Secure and authenticated delivery of data from an automated meter reading system

• US 20060206433A1
• Filed: 03/11/2005
• Published: 09/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Elster Electricity LLC (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Elster Electricity LLC (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Scoggins, Sean M.
• Application Number:
  US11/078,979
• Publication Number:
  US 20060206433A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/63
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/004 Remote reading of utility meters to a fixed location
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 22/063 related to remote communication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/56 Financial cryptography, e.g. electronic payment or e-cash
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/12 Applying verification of the received information cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for data integrity or data verification H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/321 involving a third party or a trusted authority
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3247 involving digital signatures
• 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: Y04S 20/30 Smart metering, e.g. specially adapted for remote reading

Abstract

Digital signatures are applied to metered energy data that is collected by a common data collection system. The system receives data from meters that may be owned by one or more utilities. The data is stored by the system using public key cryptography to ensure that it is only accessible by the intended consumer of the data. When the data is transmitted to the intended consumer, it is digitally signed by the system to ensure the authenticity of the data as received by the consumer.

Claims

1. A method for digitally signing meter data to be transmitted from a data collection system to a recipient, comprising:

receiving digitally signed meter data from an energy meter;

storing the digitally signed meter data at the data collection system;

encrypting the digitally signed meter data using a public key of the recipient; and

signing the encrypted digitally signed meter data using a private key of a data collection system.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising publishing the encrypted digitally signed meter data via a first untrusted network.

3. The method according to claim 2, said receiving digitally signed data being performed over a second untrusted network.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first and second untrusted network comprises the Internet.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the validity of encrypted digitally signed meter data is guaranteed by signing the encrypted digitally signed meter data.

6. A data collection system for receiving digitally signed meter data, comprising:

a microprocessor;

a memory coupled to the microprocessor;

a public key stored in the memory that is associated with an intended recipient of the signed meter data; and

a private key stored in the memory for signing the digitally signed meter data for publication to the intended recipient.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein when the digitally signed meter data is to be published to the intended recipient, the digitally signed meter data is encrypted by the public key and then signed by the private key.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein the digitally signed meter data is communicated via untrusted networks.

9. The system according to claim 6, wherein the system is hosted by a third-party, and wherein the third-party aggregates meter data for more than one intended recipient.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the system comprises a plurality of public keys, each of the public keys being associated with a unique intended recipient.

11. The system of claim 6, wherein the validity of encrypted digitally signed meter data is guaranteed by signing the encrypted digitally signed meter data

12. A method for receiving digitally signing meter data from a data collection system, comprising:

receiving the digitally signed meter data by a recipient;

retrieving a public key of the data collection system;

verifying the digitally signed meter data using the public key; and

decrypting the digitally signed meter data using a private key of the recipient.