DYNAMIC RESOURCE LOAD REDUCTION

• US 20110208368A1
• Filed: 02/23/2010
• Published: 08/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bison Patent Licensing, LLC
• Original Assignee: 4home Incorporated (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Milazzo, Cedar, Umrani, Ashish
• Granted Patent: US 8,428,786 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/295
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method determines an area for a load reduction of resources. Statistics regarding a past history of load reductions for a plurality of consumers in the area is then determined. Load reduction ratings for the plurality of consumers based on the statistics is then determined. The load reduction rating may be used to rank the consumers based on the result of past load reductions. A list of consumers and devices is then determined for the load reduction. For example, consumers and associated devices are selected based on their load reduction rating. The amount of savings is calculated to be equal to an amount of load reduction that is desired. A signal requesting a load reduction is then sent for the determined consumers and devices.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining an area for a load reduction of resources;

determining statistics regarding a past history of load reductions for a plurality of consumers in the area;

determining load reduction ratings for the plurality of consumers based on the statistics regarding the past history of load reductions;

determining, using a computing device, a list of consumers and devices for a load reduction based on an analysis of the load reduction ratings for the plurality of consumers, the determined devices associated with the consumers in the list; and

sending a signal requesting a load reduction for the determined devices for the list of consumers.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the load reduction rating comprises:

determining a list of devices associated with each consumer in the plurality of consumers; and

determining a load reduction rating for each device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein determining the load reduction rating comprises:

determining the list of consumers and devices based on a ranking of the load reduction ratings for the consumers.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the list of consumers and devices comprising:

determining a load reduction savings for devices for the plurality of consumers; and

adding consumers and devices to the list until a desired load reduction is achieved based on the load reduction savings for devices added to the list.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending a message to consumers in the list notifying the consumers of the load reduction.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the signal for the load reduction comprises causing the devices in the list to be powered down or turned off.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining statistics regarding the load reduction for the determined devices; and

storing the statistics for use in determining a different list of consumers and devices in a future load reduction.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the statistics relate to an amount of resource savings for a device when the device is powered down or turned off.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the statistics relate to a response of a consumer to the load reduction of a device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the statistics include information on how the consumers responded to a load reduction request in the past history, wherein the load reduction rating is determined based on if a consumer responded negatively to the load reduction request.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the statistics include information on how much load savings was provided by devices for the consumers in a load reduction request in past history, wherein the load reduction rating is determined based on an amount of resource savings for a consumer.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the statistics include information on a number of load reduction requests applied to the consumers in the past history, wherein the load reduction rating is determined based on the number of load reduction requests applied to a consumer.

13. A method comprising:

receiving, at a device controller, a load reduction request from a computing device, the load reduction request for a device in communication with the device controller, wherein a consumer and the device were determined for the load reduction based on a past history of load reductions for the consumer;

communicating with the device to power down or turn off the device;

collecting statistics regarding resource usage for the device after the powering down or turning off of the device; and

sending the statistics to a statistics collector for use in determining consumers in a future load reduction.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein collecting statistics comprises:

measuring resource usage for the device before the powering down or turning off of the device; and

measuring resource usage for the device after the powering down or turning off of the device.

15. An apparatus comprising:

one or more computer processors; and

logic encoded in a computer readable storage medium, the logic when executed by the one or more computer processors operable to;

determine an area for a load reduction of resources;

determine statistics regarding past history of load reductions for a plurality of consumers in the area;

determine load reduction ratings for the plurality of consumers based on the statistics regarding the past history of load reductions;

determine a list of consumers and devices for a load reduction based on an analysis of the load reduction ratings for the plurality of consumers, the determined devices associated with the consumers in the list; and

send a signal requesting a load reduction for the determined devices for the list of consumers.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein logic operable to determine the load reduction rating comprises logic operable to:

determine a list of devices associated with each consumer in the plurality of consumers; and

determine a load reduction rating for each device.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein logic operable to determine the load reduction rating comprises logic operable to:

determine the list of consumers and devices based on a ranking of the load reduction ratings for the consumer.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein logic operable to determining the list of consumers and devices comprising logic operable to:

determine a load reduction savings for devices for the plurality of consumers; and

add consumers and devices to the list until a desired load reduction is achieved based on the load reduction savings for devices added to the list.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the logic is further operable to send a message to consumers in the list notifying the consumers of the load reduction.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the logic is further operable to:

determine statistics regarding the load reduction for the determined devices; and

store the statistics for use in determining a different list of consumers and devices in a future load reduction.