WO2017021903A1

WO2017021903A1 - Resource usage monitoring and control

Info

Publication number: WO2017021903A1
Application number: PCT/IB2016/054680
Authority: WO
Inventors: Parag ANAND; Aditi Singh
Original assignee: Anand Parag; Aditi Singh
Priority date: 2015-08-04
Filing date: 2016-08-03
Publication date: 2017-02-09

Abstract

Aspects of the present disclosure relate to a system and device that enables measurement and/or monitoring of resources such as water, electricity, among others, being consumed by one or more users, and further enables presentation of such resource utilization to respective users along with incentivizing the users through monetary/non-monetary benefits.

Description

RESOURCE USAGE MONITORING AND CONTROL

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to a system, method, and device for monitoring resource consumption and conservation. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a system and method for monitoring/measuring and providing visual indication of resource usage to users to enable the users to control such usage of resources such as electricity, water, among others.

BACKGROUND

[0002] Background description includes information that may be useful in understanding the present invention. It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art or relevant to the presently claimed invention, or that any publication specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.

[0003] With economic development taking place in all over the world, there may be scarcity of natural and other resources being consumed by mankind and other inhabitants of the planet. Over a period of time, people across countries have been continuously looking for new and alternate form of resources to fulfill growing requirements of these essential resources, wherein such resources include but are not limited to water, electricity, food, among others.

[0004] There is a need for paying attention on resource consumption and it is required to conserve these essential resources as conservation not only saves the resources but also limits the overall need for additional resource generation for particular purposes and environmental or economic cost associated with it.

[0005] Management and saving of these resources, also referred as conservation of resources, can be done by minimizing unnecessary consumption. It has been observed that in hotels, office, homes and public premises, people often leave their rooms/premises in a state of high resource consumption by means of leaving electrical appliances and other services running and working. They have very little concern for reducing/minimizing these wastages.

[0006] According to a report published by UNWTO (United Nations World Tourism Organization), hotel facilities rank among top five in terms of resource consumption in the tertiary building sector. Most hotels, besides being power guzzlers are also huge on water consumption. According to reports, a single five star hotel consumes electricity enough to fulfill requirements of 600 households and water sufficient for 1000 households.

[0007] Resource consumption is influenced by both physical and operational parameters. An important operational parameter is the behavior of users towards resource consumption, which can greatly affect overall saving and conservation of resources such as, water and electricity. Users often have a tendency to be less cautious and overuse these resources. Often out of negligence, little or no concern for resource conservation exists in most users, and sometimes simply out of thinking that they have already paid for the services/hotel room, irrespective of its effect globally on environment and its inhabitants.

[0008] Exiting solutions have tried to limit resource consumption, but are not fully effective as they don't give any incentive to the users to limit such usage. There is therefore a need for improved technologies and effective systems to control wastage of resources and enhance awareness for resource/energy conservation. There is also a need for a system, device, and method that subconsciously encourages and makes users aware about benefits they will get by conserving resources such as water and electricity, among other configured/defined resources, and also incentivizes them in one mode or the other.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

[0009] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a system and device for monitoring supply of resources such as electricity and water supply circuits.

[0010] Another object of the present disclosure is to provide a system and device for monitoring and displaying to users usage of resources such as electricity and water.

[0011] Yet another object of the present disclosure is to provide a system and device for visually indicating or displaying the amount of resources consumed by one or more users.

[0012] Yet another object of the present disclosure is to provide a system and device to save resources by encouraging users to minimize resource usage, and incentivizing them with monetary/non-monetary benefits.

[0013] Yet another object of the present disclosure is to provide a system and device that can help conserve resources for maintaining balance in environment and climate by means of valuable information and feedback gathered. [0014] Yet another object of the present disclosure is to provide a display/computing device or any other device that can uniquely associate/identify a user/organization/department associated with the device, and resources consumed by the respective user/organization/department.

SUMMARY

[0015] Aspects of the present disclosure relate to a system that enables measurement and/or monitoring of resources such as water, electricity, among others, being consumed by one or more users, and further enables presentation of such resource utilization to respective users along with incentivizing the users through monetary/non-monetary benefits.

[0016] One should appreciate that although most of the embodiments of the present disclosure have been explained with respect to a keycard and holder thereof, the proposed device can take any other form factor such as an independent device, mobile/smart phone application, wearable device, or any other device, all of which are completely within the scope of the present disclosure. For simplicity of the present disclosure, a device that is configured to show energy/resource consumption to the user along with other configured details can be referred to as display device, which can take any form factor. Although the term display device is being referred, the device could be an audio device or any other means of communication of resource consumption to the user or any other stakeholder.

[0017] An objective of the present disclosure is also be combine Internet of Things (IoT) with applications in resource consumption, monitoring, and presentation to user to enable efficient measurement, monitoring, and presentation of resource consumption.

[0018] One should also appreciate that although the present disclosure takes Hotels as an application of the proposed system, any other application such as in offices, hostels, service apartments, paying guest accommodations, lodges, housing societies, rentals, guest houses, motels, inns, factories, industries, residential apartments, homes, among other applications is completely within the scope of the present disclosure, and aspects/devices/configurations of the present disclosure can be implemented in any such end-user application environment.

[0019] According to one embodiment, system of the present disclosure can include a display device that can take the form factor of a hotel key card holder, for instance, wherein the display device/holder can be operatively coupled with a server such as a cloud or an enterprise server or any other server. The server can in turn be operatively coupled with a plurality of such display devices, say key card holders of different rooms of a hotel, wherein each key card holder/display device can be assigned an IP address that can be maintained/managed at the server. The server can further be operatively coupled to, for each hotel room, a plurality of smart measurement devices that can be associated with, for instance, resource lines being associated with the room. For instance, a first smart measurement device can be associated with electricity supply line and a second smart measurement device can be associated with water supply line, and wherein each smart measurement device can be associated with an IP address that is managed/monitored by the server.

