Conservation modeling engine framework

• US 9,098,820 B2
• Filed: 02/23/2009
• Issued: 08/04/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Boss, Gregory J., Brignull, Alfred J., Brignull, Michele Palladino, Hamilton, Rick A. II, Lyle, Ruthie D., Sand, Anne R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pats, Justin M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rotaru, Octavian
• Application Number:
  US12/390,780
• Publication Number:
  US 20100217631A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,353 Days
• Field of Search: 705/7.37, 705/412
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06312 Adjustment or analysis of established resource schedule, e.g. resource or task levelling, or dynamic rescheduling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06313 Resource planning in a project environment
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06375 Prediction of business process outcome or impact based on a proposed change

Abstract

Methods, including service methods, articles of manufacture, systems, articles and programmable devices provide a conservation modeling engine framework. Programmable conservation modeling engines in communication with different customizable resource conservation modules, each resource conservation module customized to a distinct resource, select one of the modules customized to a resource identified for conservation, and user-defined criteria as a function of the identified resource and the selected module. Input data is selected and collected as a function of the resource identified and the selected module and used to weight the input data. Different optimized conservation plans are created as a function of the weighted input data and the selected module, each of the optimized conservation plans displayed having a different implementation cost, a different time for implementation and a different total amount of the identified resource saved.

Claims

1. A method for providing a conservation modeling engine framework, comprising:

selecting, at a conservation modeling engine, a customizable resource conservation module from a provided plurality of different customizable resource conservation modules as a function of the selected module being customized to a resource identified for conservation, wherein the selected module includes requirements unique to the resource identified for conservation, and wherein each of the different customizable resource conservation modules are customized to different ones of a plurality of distinct resources that includes the resource identified for conservation;

determining, at the conservation modeling engine, a rate of change of availability of the resource identified for conservation from;

a real-time sensor input comprising a current level of usage of the resource identified for conservation;

a dynamic data feed comprising at least one of weather conditions, and demands for the resource identified for conservation that are currently predicted to occur over a future time period;

static data comprising a number of facility items using the resource identified for conservation; and

historic data comprising at least one of an average usage rate of the resource identified for conservation by the facility items, and a historic weather pattern for a region comprising the facility items;

creating, at the conservation modeling engine, a plurality of different conservation plans for the region for the future time period by applying the selected customizable resource conservation module to inputs of the determined rate of change of availability of the resource, the real-time sensor input, the dynamic data feed, the static data and the historic data, wherein the plurality of conservation plans includes a first plan that has a least implementation cost, a second plan that has a fastest time for implementation and a third plan that conserves a most amount of the resource identified for conservation;

optimizing, by a hardware processor, using one of a greedy algorithm, a penalty method algorithm and a cooperative optimization, the first, second and the third plans by predicting utilizing a Monte Carlo methodology, future values of input variables at an execution time of the first, second and third plans; and

based on said predicting, modifying the input variables and the optimized first, second and third plans to meet thresholds set at an end of a feedback workflow.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying the optimized first, second and third plans in a single table diagram that:

distinguishes different values of implementation costs, times for implementation and total amounts of the resource identified for conservation that are each displayed for each of the displayed plans;

identifies the first plan as having the least implementation cost, the second plan as having the fastest time for implementation, and the third plan as conserving the most amount of the resource identified for conservation; and

displays sets of ordered pluralities of different location-specific actions to be taken to implement each of the optimized first, second and third plans and in association with respective ones of the optimized first, second and third plans, wherein each of the sets of ordered pluralities are associated with different ones of the optimized first, second and third plans and comprise different orders of the location-specific actions.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

displaying each of the sets of the ordered pluralities of different location-specific actions in association with time periods for taking the ordered actions, wherein the time periods are subsets of a total time of the time for implementation of an associated plan of the optimized first, second and third plans.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

predicting each of a plurality of values of an input variable at a time of execution of each of the optimized first, second and third plans;

predicting a future severity of a shortage of the resource identified for conservation; and

wherein the step of creating the optimized first, second and third plans is further a function of the plurality of predicted values of the input variable and the predicted future shortage severity.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

selecting user-defined criteria as a function of the resource identified for conservation and the selected customizable resource conservation module;

selecting and collecting data as a function of the resource identified for conservation and the selected customizable resource conservation module;

weighting the selected and collected data as a function of the selected user-defined criteria to generate the input data; and

modifying thresholds of the selected user-defined criteria in response to feedback from the created plurality of different optimized conservation plans at the end of the feedback workflow.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

calculating and displaying an estimated return-on-investment time period for each of the optimized first, second and third plans as a function of their respective implementation costs; and

weighting the first plan, the second plan and the third plan through the user-defined criteria to recommend a plan and a time duration to achieve a return on investment of the recommended plan.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising the processing unit automatically selecting and implementing a one of the optimized first, second and third plans having the identified lowest time for implementation, the identified highest total amount of the identified resource identified for conservation, or the identified lowest implementation cost, in response to a specified priority.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

integrating computer-readable program code into a computer infrastructure comprising a processor, a computer readable memory and a computer readable storage medium, wherein the computer readable program code is embodied on the computer readable storage medium and comprises instructions that, when executed by the processor via the computer readable memory, cause the processor to perform the steps of selecting the customizable resource conservation module, determining the rate of change of availability of the resource identified for conservation, optimizing the first, second and the third plans and modifying the input variables and the optimized first, second and third plans to meet thresholds sets at the end of the feedback workflow.

9. A system, comprising:

a hardware processor, a computer readable memory and a computer-readable hardware storage device;

wherein the hardware processor, when executing program instructions stored on the computer-readable hardware storage device via the computer readable memory;

selects a customizable resource conservation module from a provided plurality of different customizable resource conservation modules as a function of the selected module being customized to a resource identified for conservation, wherein the selected module includes requirements unique to the resource identified for conservation, and wherein each of the different customizable resource conservation modules are customized to different ones of a plurality of distinct resources that includes the resource identified for conservation;

determines a rate of change of availability of the resource identified for conservation from;

a real-time sensor input comprising a current level of usage of the resource identified for conservation;

a dynamic data feed comprising at least one of weather conditions, and demands for the resource identified for conservation that are currently predicted to occur over a future time period;

static data comprising a number of facility items using the resource identified for conservation; and

historic data comprising at least one of an average usage rate of the resource identified for conservation by the facility items, and a historic weather pattern for a region comprising the facility items;

creates a plurality of different conservation plans for the region for the future period time by applying the selected customizable resource conservation module to inputs of the determined rate of change of availability of the resource, the real-time sensor input, the dynamic data feed, the static data and the historic data, wherein the plurality of conservation plans includes a first plan that has a least optimized implementation cost, a second plan that has a fastest time for implementation and a third plan that conserves a most amount of the resource identified for conservation;

optimizes, via one of a greedy algorithm, a penalty method algorithm and a cooperative optimization, the first, second and the third plans by predicting utilizing a Monte Carlo methodology, future values of input variables at an execution time of the first, second and third plans; and

based on said predicting, modifies the input variables and the optimized first, second and third plans to meet thresholds sets at an end of a feedback workflow.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the hardware processor, when executing the program instructions stored on the computer-readable hardware storage device via the computer readable memory, further:

displays the optimized first, second and third plans in a single table diagram that;

distinguishes different values of implementation costs, times for implementation and total amounts of the resource identified for conservation that are each displayed for each of the displayed plans;

identifies the first plan as having the least implementation cost, the second plan as having the fastest time for implementation, and the third plan as conserving the most amount of the resource identified for conservation; and

displays sets of ordered pluralities of different location-specific actions to be taken to implement each of the optimized first, second and third plans and in association with respective ones of the optimized first, second and third plans, wherein each of the sets of ordered pluralities are associated with different ones of the optimized first, second and third plans and comprise different orders of the location-specific actions.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the hardware processor, when executing the program instructions stored on the computer-readable hardware storage device via the computer readable memory, further displays each of the sets of the ordered pluralities of different location-specific actions in the single table in association with time periods for taking the ordered actions, wherein the time periods are subsets of a total time of the time for implementation of an associated plan of the optimized first, second and third plans.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the hardware processor, when executing the program instructions stored on the computer-readable hardware storage device via the computer readable memory, further:

predicts each of a plurality of values of an input variable at a time of execution of each of the optimized first, second and third plans;

predicts a future severity of a shortage of the resource identified for conservation; and

creates the optimized first, second and third plans as a function of the plurality of predicted values of the input variable and the predicted future shortage severity.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the hardware processor, when executing the program instructions stored on the computer-readable hardware storage device via the computer readable memory, further:

selects user-defined criteria as a function of the resource identified for conservation and the selected customizable resource conservation module;

selects and collects data as a function of the resource identified for conservation and the selected customizable resource conservation module;

weights the selected and collected data as a function of the selected user-defined criteria to generate the input data; and

modifies thresholds of the selected user-defined criteria in response to feedback from the created plurality of different optimized conservation plans at the end of the feedback workflow.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the hardware processor, when executing the program instructions stored on the computer-readable hardware storage device via the computer readable memory, further:

calculates and displays an estimated return-on-investment time period for each of the optimized first, second and third plans as a function of their respective implementation costs; and

weights the first plan, the second plan and the third plan through the user-defined criteria to recommend a plan and a time duration to achieve a return on investment of the recommended plan.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the hardware processor, when executing the program instructions stored on the computer-readable hardware storage device via the computer readable memory, further automatically selects and implements, in response to a specified priority, a one of the optimized first, second and third plans having the identified lowest time for implementation, the identified highest total amount of the resource identified for conservation, or the identified lowest implementation cost, in response to a specified priority.

16. An article of manufacture, comprising:

a computer readable storage hardware device having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code comprising instructions that, when executed by a computer system processor, cause the processor to;

select a customizable resource conservation module from a provided plurality of different customizable resource conservation modules as a function of the selected module being customized to a resource identified for conservation, wherein the selected module includes requirements unique to the resource identified for conservation, and wherein each of the different customizable resource conservation modules are customized to different ones of a plurality of distinct resources that includes the resource identified for conservation;

determine a rate of change of availability of the resource identified for conservation from;

a real-time sensor input comprising a current level of usage or reservoir amount of the resource identified for conservation;

a dynamic data feed comprising at least one of weather conditions, and demands for the resource identified for conservation that are currently predicted to occur over a future time period;

static data comprising a number of facility items using the resource identified for conservation; and

historic data comprising at least one of an average usage rate of the resource identified for conservation by the facility items, and a historic weather pattern for a region comprising the facility items;

create a plurality of different conservation plans for the region for the future time period by applying the selected customizable resource conservation module to inputs of the determined rate of change of availability of the resource, the real-time sensor input, the dynamic data feed, the static data and the historic data, wherein the plurality of conservation plans includes a first plan that has a least optimized implementation cost, a second plan that has a fastest time for implementation and a third plan that conserves a most amount of the resource identified for conservation;

optimize, via one of a greedy algorithm, a penalty method algorithm and a cooperative optimization, the first, second and the third plans by predicting utilizing a Monte Carlo methodology, future values of input variables at an execution time of the first, second and third plans; and

based on said predicting, modify the input variables and the optimized first, second and third plans to meet thresholds sets at an end of a feedback workflow.

17. The article of manufacture of claim 16, wherein the computer readable program code instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to:

display the optimized first, second and third plans in a single table diagram that;

distinguishes different values of implementation costs, times for implementation and total amounts of the resource identified for conservation that are each displayed for each of the displayed plans;

identifies the first plan as having the least implementation cost, the second plan as having the fastest time for implementation, and the third plan as conserving the most amount of the resource identified for conservation; and

displays sets of ordered pluralities of different location-specific actions to be taken to implement each of the optimized first, second and third plans and in association with respective ones of the optimized first, second and third plans, wherein each of the sets of ordered pluralities are associated with different ones of the optimized first, second and third plans and comprise different orders of the location-specific actions.

18. The article of manufacture of claim 17, wherein the computer readable program code instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to display each of the sets of the ordered pluralities of different location-specific actions in the single table in association with time periods for taking the ordered actions, wherein the time periods are subsets of a total time of the time for implementation of an associated plan of the optimized first, second and third plans.

19. The article of manufacture of claim 18, wherein the computer readable program code instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to:

predict each of a plurality of values of an input variable at a time of execution of each of the optimized first, second and third plans;

predict a future severity of a shortage of the resource identified for conservation; and

create the optimized first, second and third plans as a function of the plurality of predicted values of the input variable and the predicted future shortage severity.

20. The article of manufacture of claim 19, wherein the computer readable program code instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to:

select user-defined criteria as a function of the resource identified for conservation and the selected customizable resource conservation module;

select and collect data as a function of the resource identified for conservation and the selected customizable resource conservation module;

weight the selected and collected data as a function of the selected user-defined criteria to generate the input data; and

modify thresholds of the selected user-defined criteria in response to feedback from the created plurality of different optimized conservation plans at the end of the feedback workflow.

21. The article of manufacture of claim 20, wherein the computer readable program code instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to:

calculate and display an estimated return-on-investment time period for each of the optimized first, second and third plans as a function of their respective implementation costs; and

weight the first plan, the second plan and the third plan through the user-defined criteria to recommend a plan and a time duration to achieve a return on investment of the recommended plan.

22. The article of manufacture of claim 21, wherein the computer readable program code instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to automatically select and implement, in response to a specified priority, a one of the optimized first, second and third plans having the identified lowest time for implementation, the identified highest total amount of the resource identified for conservation, or the identified lowest implementation cost, in response to a specified priority.