Patent ID: 8285574

Claim:
A method for managing constrained resources via a computer, the method comprising: setting a price, per unit of a resource, based upon a collective projected resource demand corresponding to a plurality of resource consumption entities, the price set for a defined period of time, and an amount of the resource equal to the collective projected resource demand is reserved for the plurality of resource consumption entities; and for the duration of the defined time period, iteratively performing: monitoring actual usage of the resource, quantified by the unit, for each of the resource consumption entities; upon a determination in response to the monitoring, that a projected shortage exists for at least one of the resource consumption entities and a projected surplus exists for at least one other of the resource consumption entities, re-allocating a number of projected surplus units of the resource from corresponding one or more resource consumption entities having the projected surplus to corresponding one or more other resource consumption entities having the projected shortage; and upon a determination in response to the monitoring, that a projected shortage exists for at least one of the resource consumption entities and no projected surplus exists for any of the other resource consumption entities, acquiring additional units of the resource, wherein a number of the additional units acquired compensates for the projected shortage within the defined time period, and the number of additional units are provided at a new set price that is calculated based upon a demand for the resource at the time the additional units are acquired.