[0020] According to one exemplary implementation, smart measurement devices associated with a hotel room can be configured to, in real-time or at periodic intervals, transmit resource consumption details to the server/cloud. For instance, as the user of a hotel room uses water/electricity, the respective smart measurement device can be configured to, using its IP address, transmit resource consumption details to the server, which can manage/process the resource consumption details and enable presentation of such consumption on the respective display of the room in a manner such that the occupant/user of the room can view the resources being consumed thereby.

[0021] According to another implementation, user/occupant of the room can be incentivized based on his/her resource consumption, wherein, for instance, a defined number of points can be given to the user based on the resource consumption, or a defined amount of discount on the room price can be given to the user based on the resource consumption. Any other incentive (monetary or non-monetary) can also be given as configured/designed in the system, all of which are within the scope of the present disclosure. In an example, sooner the user checks into his/her room and inserts the hotel key into the key card holder/display device, the display device can show for instance, 1000 points, which can automatically get reduced in real-time based on consumption of monitored resources such as water/electricity, and the user is therefore incentivized to keep as many points as possible. For instance, if during the checkout, the user has 500 points left, he can be given 10% discount on his stay, while if he has 250 points left, he can be given 5% discount, thereby incentivizing him to keep as many points kept as possible. One should appreciate that points, counter, discount, are all exemplary implementations, and any other incentive such as a free meal, gift coupon, can also be offered as desired by the hotel or other management thereof.

[0022] As mentioned above, instead of keycard holder, display device of the present disclosure can take any other form factor. For instance, display device can be configured as a separate device that can be configured within the hotel room or in an office room or wherever the proposed system is to be implemented. In another aspect, the display device can be a wearable device that can be associated with an IP address to be communicatively coupled with the server, and receive resource consumption values and present the same on the display device. In another aspect, instead of only water/electricity other resources such as Internet consumption can also be configured within the system, wherein a smart measurement device having an IP address can be communicatively associated with the resource in context to measure the usage of the respective resource in real-time and transmit the to the server for analysis/evaluation and presentation on the display device.

[0023] According to another embodiment, system of the present disclosure can also be configured such that the smart measurement devices associated with one or more resource supply lines for each to-be-monitored infrastructure (such as a hotel room) directly send resource consumption values/patterns to the display devices, instead of or along with server. In another aspect, instead of only showing existing values of resource consumption along with points/discount/incentive value that consumption to get the user, the user/hotel can also conduct analytics based on the server data/consumption patterns, and determine usage patterns, historical patterns, usage pattern improvement, incentives taken, compare patterns with other users, along with any other analytics data that is deemed necessary.

[0024] Another aspect of the present disclosure relates to an access control system configured to perform resource consumption management, the access control system including: an access control device with a display; a display device activation module, wherein the display device activation module is configured to grant access and activate said display upon authentication of a user; a resource usage information collection module, wherein the resource usage information collection module is configured to collect resource usage information from any or a combination of (a) at least one smart measurement device operatively coupled to a line supplying a resource to measure resource consumption details and (b) a server including resource consumption details; and a resource usage presentation and incentive generation module, wherein the resource usage presentation and incentive generation module is configured to present the resource consumption details to said user. In an embodiment, the resource usage presentation and incentive generation module is further configured to compute one or more incentives based on the resource consumption details and present said one or more incentives to said user. In an embodiment, said access control device is selected from a group consisting of a keycard, a keycard reader, a PDA, a wearable device and a smart phone. In an embodiment, said resource is selected from a group consisting of electricity, gas, water and fuel. In an embodiment, said at least one smart measurement device is further configured to transmit resource consumption details to any or a combination of said server and said access control device. In an embodiment, said at least one smart measurement device is configured to transmit resource consumption details in real-time. In an embodiment, said at least one smart measurement device is configured to transmit resource consumption details periodically.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the present disclosure, and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the present disclosure.

[0026] FIG.1 illustrates an exemplary schematic diagram of an environment implementing a keycard switch system for resource monitoring and control in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0027] FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary display device configuration in the form factor of a keycard holder/switch in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0028] FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary representation showing steps for configuring keycard switch/display device, and monitoring resource consumption by a user using the switch/display device in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0029] FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary block diagram showing functional modules of the keycard switch/display device based resource usage monitoring and control system in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0030] FIG. 5A illustrates an exemplary user authentication page of resource monitoring and control application designed in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. [0031] FIG. 5B illustrates an exemplary representation showing resource monitoring and control system over a user device in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0032] FIGs. 6A to 6E illustrate additional exemplary form factors of the proposed display device in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] The following is a detailed description of embodiments of the disclosure depicted in the accompanying drawings. The embodiments are in such detail as to clearly communicate the disclosure. However, the amount of detail offered is not intended to limit the anticipated variations of embodiments; on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims.

[0034] Each of the appended claims defines a separate invention, which for infringement purposes is recognized as including equivalents to the various elements or limitations specified in the claims. Depending on the context, all references below to the "invention" may in some cases refer to certain specific embodiments only. In other cases it will be recognized that references to the "invention" will refer to subject matter recited in one or more, but not necessarily all, of the claims.

[0035] As used in the description herein and throughout the claims that follow, the meaning of "a," "an," and "the" includes plural reference unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Also, as used in the description herein, the meaning of "in" includes "in" and "on" unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

[0036] Aspects of the present disclosure relate to a system that enables measurement and/or monitoring of resources such as water, electricity, among others, being consumed by one or more users, and further enables presentation of such resource utilization to respective users along with incentivizing the users through monetary/non-monetary benefits.

[0037] One should appreciate that although most of the embodiments of the present disclosure have been explained with respect to a keycard and holder thereof, the proposed device can take any other form factor such as an, or any other device, all of which are completely within the scope of the present disclosure. For simplicity of the present disclosure, device that is configured to show energy consumption to the user along with other configured details can be referred to as display device, which can take any form factor.

[0038] An objective of the present disclosure is also be combine Internet of Things (IoT) with applications in resource consumption, monitoring, and presentation to user to enable efficient measurement, monitoring, and presentation of resource consumption.

