Communication system and method for sustaining the environment by using the internet

• US 7,092,898 B1
• Filed: 09/01/2000
• Issued: 08/15/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Environmental Performance Research Institute, LLC
• Original Assignee: Environmental Performance Research Institute, LLC
• Inventors: Mattick, William O., Ranka, Lawrence I.
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Jeffrey A.
• Application Number:
  US09/653,555
• Time in Patent Office: 2,174 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/27, 705/14
• US Class Current: 705/14.41
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0242 Determining effectiveness of advertisements

Abstract

A method for developing ratings of the environmental sensitivity of vehicles and vehicle manufacturers and for communicating such ratings to consumers, manufacturers and other interested parties. The method utilizes the Internet for acquiring data and disseminating information and identifies vehicles available on the market to consumers with an environmental performance rating based upon a rating algorithm. Trophies are awarded in recognition of the top rated vehicles and manufacturers in regard to environmental sensitivity. The rating system and the identification of the award winners is communicated to consumers and to stake-holders such as the manufacturers, special interest groups and governmental agencies.

Claims

1. A data processing method using a computer network for converting vehicle environmental performance data into meaningful and readily understandable information for use by consumers as an aid in their selection of a vehicle for purchase and by vehicle manufacturers to facilitate awareness of their vehicles through advertising, said method comprising the steps of:

obtaining said vehicle environmental performance data;

identifying vehicles by vehicle manufacturers, brands, and models;

identifying said vehicle models by vehicle configurations;

establishing vehicle utility classes for said vehicles;

grouping said vehicle models into said vehicle utility classes to allow evaluation of environmental performance of said vehicle models by said vehicle utility classes;

developing forecasts of sales of said vehicle configurations;

identifying vehicle environmental performance data components;

obtaining environmental performance values for said environmental performance data components by said vehicle configurations;

developing environmental performance scores for said vehicle models by sales-weighting said environmental performance values of said environmental data components by said forecasts of sales;

ranking said vehicles by comparing said environmental performance scores of said vehicle models in said vehicle utility classes to identify top performers of said vehicle models in said vehicle utility classes;

establishing an Internet web site; and

using said Internet web site to communicate over said computer network said top performers to aid said consumers in their vehicle purchasing decisions.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

further developing said environmental performance scores by component-weighting said environmental performance scores by said environmental performance data components according to at least one of life cycle analysis results and a judgment of the severity of environmental impacts of said environmental performance data components.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

licensing use of at least one of a list of said top performers, a logo, and an award to at least one of said manufacturers.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

ranking said vehicles by comparing said environmental performance scores of said vehicle models to identify top performers of said vehicle brands.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of:

ranking said vehicles by comparing said environmental performance scores of said vehicle models to identify top performers of said vehicle manufacturers.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said ranking said vehicles step includes said top performers being a predetermined top percentile of said vehicle models by said vehicle utility classes.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising the step of:

presenting awards to manufacturers of said predetermined top percentile of said vehicle models.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein said ranking step includes said top percentile being a top quartile of said vehicle models by said vehicle utility classes.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein said ranking step includes said top percentile being the best of said vehicle models, in environmental performance, by said vehicle utility classes.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein said grouping step includes said vehicle utility classes including car classes and light truck classes.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein said car classes include subcompact, compact, mid-size, full-size, premium, luxury, and sports car, and further wherein said light truck classes include minivan, full-size van, compact pickup, full-size pickup, compact sport utility vehicle, mid-size sport utility vehicle, and full-size sport utility vehicle.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of identifying vehicle environmental performance data components includes identifying a fuel consumption component that is convertible to a miles-per-gallon equivalency component for electric vehicles using a watt-hours of energy per gallon of fuel conversion factor.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of identifying vehicle environmental performance data components includes identifying a solid waste and material consumption component, and further wherein said step of obtaining environmental performance values includes obtaining recycled content values.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of:

verifying the accuracy of at least a portion of said vehicle environmental performance data using an independent auditor to audit said at least a portion of said vehicle environmental performance data.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein said step of obtaining recycled content values includes obtaining recycled content in weight values of given vehicle configurations by multiplying recycled content percentages of said given vehicle configurations by curb weights of said given vehicle configurations.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein said step of weighting said environmental performance values includes multiplying said weight values of said given vehicle configurations by percentages of sales of said vehicle models that said given vehicle configurations represent.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising the step of:

further weighting said environmental performance scores by said environmental performance data components according to at least one of life cycle analysis results and a judgment of the severity of environmental impacts of said environmental performance data components, wherein said solid waste and material consumption component is weighted at about ten percent of said scores.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

