Apparatus and method for controlling utility consumption
First Claim
1. A utility distribution system for scheduling the consumption of said utility, said utility distribution system including a plurality of computers, each of said computers within said utility distribution system including a processor and associated memory from which computer instructions are executed by an associated processor, said utility distribution system comprising:
- a utility customer having at least one computer-controlled device that consumes said utility, said computer-controlled device being scheduled to start said according to a policy set by said customer and issuing a computer-based start request message according to said policy;
a utility provider for supplying said utility to said computer-controlled device; and
a utility consumption load control system coupled to said customer and said provider, said load control system receiving said computer-based start request message, said load control system having an active pool data structure containing a group of computer-controlled devices for which computer-based start request messages have been received and for which said associated computer-controlled devices have been started by said load control system for said customer, said load control system having a reservation pool data structure containing a group of computer-controlled devices for which computer-based start requests have been received and for which said associated computer-controlled devices have not been started by said load control system for said customer, said load control system establishing an active pool parameter according to which said active pool data structure and said reservation pool data structure are managed in connection with said customer policy data, said load control system detecting a change in one of said start request messages associated with said devices within said reservation pool data structure, said start request messages associated with said devices within said active pool, or said active pool parameter, and moving at least one device from said reservation pool data structure to said active pool data structure based on said change and sending a computer-based start message associated with said at least one device to said customer so as to start said at least one device based on said change.
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Abstract
A computer-based electrical power management and allocation system is provided that collects demand for electric power usage and allocates electric power supply in satisfaction thereof. A load control server is used to collect and schedule electrical power start and stop requests according to policies established by either or both of the electric power consumers and electric power suppliers. The energy system collects accumulation messages to reserve electrical power and processes them using the prescribed customer and supplier policies and according to an overall optimization criterion of the energy system. Stop messages are then subsequently issued to cease device operation and the devices are then moved to a reservation pool until the energy system'"'"'s operational criterion is relaxed or the accumulation messages become obsolete. Similar accumulation requests for delayed or conservation-based operation may also be applied to the distribution of other utilities, such as water, natural gas, or guaranteed internet bandwidth.
31 Citations
24 Claims
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1. A utility distribution system for scheduling the consumption of said utility, said utility distribution system including a plurality of computers, each of said computers within said utility distribution system including a processor and associated memory from which computer instructions are executed by an associated processor, said utility distribution system comprising:
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a utility customer having at least one computer-controlled device that consumes said utility, said computer-controlled device being scheduled to start said according to a policy set by said customer and issuing a computer-based start request message according to said policy; a utility provider for supplying said utility to said computer-controlled device; and a utility consumption load control system coupled to said customer and said provider, said load control system receiving said computer-based start request message, said load control system having an active pool data structure containing a group of computer-controlled devices for which computer-based start request messages have been received and for which said associated computer-controlled devices have been started by said load control system for said customer, said load control system having a reservation pool data structure containing a group of computer-controlled devices for which computer-based start requests have been received and for which said associated computer-controlled devices have not been started by said load control system for said customer, said load control system establishing an active pool parameter according to which said active pool data structure and said reservation pool data structure are managed in connection with said customer policy data, said load control system detecting a change in one of said start request messages associated with said devices within said reservation pool data structure, said start request messages associated with said devices within said active pool, or said active pool parameter, and moving at least one device from said reservation pool data structure to said active pool data structure based on said change and sending a computer-based start message associated with said at least one device to said customer so as to start said at least one device based on said change. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A utility consumption load control system, said system including a plurality of computers, each of said computers within said system including a processor and associated memory from which computer instructions may be executed by said processor, said system comprising:
a utility consumption load control system coupled to a utility customer having at least one computer-controlled device that consumes said utility, said computer-controlled device being scheduled to start according to a policy set by said customer and issuing a computer-based start request message according to said policy;
