Systems and methods for advanced metering infrastructure customer portal

• US 8,645,239 B2
• Filed: 11/05/2012
• Issued: 02/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Florida Power & Light Company (NextEra Energy, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Florida Power & Light Company (NextEra Energy, Inc.)
• Inventors: Swaminathan, Radhakrishnan, Ollukaren, Paul J., McCormick, John Alan, Moore, Timothy Wayne, Shnider, Steven David, Obeso, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Frenel, Vanel
• Application Number:
  US13/668,697
• Publication Number:
  US 20130144769A1
• Time in Patent Office: 456 Days
• Field of Search: 705/34, 705/14.11, 340/870.02, 700/291, 715/769, 715/762, 702/187
• US Class Current: 705/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 15/06 successively, i.e. using time division

Abstract

In accordance with one embodiment, a system is provided that uses historical and current energy usage data generated by advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) meters to allow users conduct an analysis of energy usage via a portal. In accordance with one embodiment, a tool is provided to allow customers to display an estimated next month bill.

Claims

1. A system for an advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) customer portal is provided, the system comprises:

an AMI;

a data repository to store data received from a plurality of sources within the AMI;

a portal providing a plurality of tools to a customer at a remote location for analysis of data stored in the repository, wherein the tools are customizable by the customer.

2. A method for an advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) customer portal, the method comprising:

providing AMI meters to form an AMI network;

configuring a data repository to store data received from a plurality of sources within the AMI network;

providing a plurality of tools to a customer for analysis of data stored in the repository via a portal, wherein the tools are customizable.

3. A computer-implemented method for providing a view of energy usage data generated by at least one AMI meter, comprising:

receiving, from an application program executing on a client computing system, a request to initiate a view of selected energy usage data measured by the at least one AMI meter and corresponding to a customer;

responsive to the request to initiate the view, transmitting a graphical interface component to the requesting client computing system, wherein the graphical interface component is executed by the application program to compose the view of the selected energy usage data;

receiving, from the graphical interface component, a request for one or more elements of energy usage data obtained from a data repository containing historical and current AMI meter data;

retrieving at least one respective value corresponding to each of the requested elements of energy usage data;

transmitting the values to the graphical interface component, wherein the graphical interface component is configured to render a display of the values through the use of at least one widget.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said one or more elements of energy usage data comprises historical energy usage information, and said values comprise

first energy usage information on a monthly, daily, or hourly basis, wherein said first energy usage information comprises bill amount information or kilowatt-hour consumption information;

temperature information on a monthly, daily, or hourly basis.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein a first widget is configured to display said first energy usage information, said temperature information, and average monthly usage information.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said first widget is configured to calculate said average monthly usage information.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein said one or more elements of energy usage data comprises bill estimate information, and said values comprise

a next scheduled bill date;

and

a next month'"'"'s calculated bill.

8. The method of claim 3, wherein said one or more elements of energy usage data comprises bill estimate information, said values comprise a next scheduled bill date and historical energy usage information;

wherein a first widget is configured to calculate a next month'"'"'s bill based on said historical energy usage information.

9. The method of claim 3, wherein at least one widget is configured to be customized based on the type of energy sources used by a customer, historical energy usage data, customer'"'"'s preferences as to usage of electricity, customer'"'"'s monitored usage habits, or energy consumption data of the community where the customer is located.

10. The method of claim 3, wherein said one or more elements of energy usage data comprises historical energy usage information, and said values comprise

first energy usage information corresponding to a first period of time, wherein said first energy usage information comprises bill amount information or kilowatt-hour consumption information;

second energy usage information corresponding to a second period of time, wherein said first energy usage information comprises bill amount information or kilowatt-hour consumption information;

first temperature information corresponding to said first period of time; and

second temperature information corresponding to said second period of time.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein a first widget is configured to display said first and second energy usage information, and said first and second temperature information, wherein the first widget is further configured so that users can set said first and second periods of time.

12. A computer-readable storage medium containing a data server application, which when executed on a processor is configured to perform an operation for providing a view of energy usage data, the operation comprising:

receiving, from an application program executing on a client computing system, a request to initiate a view of selected energy usage data measured by the at least one AMI meter and corresponding to a customer;

responsive to the request to initiate the view, transmitting a graphical interface component to the requesting client computing system, wherein the graphical interface component is executed by the application program to compose the view of the selected energy usage data;

receiving, from the graphical interface component, a request for one or more elements of energy usage data obtained from a data repository containing historical and current AMI meter data;

retrieving at least one respective value corresponding to each of the requested elements of energy usage data;

transmitting the values to the graphical interface component, wherein the graphical interface component is configured to render a display of the values through the use of at least one widget customizable by the customer.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein said one or more elements of energy usage data comprises historical energy usage information, and said values comprise first energy usage information on a monthly, daily, or hourly basis, wherein said first energy usage information comprises bill amount information or kilowatt-hour consumption information;

temperature information on a monthly, daily, or hourly basis.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein a first widget is configured to display said first energy usage information, said temperature information, and average monthly usage information.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein said first widget is configured to calculate said average monthly usage information.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein said one or more elements of energy usage data comprises bill estimate information, and said values comprise

a next scheduled bill date;

and

a next month'"'"'s calculated bill.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein said one or more elements of energy usage data comprises bill estimate information, said values comprise a next scheduled bill date and historical energy usage information;

wherein a first widget is configured to calculate a next month'"'"'s bill based on said historical energy usage information.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein at least one widget is configured to be customized based on the type of energy sources used by a customer, historical energy usage data, customer'"'"'s preferences as to usage of electricity, customer'"'"'s monitored usage habits, or energy consumption data of the community where the customer is located.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein said one or more elements of energy usage data comprises historical energy usage information, and said values comprise

first energy usage information corresponding to a first period of time, wherein said first energy usage information comprises bill amount information or kilowatt-hour consumption information;

second energy usage information corresponding to a second period of time, wherein said first energy usage information comprises bill amount information or kilowatt-hour consumption information;

first temperature information corresponding to said first period of time; and

second temperature information corresponding to said second period of time.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein a first widget is configured to display said first and second energy usage information, and said first and second temperature information, wherein the first widget is further configured so that users can set said first and second periods of time.