COORDINATED NATURAL RESOURCE CONSERVATION

• US 20130191201A1
• Filed: 12/31/2012
• Published: 07/25/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Leslie Weise III
• Original Assignee: Leslie Weise III
• Inventors: WEISE, Leslie III
• Application Number:
  US13/732,174
• Publication Number:
  US 20130191201A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.27
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/30 Administration of product recycling or disposal
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0226 Incentive systems for frequent usage, e.g. frequent flyer miles programs or point systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 90/00 Enabling technologies or technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to greenhouse gas [GHG] emissions mitigation

Abstract

The reuse of consumer materials, such as bags, cartons, containers and the like, or the participation in more sustainable activities, such as car pooling, are tracked in conjunction with a sponsoring entity, such as a commercial establishment where the materials are reused by an individual, and that reuse is tracked and credited as an economic value. The economic value is redeemable with a participant, such a merchant where the materials are reused, or another participant merchant, or a business or employer which sponsors such reuse. The economic value may be redeemed by an individual participant, or may be donated, sold, bartered or exchanged. Groups may participate in the reuse of materials, such as by joining together where the reuse of materials by any member of the group accumulates economic value for the group or a designee of the group, such as a charity.

Claims

1. A system for establishing an economic value for an activity involving reuse of material by a participant in conjunction with the interaction of that participant with one or more providers participating in one or more activities of the participant which results in the establishment of an economic value for that activity, comprising:

a participant interface configured to receive information from a participant regarding their status as a participant and to allow a participant to access information concerning their participation in an activity and the economic value associated therewith;

a provider interface configured to receive information from providers regarding their participation in one or more activities of one or more participants and enabling the provider to determine the status of their participation and the economic value thereof;

an electronic value generator capable of converting a participant activity with an economic value assigned to that use by a provider; and

a storage capable of correlating the activity of a participant with a total economic value for the activities of the participant.

2. The system for establishing an economic value of claim 1, wherein the activity involving reuse further includes an activity designated by a provider.

3. The system for establishing an economic value of claim 2, wherein the activity includes at least one of carpooling and the use of public transportation.

4. The system for establishing an economic value of claim 1, wherein the economic value is based upon points.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein said points are assigned by the provider.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said economic value is redeemable for a value.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein said economic value is redeemable for value at a provider.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein said economic value is redeemable for value at a provider other than the provider from which at least a portion of the points underlying the economic value were received.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said economic value may be assigned by a participant to a third party.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the participant is a collection of individuals.

11. A method of establishing an economic value for an activity involving reuse of material by an individual in conjunction with the interaction of that individual participant with one or more providers participating in one or more activities of the participant which results in the establishment of an economic value for that activity, comprising:

receiving information from an individual regarding their status as a participant and allowing a participant to access information concerning their participation in an activity and the economic value associated therewith;

receiving information from one or more providers regarding their participation in one or more activities of one or more participants and enabling the provider to determine the status of their participation and the economic value thereof;

generating an economic value based upon a participant activity with an economic value assigned to that use by a provider; and

providing a storage capable of correlating the activity of a participant with a total economic value for the activities of the participant.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of receiving information from a provider includes receiving a point value associated with an activity.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of receiving information from a provider includes receiving information from a provider regarding the provider'"'"'s participation in the redemption of economic value.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of generating an economic value includes the step of converting a point value assigned to the activity by a provider into an economic value based upon the current and prior participant receipt of points from that provider.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of generating an economic value includes the step of converting a point value assigned to the activity by a provider into an economic value based upon the current and prior participant receipt of points from all providers.

16. A method of generating an economic value through the use and reuse of a reusable product (RP) during a consumer transaction or social activity, the method comprising:

tracking information about one or more transactions or activities that occur associated with the RP,

generating an economic value (EV) from the information tracked,

providing an interface for accessing the EV,

identifying a network of participants from which some or all of the EV may be redeemed or exchanged in commerce.

17. A system for generating an economic resource from acts of reuse of a product (RP) in commerce by individual participants (IP) or groups of IPs, comprising:

a tracking portion for tracking information about one or more transactions that occurs associated with the RP,

an economic value generator that generates an economic value (EV) from the information tracked by the tracking portion,

a redeeming portion for enabling an IP or group of IPs to redeem or exchange the EV generated for at least one of a) currency, b) discounts or c) exchanges toward products or services offered in commerce,

a compiling device for maintaining and updating the EV corresponding to an IP or group of IP'"'"'s based on the respective EV generated and redeemed;

wherein said tracking portion, said EV generator, said redeeming portion, and said compiling device are provided by one or more processors.