[0039] One should also appreciate that although the present disclosure takes Hotels as an application of the proposed system, any other application such as in Offices, Factories, Industries, Homes, is completely within the scope of the present disclosure, and aspects/devices/configurations of the present disclosure can be implemented in any such end- user application environment.

[0040] According to one embodiment, system of the present disclosure can include a display device that can take the form factor of a hotel key card holder, for instance, wherein the display device/holder can be operatively coupled with a server such as a cloud or an enterprise server or any other server. The server can in turn be operatively coupled with a plurality of such display devices, say key card holders of different rooms of a hotel, wherein each key card holder/display device can be assigned an IP address that can be maintained/managed at the server. The server can further be operatively coupled to, for each hotel room, a plurality of smart measurement devices that can be associated with, for instance, resource lines being associated with the room. For instance, a first smart measurement device can be associated with electricity supply line and a second smart measurement device can be associated with water supply line, and wherein each smart measurement device can be associated with an IP address that is managed/monitored by the server.

[0041] According to one exemplary implementation, smart measurement devices associated with a hotel room can be configured to in real-time or at periodic intervals transmit resource consumption details to the server/cloud. For instance, as the user of a hotel room uses water/electricity, the respective smart measurement device can be configured to, using its IP address, transmit resource consumption details to the server, which can manage/process the resource consumption details and enable presentation of such consumption on the respective display of the room in a manner such that the occupant/user of the room can view the resources being consumed thereby. [0042] According to another implementation, user/occupant of the room can be incentivized based on his/her resource consumption, wherein, for instance, a defined number of points can be given to the user based on the resource consumption, or a defined amount of discount on the room price can be given to the user based on the resource consumption. Any other incentive can also be given as configured/designed in the system, all of which are within the scope of the present disclosure. In an example, sooner the user checks into his/her room and inserts the hotel key into the key card holder/display device, the display device can show for instance, 1000 points, which can automatically get reduced in real-time based on consumption of monitored resources such as water/electricity, and the user is therefore incentivized to keep as many points as possible. For instance, if during the checkout, the user has 500 points left, he can be given 10% discount on his stay, while if he has 250 points left, he can be given 5% discount, thereby incentivizing him to keep as many points kept as possible. One should appreciate that points, counter, discount, are all exemplary implementations, and any other incentive such as a free meal, gift coupon, can also be offered as desired by the hotel or other management thereof.

[0043] As mentioned above, instead of keycard holder, display device of the present disclosure can take any other form factor. For instance, display device can be configured as a separate device that can be configured within the hotel room or in an office room or wherever the proposed system is to be implemented. In another aspect, the display device can be a wearable device that can be associated with an IP address to be communicatively coupled with the server, and receive resource consumption values and present the same on the display device. In another aspect, instead of only water/electricity other resources such as Internet consumption can also be configured within the system, wherein a smart measurement device having an IP address can be communicatively associated with the resource in context to measure the usage of the respective resource in real-time and transmit the to the server for analysis/evaluation and presentation on the display device.

[0044] According to another embodiment, system of the present disclosure can also be configured such that the smart measurement devices associated with one or more resource supply lines for each to-be-monitored infrastructure (such as a hotel room) directly send resource consumption values/patterns to the display devices, instead of or along with server. In another aspect, instead of only showing existing values of resource consumption along with points/discount/incentive value that consumption to get the user, the user/hotel can also conduct analytics based on the server data/consumption patterns, and determine usage patterns, historical patterns, usage pattern improvement, incentives taken, compare patterns with other users, along with any other analytics data that is deemed necessary.

[0045] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary representation 100 showing construction/working of the proposed resource monitoring and presentation system in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. According to one embodiment, system of the present disclosure can include a display device 102 that can take the form factor of a hotel key card holder 102, for instance, wherein the display device/holder can be operatively coupled with a server (not shown) such as a cloud or an enterprise server or any other server. The server can in turn be operatively coupled with a plurality of such display devices (such as multiple 102 devices), say key card holders of different rooms of one or more hotels, wherein each key card holder/display device 102 can be assigned an IP address that can be maintained/managed at the server. The server can further be operatively coupled to, for each hotel room, for instance, a plurality of smart measurement devices 104-1 and 104-2 that can be associated with, for instance, resource lines being associated with the room. For instance, a first smart measurement device 104-1 can be associated with electricity supply line 106 and a second smart measurement device 104-2 can be associated with water supply line 108, and wherein each smart measurement device (collectively referred to as 104 hereinafter) can be associated with an IP address that can be managed/monitored by the server.

[0046] According to one exemplary implementation, smart measurement devices 104 associated with a hotel room can be configured to in real-time or at periodic intervals transmit resource consumption details to the server/cloud. For instance, as the user of a hotel room uses water/electricity, the respective smart measurement device 104 can be configured to, using its IP address, transmit resource consumption details to the server, which can manage/process the resource consumption details and enable presentation of such consumption on the respective display of the room in a manner such that the occupant/user of the room can view the resources being consumed thereby.

[0047] According to another implementation, user/occupant of the room can be incentivized based on his/her resource consumption, wherein, for instance, a defined number of points can be given to the user based on the resource consumption, or a defined amount of discount on the room price can be given to the user based on the resource consumption. Any other incentive can also be given as configured/designed in the system, all of which are within the scope of the present disclosure. In an example, sooner the user checks into his/her room and inserts the hotel key 110 into the key card holder/display device 102, the display device 102 can show for instance, 1000 points, which can automatically get reduced in real-time based on consumption of monitored resources such as water/electricity, and the user is therefore incentivized to keep as many points as possible. For instance, if during the checkout, the user has 500 points left, he can be given 10% discount on his stay, while if he has 250 points left, he can be given 5% discount, thereby incentivizing him to keep as many points kept as possible. One should appreciate that points, counter, discount, are all exemplary implementations, and any other incentive such as a free meal, gift coupon, can also be offered as desired by the hotel or other management thereof.

