AUTOMATED TRANSACTIONAL CARBON OFFSETTING

• US 20100145833A1
• Filed: 12/09/2008
• Published: 06/10/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PDI Merger S2 LLC
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Hamilton, Rick A. II, O'Connell, Brian M., Kozloski, James R., Pickover, Clifford A., Walker, Keith R.
• Granted Patent: US 9,665,907 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/30
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/227 characterised in that multiple accounts are available, e.g. to the payer
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0603 Catalogue ordering
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 13/025 wherein the volume is determined during delivery
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/845 Inventory and reporting systems for greenhouse gases [GHG]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/90 Financial instruments for climate change mitigation, e.g. environmental taxes, subsidies or financing

Abstract

Methods, including service methods, articles of manufacture, systems, articles and programmable devices are provided for linking and utilizing monetary and carbon credit accounts through a programmable arbitrating device providing a transaction interface to the buyer. A composite price is set for an item having a monetary portion and a carbon credit portion, a buyer executing a purchase of the item through an input to the arbitrating device transaction interface, the arbitrating device automatically charging a monetary payments from the buyer'"'"'s monetary account, carbon credit payments from the buyer'"'"'s carbon credit account, a difference between the payments and the composite price debited to the buyer'"'"'s carbon credit account balance for a monetary value of the difference as a function of a monetary-carbon exchange rate, or to the buyer'"'"'s monetary account for a carbon credit value of the difference as a function of the monetary-carbon exchange rate.

Claims

1. A method for linking and utilizing monetary and carbon credit accounts in consideration of a transaction, comprising:

providing each of a buyer'"'"'s monetary account and a buyer'"'"'s carbon credit account;

providing a programmable arbitrating device configured to link the buyer'"'"'s monetary account and the buyer'"'"'s carbon credit account and to provide a transaction interface to the buyer;

setting a composite price of an item offered for sale to the buyer through the arbitrating device transaction interface, the composite price having a monetary portion and a carbon credit portion; and

executing a purchase of the item through a buyer input to the arbitrating device transaction interface;

in response to the buyer input, the arbitrating device automatically;

charging a monetary payment from the buyer'"'"'s monetary account and charging a carbon credit payment from the buyer'"'"'s carbon credit account, wherein a total of the monetary payment and the carbon credit payment is less than the composite price; and

debiting a difference between the total payment and the composite price by one of;

debiting the buyer'"'"'s carbon credit account for a monetary value of the difference as a function of a monetary-carbon exchange rate; and

debiting the buyer'"'"'s monetary account for a carbon credit value of the difference as a function of the monetary-carbon exchange rate;

wherein a total of the buyer'"'"'s monetary payment, the buyer'"'"'s carbon credit payment, and the difference define a total consideration for the executed purchase equal to the composite price; and

wherein the arbitrating device is configured to automatically charge the monetary payment, charge the carbon credit payment and debit the difference without requiring a further action by the buyer or the seller.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein debiting the difference comprises debiting a portion of an entirety of the difference between the total payment and the composite price, further comprising:

the arbitrating device causing the seller to subsidize a remainder of the entirety of the difference by automatically requiring the seller to debit at least one of;

a monetary subsidy account of the seller for a monetary value of the remainder of the difference; and

a carbon credit subsidy account of the seller for a carbon credit value of the difference;

wherein a total of the buyer'"'"'s monetary payment, the buyer'"'"'s carbon credit payment, the debited portion of the difference and the seller'"'"'s subsidized remainder of the difference define the total consideration equal to the composite price; and

wherein the arbitrating device is configured to automatically cause the seller to subsidize the remainder without requiring a further action by the buyer.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising the arbitrating device automatically determining at least one of:

the monetary value of the remainder of the difference from a carbon credit value of the remainder of the difference as a function of the monetary-carbon exchange rate; and

the carbon credit value of the remainder of the difference from a monetary value of the remainder of the difference as a function of the monetary-carbon exchange rate

