COMPUTING TASK CARBON OFFSETING

• US 20100107171A1
• Filed: 10/24/2008
• Published: 04/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PDI Merger S2 LLC
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Hamilton, Rick A. II, O'Connell, Brian M., Pickover, Clifford A., Walker, Keith R., Amsterdam, Jeffrey D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,214,841 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 718/104
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3409 for performance assessment
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• 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

Abstract

Methods, systems, services and program products are provided for implementing carbon offset computing. During performance of a specified computing task data concerning resource consumption regarding that specified computing task is gathered and stored. Upon completion of the specified computing task, the amount of carbon offset required to compensate for resource consumption associated with performance of the completed specified computing task is calculated based upon stored or known resource consumption data. The calculated amount of carbon offset information may be transmitted to a carbon offset function provider, and a carbon offset function provider implements the specified amount of carbon offset based upon the calculated amounts communicated for the completed specified computing task.

Claims

1. A method for carbon offset computing, comprising:

embarking on a specified computing task;

gathering and storing resource consumption data related to the specified computing task;

completing the specified computing task;

calculating an amount of carbon offset required to compensate for resource consumption associated with performance of the completed specified computing task as a function of stored resource consumption data;

transmitting the calculated amount of carbon offset to a carbon offset function provider; and

implementing the carbon offset function based upon the calculated amount of carbon offset for the completed specified computing task.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the gathering and storing resource consumption data related to the specified computing task further comprises measuring a level of power consumption required for the specified computing task.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the gathering and storing resource consumption data related to the specified computing task further comprises determining a time of day and an external environmental temperature during which the specified computing task is being performed.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the gathering and storing resource consumption data related to the specified computing task further comprises:

determining a geographic location where the specified computing task is being performed; and

determining at least one of a form of power generation provided at the geographic location, an excess power capacity at the geographic location, an external environmental temperature at the geographic location and a proximity of the geographic location to another computer network to which connection is required.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the gathering and storing resource consumption data related to the specified computing task further comprises measuring a change in an internal temperature of a computer performing the specified computing task during performance of the task.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the gathering and storing resource consumption data related to the specified computing task further comprises determining how many pages of paper were printed during performance of the specified computing task.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the embarking on the specified computing task comprises using a computational device;

wherein the completing the specified computing task comprises the computational device completing the specified computing task; and

wherein the gathering and storing resource consumption data comprises gathering and storing resource consumption data regarding the computational device related to the specified processing task.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the calculating an amount of carbon offset further comprises:

invoking a user-selected carbon offset level provided through an interface of the computational device prior to the performance of the processing task by the computational device;

querying a policy table containing a plurality of possible computational device resource considerations as a function of the carbon offset level invoking;

displaying an available subset of the plurality of possible carbon offset levels to a user as a function of the querying of the policy table;

the user selecting at least one of the available subset possible carbon offset levels;

implementing the at least one selected carbon offset level for the computational device to perform the specified processing task; and

displaying a carbon offset function performed by the at least one selected carbon offset level.

9. A method for calculating carbon offset for computing tasks, comprising:

producing computer executable program code;

storing the code on a computer readable medium; and

providing the program code to be deployed and executed on a computer system, the program code comprising instructions which, when executed on the computer system, cause the computer system to;

embark on a specified computing task;

gather resource consumption data related to the specified computing task for storage in the memory;

complete the specified computing task;

calculate an amount of carbon offset required to compensate for resource consumption associated with performance of the completed specified computing task based upon stored resource consumption data or user selected carbon offset levels; and

transmit the calculated amount of carbon offset to the carbon offset function provider via the network interface for implementation of the carbon offset function based upon the calculated amount of carbon offset for the completed specified computing task.

10. The method of claim 9, the program code comprising instructions which, when executed on the computer system, causes the computer system to gather and store the resource consumption data related to the specified computing task by determining a time of day and an external environmental temperature during which the specified computing task is being performed.

11. The method of claim 10, the program code comprising instructions which, when executed on the computer system, causes the computer system to gather and store the resource consumption data related to the specified computing task by:

determining a geographic location where the specified computing task is being performed; and

determining at least one of a form of power generation provided at the geographic location, an excess power capacity at the geographic location, an external environmental temperature at the geographic location and a proximity of the geographic location to another computer network to which connection is required.

