Communication gateway for facilitating communications with a supervisory control and data acquisition system

• US 10,212,162 B2
• Filed: 11/24/2014
• Issued: 02/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Maria, Arturo
• Primary Examiner(s): Shepperd, Eric W
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pan, Peiliang
• Application Number:
  US14/552,194
• Publication Number:
  US 20150082385A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,548 Days
• Field of Search: 726 6, 726 12
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/24215 Scada supervisory control and data acquisition
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports

Abstract

Transfer of data between at least one supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) device and an advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) device via a wireless communication network is facilitated. The data is used for monitoring and/or controlling the AMI device. A protocol conversion of the data is performed to facilitate transfer of the data between the SCADA device and the AMI device as data packets via a packet data network gateway and a wireless communications network.

Claims

1. A supervisory control and data acquisition gateway comprising:

a processor; and

a memory that stores instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

selecting, in response to initiation of a connection between the supervisory control and data acquisition gateway and a supervisory control and data acquisition device associated with an enterprise system operating in a first network, a security profile associated with the supervisory control and data acquisition device, the security profile comprising information specific to the supervisory control and data acquisition device for configuring the connection between the supervisory control and data acquisition gateway and the supervisory control and data acquisition device to transfer, via the supervisory control and data acquisition gateway, data associated with a first protocol from the supervisory control and data acquisition device to an advanced metering infrastructure device connected to a second network, wherein the data from the supervisory control and data acquisition device is for performing at least one of monitoring or controlling the advanced metering infrastructure device connected to the second network, wherein the supervisory control and data acquisition gateway operates within the second network, wherein the advanced metering infrastructure device communicates with the second network using a second protocol associated with the second network, and wherein the second protocol is different from the first protocol,

provisioning, using the information of the security profile, the connection between the supervisory control and data acquisition gateway and the supervisory control and data acquisition device, and

initiating, in response to the connection between the supervisory control and data acquisition gateway and the supervisory control and data acquisition device being provisioned, a transfer of the data, via the supervisory control and data acquisition gateway, from the supervisory control and data acquisition device to the advanced metering infrastructure device connected to the second network without traversing the first network, wherein initiating the transfer of the data from the supervisory control and data acquisition device to the advanced metering infrastructure device without traversing the first network comprises transferring the data received from the supervisory control and acquisition device to a packet data network gateway associated with the second network for delivery of the data, via the packet data network gateway, to the advanced metering infrastructure device connected to the second network, and wherein the packet data network gateway associated with the second network comprises functionality provided by the supervisory control and data acquisition gateway for communicating the data to the advanced metering infrastructure device connected to the second network without traversing the first network.

2. The supervisory control and data acquisition gateway of claim 1, wherein the information of the security profile comprises a connection type supported by the supervisory control and data acquisition device, a protocol type supported by the supervisory control and data acquisition device, and an address of the supervisory control and data acquisition device.

3. The supervisory control and data acquisition gateway of claim 1, wherein initiating the transfer of the data from the supervisory control and data acquisition device to the advanced metering infrastructure device without traversing the first network further comprises converting the data from the first protocol to the second protocol, wherein the first protocol is one used by the supervisory control and data acquisition device and the second protocol is one used by the packet data network gateway.

4. The supervisory control and data acquisition gateway of claim 3, wherein converting the data from the first protocol to the second protocol comprises performing a data link layer protocol conversion.

5. The supervisory control and data acquisition gateway of claim 1, wherein initiating the transfer of the data between the supervisory control and data acquisition device and the advanced metering infrastructure device without traversing the first network further comprises converting the data from the first protocol to the second protocol, and wherein the enterprise system is associated with an enterprise that uses the supervisory control and data acquisition device for monitoring and controlling remote assets.

6. The supervisory control and data acquisition gateway of claim 5, wherein converting the data from the first protocol to the second protocol comprises performing a data link layer protocol conversion.

7. The supervisory control and data acquisition gateway of claim 5, wherein the second protocol is associated with an Internet protocol suite.

8. The supervisory control and data acquisition gateway of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise provisioning the supervisory control and data acquisition device in accordance with the information of the security profile.

9. A method comprising:

selecting, by a supervisory control and data acquisition gateway comprising a processor, in response to initiation of a connection between the supervisory control and data acquisition gateway and a supervisory control and data acquisition device associated with an enterprise system operating in a first network, a security profile associated with the supervisory control and data acquisition device, the security profile comprising information specific to the supervisory control and data acquisition device for configuring the connection between the supervisory control and data acquisition gateway and the supervisory control and data acquisition device to transfer, via the supervisory control and data acquisition gateway, data associated with a first protocol from the supervisory control and data acquisition device to an advanced metering infrastructure device connected to a second network, wherein the data from the supervisory control and data acquisition device is for performing at least one of monitoring or controlling the advanced metering infrastructure device connected to the second network, wherein the supervisory control and data acquisition gateway operates within the second network, wherein the advanced metering infrastructure device communicates with the second network using a second protocol associated with the second network, and wherein the second protocol is different from the first protocol;

