Emissions Tracking, Such as Vehicle Emissions Tracking, and Associated Systems and Methods

• US 20080154671A1
• Filed: 03/14/2006
• Published: 06/26/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Louis D. Delk
• Original Assignee: Louis D. Delk
• Inventors: Delk, Louis D.
• Application Number:
  US11/815,435
• Publication Number:
  US 20080154671A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0075 for multiple spatially distributed sensors, e.g. for environmental monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083

Abstract

Vehicle emission tracking systems and associated methods can collect emission units associated with at least one vehicle. The emission units can represents (a) an amount of one or more selected pollutants, (b) an amount of thermal energy, or (c) both (a) and (b). The systems and methods can further include computing emission credits by comparing the collected emission units with a baseline, maintaining a total number of emission credits over a selected period of time, and providing a way to assign a portion of the total emission credits to a selected entity.

Claims

1. A system for tracking emission credits, comprising:

a wireless collector configured to collect emission units data associated with at least one vehicle via a wireless network, wherein the at least one vehicle includes a monitoring system carried by the at least one vehicle, and wherein the emission units data represents (a) an amount of one or more selected pollutants, (b) an amount of thermal energy, or (c) both (a) and (b); and

a data processing platform coupled to receive the emission units data, and being configured to;

compute emission credits data by comparing the collected emission units data with a baseline;

maintain a total number of emission credits over a selected period of time;

receive a command signal from a first entity to assign a portion of the total emission credits to at least one second entity in exchange for consideration; and

assign a portion of the total emission credits to the at least one second entity in exchange for consideration.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the data processing platform includes a computer server and the wireless collector includes a wireless network.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the data processing platform includes a computer server and the wireless collector includes a wireless network and wherein the data processing platform is configured to receive the command signal from the first entity via a computing device coupled to the computer server via the wireless network or another network.

4. A system for tracking emission credits, comprising:

a collector configured to collect emission units data associated with at least one vehicle, wherein the emission units data represents (a) an amount of one or more selected pollutants, (b) an amount of thermal energy, or (c) both (a) and (b); and

a data processing platform coupled to receive the emission units data, and being configured to;

compute emission credits data by comparing the collected emission units data with a baseline; and

maintain a total number of emission credits over a selected period of time.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the data processing platform is configured to produce a signal for use in assigning a portion of the total emission credits to at least one selected entity.

6. The system of claim 4 wherein the data processing unit is configured to produce a signal suitable to produce at least one of a printout and a display representing a portion of the total emission credits for use in assigning the portion of the total emission credits to at least one selected entity.

7. The system of claim 4 wherein the data processing platform is configured to produce a signal for use in assigning a portion of the total emission credits to at least one selected entity in exchange for consideration.

8. The system of claim 4 wherein the data processing platform is configured to produce a signal for use in assigning a portion of the total emission credits to at least one selected entity in exchange for (a) goods, (b) services, or (c) both (a) and (b).

9. The system of claim 4 wherein the collector is configured to collect emission units data from a monitoring system carried by the at least one vehicle.

10. The system of claim 4 wherein the collector is configured to collect emission units data via a wireless network from a monitoring system carried by the at least one vehicle.

11. The system of claim 4 wherein at least a portion of the data processing platform is carried by the at least one vehicle.

12. The system of claim 4, further comprising a printer carried by the vehicle, wherein the data processing platform is operably coupled to the printer and configured to provide a signal to the printer to cause the printer to print a document representing a portion of the total emission credits for use in assigning the portion of the total emission credits to at least one selected entity.

13. The system of claim 4 wherein the data processing platform is configured to assign the emission units to a first entity and wherein the data processing platform is configured to produce a signal for use in assigning a portion of the total emission credits to at least one second entity.

