Method and system for using machine-readable codes to maintain environmental impact preferences

• US 8,418,915 B1
• Filed: 04/28/2011
• Issued: 04/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Miller, Kevin
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Michael G
• Assistant Examiner(s): GUDORF, LAURA A
• Application Number:
  US13/096,844
• Time in Patent Office: 719 Days
• Field of Search: 235/375, 235/435, 23546201-46249, 705/347
• US Class Current: 235/375
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

One embodiment of the present disclosure provides a system and associated processes for monitoring a customer'"'"'s product purchases and product consumption. Further, the system enables the customer to maintain customer-selected preferences by presenting to the customer product information associated with the customer preferences and a product. In one embodiment, the system can monitor the consumption of products over a predefined period of time to facilitate the customer maintaining the customer preferences over the predefined period of time. In one embodiment, the system can present alternative product purchases based on a selected product and the customer preferences. In one embodiment, the system can facilitate monitoring nutrition consumption. In one embodiment, the system can facilitate monitoring pharmaceutical use. In one embodiment, the system can facilitate the customer making environmentally conscious purchases. In one embodiment, the system can present the customer with environmental offset options to help maintain customer environmental preferences.

Claims

1. Non-transitory physical computer storage comprising computer-executable instructions for implementing a method of maintaining environmental impact preferences, the method comprising:

accessing a machine-readable code scanned by a user;

extracting the environmental impact information associated with a product from the machine-readable code;

programmatically determining a product category of the product from the environmental impact information;

accessing environmental impact preferences associated with the user for the product category, wherein the environmental impact preferences differ based on the product category;

determining whether the environmental impact information satisfies the environmental impact preferences for the product category; and

presenting a result of the determination to the user.

2. The non-transitory physical computer storage of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

translating the environmental impact information into a human-readable format to obtain translated environmental impact information; and

presenting the translated environmental impact information to the user.

3. The non-transitory physical computer storage of claim 1, wherein the environmental impact information is associated with one or more of the following:

use of the product, manufacture of the product, transportation of the product, and disposal of the product.

4. The non-transitory physical computer storage of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

in response to determining that the environmental impact information does not satisfy the environmental impact preferences, identifying an environmental offset option; and

presenting the environmental offset option to the user.

5. The non-transitory physical computer storage of claim 4, wherein the method further comprises initiating a transaction to purchase the environmental offset option.

6. The non-transitory physical computer storage of claim 4, wherein the environmental offset option can include one or more of the following:

a one-time offset, a monthly offset, and a combination of the one-time offset and the monthly offset.

7. The non-transitory physical computer storage of claim 4, wherein the method further comprises:

calculating a total product price based on a product price associated with the product and an offset price associated with the environmental offset option;

identifying an alternative product price associated with a cost of an alternative product; and

presenting the total product price and the alternative product price to the user.

8. The non-transitory physical computer storage of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

identifying an alternative product that satisfies the environmental impact preferences; and

presenting an identity of the alternative product to the user.

9. The non-transitory physical computer storage of claim 8, in combination with a computer system comprising one or more computing devices.

10. The non-transitory physical computer storage of claim 8, wherein identifying the alternative product is based on one or more of the following:

the environmental impact preferences;

the alternative product'"'"'s price;

the alternative product'"'"'s quality;

user ratings;

the alternative product'"'"'s features;

brand name;

the alternative product'"'"'s specifications; and

the alternative product'"'"'s environmental impact.

11. The non-transitory physical computer storage of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises storing the environmental impact information.

12. The non-transitory physical computer storage of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

accessing a second machine-readable code associated with a second product;

extracting a second environmental impact information associated with the second product from the second machine-readable code;

comparing the second environmental impact information with the environmental impact information; and

presenting a result of the comparison to the user.

34. The non-transitory physical computer storage of claim 1, wherein determining whether the environmental impact information satisfies the environmental impact preferences for the product category comprises:

identifying a set of preference categories included in the environmental impact preferences; and

for each preference category from the set of preference categories, evaluating whether corresponding environmental impact information from the environmental impact information satisfies a corresponding threshold.

35. The non-transitory physical computer storage of claim 34, wherein determining whether the environmental impact information satisfies the environmental impact preferences for the product category further comprises determining whether an aggregation of said evaluations satisfies the environmental impact preferences.

36. The non-transitory physical computer storage of claim 1, wherein the environmental impact information includes an identification of an offset program implemented by a manufacturer of the product.

