Device and method for facilitating secure communications over a cellular network

• US 10,198,257 B2
• Filed: 02/20/2018
• Issued: 02/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trilliant Networks Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Trilliant Networks Incorporated
• Inventors: Enns, Frederick, Veillette, Michel, Frei, Randall Wayne
• Primary Examiner(s): Won, Michael
• Application Number:
  US15/900,052
• Publication Number:
  US 20180173519A1
• Time in Patent Office: 350 Days
• Field of Search: 709223, 709248
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/004 Remote reading of utility meters to a fixed location
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00 Circuit arrangements for providing remote indication of network conditions, e.g. an instantaneous record of the open or closed condition of each circuitbreaker in the network; Circuit arrangements for providing remote control of switching means in a power distribution network, e.g. switching in and out of current consumers by using a pulse code signal carried by the network
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/14 The load or loads being home appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/28 characterised by path configuration, e.g. LAN [Local Area Networks] or WAN [Wide Area Networks] wireless communication networks H04W ; arrangements for dividing the transmission path H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2834 Switching of information between an external network and a home network access arrangements H04L12/2856
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/082 the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0442 wherein the sending and receiving network entities apply asymmetric encryption, i.e. different keys for encryption and decryption cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for public-key encryption H04L9/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5651 Reducing the amount or size of exchanged application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/164 Adaptation or special uses of UDP protocol
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/169 Special adaptations of TCP, UDP or IP for interworking of IP based networks with other networks protocols for interworking, protocol conversion H04L69/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/28 Timers or timing mechanisms used in protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/38 for collecting sensor information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/00 Power management, e.g. TPC [Transmission Power Control], power saving or power classes gain control in transmitters or power amplifiers H03G3/3042
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/30 : Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for improving the carbon footprint of the management of residential or tertiary loads, i.e. smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the buildings sector, including also the last stages of power distribution and the control, monitoring or operating management systems at local level
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/3225 : Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 90/20 : Smart grids as enabling technology in buildings sector smart grids supporting the management or operation of end-user stationary applications in general, or like technologies with no associated climate change mitigation effect Y04S20/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 : Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/222 : Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/242 : Home appliances
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/30 : Smart metering, e.g. specially adapted for remote reading
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/00 : Systems for electrical power generation, transmission, distribution or end-user application management characterised by the use of communication or information technologies, or communication or information technology specific aspects supporting them
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/18 : Network protocols supporting networked applications, e.g. including control of end-device applications over a network

Abstract

A process for communicating utility-related data over at least one network is described, the process includes: collecting utility-related data at a hub device during a first predetermined period of time; securing the utility-related data at the hub device using digital envelopes during the first predetermined period of time; initiating by the hub device an autonomous wake up process during a second predetermined period of time; sending the secure utility-related data over a first network to a designated server via at least one User Datagram, protocol (“UDP”) message during the second predetermined period of time; and receiving an acknowledgement of receipt message of the at least one UDP message from the designated server; wherein the first and second predetermined periods of time typically do not overlap, but may overlap.

Claims

1. A system for communicating utility data over a wide area network (WAN) comprising:

a communication hub server comprising;

a) at least one processor;

b) at least one input device; and

c) at least one storage device storing processor-executable instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, perform a method to;

collect utility-related data from a first network during a first predetermined period of time;

secure the utility-related data using digital envelopes during the first predetermined period of time;

initiate an autonomous wake up process during a second predetermined period of time;

send the secure utility-related data over a second network to a head end server via at least one User Datagram protocol (UDP) message during the second predetermined period of time; and

receive an acknowledgement of receipt message of the at least one UDP message from the head end server,

wherein sending the secure utility-related data comprises sending multiple UDP messages in a single bulk push to the head end server during the second predetermined period of time and wherein each of the multiple UDP messages includes a header having a code therein for facilitating sorting of each of the multiple UDP messages into predetermined storage buckets by the head end server during the second predetermined time period; and

a head end server comprising;

a) at least one processor;

b) at least one input device; and

c) at least one storage device storing processor-executable instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, perform a method to;

receive the secure utility data;

transmit an acknowledgement of receipt of the at least one UDP message from the communication hub server; and

transmit clock synchronization information.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the communication hub server receives the utility-related data from at least one dwelling device.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the communication hub server and the at least one dwelling device are a single device.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the second network is a wide area network (WAN).

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the second network is a cellular network.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the acknowledgement of receipt message is a UDP message, and wherein the acknowledgement of receipt message is encoded.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the head end server processes each of the multiple UDP messages in the predetermined storage buckets to retrieve utility-related data at a third predetermined time period, wherein the second and third predetermined time periods one of (i) do not overlap or (ii) at least partially overlap.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined storage buckets include at least two of an electricity usage message bucket, a gas usage message bucket, an electricity generation message bucket, and an alarm message bucket.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein securing the utility data further comprises securing a first part of the at least one UDP message with integrity protection and securing a second part of the at least one UDP message with both integrity protection and privacy encryption.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the first part of the at least one received UDP message includes a reason code for facilitating sorting of the at least one UDP message by the head end server into one of multiple predetermined storage buckets and the second part of the at least one UDP message includes the utility-related data.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein the header is secured with integrity protection and a non-header portion of each of the multiple UDP messages is secured with both integrity protection and privacy encryption.

12. The system according to claim 1, wherein the acknowledgement of receipt message from the head end server includes clock synchronization information.

13. The system according to claim 1, wherein the head end server sends periodic clock synchronization messages to the communication hub server.