Patents by Inventor Richard Tyler Curtis

Richard Tyler Curtis has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11455666
    Abstract: Illustrative embodiments are directed to methods and computer systems for reporting unusual or anomalous usage a commodity by consumers. A computer system retrieves a set of usage-information datasets corresponding to a set of consumers, each dataset including past usage of the commodity during at least one of a completed billing period and a current usage of the commodity during the current billing period. The computer system establishes a set of report-trigger conditions for the current billing period, each of the report-trigger conditions corresponding to a consumer. The computer system may monitor usage or spending of the set of consumers to determine, for each consumer, whether an estimated usage established for each consumer fulfills the consumer's report-trigger condition. Once the report-trigger condition is fulfilled, the computer system outputs a report to the consumer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: OPower, INC.
    Inventors: Janet Yu, Tom Mercer, Eric Chang, Richard Tyler Curtis, Daniel J. Yates
  • Patent number: 11238545
    Abstract: Illustrative embodiments of the present invention are directed to methods and computer systems for reporting a consumer's usage of a resource. A computer system retrieves consumer characteristic data and resource usage data for the first consumer and a set of second consumers including characteristic data related to each consumer. The computer system selects at least one consumer that is similar to the first consumer from the set of second consumers based upon a plurality of common criteria between the first consumer's characteristic data and a second consumer's characteristic data. The computer processes may be performing iteratively until the total number of similar consumers is equal to or greater than the predetermined number of consumers. Once a desired number of similar consumers is found, the computer system generates a report that displays the first consumer's resource usage data and the at least one similar consumers' resource usage data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: OPOWER, INC.
    Inventors: Richard Tyler Curtis, Kyle Yost
  • Publication number: 20210073875
    Abstract: Illustrative embodiments are directed to methods and computer systems for reporting unusual or anomalous usage a commodity by consumers. A computer system retrieves a set of usage-information datasets corresponding to a set of consumers, each dataset including past usage of the commodity during at least one of a completed billing period and a current usage of the commodity during the current billing period. The computer system establishes a set of report-trigger conditions for the current billing period, each of the report-trigger conditions corresponding to a consumer. The computer system may monitor usage or spending of the set of consumers to determine, for each consumer, whether an estimated usage established for each consumer fulfills the consumer's report-trigger condition. Once the report-trigger condition is fulfilled, the computer system outputs a report to the consumer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 5, 2020
    Publication date: March 11, 2021
    Inventors: Janet YU, Tom MERCER, Eric CHANG, Richard Tyler CURTIS, Daniel J. YATES
  • Patent number: 10796346
    Abstract: Illustrative embodiments of the present invention are directed to methods and computer systems for reporting unusual or anomalous usage or spending of a commodity by consumers. A computer system retrieves a set of usage-information datasets corresponding to a set of consumers, each dataset including past usage of the commodity during at least one of a completed billing period and a current usage of the commodity during the current billing period. The computer system establishes a set of report-trigger conditions for the current billing period, each of the report-trigger conditions corresponding to a consumer. The computer system monitor usage or spending of the set of consumers to determine, for each consumer, whether an estimated usage established for each consumer fulfills the consumer's report-trigger condition. Once the report-trigger condition is fulfilled, the computer system outputs a report to the consumer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2020
    Assignee: Opower, Inc.
    Inventors: Janet Yu, Tom Mercer, Eric Chang, Richard Tyler Curtis, Daniel J. Yates
  • Patent number: 10235662
    Abstract: Techniques for unusual usage alerts without smart meter data are provided. The computing device can determine a set of climate control disaggregation coefficients and obtain weather data corresponding to at least a portion of a billing period. In turn, the computing device can determine first forecasted usage data for the at least a portion of the billing period based on the set of climate control disaggregation coefficients and the weather data, and determine second forecasted usage data for a length of the billing period based at least in part on the first forecasted usage data. In some aspects, the computing device can project unusual energy usage for the billing period based on the second forecasted usage data determined to be greater than usage data for a prior time period. The computing device can generate an alert notification including an indication of the unusual energy usage projection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: OPOWER, INC.
    Inventor: Richard Tyler Curtis
  • Patent number: 10001792
    Abstract: An occupancy schedule determining method and system that receives usage data indicating a quantity of a resource supplied by a utility that is used at the location over a plurality of days, each of the plurality of days being subdivided into a plurality of predetermined time periods, and the usage data indicating the quantity of the resource supplied by the utility that is used during each of the predetermined time periods, aggregates the usage data for each of the plurality of predetermined time periods over the plurality of days, and uses the aggregated usage data to determine the occupancy schedule at the location using a processor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2018
    Assignee: OPOWER, INC.
    Inventors: Ben Packer, Agustin Fonts, Erik Shilts, Garner Chung, Richard Tyler Curtis
  • Patent number: 9727063
    Abstract: A thermostat set point estimation method and system that selects a plurality of candidate thermostat set points, determines for each of the plurality of candidate thermostat set points a predicted energy usage amount corresponding to the candidate thermostat set point, determines for each of the plurality of candidate thermostat set points an error value corresponding to the candidate thermostat set point using an actual energy usage amount and the predicted energy usage amount corresponding to the candidate thermostat set point, and identifies an estimated thermostat set point by selecting the candidate thermostat set point having the error value that is lowest from the plurality of candidate thermostat set points.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: OPOWER, INC.
