COLLECTING, SHARING, COMPARING, AND DISPLAYING RESOURCE USAGE DATA

• US 20080306985A1
• Filed: 10/04/2007
• Published: 12/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ABL IP Holding LLC (Acuity Brands, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Lucid Design Group Inc. (Acuity Brands, Inc.)
• Inventors: Murray, Michael Edward, Petersen, John Edmund, Shunturov, Vladislav Kantchev, Platt, Gavin Matthew
• Granted Patent: US 8,176,095 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/102
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0218 based on score

Abstract

Resource usage data is automatically collected for an individual, house-hold, family, organization, or other entity. The collected data is transmitted to a central repository, where it is stored and compared with real-time and/or historical usage data by that same entity and/or with data from other sources. Graphical, interactive displays and reports of resource usage data are then made available. These displays can include comparisons with data representing any or all of community averages, specific entities, historical use, representative similarly-situated entities, and the like. Resource usage data can be made available within a social networking context, published, and/or selectively shared with other entities.

Claims

1. A method for collecting, comparing, and displaying resource usage data, comprising:

collecting resource usage data associated with a first entity;

storing the collected resource usage data;

retrieving stored resource usage data associated with at least one entity other than the first entity;

comparing the collected resource usage data for the first entity with retrieved resource usage data for the at least one other entity; and

outputting the results of the comparison.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

processing the collected resource usage data;

and wherein storing the collected resource usage data comprises storing the processed resource usage data.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

aggregating the collected resource usage data;

and wherein storing the collected resource usage data comprises storing the aggregated resource usage data.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein each entity comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of:

an individual;

a family;

a group;

a corporation;

an organization;

an institution;

at least one division within an organization;

at least one department within an organization;

a building;

a municipality;

a geographically defined set of entities;

a utility district;

a service area;

a zone;

a sub-zone;

a climatic zone;

a residence;

a floor;

a room; and

an office.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a definition of a group of entities; and

displaying comparative resource usage information associated with the entities in the group.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the definition comprises at least one of a list of entities, a geographic definition, and a parametric definition.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a definition of a resource usage competition comprising a plurality of entities;

comparing resource usage among entities engaged in the competition; and

displaying output comprising results of the comparison.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving at least one resource usage goal;

comparing resource usage against the received usage goal; and

displaying output comprising results of the comparison.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein storing the collected resource usage data comprises storing the collected resource usage data at a repository that is centralized with respect to the entity.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein collecting the resource usage data comprises uploading the resource usage data from at least one usage monitoring device.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein comparing the collected resource usage data comprises comparing the collected resource usage data with at least one selected from the group consisting of:

an aggregation of data for at least one other entity;

resource usage data for a specified set of entities; and

resource usage data for a geographically defined set of entities.

12. A method for collecting resource usage data, comprising:

collecting resource usage data associated with a first entity;

storing the collected resource usage data at a repository;

comparing the collected resource usage data for the first entity with previously collected resource usage data associated with the first entity; and

outputting the results of the comparison.

13. A method for collecting resource usage data, comprising:

collecting resource usage data;

receiving input indicating an event associated with a specified time;

tagging the collected resource usage to indicate occurrence of the event at the specified time;

storing the collected resource usage data including the tag; and

outputting a representation of at least a subset of the resource usage data, including an indication of the event.

14. A method for collecting resource usage data, comprising:

collecting resource usage data associated with an entity;

storing the collected resource usage data; and

publishing the collected resource usage data within a web page of a social networking website, the web page being associated with the entity.

15. A system for collecting, comparing, and displaying resource usage data, comprising:

a storage device, for collecting and storing resource usage data associated with a first entity;

a resource usage comparison module, communicatively coupled to the storage device, for;

retrieving stored resource usage data associated with at least one entity other than the first entity; and

comparing the collected resource usage data for the first entity with retrieved resource usage data for the at least one other entity; and

an output device, communicatively coupled to the resource usage comparison module, for outputting the results of the comparison.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

a post-processing module, coupled to the storage device, for processing the collected resource usage data;

and wherein the storage device stores the processed resource usage data.

17. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

a post-processing module, coupled to the storage device, for aggregating the collected resource usage data;

and wherein the storage device stores the aggregated resource usage data.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein each entity comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of:

an individual;

a family;

a group;

a corporation;

an organization;

an institution;

at least one division within an organization;

at least one department within an organization;

a building;

a municipality;

a geographically defined set of entities;

a utility district;

a service area;

a zone;

a sub-zone;

a climatic zone;

a residence;

a floor;

a room; and

an office.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein:

the resource usage comparison module receives a definition of a group of entities; and

the output device displays comparative resource usage information associated with the entities in the group.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the definition comprises at least one of a list of entities, a geographic definition, and a parametric definition.

21. The system of claim 15, further comprising a competition module, communicatively coupled to the storage device, for:

receiving a definition of a resource usage competition comprising a plurality of entities; and

comparing resource usage among entities engaged in the competition;

and wherein the output device displays output comprising results of the comparison.

22. The system of claim 15, wherein the resource usage comparison module:

receives at least one resource usage goal;

compares resource usage against the received usage goal;

and wherein the output device displays output comprising results of the comparison.

23. The system of claim 15, wherein the storage device is centralized with respect to the entity.

24. The system of claim 15, wherein the storage device receives the resource usage data from at least one usage monitoring device.

25. The system of claim 15, wherein the resource usage comparison module compares the collected resource usage data with at least one selected from the group consisting of:

an aggregation of data for at least one other entity;

resource usage data for a specified set of entities; and

resource usage data for a geographically defined set of entities.