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising the arbitrating device automatically financing at least one of:

the debiting of the seller'"'"'s monetary subsidy account by automatically selling carbon credits from the seller'"'"'s carbon credit subsidy account to a carbon credit purchasing entity in communication with the arbitrating device as a function of the monetary-carbon exchange rate and crediting proceeds into the seller'"'"'s monetary subsidy account, wherein the proceeds equal the debiting of the seller'"'"'s monetary subsidy account; and

the debiting of the seller'"'"'s carbon credit subsidy account by automatically purchasing carbon credits from a carbon credit supplier entity in communication with the arbitrating device as a function of the monetary-carbon exchange rate, wherein the purchased carbon credits equals the debiting of the seller'"'"'s carbon credit subsidy account.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising a service provider providing the arbitrating device.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

the arbitrating device arbitrating between at least one of;

the buyer'"'"'s carbon credit account and the buyer'"'"'s monetary account; and

the seller'"'"'s carbon credit subsidy account and the seller'"'"'s monetary subsidy account;

the arbitrating comprising;

comparing the monetary-carbon exchange rate to a preference threshold; and

as a function of the compared monetary-carbon exchange rate meeting the preference threshold, selecting and converting an amount of the arbitrated monetary account or the arbitrated carbon credit account in satisfaction of a specified carbon credit/monetary proportion associated with the preference threshold.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the carbon credit supplier entity is a carbon banking and sequestering entity.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein providing the buyer'"'"'s monetary account and the buyer'"'"'s carbon credit account comprises a credit card provider establishing the buyer'"'"'s monetary account and the buyer'"'"'s carbon credit account as separate sub-accounts in the buyer'"'"'s name.

9. The method of claim 5, further comprising the arbitrating device communicating with the carbon credit supplier entity or the carbon credit purchasing entity through a Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol link.

10. The method of claim 5, wherein the arbitrating device is a fuel pump, further comprising:

sending a signal to the carbon credit supplier entity or the carbon credit purchasing entity in response to a fueling activity by a pump user;

mapping the signal to a fueling observation; and

setting an amount of carbon credits of the total consideration relative to an amount of monetary value of the total consideration as a function of the mapping.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the fueling activity selected from the group comprising:

presenting an account card associated with at least one of the buyer'"'"'s monetary and carbon credit accounts to a pump interface;

turning on the pump;

selecting a fuel grade; and

operating a fuel pump spout; and

wherein the fueling observation is selected from the group comprising;

a quantity of fuel purchased;

a kind of fuel purchased;

a time of day of fueling;

a temperature;

an elapsed time the pump user operated the fuel pump spout; and

an elapsed time the pump user left the fuel pump spout in a vehicle tank.

12. A method for linking and utilizing monetary and carbon credit accounts in consideration of a transaction, 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;

link a buyer'"'"'s monetary account and a buyer'"'"'s carbon credit account and to provide a transaction interface to a buyer;

execute a purchase of an item in response to an input from a buyer, the item having a composite price having a monetary portion and a carbon credit portion, by, without requiring a further action by a buyer or a seller, automatically;

charging a monetary payment from the buyer'"'"'s monetary account and charging a carbon credit payment from the buyer'"'"'s carbon credit account, wherein a total of the monetary payment and the carbon credit payment is less than the composite price; and

debiting a difference between the total payment and the composite price by one of;

debiting the buyer'"'"'s carbon credit account balance for a monetary value of the difference as a function of a monetary-carbon exchange rate; and

debiting the buyer'"'"'s monetary account for a carbon credit of the difference as a function of the monetary-carbon exchange rate;

wherein a total of the buyer'"'"'s monetary payment, the buyer'"'"'s carbon credit payment, and the difference define a total consideration for the executed purchase equal to the composite price.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein debiting the difference comprises debiting a portion of an entirety of the difference between the total payment and the composite price, the program code comprising instructions which, when executed on the computer system, causes the computer system to:

cause the seller to subsidize a remainder of the entirety of the difference by automatically, without requiring a further action by the buyer, requiring the seller to debit at least one of;

a monetary subsidy account of the seller for a monetary value of the remainder of the difference; and

a carbon credit subsidy account of the seller for a carbon credit value of the difference;

wherein a total of the buyer'"'"'s monetary payment, the buyer'"'"'s carbon credit payment, the debited portion of the difference and the seller'"'"'s subsidized remainder of the difference define the total consideration equal to the composite price.

