Patent ID: 8046238
Filing Date: 2011-10-25
Classification: G06Q

Abstract:
1. A method comprising: receiving electronically, at a computer system, a first transaction record from an energy supplier that is located in a first jurisdiction and that supplies energy to customers in an energy market, the first transaction record being received according to a first protocol, and the first transaction record having a first format and including first transaction data stored in the first format and describing a customer enrollment transaction between the energy supplier and a customer located in a second jurisdiction; converting, by the computer system, the first transaction data from the first format into a second format; configuring business rules based on the first jurisdiction of the energy supplier and the second jurisdiction of the customer, the configured business rules being appropriate for handling transactions in accordance with jurisdictional requirements for energy transactions engaged in by the energy supplier; accessing, from among the configured business rules by the computer system and based on information in the first transaction record, a first business rule describing a response business transaction expected to be completed between the energy supplier and the customer in response to the customer enrollment transaction, the first business rule including an acceptable time period in which the response business transaction is required to be completed to comply with jurisdictional requirements imposed by the first jurisdiction of the energy supplier and the second jurisdiction of the customer; receiving, by the computer system, a second transaction record from the energy supplier including second transaction data describing completion of the response business transaction and including a time attribute related to a time of completion of the response business transaction; processing, by the computer system, the second transaction record using the first business rule, the processing including: tracking, by the computer system, information related to business transactions between the energy supplier and the customer to identify a schedule of recurring transactions that occur in a lifecycle of business between the energy supplier and the customer; determining, by the computer system and in response to processing the second transaction record, a next expected energy usage business transaction between the energy supplier and the customer and a second time period of when the next expected energy usage business transaction is expected to be received based on the tracked schedule of recurring transactions that occur in the lifecycle of business between the energy supplier and the customer; storing, by the computer system, at least some portions of the first transaction record and the second transaction record; and displaying the results of the processing and storing, by the computer system, to at least one of the energy supplier and the customer.