[0048] As mentioned above, instead of keycard holder 102, display device of the present disclosure can take any other form factor. For instance, display device can be configured as a separate device that can be configured within the hotel room or in an office room or wherever the proposed system is to be implemented. In another aspect, the display device can be a wearable device that can be associated with an IP address to be communicatively coupled with the server, and receive resource consumption values and present the same on the display device. In another aspect, instead of only water/electricity other resources such as Internet consumption or another fuel can also be configured within the system, wherein a smart measurement device 104 having an IP address can be communicatively associated with the resource in context to measure the usage of the respective resource in real-time, and transmit the resource consumption (or a part/attribute thereof (such as delta/additional consumption instead of the total consumption) to the server for analysis/evaluation and presentation on the display device.

[0049] According to another embodiment, system of the present disclosure can also be configured such that the smart measurement devices 104 associated with one or more resource supply lines for each to-be-monitored infrastructure (such as a hotel room) directly send resource consumption values/patterns to the display devices, instead of or along with server. In another aspect, instead of only showing existing values of resource consumption along with points/discount/incentive value that consumption to get the user, the user/hotel can also conduct analytics based on the server data/consumption patterns, and determine usage patterns, historical patterns, usage pattern improvement, incentives taken, compare patterns with other users, along with any other analytics data that is deemed necessary.

[0050] As shown in FIG. 1, the process starts clock- wise, wherein the hotel key 110 is inserted into the holder/display device 102, which upon insertion, can display/present, separate indicators for water and electricity consumption (shown as two separate concentric circles, which is only an exemplary representation), wherein the points in the circle can reduce as the water/electricity consumption increases. The speed of reduction can be dependent on the extent to which the resource consumed. Also, any other resource can be incorporated in the display device 102. For instance, Internet bandwidth consumed by a user can be taken as another parameter. Furthermore, although separate lines are shown for various resources, a single marker/line/indicator can also be used to show overall consumption of all the resources, and therefore these representations are all are merely exemplary in nature, and any other change in configuration/presentation is completely within the scope of the present disclosure. Other exemplary resources can include, but are not limited, to electricity, gas, water, Internet, bandwidth, laundry frequency, non-renewable resource, and fuel.

[0051] One should appreciate that smart measurement devices 104 can be also configured as sensors and can be wirelessly or through wired connections be operatively coupled with a server and/or a display device 102. Although the implementation of the present disclosure has been shown with reference to Internet of Things (IoT), any other implementation that enables the sensors/smart measurement devices 104 to measure and transmit resource consumption values to a central server/cloud, and enable the server/cloud to transmit such values to the display device(s) 102 to enable presentation of consumption is within the scope of the present disclosure. In an aspect, the display devices 102 can also be configured to display number of points left, remaining discount that can be availed by a user, comparative data of average consumption values, values of what others in the hotel and other hotels are consuming, along with any other configured information.

[0052] In an exemplary implementation, a meter can be connected to an electrical wiring circuit/supply line 106 with a sensor 104-1. Similarly, in the water supply pipe 108, a valve/flow meter can be connected with a sensor 104-2. In another implementation, the display device 102, in the form factor of a keycard holder, can be mounted on a wall in the user's room such that when the user couples/inserts the key in the keycard holder/switch 102 for the first time, respective visual indicators on the front part of the switch can be at maximum. As soon as the keyl lO is inserted in the switch 102, a complete connection gets established between all the smart devices such as meters, sensors/smart measurement devices 104, switch 102, among other devices and the server, and usage information can be transferred to the system in a configured manner regarding resource usage by a particular user. After coupling of key 110 and switch/display device 102, the sensor/smart measurement devices 104 connected with the various resource supplying units such as water supply 108 and electrical wiring circuit 106, starts transmitting information (by wired means or wirelessly) about resource usage upon capturing the readings and flow from the respective meters and installed with them directly or indirectly (through server/cloud) to the keycard holder/display device 102 for the particular room used by a user. Although, the sensors/smart measurement devices 104 keep track of the resources being used, even when the keycard holder 102 is not active, the smart measurement devices 104 can keep transmitting usage information to the server/cloud using their respective IP addresses. Data about resource usage can be transmitted wirelessly to the keycard switch 102, which indicates usage of different resources through separate indicators based on the usage of resources. In an exemplary implementation, visual indicators gradually increase or decreases based on usage information collected from different sensors and meters. In example implementation, data related to the resource usage/consumption gets stored at all the sub-devices along with the server and the switch 102 gives a visual indication to the user about his/her consumption of resources, which can indirectly make the user aware of the fact, that he /she can save money or get any other incentive by minimizing the consumption. Such incentive can include discounts, coupons, free meals, free pickup, incentive on future stays, increase in credit limit, points, or any other incentive as may be configured in the proposed system. As mentioned above, in an exemplary aspect, the resource can be Internet/Bandwidth consumption, which can, for instance, incentivize the user based on extent of download that the user has performed (more the download, less the incentive/points/discount).

[0053] FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary representation of display device 102 in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. One should appreciate that the display device 102 can take any form factor as may be configured/desired such as a keycard holder, mobile/smart phone application, wearable device, separate device, or any other device, wherein all such form factors are completely within the scope of the present disclosure. As shown, in the present illustration, display device 102 can be in the form of a keycard holder of a hotel, wherein a key 110 can be inserted when a user checks-in such that sooner the key 110 is inserted for the first time, one or more resource consumption indicators 202 can be initialized, say to a maximum with all points/LED's activated. As the user then uses resources such as electricity/water/other configured resources, resource consumption indicators can reduce to indicate the consumption. Rate of usage of resources therefore also correspondingly changes the rate of change in the indicators as they can deplete/reduce faster with increased use of resource. In an instance, higher the number of points/indicators that remain on the resource consumption indicators 202 at the end of the user's say, higher can be incentives such as discounts/points that can be allocated to the user. One should appreciate that in another implementation, instead of reducing, the indicators, as they are used, can also be configured to increase to demonstrate increase in usage of resources. These are therefore exemplary implementations and all such implementations are completely within the scope of the present disclosure. The consumption can stop when the user goes out of the room for sometime but in case he leaves water connection open, the display device 102 can continue to measure the usage and update the resource consumption indicators 202. Furthermore, in an aspect, display device 102 can be assigned an IP address with which it can communicate with one or more sensors/smart measurement devices (associated with resource supply lines) and/or with the server.