14. The method of claim 13, the program code comprising instructions which, when executed on the computer system, causes the computer system to automatically determine at least one of:

the monetary value of the remainder of the difference from a carbon credit value of the remainder of the difference as a function of the monetary-carbon exchange rate; and

the carbon credit value of the remainder of the difference from a monetary value of the remainder of the difference as a function of the monetary-carbon exchange rate

15. The method of claim 13, the program code comprising instructions which, when executed on the computer system, causes the computer system to automatically finance at least one of:

debiting of the seller'"'"'s monetary subsidy account by automatically selling carbon credits from the seller'"'"'s carbon credit subsidy account to a carbon credit purchasing entity in communication with the computer system as a function of the monetary-carbon exchange rate and crediting proceeds into the seller'"'"'s monetary subsidy account, wherein the proceeds equal the debiting of the seller'"'"'s monetary subsidy account; and

debiting of the seller'"'"'s carbon credit subsidy account by automatically purchasing carbon credits from a carbon credit supplier entity in communication with the computer system as a function of the monetary-carbon exchange rate, wherein the purchased carbon credits equals the debiting of the seller'"'"'s carbon credit subsidy account.

16. The method of claim 13, the program code comprising instructions which, when executed on the computer system, causes the computer system to arbitrate between at least one of:

the buyer'"'"'s carbon credit account and the buyer'"'"'s monetary account; and

the seller'"'"'s carbon credit subsidy account and the seller'"'"'s monetary subsidy account;

the computer system arbitrating comprising;

comparing the monetary-carbon exchange rate to a preference threshold; and

as a function of the compared monetary-carbon exchange rate meeting the preference threshold, selecting and converting an amount of the arbitrated monetary account or the arbitrated carbon credit account in satisfaction of a specified carbon credit/monetary proportion associated with the preference threshold.

17. A programmable device comprising:

a processing means;

a memory in communication with the processing means comprising a logic component; and

a network interface in communication with the processing means and the memory;

wherein the processing means is configured to;

link a buyer'"'"'s monetary account and a buyer'"'"'s carbon credit account and to provide a transaction interface to a buyer;

execute a purchase of an item in response to an input from a buyer, the item having a composite price having a monetary portion and a carbon credit portion, by, without requiring a further action by a buyer or a seller, automatically;

charging a monetary payment from the buyer'"'"'s monetary account and charging a carbon credit payment from the buyer'"'"'s carbon credit account, wherein a total of the monetary payment and the carbon credit payment is less than the composite price; and

debiting a difference between the total payment and the composite price by one of;

debiting the buyer'"'"'s carbon credit account balance for a monetary value of the difference as a function of a monetary-carbon exchange rate; and

debiting the buyer'"'"'s monetary account for a carbon credit of the difference as a function of the monetary-carbon exchange rate;

wherein a total of the buyer'"'"'s monetary payment, the buyer'"'"'s carbon credit payment, and the difference define a total consideration for the executed purchase equal to the composite price.

18. The programmable device method of claim 17, wherein debiting the difference comprises debiting a portion of an entirety of the difference between the total payment and the composite price, the programmable device further configured to:

cause the seller to subsidize a remainder of the entirety of the difference by automatically, without requiring a further action by the buyer, requiring the seller to debit at least one of;

a monetary subsidy account of the seller for a monetary value of the remainder of the difference; and

a carbon credit subsidy account of the seller for a carbon credit value of the difference;

wherein a total of the buyer'"'"'s monetary payment, the buyer'"'"'s carbon credit payment, the debited portion of the difference and the seller'"'"'s subsidized remainder of the difference define the total consideration equal to the composite price.

19. The programmable device of claim 18, further configured to automatically determine at least one of:

the monetary value of the remainder of the difference from a carbon credit value of the remainder of the difference as a function of the monetary-carbon exchange rate; and

the carbon credit value of the remainder of the difference from a monetary value of the remainder of the difference as a function of the monetary-carbon exchange rate

20. The programmable device of claim 18, further configured to automatically finance at least one of:

debiting the seller'"'"'s monetary subsidy account by automatically selling carbon credits from the seller'"'"'s carbon credit subsidy account to a carbon credit purchasing entity in communication with the programmable device as a function of the monetary-carbon exchange rate and crediting proceeds into the seller'"'"'s monetary subsidy account, wherein the proceeds equal the debiting of the seller'"'"'s monetary subsidy account; and

debiting the seller'"'"'s carbon credit subsidy account by automatically purchasing carbon credits from a carbon credit supplier entity in communication with the programmable device as a function of the monetary-carbon exchange rate, wherein the purchased carbon credits equals the debiting of the seller'"'"'s carbon credit subsidy account.