14. A system for tracking emission credits, comprising:

means for collecting emission units associated with at least one vehicle via a wireless network from a monitoring system carried by the at least one vehicle, the emission units representing (a) an amount of one or more selected pollutants, (b) an amount of thermal energy, or (c) both (a) and (b);

means for computing emission credits by comparing the collected emission units with a baseline;

means for maintaining a total number of emission credits over a selected period of time;

means for receiving a command from a first entity to assign a portion of the total emission credits to at least one second entity in exchange for consideration; and

means for assigning a portion of the total emission credits to the at least one second entity in exchange for consideration.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein at least one of the means for computing emission credits, the means for maintaining a total number of emission credits, and the means for assigning a portion of the total emission credits is carried by the at least one vehicle.

16. A computer-implemented method for tracking emission credits, comprising:

collecting emission units associated with at least one vehicle, the emission units representing (a) an amount of one or more selected pollutants, (b) an amount of thermal energy, or (c) both (a) and (b);

computing emission credits by comparing the collected emission units with a baseline; and

maintaining a total number of emission credits over a selected period of time.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising providing a signal for use in assigning a portion of the total emission credits to at least one selected entity.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising providing a signal suitable for producing at least one of a printout and a display representing a portion of the total emission credits for use in assigning the portion of the total emission credits to at least one selected entity.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising providing a signal for use in assigning a portion of the total emission credits to at least one selected entity in exchange for consideration.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising providing a signal for use in assigning a portion of the total emission credits to at least one selected entity in exchange for (a) goods, (b) services, or (c) both (a) and (b).

21. The method of claim 16 wherein collecting emission units includes collecting emission units obtained from a monitoring system carried by the at least one vehicle.

22. The method of claim 16 wherein collecting emission units includes collecting emission units via a wireless network from a monitoring system carried by the at least one vehicle.

23. The method of claim 16 wherein computing emission credits includes using a computing system to compute emission credits and wherein at least a portion of the computing system is carried by the at least one vehicle.

24. The method of claim 16, further comprising printing a document representing a portion of the total emission credits for use in assigning the portion of total emission credits to at least one selected entity.

25. The method of claim 16, further comprising printing a document representing a portion of the total emission credits for use in assigning the portion of total emission credits to at least one selected entity, wherein the document is printed by a printer carried by the at least one vehicle.

26. The method of claim 16 wherein computing emission credits includes assigning the emission credits to a first entity and wherein the method further comprises producing a signal for use in assigning a portion of the emission credits to at least one second entity.

27. The method of claim 16 wherein collecting emission units includes assigning the emission units to a first entity and wherein the method further comprises producing a signal for use in assigning a portion of the emission credits to at least one second entity.

28. The method of claim 16 wherein computing emission credits includes assigning at least a portion of the emission credits to a selected entity that is selected prior to the time when the emission units are collected.

29. The method of claim 16 wherein collecting emission units includes assigning at least a portion of the emission units to a selected entity that is selected prior to the time when the emission units are collected.

30. A computer-implemented method for tracking emission credits, comprising:

receiving a signal to assign (a) at least a portion of future emission units associated with at least one vehicle, (b) at least a portion of future emission credits associated with a vehicle, or (c) both (a) and (b) to a selected entity in exchange for consideration, wherein the emission units represent at least one of an amount of one or more selected pollutants and an amount of thermal energy, and wherein the emission credits are computed by comparing the collected emission units with a baseline;

collecting emission units associated with the at least one vehicle;

computing emission credits;

assigning (a) the at least a portion of future emission units associated with at least one vehicle, (b) the at least a portion of future emission credits associated with a vehicle, or (c) both (a) and (b) to the selected entity; and

maintaining a total number of emission credits over a selected period of time.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein the selected entity includes a first entity and wherein the method further comprises:

receiving a command to assign at least part of (a) the at least a portion of future emission units associated with at least one vehicle, (b) the at least a portion of future emission credits associated with a vehicle, or (c) both (a) and (b) to a second entity; and

assigning the at least part of (a) the at least a portion of future emission units associated with at least one vehicle, (b) the at least a portion of future emission credits associated with a vehicle, or (c) both (a) and (b) to the second entity