[0054] In an exemplary implementation, the display device/holder 102 can be configured to provide access control functionality and an interface for monitoring and controlling consumption of resources. The display device/holder 102 can also provide access control functionality by restricting physical access of a room or secured premises to a user without key 110. Door of the room or secured premises may not open unless the keycard 110 is inserted in the display device/holder 102. In an example implementation, the display device/holder 102 can be configured to uniquely identify and authorize an individual to access the room, house, office building or built in area where he/she will check-in by means of authorization given by the unique keycard 110 having a unique identification/authorization number on it. The display device/holder 102 can activate the use of resources for the user, once the user couples the keycard 110 with the display device/holder 102 mounted on any part of the room (basically walls). In an exemplary implementation, the keyl lO can be used for authenticating a user and activating different appliances and resources. By inserting the keyl lO in the display device/holder 102 or by swapping the keyl lO in the display device/holder 102 or by mere touch of key card 110 on the switch 102, the user can be authenticated and display device/holder 102 can be activated to measure the latest resource consumption values. In an aspect, for swap based and insertion based authentication of user and activation of different appliances by the display device/holder 102, it may be required that the keyl lO stores the user identifier in form of magnetic strip or in a smart card memory chip. For touch based authentication and activation of appliances by the display device/holder 102, it is required that the key 110 stores the user identifier in a small memory the keyl lO and the display device/holder 102 both are NFC enabled.

[0055] In an embodiment, the display device/holder 102 can be configured to collect resource usage information from different sensors or utility meters installed for metering the usage of different resources, such as electricity, water, food consumption, and stationary, toiletry and other consumable resources. One can appreciate that there may be an appropriate meters and/or sensors attached with each resource that needs to be monitored and these meters and sensors can be attached with the display device/holder 102 through a wired or wireless means. In an example implementation, the display device/holder 102 can be configured to receive the resource usage information, process it internally and display the consumption over the display region of keycard which 200. In an exemplary implementation, there may be different indicators for showing consumption of different resources. In an exemplary implementation, display device/holder 102 may have a display portion, say in the form of a series of LEDs arranged to represent the consumption level of different resource. In an example implementation, the display device/holder 102 can be configured to receive details of credit information from a remote device and indicate the credit level for each individual resource on the display panel of the display device/holder 102. For example, the display device/holder 102 can show electricity indicator 202-1 and water indicator 202-2 on the front part of the device mounted on the wall of a room. Here the visual indicators 202, such as electricity indicator 202-1 and water indicator 202-2 can be shown at maximum when the device is activated for the first time (accordingly, provisioned for a defined period). Slowly, the electricity indicator 202-1 and water indicator 202-2 can reduce as the user consumes electricity and water. The display device/holder 102 can receive consumption values from sensors/devices tracking the resource supply, and consumption of the electricity and water respectively, through a wireless (wireless means can include Bluetooth, Zigbee, internet, infrared, RF, cloud computing, etc.) and/or wired means. One can appreciate that the display device/holder 102 can also be configured to monitor consumption of resources in normal scenario and is not specific for pre-paid case as illustrated above. In an embodiment, the display device/holder 102 shows consumption of different resources in real time and also the remaining credit to enable the user to develop a concern for minimizing usage and save money.

[0056] In example implementations display device/holder 102 can be installed at any place that needs to be monitored and there is requirement to control the usage of any kind of resources. The device can be installed in lifts/elevators and flats of a residential building to track the usage by a particular resident and then deducting the maintenance, water and electricity charges from their pockets. Applications also include, but are not limited to, hotel rooms, hostels, hospital wards, PG's, public washrooms/restrooms or any enclosed built in area, where an access control is required. In another implementation, even access control may not be required, for instance, a user may be given a unique identifier/ID in an office setup, which he can enter into the application (say through a software interface) and then the system can wirelessly or through wired means connect with the smart meters/sensors and retrieve consumption pattern of the user and display the same on the application and during financial appraisals, one parameters for the appraisal can be the consumption pattern.

[0057] FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary diagram 300 of the example steps for configuring the keycard switch and monitoring resource consumption by a user using the keycard switch in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. In an exemplary implementation, smart network of monitoring devices and process of the present disclosure has been implemented particularly in a hotel room. In FIG. 3, the process starts in an environment 300 when a user visits a hotel and checks-in at the front desk as shown in the sub-figure 302 of the diagram, where, upon completing check-in formalities such as mentioning all personal details in a fill up form, providing an identification proof and prepayment by the user for his stay for a specified period in that particular hotel, the receptionist present at the reception desk, hands over a keycard 304 to the user/guest. The keycard 304 may be loaded with some credits for consumption of different resources within the hotel room and hotel premises. The keycard 304 can also be configured to grant access right to the user for entry into the allotted hotel room and other secured premises within the hotel. [0058] In an embodiment, the sub-figure 306 represents the next process of the example implementation where the user or guest after receiving the key card 304 from the reception desk goes to a room assigned to him/her. Here, the user will get the access to the room only when the user will insert keycard 304 in the door lock 308. Once the keycard 304 is coupled/inserted with the door lock 308, plurality of sensors or metering devices related to the allocated room can be set to monitor consumption of different resources by the particular user, and transmit the resource usage information along to the server (can be cloud server) and a keycard switch.

[0059] In an embodiment, the sub-figure 312 represents continuation from sub-figure 306, where the user after entering the hotel room inserts the key 304 inside the switch/display device 310. On inserting the keycard 304 in the switch/display device 310, the switch/display device 310 authenticates and reads information on the keycard 304, activates the resources and appliances for use by the guest. The switch/display device 310 basically controls and monitors inside appliances and resources of a hotel room.

