Consumer Pollution Impact Profile System and Method

• US 20070255457A1
• Filed: 04/26/2007
• Published: 11/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Bright Planet Network, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Bright Planet Network, Inc.
• Inventors: Abshere, Seamus, Rossmeissl, Andrew, Isham, Jonathan T., Whitcomb, Jacob
• Application Number:
  US11/740,885
• Publication Number:
  US 20070255457A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/273
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/84 Greenhouse gas [GHG] management systems

Abstract

A system and method developing an ongoing relationship with a consumer for assessing the pollution impact attributable to the consumer. The ongoing relationship is provided utilizing a pollution impact profile. In one example a pollution impact profile represents a pollution impact attributable to the consumer. The pollution impact profile may be based on a plurality of categories of pollution impact, each category of pollution impact including an impact arising from one or more pollution-related activities and having an initial value of impact. A pollution impact profile may be associated with one or more pollution offsetting services. A pollution impact profile may be configured to allow a consumer to have an ongoing relationship with information related to an associated pollution impact attributed to the consumer.

Claims

1. A machine-implemented method of developing an ongoing relationship with a consumer for assessing the pollution impact attributable to the consumer, the method comprising:

providing a first interactive session for use by the consumer;

providing a pollution impact profile representing a pollution impact attributable to the consumer wherein the pollution impact profile is based on a plurality of categories of pollution impact, each category of pollution impact including an impact arising from one or more pollution-related activities and having an initial value of impact;

allowing the consumer to provide a first data representing the consumer'"'"'s actual pollution-related activities in at least one of the plurality of categories of pollution impact;

replacing at least a portion of the corresponding initial value of impact with the first data;

associating the pollution impact profile and the first data with the consumer such that the consumer may access the pollution impact profile during a second interactive session initiated after the termination of the first interactive session;

providing a first indicator of a pollution footprint based on the provided data and/or one or more of the initial values of impact;

allowing the consumer to associate one or more pollution offsetting services with the pollution impact profile for providing data related to pollution offset by the consumer; and

providing a second indicator based on an amount of pollution offset by the consumer.

2. A machine-implemented method according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of categories includes one or more categories each allocated to a specific category of pollution impact and an unallocated category representing a portion of the pollution impact attributable to the consumer that is not allocated to a specific category of pollution impact.

3. A machine-implemented method according to claim 2, further comprising improving the accuracy of the pollution impact profile by allocating at least a portion of the unallocated category to a new or existing specific category of pollution impact.

4. A machine-implemented method according to claim 1, wherein the pollution impact attributable to the consumer includes carbon emissions.

5. A machine-implemented method according to claim 1, further comprising:

providing the second interactive session for use by the consumer;

allowing the consumer to provide additional data representing the consumer'"'"'s actual pollution related activities in at least one of the plurality of categories of pollution impact for replacing at least a portion of a previously provided data and/or a portion of an initial value of impact; and

providing an updated indicator of the pollution footprint.

6. A machine-implemented method according to claim 1, wherein the consumer provides data by a process that includes a procedure selected from the group consisting of a web page, an SMS feed, a text message, a web services dialogue using an application programming interface (API), a formatted email message, an instant message, an electronic chat message, a widget message, wireless data communication, a data communication from a device installed in an automobile or other vehicle that communicates data related to vehicle operation, a data communication from a device installed in a home that communicates data related to pollution-generating home use, a data communication from a travel operator, a data communication from a touch-tone telephone, a data communication from a utility provider, and any combinations thereof.

7. A machine-implemented method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said providing of an indicator steps includes publishing an indicator to a location selected from the group consisting of a web page, an email, an electronic signature, a mobile device display, a financial account statement, a personal away message, a publicly accessible advertisement, XML-based syndication, SMS, a postal mailing, an instant messaging, an audio feed, an audio phone call and/or message, a publication to an automobile dashboard, other electronic and non-electronic publication media, a credit account statement, and any combinations thereof.

8. A machine-implemented method according to claim 1, wherein the one or more pollution offsetting services includes a financial account of the consumer and the method further comprises:

allocating a percentage of one or more transactions associated with the financial account in a pollution offsetting activity; and

reducing a portion of the pollution footprint of the consumer by an amount of pollution offset by said investing.

9. A machine-implemented method according to claim 1, wherein the providing of the first indicator includes iteratively updating the value of the first indicator as the consumer provides each actual data.

10. A machine-implemented method according to claim 1, further comprising:

pooling data related to a plurality of pollution footprints for a plurality of affiliated consumers; and

providing a third indicator of a total pollution footprint for the plurality of affiliated consumers.

11. A machine-implemented method according to claim 1, further comprising:

pooling data related to a plurality of pollution footprints for a plurality of affiliated consumers; and

providing a third indicator based on total amount of pollution offset by the affiliated consumers.

12. A system for developing an ongoing relationship with a consumer for assessing the pollution impact attributable to the consumer, the system comprising:

a means for providing a first interactive session for use by the consumer;

a means for providing a pollution impact profile representing a pollution impact attributable to the consumer wherein the pollution impact profile is based on a plurality of categories of pollution impact, each category of pollution impact including an impact arising from one or more pollution-related activities and having an initial value of impact;

a means for allowing the consumer to provide a first data representing the consumer'"'"'s actual pollution-related activities in at least one of the plurality of categories of pollution impact;

a means for replacing at least a portion of the corresponding initial value of impact with the first data;

a means for associating the pollution impact profile and the first data with the consumer such that the consumer may access the pollution impact profile during a second interactive session initiated after the termination of the first interactive session;

a means for providing a first indicator of a pollution footprint based on the provided data and/or one or more of the initial values of impact;

a means for allowing the consumer to associate one or more pollution offsetting services with the pollution impact profile for providing data related to pollution offset by the consumer; and

a means for providing a second indicator of the progress of the consumer toward offsetting the pollution footprint.

