Computerized system and method for providing cost savings for consumers
First Claim
1. A computerized method for selecting an appropriate utility rate to provide cost savings for a consumer, comprising:
- defining a first database in a first computer;
storing in the first database consumer information collected by a first party, and wherein the consumer consumes a utility for which it desires to manage and account;
receiving in the first database utility consumption information relating to the consumer and which is collected by the first party, and whereas the utility consumption information has various portions;
analyzing the utility consumption information of the consumer against predetermined tolerance parameters by the first party and determining whether the utility consumption information satisfies the predetermined tolerance parameters;
defining a second database in a second computer, and wherein the second computer is coupled in data exchanging relation relative to the first computer;
receiving into the second database from a second party a plurality of utility rate information which relates to a plurality of utility providers;
receiving into the second computer selected portions of the utility consumption information relating to the consumer, and which satisfies the predetermined tolerance parameters, and processing the received utility consumption information by analyzing the utility consumption history relative to the utility rate information to identify a utility rate which provides potential cost savings to the consumer based upon the selected portions of utility consumption information which meets the predetermined tolerance parameters, and wherein the second computer cannot gain direct access to all of the customer consumer information stored in the first database, and the first computer cannot gain access to the utility rate information stored in the second database;
receiving into the first computer the identified utility rate which provides the consumer with potential cost savings, and processing the utility consumption information which meets the predetermined tolerance parameters and the identified utility rate to provide usage-based, computer viewable data which is associated with the consumer'"'"'s consumption of the utility and which is related to the identified utility rate;
providing the consumer with computer access to the first computer to view the computer viewable data at a location which is remote relative to the first computer, and wherein the consumer views and considers the computer viewable data related to the consumption of the utility which is associated with the identified utility rate, and then affirmatively selects the identified utility rate which meets their needs; and
establishing a compensation for the first and second parties for acting on the behalf of the consumer to provide the cost savings realized by the consumer by the affirmative selection of the identified utility rate, and wherein the consumer remits to the first and second parties a portion of the realized cost savings from affirmatively selecting the identified utility rate which provides cost savings.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A computerized system and method for providing cost savings for utility users is shown and which includes defining a database in a host computer; storing in the database variable business information from a plurality of goods and services providers; receiving into the host computer goods and services related consumption information and determining an optimal business expense from the variable business expense information to provide cost savings for the customer; processing the optimal business expense information, and goods and services consumption information to provide usage-based computer viewable data which is associated with a consumer'"'"'s consumption of the goods and services; and providing the customer with computer access to the computer viewable data and wherein the customer can view the computer viewable data, from a location remote to the host computer.
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Citations
32 Claims
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1. A computerized method for selecting an appropriate utility rate to provide cost savings for a consumer, comprising:
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defining a first database in a first computer; storing in the first database consumer information collected by a first party, and wherein the consumer consumes a utility for which it desires to manage and account; receiving in the first database utility consumption information relating to the consumer and which is collected by the first party, and whereas the utility consumption information has various portions; analyzing the utility consumption information of the consumer against predetermined tolerance parameters by the first party and determining whether the utility consumption information satisfies the predetermined tolerance parameters; defining a second database in a second computer, and wherein the second computer is coupled in data exchanging relation relative to the first computer; receiving into the second database from a second party a plurality of utility rate information which relates to a plurality of utility providers; receiving into the second computer selected portions of the utility consumption information relating to the consumer, and which satisfies the predetermined tolerance parameters, and processing the received utility consumption information by analyzing the utility consumption history relative to the utility rate information to identify a utility rate which provides potential cost savings to the consumer based upon the selected portions of utility consumption information which meets the predetermined tolerance parameters, and wherein the second computer cannot gain direct access to all of the customer consumer information stored in the first database, and the first computer cannot gain access to the utility rate information stored in the second database; receiving into the first computer the identified utility rate which provides the consumer with potential cost savings, and processing the utility consumption information which meets the predetermined tolerance parameters and the identified utility rate to provide usage-based, computer viewable data which is associated with the consumer'"'"'s consumption of the utility and which is related to the identified utility rate; providing the consumer with computer access to the first computer to view the computer viewable data at a location which is remote relative to the first computer, and wherein the consumer views and considers the computer viewable data related to the consumption of the utility which is associated with the identified utility rate, and then affirmatively selects the identified utility rate which meets their needs; and establishing a compensation for the first and second parties for acting on the behalf of the consumer to provide the cost savings realized by the consumer by the affirmative selection of the identified utility rate, and wherein the consumer remits to the first and second parties a portion of the realized cost savings from affirmatively selecting the identified utility rate which provides cost savings. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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4. A computerized method for selecting an appropriate utility rate to provide cost savings for a consumer, comprising:
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defining a database in a host computer; providing a first party database in a first party computer; accumulating and storing in the first party database utility consumption information previously collected by the first party, and which relates to the previous utility consumption by a consumer; processing the previous utility consumption information to provide historical billing data relating to the utility consumption by the consumer; processing the historical billing data stored in the first database to provide predetermined tolerance parameters for the utility consumption information of the consumer; performing an audit of the utility consumption information relating to the consumer against the predetermined tolerance parameters to determine whether the utility consumption information satisfies the predetermined tolerance parameters; accumulating a plurality of variable utility rate information from a plurality of utility providers; storing in the database of the host computer the variable utility rate information from the plurality of utility providers; receiving into the host computer the utility consumption information relating to the consumer and identifying a utility rate from the plurality of variable utility rate information that provides cost savings to the consumer; processing the utility consumption information and the identified utility rate to provide usage-based, computer viewable data which is associated with consumer'"'"'s consumption of the utility; and providing the consumer with remote access to the computer viewable data, and wherein the consumer can view the computer viewable data at a remote location relative to the host computer, and further affirmatively acts upon the computer viewable data to select the identified utility rate which provides cost savings to the consumer.
