RESOURCE MONITORING ON A MOBILE DEVICE

• US 20110109472A1
• Filed: 07/30/2010
• Published: 05/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Lu, Edward T., Heywood, Russell S., Spirakis, Charles S., Vo, Don T.
• Application Number:
  US12/847,882
• Publication Number:
  US 20110109472A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/870.02
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00001 characterised by the display of information or by user interaction, e.g. supervisory control and data acquisition systems [SCADA] or graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00017 using optical fiber
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00024 by means of mobile telephony
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00026 involving a local wireless network, e.g. Wi-Fi, ZigBee or Bluetooth
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/40 Display of information, e.g. of data or controls
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/124 using wired telecommunication networks or data transmission busses
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/126 using wireless data transmission

Abstract

A first set of data reflects usage of a resource based on readings from a metering device located at a first user'"'"'s premises. A second set of data reflects usage of the resource at multiple other user premises. Comparison and usage indicators are generated based one the first and second sets of data. A comparison indicator is generated based on the first set of data and the second set of data. A usage indicator is generated based on the first set of data. The usage indicator reflects the usage of the resource at the first user'"'"'s premises over a period of time and the comparison indicator reflects the same usage relative to the usage at the multiple user premises over the same period of time. The comparison indicator and the usage indicator are sent to a mobile device that displays the indicators.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

accessing, at a server system, a first set of data reflecting usage of a resource at a first user'"'"'s premises, wherein the first set of data is based on readings from a metering device located at the first user'"'"'s premises, the server system being located at a location that is different than a location of the first user'"'"'s premises;

accessing, at the server system, a second set of data reflecting usage of the resource at multiple user premises, the multiple user premises not including the first user'"'"'s premises;

generating, at the server system and based on the first set of data and the second set of data, a comparison indicator that reflects the usage of the resource at the first user'"'"'s premises over a period of time relative to the usage of the resource at the multiple user premises over the same period of time;

generating, at the server system and based on the first set of data, a usage indicator reflecting the usage of the resource at the first user'"'"'s premises over the period of time; and

sending, from the server system and to a mobile device, the comparison indicator and the usage indicator such that the mobile device displays the comparison indicator and the usage indicator.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the readings from the metering device located at the first user'"'"'s premises comprise periodic readings of a quantity of the resource consumed at the first user'"'"'s premises.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising processing the first set of data to generate one or more indications of a quantity of the resource consumed between the periodic readings.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein processing the first set of data includes interpolating between the periodic readings to generate the one or more indications.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the second set of data is based on readings from metering devices located at the multiple user premises.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the multiple user premises are located within a defined geographic area.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the multiple user premises are located with the same zip code.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the metering device is installed and operated by the first user.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the metering device is installed and operated by a company providing the resource to the first user'"'"'s premises.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

calculating, by the server based on the first data, a baseline usage of the resource; and

sending a representation of the baseline to the mobile device such that the mobile device displays the baseline.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, at the server system and from the mobile device, a total target amount of usage of the resource at the first user'"'"'s premises over a predetermined future time period, wherein the total target amount of usage was selected by the user using an interface of the mobile device;

tracking, by the server, an actual usage of the resource at the first user'"'"'s premises over a portion of the predetermined time period;

generating a goal indicator that reflects a comparison of the actual usage to the total target amount of usage; and

sending the goal indicator to the mobile device such that the mobile device displays the goal indicator.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving, at the server system, information identifying a group of users selected by the first user, wherein the selection is made using the interface of the mobile device, and the total target amount of usage is a predetermined percentage of a representative usage of the resource at the selected users'"'"' premises over a time period substantially equal to the predetermined future time period.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the resource is electricity.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving, at the server system, information identifying a first group of users selected by the first user using an interface on the mobile device; and

using data on usage of the resource at the premises of the selected group of users as the second set of data.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the server system is operated by a third party independent from a utility company providing the resource, and accessing, at a server system, the first set of data reflecting usage of a resource at a first user'"'"'s premises comprises receiving the first set of data from the utility company.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the server system is operated by a third party independent from a utility company providing the resource, and accessing, at a server system, the first set of data reflecting usage of a resource at a first user'"'"'s premises comprises receiving the first set of data directly from the metering device located at the first user'"'"'s premises.

15. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

receiving, at the server system, information identifying a second group of users selected by the first user using the interface on the mobile device;

accessing, at the server system, a third set of data reflecting usage of the resource at user premises for the second group of users;

generating, at the server system and based on the first set of data and the third set of data, an updated comparison indicator that reflects the usage of the resource at the first user'"'"'s premises over a period of time relative to the usage of the resource at the user premises for the second group of users over the same period of time; and

sending, from the server system and to the mobile device, the updated comparison indicator such that the mobile device displays the updated comparison indicator and the usage indicator.

18. A computer-readable medium storing a computer program comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more processing devices, cause the one or more processing devices to:

access a first set of data reflecting usage of a resource at a first user'"'"'s premises, wherein the first set of data is based on readings from a metering device located at the first user'"'"'s premises, the one or more processing devices being located at a location that is different than a location of the first user'"'"'s premises;

access a second set of data reflecting usage of the resource at multiple user premises, the multiple user premises not including the first user'"'"'s premises;

generate, based on the first set of data and the second set of data, a comparison indicator that reflects the usage of the resource at the first user'"'"'s premises over a period of time relative to the usage of the resource at the multiple user premises over the same period of time;

generate, based on the first set of data, a usage indicator reflecting the usage of the resource at the first user'"'"'s premises over the period of time; and

send, to a mobile device, the comparison indicator and the usage indicator such that the mobile device displays the comparison indicator and the usage indicator.

20. The system of claim 18 wherein the mobile device is further configured to accept from the first user, via a user interface, information identifying a group of users such that usage data of the resource at premises of the group of users is used as the second set of data.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein:

the mobile device is further configured to accept from the first user, via a user interface, information identifying a second group of users selected by the first user and send an indication of the second group of users to the server system; and

the server system is further configured to;

access a third set of data reflecting usage of the resource at user premises for the second group of users;

generate, based on the first set of data and the third set of data, an updated comparison indicator that reflects the usage of the resource at the first user'"'"'s premises over a period of time relative to the usage of the resource at the user premises for the second group of users over the same period of time; and

send, to the mobile device, the updated comparison indicator such that the mobile device displays the updated comparison indicator and the usage indicator.

22. The system of claim 18 wherein the mobile device is further configured to accept, from the first user, via a user interface, a total target amount of usage of the resource at the first user'"'"'s premises over a predetermined future time period.

23. The system of claim 20 wherein the mobile device is further configured to accept from the first user, via a user interface, information identifying a group of users such that the total target amount of usage is a predetermined percentage of a representative usage of the resource at premises of the group of users.

19. A system comprising:

a server system configured to;

access a first set of data reflecting usage of a resource at a first user'"'"'s premises, wherein the first set of data is based on readings from a metering device located at the first user'"'"'s premises, the server system being located at a location that is different than a location of the first user'"'"'s premises,

access a second set of data reflecting usage of the resource at multiple user premises, the multiple user premises not including the first user'"'"'s premises,

generate, based on the first set of data and the second set of data, a comparison indicator that reflects the usage of the resource at the first user'"'"'s premises over a period of time relative to the usage of the resource at the multiple user premises over the same period of time, and

generate, based on the first set of data, a usage indicator reflecting the usage of the resource at the first user'"'"'s premises over the period of time; and

a mobile device configured to;

receive the comparison indicator and the usage indicator, transmitted by the server, and

display the comparison indicator and the usage indicator.