Abstract: An auction service is provided that stimulates competition between energy suppliers (i.e., electric power or natural gas). A bidding moderator (Moderator) receives offers from competing suppliers specifying the economic terms each is willing to offer to resellers or customers of resellers for estimated quantities of electric power or gas supply (separate auctions). Each supplier receives feedback from the Moderator based on competitors' offers and has the opportunity to adjust its own offers down or up, depending on whether it wants to encourage or discourage additional energy delivery commitments in a particular geographic area or to a particular customer group. Each supplier's offers can also be changed to reflect each supplier's capacity utilization.

Abstract: An auction service is provided that stimulates competition between energy suppliers (i.e., electric power or natural gas). A bidding moderator receives offers from competing suppliers specifying the economic terms each is willing to offer to end users or resellers for estimated quantities of electric power or gas supply (separate auctions). Suppliers receive feedback from the moderator based on competitors' offers and have the opportunity to adjust their own offers down or up, depending on whether they want to encourage or discourage additional energy delivery commitments in a particular geographic area or to a particular customer group. Each supplier's offers can also be changed to reflect each supplier's capacity utilization. The moderator selects one or more suppliers to provide electric power or natural gas to each end user or reseller, with each supplier providing at least a portion of the electric power or natural gas needed by each end user or reseller during a specific future time interval.

Abstract: An auction service is provided that stimulates competition between energy suppliers (i.e., electric power or natural gas). A bidding moderator (Moderator) receives offers from competing suppliers specifying the economic terms each is willing to offer to resellers or customers of resellers for estimated quantities of electric power or gas supply (separate auctions). Each supplier receives feedback from the Moderator based on competitors' offers and has the opportunity to adjust its own offers down or up, depending on whether it wants to encourage or discourage additional energy delivery commitments in a particular geographic area or to a particular customer group. Each supplier's offers can also be changed to reflect each supplier's capacity utilization.

Abstract: An auction service is provided that stimulates competition between energy suppliers (i.e., electric power or natural gas). A bidding moderator (Moderator) receives offers from competing suppliers specifying the economic terms each is willing to offer to supply end users with electric power or gas (separate auctions). Each supplier receives feedback from the Moderator based on competitors" offers and has the opportunity to adjust its own offers down or up, depending on whether it wants to encourage or discourage additional energy delivery commitments in a particular geographic area or to a particular customer group. Each supplier"s offers can also be changed to reflect each supplier"s capacity utilization. The Moderator designates at least one supplier to provide energy to an end user, with the supplier providing at least a portion of the energy to be used by the end user at an end-user facility during a specific future time interval.

Abstract: An auction service is provided that stimulates competition between energy suppliers (i.e., electric power or natural gas). A bidding moderator (Moderator) receives offers from competing suppliers specifying the economic terms each is willing to offer to resellers or customers of resellers for estimated quantities of electric power or gas supply (separate auctions). Each supplier receives feedback from the Moderator based on competitors" offers and has the opportunity to adjust its own offers down or up, depending on whether it wants to encourage or discourage additional energy delivery commitments in a particular geographic area or to a particular customer group. Each supplier"s offers can also be changed to reflect each supplier"s capacity utilization.

Abstract: An auction service is provided that stimulates competition between energy suppliers (i.e., electric power or natural gas). A bidding moderator (Moderator) receives bids from the competing suppliers of the rate each is willing to charge to particular end users for estimated quantities of electric power or gas supply (separate auctions). Each supplier receives competing bids from the Moderator and has the opportunity to adjust its own bids down or up, depending on whether it wants to encourage or discourage additional energy delivery commitments in a particular geographic area or to a particular customer group. Each supplier's bids can also be changed to reflect each supplier's capacity utilization. Appropriate billing arrangements are also disclosed. The technology required to facilitate forward delivery transactions, in which a buyer and seller agree to the terms of a transaction today but schedule the delivery for a future time, would be helpful to end users, resellers and suppliers.

Abstract: An auction service is provided that stimulates competition between energy suppliers (i.e., electric power or natural gas). A bidding moderator (Moderator) receives offers from competing suppliers specifying the economic terms each is willing to offer to end users for estimated quantities of electric power or gas supply (separate auctions). Each supplier receives feedback from the Moderator based on competitors" offers and has the opportunity to adjust its own offers down or up, depending on whether it wants to encourage or discourage additional energy delivery commitments in a particular geographic area or to a particular customer group. Each supplier"s offers can also be changed to reflect each supplier"s capacity utilization. The Moderator selects at least two suppliers to provide energy to each end user, with each supplier providing a portion of the energy to be used by each end user at an end-user facility during a specific future time interval.

Abstract: An auction service is provided that stimulates competition between energy suppliers (i.e., electric power or natural gas). A bidding moderator (Moderator) receives bids from the competing suppliers of the rate each is willing to charge to particular end users for estimated quantities of electric power or gas supply (separate auctions). Each supplier receives competing bids from the Moderator and has the opportunity to adjust its own bids down or up, depending on whether it wants to encourage or discourage additional energy delivery commitments in a particular geographic area or to a particular customer group. Each supplier's bids can also be changed to reflect each supplier's capacity utilization. Appropriate billing arrangements are also disclosed.

Abstract: The disclosed voice-based communications system and method provides an architecture for communication among team-organized users. After a single, voice accessed log on procedure, a user who is a member of more than one team is able to designate a team and enter a communication session, within which the user can communicate with members of that team, either individually or as a group (by broadcast). After completing communication with correspondents associated with the first-team's activities, the user can transfer to a second communication session, within which communication with members of a second-team takes place. The computer and software that controls the system assures that within each team communication session, communication is permitted only among members of one team. Team membership and the communication services available to each team are controlled by each team's team organizer.

Abstract: In this communications architecture, a receiver or a receiver control entity acting on behalf of the receiver or a group of receivers, controls the communication of voice, data, or video from individual senders. This is accomplished by placing a Registrar between the senders and receivers. Upon an authorized request from a sender to access a receiver, the Registrar issues a vector to the sender and stores the vector in a database. The vector uniquely identifies both the sender and the receiver. Each time the sender wishes to make a voice call or send a data packet or a video transmission to a particular receiver, the corresponding vector is sent to the switch as the receiver's address. The switch sends the vector to the Registrar for call treatment instruction.