Method And Apparatus For Enhancing Consumer Awareness Of Utility Consumption And Cost Data
First Claim
1. In a communication system including a user platform operably connected to a utility meter, the utility meter and user platform being operable to obtain utility consumption information corresponding to utility services used at a customer premises, a method comprising the user platform:
- communicating the utility consumption information to a content provider that is adapted to deliver display content corresponding to the utility consumption information, the display content defining externally-produced content;
receiving the externally-produced content;
processing one or more of the externally-produced content or the utility consumption information to derive one or more instances of supplemental content, wherein the supplemental content is adapted to supplement the externally-produced content; and
displaying at least a portion of the supplemental content simultaneously with the externally-produced content.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A user platform (“Smart Grid Phone” (SGP)) facilitates enhanced consumer awareness of utility consumption and cost data associated with a user premises. In one example, the SGP provides electrical energy consumption and cost data and may be implemented with interfaces to either legacy electric meters or next-generation smart electric meters. Novel methods are described herein for coupling the SGP to an external energy monitoring service to receive externally-produced content (such as historical energy usage displays) and deriving supplemental content such as annotated energy events, time-varying pricing data, and customized displays which may be displayed simultaneously with or alternatively to the externally-produced content.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. In a communication system including a user platform operably connected to a utility meter, the utility meter and user platform being operable to obtain utility consumption information corresponding to utility services used at a customer premises, a method comprising the user platform:
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communicating the utility consumption information to a content provider that is adapted to deliver display content corresponding to the utility consumption information, the display content defining externally-produced content; receiving the externally-produced content; processing one or more of the externally-produced content or the utility consumption information to derive one or more instances of supplemental content, wherein the supplemental content is adapted to supplement the externally-produced content; and displaying at least a portion of the supplemental content simultaneously with the externally-produced content. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. Apparatus for enhancing consumer awareness of utility consumption and cost data, in accordance with a communication system including a user platform operably connected to a utility meter, the apparatus at the user platform comprising:
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a memory; a display; and at least one processor coupled to the memory and display and configured to; receive indicia of utility consumption information corresponding to utility services used at a customer premises; communicate the utility consumption information to a content provider that is adapted to deliver display content corresponding to the utility consumption information, the display content defining externally-produced content; receive the externally-produced content; process one or more of the externally-produced content or the utility consumption information to derive one or more instances of supplemental content, wherein the supplemental content is adapted to supplement the externally-produced content; and display at least a portion of the supplemental content simultaneously with the externally-produced content.
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12. Apparatus for enhancing consumer awareness of electrical utility consumption and cost data, in accordance with a communication system including a user platform operably connected to one of a legacy meter and a smart meter associated with an electrical utility, the apparatus at the user platform comprising:
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a memory; a display; and at least one processor coupled to the memory and display and configured to; receive indicia of utility consumption information corresponding to utility services used at a customer premises; communicate the utility consumption information to an online energy monitoring service that is adapted to deliver one or more displays of historical electric energy consumption data associated with the customer premises, the displays from the online energy monitoring service defining externally-produced content; receive the externally-produced content; process one or more of the externally-produced content or the utility consumption information to derive one or more instances of supplemental content, wherein the supplemental content is adapted to supplement the externally-produced content; and display at least a portion of the supplemental content simultaneously with the externally-produced content. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification