Methods, apparatuses and computer program products for measuring vehicle carbon footprint

• US 9,824,365 B2
• Filed: 12/09/2015
• Issued: 11/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United Parcel Service Of America Incorporated (United Parcel Service Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: United Parcel Service Of America Incorporated (United Parcel Service Incorporated)
• Inventors: Bradley, David L., Olsen, III, John A., Davidson, Mark J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Tyler J
• Application Number:
  US14/964,036
• Publication Number:
  US 20160098729A1
• Time in Patent Office: 713 Days
• Field of Search: 701123
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 15/04 Tank inlets B60K15/077 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2015/0461 comprising a filler pipe shutter, e.g. trap, door or flap for fuel inlet
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2015/0477 Details of the filler neck tank side
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0236 for economical driving
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/42 Filling nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 9/001 with electric, electro-mechanic or electronic means G01F9/008 and G01F9/02 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 9/023 with electric, electro-mechanic or electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/018 Certifying business or products
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/84 Data processing systems or methods, management, administration

Abstract

Systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer program products are provided for determining carbon emissions of one or more vehicles. For instance, in one example embodiment, an apparatus may calculate miles traveled by the vehicles along a predefined route and may calculate a fuel usage of the vehicles for traveling along the route to obtain one or more fuel values. The apparatus may also analyze data indicating the miles traveled and the fuel values to determine fuel efficiency values corresponding to the vehicles traveling the route. The apparatus may also determine an estimate of an amount of carbon emissions for each of the vehicles based in part on applying at least one carbon emission value to respective fuel values associated with corresponding determined fuel efficiency values.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

calculating a fuel usage of a plurality of vehicles for traveling along a predefined route to obtain one or more fuel values;

analyzing data indicating miles traveled by the vehicles along the route and the fuel values to determine fuel efficiency values corresponding to the vehicles traveling the route;

determining, via a processor, an estimate of an amount of carbon emissions for each of the vehicles; and

receiving an indication, from a device, of at least one carbon offset determined based in part on a total carbon emissions estimate of each of the vehicles, that traveled the route during a predetermined time period, in response to sending the total carbon emissions estimate to the device, the carbon offset denotes whether the total carbon emissions estimate exceeds an acceptable level of carbon emissions.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the fuel efficiency values comprise miles per gallon values of the respective vehicles determined for traveling the route.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein prior to receiving the indication, the method further comprises:

summing the estimated carbon emissions associated with each of the vehicles to obtain the total carbon emissions estimate of the vehicles, and

wherein sending the total carbon emissions estimate further comprises sending the total carbon emissions estimate to the device to enable the device to determine the at least one carbon offset.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

determining that at least one detected code reduces at least one of the fuel efficiency values associated with a corresponding vehicle, among the vehicles, that triggered the code, the code is associated with at least one malfunction of at least one part of the vehicle or abnormal driver behavior of a driver driving the vehicle along the route.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

determining that an estimate of an amount of carbon emissions for the vehicle is increased in response to receipt of an indication of the detected code.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the code comprises at least one of a fault code of a braking system or a code associated with inhibiting shifting of a transmission or reducing a speed of the vehicle.

7. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

calculating the miles in an instance in which the vehicles traverse a first location of a geofence corresponding to an origin of the route and traverse a second location corresponding to an end of the route by subtracting a detected amount of miles traveled by the vehicles as the vehicles traverse the second location from a detected amount of miles of the vehicles as the vehicles traverse the first location; and

calculating the fuel values in response to the vehicles traversing the first location and the second location of the geofence by subtracting a detected amount of fuel used by the vehicles as the vehicles traverse the second location from a detected amount of fuel of the vehicles as the vehicles traverse the first location.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the geofence comprises one or more latitude and longitude coordinates associated with defined points of a geographic area.

9. The method of claim 3, wherein:

the received indication comprises indicia indicating a cost of money owed to an emissions and offset entity in response to the device determining that the carbon offset is above a predetermined threshold.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicles transport one or more packages for delivery along the route.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein prior to calculating the fuel usage, the method further comprises receiving an indication that an engine type of the vehicles is the same.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein:

receiving the indication comprises receipt of indicia indicating a carbon tax charged by an emissions and offset entity in response to a determination that the carbon offset is above a predetermined threshold.

