Data processing: measuring – calibrating – or testing – Measurement system in a specific environment – Chemical analysis
Reexamination Certificate
2001-09-21
2004-03-02
Barlow, John (Department: 2863)
Data processing: measuring, calibrating, or testing
Measurement system in a specific environment
Chemical analysis
C702S402002
Reexamination Certificate
active
06701257
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an environmental impact information system, and, more particularly, to a system, method, recording medium, and computer data signal, for providing and recording environmental impact information, and for collecting information regarding various environmental impacts at an organization (company, corporation, etc.) so as to contribute to the decision making with respect to the management of the organization.
2. Description of the Related Art
To leave the earth with a full of nature and green to the future generations, it is essential to reduce bad effects (environmental impacts) on the environment. Hence, activities for reducing the environmental impacts are done at various organizations, such as companies, public organizations and the like.
To minimize the environmental impacts with high efficiency, it is important to know the environmental impacts at activities of the organization. For example, it is necessary to obtain the environmental impacts (those environmental impacts at each operational process) in the life cycle of products, using the idea of Eco-Balance.
Conventionally, there is no system for accurately obtaining the environmental impacts in the life cycle of the products. Thus, in many cases, the environmental conservation activities are done on the impulse or by individuals who personally care about the environment at the organization.
It is impossible to invest an unlimited amount of money for the environmental conservation activities. Hence, it is desired that a maximum level of environmental conservation can be achieved with a minimum amount of investment, further that certain economical benefits can be obtained.
However, the amount of investment (expenses) required for the environmental conservation activities at the organization and the effects thereof can not easily be shown on the financial analysis, and hence can not objectively be analyzed. Therefore, while promoting the environmental conservation activities at the organization, there has been a lack of information for determining how much amount of investment should be made to a particular field of the activities.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been made in consideration of the above. It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a system, method, recording medium, and computer data signal, for efficiently minimizing environmental impacts and facilitating activities for gaining the economical benefit.
Another object thereof is to provide a system, method, recording medium and computer data signal, for facilitating the appropriate decision making with respect to the management regarding environmental matters, thereby contributing to a reduction in the environmental impacts.
Still another object thereof is to provide a system, method, recording medium and data signal, for obtaining environmental impacts in a product's life cycle, and for use in the environmental conservation activities and decision making with respect to the management of an organization.
Still yet another object thereof is to provide a system, method, recording medium and computer data signal, for obtaining expenses for environmental conservation and effects thereof, and for use in the environmental management.
In order to accomplish the above objects, according to the first aspect of the present invention, an environmental impact information system comprising:
an environmental impact information obtaining unit which obtains environmental impact information regarding an environmental impact at a plurality of processes included in activities of an organization;
an environmental impact information collector which collects the environmental impact information obtained by the environmental impact information obtaining unit; and
an environmental impact information analyzer which analyzes the environmental impact information collected by the environmental impact information collector, and obtains an reduction amount of the environmental impact.
According to this invention, the environmental impact information obtaining unit obtains environmental impact information regarding environmental impacts, for example, at a designing process, a manufacturing process, a distribution/sales process, a usage process (while products are used), a maintenance process and a collection/recycling process which are all included in the business activities. The environmental impact information collector collects the environmental impact information obtained by the environmental impact information obtaining unit, through a network, for example. The environmental impact information analyzer analyzes the environmental impact information collected by the environmental impact information collector, and obtains a set of environmental impacts in a product's life cycle. As a result of this, the system of this invention can acquire the set of environmental impacts in a product's life cycle, and refers to information representing the environmental impacts, so as to facilitate the decision making with respect to the management and environmental conservation activities.
The environmental impact information system may further include
a chemical material information memory unit which stores in advance chemical-material information regarding chemical materials included in a plurality of to-be-supplied materials to be used for manufacturing products, and
wherein the environmental impact information obtaining unit specifies each of the to-be-supplied materials to be used for manufacturing products, and reads out the chemical-material information corresponding to the specified to-be-supplied materials from the chemical material information memory unit.
The environmental impact information obtaining unit may measure an amount of consumed electricity, an amount of consumed fossil fuel, an amount of consumed water, an amount of consumed chemical materials, an exhaust amount of exhaust gas and an exhaust amount of waste while products are manufactured.
The environmental impact information obtaining unit may measure an amount of used fuel and an exhaust amount of exhaust gas while products are transported.
The environmental impact information obtaining unit may measure information representing a status of products.
The environmental impact information obtaining unit may measure an amount of consumed electricity, an amount of consumed fossil fuel, an amount of used water, an amount of used chemical materials, an exhaust amount of exhaust gas, an amount of waste, and an amount of maintenance in a predetermined unit while maintenance is performed for products.
The environmental impact information obtaining unit may measure an amount of consumed fuel and an exhaust amount of exhaust gas while products are being collected, and measure also information representing a recycling status of the collected products.
In order to achieve the above objects, according to the second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an environmental impact information system comprising:
environmental impact information obtaining means for obtaining environmental impact information regarding an environmental impact at a plurality of processes included in activities of an organization;
environmental impact information collection means for collecting the environmental impact information obtained by the environmental impact information obtaining means;
environmental impact information analyzing means for analyzing the environmental impact information collected by the environmental impact information collection means, and obtaining a set of environmental impacts in a product's life cycle; and
report information generation means for generating report information in a predetermined format, based on the environmental impact information collected by the environmental impact information collection means and information representing the set of environmental impacts obtained by the environmental impact information analyzing means.
According to this invention, the environmental
Hatano Hiromitsu
Sakurai Masamitsu
Tani Tatsuo
Uramoto Hiroshi
Barlow John
Morrison & Foerster / LLP
Ricoh & Company, Ltd.
Sun Xiuqin
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