Apparatus for environmental impact estimation and method and program stored in a computer readable medium for executing the same

Abstract

An apparatus comprising a storage device which stores information concerning first objects to be reused and second objects to be recycled, and a modeling device which performs life cycle modeling. The life cycle modeling includes reading information concerning the first objects and the second objects that configure a product from the storage device, selecting some of the first and second objects which are diverted to a new product from a recovery product using the information, and combining selected ones of the first and second objects to fabricate the new product to generate a life cycle model.

1 . An environmental impact estimation apparatus comprising: 
 a storage device configured to store information concerning a plurality of first objects and a plurality of second objects; and    a display device configured to display selectively the first objects and the second objects based on the information stored in the storage device and configured to draw lines selectively between the first objects and between the second objects;    a modeling device configured to perform life cycle modeling to generate a life cycle model, the life cycle modeling including reading the information concerning the first objects and the second objects from the storage device, and selecting the lines to associate between the first objects and between the second objects for reusing or recycling the first objects and the second objects.    
     
     
         2 . An apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising an environmental impact/cost estimating device configured to estimate an environmental impact and cost based on the life cycle model generated by the modeling device.  
     
     
         3 . An apparatus according to  claim 2 , which further comprises a data base configured to store environmental impact information and cost information, the environmental impact information concerning respective stages of material acquisition for products, manufacturing, distribution, use, recovery and discharging, and 
 wherein the environmental impact/cost estimating device is further configured to compute the environmental impact and cost of the entire series of multi-generation products based on information generated from the data base and the life cycle model obtained by the modeling device.    
     
     
         4 . An apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a predicting device configured to predict a supply quantity of the first and second objects using the life cycle model generated by the modeling device; and    an environmental impact/cost estimating device configured to estimate environmental impact and cost to be burdened in the reuse or recycle from a prediction result obtained by the predicting device.    
     
     
         5 - 8 . (canceled)  
     
     
         9 . An apparatus according to  claim 4 , which further comprises a data base configured to store environmental impact information and cost information, the environmental impact concerning respective stages of material acquisition for products, manufacturing, distribution, use, recovery and discharging, and 
 wherein the environmental impact/cost estimating device is further configured to compute the environmental impact and cost of the entire series of multi-generation products based on information generated from the data base and the life cycle modeling result caused by the modeling device.    
     
     
         10 . A plan aiding apparatus using a recovery product, comprising: 
 a storage device configured to store information concerning a plurality of first objects and a plurality of second objects;    a display device configured to display selectively the first objects and the second objects based on the information stored in the storage device and configured to draw lines selectively between the first objects and between the second objects;    a modeling device configured to perform life cycle modeling to generate a life cycle model, the life cycle modeling including reading the information concerning the first objects and the second objects, which configure a product, from the storage device, and selecting the lines to associate between the first objects or second objects for reusing or recycling the first and second objects; and    a support device configured to support a plan of a new product, the support device configured to allocate combined object symbols targeted for diversion and an object symbol of the new product on a screen, and configured to display input windows in correspondence with the object symbols and symbol to associate input product information with the object symbols and symbol, the input product information is at least one information selected from the group consisting of a product name, previous model, product useful life, product worth life, manufacturing start time, and number of manufactured products.    
     
     
         11 . An environmental impact estimation method comprising: 
 storing information concerning a plurality of first objects and a plurality of second objects in a storage;    displaying on a display device selectively the first objects and the second objects based on the information stored in the storage device, and drawing lines selectively between the first objects and between the second objects;    performing life cycle modeling to generate a life cycle model, the life cycle modeling including reading information concerning the first objects and the second objects, which configure a product, from the storage device;    selecting the lines to associate between the first objects or second objects for reusing or recycling the first objects and the second objects; and    estimating an environmental impact and cost based on the life cycle model.    
     
     
         12 . A method according to  claim 11 , further comprising preparing a data base which stores environmental impact information and cost information, the environmental impact information concerning respective stages of material acquisition for products, manufacturing, distribution, use, recovery and discharging, and 
 wherein the estimating includes computing the environmental impact and cost of the entire series of multi-generation products based on information generated from the data base and the life cycle model.    
     
     
         13 . A method according to  claim 11 , further comprising predicting a supply quantity of the first objects and/or the second objects using the life cycle model, and estimating environmental impact and cost to be burdened in the reuse or recycle from a prediction result obtained by the predicting.  
     
