Systems and methods for implementing automated intelligence-based bidding for repair services for environmental control systems in monitored buildings

• US 9,911,147 B2
• Filed: 05/27/2015
• Issued: 03/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2014
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lars Energy LLC.
• Original Assignee: Lars Energy LLC.
• Inventors: Roy, Randel E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Raymond, Edward
• Application Number:
  US14/723,438
• Publication Number:
  US 20150269641A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,014 Days
• Field of Search: 702183, 702182, 702184, 702185
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/30 for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/38 Failure diagnosis
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/64 using pre-stored data
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0611 Request for offers or quotes

Abstract

A system and method are provided for implementing an automated bidding process in which a preliminary system-generated diagnosis (pre-diagnosis) of a heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system difficulty may be generated and forwarded to a plurality of available or pre-selected HVAC repair facilities or contractors for soliciting and receiving competitive bidding for repair services from those HVAC repair facilities or contractors. A system-based automated solution is provided to lessen the burden on building owners or operators in soliciting “knowledge-based” bids for undertaking repairs to correct HVAC system issues raised in an automatically-generated HVAC system pre-diagnosis. An automated platform and/or scheme allow a plurality of HAVC contractors to offer bids for the repair services based on a pre-diagnosis forwarded to the plurality of contractors as part of a bid solicitation process for the repairs.

Claims

1. A repair bidding system, comprising:

a climate control monitoring device that communicates with a plurality of sensors positioned to sense environmental parameters of at least one of a climate control system, climate control ducting and a building supported by the climate control system;

an analysis device that

receives data from the climate control monitoring device;

analyzes the received data to detect an operating anomaly in the climate control system; and

generates a diagnostic report regarding the detected anomaly;

a bidding exchange device that

generates a bid solicitation including the diagnostic report;

communicates the generated bid solicitation to a plurality of external repair resources; and

receives responsive bids from at least one of the plurality of external repair resources;

automatically selects a particular bid proposal from among the responsive bids according to a pre-determined set of criteria, the pre-determined set of criteria including at least an evaluation of a proposed cost of a repair and a proposed timeframe to effect the repair; and

an output device that displays the diagnostic report to a user.

2. The repair bidding system of claim 1, further comprising a user interface by which the user inhibits operation of the bidding exchange device.

3. The repair bidding system of claim 1, the analysis device detecting an operating anomaly by analyzing that predetermined limits for a particular operating parameter are exceeded.

4. The repair bidding system of claim 1, the analysis device supplementing the diagnostic report with stored historical operating data for the climate control system.

5. The repair bidding system of claim 4, the bidding exchange device communicating supplemental stored historical data with the generated bid solicitation.

6. The repair bidding system of claim 5, the bidding exchange device generating and forwarding to the external repair resource that submitted the selected particular bid proposal a repair agreement for execution and completion by the external repair resource.

7. The repair bidding system of claim 1, the analysis device receiving and analyzing data from a plurality of climate control monitoring devices in separate buildings and generating diagnostic reports for anomalies detected in any one or more of the plurality of climate control systems, the bidding exchange device being associated with the analysis device.

8. The repair bidding system of claim 1, the bidding exchange device being associated with a plurality of analysis devices to generate and communicate bid solicitations based on diagnostic reports received from any one or more of the plurality of analysis devices,

the bidding exchange device receiving and sorting responsive bids associated with each of the bid solicitations.

9. A method for repair bidding, comprising:

monitoring a plurality of sensors positioned to sense environmental parameters of at least one of a climate control system, climate control ducting and a building supported by the climate control system;

analyzing, with a particularly-programmed analysis device, data received from the plurality of sensors to detect an operating anomaly in the climate control system;

generating, by the analysis device, a diagnostic report regarding the detected anomaly;

generating, with a bidding exchange device, a bid solicitation including the generated diagnostic report communicated from the analysis device;

communicating the generated bid solicitation from the bidding exchange device to a plurality of external repair resources;

receiving, with the bidding exchange device, responsive bids from at least one of the plurality of external repair resources;

displaying the generated diagnostic report to a user, the user inhibiting operation of the bidding exchange device in generating and communicating bid solicitations; and

automatically selecting a particular bid proposal from among the responsive bids according to a pre-determined set of criteria,

the pre-determined set of criteria including at least an evaluation of a proposed cost of a repair and a proposed timeframe to effect the repair.

10. The method of claim 9, the analysis device detecting an operating anomaly by analyzing that predetermined limits for a particular operating parameter in the climate control system are exceeded.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

supplementing the diagnostic report with stored historical operating data for operation of the climate control system; and

communicating supplemental stored historical data with the generated bid solicitation.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising generating and forwarding to the external repair resource that submitted the selected particular bid proposal a repair agreement for execution and completion by the external repair resource.

13. The method of claim 9, the analysis device receiving and analyzing data from a plurality of climate control monitoring devices in separate buildings and generating diagnostic reports for anomalies detected in any one or more of the plurality of climate control systems, the bidding exchange device being associated with the analysis device.

14. The method of claim 9, the bidding exchange device being associated with a plurality of analysis devices to generate and communicate bid solicitations based on diagnostic reports received from any one or more of the plurality of analysis devices,

the bidding exchange device receiving and sorting responsive bids associated with each of the bid solicitations.

15. A non-transitory data storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to execute steps of a method for repair bidding, the method comprising:

monitoring a plurality of sensors positioned to sense environmental parameters of at least one of a climate control system, climate control ducting and a building supported by the climate control system;

analyzing data received from the plurality of sensors to detect an operating anomaly in the climate control system;

generating a diagnostic report regarding the detected anomaly;

generating a bid solicitation including the generated diagnostic report;

communicating the generated bid solicitation to a plurality of external repair resources;

receiving responsive bids from at least one of the plurality of external repair resources; and

displaying the generated diagnostic report to a user, the user inhibiting operation of the bidding exchange device in generating and communicating bid solicitations; and

automatically selecting a particular bid proposal from among the responsive bids according to a pre-determined set of criteria,

the pre-determined set of criteria including at least an evaluation of a proposed cost of a repair and a proposed timeframe to effect the repair.