The parties and the court

The case is Bidgely, Inc. v. NET2GRID B.V., No. 2:26-cv-00938 (E.D. Tex.), filed October 19, 2026, in the Marshall Division. The docket lists Judge Rodney Gilstrap as the assigned judge, with the case referred to Magistrate Judge Roy S. Payne. The complaint says Bidgely is a Delaware corporation with its principal place of business in Los Altos, California, and that it owns all right, title, and interest in the four asserted patents, including the right to sue for past, present, and future infringement. It alleges, on information and belief, that NET2GRID is a company organized under the laws of the Netherlands with its principal place of business in Zeist, the Netherlands, and that it was founded in 2011.

The complaint describes Bidgely as an innovator, market leader, and pioneer in energy intelligence that serves over 50 million homes in the United States and elsewhere, and as a developer of energy disaggregation techniques: analyzing a single household's aggregate electricity meter data to identify and quantify the energy use of individual appliances without separate sub-meters or sensors. It alleges that NET2GRID offers and sells competing energy disaggregation products and services in the United States, including those marketed as EnergyAI.

The four patents and the asserted claims

U.S. Patent 9,612,286, titled Systems and Methods for Improving the Accuracy of Appliance Level Disaggregation in Non-Intrusive Appliance Load Monitoring Techniques, issued April 4, 2017, from Application No. 13/366,850, filed February 6, 2012, and claims priority to three provisional applications filed in 2011. The patent names Bidgely Inc. as assignee, and Google Patents lists Bidgely Inc. as the current assignee and an adjusted expiration of February 12, 2033. Count I asserts at least claims 7, 9, and 18. Claim 7 recites a method for creating an appliance signature based upon a whole house composite load profile, comprising identifying primitive elements comprising transients and absolute steady state levels; combining primitive elements to form impulses, using multi-dimensional clustering to group primitive elements along multiple dimensions; combining impulses to form simple bundles; combining simple bundles with other simple bundles or with impulses to form complex bundles, the complex bundles combining simple bundles associated with different functions of an appliance; and determining, based upon the complex bundles, specific appliance signatures that substantially match the complex bundles, and identifying the specific appliance signatures from the whole house composite load profile.

Claim 9 of the '286 patent recites a method for detecting individual appliance energy loads from a whole house composite load profile, comprising determining transitions within the whole house composite load profile; determining household specific appliance state machines for each appliance in the household, each comprising transitions associated with different functions, if any, of the appliance, with the determined transitions parsed together in order to model an inner mechanism of the appliance; and disaggregating the whole house composite load profile into individual appliance energy loads by assigning each of the determined transitions to the determined household specific appliance state machines. Claim 18 recites a method of incentivizing users to replace inefficient appliances with efficient appliances based upon energy usage data measured from the user's specific inefficient appliances, comprising determining an appliance load signature from the user's specific appliance, determined from a whole house composite load signature, based at least in part on the same three steps that claim 9 recites (determining transitions, determining household specific appliance state machines, and disaggregating by assigning each determined transition to those state machines); determining an appliance signature from an alternative appliance; and presenting to the user the difference in energy usage and associated costs between the user's specific appliance and the alternative appliance.

U.S. Patent 10,657,110, titled Systems and Methods for Disaggregating Appliance Loads, issued May 19, 2020, from Application No. 15/675,716, filed August 12, 2017, and claims priority to a provisional application filed January 23, 2017. The patent names Bidgely Inc. as assignee, and Google Patents lists Bidgely Inc. as the current assignee, gives the status as "Active - Reinstated," and shows an adjusted expiration of January 19, 2038. The legal events Google Patents lists for the patent show that it lapsed for failure to pay a maintenance fee, effective May 19, 2024, and that it was reinstated effective September 16, 2024, after a petition to accept the late payment as unintentional was granted and the fourth-year fee was paid.

