Consert Inc.

International Business Machines Corporation

John O F Long

Joseph W Forbes, Jr

Joel L Webb

Ting D Cheng

Stephen E Bello

Dilip K Barman

Anne E Bomford

Thomas E Donegan

Paul Asobayire

R Bruce Shearer

An apparatus and method control transmission of messages over a fixed bandwidth communication link from fixed position client or communication devices to a central controller. In one exemplary embodiment, the central controller determines an identifier associated with each communication device, a reporting period during which messages are to be transmitted by the communication devices, and transmission increments within the reporting period. The central controller allocates each transmission increment to a respective group of multiple communication devices. The central controller then determines transmission times for messages from the communication devices, such that a transmission time for any particular communication device is based on (a) the identifier for the particular communication device, (b) a duration of a transmission increment allocated to a group of communication devices that includes the particular communication device, and (c) a quantity of communication devices in the group of communication devices that includes the particular communication device.

Apparatus and method for controlling communications to and from fixed position communication devices over a fixed bandwidth communication link

An apparatus and method control transmission of messages over a fixed bandwidth link from fixed position communication devices to a central controller in a load management system. The messages include information relating to electric power consumption by power consuming devices located at service points that include the communication devices. In one embodiment, the central controller determines an identifier associated with each communication device, a reporting period during which the messages are to be transmitted by the communication devices, and transmission increments within the reporting period. The controller allocates each transmission increment to a respective group of communication devices. The controller then determines a transmission time for a message from a particular communication device based on the identifier for the particular device, a duration of a transmission increment allocated to a group of communication devices that includes the particular device, and a quantity of communication devices in the particular device's group.

Apparatus and method for controlling communications to and from utility service points

A method for data processing can include associating at least one descriptor dimension with a data item. The descriptor dimension can represent a scale between a first subject and at least a second subject. A dimension value can be associated with the descriptor dimension to quantify a relationship between the data item and the first and second subjects.

Method of describing business and technology information for utilization

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Raleigh, NC, United States of America

John O F Long