UTILITY NETWORK INTERFACE DEVICE CONFIGURED TO DETECT AND REPORT ABNORMAL OPERATING CONDITION

• US 20110115643A1
• Filed: 11/19/2009
• Published: 05/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Itron Networked Solutions, Inc. (Itron, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Silver Spring Networks, Inc. (Itron, Inc.)
• Inventors: van Greunen, Jana, Gilbert, Brad, Vaswani, Raj
• Granted Patent: US 8,368,555 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/870.09
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/008 Modifications to installed utility meters to enable remote reading
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 15/00 Coin-freed apparatus with meter-controlled dispensing of liquid, gas or electricity
• 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

A utility network interface device is provided for operation with a utility network. The utility network interface device includes a control unit configured to detect a tampering with a software component of a utility meter with which the utility network interface device is associated. The utility network interface device also includes a notification unit configured to output, external to the utility meter, a visual indication constituting notification of the tampering detected by the control unit. The control unit is configured to automatically control the notification unit to output the external notification of the tampering in response to the detection of the tampering. Also provided are a utility network including the utility network interface device, a method of operating a utility network interface device, and a computer-readable recording medium having a computer program recorded thereon for operating a utility network interface device.

Claims

1. A utility network interface device comprising:

a control unit configured to detect a tampering with a software component of a utility meter with which the utility network interface device is associated; and

a notification unit configured to output, external to the utility meter, a visual indication constituting notification of the tampering detected by the control unit,

wherein the control unit is configured to automatically control the notification unit to output the external notification of the tampering in response to the detection of the tampering.

2. The utility network interface device according to claim 1, wherein the notification unit is an indicator device configured to visually display the tampering notification.

3. The utility network interface device according to claim 2, wherein the indicator device comprises at least one LED for displaying a representation of the tampering notification according to a predetermined pattern of illuminating the at least one LED.

4. The utility network interface device according to claim 3, wherein the indicator device is configured to illuminate the at least one LED according to a pattern associated with a type of the tampering detected by the control unit.

5. The utility network interface device according to claim 3, wherein:

the control unit is configured to detect a plurality of different types of tampering; and

the control unit is configured to control the indicator device to illuminate the at least one LED according to a plurality of unique patterns each being respectively associated with one of the plurality of different types of tampering.

6. The utility network interface device according to claim 5, wherein the types of tampering include (i) a corrupted or insecure software image executed by or to be executed by a processor of the utility network interface device, (ii) a corruption of a security key with which the utility network interface device is enabled to communicate with a node in a network of which the utility network interface device is a member, and (iii) receipt of a predetermined number of communications with invalid credentials from at least one other utility network interface device in the network.

7. The utility network device according to claim 5, further comprising:

a memory unit configured to store prioritization data identifying a predefined order of priority respectively attributed to each one of the plurality of different types of tampering; and

the control unit, upon detecting different types of tampering in association with the utility network interface device, is configured to access the prioritization data stored in the memory unit and prioritize the detected types of tampering according to the prioritization data.

8. The utility network interface device according to claim 7, wherein:

the types of tampering include (i) a corrupted or insecure software image executed by or to be executed by a processor of the utility network interface device, (ii) a corruption of a security key with which the utility network interface device is enabled to communicate with a node in a network of which the utility network interface device is a member, and (iii) receipt of a predetermined number of communications with invalid credentials from at least one other utility network interface device in the network; and

the prioritization data stored in the memory unit identifies tampering types (i)-(iii) by an order of priority in which tampering type (i) has the greatest priority and tampering type (iii) has the lowest priority.

9. The utility network device according to claim 8, wherein the control unit is configured to, when detecting the different types of tampering, control the indicator device to successively illuminate the at least one LED according to the unique patterns respectively associated with the detected types of tampering in a sequential order corresponding to the prioritized detected types of tampering.

10. The utility network interface device according to claim 2, wherein the indicator device comprises a digital display configured to display the tampering notification thereon.

