486 results about "Consumer demand" patented technology

A “Smart Grid Pricer” enables automated balancing of the supply and demand of energy supply and consumption, such as the generation and consumption of electricity between electricity providers and electricity consumers. The Smart Grid Pricer automatically computes and delivers real-time energy pricing information to consumers on behalf of energy retailers (e.g., electricity utilities) to help drive the balance of demand with supply. In various embodiments, real-time pricing is determined by using various probabilistic models to estimate overall consumer demand as a function of factors such as energy price, time of day, region, weather, etc. to compute a price that will result in an energy demand that is closely balanced to the available supply. On the consumer side, various components of the Smart Grid Pricer automatically respond to such pricing information to optimize energy consumption in accordance with a variety of automated and/or user defined rules and preferences.

This invention is a method of allocating bandwidth for a television program delivery system. This method selects specific programs from a plurality of programs, allocates the selected programs to a segment of bandwidth, and continues to allocate the programs until all the programs are allocated or all of the available bandwidth is allocated. The programs may be selected based on a variety of different factors or combination of factors. The selected programs may also be prioritized so that higher priority programs are distributed before lower priority programs in case there is not enough bandwidth to transmit all of the programs. This invention allows a television program delivery system to prioritize a large number of television programs and distribute these programs based on their priority levels. The invention also permits a television program delivery system to dynamically allocate bandwidth over time or based on marketing information, such as consumer demand.

Systems and methods consistent with the present invention provide a supplier performance measurement that uses historical data combined from disparate data sources to evaluate suppliers and rank the suppliers according to key performance indicators or attributes. The supplier rankings are used in a qualitative model to allocate customer demand to the suppliers based upon the supplier rankings and other factors.

Methods, systems, and computer program products for dynamically adjusting computer resources, as appropriate, in response to predictions of query runtimes as well as for rendering costs of the computer resources actually utilized, which costs are consistent with consumer demands.

An expert system adapted dedicated Internet access guidance engine. The invention allows an agent to interact with a customer and to provide selection and recommendation of data network products and/or services for the customer. The invention allows for the use of agents of varying skill levels, including relatively low skill level, without suffering deleterious performance. The dedicated Internet access guidance engine is operable to perform selection and rating of Internet access products and/or services to provide a solution that meets the needs of a customer. The dedicated Internet access guidance engine is operable to select recommended solutions from among a number of potential solutions that may include compatible solutions. The dedicated Internet access guidance engine is one of the underlying engines within the expert system that allows the agent to provide real time interaction with a customer and to provide a real time recommended solution to that customer.

An online product or service listing arrangement logs searches performed and uses the logged information to calculate a scarcity index that measures the scarcity of products and services. Scarcity may indicate the number of searches that consumers have conducted compared to available listings. Empirical techniques are used to take into account certain types of searches that may not accurately reflect actual consumer demand. Reports may compare item scarcity within different geographical or other markets to determine relative scarcity. Particularly advantageous but non-limiting applications include new and used motor vehicles, employment opportunities, and real estate.

A brokering system and method for providing an incentive for use of more efficient internal combustion engines and hydrogen retrofit kits is disclosed. End users of retrofitted vehicles are provided with discounted fuel costs at authorized fueling stations. The vehicle owner's savings include: a) a reduction in fueling charges because of the vehicle's new reliance on 30% less fossil fuel (which is displaced by hydrogen in the engine), and b) by the purchase of methanol which can be set at a lower cost per calorific equivalent than a barrel of oil while also earning emission offsets to be sold for cash to the end users/creators of carbon credits. In this manner, retrofitted existing internal combustion engines linked to a trust for trading emission offsets will create a consumer-driven hydrogen economy which governments as well as the automotive and petroleum sectors will endorse. Hydrogen, which is substituted for fossil fuel in a retrofitted IC engine result in emission offsets (i.e., the quantum of emissions that are no longer there) which are converted by a regulated emissions trust into cash. This income, which is deposited into the vehicle owner's bank account via the telephone network by using a dedicated hydrogen fueling card and master engine sensor linked to a specific vehicle provided with an engine retrofit kit and an on board source of hydrogen gas. The present method provides a mapping and test kit that relies on OEM engine timing and control sensors to compare engine emissions produced by fossil fuel with emissions eliminated by substituting hydrogen. This method creates consumer demand for cleanly produced sources of hydrogen (beginning with green methanol) to fuel existing OEM engines, which will in turn, induce automobile manufacturers to build more efficient IC engines until, finally, they will all be fueled by 100% hydrogen.