[0060] In an embodiment, sub-figure 314 shows monitoring of resources and appliances present inside the room for user. Visual indicators on the front part of the switch/display device 310 detect the keycard 304, and give indication about usage of resources such as electricity and water. In an exemplary implementation, visual indication may be at its maximum value as the user may have just entered the room and have full credits for consumption of different resource. As the user starts consuming different resources, visual indication can accordingly reflect available credit against different resources.

[0061] In an embodiment, sub-figure 316 shows dependence of indicator/ bars on use of resources by the user. In other words, length of the bar remaining can be directly proportional to available credit for different resources like electricity and water. When the room is in use, the bars keep shortening in length as electricity and/or water are consumed.

[0062] In an embodiment, sub-figure 318 shows end of the stay period of guest/user in the hotel room, wherein the user goes to the reception desk at the hotel for checking-out. Guest returns the keycard 304 to the receptionist. Receptionist swipes the keycard 304 that carries information in a system to check all the details and finalize the bill. Sub-figure 320 shows that the bill has been finalized and the guest/user gets a refund or discount or any other incentive based on available credit as the indicator bars were longer and consumption was much lower. Therefore, the incentive of getting refund or discount (a kind of monetary savings) encourages user to save water and electricity, and makes individuals more inclined towards watching their consumption.

[0063] FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary block diagram 400 of functional modules of the keycard switch based resource usage monitoring and control system in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. In an aspect, system 400 can incorporate a number of functional modules such as display device activation module 402, resource usage information collection module 404, and display device based usage presentation and incentive generation module 406.

[0064] In an embodiment, display device activation module 402 can be configured to activate display device that is configured to present, to one or more users, usage of one or more resources. In an implementation, the display device can be activated by assigning an IP address to the device by a server or any other network level device.

[0065] In another aspect, resource usage information collection module 404 can be configured to enable the display device to be operatively coupled with a server and/or with one or more smart resource measurement devices such as sensors, each of which can be associated with one or more resources such as water/electricity, and can be assigned an IP address to operatively communicate with the display device and/or with the server. Module 404 can be configured to receive, in real-time or at defined/periodic intervals, quantity of resources being consumed by one or more users. For instance, in an office, each project team may be assigned an office space, and aggregate resource consumption of users that form part of each team can be measured by sensors/smart metering devices that can measure the consumption, quantify the same, and send it to the server, which can process the information and send the information, say as a quantified number to respective display device of the team.

[0066] In an aspect, display device based usage presentation and incentive generation module 406 can be configured to enable the display device to present, across a defined scale and user interface, resource consumption by one or more users through IP address based communication from the server or directly from the metering devices/sensors that are coupled with the supply lines. Based on resource consumption, one or more incentives can then be automatically computed for the user(s) and allocated after a defined time-period.

[0067] In an exemplary implementation, the display device can be in any form factor such as an independent device showing resource usage and equivalent incentive for the user, or can be mobile phone application or a wearable device application, or any other form factor, wherein mobile device can include a tablet, smart phone, laptop, PDA, or any other portable/stationery device, having an application for monitoring/tracking consumption of different resources. All the above-mentioned modules can be linked together to form a smart system for controlling and monitoring the resource consumption. In an aspect, system of the present disclosure can also be controlled by a user to predetermine a usage setting of one or more resources, and/or to set an alarm, or to configure/perform any other activity/analytics/settings. Accordingly, an aspect of the present disclosure relates to a keycard holder configured to perform resource consumption management, the keycard holder comprising: a display; a display device activation module, wherein the display device activation module is configured to activate said display upon insertion of a keycard; a resource usage information collection module, wherein the resource usage information collection module is configured to operatively couple the display to any or a combination of a server and said at least one smart measurement device to collect the resource consumption details there from; and a resource usage presentation and incentive generation module, wherein the resource usage presentation and incentive generation module is configured to present the resource consumption details to said user, and wherein the resource usage presentation and incentive generation module is further configured to compute one or more incentives based on the resource consumption details and present said one or more incentives to said user through said display.

[0068] An embodiment of the present disclosure provides a complete process flow/mechanism/implementation of the system and method used and its effect on the users, resources and the environment in real time scenario. On inserting the keycard in the switch for accessing a room, house or building by the user, the indicator bars present on the front part of the switch are at a maximum, indicating the estimated maximum resource usage provision for the estimated period, the room or enclosed space is occupied by the same user. The indicator gradually shortens as resources such as water and electricity are consumed, and this feedback can be indicated on the front panel of the switch/display device (or to the mobile devices if any connected to it). In case of a hotel, at the time of check-out, the keycard switch/display device carries this information (shared and saved at the main server too) and discount can be offered in proportion to the length of the bar remaining, for instance. A visual indicator showing possibility of a monetary saving or additional points or any other incentive can make users more inclined to watch their consumption.

[0069] FIG. 5A illustrates an exemplary user authentication page of resource monitoring and control application designed in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 5A, a user can login into the application by providing a unique authorization code in block 502 for connecting to a resource monitoring and control system, wherein the user can, upon authorization, access relevant data in order to display, in an interactive manner, the resource consumption of a user. In an exemplary implementation, the user can be authenticated by selecting different options available on the login page such as password based authentication 502, a neo-code or barcode based authentication 504,RFID based authentication, QR code based authentication, fingerprint scan based authentication, biometric authentication, or a NFC based authentication 506, among any other authentication means. In an example implementation the user can select "keep me login" 508 box to keep the user login over the device used for authenticating the user. In an exemplary implementation, for password based authentication, a user can enter a password assigned by the resource monitoring and control system to authenticate him/her for accessing getting connected to the resource monitoring and control system, which allows the user, upon authentication, to access information related to consumption of different resources. In an exemplary implementation, user can also select neo-code or barcode based authentication 504, which can automatically switch on the camera embedded/attached to the user device to scan the neo-code or bar code as printed on the keycard and use the scanned information for authenticating the user. In an exemplary implementation, user can select NFC based authentication that enables the user to tap the keycard over a NFC enabled user device to authenticate him/her. In an exemplary implementation, user may have to click login button 510 (not needed in case of code scanning or NFC) to enter and initiate authentication process with the resource monitoring and control system.

