was avoided when the user uses a different on-line service.

22. The system of claim 17, wherein:

the obtained behavior data further comprises (iii) geographic data indicating a geographic location of the user when the user used the particular on-line service, and

wherein the carbon-saving quantity representing the amount of carbon that would have been emitted by the particular carbon-emitting activity that was avoided when the first user used the particular on-line service is determined further based on the geographic data.

23. The system of claim 17, wherein the operations comprise:

before the carbon-saving quantity representing the amount of carbon that would have been emitted by the particular carbon-emitting activity that was avoided when the first user used the particular on-line service is determined, selecting a proper subset of the obtained behavior data that is indicated as necessary for determining the carbon-saving quantity,

wherein the carbon-saving quantity is determined based on the proper subset of the obtained behavior data.

24. The system of claim 17, wherein the operations comprise:

assigning one or more virtual trees to the first user based on the determined carbon-saving quantity.