Product environmental information system

• US 20060286518A1
• Filed: 09/27/2004
• Published: 12/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Decision Commerce Group LLC
• Original Assignee: Decision Commerce Group LLC
• Inventors: Yoder, Thomas N.
• Application Number:
  US10/951,139
• Publication Number:
  US 20060286518A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 434/236
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management

Abstract

A system and method for calculating and communicating personalized product environmental information to users at the point of purchase, for accounting for pollution resulting from raw material production, manufacture, use disposal and packaging of the purchased product and for accounting for price surcharges paid by the purchaser. In a preferred embodiment, the user can scan a Universal Product Code on a product label using a handheld computer with a bar code reader and view personalized product information and ratings on the handheld computer. In another preferred embodiment, the information can be viewed on a desktop computer when purchasing online over a network. Preferably, individual pollution and price surcharge accounts are maintained for each user based on purchases, allowing for price surcharges and non-profit donations to be collected based on product lifecycle pollution quantities.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for managing personalized environmental information for a user regarding a product, said method comprising:

collecting a plurality of pollution impact data from a lifecycle assessment of the product and associating the pollution impact data with a product identifier assigned to the product;

parsing the pollution impact data and storing the parsed pollution impact data in a product pollution vector using default assumptions about use behavior and disposal behavior;

storing portions of the pollution impact data to be used in calculating use impacts and disposal impacts in a use vector and a disposal vector, respectively;

collecting information on the emissions of the fuel mix used to generate electricity consumed by products and services during use by the user and storing it in a use behavior vector;

collecting information on the recycling and reuse of the byproduct streams of the user and the emissions of disposed byproduct streams and storing it in a disposal behavior vector; and

calculating personalized product pollutant quantities using as inputs said product pollution vector, said use vector, said disposal vector, said use behavior vector, said disposal behavior vector and storing said personalized product pollutant quantities in a personalized product pollutant vector.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

collecting information on the environmental impact preferences of the user and storing it in a user preference vector;

calculating a product rating score for the product using as inputs said personalized product pollutant vector and said user preference vector and storing the result in a personalized product rating vector; and

calculating a cumulative impact value for the product for each impact class and storing the result in the personalized product rating vector.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

collecting information on monetized societal impact of environmental impacts and storing the information in a social impact vector; and

calculating a price surcharge for the product using said personalized product pollutant vector and said social impact vector as inputs and storing the result as a personalized price surcharge vector.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

transmitting the data contained in said personalized product rating vector and said price surcharge vector to the user'"'"'s computer device via a network connection or a storage medium for display to the user.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

collecting a designation of a non-profit organization or a marketing channel partner from the user and storing it;

donating the price surcharge for the product indicated by said price surcharge vector, minus an administrative fee, to the user-designated non-profit organization or marketing channel partner.

6. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

updating a pollution account of the user by adding said personalized product pollutant quantities to a first total in a pollutant account vector; and

updating the surcharge account of the user by adding said price surcharge to a second total in a surcharge account vector.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

transmitting the contents of a purchase transaction vector from a mobile computing device to a provider network server before performing the updating steps;

transmitting the contents of said pollutant account vector and said surcharge vector from said provider network server to said mobile computing device;

updating said pollutant account vector and said surcharge account vector to produce an updated pollutant account vector and an updated surcharge account vector; and

resetting said purchase transaction vector in the mobile computing device.

8. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

transmitting the contents of a purchase transaction vector from a shopping server to a provider network server before performing the updating steps;

if the user has a mobile computing device, transmitting the contents of said pollutant account vector and said surcharge vector from said provider network server to said mobile computing device;

updating said pollutant account vector and said surcharge account vector to produce an updated pollutant account vector and an updated surcharge account vector; and

if the user has said mobile computing device, placing said updated pollutant account vector and the updated surcharge account vector in a synchronization queue for transmission to said mobile computing device.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

transferring an amount in said updated surcharge account vector to an accounts receivable accounting system;

sending a statement to the user; and

accepting a payment from the user.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

calculating a payment amount to said user-designated non-profit organization or marketing channel partner; and

transmitting said payment amount to said user-designated non-profit organization or marketing channel partner.

