SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
First Claim
1. A intelligent controller for managing use of a consumable resource at an associated load, comprising:
- a load resource measuring component for measuring the rate of use of the resource by the associated load, including measuring at least one of an instantaneous usage rate and a usage rate over an integration period;
a load status component for receiving load status data for the associated load;
a communication component for receiving control messages from and sending load status messages to other associated controllers;
a memory for storing a load operating plan and a load control goal set; and
a load control computer program responsive to the load resource measuring component, the load status component, the control messages from other associated controllers, the load operating plan and the load control goal set, to determine a load operating level for, and provide control commands to, the associated load.
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Abstract
A system uses an intelligent load controller for managing use of a consumable resource at an associated load. The controller has a resource measuring component for measuring the rate of use of the resource by the associated load, including measuring at least one of an instantaneous usage rate and a usage rate over an integration period and a load status component for receiving load status data for the associated load. The controller also has a communication component for receiving control messages from and sending load status messages to other associated controllers; a memory for storing a load control goal set; and a load control computer program responsive to the resource measuring component, the load status component, the control messages from other associated controllers and the load control goal set, to determine a load operating level for, and provide control commands to, the associated load.
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Citations
40 Claims
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1. A intelligent controller for managing use of a consumable resource at an associated load, comprising:
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a load resource measuring component for measuring the rate of use of the resource by the associated load, including measuring at least one of an instantaneous usage rate and a usage rate over an integration period; a load status component for receiving load status data for the associated load; a communication component for receiving control messages from and sending load status messages to other associated controllers; a memory for storing a load operating plan and a load control goal set; and a load control computer program responsive to the load resource measuring component, the load status component, the control messages from other associated controllers, the load operating plan and the load control goal set, to determine a load operating level for, and provide control commands to, the associated load. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A system for managing use of a consumable resource by a plurality of loads receiving the resource from a common supplier, comprising:
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a plurality of intelligent controllers, each associated with a load and each controller comprising; a load resource measuring component for measuring the rate of use of the resource by the associated load, including measuring at least one of an instantaneous usage rate and a usage rate over an integration period; a load status component for monitoring load status data for the associated load; a communication component for exchanging control and load status messages with other controllers; and a load control computer program executing a stored load operating plan, said computer program being responsive to measurements from the load resource measuring component and data from the load status component to determine a load operating level for, and provide control commands to, the associated load, and a group level controller networked to exchange control and load status messages with the plurality of intelligent controllers, the group level controller comprising; a group resource measuring component for computing the rate of use of the resource by the one or more loads associated with the plurality of load controllers, based on messages from the plurality of load controllers, and storing resulting computed measurements; a memory for storing a group operating plan; and a group control computer program executing the stored group operating plan, said computer program being responsive to the group resource measuring component, the load status messages and messages from the common supplier to determine a group operating level and provide control messages to the one or more load controllers to cause an operating level adjustment of one or more of the plurality of loads. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10)
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11. A system for managing use of a consumable resource by one or more loads, comprising:
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one or more intelligent load controllers, each associated with at least one load and each controller comprising; a load resource measuring component for measuring the rate of use of the resource by the associated load, including measuring at least one of an instantaneous usage rate and a usage rate over an integration period; a load status component for receiving load status data for the associated load; a communication component for receiving control messages from and sending load status messages to other associated controllers; a memory for storing a load operating plan and a load control goal set; and a load control computer program responsive to the load resource measuring component, the load status component, the control messages from other associated controllers, the load operating plan and the load control goal set, to determine a load operating level for, and provide control commands to, the associated load, and a group level controller associated with the one or more load controllers, the group level controller comprising; a group resource measuring component for measuring the rate of use of the resource by the one or more loads associated with the one or more load controllers, including measuring at least one of an instantaneous usage rate and a usage rate over an integration period, and storing the measurements; a communications component for receiving from each of the one or more load control programs, load status messages; a memory for storing a group operating plan and a group control goal set; and a group control computer program responsive to the group resource measuring component, the load status messages, the group operating plan and a group control goal set to determine a group operating level and provide control messages to the one or more load controllers. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. A method for managing use of a consumable resource using an intelligent load controller at an associated load, the controller comprising:
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a resource measuring component for measuring the rate of use of the resource by the associated load, including measuring at least one of an instantaneous usage rate and a usage rate over an integration period; a load status component for receiving load status data for the associated load; a communication component for receiving control messages from and sending load status messages to other associated controllers; and a processor and memory the method comprising; storing a load control goal set in the memory; and controlling a load control computer program responsive to the resource measuring component, the load status component, the control messages from other associated controllers and the load control goal set, to determine a load operating level for, and provide control commands to, the associated load. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33)
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34. A method for managing use of a consumable resource using one or more intelligent load controllers, each with one or more associated loads, wherein each intelligent load controller comprises:
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a resource measuring component for measuring the rate of use of the resource by the associated load, including measuring at least one of an instantaneous usage rate and a usage rate over an integration period; a load status component for receiving load status data for the associated load; and a communication component for receiving control messages from and sending load status messages to other controllers; and a load controller processor and memory and further using one or more group level controllers associated with the one or more intelligent load controllers, wherein each group level controller comprises; a group resource measuring component for measuring the rate of use of the resource by the one or more loads associated with the one or more load controllers, including measuring at least one of an instantaneous usage rate and a usage rate over an integration period, and storing the measurements; a communications component for receiving from each of the one or more load control programs, load status messages; and a group controller processor and memory and wherein the method comprises; accessing a load control goal set in memory; controlling a load control computer program responsive to the resource measuring component, the load status component, the control messages from other controllers and the load control goal set, to determine a load operating level for, and provide control commands to, the associated load, and accessing a group control goal set in memory; controlling a group control computer program responsive to the group resource measuring component, the load status messages and a group control goal set to determine a group operating level and provide control messages to the one or more load controllers.
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35. A method for managing use of a consumable resource by one or more loads and providing an improvement over a prior resource cost baseline, comprising:
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providing one or more intelligent load controllers, each associated with at least one load and each controller comprising; a load resource measuring component for measuring the rate of use of the resource by the associated load, including measuring at least one of an instantaneous usage rate and a usage rate over an integration period; a load status component for receiving load status data for the associated load; a communication component for receiving control messages from and sending load status messages to other associated controllers; a memory for storing a load operating plan and a load control goal set; and a load control computer program responsive to the load resource measuring component, the load status component, the control messages from other associated controllers, the load operating plan and the load control goal set, to determine a load operating level for, and provide control commands to, the associated load, and providing a group level controller associated with the one or more load controllers, the group level controller comprising; a group resource measuring component for measuring the rate of use of the resource by the one or more loads associated with the one or more load controllers, including measuring at least one of an instantaneous usage rate and a usage rate over an integration period, and storing the measurements; a communications component for receiving from each of the one or more load control programs, load status messages; a memory for storing a group operating plan and a group control goal set; and a group control computer program responsive to the group resource measuring component, the load status messages, the group operating plan and a group control goal set to determine a group operating level and provide control messages to the one or more load controllers; providing a baseline calculator that derives a cost baseline for the at least one load and a specified period, based on a usage level history for the one at least one load and setting for at least one user a control goal set configure to reduce resource costs below the cost baseline; controlling a measurement and comparison component that compares current resource use to the cost baseline for the specified period; and controlling a billing system that initiates payments for a supplier of the resource in response to the supplier submitting a resource bill and bills the at least one user an amount equal to the supplier'"'"'s resource bill for the specified period plus a savings factor, computed based on a portion of the difference between the cost baseline and the supplier'"'"'s resource bill for the specified period. - View Dependent Claims (36)
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37. A system for protecting revenue resulting from sale of a consumable resource by a resource provider, comprising:
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measuring at one or more loads or load groups of the customer group the resource consumption in such group, such measuring providing resource consumption audit data sufficient to determine the total resource consumption by least one billed customer; determining from billing records for the defined billing period whether the amount billed for resource consumption corresponds to a calculated full payment for the total resources using applicable billing rules for the at least one billed customer and whether the customer was under-billed relative to the resource consumption audit data for that at least one customer and storing the determination as an audit result. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40)
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Specification