Count II asserts at least claims 1, 9, and 15 of the '110 patent. Claim 1 recites a method for performing energy disaggregation from home energy consumption data of a plurality of appliances installed in a home, where that data comprises partially disaggregated and non-disaggregated energy consumption data from a previously applied predefined energy disaggregation model, comprising receiving the partially disaggregated and non-disaggregated energy consumption data; receiving localized energy consumption data of a region where the home is located through the energy disaggregation device; receiving one or more parameters corresponding to a plurality of the appliances installed in the home through an energy disaggregation device, the parameters being associated with the home; adjusting the predefined energy disaggregation model based on the one or more parameters; and applying the adjusted model to the remaining non-disaggregated energy consumption data to perform disaggregation of the home energy consumption data into a plurality of appliance categories. Claim 9 recites an energy disaggregation device for performing energy disaggregation of a plurality of appliances installed in a home, comprising at least one hardware processor and a memory coupled to it storing instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to perform operations comprising receiving one or more parameters corresponding to a plurality of the appliances installed in the home and associated with the home; receiving localized energy consumption data of a region where the home environment is located; selecting a predefined energy disaggregation model from one or more predefined energy disaggregation models based on the localized energy consumption data, and applying it to the home energy consumption data, resulting in partially disaggregated energy data and remaining non-disaggregated energy consumption data; adjusting the predefined model based on the one or more parameters; and applying the adjusted model to the remaining non-disaggregated energy consumption data to perform disaggregation of the energy consumption into a plurality of appliance categories. Claim 15 recites a non-transitory computer storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one hardware processor, cause it to perform operations comprising receiving home energy consumption data and then the same five operations claim 9 recites, with the localized data being that of a region where a home is located.

U.S. Patent 10,630,502, titled Low Frequency Energy Disaggregation Techniques, issued April 21, 2020, from Application No. 15/844,513, filed December 15, 2017, and claims priority to a provisional application filed December 15, 2016. The patent names Bidgely Inc. as assignee, and Google Patents lists Bidgely Inc. as the current assignee and an anticipated expiration of December 15, 2037. Count III asserts at least claims 1 and 20. Claim 1 recites a method of performing appliance itemization based on consumption data for a whole house, comprising receiving at a processor the consumption data; determining by the processor if the consumption data includes active signals and/or inactive signals; upon detection of an active signal, two detecting steps by the processor, each based at least in part on the active signal: detecting active water heating and, if active water heating is detected, estimating active water heating consumption, and detecting lighting and, if lighting is detected, estimating lighting consumption; and upon detection of an inactive signal, three detecting steps by the processor, each based at least in part on the inactive signal: detecting passive water heating and, if detected, estimating passive water heating consumption; detecting refrigeration and, if refrigeration is detected, estimating refrigerator consumption; and detecting vacation mode.

Claim 20 of the '502 patent recites a method of performing appliance itemization based at least in part on consumption data for a whole house received from an advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) device, the consumption data being of a low resolution comprising data received at fifteen, thirty, or sixty minute intervals, comprising applying disaggregation models to the consumption data to provide detection and estimation of any present lighting appliances, water heating appliances, refrigeration appliances, pool pumps, heating appliances, or cooling appliances; and applying rule-based models to the consumption data to provide detection and estimation of any present cooking appliances, laundry appliances, entertainment devices or appliances, and miscellaneous appliances; wherein the disaggregation models and the rule-based models provide for a complete or near complete appliance level itemization and estimation for the whole house.

U.S. Patent 11,533,193, also titled Low Frequency Energy Disaggregation Techniques, issued December 20, 2022, from Application No. 16/820,564, filed March 16, 2020, as a continuation of the application that issued as the '502 patent. The patent names Bidgely, Inc. as assignee and states on its face that it is subject to a terminal disclaimer. Google Patents lists Bidgely Inc. as the current assignee and an anticipated expiration of December 15, 2037. Count IV asserts at least claims 1, 6, 13, and 16. Each recites a method of performing appliance itemization based on consumption data for a whole house, comprising receiving at a processor the consumption data and classifying the data by the processor. Claim 1 then recites classifying by the processor the consumption data into times of active signals and times of inactive signals; determining by the processor, based at least in part on the inactive signals, estimated passive water heating consumption and estimated refrigerator consumption; and determining, based at least in part on the inactive signals, at least one period of vacation. Claim 6 recites classifying by the processor the consumption data into active signals or inactive signals and determining times of active signals and times of inactive signals; upon detection of inactive signals, detecting by the processor passive water heating and, if detected, estimating passive water heating consumption; and upon detection of active signals, detecting by the processor, based at least in part on the active signal, active water heating and, if active water heating is detected, estimating active water heating consumption, and detecting by the processor, based at least in part on the inactive signals, water heating in vacation mode. Claim 13 recites classifying by the processor the consumption data into times of active signals and times of inactive signals and, upon detection of active signals, detecting by the processor, based at least in part on the active signals, lighting and, if lighting is detected, estimating lighting consumption and active water heating consumption. Claim 16 recites classifying by the processor the consumption data into times of active signals and times of inactive signals and detecting by the processor, based at least in part on the inactive signals, refrigeration and, if refrigeration is detected, estimating refrigerator consumption.