11. A computer-implemented method for calculating and communicating personalized product environmental information to a user, and for accounting for pollution resulting from purchasing a product, said method comprising:

scanning a barcode on the product using a mobile, offline computing device;

identifying the product;

searching a database for a product rating vector and a price surcharge vector that are associated with the product;

displaying to the user personalized product impact information, a personalized product rating and a personalized price surcharge that are associated with the product;

accepting an indication that the product has been purchased; and

appending a product purchase line to a purchase transaction vector.

12. A computer-implemented method for calculating and communicating personalized product environmental information to a user at a point of purchase, and for accounting for pollution resulting from purchasing a product, said method comprising:

selecting the product and transmitting the selection to a server;

searching a database for a personalized product pollutant vector, a product rating vector and a price surcharge vector that are associated with the product;

displaying to the user personalized product impact information, a personalized product rating and a personalized price surcharge that are associated with the product;

transmitting an indication to said server that the product has been purchased;

appending a product purchase line to a purchase transaction vector; and

transmitting the contents of said purchase transaction vector to said server.

13. A computer-implemented method for calculating and communicating personalized product environmental information to a user at a point of purchase of each of a plurality of products, and for accounting for pollution resulting from purchasing each product, said method comprising:

accepting life cycle pollution data and a product code for each product;

accepting registration data from the user;

creating a pollutant account vector and a surcharge account vector for the user;

accepting preference data and behavior data from the user and storing said data in a preference vector and a behavior vector;

calculating personalized product pollutant quantities for the user for each product and storing said quantities in a personalized product pollutant vector;

calculating a personalized product rating and a personalized price surcharge for the user for each product and storing them in a personalized product rating vector and a personalized price surcharge vector;

placing said personalized product rating vector and said personalized price surcharge vector and/or software updates in a synchronization queue in a server;

connecting the user'"'"'s computing device with said server and storing said personalized product rating vector and said personalized price surcharge vector and/or software updates on said computing device;

inputting an indication of the user'"'"'s interest in a particular product to said computing device;

displaying personalized product environmental information relating to said particular product to the user by means of said computing device;

inputting a decision by the user to purchase said particular product to said computing device;

transmitting said decision to said server;

updating a pollutant account vector and a surcharge account vector of the user;

charging the user a surcharge amount associated with the purchase of said particular product; and

paying at least a portion of the surcharge amount to a selected non-profit organization.

14. A computer-implemented system for managing personalized environmental information for a user regarding a product, said system comprising:

means for collecting a plurality of pollution impact data from a lifecycle assessment of the product and associating the pollution impact data with a product identifier assigned to the product;

means for parsing said pollution impact data and storing parsed pollution impact data in a product pollution vector;

means for storing a portion of said pollution impact data to be used in calculating use impacts and disposal impacts in a use vector and a disposal vector, respectively;

means for collecting information on the emissions of the fuel mix used to generate electricity consumed by products and services during use by the user and storing it in a use behavior vector;

means for collecting information on the recycling and reuse of the byproduct streams of the user and the emissions of disposed byproduct streams and storing it in a disposal behavior vector; and

means for calculating personalized product pollutant quantities using as inputs said product pollutant vector, said use vector, said disposal vector, said use behavior vector, said disposal behavior vector and means for storing said personalized product pollutant quantities in a personalized product pollutant vector.

15. The system of claim 14 further comprising:

means for collecting information on the environmental impact preferences of the user and storing it in a user preference vector;

means for calculating a product rating score for the product using as inputs said personalized product pollutant vector and said user preference vector and storing the result in a personalized product rating vector; and

means for calculating a cumulative impact value for the product for each impact class and storing the result in said personalized product rating vector.

16. The system of claim 15 further comprising:

means for collecting information on monetized societal impact of environmental impacts and storing the information in a social impact vector; and

means for calculating a price surcharge for the product using said personalized product pollutant vector and said social impact vector as inputs and storing the result as a personalized price surcharge vector.

