System and method for assigning an identity to an intelligent electronic device
First Claim
1. An energy management device for use in an energy management architecture for managing an energy distribution system, the energy management architecture comprising a network, the energy management device comprising:
- an energy distribution system interface operative to couple the energy management device with at least a portion of the energy distribution system;
a network interface operative to couple the energy management device with the network for transmitting outbound communications to the network and receiving inbound communications from the network, the inbound communications comprising first energy management data and the outbound communications comprising second energy management data;
a memory comprising a first private key, the first private key being related to a first public key such that data may be at least one of encrypted with the first public key, signed with the first private key, or combinations thereof, wherein data encrypted with the first public key may be decrypted only with the first private key and data signed with the first private key may be authenticated only with the first public key; and
a processor coupled with the network interface, the energy distribution system interface and the memory, the processor operative to perform at least one energy management function on the at least the portion of the energy distribution network via the energy distribution system interface, the processor further operative to process the first energy management data and generate the second energy management data based on the at least one energy management function, the processor being further operative to decrypt the first energy management data using the first private key where the first energy management data has been encrypted with the first public key.
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Abstract
A power management architecture for an electrical power distribution system, or portion thereof, is disclosed. The architecture includes multiple intelligent electronic devices (“IED'"'"'s”) distributed throughout the power distribution system to manage the flow and consumption of power from the system. The IED'"'"'s are linked via a network to back-end servers. Security mechanisms are further provided which protect and otherwise ensure the authenticity of communications transmitted via the network in furtherance of the management of the distribution and consumption of electrical power by the architecture. In particular, public key cryptography is employed to identify components of the architecture and provide for secure communication of power management data among those components. Further, certificates and certificate authorities are utilized to further ensure integrity of the security mechanism.
458 Citations
89 Claims
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1. An energy management device for use in an energy management architecture for managing an energy distribution system, the energy management architecture comprising a network, the energy management device comprising:
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an energy distribution system interface operative to couple the energy management device with at least a portion of the energy distribution system;
a network interface operative to couple the energy management device with the network for transmitting outbound communications to the network and receiving inbound communications from the network, the inbound communications comprising first energy management data and the outbound communications comprising second energy management data;
a memory comprising a first private key, the first private key being related to a first public key such that data may be at least one of encrypted with the first public key, signed with the first private key, or combinations thereof, wherein data encrypted with the first public key may be decrypted only with the first private key and data signed with the first private key may be authenticated only with the first public key; and
a processor coupled with the network interface, the energy distribution system interface and the memory, the processor operative to perform at least one energy management function on the at least the portion of the energy distribution network via the energy distribution system interface, the processor further operative to process the first energy management data and generate the second energy management data based on the at least one energy management function, the processor being further operative to decrypt the first energy management data using the first private key where the first energy management data has been encrypted with the first public key. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88)
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45. A method of managing an energy distribution system using an energy management architecture, the energy management architecture comprising a network, the method comprising:
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coupling an energy management device with at least a portion of the energy distribution system;
coupling the energy management device with the network and allowing the energy management device to transmit outbound communications to the network and receive inbound communications from the network, the inbound communications comprising first energy management data and the outbound communications comprising second energy management data;
storing, in a memory of the energy management device, a first private key, the first private key being related to a first public key such that data may be at least one of encrypted with the first public key, signed with the first private key, or combinations thereof, wherein data encrypted with the first public key may be decrypted only with the first private key and data signed with the first private key may be authenticated only with the first public key; and
performing, by the energy management device, at least one energy management function on the at least the portion of the energy distribution network via the energy distribution system interface, processing the first energy management data and generating the second energy management data based on the at least one energy management function, and further decrypting, by the energy management device, the first energy management data using the first private key where the first energy management data has been encrypted with the first public key.
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89. An energy management device for use in an energy management architecture for managing an energy distribution system, the energy management architecture comprising a network, the energy management device comprising:
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means for coupling the energy management device with at least a portion of the energy distribution system;
means for coupling the energy management device with the network for transmitting outbound communications to the network and receiving inbound communications from the network, the inbound communications comprising first energy management data and the outbound communications comprising second energy management data;
means for storing a first private key, the first private key being related to a first public key such that data may be at least one of encrypted with the first public key, signed with the first private key, or combinations thereof, wherein data encrypted with the first public key may be decrypted only with the first private key and data signed with the first private key may be authenticated only with the first public key; and
means for performing at least one energy management function on the at least the portion of the energy distribution network via the energy distribution system interface, processing the first energy management data and generate the second energy management data based on the at least one energy management function, and decrypting the first energy management data using the first private key where the first energy management data has been encrypted with the first public key.
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Specification