Method and system for unusual usage reporting

US10796346B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• OPower, Inc. · US

Inventors

• Janet Yu · San Francisco, US
• Tom Mercer · San Francisco, US
• Eric Chang · Menlo Park, US
• Richard Tyler Curtis · Washington, US
• Daniel J. Yates · Washington, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Feb 12, 2013
• Grant date: Oct 6, 2020
• Expiry date: Nov 3, 2034

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G06Q30/02
• WIPO field: IT methods for management
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

Illustrative embodiments of the present invention are directed to methods and computer systems for reporting unusual or anomalous usage or spending of a commodity by consumers. A computer system retrieves a set of usage-information datasets corresponding to a set of consumers, each dataset including past usage of the commodity during at least one of a completed billing period and a current usage of the commodity during the current billing period. The computer system establishes a set of report-trigger conditions for the current billing period, each of the report-trigger conditions corresponding to a consumer. The computer system monitor usage or spending of the set of consumers to determine, for each consumer, whether an estimated usage established for each consumer fulfills the consumer's report-trigger condition. Once the report-trigger condition is fulfilled, the computer system outputs a report to the consumer.