Embodiments of the present invention provide systems, methods and computer readable media for calculating the capacity of a provider by calculating, using biographical data representing the provider, a first total units of service that are available to be offered to consumers during a first time period; calculating a second total units of service potentially available from the provider for a proposed second time period using a projection based in part on a model of consumer demand for the units of service; determining a third total units of service that are unavailable during the second time period based on at least one known or projected unavailability; and calculating a capacity based on the third total units of service and the second total units of service, the capacity being a capacity for a proposed promotion representing a maximum total of instruments to be offered in the proposed promotion by the provider.

The invention belongs to the technical field of agricultural and sideline product processing, in particular to a processing method of flexible package fresh bamboo shoots, comprising the specific technological processes: sorting, cleaning/tidying, blanching (killing out), cooling, screening, adding preservative, vacuum packaging, sterilizing, cooling and obtaining finished products. Compared with the current processing method in the market, the invention has unique technology and adopts a sulphur-free formula; the prepared flexible package fresh bamboo shoot has the advantages of high quality, high safety, convenient eating, small loss of vitamin C, convenient storage and transportation, long quality guarantee period (12 months for refrigeration, and 6 months for normal temperature) and the like. The flexible package fresh bamboo shoot prepared with the invention improves the economy of bamboo shoots and is suitable for diversifying consumer demand at present.

A touch screen panel includes a window having one curved surface and mounted on a front surface of a display element. A touch screen element is attached to the curved surface of the window, wherein the touch screen element is processed to have a curvature corresponding to a curvature of the curved surface of the window prior to being attached to the curved surface of the window. The touch screen panel operates in a resistive scheme and can be mounted on the window shaped like a curve. The invention makes it possible to manufacture the information device having various designs in accordance with consumer demands yet retaining a low cost.

In one embodiment, the wireless charger can be light-weight, thin, and can be hidden and/or integrated inside of handbags, backpacks, jackets, and other accessories. The wireless charger can also be used as a standalone product. The wireless charger charges phones using wireless power transmission and incorporates a battery which can be recharged through a power adapter. When properly integrated, the wireless charger according to embodiments described herein can be integrated into such apparel, accessories, or other products without altering or affecting the appearance of the product. For example, the wireless charger may be seamlessly incorporated into most any apparel and accessories from purses to apparel to jackets if the product has a pocket. Because various aspects of the wireless charger are adaptable, it can be easily customized to meet customer needs.

The invention discloses a blending method for fatty acid balance blend oil. The method includes: firstly, selecting several raw material oils, determining the fatty acid composition of various oil materials by a gas chromatograph, and constructing a raw material oil fatty acid composition database; then according to the recommended amount of dietary nutrition guidelines or consumer demands, establishing a blend oil raw material formula linear programming mathematical model; introducing the fatty acid parameters of all the selected candidate raw material oils into the linear model, setting the fatty acid ratio and weight coefficient of the to-be-prepared target blend oil, and providing the ratio of various raw material oils through operation; and then taking all the raw material oils according to the candidate formula proportion, and conducting mixing in proportion, and performing complete stirring to obtain the nutritional blend oil. According to the invention, through establishment of the raw oil database and the linear programming mathematical model, the prepared nutritional blend oil can have standardized formula calculation, can meet the nutritional needs and personalized nutrition and health care needs of different groups of people, and has wide application and market value as well as broad market prospects.

