Methods, apparatus, media, and signals for billing utility usage

• US 7,729,993 B2
• Filed: 02/06/2006
• Issued: 06/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Seismotech IP Holdings Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Smart Disaster Response Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Baraty, Mohammad Reza
• Primary Examiner(s): Augustin; Evens J
• Application Number:
  US11/347,969
• Publication Number:
  US 20060129497A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,576 Days
• Field of Search: 379/106.3, 705/40, 705/63
• US Class Current: 705/63
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 2204/12 Determination or prediction of behaviour, e.g. likely power consumption or unusual usage patterns
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 2204/24 Identification of individual loads, e.g. by analysing current/voltage waveforms
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply

Abstract

Methods, apparatus, computer readable media, and signals for managing utility usage are disclosed. Generally, each involves receiving a representation of a utility service usage at a load, receiving and storing a usage range representation, and producing a control signal for use by a utility service interrupter, when the usage is outside of the usage range representation. The control signal is operable to cause the utility service interrupter to interrupt a supply of the utility service to the load. Each also involves receiving a control signal indicating that a usage of the utility service at the load is outside of a usage range representation, and interrupting the supply of the utility service to the load in response to the control signal. Systems and methods for monitoring subscriber usage of a utility service and for billing a subscriber for utility service usage are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for outputting billing values of utility service usage at a consumer site, the site having a plurality of load devices, each respective load using at least one of a plurality of utility services supplied to the consumer site by a plurality of utility service suppliers, the method comprising:

providing a billing system at the consumer site, the billing system being configured to allow the consumer to see the bill out usage of the at least one utility service by each respective load;

providing a computer system at the consumer site having at least one computer processor for executing instructions and performing a variety of operations;

providing at the consumer site an output device in communication with the computer system for outputting billing values generated by the computer system;

receiving in the computer system a measurement of usage of the at least one utility service by each load for a period of time;

receiving in the computer system at least one rate information from a remote server wherein rate information relates to one or both of at least an input value, and at least one value of a least one product produced by each load;

storing in the computer system a user-defined usage range representation for each load, wherein the user-defined usage range representation identifies a user'"'"'s preference of rate and time of the usage for the load and a type of utility service provider, and wherein the user-defined usage range representation represents a range of values of at least one or both of utility input, and product produced by each load;

applying for each load the rate information to the measurement of usage by the load to produce at least one billing value for at least one of the utility service suppliers;

outputting for each load a billing value using the output device, the output being configured to be monitored by the consumer;

comparing for each load the measurement of usage with the user-defined usage range representation; and

creating for each load the billing of the at least one utility service based on the user-defined usage range representation and on the rate.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the billing value is displayed on a bill produced by the output device.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the billing value is produced by the computer system and used to produce a billing signal representing a bill bearing billing values.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the billing signal is transmitted to at least one of the suppliers of utility service, or an independent entity for producing an invoice.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the billing value represents usage by one of the respective loads at the consumer site of the utility service supplied by one of the plurality of suppliers of that utility service for a period.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the billing value represents usage by a plurality of the loads at the consumer site of the utility service supplied by one of the plurality of suppliers of that utility service.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the billing value represents usage by one of the respective loads at the consumer site of the utility service supplied by a plurality of the suppliers of that utility service.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the rate information comprises a plurality of rates provided by each supplier of the utility service.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the outputting of billing values is substantially real time.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the computer system produces billing values and generates a billing signal representing a bill bearing the billing value.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the billing signal bearing the bill is transmitted to a remote location for producing a final invoice.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the billing value represents usage by one of the respective loads at the consumption site of the utility service supplied by one of the plurality of suppliers of that utility service.

13. The method of claim 3 further comprising causing said bill to be printed at said consumer site, in response to said billing signal.

14. The method of claim 2 further comprising causing said bill to be displayed at said consumer site.

15. The method of claim 2 further comprising causing said bill to be produced at a location designated by said consumer or a utility service controller.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving said rate information comprises receiving said at least one rate information at said consumer site.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein applying said rate information comprises applying said rate information at said consumer site.

