US 7,149,727 B1 · Computerized system and method for providing cost savings for consumers

Abstract

A computerized system and method for providing cost savings for utility users is shown and which includes defining a database in a host computer; storing in the database variable business information from a plurality of goods and services providers; receiving into the host computer goods and services related consumption information and determining an optimal business expense from the variable business expense information to provide cost savings for the customer; processing the optimal business expense information, and goods and services consumption information to provide usage-based computer viewable data which is associated with a consumer's consumption of the goods and services; and providing the customer with computer access to the computer viewable data and wherein the customer can view the computer viewable data, from a location remote to the host computer.

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Drawings

Claims32

Dependent claims

A computerized method for selecting an appropriate utility rate to provide cost savings for a consumer, comprising:

defining a first database in a first computer;
storing in the first database consumer information collected by a first party, and wherein the consumer consumes a utility for which it desires to manage and account;
receiving in the first database utility consumption information relating to the consumer and which is collected by the first party, and whereas the utility consumption information has various portions;
analyzing the utility consumption information of the consumer against predetermined tolerance parameters by the first party and determining whether the utility consumption information satisfies the predetermined tolerance parameters;
defining a second database in a second computer, and wherein the second computer is coupled in data exchanging relation relative to the first computer;
receiving into the second database from a second party a plurality of utility rate information which relates to a plurality of utility providers;
receiving into the second computer selected portions of the utility consumption information relating to the consumer, and which satisfies the predetermined tolerance parameters, and processing the received utility consumption information by analyzing the utility consumption history relative to the utility rate information to identify a utility rate which provides potential cost savings to the consumer based upon the selected portions of utility consumption information which meets the predetermined tolerance parameters, and wherein the second computer cannot gain direct access to all of the customer consumer information stored in the first database, and the first computer cannot gain access to the utility rate information stored in the second database;
receiving into the first computer the identified utility rate which provides the consumer with potential cost savings, and processing the utility consumption information which meets the predetermined tolerance parameters and the identified utility rate to provide usage-based, computer viewable data which is associated with the consumer's consumption of the utility and which is related to the identified utility rate;
providing the consumer with computer access to the first computer to view the computer viewable data at a location which is remote relative to the first computer, and wherein the consumer views and considers the computer viewable data related to the consumption of the utility which is associated with the identified utility rate, and then affirmatively selects the identified utility rate which meets their needs;
and
establishing a compensation for the first and second parties for acting on the behalf of the consumer to provide the cost savings realized by the consumer by the affirmative selection of the identified utility rate, and wherein the consumer remits to the first and second parties a portion of the realized cost savings from affirmatively selecting the identified utility rate which provides cost savings.

8 more elements

A computerized method for selecting an appropriate utility rate to provide cost savings for a consumer, comprising:

accumulating a utility consumption history for at least one consumer by a first party;
analyzing the utility consumption history against predetermined tolerance parameters by the first party;
accumulating a plurality of utility rate schedules by a second party;
analyzing the utility consumption history provided by the first party by utilizing the plurality of utility rate schedules provided by the second party;
subscribing the consumer to a utility rate schedule which is identified among the plurality of utility rate schedules, and which provides cost savings for the consumer;
and
compensating the first and second parties for the cost savings realized by the consumer.

4 more elements

A computerized method for selecting an appropriate utility rate to provide cost savings for a consumer, comprising:

accumulating utility consumption history into a first database for at least one consumer by a first party, and wherein the first party assigns an encrypted identifier to the identity of the consumer and which relates to the utility consumption history stored in the first database;
analyzing the utility consumption history for the at least one consumer by the first party against predetermined tolerance parameters;
accumulating a plurality of utility rate schedules by a second party into a second database, and wherein the first party transmits the utility consumption history meeting the predetermined tolerance parameters and bearing the encrypted identifier from the first database to the second database;
analyzing in the second database the transmitted utility consumption history bearing the encrypted identifier with the utility rate schedules provided by the second party to determine potential cost savings for the consumer;
reporting utility rate schedules which provide potential cost savings for the consumer's consumption history which has been analyzed to the first party;
reporting to the consumer the utility rate schedules which provide potential cost savings by the first party;
affirmatively selecting and implementing utility rate schedules which provide advantageous cost savings by the consumer;
and
compensating the first and second parties for the cost savings realized by the consumer by the selection of the advantageous utility rate schedules.

6 more elements

A computerized method for selecting an appropriate utility rate to provide cost savings for a consumer, comprising:

accumulating utility usage history for at least one consumer in a first database by a first party, and wherein the first party analyzes the utility usage history of the consumer and develops predetermined tolerance parameters for the utility usage history based upon the utility usage history, and wherein the consumer has an agent;
accumulating a plurality of utility rate schedules in a second database by a second party;
accumulating and storing in the first party database recent utility consumption information of the consumer;
providing an automated clearinghouse by a third party which receives the recent utility consumption information meeting the tolerance parameters from the first database, and the utility rate schedules from the second database, and wherein the automated clearing house analyzes the recent utility consumption information and the utility rate schedules received from the first and second parties to identify advantageous utility rate schedules which provide cost savings for the consumer, and which further inhibits the first and second parties from accessing the other parties data which has been submitted to the automated clearinghouse;
reporting the identified advantageous rate schedules which provide cost savings, and which have been developed by the automated clearinghouse, and the third party, to the first party;
reporting the identified advantageous rate schedules which provide cost savings to the consumer by the first party, and wherein the consumer or the agent of the utility user consumer remotely accesses the identified advantageous rate schedules to analyze and consider the identified advantageous rate schedules and then affirmatively selects a previously identified advantageous rate schedule which provides the desired cost savings;
and
sharing the cost savings realized by the consumer by the affirmative selection of a previously identified advantageous rate schedule by the consumer, or agent of the consumer, and remitting a portion of the cost savings realized by the consumer or agent of the consumer to the first, second and third parties.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Description8,455 words

Summary1,255 words

#This invention relates to a computerized system and method for providing cost savings for consumers, and more particularly to a method for fairly compensating parties for the sharing of advantageous business information which provides cost savings for the consumers of goods and services.

#In U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,930,773, 5,943,656, 6,035,285, 6,052,671 and 6,088,688, a computerized resource accounting method and system and an electronic bill presenting method and bill consolidating method were described. These methods and systems provide a management tool which permits a business owner having multiple sites to track and effectively manage resource use, and energy consumption in a particularly cost effective fashion. The patents noted above are incorporated by reference herein.

#As discussed in the earlier patents, utility resources include, for example, electricity, gas (natural or petroleum based), water, sewer service and other types of services that may be provided by both private parties, municipalities and other governmental units. One type of consumer of utility services is the business owner who has a number of different geographically separated sites. Such customers or consumers typically purchase their resources from multiple unrelated resource providers. Those who have purchasing, decision making, and/or payment authority for these types of businesses typically face a burdensome task of tracking and maintaining resource consumption and use information. In addition to the problems encountered with tracking resource consumption for a variety of different business units in widely dispersed geographical areas, other problems present themselves in view of the new business environment presented by the deregulated energy markets. In view of the wide range of deregulated energy options now available, the task confronting decision makers can become even more onerous.

Brief description of the drawings9 figures

#Preferred embodiments of the invention are described below with reference to the following accompanying drawings.

#FIG. 1 is a high level organization diagram illustrating another aspect of the present invention.

#FIG. 2 is a high level organizational diagram illustrating another aspect of the present invention.

Detailed description7,050 words

#This disclosure of the invention is submitted in furtherance of the constitutional purposes of the U.S. Patent Laws “to promote the progress of science and useful arts” (Article 1, Section 8).

#With reference to the present invention and as earlier discussed, the teachings of U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,930,773, 5,943,656, 6,035,285 6,052,671 and 6,088,688 are incorporated by reference herein.

#With reference to the various systems and methodologies of the present invention as described hereinafter, aspects of the present invention are described in terms of steps executed or executable on or by a computer system. Although a variety of different computer systems can be used with the present invention, an exemplary computer system includes a host computer having a processor, a memory, a data storage device and an interface device. These exemplary components of a host computer are operably connected via an address/data bus which is not specifically designated in the drawings provided herein. The memory can and preferably does include a volatile memory (that is, random access memory) which is coupled with a data bus for storing information and instructions for the processor and a non-volatile memory (that is, the read only memory) coupled with a data storage bus for storing static information and instructions for the processor. The data storage device can comprise a mass storage device such as a hard or floppy disc drive, CD-Rom, tape drive, Zip™ drive, etc. The host computer constitutes a hardware platform which executes instructions to implement the application program described in the paragraphs which follow. It will be understood that the invention as hereinafter discussed is a schematic representation only. Accordingly, the system as described above and below can be implemented as an integral stand-alone system or can include separate component parts which are interconnected and operable for implementing the system described below. The interface device referenced above preferably comprises a multi-user network interface hardware, that is, for example, a network card and/or modem which couples the host computer to a multi-user system via a network, such as a local area network, wide area network, or the Internet. The Internet is used in only one embodiment of the present invention. The interface device is coupled to allow communication with various application programs contained on the hardware platform defined by the computer 11 system making up the host computer.

Facts

Application

09/704,425Filed 1 Nov 2000

Granted

12 Dec 2006

Term ended

26 Nov 2023

Estimated · how

20 years from earliest known nonprovisional domestic filing plus recorded patent term adjustment, including 1,120 days of adjustment. Maintenance-fee lapses, terminal disclaimers and statutory extensions have not been checked. The continuity chain may be incomplete; this is not an enforceability determination.

Classification9 codes

G01D 4/004
Remote reading of utility meters: remote reading of utility meters to a fixed location
G06Q 30/06
Commerce: buying, selling or leasing transactions
G06Q 50/06
Information and communication technology [ICT] specially adapted for implementation of business processes of specific business sectors, e.g.…:…
Y02B 90/20
Enabling technologies or technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation: smart grids as enabling technology in…

Computerized system and method for providing cost savings for consumers

Life of this patent

Computerized system and method for providing cost savings for consumers

Life of this patent

Life of this patent

Abstract

Drawings

Drawings

Claims32

Description8,455 words

Drawings

Classification9 codes

Life of this patent

Description8,455 words