17. The system of claim 16 further comprising:

means for transmitting the data contained in said personalized product rating vector and said price surcharge vector to the user'"'"'s computer device via a network connection or a storage medium for display to the user.

18. The system of claim 17 further comprising:

means for collecting a designation of a non-profit organization or a marketing channel partner from the user and storing it; and

means for donating the price surcharge indicated by said price surcharge vector, minus an administrative fee, to the user-designated non-profit organization or marketing channel partner.

19. The system of claim 16 further comprising:

means for updating a pollution account of the user by adding said personalized product pollutant quantities to a first total in a pollutant account vector; and

means for updating a surcharge account of the user by adding said price surcharge to a second total in a surcharge account vector.

20. The system of claim 19 further comprising:

means for transmitting the contents of a purchase transaction vector from a mobile computing device to a provider network server; and

means for transmitting the contents of said pollutant account vector and said surcharge vector from said provider network server to said mobile computing device;

means for updating said pollutant account vector and said surcharge account vector to produce an updated pollutant account vector and an updated surcharge account vector; and

means for resetting said purchase transaction vector in said mobile computing device.

21. The system of claim 18 further comprising:

means for transmitting the contents of a purchase transaction vector from a shopping server to a provider network server;

means for transmitting the contents of said pollutant account vector and said surcharge vector from said provider network server to said mobile computing device; and

means for updating said pollutant account vector and said surcharge account vector to produce an updated pollutant account vector and an updated surcharge account vector; and

means for placing said updated pollutant account vector and said updated surcharge account vector in a synchronization queue for transmission to a mobile computing device, if the user has such a device.

22. The system of claim 20 further comprising:

means for transferring an amount in said updated surcharge account vector to an accounts receivable accounting system;

means for sending a statement to the user; and

means for accepting a payment from the user.

23. The system of claim 22 further comprising:

means for calculating a payment amount to said user-designated non-profit organization or marketing channel partner; and

means for transmitting said payment amount to said user-designated non-profit organization or marketing channel partner.

24. A computer-implemented system for calculating and communicating personalized product environmental information to a user, and for accounting for pollution resulting from purchasing a product, said method comprising:

means for scanning a barcode on the product using a mobile, offline computing device;

means for identifying the product;

means for searching a database for a product rating vector and a price surcharge vector that are associated with the product;

means for displaying to the user personalized product impact information, a personalized product rating and a personalized price surcharge that are associated with the product;

means for accepting an indication that the product has been purchased; and

means for appending a product purchase line to a purchase transaction vector.

25. A computer-implemented system for calculating and communicating personalized product environmental information to a user at a point of purchase, and for accounting for pollution resulting from purchasing a product, said system comprising:

means for selecting the product and for transmitting the selection to a server;

means for searching a database for a personalized product pollutant vector, a personalized product rating vector and a personalized price surcharge vector that are associated with the product;

means for displaying to the user personalized product impact information, a personalized product rating and a personalized price surcharge that are associated with the product;

means for transmitting an indication to the server that the product has been purchased;

means for appending a product purchase line to a purchase transaction vector; and

means for transmitting the contents of said purchase transaction vector to the server.

26. A computer-implemented system for calculating and communicating personalized product environmental information to a user at a point of purchase of each of a plurality of products, and for accounting for pollution resulting from purchasing each product, said system comprising:

means for accepting life cycle pollution data and a product code for each product;

means for accepting registration data from the user;

means for creating a pollutant account vector and a surcharge account vector for the user;

means for accepting preference data and behavior data from the user and storing said data in a preference vector and a behavior vector;

means for calculating personalized product pollutant quantities for the user for each product and storing said quantities in a personalized product pollutant vector;

means for calculating a personalized product rating and a personalized price surcharge for the user for each product and storing them in a personalized product rating vector and a personalized price surcharge vector;

means for placing said personalized product rating vector and said personalized price surcharge vector and/or software updates in a synchronization queue in a server;

means for connecting the user'"'"'s computing device with said server and storing said personalized product rating vector and said personalized price surcharge vector and/or software updates on said computing device;

means for inputting an indication of the user'"'"'s interest in a particular product to said computing device;

means for displaying personalized product environmental information to the user by means of said computing device;

means for inputting a decision by the user to purchase said particular product to said computing device;

means for transmitting said decision to said server;

means for updating a pollutant account vector and a surcharge account vector of the user;

means for charging the user a surcharge amount associated with the purchase of the particular product; and

means for paying at least a portion of the surcharge amount to a selected non-profit organization.

