ONBOARD TRIP COMPUTER FOR EMISSIONS SUBJECT TO REDUCTION CREDITS

• US 20090069999A1
• Filed: 09/11/2007
• Published: 03/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations Incorporated (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: BOS, JEREMY
• Granted Patent: US 7,580,808 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/102
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers

Abstract

Methods and a system are provided for monitoring and processing the emissions footprint of one or more vehicles. An embodiment of an onboard vehicle method involves the collection of vehicle data from onboard data sources and the computation of an emissions value from the vehicle data. The emissions value indicates a total amount of a substance, such as carbon dioxide, released from the vehicle during a measurement period. The method also generates indicia of the emissions value with an onboard subsystem.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring an emissions footprint of a vehicle, the method comprising:

collecting vehicle data from onboard data sources;

computing an emissions value from the vehicle data, the emissions value indicating a total amount of a substance released from the vehicle during a measurement period;

generating indicia of the emissions value with an onboard subsystem;

monitoring the emissions value with a remote command center;

the remote command center automatically billing an operator of the vehicle to offset at least a portion of the emissions value; and

reducing the emissions value in response to the step of automatically billing the operator.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein computing an emissions value comprises computing a weight of carbon dioxide released from the vehicle during the measurement period.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein generating indicia comprises generating a display of the emissions value.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein generating indicia comprises generating an audible message that conveys the emissions value.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting data indicative of the emissions value to the remote command center.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a user-initiated request to purchase emission reduction credits to offset at least a portion of the emissions value; and

initiating, in response to the user-initiated request, a purchase transaction for the emission reduction credits.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

upon completion of the purchase transaction, reducing the emissions value by an amount that is influenced by purchased emission reduction credits, resulting in an updated emissions value; and

generating indicia of the updated emissions value with the onboard subsystem.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein initiating a purchase transaction comprises transmitting a purchase command to the remote command center for processing of the purchase transaction.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a user-initiated request to reset the emissions value; and

resetting, in response to the user-initiated request, the emissions value.

10. An onboard system for monitoring an emissions footprint of a vehicle, the system comprising:

at least one onboard data source configured to generate vehicle data associated with operation of the vehicle;

an onboard carbon calculator module coupled to the at least one data source, the carbon calculator module being configured to compute an emissions value from the vehicle data, the emissions value indicating a total amount of a carbon-containing substance released from the vehicle during a measurement period;

an onboard display element coupled to the carbon calculator module, the display element being configured to generate a display of the emissions value, and configured to generate a user interface control element for activating a user-initiated request to purchase emission reduction credits to offset at least a portion of the emissions value; and

an onboard data communication module coupled to the user interface control element, the data communication module being configured to transmit, in response to the user-initiated request, a purchase command to a remote command center for processing of a purchase transaction for the emission reduction credits.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising a data communication module coupled to the carbon calculator module, the data communication module being configured to transmit data indicative of the emissions value to a remote command center.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the at least one data source is configured to generate vehicle data selected from the group consisting of fuel economy data, intake airflow data, exhaust flow data, engine temperature data, fuel type data, fuel octane data, vehicle velocity data, vehicle acceleration data, vehicle make/model/year data, mileage data, fuel injector pulse width data, exhaust gas temperature data, and exhaust gas oxygen data.

13. (canceled)

14. (canceled)

15. A method for monitoring an emissions footprint of a vehicle, the method comprising:

dynamically computing an emissions value from vehicle data collected in real-time by onboard data sources, the emissions value indicating a total amount of a substance released from the vehicle during a measurement period;

initiating, with an onboard system of the vehicle, a purchase transaction for emission reduction credits to offset at least a portion of the emissions value;

transmitting a purchase command from the vehicle to a remote command center, the purchase command corresponding to the purchase transaction;

completing the purchase transaction at the remote command center upon receipt of the purchase command;

in response to completing the purchase transaction, transmitting a remote reduction command from the remote command center to the vehicle; and

upon receipt of the remote reduction command at the vehicle, reducing the emissions value in accordance with the purchased emission reduction credits.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising receiving a user-initiated request to purchase the emission reduction credits, wherein initiating a purchase transaction is performed in response to the user-initiated request.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein:

the method further comprises the remote command center receiving the purchase command and, in response thereto, sending an electronic message to an operator of the vehicle, the electronic message enabling the operator to complete the purchase transaction.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein:

the method further comprises the remote command center receiving the purchase command and, in response thereto, sending a markup language document to an operator of the vehicle, the markup language document enabling the operator to complete the purchase transaction online.

17. (canceled)

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

the remote command center transmitting a remote reset command to the vehicle upon completion of the purchase transaction; and

resetting, in response to the remote reset command, the emissions value.