System and method of pricing resources
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A system, comprising:
- a memory storing program code; and
a processor coupled to the memory, operable to execute the program code, and based at least in part on the execution of the program code operable to perform operations comprisingperforming a simulation based on historical customer usage and pricing data, based on the simulation, determining a resource usage price and a swing option pricebased on a specified target profit margin for an offeror, wherein the resource usage price corresponds to a price offer from the offeror to an offeree that covers actual resource usage by the offeree and the swing option price corresponds to a price offer from the offeror to the offeree that covers reservation of a right of the offeree to future resource usage within a specified range bounded by an upper resource usage amount and a lower resource usage amount, andoutputting the resource usage price and the swing option price.
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Abstract
Embodiments of the present invention relate to a system and method for pricing resources. One embodiment of the present invention includes a historical usage database adapted to store historical customer usage and pricing data, and a pricing algorithm module adapted to perform a simulation using the historical customer usage and pricing data to establish resource usage prices and swing option prices that will maintain a profit margin near or equal to a profit margin setting.
52 Citations
32 Claims
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1. A system, comprising:
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a memory storing program code; and a processor coupled to the memory, operable to execute the program code, and based at least in part on the execution of the program code operable to perform operations comprising performing a simulation based on historical customer usage and pricing data, based on the simulation, determining a resource usage price and a swing option price based on a specified target profit margin for an offeror, wherein the resource usage price corresponds to a price offer from the offeror to an offeree that covers actual resource usage by the offeree and the swing option price corresponds to a price offer from the offeror to the offeree that covers reservation of a right of the offeree to future resource usage within a specified range bounded by an upper resource usage amount and a lower resource usage amount, and outputting the resource usage price and the swing option price. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 31, 32)
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14. A method, comprising operating a processor to perform operations comprising:
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setting a target profit margin for an offeror; performing a simulation based on historical usage and pricing data; and based on the simulation, determining, by the processor, a swing option price and a usage price based on the target profit margin, wherein the resource usage price corresponds to a price offer from the offeror to an offeree that covers actual resource usage by the offeree and the swing option price corresponds to a price offer from the offeror to the offeree that covers reservation of a right of the offeree to future resource usage within a specified range bounded by an upper resource usage amount and a lower resource usage amount; and outputting the resource usage price and the swing option price. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A method, comprising:
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on a first network node, providing historical data relating to prior resource usage to a second network node; on the second network node, performing a simulation based on historical customer usage and pricing data, based on the simulation, determining, by a processor, a resource usage price and a swing option price based on a specified target profit margin for an offeror, wherein the resource usage price corresponds to a price offer from the offeror to an offeree that covers actual resource usage and the swing option price corresponds to a price offer from the offeror to the offeree that covers reservation of a right of the offeree to future resource usage within a specified range bounded by an upper resource usage amount and a lower resource usage amount, and outputting the resource usage price and the swing option price; and on the first network node, receiving the swing option price and the usage price. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A system, comprising:
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a memory storing program code; and a processor coupled to the memory, operable to execute the program code, and based at least in part on the execution of the program code operable to perform operations comprising performing a simulation based on historical customer usage and pricing data, ascertaining a penalty price as a function of a range of predicted resource usage and actual resource usage, based on the simulation, determining a resource usage price aid a swing option price based on the ascertained penalty price, a current time value;
a beginning time value, a completion time value, and a specified target profit margin for an offeror, wherein the resource usage price corresponds to a price offer from the offeror to an offeree that covers actual resource usage by the offeree and the swing option price corresponds to a price offer from the offeror to the offeree that covers reservation of a right of the offeree to future resource usage within a specified range bounded by an upper resource usage amount and a lower resource usage amount,offering the swing option to the offeree for purchase at the determined swing option price, monitoring and storing data relating to actual resource usage by the offeree, and facilitating payment for the actual resource usage at the determined usage price; and facilitating access to the resources.
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29. At least one non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-readable program code embodied therein, the computer-readable program code adapted to be executed by a computer to implement a method comprising:
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performing a simulation based on historical customer usage and pricing data; based on the simulation, determining a resource usage price and a swing option price based on a specified target profit margin for an offeror, wherein the resource usage price corresponds to a price offer from the offeror to an offeree that covers actual resource usage by the offeree and the swing option price corresponds to a price offer from the offeror to the offeree that covers reservation of a right of the offeree to future resource usage within a specified range bounded by an upper resource usage amount and a lower resource usage amount, and outputting the resource usage price and the swing option price. - View Dependent Claims (30)
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Specification