13. An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to:

calculate a fuel usage of a plurality of vehicles for traveling along a predefined route to obtain one or more fuel values;

analyze data indicating miles traveled by the vehicles along the route and the fuel values to determine fuel efficiency values corresponding to the vehicles traveling the route;

determine an estimate of an amount of carbon emissions for each of the vehicles; and

receive an indication, from a device, of at least one carbon offset determined based in part on a total carbon emissions estimate of each of the vehicles, that traveled the route during a predetermined time period, in response to sending the total carbon emissions estimate to the device, the carbon offset denotes whether the total carbon emissions estimate exceeds an acceptable level of carbon emissions.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the fuel efficiency values comprise miles per gallon values of the respective vehicles determined for traveling the route.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein prior to receive the indication, the memory and computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to:

sum the estimated carbon emissions associated with each of the vehicles to obtain the total carbon emissions estimate of the vehicles; and

perform the sending by sending the total carbon emissions estimate to the device to enable the device to determine the at least one carbon offset.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the memory and computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to:

determine that at least one detected code reduces at least one of the fuel efficiency values associated with a corresponding vehicle, among the vehicles, that triggered the code, the code is associated with at least one malfunction of at least one part of the vehicle or abnormal driver behavior of a driver driving the vehicle along the route.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the memory and computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to:

determine that an estimate of an amount of carbon emissions for the vehicle is increased in response to receipt of an indication of the detected code.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the code comprises at least one of a fault code of a braking system or a code associated with inhibiting shifting of a transmission or reducing a speed of the vehicle.

19. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the memory and computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to:

calculate the miles in an instance in which the vehicles traverse a first location of a geofence corresponding to an origin of the route and traverse a second location corresponding to an end of the route by subtracting a detected amount of miles traveled by the vehicles as the vehicles traverse the second location from a detected amount of miles of the vehicles as the vehicles traverse the first location; and

calculate the fuel values in response to the vehicles traversing the first location and the second location of the geofence by subtracting a detected amount of fuel used by the vehicles as the vehicles traverse the second location from a detected amount of fuel of the vehicles as the vehicles traverse the first location.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the geofence comprises one or more latitude and longitude coordinates associated with defined points of a geographic area.

21. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein:

the received indication comprises indicia indicating a cost of money owed to an emissions and offset entity in response to the device determining that the carbon offset is above a predetermined threshold.

22. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the vehicles transport one or more packages for delivery along the route.

23. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein prior to calculate the fuel usage, the memory and computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to:

receive an indication that an engine type of the vehicles is the same.

24. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the memory and computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to:

receive the indication by receiving indicia indicating a carbon tax charged by an emissions and offset entity in response to a determination that the carbon offset is above a predetermined threshold.

25. A computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable program code instructions stored therein, the computer-executable program code instructions comprising:

program code instructions configured to calculate a fuel usage of a plurality of vehicles for traveling along a predefined route to obtain one or more fuel values;

program code instructions configured to analyze data indicating miles traveled by the vehicles along the route and the fuel values to determine fuel efficiency values corresponding to the vehicles traveling the route;

program code instructions configured to determine an estimate of an amount of carbon emissions for each of the vehicles; and

program code instructions configured to cause receipt of an indication, from a device, of at least one carbon offset determined based in part on a total carbon emissions estimate of each of the vehicles, that traveled the route during a predetermined time period, in response to sending the total carbon emissions estimate to the device, the carbon offset denotes whether the total carbon emissions estimate exceeds an acceptable level of carbon emissions.

26. The computer program product of claim 25, wherein the fuel efficiency values comprise miles per gallon values of the respective vehicles determined for traveling the route.

27. The computer program product of claim 25, wherein prior to cause the receipt of the indication, the computer program product further comprises:

program code instructions configured to sum the estimated carbon emissions associated with each of the vehicles to obtain the total carbon emissions estimate of the vehicles, and

wherein sending the total carbon emissions further comprises sending of the total carbon emissions estimate to the device to enable the device to determine the at least one carbon offset.

28. The computer program product of claim 25, wherein:

the receipt of the indication comprises receipt of indicia indicating a carbon tax charged by an emissions and offset entity in response to a determination that the carbon offset is above a predetermined threshold.