SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR COMPUTING A VARIABLE FUEL PRICE BASED ON EXHAUST GAS EMISSIONS OF A VEHICLE

• US 20130144811A1
• Filed: 08/12/2011
• Published: 06/06/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ajith Kumar Padmalayam Narayana Kurup, Gurbrinder Singh Bindra, Shanmugasundaram Murugesan
• Original Assignee: Ajith Kumar Padmalayam Narayana Kurup, Gurbrinder Singh Bindra, Shanmugasundaram Murugesan
• Inventors: Padmalayam Narayana Kurup, Ajith Kumar, Murugesan, Shanmugasundaram, Bindra, Gurbrinder Singh
• Application Number:
  US13/816,625
• Publication Number:
  US 20130144811A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/413
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0206 Price or cost determination based on market factors
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083

Abstract

The present invention provides a system and method of computing a variable fuel price based on exhaust gas emission of a vehicle. In one embodiment, a system includes an onboard unit fitted in a vehicle for measuring amount of exhaust gas emissions by the vehicle and a remote server communicatively connected to the onboard unit for computing a discount or surcharge on a base fuel price based on the amount of exhaust gas emissions by the vehicle. The system also includes a fuel station communicatively coupled to the remote server for filling fuel in a fuel tank of the vehicle at the discounted or surcharge fuel price.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

an onboard unit fitted in a vehicle for measuring amount of exhaust gas emissions by the vehicle in real time;

a remote server communicatively connected to the onboard unit for computing a discount or surcharge on a base fuel price based on the amount of exhaust gas emissions by the vehicle; and

a fuel station communicatively coupled to the remote server for filling fuel in a fuel tank of the vehicle at the discounted or surcharged fuel price.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the onboard unit comprises:

at least one sensor deployed in an exhaust line of the vehicle for sensing the exhaust gas emissions by the vehicle; and

a communication unit communicatively coupled to the remote server for periodically transmitting the exhaust gas emission values to the remote server via a communication channel.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the remote server comprises:

a processor for computing a discount or surcharge on the base fuel price in real time based on the measured exhaust gas emissions; and

memory for storing the discount or surcharge on the base fuel price.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the processor computes the discount or surcharge based on the exhaust gas emissions measured between consecutive fuel filling cycles.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the processor computes the discount or surcharge on the base fuel price by comparing the exhaust gas emission value with a permissible standard exhaust gas emission value.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the processor computes the discount on the base fuel price when the exhaust gas emission value is less than the permissible standard exhaust gas emission value.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the processor computes a surcharge on the base fuel price when the exhaust gas emission value is greater than the permissible standard exhaust gas emission value.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the processor computes the discount or surcharge on the base fuel price based on a preset rule, wherein the rule indicate percentage of discount or surcharge applicable on the base fuel price.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the fuel station is configured for fetching the stored discount or surcharge value from the remote server in real time based on identification credentials associated with the vehicle.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the fuel station is configured for computing a final price of the fuel to be filled in the fuel tank by applying the fetched discount or surcharge value to the base fuel price.

11. The system of claim 3, wherein the processor is configured for:

computing a final price of the fuel to be filled in the fuel tank by applying the discount or surcharge value to the base fuel price; and

communicating the final price of fuel to be filled in the fuel tank to the fuel station.

12. A method of computing a variable fuel price based on exhaust gas emissions of a vehicle, the method comprising:

measuring amount of exhaust gas emissions by the vehicle in real time using an onboard unit fitted in the vehicle;

dynamically computing a discount or surcharge on a base fuel price by a remote server based on the measured amount of exhaust gas emissions; and

computing a final price of fuel to be filled in a fuel tank of the vehicle by a fuel station based on the discount or surcharge value.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein measuring the amount of exhaust gas emissions by the vehicle comprises:

sensing the exhaust gas emissions by the vehicle using at least one sensor; and

periodically transmitting the exhaust gas emission value to the remote server via a communication channel using a communication unit.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein dynamically computing the discount or surcharge on the base fuel price using the remote server based on the measured amount of exhaust gas emissions comprises:

comparing the exhaust gas emission value with a permissible standard exhaust gas emission value;

computing a discount or surcharge on the base fuel price in real time based on the outcome of comparison; and

storing the discount or surcharge computed on the base fuel price.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the discount or surcharge on the base fuel price is computed based on the exhaust gas emissions measured between consecutive fuel filling cycles.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the discount is availed on the base fuel price when the exhaust gas emission value is less than the permissible standard exhaust gas emission value.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the surcharge amount is levied on the base fuel price when the exhaust gas emission value is greater than the permissible standard gas emission value.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the discount or surcharge on the base fuel price is computed based on a preset rule, wherein the rule indicate percentage of discount or surcharge applicable on the base fuel price.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein computing the final price of the fuel to be filled in the fuel tank by the fuel station based on the discount or surcharge value comprises:

fetching the discount or surcharge value from the remote server in real time based on identification credentials associated with the vehicle; and

computing the final price of the fuel to be filled in the fuel tank by the fuel station based on the fetched discount or surcharge value.

20. A system comprising:

an onboard unit fitted in a vehicle for;

measuring amount of exhaust gas emissions by the vehicle in real time; and

computing a discount or surcharge on a base fuel price based on the amount of exhaust gas emissions by the vehicle; and

a fuel station communicatively coupled to the onboard unit for filling fuel in a fuel tank of the vehicle at the discounted or surcharge fuel price.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the onboard unit comprises:

at least one sensor deployed in an exhaust line of the vehicle for sensing the exhaust gas emissions by the vehicle;

a processor for computing a discount or surcharge on the base fuel price in real time based on the measured exhaust gas emissions; and

memory for storing the discount or surcharge on the base fuel price.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the onboard unit comprises:

a display device for displaying the discount or surcharge computed on the base fuel price.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the processor computes the discount or surcharge based on the exhaust gas emissions measured between consecutive fuel filling cycles.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the processor computes a discount or surcharge on the base fuel price by comparing the exhaust gas emission value with a permissible standard exhaust gas emission value.

25. The system of claim 20, wherein the fuel station is configured for fetching the stored discount or surcharge value stored in the onboard unit of the vehicle in real time.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the fuel station is configured for computing a final price of the fuel to be filled in the fuel tank by applying the fetched discount or surcharge value to the base fuel price.

27. The system of claim 21, wherein the processor computes the discount or surcharge on the base fuel price based on a preset rule, wherein the rule indicates percentage of discount or surcharge applicable on the base fuel price.