Methods, apparatus, media and signals for facilitating real-time management of a utility supply

• US 7,353,121 B2
• Filed: 04/28/2006
• Issued: 04/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Seismotech IP Holdings Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Smart Disaster Response Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Baraty, Mohammad Reza
• Primary Examiner(s): Wachsman; Hal D
• Application Number:
  US11/413,400
• Publication Number:
  US 20070255612A1
• Time in Patent Office: 704 Days
• Field of Search: 702/61
• US Class Current: 702/61
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply

Abstract

Methods, apparatus, computer readable data and signals for facilitating the supply of a utility provided to a consumer site by a plurality of providers and/or retailers and differentiation are disclosed. In one embodiment, each provider produces a representation of a utility and the provider that reveals: specification of the provider, quality and quantity standards, live real time price, rules of usage, and reliability of the provider and grade of the product. In one embodiment, each consumer inputs consumer preferences and parameters related to selecting utility providers. In one embodiment, rules for regulating usage of a utility are provided by regulatory authorities. In one embodiment, real time capacity information related to the distribution and transmission of a utility is provided by transmission authorities. In one embodiment, all the consumer preference information and rule information and capacity information is received and processed in real time to automatically select a preferred utility provider.

Claims

1. A method for selecting a utility provider, the method comprising:

electronically receiving first utility data from a first provider, the utility data comprising at least the price of the utility or the available quantity of the utility;

electronically receiving second utility data from a second provider, the utility data comprising at least the price of the utility or the available quantity of the utility;

electronically receiving rule data related to a regulation of usage of a utility;

electronically receiving consumer data related to a consumption of the utility by a consumer;

electronically receiving grid availability or grid capacity data from a distribution authority;

determining a priority ranking of the first utility data and the second utility data based on the consumer data;

automatically processing in real-time the first utility data, the second utility data, the rule data, the consumer data, and the grid data to determine a preferred provider selected from a group of providers comprising the first provider and the second provider, the preferred provider selection based on the first utility data, the second utility data, the rule data, the consumer data, and the grid data; and

outputting the preferred provider.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first or the second providers is at least one of a producer or a supplier of a utility.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first provider or the second provider resells a utility.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is performed by a programmable device that is located at a consumer site and is configured to control a utility consuming device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the first utility data, the second utility data, the rule data, the consumer data, and the grid data comprise a code readable by the programmable device.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein at least one of the receiving steps further comprises extracting the code from a data stream.

7. The method of claim 4, further comprises displaying on the programmable device a plurality of utility providers.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein receiving consumer data is through a user interface device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is performed by a programmable device that is located at a Control &

Clearing House and is configured to communicate with a programmable device located at a consumer site.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the receiving steps further comprises storing data in a storage medium.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the rule data comprises utility usage regulatory data from a plurality of regulatory authorities.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the consumer data further comprises a plurality of consumer choice parameters.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the grid data comprises grid capacity data from a plurality of transmission systems and distribution systems or a combination thereof.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprises transmitting at least one of a utility provider'"'"'s real time price for the utility to a consumer site'"'"'s billing system.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving grid data is by at least one of an interface device or a phone.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the first utility data and the second utility data comprise prices for a plurality of usage loads.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the consumer data further comprises different choices for different usages or loads simultaneously.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprises executing a usage code corresponding to the preferred provider.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein processing further comprises billing to the consumer, in real-time, fees owed to at least one of a provider, a distribution authority or a regulatory authority.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second utility data is received from a data provider that receives the first utility data from the first provider and the second utility data from the second provider.

21. A system for selecting a utility provider, the system comprising:

a first database configured to store a first utility data from a first provider, the utility data comprising at least one of;

a utility specification for the first provider;

price of utility from the first provider; and

available quantity of utility from the first provider;

a second database configured to store a second utility data from a second provider, the utility data comprising at least one of;

a utility specification for the second provider;

price of utility from the second provider; and

available quantity of utility from the second provider;

a third database configured to store a rule data related to a regulatory authority;

a fourth database configured to store consumer data related to a utility consumer;

a fifth database configured to store grid capacity or grid availability data from a distribution authority;

a server configured to process the first utility data, the second utility data, the rule data, the consumer data and the grid capacity or grid availability data to determine a preferred provider selected from a group of providers comprising at least the first provider and the second provider, the preferred provider selection based on the first utility data, the second utility data, the rule data, the consumer data, and the grid data; and

wherein the server is configured to output the preferred provider.

22. The system for selecting a utility provider of claim 21, wherein the first, second, third, fourth and fifth databases are different databases.

23. The system for selecting a utility provider of claim 21, wherein the first, second, third, fourth and fifth databases are the same databases.

24. The system for selecting a utility provider of claim 21, wherein at least two of the first, second, third, fourth and fifth databases are the same databases.