For each patent, the complaint includes paragraphs arguing that the claims are not directed to an abstract idea and recite inventive concepts that were not well-understood, routine, or conventional, quoting the specifications on the limits of earlier load-monitoring techniques and of smart-meter data collected at fifteen-minute or hourly intervals (paras. 63 and 64, 88 and 89, 111 and 112, and 136 and 137). It alleges that each patent is valid and enforceable.

The accused products and services

The complaint accuses NET2GRID EnergyAI, including EnergyAI Edge and EnergyAI Profile Enrichment; the NET2GRID Customer Engagement API, Account Management API, and Device Management API; and NET2GRID SmartBridge and SmartReader hardware, including the SmartBridge SBLR4912, SmartBridge SBWF4612, and SmartReader SRLR4302, along with all reasonably similar, predecessor, or successor products and services, individually and in combination. It says this list is exemplary. It quotes NET2GRID as describing EnergyAI as an AI-powered SaaS that "disaggregates the total household consumption from a single meter into a breakdown per appliance or category," processing low-resolution data that "usually has a granularity of a single electricity value per 15, 30, or 60 minutes." It describes EnergyAI Edge as using deep learning models for embedded use to detect electric vehicle presence in households and estimate electric vehicle consumption in real time, and Profile Enrichment as using smart-meter data and machine learning to detect missing or incorrect information about household energy resources such as electric vehicles and solar systems. It alleges, on information and belief, that NET2GRID's technical staff have published research on detecting appliance events from power data.

For seven of the twelve asserted claims, the complaint supports the preamble with NET2GRID's web pages and API documentation and pleads the remaining elements on information and belief, in places citing further pages. The pages cited include ones on EnergyAI, hardware, appliance efficiency, appliance events, disaggregation categories, household activity zones, and low-resolution data sources. For claim 15 of the '110 patent and the four '193 patent claims, it pleads every element on information and belief. It alleges that each element is literally present or, in the alternative, present under the doctrine of equivalents. The element-by-element claim charts are Exhibits E through H, and copies of the patents are Exhibits A through D; none of the exhibits is on the public docket.

Infringement theories

Each count alleges, on information and belief, direct infringement under 35 U.S.C. 271(a) by using and performing the claimed methods in the United States through the accused products and services. For the '110 patent's device and storage medium claims 9 and 15, it alleges making, using, selling, offering to sell, or importing the claimed devices and media. In the alternative, also on information and belief, each count alleges that where another entity performs one or more claimed steps, NET2GRID directs or controls that performance, pointing to utility customers, platform integrators, and service providers that integrate or deploy EnergyAI, and alleging that NET2GRID conditions their receipt of the service on performing the operations through its deployed software, models, and data interfaces.

Each count also alleges induced infringement under section 271(b), on the theory that NET2GRID designs, deploys, and operates the accused products and services and provides user-facing instructions and support materials, including through its API developer hub, directing customers to perform the claimed limitations, and alleges, on information and belief, that it does so with knowledge or willful blindness of the patent and with intent, or willful blindness, that the induced acts infringe. Each count alleges contributory infringement under section 271(c): that the accused software and associated hardware components, as supplied and deployed, are material parts of the inventions especially made or adapted for infringing use and are not staple articles suitable for substantial non-infringing use, and, on information and belief, that NET2GRID sold, offered to sell, or imported them with knowledge of that.

Notice letters and willfulness

The complaint alleges that on May 9, 2025, a law firm acting for Bidgely sent a notice letter to NET2GRID's chief executive officer in Zeist identifying Bidgely's patent portfolio, including the '286, '502, and '110 patents, and NET2GRID's accused disaggregation services, stating that the patents may be applicable to those services, and inviting a discussion of any potential overlap and to ensure that NET2GRID does not infringe the patents (para. 36). In its induced infringement allegations, the complaint describes the same letter as identifying the '286 patent and its infringement by NET2GRID's products and services, including EnergyAI (para. 68), and as identifying the '110 and '502 patents and their relevance to NET2GRID's products and services (paras. 93 and 114). It alleges that on April 14, 2026, the firm sent a cease-and-desist letter demanding that NET2GRID stop its on-meter disaggregation processes and asserting that NET2GRID's services, including EnergyAI, infringe at least claims 1, 7, and 9 of the '286 patent, with an element-by-element claim chart. Count I asserts at least claims 7, 9, and 18 of the '286 patent. The complaint also alleges, on information and belief, that NET2GRID monitored the energy disaggregation space and knew of the asserted patents no later than May 9, 2025. For the '193 patent, it alleges knowledge no later than the filing of the complaint.