12. The method of claim 11, the program code comprising instructions which, when executed on the computer system, causes the computer system to calculate the amount of carbon offset by:

invoking a user-selected carbon offset level provided through an interface of the computational device prior to the performance of the processing task by the computational device;

querying a policy table containing a plurality of possible computational device resource considerations as a function of the carbon offset level invoking;

displaying an available subset of the plurality of possible carbon offset levels to a user as a function of the querying of the policy table;

at least one of the available subset possible carbon offset levels;

implementing the at least one selected carbon offset level selected by the user for the computational device performing the specified processing task; and

displaying a carbon offset function performed by the at least one selected carbon offset level.

13. A service for providing carbon offsetting for a computational device performing specific computational tasks, comprising:

providing a computer infrastructure configured to;

embark on a specified processing task;

gather and store resource consumption data regarding the computer infrastructure related to the specified processing task;

complete the specified processing task;

calculate an amount of carbon offset required to compensate for resource consumption associated with performance of the completed specified processing task based upon stored resource consumption data;

transmit the calculated amount of carbon offset to a carbon offset function provider; and

implement the carbon offset function based upon the calculated amount of carbon offset for the completed specified computational task.

14. The service of claim 13 wherein the computer infrastructure is configured to gather and store the resource consumption data related to the specified computing task by determining a time of day and an external environmental temperature during which the specified computing task is being performed.

15. The service of claim 13 wherein the computer infrastructure is configured to gather and store the resource consumption data related to the specified computing task by:

determining a geographic location where the specified computing task is being performed; and

determining at least one of a form of power generation provided at the geographic location, an excess power capacity at the geographic location, an external environmental temperature at the geographic location and a proximity of the geographic location to another computer network to which connection is required.

16. The service of claim 13 wherein the computer infrastructure is configured to gather and store the resource consumption data related to the specified computing task by measuring a change in an internal temperature of a computer performing the specified computing task during performance of the task.

17. The service of claim 13 wherein the computer infrastructure is configured to calculate the amount of carbon offset by:

invoking a user-selected carbon offset level provided through an interface of the computational device prior to the performance of the processing task by the computational device;

querying a policy table containing a plurality of possible computational device resource considerations as a function of the carbon offset level invoking;

displaying an available subset of the plurality of possible carbon offset levels to a user as a function of the querying of the policy table;

the user selecting at least one of the available subset possible carbon offset levels;

implementing at least one of the displayed available subset possible carbon offset levels selected by the user for the computational device to perform the specified processing task; and

displaying a carbon offset function performed by the at least one selected carbon offset level.

18. A programmable device for calculating carbon offset for computing tasks comprising:

a processing means for performing a specified computing task;

a memory in communication with the processing means for storing resource consumption data associated with performance of the specified computing task or a user selected carbon offset level; and

a network interface in communication with the processing means, the memory and a carbon offset function provider;

wherein the processing means is configured to;

embark on a specified computing task;

gather resource consumption data related to the specified computing task for storage in the memory;

complete the specified computing task;

calculate an amount of carbon offset required to compensate for resource consumption associated with performance of the completed specified computing task based upon stored resource consumption data or user selected carbon offset levels; and

transmit the calculated amount of carbon offset to the carbon offset function provider via the network interface for implementation of the carbon offset function based upon the calculated amount of carbon offset for the completed specified computing task.

19. The programmable device of claim 18 further comprising a power consumption monitor configured to measure an amount of power consumed by the device during the specified computing task.

20. The programmable device of claim 19, wherein the power consumption monitor is configured to determine a time of day and an external environmental temperature during which the specified computing task is being performed.

21. The programmable device of claim 19, wherein the power consumption monitor is configured to determine:

a geographic location where the specified computing task is being performed; and

at least one of a form of power generation provided at the geographic location, an excess power capacity at the geographic location, an external environmental temperature at the geographic location and a proximity of the geographic location to another computer network to which connection is required.

22. The programmable device of claim 19, wherein the power consumption monitor is configured to measure, during performance of the specified computing task, at least one of a change in an internal temperature of the processing means, a change in an internal temperature of the memory, and how many pages of paper were printed.