Behavioral demand response dispatch

• US 10,037,014 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2014
• Issued: 07/31/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Opower, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Opower, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Mercer, Tom, Orfei, Alessandro, Boonin, Elisabeth
• Primary Examiner(s): Barnes-Bullock, Crystal J
• Application Number:
  US14/581,765
• Publication Number:
  US 20150227846A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,316 Days
• Field of Search: 700295
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 17/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/048 Monitoring; Safety
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2639 Energy management, use maximum of cheap power, keep peak load low
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2642 Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/66 Regulating electric power
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/04 Forecasting or optimisation specially adapted for administrative or management purposes, e.g. linear programming or "cutting stock problem" market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities G06Q30/0202
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/3225 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/222 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving

Abstract

The subject disclosure relates to computer-implemented methods that include steps for receiving a reduction request, the reduction request indicating a desired amount of a consumable resource for which consumption is to be reduced, receiving a population indicator, the population indicator defining a set of consumers associated with the reduction request, and determining, using a behavioral demand dispatch (BDD) model, one or more target users from among the set of consumers. In certain aspects, the steps can further include providing a demand reduction communication to each of the one or more target users. Systems and computer readable media are also provided.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, by a processor of a computing device, a reduction request indicating a desired amount of a consumable resource for which consumption is to be reduced;

receiving, by the processor, a population indicator defining a set of consumers associated with the reduction request;

applying, by the processor, weighted factors of a behavioral demand response dispatch (BDRD) model to the set of consumers to identify a target user;

determining, by the processor using the BDRD model, (i) a communication channel for sending a demand reduction communication to the target user and (ii) a time for sending the demand reduction communication using the communication channel to the target user;

providing, by the processor, the demand reduction communication to the target user according to (i) the communication channel and (ii) the time for sending the demand reduction communication, wherein the demand reduction communication is sent to the target user at the time determined for sending;

measuring, by the processor, a reduction amount for the consumable resource that is consumed by the target user in response to the demand reduction communication;

updating, by the processor, the BDRD model based upon the reduction amount to create an updated BDRD model, wherein the updating comprises;

calculating a time delay as a time difference between i) a time at which the demand reduction communication is transmitted over a network to a computing device of the target user and ii) a starting time of a reduction period during which a reduction of resource consumption is requested; and

training the BDRD model to determine when to send subsequent demand reduction communications based upon the time delay; and

utilizing, by the processor, the updated BDRD model to select a target communication channel and a target time for sending a subsequent demand reduction communication.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the determining a communication channel further comprises:

utilizing, by the processor, weighted factors, of the BDRD model trained using historic behavior demand response data, to determine the communication channel and the time for sending the demand reduction communication.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

applying, by the processor, the weighted factors of the BDRD model to the set of consumers to identify one or more target users;

selecting, by the processor using the BDRD model, communication channels for each of one or more target users; and

selecting, by the processor using the BDRD model, a content type for each of the one or more target users.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein the demand reduction communication is provided using the respective communication channel for each of the one or more target users, and wherein each demand reduction communication is based on the content type for each of the one or more respective target users.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein the demand reduction communication provided to each of the one or more target users is based on geographic location information for each of the one or more target users.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein the demand reduction communication provided to each of the one or more target users is based on demographic information.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the BDRD model is based at least in part on historic weather data for a geographic region associated with the target user.