Each count alleges willful infringement, from at least May 2025 for the '286, '110, and '502 patents and from the filing of the complaint for the '193 patent, together with the allegation, on information and belief, that NET2GRID has deliberately continued the accused conduct with knowledge that it infringes. A separate willful infringement section (paras. 143 to 146) alleges that continuing in the face of detailed notice is egregious and wanton conduct and asks the court to enhance damages up to three times under 35 U.S.C. 284.

Jurisdiction and venue over a Dutch company

Subject matter jurisdiction is pleaded under 28 U.S.C. 1331 and 1338(a). For personal jurisdiction under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 4(k)(1)(A), the complaint alleges that NET2GRID conducted product-specific marketing, solicitation, and business development in Texas, including, on information and belief, exhibiting at or taking part in industry trade shows in Dallas in 2022 and 2025, San Antonio in 2023, and Fort Worth in 2024, with product demonstrations and invitations to private meetings, and issuing an Austin, Texas-datelined announcement in October 2024 of an EnergyAI integration with a partner's platform. It alleges that these Texas activities promoted the accused products and services and also constitute direct infringement, and, on information and belief, that they are attributable to NET2GRID B.V. and that NET2GRID serves utility customers with Texas operations. In the alternative, it pleads jurisdiction under Rule 4(k)(2), based on NET2GRID's contacts with the United States as a whole, including partnerships with metering, software, and customer-service platform companies and a deployment of EnergyAI Edge on meters at a California utility.

Venue is pleaded under 28 U.S.C. 1391(c)(3), on the ground that NET2GRID is a foreign corporation that does not reside in any judicial district of the United States and may be sued in any district. The complaint states that the alien-venue rule applies to patent infringement actions against foreign defendants, and says NET2GRID may be served under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 4 and applicable law.

Damages and relief requested

The complaint seeks damages including lost profits to the extent proven, and in no event less than a reasonable royalty, for infringement within six years before filing but not before each patent issued, and for continuing infringement, subject to 35 U.S.C. 286 and 287 to the extent applicable. It alleges that, to the extent section 287 applies, Bidgely and its licensees have complied with it, and alternatively seeks damages from the date of actual notice, stating that filing the complaint is notice under section 287(a). It alleges irreparable harm to Bidgely's market share and business opportunities from NET2GRID's competing products and services.

The prayer asks for a finding that NET2GRID has directly infringed and/or induced others to infringe and/or contributorily infringed each patent; damages under 35 U.S.C. 284 with pre- and post-judgment interest and costs; a finding of willful infringement; an increase of damages up to three times under section 284; a declaration that the case is exceptional and an award of attorney fees under 35 U.S.C. 285; a permanent injunction against NET2GRID and its officers, agents, servants, employees, representatives, and all others in active concert or participation with them; a compulsory ongoing royalty for any post-judgment infringement not enjoined; an accounting and supplemental damages for post-verdict infringement through final judgment; and other relief. Bidgely demands a jury trial under Rule 38(b).

The complaint is signed by G. Blake Thompson of Mann | Tindel | Thompson in Tyler, Texas, with Robert J. Benson, Jeffrey L. Johnson, Ali N. Dhanani, and Zacharias E. Shepard of Baker Botts L.L.P. in Houston. The October 19, 2026 docket entries also include the report of the patent filing to the USPTO (ECF No. 2), Bidgely's Rule 7.1 disclosure statement (ECF No. 3), a summons issued as to NET2GRID B.V. (ECF No. 4), and notices of appearance by the four Baker Botts lawyers (ECF Nos. 5 to 8). The disclosure statement is not on the public docket.

What to watch next

Watch for service on NET2GRID in the Netherlands and for its answer or Rule 12 motion, including any challenge to personal jurisdiction or any motion arguing that the asserted claims are ineligible under 35 U.S.C. 101. The case can end at any time, including by settlement or voluntary dismissal.