Dynamic resource load reduction

• US 8,428,786 B2
• Filed: 02/23/2010
• Issued: 04/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bison Patent Licensing, LLC
• Original Assignee: 4home Incorporated (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Milazzo, Cedar, Umrani, Ashish
• Primary Examiner(s): Ali, Mohammad
• Assistant Examiner(s): WHITTINGTON, ANTHONY T
• Application Number:
  US12/711,026
• Publication Number:
  US 20110208368A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,155 Days
• Field of Search: 700/286, 700/295, 705/412, 707/770
• US Class Current: 700/295
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method determines an area for a load reduction of resources. Statistics regarding a past history of load reductions for a plurality of consumers in the area is then determined. Load reduction ratings for the plurality of consumers based on the statistics is then determined. The load reduction rating may be used to rank the consumers based on the result of past load reductions. A list of consumers and devices is then determined for the load reduction. For example, consumers and associated devices are selected based on their load reduction rating. The amount of savings is calculated to be equal to an amount of load reduction that is desired. A signal requesting a load reduction is then sent for the determined consumers and devices.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining an area for a load reduction of resources for a first load reduction event;

determining statistics regarding a past history of load reductions resulting from second load reduction events for a plurality of consumers in the area, wherein the second load reduction events triggered the load reduction of resources and occurred prior to the first load reduction event;

determining individual load reduction ratings for each of the plurality of consumers based on the statistics regarding the past history of load reductions for each consumer;

upon determining the first load reduction event, dynamically determining, using a computing device, a list of consumers and devices for the first load reduction event based on an analysis of the individual load reduction ratings for the plurality of consumers, wherein the determined devices are associated with the consumers in the list; and

sending a signal requesting a load reduction for the determined devices for the list of consumers.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the individual load reduction ratings for the plurality of consumers comprises:

determining a list of devices associated with each consumer in the plurality of consumers;

determining a load reduction rating for each device associated with each consumer; and

determining an overall load reduction rating for each consumer based on the load reduction rating for each device associated with each consumer.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein determining the list of consumers and devices comprises:

determining the list of consumers and devices based on a ranking of the overall individual load reduction ratings for each of the plurality of consumers.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the list of consumers and devices comprises:

determining a load reduction savings for devices associated with the plurality of consumers; and

adding consumers and associated devices to the list until a desired load reduction is achieved based on the load reduction savings for devices added to the list.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending a message to consumers in the list notifying the consumers of the load reduction.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the signal requesting the load reduction comprises causing the devices in the list to be powered down or turned off.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining statistics regarding the load reduction for the determined devices during the first load reduction event; and

storing the statistics determined during the first load reduction event for use in determining a different list of consumers and devices in a future load reduction event.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the statistics relate to an amount of resource savings for a device when the device is powered down or turned off.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the statistics relate to a response of a consumer to the load reduction of a device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the statistics include information on how the consumers responded to a load reduction request in the past history, wherein the individual load reduction rating is determined based on if a consumer responded negatively to the load reduction request by increasing a load of a device after load reduction of the device was performed.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the statistics include information on how much load savings was provided by devices for the consumers in a load reduction request during one of the second load reduction events in the past history, wherein the individual load reduction rating for a consumer is determined based on an amount of resource savings for the consumer.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the statistics include information on a number of load reductions applied to the consumers in the past history, wherein the individual load reduction rating is determined based on the number of load reductions applied to a consumer.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the statistics do not include statistics when the second load reduction events are not occurring to reduce the load of resources.

13. A method comprising:

receiving, at a device controller, a first load reduction request from a computing device for a first load reduction event, the first load reduction request for a device in communication with the device controller, wherein a consumer and the device were determined for the first load reduction request based on individual load reduction ratings for a plurality of consumers resulting from second load reduction events, and wherein the second load reduction events triggered the load reduction of resources and occurred prior to the first load reduction event;

communicating with the device to power down or turn off the device;

collecting statistics regarding resource usage for the device after the powering down or turning off of the device; and

sending the statistics to a statistics collector for use in determining consumers for a future load reduction, the statistics used to determine an individual load reduction rating for the consumer that is used to determine consumers for the future load reduction.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein collecting statistics comprises:

measuring resource usage for the device before the powering down or turning off of the device; and

measuring resource usage for the device after the powering down or turning off of the device.

22. The method of claim 13, wherein collecting the statistics comprises collecting the statistics only during the first load reduction and not after the first load reduction ends.

15. An apparatus comprising:

one or more computer processors; and

logic encoded in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium, the logic when executed by the one or more computer processors configured to;

determine an area for a load reduction of resources for a first load reduction event;

determine statistics regarding a past history of load reductions resulting from second load reduction events for a plurality of consumers in the area, wherein the second load reduction events triggered the load reduction of resources and occurred prior to the first load reduction event;

determine individual load reduction ratings for each of the plurality of consumers based on the statistics regarding the past history of load reductions for each consumer;

upon determining the first load reduction event, dynamically determine a list of consumers and devices for the first load reduction event based on an analysis of the individual load reduction ratings for the plurality of consumers, wherein the determined devices are associated with the consumers in the list; and

send a signal requesting a load reduction for the determined devices for the list of consumers.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein logic operable to determine the load reduction ratings for the plurality of consumers comprises logic operable to:

determine a list of devices associated with each consumer in the plurality of consumers;

determine a load reduction rating for each device associated with each consumer; and

determine an overall load reduction rating for each consumer based on the load reduction rating for each device associated with each consumer.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein logic operable to determine the list of consumers and devices comprises logic operable to:

determine the list of consumers and devices based on a ranking of the overall load reduction ratings for the plurality of consumers.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein logic operable to determining the list of consumers and devices comprises logic operable to:

determine a load reduction savings for devices associated with the plurality of consumers; and

add consumers and associated devices to the list until a desired load reduction is achieved based on the load reduction savings for devices added to the list.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the logic is further operable to send a message to consumers in the list notifying the consumers of the load reduction.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the logic is further operable to:

determine statistics regarding the load reduction for the determined devices during the first load reduction event; and

store the statistics determined during the first load reduction event for use in determining a different list of consumers and devices in a future load reduction event.