Methods and systems for correlating consumption information with distribution entities

• US 20020116282A1
• Filed: 05/23/2001
• Published: 08/22/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Truepricing, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Truepricing, Inc.
• Inventors: Martin, Jeffrey W., Hawkins, Campbell
• Application Number:
  US09/863,793
• Publication Number:
  US 20020116282A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/202 Interconnection or interaction of plural electronic cash registers [ECR] or to host computer, e.g. network details, transfer of information from host to ECR or from ECR to ECR
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/18 Network planning tools
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/24 Negotiating SLA [Service Level Agreement]; Negotiating QoS [Quality of Service]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems

Abstract

The present invention is related to methods and systems for correlating consumption information with distribution entities. In one embodiment, a plurality of consumer profiles are generated, and based on these profiles, a supplier may identify a particular consumer or define a subset of consumers and bid to supply services to that consumer or consumer subset. The services can be utility services, communication services, and the like. The profile information can include historical service usage information and patterns.

Claims

1. A method of facilitating the bidding process over a network for the supply of utility services, the method comprising:

receiving over a network individual historical utility consumption and use information for corresponding service consumers;

generating individual profiles, based at least in part on the historical consumption and use information, for at least a first portion of the consumers;

providing over the network information corresponding to the individual profiles to at least a first utility service supplier;

receiving a bid from the first utility supplier to supply utility service to at least a first consumer in the first portion of consumers; and

providing the bid to at least a first recipient.

2. The method as defined in claim 1, where the utility service is electrical service.

3. The method as defined in claim 1, where the utility service is telecommunications service.

4. The method as defined in claim 1, where the utility service is natural gas service.

5. The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising generating a code for at least the first consumer, where the code is at least partly related to the first consumer'"'"'s historical utility consumption and use information.

6. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the historical consumption and use information includes usage as a function of time of day data.

7. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the historical consumption and use information includes usage as a function of time of year data.

8. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the historical consumption and use information includes usage location data.

9. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the historical consumption and use information includes usage quantity data.

10. The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising receiving a request from the supplier for information on consumers having at least a first specified profile characteristic.

11. The method as defined in claim 1, where the information provided to the supplier includes a graph indicating utility service usage patterns.

12. The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising receiving an acceptance of the bid from the at least first recipient.

13. The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising receiving appliance information from the first consumer.

14. The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising receiving energy efficiency related information from the first consumer.

15. The method as defined in claim 1, where the bid from the first utility supplier is to supply utility service to a plurality of consumers in the first portion of consumers, where the bid is contingent on at least a minimum amount of consumers accepting the bid.

16. The method as defined in claim 1, where the bid includes terms that conform to a first standard agreement.

17. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the first consumer is a residential consumer.

18. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the first consumer is a commercial consumer.

20. The method as defined in claim 19, wherein the historical service usage information relates to the usage of at least a first utility service.

21. The method as defined in claim 19, wherein the historical service usage information relates to the usage of a plurality of utility services.

22. The method as defined in claim 19, further comprising:

receiving an acceptance of the first bid by at least the first recipient;

providing the acceptance to the first supplier; and

charging the first supplier a fee.

23. The method as defined in claim 19, further comprising charging the first recipient a fee.

24. The method as defined in claim 19, further comprising:

receiving a second bid from a second supplier to supply the at least one of a service and a product to at least the first consumer;

providing the second bid to at least the first recipient; and

ranking the first bid and the second bid.

25. The method as defined in claim 24, wherein the ranking is based at least in part on an amount of predicted savings associated with the first bid and an amount of predicted savings associated with the second bid.

26. The method as defined in claim 19, further comprising providing advice on reducing energy consumption based on a profile associated with the first recipient.

27. The method as defined in claim 19, further comprising selecting at least a first advertisement to be presented to the first recipient based at least in part on information related to energy usage provided by the first recipient.

28. The method as defined in claim 27, wherein the selected advertisement relates to the services of at least one of an energy auditor, electricity services, natural gas services, and telecommunications services.

