Granted Patent B2

US 12,639,772 · App. 18/112,426 · Granted May 26, 2026

Inventor: Michael Ting (Oakland, CA)

Assignee: Itron, Inc.

G06Q50/06G05B19/042G06F16/13G06F16/587G06Q10/06315H04W4/029H04W4/20G05B2219/2639

Abstract

Claims (65)

1 . A method comprising:

receiving, by a mobile device, a request to participate in a data collection survey from a computing device, the request including an identification of an application installable on the mobile device and usable to participate in the data collection survey;

determining location information associated with the mobile device via a location tracking device located within the mobile device;

capturing image data of at least one equipment;

determining first priority data associated with a first type of efficiency data of a first type of system;

determining second priority data associated with a second type of efficiency data of a second type of system;

determining that the first type of efficiency data of the first type of system is of greater value than the second type of efficiency data of the second type of system based at least in part on the first type of system being a greater priority than the second type of system, wherein at least one of the first type of efficiency data or the second type of efficiency data comprises equipment-specific performance characteristics including at least one of rated annual energy consumption, rated annual water consumption, rated efficiency metrics, rated capacity measurements, or equipment vintage information;

determining that the first priority data is greater than the second priority data based at least in part on determining that the first type of efficiency data of the first type of system is of greater value than the second type of efficiency data of the second type of system;

determining an order in which to request the first type of efficiency data and the second type of efficiency data that results in an increase in efficiency of operation of the application by maximizing value of partially completed energy efficiency data surveys;

transmitting control signals to cause the mobile device to display a request for user input data associated with the first type of efficiency data based at least in part on determining that the first priority data is greater than the second priority data and the order;

receiving the user input data;

generating meta data including associating an identification of the at least one equipment with the image data;

transmitting the location information, the user input data, the meta data, and the image data to the computing device that sent the request to cause the computing device to generate or update a profile containing energy efficiency data and to cause the computing device to associate the profile with a user and a site;

receiving at least one of an equipment-specific energy or water savings recommendation from the computing device via the profile; and

receiving an incentive from the computing device in response to transmitting the location information, the user input data, and the image data to the computing device.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the image data comprises an image of at least one nameplate of the at least one equipment located at the site of the user associated with the mobile device.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the image data includes identifying information comprising at least one of a make or model number of the at least one equipment located at the site of the user associated with the mobile device.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing a recommendation to capture the image data, the recommendation including the identification of the at least one equipment.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving a request from the computing device for at least one of the location information or the image data.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the request includes an offer identifying the incentive to be provided in response to sending the at least one of the location information or the image data.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving at least a portion of the profile for the site of the user associated with the mobile device based on at least the location information.

8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving user input indicating that the at least one equipment is not located at the site of the user associated with the mobile device.

9 . A system comprising:

a processor; and

memory storing executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, configure the system to perform acts comprising:

receiving, via a mobile device, a request to participate in a data collection survey from a computing device, the request including an identification of an application installable on the mobile device and usable to participate in the data collection survey;

determining location information associated with the mobile device via a location tracking device located within the mobile device;

capturing image data of at least one equipment;

determining first priority data associated with a first type of efficiency data of a first type of system;

determining second priority data associated with a second type of efficiency data of a second type of system;

determining that the first type of efficiency data of the first type of system is of greater value than the second type of efficiency data of the second type of system based at least in part on the first type of system being a greater priority than the second type of system, wherein at least one of the first type of efficiency data or the second type of efficiency data comprises equipment-specific performance characteristics including at least one of rated annual energy consumption, rated annual water consumption, rated efficiency metrics, rated capacity measurements, or equipment vintage information;

determining that the first priority data is greater than the second priority data based at least in part on determining that the first type of efficiency data of the first type of system is of greater value than the second type of efficiency data of the second type of system;

determining an order in which to request the first type of efficiency data and the second type of efficiency data that results in an increase in efficiency of operation of the application by maximizing value of partially completed energy efficiency data surveys;

transmitting control signals to cause the mobile device to display a request for user input data associated with the first type of efficiency data based at least in part on determining that the first priority data is greater than the second priority data and the order;

receiving the user input data;

generating meta data including associating an identification of the at least one equipment with the image data;

transmitting the location information, the user input data, the meta data, and the image data to the computing device that sent the request to cause the computing device to generate or update a profile containing energy efficiency data and to cause the computing device to associate a profile with a user and a site;

receiving at least one of an equipment-specific energy or water savings recommendation from the computing device via the profile; and

receiving an incentive from the computing device in response to transmitting the location information, the user input data, and the image data to the computing device.

10 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the image data comprises an image of at least one nameplate of the at least one equipment located at the site of the user associated with the mobile device.

11 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the image data includes identifying information comprising at least one of a make or model number of the at least one equipment located at the site of the user associated with the mobile device.

12 . The system of claim 9 , the acts further comprising providing a recommendation to capture the image data, the recommendation including the identification of the at least one equipment.

13 . A mobile device comprising:

a processor; and

memory storing executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, configure the mobile device to perform acts comprising:

receiving a request to participate in a data collection survey from a computing device, the request including an identification of an application installable on the mobile device and usable to participate in the data collection survey;

determining location information associated with the mobile device via a location tracking device located within the mobile device;

capturing image data of at least one equipment;

determining first priority data associated with a first type of efficiency data of a first type of system;

determining second priority data associated with a second type of efficiency data of a second type of system;

determining that the first type of efficiency data of the first type of system is of greater value than the second type of efficiency data of the second type of system based at least in part on the first type of system being a greater priority than the second type of system, wherein at least one of the first type of efficiency data or the second type of efficiency data comprises equipment-specific performance characteristics including at least one of rated annual energy consumption, rated annual water consumption, rated efficiency metrics, rated capacity measurements, or equipment vintage information;

determining that the first priority data is greater than the second priority data based at least in part on determining that the first type of efficiency data of the first type of system is of greater value than the second type of efficiency data of the second type of system;

determining an order in which to request the first type of efficiency data and the second type of efficiency data that results in an increase in efficiency of operation of the application by maximizing value of partially completed energy efficiency data surveys;

transmitting control signals to cause the mobile device to display a request for user input data associated with the first type of efficiency data based at least in part on determining that the first priority data is greater than the second priority data and the order;

receiving the user input data;

generating meta data including associating an identification of the at least one equipment with the image data;

transmitting the location information, the user input data, the meta data, and the image data to the computing device that sent the request to cause the computing device to generate or update a profile containing energy efficiency data and to cause the computing device to associate a profile with a user and a site;

receiving at least one of an equipment-specific energy or water savings recommendation from the computing device via the profile; and

receiving an incentive from the computing device in response to transmitting the location information, the user input data, and the image data to the computing device.

14 . The mobile device of claim 13 , the acts further comprising providing a recommendation to capture the image data, the recommendation including the identification of the at least one equipment.

15 . The mobile device of claim 14 , the acts further comprising receiving user input indicating that the at least one equipment is not located at the site of the user associated with the mobile device.

16 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving an offer to participate in a demand response program in response to sending the at least one of the location information, the user input data, or the image data to the computing device.

17 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining the location information, capturing the image data, and receiving the user input data via the application.

18 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising utilizing image recognition on the image data using a machine learning algorithm.

19 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining that the first type of efficiency data of the first type of system is of greater value than the second type of efficiency data of the second type of system includes determining that the first type of system has a greater impact on energy consumption than the second type of system.

Assignments (2)

Continuity (3)

References Cited (14)