Patent ID: 7792692

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for adaptively estimating a gain (g(x)) and a revenue r(x)), comprising the steps of: receiving initial data for at least one subject to be measured, said initial data including a duration of a measurement period (T), a number (m) of clock cycles (t ij ) for said at least one subject during said duration of said measurement period (T), an initial value of a total cost (c) of said at least one subject over the duration of said measurement period (T), and an initial gain function (g), capturing a number (x) of used units of said subject during a current clock cycle (t ij ), determining, by a processor, the gain (g(x)) for said current clock cycle (t, ij ) based upon said captured number (x) of used units and said gain function (g), said gain having an upper bound and a lower bound; determining a revenue (r(x)) based on said received initial data (c, m, g) and said captured number (x) of used units; performing a sensitivity analysis on the upper bound and the lower bound of the gain (g(x)), the upper bound and the lower bound of the gain (g(x)) determined based at least on average of the number (x) of the used units and a convex upper bound function and a concave lower bound function for the gain function; using the results of the performing step in developing pricing policies associated with the subject.