Method, Apparatus, and Product for distribution-based incentives relating to resource consumption
First Claim
1. An apparatus having a processing unit and a storage device, the apparatus comprising:
- a receiver configured to be executed by the processing unit and stored on the storage device, the receiver configured to obtain from one or more monitoring devices monitoring information relating to resource consumption by a consumer over a space, wherein the space is partitioned into slots, wherein based on the monitoring information a consumption tuple of a consumer can be determined;
a distribution obtaining module configured to be executed by the processing unit and stored on the storage device, the distribution obtaining module configured for obtaining a predetermined distribution of consumption of the resource, which is associated with the consumer; and
a price computation module configured to be executed by the processing unit and stored on the storage device, the price computation module processing unit configured to compute a price of consumption by the consumer based on the consumption tuple, wherein the price is computed using a pricing function which is based on the predetermined distribution received by the distribution obtaining module, whereby a price associated with resource consumption in a slot depends upon resource consumption in other slots.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system, method and product for distribution-based incentives relating to resource consumption. The system comprising: a receiver configured to obtain from one or more monitoring devices monitoring information relating to resource consumption by a consumer over a space, wherein the space is partitioned into slots, wherein based on the monitoring information a consumption tuple of a consumer can be determined; a distribution obtaining module for obtaining a predetermined distribution of consumption of the resource, which is associated with the consumer; and a price computation module configured to compute a price of consumption by the consumer based on the consumption tuple, wherein the price is computed using a pricing function which is based on the predetermined distribution, whereby a price associated with resource consumption in a slot depends upon resource consumption in other slots.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. An apparatus having a processing unit and a storage device, the apparatus comprising:
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a receiver configured to be executed by the processing unit and stored on the storage device, the receiver configured to obtain from one or more monitoring devices monitoring information relating to resource consumption by a consumer over a space, wherein the space is partitioned into slots, wherein based on the monitoring information a consumption tuple of a consumer can be determined; a distribution obtaining module configured to be executed by the processing unit and stored on the storage device, the distribution obtaining module configured for obtaining a predetermined distribution of consumption of the resource, which is associated with the consumer; and a price computation module configured to be executed by the processing unit and stored on the storage device, the price computation module processing unit configured to compute a price of consumption by the consumer based on the consumption tuple, wherein the price is computed using a pricing function which is based on the predetermined distribution received by the distribution obtaining module, whereby a price associated with resource consumption in a slot depends upon resource consumption in other slots. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method performed by a computer having a processor and a memory, the method comprising:
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receiving from one or more monitoring devices monitoring information relating to resource consumption by a consumer over a space, wherein the space is partitioned into slots, wherein based on the monitoring information a consumption tuple of a consumer can be determined; obtaining a predetermined distribution of consumption of the resource associated with the consumer; computing a price of consumption consumed by the consumer based on the consumption tuple, wherein the price is computed using a pricing function which is based on the predetermined distribution, whereby a price associated with resource consumption in a slot depends upon resource consumption in other slots; and transmit the price to a billing system for outputting the price to the consumer, thereby providing an incentive to the consumer to change resource consumption. - View Dependent Claims (16, 18, 19, 20)
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17. (canceled)
Specification