초록

A system and method analyzes resource consumption without requiring sensors at every device for which consumption is analyzed. Data rates used to provide resource use information may be increased or decreased based on user actions.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A method of identifying resource use, comprising: periodically receiving use of the resource from a meter, wherein the meter measures resource use for a metered location;graphically displaying to a user the resource use received from the meter over time;identifying to the user, by a processor, at

1. A method of identifying resource use, comprising: periodically receiving use of the resource from a meter, wherein the meter measures resource use for a metered location;graphically displaying to a user the resource use received from the meter over time;identifying to the user, by a processor, at least one resource use area of the graph of the resource use over time that indicates use of a resource by at least one device responsive to at least one steep slope of the graph, wherein the at least one device is at the metered location;receiving from the user an identifier of at least one of the at least one device of the metered location that caused the resource to be used in the manner corresponding to at least one of the at least one resource use area;identifying, by a processor, exceptional use of the resource responsive to the identifier of the at least one of the at least one device and the use of the resource; andproviding information regarding correcting the exceptional use. 2. The method of claim 1, additionally comprising: receiving information about the price of the resource; andidentifying the cost of the resource use area to the user. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the information regarding correcting the exceptional use is provided directly to the user. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the information regarding correcting the exceptional use is provided to a party other than the user. 5. The method of claim 4: wherein the party other than the user is a retailer; andthe retailer contacts the user regarding reducing the resource use responsive to the information regarding correcting the exceptional use. 6. The method of claim 1: additionally comprising receiving information regarding known use of the resource by at least one other device, other than the at least one device; andwherein the exceptional use is identified additionally responsive to the known use of the resource by the at least one other device. 7. The method of claim 1: additionally comprising receiving information regarding weather; andwherein the exceptional use is identified additionally responsive to the weather information received. 8. A computer system for identifying resource use, the computer system comprising: at least one memory; anda processor configured to execute: a resource information manager having an input coupled to a meter that measures use of a resource by multiple devices at a metered location, the resource information manager for periodically receiving a quantity of use of the resource from the meter, adding date and time of use to the quantity of use, and providing a plurality of said quantities of use of the resource and date and time at an output;a display manager having an input coupled to the resource information manager output for receiving the plurality of quantities of use of the resource and date and time, the display manager for providing at an output information used for graphically displaying to a user the resource use received from the meter over time;an area assignment manager having an input coupled to the display manager output for receiving the information used for graphically displaying to the user the resource use received from the meter over time, the area assignment manager for identifying to the user at an output at least one resource use area of the graph of the resource use over time that indicates use of a resource by at least one device at the metered location responsive to at least one steep slope of the graph;a resource use area manager having an input for receiving from the user an identifier of at least one of the at least one device at the metered location that caused the resource to be used in the manner corresponding to at least one of the at least one resource use area, the resource use area manager for providing the identifier at an output;a resource analyzer having an input coupled to the resource use area manager output for receiving the identifier and to the resource information manager output for receiving the plurality of quantities of use of the resource and date and time, the resource analyzer for identifying at an output information regarding exceptional use of the resource responsive to the identifier of the at least one of the at least one device and the use of the resource; anda suggestion manager having an input coupled to the resource analyzer output for receiving the information regarding exceptional use of the resource, and for providing at an output information regarding correcting the exceptional use. 9. The computer system of claim 8, wherein: the area assignment manager input is additionally for receiving information about the price of the resource, the resource information manager for providing the information about the price of the resource at an output; and the area assignment manager is additionally for identifying to the user at the output the cost of the resource use area to the user. 10. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the information regarding correcting the exceptional use is provided directly to the user. 11. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the information regarding correcting the exceptional use is provided to a party other than the user. 12. The computer system of claim 11: wherein the party other than the user is a retailer; andthe retailer contacts the user regarding reducing the resource use responsive to the information regarding correcting the exceptional use. 13. The computer system of claim 8 wherein: the resource analyzer input is additionally for receiving information regarding known use of the resource by at least one other device, other than the at least one device; andthe resource analyzer identifies the exceptional use additionally responsive to the known use of the resource by the at least one other device. 14. The computer system of claim 8: additionally comprising receiving information regarding weather; andthe exceptional use is identified additionally responsive to the weather information received. 15. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein for identifying resource use, the computer program product comprising computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer system to: periodically receive use of the resource from a meter, wherein the meter measures resource use for a metered location;graphically display to a user the resource use received from the meter over time;identify to the user at least one resource use area of the graph of the resource use over time that indicates use of a resource by at least one device at the metered location responsive to at least one steep slope of the graph;receive from the user an identifier of at least one of the at least one device at the metered location that caused the resource to be used in the manner corresponding to at least one of the at least one resource use area;identify exceptional use of the resource responsive to the identifier of the at least one of the at least one device and the use of the resource; andprovide information regarding correcting the exceptional use. 16. The computer program product of claim 15, additionally comprising computer readable program code devices configured to cause the computer system to: receive information about the price of the resource; and identify the cost of the resource use area to the user. 17. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the information regarding correcting the exceptional use is provided directly to the user. 18. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the information regarding correcting the exceptional use is provided to a party other than the user. 19. The computer program product of claim 18: wherein the party other than the user is a retailer; andthe retailer contacts the user regarding reducing the resource use responsive to the information regarding correcting the exceptional use. 20. The computer program product of claim 15: additionally comprising computer readable program code devices configured to cause the computer system to receive information regarding known use of the resource by at least one other device, other than the at least one device; andwherein the exceptional use is identified additionally responsive to the known use of the resource by the at least one other device. 21. The computer program product of claim 15: additionally comprising computer readable program code devices configured to cause the computer system to receive information regarding weather; andwherein the exceptional use is identified additionally responsive to the weather Information received.