Scheduling usage or provision of resources

• US 9,679,339 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2009
• Issued: 06/13/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: British Telecommunications PLC (BT Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: British Telecommunications PLC (BT Group PLC)
• Inventors: Trancik, Jessika, Saffre, Fabrice T P
• Primary Examiner(s): FLYNN, KEVIN H
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tallman, Brian
• Application Number:
  US12/935,801
• Publication Number:
  US 20110029348A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,996 Days
• Field of Search: 705 63, 705412, 700276
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/00 Tariff metering apparatus in taximeters G07B13/00; apparatus actuated by coins, cards or the like with meter-controlled dispensing of liquid, gas, or electricity G07F15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 22/063 related to remote communication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/008 involving trading of energy or energy transmission rights
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/60 for transmitting utility meters data, i.e. transmission of data from the reader of the utility meter
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 90/20 Smart grids as enabling technology in buildings sector smart grids supporting the management or operation of end-user stationary applications in general, or like technologies with no associated climate change mitigation effect Y04S20/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/50 Systems or methods supporting the power network operation or management, involving a certain degree of interaction with the load-side end user applications
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/30 Smart metering, e.g. specially adapted for remote reading
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 50/10 Energy trading, including energy flowing from end-user application to grid
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 50/14 Marketing, i.e. market research and analysis, surveying, promotions, advertising, buyer profiling, customer management or rewards

Abstract

Methods and systems for obtaining a value indicative of resource-related activity in respect of a plurality of devices using a network of metering means arranged to be in communication with one another, the metering means being associated with resource-consuming or resource-providing devices and being arranged to obtain local resource-related activity data therefrom, the method comprising: a first metering means initiating a circulation procedure by sending a token to a downstream metering means, the token comprising an activity field for carrying a value indicative of resource-related activity data; the circulation procedure continuing, until the token has returned to the first metering means, by each downstream metering means in turn receiving the token, updating the activity field in dependence on its own locally-obtained resource-related activity data, and forwarding the token to a further downstream metering means; and once the token has returned to the first metering means, obtaining a value indicative of the combined level of resource-related activity in respect of devices associated with the metering means in said network in dependence on the value carried by the activity field.

Claims

1. A method of obtaining and using a value indicative of resource-related activity in respect of a plurality of devices, said method using a network of meters arranged to be in communication with one another, each of a plurality of said meters being associated with at least one resource-consuming or resource-providing device and being arranged to obtain local resource-related activity data indicative of current levels of consumption or provision of said resource by said device or devices with which said meter is associated, said network of meters comprising a closed loop of at least three meters, said method comprising:

a first one of said meters initiating a circulation procedure by sending a token in a downstream direction to a meter downstream in said network of said first meter, said token comprising an activity field for carrying a value indicative of resource-related activity data;

said circulation procedure continuing, until said token is received by said first meter, by each downstream meter in turn performing, by a processor, steps of;

(i) receiving said token;

(ii) updating said activity field by summing the value indicative of resource-related activity data on receipt of the token by said meter with a value indicative of the resource-related activity data locally-obtained by said meter such that said activity field carries a value indicative of combined levels of consumption and provision of said resource by devices associated with each meter by which said token has been received since initiation of the circulation procedure to thereby be indicative of a combined level of resource-related activity; and

(iii) forwarding said token in said downstream direction to a further downstream meter of the at least three meters in the closed loop;

when said token is received by said first meter having been received and forwarded in said downstream direction by the other meters in the closed loop of meters, obtaining a value indicative of the combined level of resource-related activity in respect of devices associated with the meters in said network in dependence on the value carried by the activity field; and

controlling the activity in respect of the plurality of devices based on the obtained value.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein said first meter is arranged to be in communication with one or more meters in each of a plurality of networks.

3. A method according to claim 2 wherein said first meter is the only meter in communication with the one or more meters in each of the plurality of networks.

4. A method according to claim 1 wherein said step of initiating a circulation procedure is performed in response to receipt of a request from a device with which said meter is associated.

5. A method according to claim 1 wherein said resource comprises an energy resource.

6. A method according to claim 1 wherein said resource comprises a physical resource.

7. A method according to claim 1 wherein said resource comprises a computing resource.

8. A method of scheduling an activity involving consumption or production of a resource by a device, said method using a network of meters arranged to be in communication with one another, each of a plurality of said meters being associated with at least one resource-consuming or resource-providing device and being arranged to obtain local resource-related activity data indicative of current levels of consumption or provision of said resource by said device or devices with which said meter is associated, said network of meters comprising a closed loop of at least three meters, said method comprising:

receiving from one of said devices a request for a value indicative of resource-related activity in respect of a resource, the request being received by an initiating meter with which said requesting device is associated;

said initiating meter then initiating a circulation procedure by sending a token in a downstream direction to a meter downstream in said network, said token comprising an activity field for carrying the value indicative of resource-related activity data;

said circulation procedure continuing, until said token is received by said initiating meter, by each downstream meter in the network in turn performing, by a processor, steps of;

