Methods, apparatus, media, and signals for billing utility usage

• US 20060129497A1
• Filed: 02/06/2006
• Published: 06/15/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seismotech IP Holdings Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Seismotech Safety Systems, Inc., Smart Disaster Response Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Baraty, Mohammad Reza
• Granted Patent: US 7,729,993 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/63
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 2204/12 Determination or prediction of behaviour, e.g. likely power consumption or unusual usage patterns
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 2204/24 Identification of individual loads, e.g. by analysing current/voltage waveforms
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply

Abstract

Methods, apparatus, computer readable media, and signals for managing utility usage are disclosed. Generally, each involves receiving a representation of a utility service usage at a load, receiving and storing a usage range representation, and producing a control signal for use by a utility service interrupter, when the usage is outside of the usage range representation. The control signal is operable to cause the utility service interrupter to interrupt a supply of the utility service to the load. Each also involves receiving a control signal indicating that a usage of the utility service at the load is outside of a usage range representation, and interrupting the supply of the utility service to the load in response to the control signal. Systems and methods for monitoring subscriber usage of a utility service and for billing a subscriber for utility service usage are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method of billing a consumer for utility service usage, the method comprising:

receiving in a billing system at least one measurement of usage of at least one utility service at a consumer site;

receiving at least one rate information at the billing system for said at least one utility service;

applying the at least one rate information to the at least one measurement to produce at least one billing value; and

producing a billing signal representing a bill bearing the billing value for use by an output device at a consumer site for producing a bill at said consumer site.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising causing said bill to be printed at said consumer site, in response to said billing signal.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising causing said bill to be displayed at said consumer site.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising causing said bill to be produced at a location designated by said consumer or a utility service controller.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving said rate information comprises receiving said at least one rate information at said consumer site.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein applying said rate information comprises applying said rate information at said consumer site.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising requesting said at least one rate information from at least one server or an input device.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein requesting comprises establishing a communications connection to the at least one remote server, or establishing a communications connection to the input device.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising transmitting said at least one measurement to at least one remote server.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising transmitting a value derived from said at least one measurement to at least one remote server.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising transmitting at least one utility service usage information to at least one server.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising producing and storing in said billing system a plurality of measurements of usage of said at least one utility service.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising measuring usage of a plurality of utility services, obtaining rate information for at least some of said utility services, applying said rate information to said at least some of said utility services to produce at least some billing values for said at least some utility services and causing at least some bills to be produced, bearing at least some said billing values.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising producing said billing signal in response to a request for said bill to be produced.

15. A computer readable medium for providing instruction codes executable by a programmable device, for directing said programmable device to:

produce in said device at least one measurement of usage of said at least one utility service at a site;

receive in said device at least one rate information for said at least one utility service;

apply in said device said rate information to said measurement to produce a billing value; and

produce a billing signal representing a bill bearing said billing value for use by an output device at a consumer site for producing at least one bill at said consumer site.

16. A computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave, the signal comprising code segments for directing a programmable device to:

produce in said device at least one measurement of usage of said at least one utility service at a consumer site;

receive in said device at least one rate information for said at least one utility service;

apply in said device said rate information to said measurement to produce at least one billing value; and

produce a billing signal representing a bill bearing said billing value, for use by an output device at a consumer site for producing a bill at said consumer site.

17. An apparatus for billing a consumer for utility service usage, the apparatus comprising:

a utility service measurement device operable to measure at least one value of said utility service usage at a consumer site;

a communications device operable to receive at least one rate information for said at least one utility service; and

a processor circuit, in communication with said communications device, said processor circuit operable to apply said at least one rate information to said at least one measurement to produce at least one billing value and to generate a billing signal representing a bill bearing said billing value, for use by an output device at a consumer site for producing a bill at said consumer site or a remote location.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 further comprising an annunciation device responsive to said billing signal for producing said bill bearing said billing value.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein said annunciation device further comprises a printer or display to print or display said bill at said consumer site.

20. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein said annunciation device further comprises a printer or display at a remote site to print or display said bill at the remote site.

21. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein said communications device further comprises a receiver operable to receive said rate information at said consumer site.

22. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein said processor circuit is operable to apply said rate information at said site.

23. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein said communications device is operable to establish communications with at least one server to request said at least one rate information from said at least one server.

24. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein said communications device is operable to establish communications with at least one remote server to request said at least one rate information from said at least one remote server.

25. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein said communications device further comprises a transmitter operable to transmit said measurement to a remote server.

26. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein said communications device further comprises a transmitter operable to transmit a value derived from said measurement to a remote server.

27. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein said communications device further comprises a transmitter operable to transmit utility service usage information to a server.

28. The apparatus of claim 17 further comprising a data storage device operable to store said at least one measurement of at least one utility service usage.

29. The apparatus of claim 17 further comprising a plurality of utility service measurement devices operable to produce a plurality of measurements of said utility service usage.

30. The apparatus of claim 17 further comprising a plurality of utility service measurement devices operable to measure usage of a plurality of utility services.

31. The apparatus of claim 30 wherein said communications device is in communication with said plurality of said utility service measurement devices, and said communications device is operable to obtain rate information for at least some of said utility services.

32. The apparatus of claim 31 wherein said processor circuit is operable to apply said rate information to said at least some of said utility service measurements to produce at least some billing values for said at least some utility services.

33. The apparatus of claim 32 wherein said annunciation device is operable to cause at least some bills to be produced, bearing said at least some billing values.

34. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein said annunciation device is operable to produce said billing signal in response to a request for said bill to be produced.

35. An apparatus for billing a consumer for utility service usage, the apparatus comprising:

a producing means for producing at least one measurement of usage of at least one utility service at a consumer site;

a receiving means for receiving at least one rate information for said at least one utility service;

an applying means for applying said at least one rate information to said at least one measurement to produce at least one billing value; and

a producing means for producing a billing signal representing a bill bearing said at least one billing value, for use by an output device at a consumer site for producing a bill at said consumer site or at least one remote location.