Integrated Credit Exchange System for Incentivizing Conservation

• US 20100274657A1
• Filed: 04/28/2010
• Published: 10/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Smartmarkets, LLC
• Original Assignee: Smartmarkets, LLC
• Inventors: Simus, Montgomery F., Workman, James G.
• Application Number:
  US12/769,637
• Publication Number:
  US 20100274657A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.290
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0228 On-line clearing houses
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 50/14 Marketing, i.e. market research and analysis, surveying, promotions, advertising, buyer profiling, customer management or rewards

Abstract

A scalable integrated credit exchange system for incentivizing conservation of a resource is provided, which includes a credit allocation system, a consumer interface, and an online trading system. Data is utilized from a measuring system using a smart meter, geospatial monitoring system, and the utility. The incentive is provided in the form of an awarded “ECOSHARE credit” that can be traded in the provided online trading system or can be utilized to reduce the consumer'"'"'s utility bill.

Claims

1. A credit exchange system for conservation of resources by consumers, comprising:

a credit allocation system configured to create ECOSHARE credits having a correspondence with units of said resource, configured to establish the number of said ECOSHARE credits to allot to each of said consumers, and configured to allocate said established number of said ECOSHARE credits to each of said consumers;

a trading system configured as an online market allowing said consumers to utilize said ECOSHARE credits in performing at least one of the following exchange activities;

buy, sell, trade, save, and donate;

a consumer interface system configured to display information relating to said trading system.

2. The credit exchange system for conservation of resources by consumers, further comprising a measuring system configured to acquire usage measurements of said resource in at least near real time and configured to transmit data representing said usage measurements to said trading system.

3. The credit exchange system for conservation of resources by consumers, further comprising a geospatial monitoring system configured to provide information on supply of said resource.