SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
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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.
102 Citations
50 Claims
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1-36. -36. (canceled)
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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 or over-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, 41, 42)
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43. A system for managing supply of a consumable resource used by a plurality of loads receiving the resource from one or more suppliers, comprising:
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a plurality of intelligent controllers, each associated with at least one load in a network that supplies the resource to loads, comprising; a load resource measuring component for measuring the rate of use of the resource by the at least one associated load; a load status component for monitoring load status data for the at least one associated load; and a communication component for exchanging control and load status messages with other associated controllers; a connection for applying user'"'"'s stored reserves of the consumable resource or user generating capacity to the network, said connection in communication with the at least one controller; and a control computer program executing on the at least on controller, said computer program being responsive to a trigger signal to provide the one or more suppliers access to at least one of the user'"'"'s stored reserves of the consumable resource or the user'"'"'s generating capacity. - View Dependent Claims (44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50)
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Specification