Remote management of products and services
First Claim
1. A method of remote management of products and services, comprising:
- installing at least one sensor and first microprocessor in or near at least one consumption metering device;
collecting readings from the at least one sensor installed on the at least one metering device at fixed time intervals and storing the readings in a coded format in the first microprocessor;
transmitting the collected and coded readings from the first microprocessor to a communication unit having a second microprocessor installed in or near property of a consumer;
receiving, decoding, processing, and storing the readings from the at least one sensor and first microprocessor in the communication unit having the second microprocessor;
transmitting information processed by the communication unit to at least one communication center;
receiving, processing, and storing the information from multiple communication units of multiple users-consumers in the at least one communication center;
creating consumption curves or kilowatt hour sale prices in effect at any given time in the at least one communication center, based on the information from one or multiple communication units; and
transmitting the consumption curves or kilowatt hour sales prices to individual communication units,wherein the information collected from the at least one sensor is processed on the basis of time, leading to the creation of more than one charging zones,wherein a product or service providing company may automatically interrupt the supply of services and products to the consumer-user through communication with the communication unit, andwherein the communication unit displays the current kilowatt hour sales price communicated from the at least one communication center at any given time.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The present integrated system—method and remote management devices for services and products that are mainly provided by public utility companies, is primarily based on monitoring the consumption of the product. Both the organisation as well as the clients are provided with information (by means of specialised software) regarding the improved management of the products and services of the organisation and the more rational pricing. The consumers are given the chance to contribute to the saving of energy in a substantial manner, thus contributing to reduced environmental pollution. Other system features include the issuance and settlement of invoices, as well as other services such as tele-statistics, tele-marketing, tele-polling, etc.
61 Citations
81 Claims
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1. A method of remote management of products and services, comprising:
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installing at least one sensor and first microprocessor in or near at least one consumption metering device; collecting readings from the at least one sensor installed on the at least one metering device at fixed time intervals and storing the readings in a coded format in the first microprocessor; transmitting the collected and coded readings from the first microprocessor to a communication unit having a second microprocessor installed in or near property of a consumer; receiving, decoding, processing, and storing the readings from the at least one sensor and first microprocessor in the communication unit having the second microprocessor; transmitting information processed by the communication unit to at least one communication center; receiving, processing, and storing the information from multiple communication units of multiple users-consumers in the at least one communication center; creating consumption curves or kilowatt hour sale prices in effect at any given time in the at least one communication center, based on the information from one or multiple communication units; and transmitting the consumption curves or kilowatt hour sales prices to individual communication units, wherein the information collected from the at least one sensor is processed on the basis of time, leading to the creation of more than one charging zones, wherein a product or service providing company may automatically interrupt the supply of services and products to the consumer-user through communication with the communication unit, and wherein the communication unit displays the current kilowatt hour sales price communicated from the at least one communication center at any given time. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47)
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48. A method of remote management of products and services, comprising:
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installing at least one sensor and first microprocessor in or near at least one consumption metering device; collecting readings from the at least one sensor installed on the at least one metering device at fixed time intervals and storing the readings in a coded format in the first microprocessor; transmitting the collected and coded readings from the first microprocessor to a communication unit having a second microprocessor installed in or near property of a consumer; receiving, decoding, processing, and storing the readings from the at least one sensor and microprocessor in the communication unit having the second microprocessor; transmitting information processed by the communication unit to at least one communication center; receiving, processing, and storing the information from multiple communication units of multiple users-consumers in the at least one communication center; creating consumption curves or kilowatt hour sale prices in effect at any given time in the at least one communication center, based on the information from one or multiple communication units; and transmitting the consumption curves or kilowatt hour sales prices to individual communication units, wherein the communication center of a service providing company comprises software required in order to undertake and process information received from the communication unit, wherein a product or service providing company may interrupt the supply of services and products to the consumer-user through communication with the communication unit, and wherein the communication unit displays the current kilowatt hour sales price communicated from the at least one communication center at any given time. - View Dependent Claims (49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64)
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65. A system comprising:
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at least one sensor and first microprocessor in or near at least one consumption metering device comprising means for collecting readings from the meter at fixed time intervals˜
and means for storing the readings in a coded format in the microprocessor;means for transmitting the collected and coded readings from the first microprocessor to a communication unit having a second microprocessor; a communication unit having the second microprocessor, in or near the location in which the at least one metering device is measuring consumption, comprising means for receiving, decoding, processing, and storing the readings from the at least one sensor and first microprocessor, means for transmitting information processed by the communication unit to at least one communication center, means for receiving consumption curves or kilowatt hour sales prices at any given time from the at least one communication center, means for displaying the current kilowatt hour sales price communicated from the at last one communication center at any given time, and means for interrupting the supply of services and products to the consumer-user, if instructions are received for such an interruption from the communication center; and the at least one communication center comprising means for receiving information from multiple communication units and means for creating and transmitting consumption curves or kilowatt hour sale prices in effect at any given time to individual communication units, means for transmitting the current kilowatt hour sales price to the communication unit for display, and means for creating and transmitting instructions to communication units to interrupt the supply of services and products to the consumer-user, wherein the communication unit further comprises means for recognition of emergency conditions, means of classification thereof, and means for sending that recognition and classification data to the at least one communication center. - View Dependent Claims (66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81)
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Specification