A method of supplying vaporized gas from a storage tank storing the gas in liquified form in a lower liquid region and having a vapor region thereover, the method including employing an external source of heat to heat a heat exchange liquid to no more than about 35° C., bringing the heat exchange liquid into heat exchange relation with at least a portion of the liquified gas so as to transfer heat from the external source of heat to the liquified gas, and supplying vaporized gas to the consumer, according to the consumer demand, directly from the vapor region of the storage tank. The heat exchange relation is controlled such that the at least portion of the liquified gas which is heated remains mostly in a liquified state but that the temperature of the liquified gas is prevented from falling below a predefined minimum operational temperature.

The invention discloses a debittered pomelo peel pulp, and a production method and a use thereof. The production method includes the following steps: (1) separating sarcocarp and peels of pomelos, cutting the peels into lumps, adding water, and then grinding into a pulp to obtain the peel pulp; (2) heating the peel pulp, adding an acid and an enzyme, and carrying out a reaction for 30-300 min to obtain an enzyme reaction peel pulp; (3) then adding sugar, heating to 95-100 DEG C with stirring, holding for 5-10 min for sterilization, and then cooling to 37 DEG C or less; and (4) inoculating with lactic acid bacteria, performing fermentative cultivation at the temperature of 37 DEG C for 24-72 h, then heating up to 90-95 DEG C, and holding for 30-40 min for sterilization to obtain the debittered peel pulp after cooling. The pomelo peel pulp prepared by the method is moderate in sourness, is mellow and sweet in taste, can meet consumer demands for flavors, mouthfeel and the like, and basically eliminates pomelo bitter taste; and the produced debittered pomelo peel pulp can be used for production of other series products, such as a honey pomelo tea, a pomelo peel jam, and a pomelo beverage and the like.

The invention discloses an online trade platform. The online trade platform comprises a personal space, a data base and a searching module. The personal space is used for issuing and storing at least one user tag defined by a buyer, wherein the information contained in each user tag is used for describing the consumer demands of the buyer. The data base is used for storing commodity information and at least one commodity tag corresponding to the commodity information, wherein the information contained in the commodity tag is used for describing the consumer demands corresponding to the commodity information. The searching module is used for searching out the commodity tag and the commodity information corresponding to the commodity information and pushing the commodity information to the personal space and storing the commodity information in the personal space, wherein the commodity information is matched with the user tag stored in the personal space. Correspondingly, the invention further discloses a processing method used for the online trade platform. By means of the online trade platform and the processing method thereof, optimal result feedback can be carried out according to the vague consumer demands proposed by the buyer, and the more accurate matching result can be obtained faster for the dispersed personal searching.

The present invention relates to an electroluminescent light source. In particular, it relates to an multi-colored electroluminescent cable capable of changing colors, which comprises: a group of electroluminescent filaments which consist of a plurality of electroluminescent filaments of different colors and are insulated from each other, helically wound on the outer side of the axis; a transparent and flexible polymer casing tube disposed on the outer side of the group of electroluminescent filaments. The advantage of the present invention is low in power consumption, simple in structure, convenient for use, and has relatively long service life. The filament can be bent into a plurality of geometrical shapes as consumers demand, and it is beautiful and appealing. Besides, being extraordinarily extensive in its scope of application, the present invention can be used for external and internal housing and automobile decoration, and for external decoration for the purpose of advertisement, in entertainment places, and for toys, art and handicraft products and electric and electronic equipment.

An inner drum for a washing machine comprises an inner drum support and an inner drum body, wherein the inner drum support is composed of a support base, a support footstock and support columns arranged at intervals. Rotatable chain beads are coaxially sleeved on the columns to form the inner drum body, each chain bead comprises a hollow tube and a bead body integrally molded with the hollow tube, and the bead bodies on adjacent columns are staggered. The invention further relates to the washing machine with the inner drum. A self cleaning function of the inner drum body of the washing machine during the whole service life is achieved through improvement of the inner drum structure of the washing machine, the problem that dirt exists between the inner drum and an outer drum and pollutes clothes is solved, consumer demands are satisfied, and life quality of the consumers is improved.