Method and system for evaluating environmental impact occurring during an activity cycle

• US 20070185691A1
• Filed: 02/08/2007
• Published: 08/09/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Kimura, Yuichi
• Granted Patent: US 8,078,599 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/189
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/00 Information and communication technology [ICT] specially adapted for implementation of business processes of specific business sectors, e.g. utilities or tourism healthcare informatics G16H

Abstract

A system for evaluating an environmental impact during a life cycle of an activity includes a controlling unit, which controls the system with a plurality of data storage elements connected to the controlling unit. The plurality of data storage elements includes a first data storage element, a second data storage element, a third data storage element, and a fourth data storage element. The first data storage element stores a first data type for each item to be used for the activity as life cycle inventory data. The second data storage element stores a second data type for each item, which includes grade information and recycle ratio information. The third data storage element stores a third data type for each item as modified life cycle inventory data. The third data type is obtained by modifying the first data type with the second data type. The fourth data storage element stores impact-coefficient data for each item.

Claims

1. A system for evaluating environmental impact associated with an activity, the activity comprising production of a unit of a product from an item comprising virgin material and recycled material, the system comprising:

a controller,

a plurality of data storages associated with the controller, the plurality of data storages comprising;

a first data storage configured to store a first data type associated with the item, the first data type comprising life cycle inventory data associated with the item,

a second data storage configured to store a second data type associated with the item, the second data type comprising grade information and recycle ratio information associated with the item, and

a third data storage configured to store a third data type associated with the item, the third data type comprising modified life cycle inventory data associated with the item,

the controller being configured to compute a gross amount of virgin material for producing the unit by referring to the first data type, adjust the gross amount of virgin material by an amount of recycled material determined based on the recycle ratio information associated with the item, compute a substantially true amount of virgin material for producing the unit by modifying the gross amount of virgin material with grade information associated with the item, and store the substantially true amount of virgin material in the third data storage as the third data type.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of data storages comprises a fourth data storage configured to store impact-coefficient data associated with the item,

the controller being configured to provide a first analysis result associated with an environmental load caused by the item by listing the substantially true amount of the virgin material of the item, and to provide a second analysis result associated with an environmental impact evaluation of a life cycle of the product by multiplying the substantially true amount of the virgin material of the item with the impact-coefficient data associated with the item.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the controller comprises a data evaluator, a correcting unit, a data storing unit, an item inputting unit, and an impact evaluation unit, and wherein

the data evaluator retrieves the first data type from the first data storage,

the correcting unit modifies the first data type into the third data type by applying the second data type,

the data storing unit stores the third data type in the third data storage,

the item inputting unit receives an item designator and third data type corresponding to the item designator, and

the impact evaluation unit retrieves the impact-coefficient for the item designator from the fourth data storage, and multiplies the third data type with the impact-coefficient data.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the controller and the plurality of data storages comprise a single integrated system.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the plurality of data storages and the controller are connected via a network.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein the controller periodically monitors a database, from which the plurality of data storages obtain data, to update data status of the plurality of data storages.

7. A method of evaluating environmental impact associated with an activity, the activity comprising production of a unit of a product from an item comprising virgin material and recycled material, the method comprising:

computing a gross amount of virgin material for producing the unit by referring to life cycle inventory data associated with the item,

adjusting the gross amount of virgin material by an amount of recycled material determined based on recycle ratio information associated with the item, and

computing a substantially true amount of virgin material for producing the unit by modifying the gross amount of virgin material with grade information associated with the item.

8. The method of claim 7 comprising:

storing a first data type associated with the item, the first data type comprising life cycle inventory data associated with the item,

storing a second data type associated with the item, the second data type comprising grade information and recycle ratio information associated with the item,

storing a third data type associated with the item, the third data type comprising modified life cycle inventory data associated with the item,

wherein the substantially true amount of virgin material is stored as the third data type, and wherein the step of computing a gross amount of virgin material comprises referring to the first data type.

11. The method of claim 7 comprising:

providing a first data storage configured to store a first data type associated with the item, the first data type comprising life cycle inventory data associated with the item,

providing a second data storage configured to store a second data type associated with the item, the second data type comprising grade information and recycle ratio information associated with the item,

providing a third data storage configured to store a third data type associated with the item, the third data type comprising modified life cycle inventory data associated with the item,

wherein the substantially true amount of virgin material is stored in the third data storage as the third data type, and wherein the step of computing a gross amount of virgin material comprises referring to the first data type.

12. The method of claim 11, comprising:

providing a fourth data storage configured to store impact-coefficient data associated with the item,

providing a first analysis result associated with an environmental load caused by the item by listing the substantially true amount of the virgin material of the item, and

providing a second analysis result associated with an environmental impact evaluation of a life cycle of the product by multiplying the substantially true amount of the virgin material of the item with the impact-coefficient data associated with the item.

9. A computer readable medium storing computer instructions for performing a method of evaluating environmental impact associated with an activity, the activity comprising production of a unit of a product from an item comprising virgin material and recycled material, the method comprising:

providing a first data storage configured to store a first data type associated with the item, the first data type comprising life cycle inventory data associated with the item,

providing a second data storage configured to store a second data type associated with the item, the second data type comprising grade information and recycle ratio information associated with the item,

providing a third data storage configured to store a third data type associated with the item, the third data type comprising modified life cycle inventory data associated with the item,

computing a gross amount of virgin material for producing the unit by referring to the first data type,

adjusting the gross amount of virgin material by an amount of recycled material determined based on the recycle ratio information associated with the item,

computing a substantially true amount of virgin material for producing the unit by modifying the gross amount of virgin material with grade information associated with the item, and

storing the substantially true amount of virgin material in the third data storage as the third data type.

10. The computer readable medium storing computer instructions according to claim 9, wherein the method comprises:

providing a fourth data storage configured to store impact-coefficient data associated with the item,

providing a first analysis result associated with an environmental load caused by the item by listing the substantially true amount of the virgin material of the item, and

providing a second analysis result associated with an environmental impact evaluation of a life cycle of the product by multiplying the substantially true amount of the virgin material of the item with the impact-coefficient data associated with the item.