29. The method as defined in claim 27, wherein the selected advertisement relates to the services of a bill auditor.

30. The method as defined in claim 19, further comprising informing the first recipient of a contract end date associated with the bid.

31. The method as defined in claim 19, further comprising receiving equipment-related information from at least a first consumer for equipment that affects service usage.

32. The method as defined in claim 19, wherein at least a portion of the historical usage information is received from an incumbent supplier of service.

19. A method of facilitating the bidding process for the supply of services, the method comprising:

receiving historical service usage information for a plurality of consumers;

generating individual profiles, based at least in part on the service usage information, for at least a first portion of the plurality of consumers;

selectively providing information related to the individual profiles to at least a first supplier;

receiving a first bid from the first supplier to supply at least one of a service and a product to at least a first consumer in the first portion of consumers; and

providing the first bid to at least a first recipient.

33. A method of providing consumers with bids from suppliers of utility services, the method comprising:

receiving a request for bids for a plurality of utility services from at least a first user over a network;

receiving historical utility usage information for at least a portion of the plurality of utility services;

providing via the network information related to the received utility usage information to a plurality of bidders;

receiving a bid to supply the plurality of utility services from at least a first bidder; and

receiving a bid to supply only a portion of the plurality of utility services from at least a second bidder.

34. The method as defined in claim 33, wherein the plurality of utility services includes at least two of electricity, gas and water services.

35. The method as defined in claim 33, wherein the plurality of utility services includes telecom and broadband services.

36. The method as defined in claim 33, further comprising receiving a requests for bids for a plurality of utility services from a plurality of users.

37. The method as defined in claim 33, further comprising generating a code for at least the first code, where the code is at least partly related to the first consumer'"'"'s historical utility usage information for at least the portion of the plurality of utility services.

39. The method as defined in claim 38, further comprising providing the offer to the aggregated group of consumers.

40. The method as defined in claim 38, wherein the offer is contingent on the offer being accepted by at least a first portion of the aggregated group of consumers accepting the offer.

38. A method of requesting offers to supply utility services to consumers, the method comprising:

receiving utility service usage information from a plurality of consumers;

generating individual profiles, based at least in part on the utility service usage information, for the plurality of consumers;

providing information corresponding to the individual profiles to at least a first offeror of utility service; and

receiving an offer from the first offeror to supply utility service to an aggregated group of consumers, wherein the aggregated group is at least partly selected by the first offeror from the plurality of consumers.

41. A method of facilitating the bidding process for the supply of utility services, the method comprising:

receiving utility service usage information from at least a first commercial consumer;

receiving meter information on a plurality of meters associated with the first commercial consumer;

providing data related to the utility service usage information and the meter information to at least a first utility service supplier; and

receiving a bid from the first utility supplier to supply utility service to the at least first commercial consumer.

42. The method as defined in claim 41, wherein the meter information includes the number of meters associated with the commercial consumer.

43. The method as defined in claim 41, wherein the meter information includes information on the meter types.

44. The method as defined in claim 41, wherein the meter information includes information on meter billing cycles.

46. The method as defined in claim 45, wherein the first set of offer elements includes a discount element.

47. The method as defined in claim 45, wherein the first set of offer elements includes a fixed price element.

48. The method as defined in claim 45, wherein the first set of offer elements includes a fixed price element for a first period and a fixed price element for a second period.

49. The method as defined in claim 45, wherein the first set of offer elements includes a renewal term element.

45. A method of generating offers to supply utility services to consumers, the method comprising:

providing a first set of offer elements related to providing a first utility service to a consumer;

receiving a user selection of offer elements from the first set that are to be included in the offer to the consumer;

receiving from the user at least a first value associated with at least a first of the selected offer elements; and

providing an offer to the consumer based on at least the selected offer elements and the first value.

50. A method of requesting offers over to supply services to consumers, the method comprising:

generating individual profiles for the plurality of consumers based on information received over a network;

providing information corresponding to the individual profiles to at least a first offeror of a first service; and

receiving an offer from the first offeror to supply the first service to an aggregated group of consumers, wherein the aggregated group is at least partly selected by the first offeror from the plurality of consumers.