RESOURCE SUPPLY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20110288905A1
• Filed: 01/27/2010
• Published: 11/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: GreenBox IP Pty Ltd. (Matter Technology Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: GreenBox IP Pty Ltd. (Matter Technology Ltd.)
• Inventors: Mrakas, Chris
• Application Number:
  US13/148,250
• Publication Number:
  US 20110288905A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7.25
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06315 Needs-based resource requirements planning or analysis
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/008 involving trading of energy or energy transmission rights
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/84 Greenhouse gas [GHG] management systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 50/10 Energy trading, including energy flowing from end-user application to grid

Abstract

This system is for efficient consumption of a consumable or resource such as electricity, gas or the like. Each consumer site, such as a household or business, has a consumer node. The consumer node gathers consumption data from one or more consumer devices consuming the consumable. A central node is in communication with the consumer nodes and determines a collective consumption of the consumable across the plurality of consumer sites. The central node participates in live markets in order to secure delivery of the consumable as required collectively across the plurality of consumer sites. The central node communicates market data conveying substantially live market effects to the consumer nodes, and the consumer nodes process the market data in a manner to influence consumption of the consumable, for example by deactivating devices during market peaks.

Claims

1. A system for efficient consumption of a consumable, the system comprising:

a plurality of consumer nodes each associated with a respective consumer site, each consumer node for gathering consumption data from one or more consumer devices consuming the consumable; and

a central node in communication with the consumer nodes, for determining a collective consumption of the consumable across the plurality of consumer sites, for participating in live markets in order to secure delivery of the consumable as required collectively across the plurality of consumer sites, and for communicating market data conveying substantially live market effects to the consumer nodes;

wherein the consumer nodes are operable to process said market data in a manner to influence consumption of the consumable.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the consumption data gathered from the one or more consumer devices comprises data reflecting a subset of consumption of the consumer site being consumption of one of a plurality of power circuits within the site.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the consumption data gathered from the one or more consumer devices comprises data reflecting consumption of one or more elements within the site.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the consumption data reflects an instantaneous rate of consumption.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the consumption data reflects cumulative consumption for a period of interest.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one consumer node is configured to gather the consumption data by wireless communication.

7. A consumer node for facilitating efficient consumption of a consumable, the consumer node being associated with a consumer site and being operable to collate consumption data gathered from one or more consumer devices consuming the consumable and communicating collated consumption data to a central node for use in collective market participation, the consumer node further being operable to receive from the central node market data conveying substantially live market effects and to process said market data in a manner to influence consumption of the consumable.

8. The consumer node of claim 7, comprising a display means to display the market data for viewing by persons at the consumer site, such that those persons may take market conditions into account in deciding how to consume the consumable.

9. The consumer node of claim 7, wherein the consumer node is operable to use the market data to control the operation of at least one consumer device in response thereto.

10. The consumer node of claim 7, comprising input means by which a user may define a manner in which the consumer node should use the market data to control the consumption.

11. The consumer node of claim 7, configured to control the consumption in a manner defined by a central node.

12. The consumer node of claim 7 wherein control of the consumer devices is effected by the consumer node controlling all devices of the consumer site.

13. The consumer node of claim 7 wherein control of the consumer devices is effected by the consumer node instructing site sub-nodes each controlling one, or a subset, of the consumer devices.

14. A central node for facilitating efficient consumption of a consumable, the central node being operable to receive consumption data from a plurality of consumer nodes each associated with a respective consumer site and determine a collective consumption of the consumable across the plurality of consumer sites, the central node further being operable to participate in live markets in order to secure delivery of the consumable as required collectively across the plurality of consumer sites, and the central node further being operable to communicate market data conveying substantially live market effects to the consumer nodes for influencing consumption of the consumable.

17. The central node of claim 14, comprising a computer readable medium having computer readable program code embodied thereon, the computer readable program code comprising computer program code means for administering a plan entered into by a consumer with a retailer associated with the central node.

19. The central node of claim 14 wherein the central node comprises a computer readable medium having computer readable program code embodied thereon, the computer readable program code comprising computer program code means for administering sell back by the consumer of unused portions of the consumable as defined in the plan, and/or the purchase additional amounts of the consumable beyond the amount specified in the plan, and/or transfer or donation of amounts of the consumable to other parties.

20. The central node of claim 17 comprising computer program code means which provides for the retailer to offset a sell back by one consumer against a purchase by another consumer within a same futures pool, and/or provides for the retailer to turn to the markets to service consumer'"'"'s change requests.

15-16. -16. (canceled)

21-27. -27. (canceled)