said load control system also coupled to a utility provider that supplies said utility to said computer-controlled device, said load control system receiving said computer-based start request message, said load control system having an active pool data structure containing a group of devices for which computer-based start request messages have been received and for which said associated computer-controlled devices have been started by said load control system for said customer and a reservation pool data structure containing a group of computer-controlled devices for which computer-based start requests have been received and for which said associated computer-controlled devices have not been started by said load control system for said customer, said load control system establishing an active pool parameter according to which said active pool data structure and said reservation pool data structure are managed, said load control system detecting a change in one of said start request messages associated with said devices within said reservation pool data structure, said start request messages associated with said device within said active pool data structure or said active pool parameter, and moving at least one device from said reservation pool data structure to said active pool data structure based on said change and sending a computer-based start message associated with said at least one device to said customer so as to start said at least one device based on said change.- View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method of scheduling a utility distribution within a utility distribution system, said system including a plurality of computers that implement a utility consumption, load control system, each of said computers within said load control system including a processor and associated memory from which computer instructions may be executed by said processor, said load control system coupled to a utility customer having at least one computer-controlled device that consumes said utility, said computer-controlled device being scheduled to start according to a policy set by said customer and issuing a computer-based start request message according to said policy set by said customer;
- said load control system also coupled to a utility provider from which said computer-controlled device receives said utility, said load control system having an active pool data structure containing a group of computer-controlled devices for which computer-based start request messages have been received and for which said associated computer-controlled devices have been started by said load control system for said customer and a reservation pool data structure containing a group of computer-controlled devices for which computer-based start requests have been received and for which said associated computer-controlled devices have not been started by said load control system for said customer, said load control system establishing an active pool parameter according to which said active pool data structure and said reservation pool data structure are managed, said method comprising;
receiving at said load control system a computer-based start request message from said at least one computer-controlled device according to said policy; placing said at least one computer-controlled device in said reservation pool data structure for starting said device according to said policy and said active pool parameter; detecting a change in one of;
said start request messages associated with said devices within said reservation pool data structure, said devices associated with said active pool data structure or said active pool parameter;moving said at least one device from said reservation pool data structure to said active pool data structure upon detecting said change; and sending a computer-based start message associated with said at least one device to said customer so as to start said at least one device. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23)
- said load control system also coupled to a utility provider from which said computer-controlled device receives said utility, said load control system having an active pool data structure containing a group of computer-controlled devices for which computer-based start request messages have been received and for which said associated computer-controlled devices have been started by said load control system for said customer and a reservation pool data structure containing a group of computer-controlled devices for which computer-based start requests have been received and for which said associated computer-controlled devices have not been started by said load control system for said customer, said load control system establishing an active pool parameter according to which said active pool data structure and said reservation pool data structure are managed, said method comprising;
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24. A non-transitory, machine-readable storage media having executable instructions for causing a plurality of processors within a plurality of computers to perform a method of scheduling a utility distribution within a utility distribution system, said system including a plurality of computers that implement a utility consumption, load control system, each of said computers within said load control system including a processor and associated memory from which computer instructions may be executed by said processor, said load control system coupled to a utility customer having at least one computer-controlled device that consumes said utility, said computer-controlled device being scheduled to start according to a policy set by said customer and issuing a computer-based start request message according to said policy set by said customer;
- said load control system also coupled to a utility provider from which said computer-controlled device receives said utility, said load control system having an active pool data structure containing a group of computer-controlled devices for which start computer-based start request messages have been received and for which said associated computer-controlled devices have been started by said load control system for said customer and a reservation pool data structure containing a group of computer-controlled devices for which computer-based start requests have been received and for which said associated computer-controlled devices have not been started for said customer by said load control system, said load control system establishing an active pool parameter according to which said active pool data structure and said reservation pool data structure are managed, said machine-readable storage media having steps for performing the method of;
receiving at said load control system a computer-based start request message from said at least one computer-controlled device after being scheduled to start according to said policy; placing said at least one computer-controlled device in said reservation pool data structure for starting said device according to said policy and said active pool parameter; detecting a change in one of;
said start request messages associated with said devices within said reservation pool data structure, said devices associated with said active pool or said active pool parameter;moving said at least one device from said reservation pool data structure to said active pool data structure upon detecting said change; and sending a computer-based start message associated with said at least one device to said customer to start said device.
- said load control system also coupled to a utility provider from which said computer-controlled device receives said utility, said load control system having an active pool data structure containing a group of computer-controlled devices for which start computer-based start request messages have been received and for which said associated computer-controlled devices have been started by said load control system for said customer and a reservation pool data structure containing a group of computer-controlled devices for which computer-based start requests have been received and for which said associated computer-controlled devices have not been started for said customer by said load control system, said load control system establishing an active pool parameter according to which said active pool data structure and said reservation pool data structure are managed, said machine-readable storage media having steps for performing the method of;
Specification