Patent ID: 9589297
Date: 2017-03-07
CPC Classifications: G06Q

Claim:
1. A method for operating a thermostatic controller configured to submit bids to a market-based resource allocation system, the method comprising: determining, by computing hardware, a first bid curve, the first bid curve indicating a first set of bid prices for corresponding temperatures, the first bid curve being associated with a cooling mode of operation for a heating and cooling system; determining, by the computing hardware, a second bid curve, the second bid curve indicating a second set of bid prices for corresponding temperatures, the second bid curve being associated with a heating mode of operation for the heating and cooling system; determining that an overlap exists between the first bid curve and the second bid curve over a range of temperatures for which the first and second bid curves both indicate bid prices; eliminating, by the computing hardware, the overlap between the first bid curve and the second bid curve so that the first bid curve and the second bid curve are used together without conflict in a mode of operation for the heating and cooling system in which both heating and cooling operations are automatically controlled, the eliminating comprising modifying the first bid curve, the second bid curve, or the first bid curve and the second bid curve, by modifying at least one data structure that defines the first or second bid curve; transmitting, by the computing hardware, bids to a market based resource allocation system using the first bid curve and the second bid curve together with the overlap eliminated; receiving, from the market based resource allocation system, index values determined in part from the transmitted bids; and activating or deactivating the heating and cooling system based at least in part on the transmitted bids and the received index values.