Power Meter Arrangement

• US 20120159641A1
• Filed: 12/21/2010
• Published: 06/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria Ag (Infineon Technologies AG)
• Original Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria Ag (Infineon Technologies AG)
• Inventors: Rossi, Sergio, Marquardt, Kurt, Cerato, Sandro
• Granted Patent: US 8,543,344 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/27
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 2204/12 Determination or prediction of behaviour, e.g. likely power consumption or unusual usage patterns
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/004 Remote reading of utility meters to a fixed location
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/02 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 22/066 Arrangements for avoiding or indicating fraudulent use
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 22/10 using digital techniques
• 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

An electric power meter arrangement, includes a metrology unit configured to be coupled to a power line and to determine power consumption and provide measurement data representing the power consumption. A programmable control unit including a memory is configured to store software configured to run on the control unit. A security unit is configured to store at least one key and to validate that software stored in the memory of the programmable control unit is authorized.

Claims

1. An electric power meter arrangement, comprising:

a metrology unit that is configured to be coupled to a power line, to determine a power consumption, and to provide measurement data representing the power consumption;

a programmable control unit including a memory that stores software configured to run on the control unit; and

a security unit configured to store at least one key and to validate that the software stored in the memory of the programmable control unit is authorized.

2. The electric power meter arrangement of claim 1, wherein the at least one key comprises a secret key.

3. The electric power meter arrangement of claim 1, wherein the at least one key comprises a public key.

4. The electric power meter arrangement of claim 1, further comprising:

a switching circuit comprising at least one switching element configured to be connected to the power line, and configured to be switched on or off dependent on a drive signal received by the switching circuit.

5. The electric power meter arrangement of claim 4, wherein the security unit is configured:

to receive drive information for the switching circuit from the control unit;

to check the validity of the drive information; and

to generate the drive signal dependent on the drive information only if the drive information has been determined to be valid.

6. The power meter arrangement of claim 1, wherein the control unit further comprises:

at least one first interface circuit which is configured to connect the control circuit to a network.

7. The power meter arrangement of claim 1, further comprising a display coupled to the control unit.

8. The power meter arrangement of claim 1, wherein the evaluation unit is configured to store measurement data.

9. The power meter arrangement of claim 8,

wherein the security unit is configured to read out stored measurement data upon receipt of a request from the control unit, and

wherein the security unit is configured to check the validity of the request, and to read out the measurement data only if the request has been determined to be valid.

10. The power meter arrangement of claim 1, wherein the security unit is further configured to store measurement data.

11. The power meter arrangement of claim 1, wherein the security unit is further configured to verify the integrity of the power meter by verifying certain behavior.

12. The power meter arrangement of claim 1, wherein the security unit is further configured to generate or evaluate certificates.

13. The power meter arrangement of claim 1, wherein at least one of the control unit and the security unit is configured to store at least one of tariff information, date information, and/or time information.