Systems and Methods for Weather-Based Estimation, Auditing, and Exception Reporting

Abstract

Weather information from one or a variety of locations is used to estimate costs for providing weather-dependent work, to audit weather-dependent work allegedly performed, and to improve billing and provide exception reporting for unbilled weather-dependent work such as snow removal and landscaping. A variety of stand-alone and networked computer systems, sensors, weather information sources, and historical data are used to provide such functions. To estimate costs to perform weather-dependent work at a first location, a weather information source providing weather information relating to a second location estimated to have weather similar to weather occurring at the first location is located, and a correlation is made between the weather information and a history of weather-dependent work at the first location to generate an estimated need for future weather-dependent work at the first location. Current weather information is used to perform auditing of invoiced work and to perform exception reporting.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is: 
     
         1 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer program instructions for causing a computer device to implement a method for estimating costs to perform weather-dependent work at a first location, the method comprising:
 locating a first weather information source providing weather information relating to a second location, the second location being estimated to have weather similar to weather occurring at the first location;   determining a correlation between the weather information relating to the second location and a need for weather-dependent work at the first location by comparing weather history data relating to the second location from the first weather information source to work history data for weather-dependent work at the first location; and   utilizing the correlation and a history of the weather information relating to the second location to generate an estimated need for future weather-dependent work at the first location.   
     
     
         2 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the method comprises:
 locating a plurality of weather information sources providing weather information for at least one of the second location and one or more additional locations; and   determining a best correlation between the weather information of each weather information source and the work history data;   wherein the best correlation is utilized in generating the estimated need for future weather-dependent work at the first location.   
     
     
         3 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the estimated need for future weather-dependent work at the first location comprises an estimate of a number of service providers that will be necessary to perform the work at the first location in addition to performing any other work to be provided at other locations. 
     
     
         4 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the estimated need for future weather-dependent work at the first location comprises a number of times weather-dependent work will be necessary at the first location during a given period of time. 
     
     
         5 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in  claim 4 , wherein the number of times weather-dependent work will be necessary comprises one of:
 a number of times a snow-cleaning service will be necessary;   a number of times a watering service will be necessary;   a number of times a lawn care service will be necessary; and   a number of times a landscaping service will be necessary.   
     
     
         6 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in  claim 1 , wherein multiple correlations from multiple weather information sources are used to generate the estimated need for future weather-dependent work at the first location. 
     
     
         7 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the first weather information source comprises a weather sensor. 
     
     
         8 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
 monitoring the first weather information source for current weather information related to a current need for weather-dependent work at the first location; and   using the current weather information to evaluate work invoiced by a service provider providing current weather-dependent work at the first location, the evaluation comprising at least one of:
 auditing a bill for weather-dependent work allegedly performed at the first location by the service provider; and 
 detecting a situation where weather-dependent work should have been performed but was not yet invoiced by the service provider. 
   
     
     
         9 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in  claim 8 , wherein using the current weather information to evaluate work invoiced by the service provider comprises using the current weather information to predict weather events or conditions at the first location that would normally be expected to require weather-dependent work at the first location, the events or conditions being selected from the group of:
 snowfall;   rainfall;   sunshine;   wind; and   temperature.   
     
     
         10 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer program instructions for causing a computer device to implement a method for improved billing related to weather-dependent work at a first location, the method comprising:
 locating a first weather information source providing weather information relating to a second location, the second location being estimated to have weather similar to weather occurring at the first location;   determining a correlation between the weather information relating to the second location and a need for weather-dependent work at the first location by comparing weather history data relating to the second location from the first weather information source to work history data for weather-dependent work at the first location;   monitoring the first weather information source for current weather information related to possible weather-related events suggesting a need for weather-dependent work at the first location;   recording possible weather-related events suggesting a need for weather-dependent work at the first location;   determining whether an invoice for weather-dependent work at the first location has been received corresponding to all recorded possible weather-related events; and   notifying a service provider of weather-dependent work at the first location when no invoice for weather-dependent work at the first location has been received corresponding to any possible weather-related event suggesting a need for weather-dependent work at the first location.   
     
     
         11 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in  claim 10 , wherein notifying a service provider occurs near an end of a billing cycle to permit proper consolidation of all bills falling within the billing cycle. 
     
     
         12 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in  claim 10 , wherein the method comprises:
 locating a plurality of weather information sources providing weather information for at least one of the second location and one or more additional locations; and   determining a best correlation between the weather information of each weather information source and the work history data;   wherein weather information having the best correlation is utilized in recording possible weather-related events suggesting a need for weather-dependent work at the first location.   
     
     
         13 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in  claim 10 , wherein recording possible weather-related events suggesting a need for weather-dependent work at the first location comprises using the weather data regarding the second location predict weather events or conditions at the first location that would normally be expected to require weather-dependent work at the first location, the events or conditions being selected from the group of:
 snowfall;   rainfall;   sunshine;   wind; and   temperature.   
     
     
         14 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in  claim 10 , wherein multiple weather information sources are used in recording possible weather-related events suggesting a need for weather-dependent work at the first location. 
     
     
         15 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in  claim 10 , wherein the second location is substantially identical to the first location.