Travel planning based on minimizing impact of vehicular emission

1. A method of determining at least one recommended vehicular travel route, said method comprising:

utilizing at least one processor to execute computer code that performs the steps of:

collecting a plurality of travel route inputs from a plurality of sources relative to a travel route comprising a starting point and an ending point;

determining a lowest effective emissions travel route, from a plurality of possible travel routes, between the starting point and the ending point, wherein the determining the lowest effective emissions comprises comparing effective emissions identifying an overall impact of emissions of a vehicle against absolute emissions, the effective emissions and absolute emissions being calculated for each of the plurality of possible travel routes, wherein the absolute emissions is calculated using a emissions calculator comprising the use of vehicle properties, road properties, traffic properties, and weather conditions, wherein the determining comprises:

(i) identifying population density conditions in each zone along each of the plurality of possible travel routes;

(ii) identifying a percentage of high risk individuals in each zone along each of the plurality of possible travel routes;

(iii) identifying weather conditions for each zone along each of the plurality of possible travel routes;

(iv) assigning an absolute emissions output value for each of (i), (ii), and (iii), wherein a lower absolute emissions output value corresponds to: a lower population density condition, a lower percentage of the high risk individuals, and clear weather conditions;

(v) calculating an effective emissions output value by aggregating the absolute emissions output value for each of (i), (ii), and (iii) and adjusting the aggregated absolute emissions output value based on zone and ambient air quality information; and

(vi) determining the lowest effective emissions travel route by identifying a travel route from the plurality of possible travel routes having a lowest effective emissions output value;

providing, to a user, a recommendation comprising the lowest effective emissions travel route; and

tracking vehicle adherence to the recommendation.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said collecting comprises collecting a plurality of travel route inputs for calculating vehicular emission costs.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said assessing comprises identifying, based upon predetermined criteria, at least one time-specific risk zone.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the at least one time-specific risk zone comprises at least one zone in the travel route selected from the group consisting of: a zone of higher population density, a zone defined by one or more aspects of land use, and a zone including green cover.

5. The method according to claim 3 , wherein said assessing comprises assigning an effective emission output value, based on predetermined risk designations.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein said assigning comprises calculating an emission cost factor for each time-specific risk zone.

7. The method according to claim 5 , wherein said assigning comprises calculating an average ambient air quality index for each time-specific risk zone.

8. The method according to claim 5 , wherein said assigning comprises assessing population density for each time specific risk zone.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said assigning comprises:

identifying risk zones;

measuring ambient air quality of the risk zones; and

calculating the predetermined risk designation.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein:

the travel route comprises a plurality of segments; and

said determining comprises assessing the collected plurality of travel route inputs and taking into consideration vehicle emission impact parameters relative to each of the segments.

11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein said assessing comprises recommending at least one travel route based on a user-specified request during completion of at least one of the route segments.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said assessing comprises grading emission categories based on effective emission costs.

13. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said tracking comprises utilizing a route matcher.

14. An apparatus for determining at least one recommended vehicular travel route, said apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith and executable by the at least one processor, the computer readable program code comprising:

computer readable program code configured to collect a plurality of travel route inputs from a plurality of sources relative to a travel route comprising a starting point and an ending point;

computer readable program code configured to determine a lowest effective emissions travel route, from a plurality of possible travel routes, between the starting point and the ending point, wherein the determining the lowest effective emissions comprises comparing effective emissions identifying an overall impact of emissions of a vehicle against absolute emissions, the effective emissions and absolute emissions being calculated for each of the plurality of possible travel routes, wherein the absolute emissions is calculated using a emissions calculator comprising the use of vehicle properties, road properties, traffic properties, and weather conditions, wherein the determining comprises:

(i) identifying population density conditions in each zone along each of the plurality of possible travel routes;

(ii) identifying a percentage of high risk individuals in each zone along each of the plurality of possible travel routes;

(iii) identifying weather conditions for each zone along each of the plurality of possible travel routes;

(iv) assigning an absolute emissions output value for each of (i), (ii), and (iii), wherein a lower absolute emissions output value corresponds to: a lower population density condition, a lower percentage of the high risk individuals, and clear weather conditions;

(v) calculating an effective emissions output value by aggregating the emissions output value for each of (i), (ii), and (iii) and adjusting the aggregated absolute emissions output value based on zone and ambient air quality information; and

(vi) determining the lowest effective emissions travel route by identifying a travel route from the plurality of possible travel routes having a lowest effective emissions output value;

computer readable program code that provides, to a user, a recommendation comprising the lowest effective emissions travel route; and

computer readable program code configured to track vehicle adherence to the recommendation.

15. A computer program product for determining at least one recommended vehicular travel route, said computer program product comprising:

at least one processor; and

a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith and executable by the at least one processor, the computer readable program code comprising:

computer readable program code configured to collect a plurality of travel route inputs from a plurality of sources relative to a travel route comprising a starting point and an ending point;

computer readable program code configured to determine a lowest effective emissions travel route, from a plurality of possible travel routes, between the starting point and the ending point, wherein the determining the lowest effective emissions comprises comparing effective emissions identifying an overall impact of emissions of a vehicle against absolute emissions, the effective emissions and absolute emissions being calculated for each of the plurality of possible travel routes, wherein the absolute emissions is calculated using a emissions calculator comprising the use of vehicle properties, road properties, traffic properties, and weather conditions, wherein the determining comprises:

(i) identifying population density conditions in each zone along each of the plurality of possible travel routes;

(ii) identifying a percentage of high risk individuals in each zone along each of the plurality of possible travel routes;

(iii) identifying weather conditions for each zone along each of the plurality of possible travel routes;

(iv) assigning an absolute emissions output value for each of (i), (ii), and (iii), wherein a lower absolute emissions output value corresponds to: a lower population density condition, a lower percentage of the high risk individuals, and clear weather conditions;

(v) calculating an effective emissions output value by aggregating the emissions output value for each of (i), (ii), and (iii) and adjusting the aggregated absolute emissions output value based on zone and ambient air quality information; and

(vi) determining the lowest effective emissions travel route by identifying a travel route from the plurality of possible travel routes having a lowest effective emissions output value;

computer readable program code that provides, to a user, a recommendation comprising the lowest effective emissions travel route; and

computer readable program code configured to track vehicle adherence to the recommendation.

16. The computer program product according to claim 15 , wherein the collecting comprises collecting a plurality of travel route inputs for calculating vehicular emission costs.

17. The computer program product according to claim 15 , wherein the assessing comprises identifying, based upon predetermined criteria, at least one time-specific risk zone.

18. The computer program product according to claim 17 , wherein the at least one time-specific risk zone in the travel route selected from the group consisting of: a zone of higher population density, a zone defined by one or more aspects of land use, and zone including green cover.

19. The computer program product according to claim 15 , wherein the assessing comprises assigning an effective emission output value, based on predetermined risk designations.