     
         14 - 17 . (canceled)  
     
     
         18 . A method according to  claim 13 , further comprising preparing a data base storing environmental impact information and cost information, the environmental impact information concerning respective stages of material acquisition for products, manufacturing, distribution, use, recovery and discharging, and 
 wherein the estimating includes computing the environmental impact and cost of the entire series of multi-generation products based on information generated from the data base and the life cycle model.    
     
     
         19 . A plan aiding method using a recovery product, comprising: 
 storing information concerning a plurality of first objects and a plurality of second objects in a storage;    displaying on a display device selectively first symbols representing the first objects and second symbols representing the second objects based on the information stored in the storage device and drawing lines selectively between the first symbols and between the second symbols;    performing life cycle modeling to generate a life cycle model, the life cycle modeling including reading information concerning the first objects and the second objects which configure a product from the storage;    selecting the lines to associate between the first objects or the second objects for reusing or recycling the first objects and the second objects;    allocating the first and second object symbols targeted for diversion and an object symbol of a new product on the display device; and    displaying an input screen in correspondence with the first and second object symbols and the symbol to associate input product information with the object symbols and symbol, the input product information is at least one information selected from the group consisting of a product name, previous model, product useful life, product worth life, manufacturing start time, and number of manufactured products.    
     
     
         20 - 21 . (canceled)  
     
     
         22 . A computer program for an environmental impact estimation stored on a computer readable medium, comprising: 
 instruction means for instructing a computer processor to store information concerning a plurality of first objects and a plurality of second objects in a storage;    instruction means for instructing the computer to display selectively on a display device the first objects and the second objects, based on the information stored in the storage device and instructing the computer to draw lines selectively between the first objects and between the second objects;    instruction means for instructing the computer processor to perform life cycle modeling to generate a life cycle model, the life cycle modeling including reading information concerning the first objects and the second objects, which configure a product, from the storage device;    instruction means for instructing the computer to select the lines to associate between the first and second objects for reusing or recycling the first and the second objects; and    instruction means for instructing the computer processor to estimate an environmental impact and cost based on the life cycle model.    
     
     
         23 . A computer program according to  claim 22 , further comprising instruction means for instructing the computer processor to use a data base which stores environmental impact information and cost information, the environmental impact information concerning respective stages of material acquisition for products, manufacturing, distribution, use, recovery and discharging, and wherein 
 the estimating instruction means includes instruction means for instructing the computer processor to compute the environmental impact and cost of the entire series of multi-generation products based on information generated from the data base and the life cycle model.    
     
     
         24 . A computer program according to  claim 22 , further comprising: 
 instruction means for instructing the computer processor to predict a supply quantity of to-be-reused objects and/or to-be-recycled objects using the life cycle model, and    instruction means for instructing the computer processor to predict environmental impact and cost to be burdened in the reuse or recycle from a prediction result obtained by a processing for predicting the supply quantity.    
     
     
         25 - 28 . (canceled)  
     
     
         29 . A computer program according to  claim 24 , further comprising instruction means for instructing the computer processor to use a data base storing environmental impact information and cost information, the environmental impact information concerning respective stages of material acquisition for products, manufacturing, distribution, use, recovery and discharging, and wherein 
 the estimating instruction means includes instruction means for instructing the computer processor to compute the environmental impact and cost of the entire series of multi-generation products based on information generated from the data base and the life cycle model.    
     
     
         30 . A computer program stored on a computer readable medium for aiding a plan, comprising: 
 instruction means for instructing a computer processor to store information concerning a plurality of first objects and a plurality of second objects in a storage;    instruction means for instructing the computer to display on a display device selectively first symbols representing the first objects and second symbols representing the second objects based on the information stored in the storage device and to draw lines selectively between the first objects and between the second objects;    instruction means for instructing the computer processor to perform life cycle modeling to generate a life cycle model, the life cycle modeling including reading information concerning the first and second objects which configure a product from the storage;    instruction means for instructing the computer to select the lines to associate between the first objects or the second objects for reusing or recycling the first and the second objects;    instruction means for instructing the computer processor to allocate the first and second object symbols targeted for diversion and an object symbol of the new product on the display device; and    instruction means for instructing the computer processor to display an input screen in correspondence with the object symbols and symbol to associate input product information with the object symbols and symbol, the input product information is at least one information selected from the group consisting of a product name, previous model, product useful life, product worth life, manufacturing start time, and number of manufactured products.    
     
     
         31 - 32 . (canceled)