27. A computer-implemented method for calculating and communicating personalized product environmental information to a user, and for accounting for pollution resulting from purchasing a product, said method comprising:

a step for scanning a barcode on the product using a mobile, offline computing device;

a step for identifying the product;

a step for searching a database for a product rating vector and a price surcharge vector that are associated with the product;

a step for displaying to the user personalized product impact information, a product rating and a price surcharge that are associated with the product;

a step for accepting an indication that the product has been purchased; and

a step for appending a product purchase line to a purchase transaction vector.

28. A computer-implemented method for calculating and communicating personalized product environmental information to a user at a point of purchase, and for accounting for pollution resulting from purchasing a product, said method comprising:

a step for selecting the product and transmitting the selection to a server;

a step for searching a database for a personalized product pollutant vector, a product rating vector and a price surcharge vector that are associated with the product;

a step for displaying to the user personalized product impact information, a product rating and a price surcharge that are associated with the product;

a step for transmitting an indication to the server that the product has been purchased;

a step for appending a product purchase line to a purchase transaction vector; and

a step for transmitting the contents of the purchase transaction vector to the server.

29. A computer-implemented method for calculating and communicating personalized product environmental information to a user at a point of purchase of each of a plurality of products, and for accounting for pollution resulting from each purchased product, said method comprising:

a step for accepting life cycle pollution data and a product code for each product;

a step for accepting registration data from the user;

a step for creating a pollutant account vector and a surcharge account vector for the user;

a step for accepting preference data and behavior data from the user and storing said data in a preference vector and a behavior vector;

a step for calculating personalized product pollutant quantities for the user for each product and storing said quantities in a personalized product pollutant vector;

a step for calculating a personalized product rating and a personalized price surcharge for the user for each product and storing them in a personalized product rating vector and a personalized price surcharge vector;

a step for placing said personalized product rating vector and said personalized price surcharge vector and/or software updates in a synchronization queue in a server;

a step for connecting a user'"'"'s computing device with said server and storing said personalized product rating vector and said personalized price surcharge vector and/or software updates on said computing device;

a step for inputting an indication of the user'"'"'s interest in a particular product to said computing device;

a step for displaying personalized product environmental information relating to said particular product to the user by means of said computing device;

a step for inputting a decision by the user to purchase said particular product to said computing device;

a step for transmitting said decision to said server;

a step for updating a pollutant account vector and a surcharge account vector of the user;

a step for charging the user a surcharge amount associated with the purchase of the particular product; and

a step for paying at least a portion of the surcharge amount to a selected non-profit organization.

30. An apparatus for storing and retrieving information associated with various coded items, said apparatus comprising:

a reading device for reading codings associated with individual items to produce coding signals;

a storage unit for storing societal impact information associated with individual items at respective storage addresses, each address being accessible through a corresponding address signal;

a first data processing unit for receiving coding signals read by said reading device and transmitting address signals to said storage unit to retrieve stored societal impact information from the corresponding storage addresses, wherein said first data processing unit comprises a coding unit which in response to receipt of at least one coding signal produces an associated address signal for transmission to said storage unit;

a second data processing unit for calculating personalized product ratings and personalized price surcharges and for accounting for cumulative societal impacts and cumulative price surcharges associated with the purchase of selected individual items by a user of the apparatus; and

an output unit for making retrieved societal impact information, personalized product ratings, personalized price surcharges, cumulative societal impacts and cumulative price surcharges available to the user of the apparatus.