18. The method of claim 1 further comprising requesting said at least one rate information from at least one server or an input device.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein requesting comprises establishing a communications connection to the at least one remote server, or establishing a communications connection to the input device.

20. The method of claim 1 further comprising producing and storing in the said billing system at a consumer site a plurality of bills bearing billing values of usage of said at least one utility service over a period of time, the billing values corresponding to at least one of the load devices, and further comprising communicating the bills to a local or a remote entity at the end of the period of time.

21. The method of claim 1 further comprising measuring usage of a plurality of utility services, obtaining rate information for at least some of said utility services, applying said rate information to said at least some of said utility services to produce at least some billing values for said at least some utility services and causing at least some bills to be produced, bearing at least some said billing values.

22. The method of claim 1 further comprising producing said billing signal in response to a request for said bill to be produced.

23. An apparatus located in a consumer site for billing a consumer for utility service usage, the apparatus comprising:

a plurality of utility service measurement devices located at a consumer site, wherein the utility measurement devices measure usage of utility services by multiple different loads located at a consumer site, wherein the utility services are supplied to at least one of the different loads by at least one of a plurality of different utility service suppliers at different time periods and with different rates, and wherein the utility measurement devices provide measurement of one or both of at least one input value of utility service supplied to each load and at least one product value produced by each load;

a user-defined usage range representation for each load, wherein the user-defined usage range representation identifies a user'"'"'s preference of rate and time of the usage for the load, and a type of utility service provider, and wherein the user-defined usage range representation represents a range of values of one or both of the input of utility service supplied to the load, and the product produced by the load;

a communications device that receives rate information about the utility services received from each of a the different utility service suppliers and wherein the communication device receives information about one load or a group of loads and wherein rate information relates to one or both of the input value of utility service supplied to the load, and the product produced by the load;

a processor circuit that bills use of the utility services by each of the loads in accordance with the user-defined range representation; and

wherein the processor circuit is in communication with said communications device, and applies at least one rate information to said at least one measurement for the load to produce at least one billing value and to generate generates a billing signal representing a bill bearing said billing value, for use by an output device at a consumer site for producing a bill at said consumer site or at a remote location.

24. The apparatus of claim 23 further comprising an annunciation device responsive to said billing signal for producing said bill bearing said billing value.

25. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein said annunciation device further comprises a printer or display to print or display said bill at said consumer site.

26. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein said annunciation device further comprises a printer or display at a remote site to print or display said bill at the remote site.

27. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein said communications device further comprises a receiver that receives said rate information at said consumer site.

28. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein said processor circuit applies said rate information at said site.

29. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein said communications device establishes communications with at least one server to request said at least one rate information from said at least one server.

30. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein said communications device establishes communications with at least one remote server to request said at least one rate information from said at least one remote server.

31. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein said communications device further comprises a transmitter that transmits said measurement to a remote server.

32. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein said communications device further comprises a transmitter that transmits a value resulting from said measurement to a remote server.

33. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein said communications device further comprises a transmitter that transmits utility service usage information to a server.

34. The apparatus of claim 23 further comprising a data storage device that stores said at least one measurement of at least one utility service usage.

35. The apparatus of claim 23 further comprising a plurality of utility service measurement devices that produce a plurality of measurements of said utility service usage.

36. The apparatus of claim 23 further comprising a plurality of utility service measurement devices that measure usage of a plurality of utility services.

37. The apparatus of claim 36 wherein said communications device is in communication with said plurality of said utility service measurement devices, and said communications device obtains rate information for at least some of said utility services.

38. The apparatus of claim 37 wherein said processor circuit applies said rate information to said at least some of said utility service measurements to produce at least some billing values for said at least some utility services.

39. The apparatus of claim 38 wherein said annunciation device causes at least some bills to be produced, bearing said at least some billing values.

40. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein said annunciation device produces said billing signal in response to a request for said bill to be produced.