(i) receiving said token;

(ii) updating said activity field by summing the value indicative of resource-related activity data on receipt of the token by said meter with a value indicative of the resource-related activity data locally-obtained by said meter such that said activity field carries a value indicative of combined levels of consumption and provision of said resource by devices associated with each meter by which said token has been received since initiation of the circulation procedure to thereby be indicative of a combined level of resource-related activity; and

(iii) forwarding said token in said downstream direction to a further downstream meter of the at least three meters in the closed loop;

when said token is received by said initiating meter having been received and forwarded in said downstream direction by the other meters in the closed loop of meters, obtaining the value indicative of the combined level of resource-related activity;

scheduling said activity in dependence on a unit price for the resource determined in dependence on a predetermined function of said obtained value and a predetermined target price for said resource in respect of said activity; and

controlling the activity by the device based on the scheduling.

9. A method of scheduling an activity according to claim 8 wherein said scheduling comprises scheduling the start of a resource-consuming activity or scheduling the resumption of a previously interrupted resource-consuming activity in response to a determination that a current unit price is below a predetermined target price, or scheduling the interruption of a resource-consuming activity in response to a determination that a current unit price is above a predetermined target price.

10. A method of scheduling an activity according to claim 8 wherein said scheduling comprises scheduling the start of a resource-providing activity in response to a determination that a current unit price is above a predetermined target price, or scheduling the termination of a resource-providing activity in response to a determination that a current unit price is below a predetermined target price.

11. An apparatus for obtaining a value indicative of resource-related activity in respect of a plurality of devices, said apparatus comprising a network of meters arranged to be in communication with one another, each of a plurality of said meters being associated with at least one resource-consuming or resource-providing device and being arranged to obtain local resource-related activity data indicative of current levels of consumption or provision of said resource by said device or devices with which said meter is associated, said network of meters comprising a closed loop of at least three meters, each of said meters comprising:

a processing system, including a processor, the processor being configured to at least perform;

initiating a circulation procedure by sending a token in a downstream direction to a meter downstream in said network, said token comprising an activity field for carrying a value indicative of resource-related activity data;

receiving tokens from a meter upstream in said network, update said activity field by summing the value indicative of resource-related activity data on receipt of the token by said meter with a value indicative of the resource-related activity data locally-obtained by said meter such that said activity field carries a value indicative of combined levels of consumption and provision of said resource by devices associated with each meter by which said token has been received since initiation of the circulation procedure to thereby be indicative of a combined level of resource-related activity, and forward said token in said downstream direction to a downstream meter of the at least three meters in the closed loop;

obtaining a multiple-device value indicative of the combined level of resource-related activity in respect of devices associated with the meters in said network when the token is received whose circulation procedure was initiated by said meter and has been received and forwarded in said downstream direction by the other meters in the closed loop of meters, said multiple-device value being determined in dependence on the value carried by the activity field; and

controlling the activity in respect of the plurality of devices based on the obtained multiple-device value.

12. A first meter for obtaining a value indicative of resource-related activity in respect of a plurality of devices, said first meter being arranged to be in communication with other meters in a network, each of said meters being arranged to be associated with at least one resource-consuming or resource-providing device and to obtain local resource-related activity data indicative of current levels of consumption or provision of said resource by said device or devices with which said meter is associated, said network of meters comprising a closed loop of at least three meters, said first meter comprising:

a processing system, including a processor, the processor being at least configured to;

initiate a circulation procedure by sending a token in a downstream direction to another meter downstream in said network, said token comprising an activity field for carrying a value indicative of resource-related activity data;

receive tokens from another meter upstream in said network, update said activity field by summing the value indicative of resource-related activity data on receipt of the token by said meter with a value indicative of the resource-related activity data locally-obtained by said meter such that said activity field carries a value indicative of combined levels of consumption and provision of said resource by devices associated with each meter by which said token has been received since initiation of the circulation procedure to thereby be indicative of a combined level of resource-related activity, and forward said token in said downstream direction to a downstream meter of the at least three meters in the closed loop;

obtain a multiple-device value indicative of the combined level of resource-related activity in respect of devices associated with the meters in said network when the token is received by said first meter whose circulation procedure was initiated by said first meter and has been received and forwarded in said downstream direction by the other meters in the closed loop of meters, said multiple-device value being determined in dependence on the value carried by the activity field; and

control the activity in respect of the plurality of devices based on the obtained multiple-device value.