provisioning, by the supervisory control and data acquisition gateway, using the information of the security profile, the connection between the supervisory control and data acquisition gateway and the supervisory control and data acquisition device; and

initiating, by the supervisory control and data acquisition gateway, in response to the connection between the supervisory control and data acquisition gateway and the supervisory control and data acquisition device being provisioned, a transfer of the data, via the supervisory control and data acquisition gateway, from the supervisory control and data acquisition device to the advanced metering infrastructure device connected to the second network without traversing the first network, wherein initiating the transfer of the data from the supervisory control and data acquisition device to the advanced metering infrastructure device without traversing the first network comprises transferring the data received from the supervisory control and acquisition device to a packet data network gateway associated with the second network for delivery of the data, via the packet data network gateway, to the advanced metering infrastructure device connected to the second network, and wherein the packet data network gateway associated with the second network comprises functionality provided by the supervisory control and data acquisition gateway for communicating the data to the advanced metering infrastructure device connected to the second network without traversing the first network.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the information of the security profile comprises a connection type supported by the supervisory control and data acquisition device, a protocol type supported by the supervisory control and data acquisition device, and an address of the supervisory control and data acquisition device.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein initiating the transfer of the data from the supervisory control and data acquisition device to the advanced metering infrastructure device without traversing the first network further comprises converting the data from the first protocol to the second protocol, wherein the first protocol is one used by the supervisory control and data acquisition device and the second protocol is one used by the packet data network gateway, and wherein the enterprise system is associated with an enterprise that uses the supervisory control and data acquisition device for monitoring and controlling remote assets.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein converting the data comprises performing a data link layer protocol conversion.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the second protocol is associated with an Internet protocol suite.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising provisioning the supervisory control and data acquisition device in accordance with the information of the security profile.

15. A computer-readable storage device comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor of a supervisory control and data acquisition gateway, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

selecting, in response to initiation of a connection between the supervisory control and data acquisition gateway and a supervisory control and data acquisition device associated with an enterprise system operating in a first network, a security profile associated with the supervisory control and data acquisition device, the security profile comprising information specific to the supervisory control and data acquisition device for configuring the connection between the supervisory control and data acquisition gateway and the supervisory control and data acquisition device to transfer, via the supervisory control and data acquisition gateway, data associated with a first protocol from the supervisory control and data acquisition device to an advanced metering infrastructure device connected to a second network, wherein the data from the supervisory control and data acquisition device is for performing at least one of monitoring or controlling the advanced metering infrastructure device connected to the second network, wherein the supervisory control and data acquisition gateway operates within the second network, wherein the advanced metering infrastructure device communicates with the second network using a second protocol associated with the second network, and wherein the second protocol is different from the first protocol;

provisioning, using the information of the security profile, the connection between the supervisory control and data acquisition gateway and the supervisory control and data acquisition device; and

initiating, in response to the connection between the supervisory control and data acquisition gateway and the supervisory control and data acquisition device being provisioned, a transfer of the data, via the supervisory control and data acquisition gateway, from the supervisory control and data acquisition device to the advanced metering infrastructure device connected to the second network without traversing the first network, wherein initiating the transfer of the data from the supervisory control and data acquisition device to the advanced metering infrastructure device without traversing the first network comprises transferring the data received from the supervisory control and acquisition device to a packet data network gateway associated with the second network for delivery of the data, via the packet data network gateway, to the advanced metering infrastructure device connected to the second network, and wherein the packet data network gateway associated with the second network comprises functionality provided by the supervisory control and data acquisition gateway for communicating the data to the advanced metering infrastructure device connected to the second network without traversing the first network.

16. The computer-readable storage device of claim 15, wherein initiating the transfer of the data from the supervisory control and data acquisition device to the advanced metering infrastructure device further comprises converting the data from the first protocol to the second protocol, wherein the first protocol is one used by the supervisory control and data acquisition device and the second protocol is one used by the packet data network gateway.

17. The computer-readable storage device of claim 15, wherein the information of the security profile comprises a connection type supported by the supervisory control and data acquisition device, a protocol type of the supervisory control and data acquisition device, a source address, a destination address, and a transmission restriction.

18. The computer-readable storage device of claim 15, wherein initiating the transfer of the data between the supervisory control and data acquisition device and the advanced metering infrastructure device further comprises converting the data from the first protocol to the second protocol, and wherein the enterprise system is associated with an enterprise that uses the supervisory control and data acquisition device for monitoring and controlling remote assets.

19. The computer-readable storage device of claim 18, wherein converting the data comprises performing a data link layer protocol conversion.

20. The computer-readable storage device of claim 18, wherein the second protocol is associated with an Internet protocol suite.