    Inventors: Erik Shilts, Yoni Ben-Meshulam, Ben Packer, Richard Tyler Curtis
  • Patent number: 9633401
    Abstract: Methods and computer systems are disclosed for identifying the power-demand of a climate-control system at a premises to reduce usage of energy at the premises. A computer system receives energy usage data and run-time data of the climate-control system. The operational data includes an on-time and/or off-time associated with the climate-control system. The computer system determines a power-draw of the climate-control system using the energy usage data and the run-time data and outputs the power-draw to be used to reduce the energy usage at the premises.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: OPower, Inc.
    Inventor: Richard Tyler Curtis
  • Patent number: 9547316
    Abstract: The disclosure provides a computer-implemented method and system of reducing commodity usage by providing tailored consumer information to the consumer. The method utilizes neural network and machine learning techniques to calculate and cluster statistical data to classify the premises for desired observable condition, including the presence of a programmed thermostat. A score is determined that corresponds to at least one of: (i) a present state of an observable condition, (ii) a non-present state of the observable condition, and (iii) a degree of a condition of the observable condition, to provide tailored consumer information associated to the consumer's usage of the commodity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2017
    Assignee: OPOWER, INC.
    Inventors: Erik Shilts, Jonathan Z. Ben-Meshulam, Richard Tyler Curtis
  • Publication number: 20160005015
    Abstract: Techniques for unusual usage alerts without smart meter data are provided. The computing device can determine a set of climate control disaggregation coefficients and obtain weather data corresponding to at least a portion of a billing period. In turn, the computing device can determine first forecasted usage data for the at least a portion of the billing period based on the set of climate control disaggregation coefficients and the weather data, and determine second forecasted usage data for a length of the billing period based at least in part on the first forecasted usage data. In some aspects, the computing device can project unusual energy usage for the billing period based on the second forecasted usage data determined to be greater than usage data for a prior time period. The computing device can generate an alert notification including an indication of the unusual energy usage projection.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2014
    Publication date: January 7, 2016
    Inventor: Richard Tyler Curtis
  • Publication number: 20140107850
    Abstract: Methods and computer systems are disclosed for identifying the power-demand of a climate-control system at a premises to reduce usage of energy at the premises. A computer system receives energy usage data and run-time data of the climate-control system. The operational data includes an on-time and/or off-time associated with the climate-control system. The computer system determines a power-draw of the climate-control system using the energy usage data and the run-time data and outputs the power-draw to be used to reduce the energy usage at the premises.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Publication date: April 17, 2014
    Applicant: OPOWER, INC.
    Inventor: Richard Tyler Curtis
  • Publication number: 20140074300
    Abstract: The disclosure provides a computer-implemented method and system of reducing commodity usage by providing tailored consumer information to the consumer. The method utilizes neural network and machine learning techniques to calculate and cluster statistical data to classify the premises for desired observable condition, including the presence of a programmed thermostat. A score is determined that corresponds to at least one of: (i) a present state of an observable condition, (ii) a non-present state of the observable condition, and (iii) a degree of a condition of the observable condition, to provide tailored consumer information associated to the consumer's usage of the commodity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Publication date: March 13, 2014
    Inventors: Erik Shilts, Jonathan Z. Ben-Meshulam, Richard Tyler Curtis
  • Publication number: 20140006314
    Abstract: Illustrative embodiments of the present invention are directed to methods and computer systems for reporting unusual or anomalous usage or spending of a commodity by consumers. A computer system retrieves a set of usage-information datasets corresponding to a set of consumers, each dataset including past usage of the commodity during at least one of a completed billing period and a current usage of the commodity during the current billing period. The computer system establishes a set of report-trigger conditions for the current billing period, each of the report-trigger conditions corresponding to a consumer. The computer system monitor usage or spending of the set of consumers to determine, for each consumer, whether an estimated usage established for each consumer fulfills the consumer's report-trigger condition. Once the report-trigger condition is fulfilled, the computer system outputs a report to the consumer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 12, 2013
    Publication date: January 2, 2014
    Applicant: Opower, Inc.
    Inventors: Janet Yu, Tom Mercer, Eric Chang, Richard Tyler Curtis, Daniel J. Yates
  • Publication number: 20120310708
    Abstract: Illustrative embodiments of the present invention are directed to methods and computer systems for reporting a consumer's usage of a resource. A computer system retrieves consumer characteristic data and resource usage data for the first consumer and a set of second consumers including characteristic data related to each consumer. The computer system selects at least one consumer that is similar to the first consumer from the set of second consumers based upon a plurality of common criteria between the first consumer's characteristic data and a second consumer's characteristic data. The computer processes may be performing iteratively until the total number of similar consumers is equal to or greater than the predetermined number of consumers. Once a desired number of similar consumers is found, the computer system generates a report that displays the first consumer's resource usage data and the at least one similar consumers' resource usage data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 4, 2012
    Publication date: December 6, 2012
    Applicant: OPOWER, INC.
    Inventors: Richard Tyler Curtis, Kyle Yost