8. A behavioral demand response dispatch system, comprising:

one or more processors; and

a computer-readable medium comprising instructions stored therein, which when executed by the processors, cause the processors to perform operations comprising;

receiving a reduction request indicating a desired amount of a consumable resource for which consumption is to be reduced;

receiving a population indicator defining a set of consumers associated with the reduction request;

receiving preference information associated with one or more users from among the set of consumers associated with the reduction request;

determining (i) a communication channel for sending a demand reduction communication and (ii) a time for sending the demand reduction communication using the communication channel to the target user based upon a behavioral demand response dispatch (BDRD) model and the preference information;

providing, using weighted factors of the BDRD model, the demand reduction communication to one or more target users from among the set of consumers associated with the reduction request based upon (i) the communication channel and (ii) the time for sending the demand reduction communication, wherein the demand reduction communication is sent to the target user at the time determined for sending;

measuring a reduction amount for the consumable resource that is reduced by a target user in response to the demand reduction communication;

updating the BDRD model based upon the reduction amount to create an updated BDRD model, wherein the updating comprises;

calculating a time delay as a time difference between i) a time at which the demand reduction communication is transmitted over a network to a computing device of the target user and ii) a starting time of a reduction period during which a reduction of resource consumption is requested; and

training the BDRD model to determine when to send subsequent demand reduction communications based upon the time delay; and

utilizing the updated BDRD model to select a target communication channel and a target time for sending a subsequent demand reduction communication.

9. The behavioral demand response dispatch system of claim 8, wherein the processors are further configured to perform operations comprising:

measuring reduction amounts for the consumable resource, wherein the reduction amounts are based on behaviors performed by a plurality of the target users.

10. The behavioral demand response dispatch system of claim 8, wherein the processors are further configured to perform operations comprising:

selecting the communication channel for the target user and selecting a second communication channel, different than the communication channel, for a second user.

11. The behavioral demand response dispatch system of claim 8, wherein the processors are further configured to perform operations comprising:

selecting a content type for the demand reduction communication based on the preference information associated with one or more users.

12. The behavioral demand response dispatch system of claim 8, wherein the demand reduction communication provided to each of the one or more target users is based on geographic location information for each of the one or more target users.

13. The behavioral demand response dispatch system of claim 8, wherein the BDRD model is based at least in part on historic weather data for a geographic region associated with at least one of the target users.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions stored therein, which when executed by one or more processors, cause the processors to perform operations comprising:

receiving a reduction request indicating a desired amount of a consumable resource for which consumption is to be reduced;

receiving a population indicator defining a set of consumers associated with the reduction request;

receiving preference information associated with one or more users from among the set of consumers associated with the reduction request;

determining a communication channel for sending (i) a demand reduction communication and (ii) a time for sending the demand reduction communication using the communication channel to the target user based upon a behavioral demand response dispatch (BDRD) model and the preference information;

providing, using weighted factors of the BDRD model, the demand reduction communication to one or more target users from among the set of consumers associated with the reduction request based upon (i) the communication channel and (ii) the time for sending the demand reduction communication, wherein the demand reduction communication is sent to the target user at the time determined for sending;

measuring a reduction amount for the consumable resource that is consumed by a target user in response to the demand reduction communication;

updating the BDRD model based upon the reduction amount to create an updated BDRD model, wherein the updating comprises;

calculating a time delay as a time difference between i) a time at which the demand reduction communication is transmitted over a network to a computing device of the target user and ii) a starting time of a reduction period during which a reduction of resource consumption is requested; and

training the BDRD model to determine when to send subsequent demand reduction communications based upon the time delay; and

utilizing the updated BDRD model to select a target communication channel and a target time for sending a subsequent demand reduction communication.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the processors are further configured to perform operations comprising:

measuring reduction amounts for the consumable resource, wherein the reduction amounts are based on behaviors performed by a plurality of the target users.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the processors are further configured to perform operations comprising:

selecting the communication channel for the target user and selecting a second communication channel, different than the communication channel, for a second user.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the processors are further configured to perform operations comprising:

selecting a content type for the demand reduction communication based on the preference information associated with one or more users.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the demand reduction communication provided to each of the one or more target users is based on geographic location information for each of the one or more target users.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the BDRD model is based at least in part on historic weather data for a geographic region associated with at least one of the target users.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the BDRD is used to determine the time for sending as a time at which the demand reduction communication is to be transmitted to the computing device of the target user.