Internet ready, energy meter business methods
First Claim
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1. A utility management system for a network of sites being provided with an electric utility service comprising:
- providing at each site, an energy meter having a connected modem with the energy meter metering energy usage and periodically recording the rate and time of energy usage as periodic usage records;
storing the periodic usage records in a memory associated with the energy meter;
providing a computer network communication system with a host remote from the sites provided with an energy meter, the communication system connecting the provided energy meters to the host using the connected modems for communications between the individual energy meters and the host wherein data representing stored periodic usage records is periodically communicated from the energy meter to the host;
processing the data representing stored periodic usage records as energy information;
marketing the energy information to clients of the host.
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Abstract
An internet ready electronic power meter with automatic reporting capabilities, the electronic power meter recording electrical power usage and other utility usage, and periodically transmitting utility usage reports to a remote site using internet and conventional protocols of the public or private computer network, with selective access of customer data by customers and others for determining usage and accounting matters, with added capabilities of site automation, site security and appliance controls providing new business models for revenue generation.
85 Citations
10 Claims
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1. A utility management system for a network of sites being provided with an electric utility service comprising:
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providing at each site, an energy meter having a connected modem with the energy meter metering energy usage and periodically recording the rate and time of energy usage as periodic usage records;
storing the periodic usage records in a memory associated with the energy meter;
providing a computer network communication system with a host remote from the sites provided with an energy meter, the communication system connecting the provided energy meters to the host using the connected modems for communications between the individual energy meters and the host wherein data representing stored periodic usage records is periodically communicated from the energy meter to the host;
processing the data representing stored periodic usage records as energy information;
marketing the energy information to clients of the host. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A method of managing utility usage at a plurality of sites, each site provided with an electronic utility meter having a modem for communicating usage, comprising the steps of:
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metering the utility usage and periodically recording the time of usage and the rate of usage with the electronic utility meter;
storing each recorded time of usage and rate of usage of the utility as a memory record in the utility meter;
establishing a primary service provider remote from the sites provided with the electronic utility meter, the primary service provider having a computer communication system that connects with the electronic utility meter;
periodically communicating the stored memory records of the electronic utility meter to the primary service provider via the communication system that connects the service provider with the electronic utility meter. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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Specification