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14. A computerized method for selecting an appropriate utility rate to provide cost savings for a consumer, comprising:
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accumulating a utility consumption history for at least one consumer by a first party; analyzing the utility consumption history against predetermined tolerance parameters by the first party; accumulating a plurality of utility rate schedules by a second party; analyzing the utility consumption history provided by the first party by utilizing the plurality of utility rate schedules provided by the second party; subscribing the consumer to a utility rate schedule which is identified among the plurality of utility rate schedules, and which provides cost savings for the consumer; and compensating the first and second parties for the cost savings realized by the consumer. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A computerized method for selecting an appropriate utility rate to provide cost savings for a consumer, comprising:
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accumulating utility consumption history into a first database for at least one consumer by a first party, and wherein the first party assigns an encrypted identifier to the identity of the consumer and which relates to the utility consumption history stored in the first database; analyzing the utility consumption history for the at least one consumer by the first party against predetermined tolerance parameters; accumulating a plurality of utility rate schedules by a second party into a second database, and wherein the first party transmits the utility consumption history meeting the predetermined tolerance parameters and bearing the encrypted identifier from the first database to the second database; analyzing in the second database the transmitted utility consumption history bearing the encrypted identifier with the utility rate schedules provided by the second party to determine potential cost savings for the consumer; reporting utility rate schedules which provide potential cost savings for the consumer'"'"'s consumption history which has been analyzed to the first party; reporting to the consumer the utility rate schedules which provide potential cost savings by the first party; affirmatively selecting and implementing utility rate schedules which provide advantageous cost savings by the consumer; and compensating the first and second parties for the cost savings realized by the consumer by the selection of the advantageous utility rate schedules. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A computerized method for selecting an appropriate utility rate to provide cost savings for a consumer, comprising:
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accumulating utility usage history for at least one consumer in a first database by a first party, and wherein the first party analyzes the utility usage history of the consumer and develops predetermined tolerance parameters for the utility usage history based upon the utility usage history, and wherein the consumer has an agent; accumulating a plurality of utility rate schedules in a second database by a second party; accumulating and storing in the first party database recent utility consumption information of the consumer; providing an automated clearinghouse by a third party which receives the recent utility consumption information meeting the tolerance parameters from the first database, and the utility rate schedules from the second database, and wherein the automated clearing house analyzes the recent utility consumption information and the utility rate schedules received from the first and second parties to identify advantageous utility rate schedules which provide cost savings for the consumer, and which further inhibits the first and second parties from accessing the other parties data which has been submitted to the automated clearinghouse; reporting the identified advantageous rate schedules which provide cost savings, and which have been developed by the automated clearinghouse, and the third party, to the first party; reporting the identified advantageous rate schedules which provide cost savings to the consumer by the first party, and wherein the consumer or the agent of the utility user consumer remotely accesses the identified advantageous rate schedules to analyze and consider the identified advantageous rate schedules and then affirmatively selects a previously identified advantageous rate schedule which provides the desired cost savings; and sharing the cost savings realized by the consumer by the affirmative selection of a previously identified advantageous rate schedule by the consumer, or agent of the consumer, and remitting a portion of the cost savings realized by the consumer or agent of the consumer to the first, second and third parties. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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Specification