SMART METER TRUST CENTER SWITCH

• US 20130262844A1
• Filed: 03/28/2012
• Published: 10/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Hester, Lance
• Granted Patent: US 9,106,631 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2818 from a device located outside both the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless eletrical link G08C17/00; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with remote control systems H04M11/007
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2834 Switching of information between an external network and a home network access arrangements H04L12/2856
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• 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: Y02B 70/30 Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for improving the carbon footprint of the management of residential or tertiary loads, i.e. smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the buildings sector, including also the last stages of power distribution and the control, monitoring or operating management systems at local level
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/20 End-user application control systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/18 Network protocols supporting networked applications, e.g. including control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/20 Information technology specific aspects, e.g. CAD, simulation, modelling, system security

Abstract

An apparatus includes a smart meter trust center switch. The switch includes a computer processor that is configured to execute a subset of functions of a smart meter in a home area network (HAN). The computer processor is also configured to be coupled to and communicate with the smart meter and an advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) and advanced meter reading (AMR) network.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a computer processor configured to;

execute a subset of functions of a smart meter in a home area network (HAN);

wherein the computer processor is configured to be coupled to and communicate with the smart meter, and to communicate with an electric utility advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) and advanced meter reading (AMR) network.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the computer processor is a centralized processor configured to be coupled to and communicate with a plurality of smart meters.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the centralized computer processor is configured to communicate in parallel with the plurality of smart meters.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the centralized computer processor comprises a plurality of communication interfaces with different communication protocols for communicating with the plurality of smart meters.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the subset of functions of the smart meter comprises non-communication functions, wherein communication functions relate to communications between the smart meter and the AMI/AMR network.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the subset of functions of the smart meter comprises one or more of coordinating the HAN, storing HAN information, storing one or more security keys, authenticating devices for the HAN, associating devices in the HAN with the smart meter of the HAN, storing device profile information, handling software upgrades, and storing sensed data.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the computer processor is coupled to and is configured to communicate with a gateway trust center.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the computer processor is coupled to and is configured to communicate with a retail electric provider (REP), and wherein the REP comprises a second computer processor that is configured to execute a subset of functions of the smart meter in the HAN.

9. A process comprising:

providing a computer processor to communicate with a smart meter in a home area network (HAN) and to communicate with an advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) and advanced meter reading (AMR) network; and

executing in the computer processor a subset of functions of the smart meter.

10. The process of claim 9, wherein providing the computer processor to communicate with a smart meter comprises configuring the smart meter to discover the computer processor and configuring the computer processor to discover the smart meter.

11. The process of claim 10, wherein the smart meter initiates an authentication and association with the computer processor.

12. The process of claim 9, wherein the computer processor downloads firmware to the smart meter, the firmware configured for operating the smart meter, and wherein the computer processor downloads utility configurations to the smart meter, the utility configuration comprising one or more of a security credential, a unique identifier, and a utility program enrollment information.

13. The process of claim 9, wherein the smart meter associates one or more devices in the HAN by transmitting client association and security information to the computer processor;

and

wherein the computer processor authenticates the smart meter and the one or more devices using information from the AMI/AMR.

14. The process of claim 9, wherein the computer processor stores data in an AMI/AMR database such that the computer processor does not have to poll the smart meter.

15. The process of claim 9, wherein the smart meter and the computer processor transfer data and utility control information from the utility to the HAN and from the HAN to the utility.

16. A process comprising:

providing a first computer processor to communicate with a smart meter in a home area network (HAN) and to communicate with an advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) and advanced meter reading (AMR) network via an AMI/AMR link; and

providing a second computer processor, wherein the second computer processor receives firmware from the first computer processor, the firmware configured for operating the second computer processor;

wherein the first computer processor is configured to download utility configurations to the second computer processor, the utility configurations comprising one or more of a security credential, a unique identifier, and utility program enrollment information.

17. The process of claim 16, comprising executing in the first computer processor a subset of functions of the smart meter.

18. The process of claim 17, wherein the first computer processor is a centralized processor configured to be coupled to and communicate with a plurality of smart meters;

wherein the subset of functions of the smart meter comprises non-communication functions, and wherein communication functions relate to communications between the smart meter and the AMI/AMR network.

19. The process of claim 16, comprising executing in the second processor a subset of functions of the smart meter, and executing a gateway function coupling an electric utility, a retail electric provider, and the first computer processor.

20. The process of claim 19, wherein the second computer processor is within a network of the retail electric provider.