11. The utility network interface device according to claim 10, wherein the indicator device is configured to display an alphanumeric representation of the tampering detected by the control unit on the digital display.

12. The utility network interface device according to claim 1, comprising a detector configured to produce a state signal upon occurrence of a prescribed state that interferes with the ability of the utility meter, with which the utility network interface device is associated, to at least one of measure consumption of a commodity and report consumption of the commodity,

wherein the notification unit includes a transceiver configured to output, external to the utility meter, the notification of the tampering to a node in a network of which the utility network interface device is a member.

13. The utility network interface device according to claim 12, wherein the node in the network is a device selected from the group consisting of another utility network interface device which is a member of the network, a communication station of the utility provider, and an access point constituting an interface between the utility network interface device and the communication station of the utility provider.

14. The utility network interface device according to claim 12, wherein:

the detector comprises a reed switch configured to detect an intensity of a magnetic field of a magnet in proximity to the utility meter with which the utility network interface device is associated; and

the detector is configured to produce the state signal when detecting that the intensity of the magnetic field is below a threshold value.

15. The utility network interface device according to claim 12, wherein:

the detector comprises a reed switch configured to detect a presence of a magnetic field having an intensity sufficient to interfere with the ability of the utility meter to at least one of measure consumption of the commodity and report consumption of the commodity; and

the detector is configured to detect the presence of the magnetic field when detecting that the intensity of the magnetic field exceeds a threshold value, and produce the state signal in response to detecting the presence of the magnetic field.

16. The utility network interface device according to claim 12, wherein:

the utility network interface device comprises at least one measurement counter configured to measure consumption of the commodity;

the detector comprises a reed switch configured to detect a presence of a magnetic field having an intensity sufficient to interfere with the at least one measurement counter, by detecting whether the intensity of the magnetic field of exceeds a threshold value; and

the detector is configured to transmit the state signal to the control unit in response to detecting that the intensity of the magnetic field is above the threshold value.

17. The utility network interface device according to claim 1, wherein:

the utility network interface device comprises a memory unit having record therein tampering type data respectively representing different types of detectable tampering;

the control unit is configured to, in response to the detection of tampering;

determine which one of three modes of communication is to be utilized for transmitting the notification of the detected tampering, based on the detected tampering and the tampering type data recorded in the memory unit;

generate a notification signal containing data representative of the tampering notification, an identification of the utility network interface device, and a destination address of at least one node in a utility network of which the utility network interface device is a member, according to one of the three modes of communication, in which

in a first mode among the three modes, the destination address is a communication station of a utility provider,

in a second mode among the three modes, the destination address is a specific neighboring node of the utility network, and

in a third mode among the three nodes, the destination address is any node in the utility network; and

automatically control the notification unit to transmit the generated notification signal to the destination address contained in the notification signal.

18. A utility network interface device comprising:

a control unit configured to recognize tampering with a respective software component of at least one of a first utility meter with which the utility network interface device is associated, and a second utility meter with which the first utility meter is configured to communicate over a network; and

a notification unit configured to output, external to the first utility meter, notification of the recognized tampering of the at least one of the of the first utility meter and the second utility meter,

wherein the control unit is configured to automatically control the notification unit to output the external notification of the tampering in response to the recognition of the tampering.

19. The utility network interface device according to claim 18, wherein:

the notification unit includes a transceiver; and

the control unit is configured to cause the transceiver to transmit a notification signal to a node in a network of which the utility network interface device is a member, in response to the control unit recognizing a tampering with a software component of the second utility meter,

wherein the notification signal contains data representative of the tampering notification and an identification of the second utility meter.

20. The utility network interface device according to claim 19, wherein the node in the network is a device selected from the group consisting of another utility network interface device which is a member of the network, a communication station of the utility provider, and an access point constituting an interface between the first utility meter and the communication station of the utility provider.