31. A process for storing and retrieving information associated with various coded items, said process comprising:

reading codings associated with individual items with a reading device to produce coding signals;

storing societal impact information associated with individual items at respective storage addresses in a storage unit, each address being accessible through a corresponding address signal;

receiving coding signals read by said reading device at a first data processing unit and transmitting address signals to said storage unit to retrieve stored societal impact information from the corresponding storage addresses;

calculating personalized product ratings and personalized price surcharges and accounting for cumulative societal impacts and cumulative price surcharges associated with the purchase of selected individual items by a user; and

making retrieved societal impact information, personalized product ratings, personalized price surcharges, cumulative societal impacts and cumulative price surcharges available to the user.

39. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the process of claim 31.

32. An apparatus for generating personalized product information for an individual comprising:

means for inputting personal data relating to the individual;

means for calculating personalized product ratings and personalized price surcharges;

means for accounting for cumulative societal impacts and cumulative price surcharges associated with the purchase of selected products by the individual;

barcode means for inputting a code identifying at least one product that the individual is considering purchasing;

processor means under the control of a computer program for associating said code with said personalized product ratings and said personalized price surcharges pertinent to said at least one product that the individual is considering purchasing;

means for outputting said personalized product ratings and said personalized price surcharges to the individual pertinent to said at least one product identified by said code; and

means for outputting information to the individual concerning said cumulative societal impacts and said cumulative price surcharges associated with purchasing said at least one product identified by said code.

33. A computer-implemented process for generating personalized product information for an individual comprising:

inputting personal data relating to the individual;

calculating personalized product ratings and personalized price surcharges;

accounting for cumulative societal impacts and cumulative price surcharges associated with the purchase of selected products by the individual;

inputting a code identifying at least one product that the individual is considering purchasing;

associating the code with said personalized product ratings and said personalized price surcharges pertinent to said at least one product that the individual is considering purchasing;

outputting said personalized product ratings and said personalized price surcharges to the individual pertinent to said at least one product identified by said code; and

outputting information to the individual concerning said cumulative societal impacts and said cumulative price surcharges associated with purchasing said at least one product identified by said code.

40. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the process of claim 33.

34. A system for internalizing the societal cost of a product purchased by a user, said system comprising:

a product database having personalized product ratings and personalized price surcharges corresponding to a plurality of products;

means for selecting a particular product listed in said product database;

means for displaying a personalized product rating and a personalized price surcharge associated with said particular product; and

means for accounting for cumulative societal impacts and cumulative price surcharges associated with a purchase of said particular product by the user.

35. A technique for internalizing the societal cost of a product purchased by a user, said technique comprising:

providing a product database having personalized product ratings and personalized price surcharges corresponding to a plurality of products;

selecting a particular product listed in said product database;

displaying a personalized product rating and a personalized price surcharge associated with said particular product; and

accounting for cumulative societal impacts and cumulative price surcharges associated with a purchase of said particular product by the user.

41. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the technique of claim 35.

36. A method for providing information to a consumer regarding environmental aspects relating to the production, use and disposal of a product, said method comprising:

reading a bar code positioned on the product or its packaging;

transmitting information contained in said bar code to a computer;

evaluating a database of information based on the transmitted information contained in said bar code;

receiving a personalized product rating and a personalized price surcharge related to the production, use and disposal of the product residing in said database of information, whereby the consumer can make an informed decision about whether to purchase the product; and

if the consumer purchases the product, accounting for cumulative societal impacts and cumulative price surcharges associated with a purchase of the product.

42. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the method of claim 36.

37. A system for providing information to a consumer regarding environmental aspects relating to the production and use and disposal of a product by a consumer, said system comprising:

a bar code reader for reading a bar code;

a processor for evaluating a database of information and providing a personalized product rating and a personalized price surcharge to the consumer related to the production, use and disposal of the product identified by said bar code, and for accounting for cumulative societal impacts and cumulative price surcharges associated with a purchase of the product identified by said bar code by the consumer.

38. A system for providing information to a consumer regarding environmental aspects relating to the production and use and disposal of a product by a consumer, said system comprising:

a input device for selecting the product;

a processor for evaluating a database of information and providing a personalized product rating and a personalized price surcharge to the consumer related to the production, use and disposal of said selected product, and for accounting for cumulative societal impacts and cumulative price surcharges associated with a purchase of said selected product by the consumer.