verifying the accuracy of at least a portion of said vehicle environmental performance data using an independent auditor to audit said at least a portion of said vehicle environmental performance data.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of obtaining environmental performance values includes obtaining certification values from government air pollution certification values.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein said step of identifying vehicle environmental performance data components includes identifying an air pollution component and said method further comprises the step of further weighting said environmental performance scores by said environmental performance data components according to life cycle analysis results and a judgment of the severity of environmental impacts of said environmental performance data components, wherein said air pollution component represents about fifty percent of said scores.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein said air pollution component is component-weighted by substantially equal parts of photochemical pollutants and toxicant pollutants.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein said photochemical pollutants are weighted by substantially equal parts of NO_x and NMHC and said toxicants are weighted by substantially equal parts of CO and particulate matter.

23. The method of claim 19 wherein the percentage of sales that each vehicle configuration represents within its respective vehicle model is multiplied by a certification value for said each vehicle configuration.

24. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of obtaining environmental performance values includes obtaining miles-per-gallon values from government data.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein said step of identifying vehicle environmental performance data components includes identifying a fuel consumption component and said method further comprises the step of further weighting said environmental performance scores by said environmental performance data components according to at least one of life cycle analysis results and a judgment of the severity of environmental impacts of said environmental performance data components, wherein said fuel consumption component is weighted at about forty percent of said scores.

26. The method of claim 24 wherein said fuel consumption component is calculated by multiplying the percentage of sales that each vehicle configuration represents within its respective vehicle model by a miles-per-gallon value for said each vehicle configuration.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein said fuel consumption component is further calculated according to the following:

(1/M₁−

1/M_x)/(1/M₁−

1/M₂);

where

M₁=lowest vehicle configuration mileage in all vehicle utility classes

M_X=sales-weighted mileage of the vehicle model

M₂=highest vehicle configuration mileage in all vehicle utility classes.

28. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of obtaining said vehicle environmental performance data involves obtaining said data from at least one of a government source and a manufacturer source.

29. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of developing forecasts of sales involves developing said forecasts substantially concurrently with a beginning of a vehicle model year.

30. The method of claim 1 wherein said communicating step involves using the Internet to freely communicate said results.

31. A data processing method using a computer network for converting environmental performance data into meaningful and readily understandable information for use by consumers as an aid in their selection of a product or service for purchase and by businesses to facilitate awareness and consideration of their products or services through advertising, said method comprising the steps of:

obtaining said environmental performance data;

identifying products or services by business entities, brands, and models;

identifying said models by configurations;

establishing utility classes for said products or services;

grouping said models into said utility classes to allow evaluation of environmental performance of said models by said utility classes;

developing forecasts of sales of said configurations;

identifying environmental performance data components;

obtaining environmental performance values for said environmental performance data components by said configurations;

developing environmental performance scores for said models by sales-weighting said environmental performance values of said environmental data components by said forecasts of sales;

ranking said products or services by comparing said environmental performance scores of said models in said utility classes to identify top performers of said models in said utility classes;

establishing an Internet web site; and

using said Internet web site to communicate over said computer network said top performers to aid said consumers in their purchasing decisions.

32. The method of claim 31, further comprising the step of:

further developing said environmental performance scores by component-weighting said environmental performance scores by said environmental performance data components according to at least one of life cycle analysis results and a judgment of the severity of environmental impacts of said environmental performance data components.

33. The method of claim 31, further comprising the step of:

licensing use of at least one of a list of said top performers, a logo, and an award to said business entities.

34. The method of claim 31, further comprising the step of:

ranking said products or services by comparing said environmental performance scores of said models to identify top performers of said brands.

35. The method of claim 34, further comprising the step of:

ranking said products or services by comparing said environmental performance scores of said models to identify top performers of said business entities.

36. The method of claim 31 wherein said ranking said products or services step includes said top performers being a predetermined top percentile of said models by said utility classes.

37. The method of claim 36 further comprising the step of:

presenting awards to business entities of said predetermined top percentile of said models.

38. The method of claim 36 wherein said ranking step includes said top percentile being a top quartile of said models by said utility classes.

39. The method of claim 36 wherein said ranking step includes said top percentile being the best of said models, in environmental performance, by said utility classes.

40. The method of claim 31, further comprising the step of:

verifying the accuracy of at least a portion of said environmental performance data using an independent auditor to audit said at least a portion of said environmental performance data.

41. The method of claim 31 wherein said step of obtaining said environmental performance data involves obtaining said data from at least one of a government source and a business entity source.

42. The method of claim 31 wherein said step of developing forecasts of sales involves developing said forecasts substantially concurrently with a beginning of a product or service model year.

43. The method of claim 31 wherein said communicating step involves using the Internet to freely communicate said results.