Classification engine for classifying businesses based on power consumption

• US 10,074,097 B2
• Filed: 04/28/2015
• Issued: 09/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Opower, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Opower, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Packer, Benjamin, Shilts, Erik, Raju, Madhanmohan, Musick, Natalie
• Primary Examiner(s): Koneru, Sujay
• Application Number:
  US14/698,609
• Publication Number:
  US 20160224994A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,232 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/35 Clustering; Classification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

Aspects of the subject technology relate to methods and systems for classifying businesses based on various types of information, such as resource consumption information. In some implementations, methods of the subject technology include steps for receiving a plurality of business categories, wherein each of the business categories is associated with at least one category profile, and receiving business information for an unclassified business, wherein the business information comprises behavioral attribute information corresponding with the unclassified business. In some implementations, the methods disclosed herein can further include steps for comparing the business information to one or more of the category profiles to determine if the unclassified business should be associated with at least one of the plurality of business categories.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving a plurality of business categories, wherein each of the business categories is associated with (i) at least one category profile and (ii) a set of electronic messages, wherein the set of electronic messages are maintained in a storage device;

receiving business information for an unclassified business, wherein the business information comprises at least information describing power consumption of the unclassified business and a zoning restriction classification associated with a location at which the unclassified business operates;

comparing the business information to one or more of the category profiles to determine if the unclassified business corresponds with at least one of the plurality of business categories based at least in part on the power consumption of the unclassified business,

wherein for a first business category of the plurality of business categories, the comparing comprises;

(i) determining a degree of similarity value describing a degree to which the business information matches information contained within the one or more of the category profiles associated with the first business category; and

(ii) determining that the unclassified business corresponds with the first business category when the degree of similarity value exceeds a predetermined threshold;

in response to determining that the unclassified business corresponds with the first business category, associating the unclassified business with the first business category, wherein a first subset of the set of electronic messages are maintained in the storage device in association with the first business category; and

controlling transmission of the set of electronic messages based on associations between businesses and the business categories, comprising;

(i) selecting the first subset of the set of electronic messages from the storage device for transmission to remote devices associated with the unclassified business based on the unclassified business being associated with the first business category; and

(ii) sending the first subset of the set of electronic messages to the remote devices associated with the unclassified business.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein associating the unclassified business with the first business category comprises associating the unclassified business with the first business category by pairing metadata for the first business category with information identifying the unclassified business.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

updating at least one of the one or more of the category profiles associated with the first business category in response to receiving an indication that the unclassified business does not correspond with the first business category after associating the unclassified business with the first business category.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the information describing power consumption comprises information describing a power usage pattern associated with the unclassified business.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the business information further comprises a square footage associated with a building in which the unclassified business operates.

6. A business classification system comprising:

one or more processors, and

a computer-readable medium comprising instructions stored therein, which when executed by the one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform operations comprising;

receiving a plurality of business categories, wherein each of the business categories is associated with (i) at least one category profile and (ii) a set of electronic messages, wherein the set of electronic messages are maintained in a storage device;

receiving business information for an unclassified business, wherein the business information comprises at least information describing power consumption of the unclassified business and a zoning restriction classification associated with a location at which the unclassified business operates;

comparing the business information to one or more of the category profiles to determine if the unclassified business corresponds with at least one of the plurality of business categories based at least in part on the power consumption of the unclassified business,

wherein for a first business category of the plurality of business categories, the comparing comprises;

(i) determining a degree of similarity value describing a degree to which the business information matches information contained within the one or more of the category profiles associated with the first business category; and

(ii) determining that the unclassified business corresponds with the first business category when the degree of similarity value exceeds a predetermined threshold;

in response to determining that the unclassified business corresponds with the first business category, associating the unclassified business with the first business category, wherein a first subset of the set of electronic messages are maintained in the storage device in association with the first business category; and

controlling transmission of the set of electronic messages based on associations between businesses and the business categories, comprising;

(i) selecting the first subset of the set of electronic messages from the storage device for transmission to remote devices associated with the unclassified business based on the unclassified business being associated with the first business category; and

(ii) sending the first subset of the set of electronic messages to the remote devices associated with the unclassified business.

7. The business classification system of claim 6, wherein the information describing power consumption comprises information describing a power usage pattern associated with the unclassified business.

8. The business classification system of claim 6, wherein associating the unclassified business with the first business category comprises associating the unclassified business with the first business category by pairing metadata for the first business category with information identifying the unclassified business.

9. The business classification system of claim 6, wherein the instructions, which when executed by the one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform further operations comprising:

updating at least one of the one or more of the category profiles associated with the first business category in response to receiving an indication that the unclassified business does not correspond with the first business category after associating the unclassified business with the first business category.

10. The business classification system of claim 6, wherein the business information further comprises a square footage associated with a building in which the unclassified business operates.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions stored therein, which when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

receiving a plurality of business categories, wherein each of the business categories is associated with (i) at least one category profile and (ii) a set of electronic messages, wherein the set of electronic messages are maintained in a storage device;

receiving business information for an unclassified business, wherein the business information comprises at least information describing power consumption of the unclassified business and a zoning restriction classification associated with a location at which the unclassified business operates;

comparing the business information to one or more of the category profiles to determine if the unclassified business corresponds with at least one of the plurality of business categories based at least in part on the power consumption of the unclassified business,

wherein for a first business category of the plurality of business categories, the comparing comprises;

(i) determining a degree of similarity value describing a degree to which the business information matches information contained within the one or more of the category profiles associated with the first business category; and

(ii) determining that the unclassified business corresponds with the first business category when the degree of similarity value exceeds a predetermined threshold;

in response to determining that the unclassified business corresponds with the first business category, associating the unclassified business with the first business category, wherein a first subset of the set of electronic messages are maintained in the storage device in association with the first business category; and

controlling transmission of the set of electronic messages based on associations between businesses and the business categories, comprising;

(i) selecting the first subset of the set of electronic messages from the storage device for transmission to remote devices associated with the unclassified business based on the unclassified business being associated with the first business category; and

(ii) sending the first subset of the set of electronic messages to the remote devices associated with the unclassified business.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein associating the unclassified business with the first business category comprises associating the unclassified business with the first business category by pairing metadata for the first business category with information identifying the unclassified business.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the instructions, which when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform further operations comprising:

updating at least one of the one or more of the category profiles associated with the first business category in response to receiving an indication that the unclassified business do not correspond with the first business category after associating the unclassified business with the first business category.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the information describing power consumption comprises information describing a power usage pattern associated with the unclassified business.