[0070] FIG. 5B illustrates an exemplary screen of resource monitoring and control system over a user device in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. In an embodiment, FIG. 5B shows logged in account page for a particular user. The page displays information relating to resource consumption indicators such as electricity consumption indicator 558 and water consumption indicator 564. Although the exemplary screen only illustrates consumption of electricity and water, it is much possible to display consumption of any other consumable resources such as toiletry, food, stationary, Internet, among others. In an aspect, indicators such as electricity consumption indicator 558 and water consumption indicator 564 show the progress of consumption in a bar as per the consumption done by the user (in case of postpaid account) or vice versa (in case of prepaid account). User can also look into details of usage of a particular resource by clicking on the dropdown links 556 or 562 present on the extreme left of the indicators. As shown as example in FIG. 5B, for water, as the user clicks on the dropdown link button 562, details will be displayed just below the water usage indicator 564 showing liters of waters used, cost and number of days, etc. Few more buttons such as settings 552, logout 554, and create more indicators 572 can be present on the page. In an exemplary implementation, settings button 552 can be used to customize account settings, functionality and appearance as per the user. "Create more indicator" button 572 can be used to create more indicators if necessary for the user, and the logout button 554 can be used to end the current session of the application.

[0071] FIGs. 6A to 6E illustrate additional exemplary form factors of the proposed display device in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown, FIG. 6A illustrate the resource consumption on a laptop device with two concentric circles, each representing a resource such as water and electricity. Similarly, FIG. 6B shows the form factor of a desktop monitor, FIG. 6C shows the form factor of a tablet, FIG. 6D shows the form factor of a mobile phone, and FIG. 6E shows the form factor of a keycard holder.

[0072] Another aspect of the present disclosure relates to an access control system configured to perform resource consumption management, the access control system including: an access control device with a display; a display device activation module, wherein the display device activation module is configured to grant access and activate said display upon authentication of a user; a resource usage information collection module, wherein the resource usage information collection module is configured to collect resource usage information from any or a combination of (a) at least one smart measurement device operatively coupled to a line supplying a resource to measure resource consumption details and (b) a server including resource consumption details; and a resource usage presentation and incentive generation module, wherein the resource usage presentation and incentive generation module is configured to present the resource consumption details to said user. In an embodiment, any or a combination of the display device activation module, the resource usage information collection module and the resource usage presentation and incentive generation module can be configured on said access control device with a display. Alternatively, any or a combination of the display device activation module, the resource usage information collection module and the resource usage presentation and incentive generation module can be configured on a separate device that can be in communication with the access control device through wired and/or wireless means.

[0073] In an embodiment, the resource usage presentation and incentive generation module is further configured to compute one or more incentives based on the resource consumption details and present said one or more incentives to said user. In an embodiment, said access control device is selected from a group consisting of a keycard, a keycard reader, a PDA, a wearable device and a smart phone. Alternatively, any other access control device as known to a person skilled in the art can be configured to perform resource consumption management without departing from scope and spirit of the invention. In an embodiment, said resource is selected from a group consisting of electricity, gas, water and fuel. In an embodiment, said at least one smart measurement device is further configured to transmit resource consumption details to any or a combination of said server and said access control device. In an embodiment, said at least one smart measurement device is configured to transmit resource consumption details in real-time. In an embodiment, said at least one smart measurement device is configured to transmit resource consumption details periodically.

[0074] In an exemplary implementation, a keycard reader device with a display can be configured to perform resource consumption management. The keycard reader device can be provided with a display device activation module that upon authentication of a user by any means known to a person skilled in the art including but not limited to insertion of a keycard or through NFC, grant access to the user. Further, upon user authentication, the display device activation module can activate the display. The resource usage information collection module operatively coupled to said keycard reader device can collect resource usage information from any or a combination of (a) at least one smart measurement device operatively coupled to a line supplying a resource to measure resource consumption details and (b) a server including resource consumption details. The resource usage presentation and incentive generation module, operatively coupled to said keycard reader device, can present the resource consumption details to said user through said display. [0075] In another exemplary implementation, a smart phone can be configured to perform resource consumption management. The smart phone can be provided with a display device activation module that upon authentication of a user by any means, as known to a person skilled in the art, can grant access to the user. In an exemplary implementation, smart phone can be configured with an application that can read the unique code associated with the door, via magnetics, optics or near field RF for example and without limitation, and, then transmit the unique code, and device (smart phone) identification information to a server and/or the host. The host and/or server can then make a decision to allow access or not, based on authorization provided by a mapping of the code and smart phone device information. If access is authorized, the host and/or server sends a wired or wireless command to an interface board which implements the door open function, or, action. In another exemplary implementation, smart phone configured with an application can transmit the biometrics taken with a first sensor in or connected to said smart phone, or in communication with said smart phone to a server. The server can then match the biometrics details with the one stored in the server and upon matching of the biometrics details, the server can send a wired or wireless command to an interface board which implements the door open function, or, action. Upon user authentication, the display device activation module can activate the display on said application to show, for instance, 1000 points, which can automatically get reduced in real-time based on consumption of monitored resources such as water/electricity. The resource usage information collection module operatively coupled to said smart phone can collect resource usage information from any or a combination of (a) at least one smart measurement device operatively coupled to a line supplying a resource to measure resource consumption details and (b) a server including resource consumption details. The resource usage presentation and incentive generation module, operatively coupled to said smart phone, can present the resource consumption details to said user through said application.