21. The utility network interface device according to claim 18, wherein:

the notification unit includes at least one LED configured to display a representation of the tampering notification according to a predetermined pattern of illuminating the at least one LED, and a transceiver configured to transmit a notification signal having data representative of the tampering notification to a node in a network of which the utility network interface device is a member.

22. The utility network interface device according to claim 21, wherein:

the control unit, in response to recognizing a tampering with a software component of the first utility meter, is configured to control the notification unit to illuminate the at least one LED according to a pattern associated with a type of the tampering with first utility meter recognized by the control unit; and

the control unit, in response to recognizing tampering with a software component of the second utility meter, is configured to cause the transceiver to transmit a notification signal, which contains data representative of the tampering notification and an identification of the second utility meter, to a node in a network of which the utility network interface device is a member.

23. The utility network interface device according to claim 22, wherein the node in the network is a device selected from the group consisting of another utility network interface device which is a member of the network, a communication station of the utility provider, and an access point constituting an interface between the first utility meter and the communication station of the utility provider.

24. A utility network interface device associated with a first utility meter, the utility network interface device comprising:

a communication unit configured to communicate with at least one second utility meter arranged in a network with the first utility meter, with which the utility network interface device is associated;

a control unit configured to detect a tampering with an operating condition of the second utility meter based on a communication transmitted from the second utility meter that is indicative of a compromised software component of the second utility meter; and

a notification unit configured to transmit, external to the first utility meter, notification of the tampering detected in the second utility meter,

wherein the control unit is configured to automatically control the notification unit to transmit the external notification of the tampering in response to the detection of the tampering.

25. The utility network interface device according to claim 24, wherein:

the notification unit includes a transceiver; and

the control unit is configured to cause the transceiver to transmit a notification signal to a node in the network, in response to the control unit detecting a tampering with the operating condition of the second utility meter,

wherein the notification signal contains data representative of the tampering notification and an identification of the second utility meter.

26. The utility network interface device according to claim 25, wherein the node in the network is a device selected from the group consisting of another utility network interface device which is a member of the network, a communication station of the utility provider, and an access point constituting an interface between the first utility meter and the communication station of the utility provider.

27. A computer-readable recording medium having a computer program recorded thereon that causes a computer processing unit of a utility network interface device to perform operations comprising:

detecting a tampering with a software component of a utility meter with which the utility network interface device is associated; and

automatically outputting, external to the utility meter, a visual indication constituting notification of the detected tampering, in response to the detection of the tampering.

28. The computer-readable recording medium according to claim 27, wherein the computer program causes the computer processing unit to, in response to the detection of the tampering, cause at least one LED to display a representation of the tampering notification according to a predetermined pattern of illuminating the at least one LED based on a type of the tampering detected.

29. The computer-readable recording medium according to claim 28, wherein types of tampering detectable by the computer processing unit include (i) a corrupted or insecure software image executed by or to be executed by the computer processing unit, (ii) a corruption of a security key with which the utility network interface device is enabled to communicate with a node in a network of which the utility meter is a member, and (iii) notification of a corruption of a software component of the utility network interface device by another node in the network.

30. A method of operating a utility network interface device, the method comprising:

detecting a tampering with a software component of a utility meter with which the utility network interface device is associated; and

automatically outputting, external to the utility meter, a visual indication constituting notification of the detected tampering, in response to the detection of the tampering.

31. The method according to claim 30, comprising:

displaying, via at least one LED, in response to the detection of the tampering, a representation of the tampering notification according to a predetermined pattern of illuminating the at least one LED based on a type of the tampering detected.

32. The method according to claim 31, wherein types of tampering detectable by the computer processing unit include (i) a corrupted or insecure software image executed by or to be executed by the computer processing unit, (ii) a corruption of a security key with which the utility network interface device is enabled to communicate with a node in a network of which the utility meter is a member, and (iii) notification of a corruption of a software component of the utility network interface device by another node in the network.