13. A machine-readable medium containing computer executable instructions implementing a method of developing an ongoing relationship with a consumer for assessing the pollution impact attributable to the consumer, the instructions comprising:

a set of instructions for providing a first interactive session for use by the consumer;

a set of instructions for providing a pollution impact profile representing a pollution impact attributable to the consumer wherein the pollution impact profile is based on a plurality of categories of pollution impact, each category of pollution impact including an impact arising from one or more pollution-related activities and having an initial value of impact;

a set of instructions for allowing the consumer to provide a first data representing the consumer'"'"'s actual pollution-related activities in at least one of the plurality of categories of pollution impact;

a set of instructions for replacing at least a portion of the corresponding initial value of impact with the first data;

a set of instructions for associating the pollution impact profile and the first data with the consumer such that the consumer may access the pollution impact profile during a second interactive session initiated after the termination of the first interactive session;

a set of instructions for providing a first indicator of a pollution footprint based on the provided data and/or one or more of the initial values of impact;

a set of instructions for allowing the consumer to associate one or more pollution offsetting services with the pollution impact profile for providing data related to pollution offset by the consumer; and

a set of instructions for providing a second indicator of the progress of the consumer toward offsetting the pollution footprint.

14. A machine-readable medium according to claim 13, wherein the plurality of categories includes one or more categories each allocated to a specific category of impact and an unallocated category representing a portion of the pollution impact attributable to the consumer that is not allocated to a specific category of pollution impact.

15. A machine-readable medium according to claim 14, further comprising a set of instructions for allocating at least a portion of the unallocated category to a new or existing specific category of pollution impact.

16. A machine-readable medium according to claim 13, wherein the one or more pollution offsetting services includes a financial account of the consumer and the instructions further comprise:

a set of instructions for allocating a percentage of one or more transactions associated with the financial account in a pollution offsetting activity; and

a set of instructions for reducing a portion of the pollution footprint of the consumer by an amount of pollution offset by said investing.

17. A machine-readable medium according to claim 13, further comprising:

a set of instructions for pooling data related to a plurality of pollution footprints for a plurality of affiliated consumers; and

a set of instructions for providing a third indicator of a total pollution footprint for the plurality of affiliated consumers.

18. A machine-implemented method according to claim 13, wherein the set of instructions for publishing of the first indicator includes a set of instructions for iteratively updating the value of the first indicator as the consumer provides each actual data.

19. A machine-implemented method of developing an ongoing relationship with a consumer for assessing the pollution impact attributable to the consumer, the method comprising:

providing a first interactive session for use by the consumer;

providing a pollution impact profile representing a pollution impact attributable to the consumer wherein the pollution impact profile is based on a plurality of categories of pollution impact including one or more allocated categories each representing a specific type of impact arising from a related one or more activities and an unallocated category representing a portion of the pollution impact attributable to the consumer that is not allocated to a specific type of impact, wherein each of the plurality of categories has an initial value of impact;

allowing the consumer to provide a first data representing the consumer'"'"'s actual pollution-related activities in at least one of the plurality of categories of impact for replacing at least a portion of the corresponding initial value of impact;

associating the pollution impact profile and the first data with the consumer such that the consumer may access the pollution impact profile during a second interactive session initiated after the termination of the first interactive session;

providing a first indicator of a pollution footprint based on the provided data and/or one or more of the initial values of impact; and

updating the pollution impact profile by allocating at least a portion of the unallocated category to a new or existing allocated category of pollution impact; and

providing a second indicator of the pollution footprint utilizing a value based on the updated pollution impact profile.

20. A method according to claim 19, further comprising:

allowing the consumer to associate one or more pollution offsetting services with the pollution impact profile for providing data related to pollution offset by the consumer; and

providing a third indicator of the progress of the consumer toward offsetting the pollution footprint.

21. A machine-implemented method according to claim 19, further comprising:

providing the second interactive session for use by the consumer;

allowing the consumer to provide additional data representing the consumer'"'"'s actual pollution related activities in at least one of the plurality of categories of impact for replacing at least a portion of a previously provided data and/or a portion of an initial value of impact; and

providing an updated indicator of the pollution footprint.

22. A pollution impact system for developing an ongoing relationship with a consumer that relates to a pollution impact attributable to the consumer, the system comprising:

a database accessible via a network; and

a pollution impact profile in said database, the pollution impact profile including;

a plurality of allocated categories of pollution impact, each of said plurality of categories based on one or more data elements associated with a corresponding one or more activities related to a pollution impact, each of said plurality of allocated categories representing a first portion of the pollution impact attributable to the consumer and having an initial value of impact in said database, wherein each of said plurality of categories is configured to be accessed and modified by the consumer with one or more actual pollution impact data values that relate to at least one of said one or more data elements; and

an unallocated category of pollution impact representing a second portion of the pollution impact attributable to the consumer that is not allocated to one of said plurality of allocated categories, wherein said second portion is configured to be modified to be allocated to a new allocated category upon acquisition of knew knowledge related to one or more activities that contribute to the pollution impact attributable to the consumer.