Patent ID: 7092898

Claim:
A data processing method using a computer network for converting vehicle environmental performance data into meaningful and readily understandable information for use by consumers as an aid in their selection of a vehicle for purchase and by vehicle manufacturers to facilitate awareness of their vehicles through advertising, said method comprising the steps of: obtaining said vehicle environmental performance data; identifying vehicles by vehicle manufacturers, brands, and models; identifying said vehicle models by vehicle configurations; establishing vehicle utility classes for said vehicles; grouping said vehicle models into said vehicle utility classes to allow evaluation of environmental performance of said vehicle models by said vehicle utility classes; developing forecasts of sales of said vehicle configurations; identifying vehicle environmental performance data components; obtaining environmental performance values for said environmental performance data components by said vehicle configurations; developing environmental performance scores for said vehicle models by sales-weighting said environmental performance values of said environmental data components by said forecasts of sales; ranking said vehicles by comparing said environmental performance scores of said vehicle models in said vehicle utility classes to identify top performers of said vehicle models in said vehicle utility classes; establishing an Internet web site; and using said Internet web site to communicate over said computer network said top performers to aid said consumers in their vehicle purchasing decisions.