Patent ID: 6618709
Filing Date: 2003-09-09
Classification: G06Q

Abstract:
A computer architecture for global computer network-based monitoring of resource usage for at least one energy provider providing energy to a plurality of resource users, comprising:at least one resource-metering data recorder, in operation, recording, one of periodically and aperiodically, resource usage data measured by a plurality of resource meters, operatively connected to a plurality of remotely located resource consuming devices; a recorder translator, in operation, one of periodically and aperiodically, calling said data recorder, and one of periodically and aperiodically, transferring one of directly and indirectly resource usage data from said data recorder to a database; and at least one global computer network server, in operation, receiving a resource usage data query from a user via a global computer network, retrieving the resource usage data of at least two resource users responsive to the resource usage data query entered by the user, aggregating the resource usage data for the at least two resource users, and transmitting resource management information based on the aggregated resource usage data collected from the plurality of resource meters to the user via a global computer network site responsively connected to said global computer network and said at least one global computer network server for analysis by the user of the aggregated resource usage data collected by the at least two resource users provided by the at least one energy provider, said at least one global computer network server including billing software having at least one of a billing estimation and a billing engine for providing the user with billing estimates based on existing billing structures.