[0076] Similarly, any other access control device with a display can be configured to perform resource consumption management in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. Alternatively, access control device can be provided as a separate device from a display device, wherein any or a combination of the display device activation module, the resource usage information collection module and the resource usage presentation and incentive generation module can be configured on any of the access control device or the display device. Further, the access control device and the display device can be configured to communicate with each other and with one or more smart resource measurement devices to perform resource consumption management as laid down in the present disclosure.

[0077] As used herein, and unless the context dictates otherwise, the term "coupled to" is intended to include both direct coupling (in which two elements that are coupled to each other contact each other) and indirect coupling (in which at least one additional element is located between the two elements). Therefore, the terms "coupled to" and "coupled with" are used synonymously. Within the context of this document terms "coupled to" and "coupled with" are also used euphemistically to mean "communicatively coupled with" over a network, where two or more devices are able to exchange data with each other over the network, possibly via one or more intermediary device.

[0078] It should be apparent to those skilled in the art that many more modifications besides those already described are possible without departing from the inventive concepts herein. The inventive subject matter, therefore, is not to be restricted except in the spirit of the appended claims. Moreover, in interpreting both the specification and the claims, all terms should be interpreted in the broadest possible manner consistent with the context. In particular, the terms "comprises" and "comprising" should be interpreted as referring to elements, components, or steps in a non-exclusive manner, indicating that the referenced elements, components, or steps may be present, or utilized, or combined with other elements, components, or steps that are not expressly referenced. Where the specification claims refers to at least one of something selected from the group consisting of A, B, C .... and N, the text should be interpreted as requiring only one element from the group, not A plus N, or B plus N, etc. The foregoing description of the specific embodiments will so fully reveal the general nature of the embodiments herein that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily modify and/or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments without departing from the generic concept, and, therefore, such adaptations and modifications should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. Therefore, while the embodiments herein have been described in terms of preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments herein can be practiced with modification within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. [0079] While embodiments of the present disclosure have been illustrated and described, it will be clear that the disclosure is not limited to these embodiments only. Numerous modifications, changes, variations, substitutions, and equivalents will be apparent to those skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure, as described in the claims.

Claims

We Claim:

1. A keycard holder configured to perform resource consumption management, the keycard holder comprising:

a display;

a display device activation module configured to activate said display upon insertion of a keycard;

a resource usage information collection module configured to operatively couple the display to any or a combination of a server and said at least one smart measurement device to collect the resource consumption details therefrom, wherein the smart measurement device is operatively coupled to a line supplying a resource to collect and/or to measure the resource consumption details from said line; and

a resource usage presentation and incentive generation module configured to present the resource consumption details to said user, and wherein the resource usage presentation and incentive generation module is further configured to compute one or more incentives based on the resource consumption details and present said one or more incentives to said user through said display.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said resource is selected from a group consisting of electricity, gas, water, Internet, bandwidth, laundry frequency, non-renewable resource, and fuel.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more incentives are selected any or a combination of a discount, a refund, a free meal, points for future stays, a gift coupon, a monetary incentive, and a non-monetary incentive.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more incentives are computed based on amount of resource(s) saved by the user compared to the total resource(s) stipulated for or allocated to the user.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the keycard holder is operatively coupled with a first smart measurement device for measuring electricity consumption, and a second smart measurement device for measuring water consumption, wherein both the first and second smart measurement devices are associated with respective IP addresses/ MAC (Media Access Control) addresses/ NSAP (Network Service Access Point) addresses to communicate the resource consumption either to the server or directly to the keycard holder, and wherein the one or more incentives are computed either by the server or by the keycard holder.

6. A system for resource consumption management, said system comprising:

a device operatively coupled with one or more processors and with at least one non-transitory storage device having embodied therein one or more routines operable to facilitate resource consumption management, wherein the device comprises:

a resource usage information collection module configured to operatively couple the device to any or a combination of a server and at least one smart measurement device that is operatively coupled to a line supplying a resource to collect and/or to measure resource consumption details from said line; and

a resource usage presentation and incentive generation module configured to present the resource consumption details to said user, and further configured to compute and present one or more incentives for the user based on the resource consumption details.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the device is a display device selected from a group consisting of a keycard, a keycard holder, a keycard reader, a PDA, a laptop, a personal computer, a wearable device, a computing device, and a mobile/smart phone.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the system further comprises a display device activation module configured to activate said device upon authentication of a user, and wherein the device coupled with the server and the at least one smart measurement device upon authentication of said user to collect the resource consumption details therefrom.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein said resource is selected from a group consisting of electricity, gas, water, Internet, bandwidth, laundry frequency, non-renewable resource, and fuel.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein said at least one smart measurement device is further configured to transmit resource consumption details to any or a combination of said server and said device.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein said at least one smart measurement device is configured to transmit resource consumption details in real-time or periodically.

12. An access control system configured to perform resource consumption management, the access control system comprising: an access control device with a display;

a display device activation module, wherein the display device activation module is configured to grant access and activate said display upon authentication of a user; a resource usage information collection module, wherein the resource usage information collection module is configured to collect resource consumption details from any or a combination of (a) at least one smart measurement device operatively coupled to a line supplying a resource to measure the resource consumption details and (b) a server including the resource consumption details; and

a resource usage presentation and incentive generation module, wherein the resource usage presentation and incentive generation module is configured to present the resource consumption details to said user through said display, along with computing one or more incentives based on the resource consumption details and presenting said one or more incentives to said user.

13. The access control system of claim 12, wherein the access control device is a display device selected from a group consisting of a keycard, a keycard holder, a keycard reader, a PDA, a laptop, a personal computer, a wearable device, a computing device, and a mobile/smart phone.

14. The access control system of claim 12, wherein said resource is selected from a group consisting of electricity, gas, water, Internet, bandwidth, laundry frequency, non-renewable resource, and fuel.

15. The access control system of claim 12, wherein said at least one smart measurement device is further configured to transmit resource consumption details to any or a combination of said server and said access control device.

16. The access control system of claim 12, wherein any or a combination of the display device activation module, the resource usage information collection module and resource usage presentation and incentive generation module can be configured on said access control device.