37. The non-transitory physical computer storage of claim 1, wherein, in response to determining that the environmental impact information does not satisfy the environmental impact preferences for the product type, the method further comprises:

determining whether the environmental impact information includes an identification of an offset program implemented by a manufacturer of the product; and

in response to determining that the environmental impact information includes the identification of the offset program, determining whether the inclusion of the offset program is sufficient to satisfy the environmental impact preferences.

38. The non-transitory physical computer storage of claim 1, wherein extracting the environmental impact information associated with the product from the machine-readable code comprises extracting environmental impact information embedded in the machine-readable code.

39. The non-transitory physical computer storage of claim 1, in combination with one or more processors configured to implement the method.

13. A system for maintaining environmental impact preferences, the system comprising:

a consumption guide processor comprising computer hardware, the consumption guide processor configured to;

access a machine-readable code associated with a product;

programmatically extract environmental impact information associated with the product from the machine-readable code;

determine a product category of the product from the environmental impact information;

access environmental impact preferences associated with a user for the product category, wherein the environmental impact preferences differ based on the product category;

determine whether the environmental impact information satisfies the environmental impact preferences for the product category; and

present a result of the determination to the user.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the consumption guide processor is further configured to:

translate the environmental impact information into a human-readable format to obtain translated environmental impact information; and

present the translated environmental impact information to the user.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the consumption guide processor is further configured to:

identify an environmental offset option in response to determining that the environmental impact information does not satisfy the environmental impact preferences; and

present the environmental offset option to the user.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the consumption guide processor is further configured to:

calculate a total product price based on a product price associated with the product and an offset price associated with the environmental offset option;

identify an alternative product price associated with a cost of an alternative product; and

present the total product price and the alternative product price to the user.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the consumption guide processor is further configured to:

identify an alternative product that satisfies the environmental impact preferences; and

present an identity of the alternative product to the user.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the consumption guide processor is further configured to store the environmental impact information.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the consumption guide processor is further configured to:

access a second machine-readable code associated with a second product;

extract a second environmental impact information associated with the second product from the second machine-readable code;

compare the second environmental impact information with the environmental impact information; and

present a result of the comparison to the user.

20. A method of maintaining environmental impact preferences, the method comprising:

accessing a machine-readable code scanned by a user;

obtaining environmental impact information about a product using the machine-readable code;

programmatically determining a product category of the product from the environmental impact information;

accessing environmental impact preferences associated with the user for the product category, wherein the environmental impact preferences differ based on the product category;

determining, by one or more processors, whether the environmental impact information satisfies the environmental impact preferences for the product category; and

presenting a result of the determination to the user.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

translating the environmental impact information into a human-readable format to obtain translated environmental impact information; and

presenting the translated environmental impact information to the user.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the environmental impact information is associated with one or more of the following:

use of the product, manufacture of the product, transportation of the product, and disposal of the product.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the machine-readable code is associated with a uniform resource locator (URL).

24. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

in response to determining that the environmental impact information does not satisfy the environmental impact preferences, identifying an environmental offset option; and

presenting the environmental offset option to the user.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising initiating a transaction to purchase the environmental offset option.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the environmental offset option can include one or more of the following:

a one-time offset, a monthly offset, and a combination of the one-time offset and the monthly offset.

27. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

calculating a total product price based on a product price associated with the product and an offset price associated with the environmental offset option;

identifying an alternative product price associated with a cost of an alternative product; and

presenting the total product price and the alternative product price to the user.

28. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

identifying an alternative product that satisfies the environmental impact preferences; and

presenting an identity of the alternative product to the user.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising initiating a transaction to purchase the alternative product.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein identifying the alternative product is based on one or more of the following:

the environmental impact preferences;

the alternative product'"'"'s price;

the alternative product'"'"'s quality;

user ratings;

the alternative product'"'"'s features;

brand name;

the alternative product'"'"'s specifications; and

the alternative product'"'"'s environmental impact.

31. The method of claim 20, further comprising storing the environmental impact information.

32. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

accessing a second machine-readable code scanned by the user, the second machine-readable code being associated with a second product;

obtaining second environmental impact information about the second product using the second machine-readable code;

comparing the second environmental impact information with the environmental impact information; and

presenting a result of the comparison to the user.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the result comprises a recommendation to purchase the second product instead of the product.