Performing Demand Reset in a Secure Mobile Network Environment

• US 20140214728A1
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Published: 07/31/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Itron, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Itron, Inc.
• Inventors: Holmdahl, Bret Gregory
• Granted Patent: US 9,817,999 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/412
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/002 Remote reading of utility meters
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/006 Remote reading of utility meters to a non-fixed location, i.e. mobile location
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/72 in cryptographic circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/145 Payments according to the detected use or quantity
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/062 applying encryption of the keys cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution using key encryption key H04L9/0822
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/062 for key distribution, e.g. centrally by trusted party cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving a central third party H04L9/0819
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/40 Support for services or applications
• 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: H04L 9/0825 using asymmetric-key encryption or public key infrastructure [PKI], e.g. key signature or public key certificates
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/10 using a centralized architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/25 using a mesh network, e.g. a public urban network such as public lighting, bus stops or traffic lights
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/40 using a wireless architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/50 using a mobile data collecting device, e.g. walk by or drive by
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/60 for transmitting utility meters data, i.e. transmission of data from the reader of the utility meter
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom
• 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
• 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

Techniques are discussed for performing a demand reset in a wireless meter reading environment, in a manner such that demand data may not be lost. In response to receiving a command from a mobile device of a requester, a meter may store demand value(s) in a log, reset register(s) that store the demand value(s) and wirelessly provide the demand value(s) to the mobile device of the requester. Due to the lack of reliability associated with wireless communications between the meter and a requestor, the requestor may not actually receive the demand value(s). Upon receiving a subsequent command for the demand value(s), the meter may determine that the command is a replay, and provide the demand value(s) without resetting the register(s). Techniques are also discussed for generating the commands, securing the commands, and providing the commands to mobile devices in route packages.

Claims

1. A meter comprising:

a metrology module configured to collect values in one or more registers; and

a communications module configured to;

receive a command in a radio frequency (RF) message;

determine whether or not the command is valid;

determine whether the command is a replay;

in response to determining that the command is valid and that the command is a replay;

retrieve previously stored values, obtained from the one or more registers, from a log; and

transmit an RF response message that includes the previously stored values.

2. The meter recited in claim 1, wherein the values comprise peak load demand information and/or peak load usage information pertaining to a resource measured by the meter.

3. The meter recited in claim 1, wherein:

the command includes a collect demand data request and a reset demand instruction;

in response to determining that the command is not a replay, the reset demand instruction is processed to clear the values in the one or more registers; and

in response to determining that the command is a replay, the reset demand instruction is not processed.

4. The meter recited in claim 1, wherein the communications module is configured to, in response to determining that the command is a replay:

generate a replay indication; and

insert the replay indication into the RF response message prior to transmitting the RF response message.

5. The meter recited in claim 1, wherein the communications module is configured to, in response to determining that the command is not a replay:

obtain the values from the one or more registers;

store the values in the log;

reset the values in the one or more registers; and

transmit an RF response message that includes the values.

6. The meter recited in claim 1, wherein the communications module is configured to compare a tracking identifier (ID) in the command with tracking IDs of previously received commands to determine whether the command is the replay.

7. The meter recited in claim 6, wherein the communications module is configured to, when the tracking ID of the command matches a tracking ID of a previously received command, determine that the command is a replay and not reset the values in the one or more registers.

8. The meter recited in claim 1, wherein the communications module is configured to, in response to determining that the command is not valid:

generate a security failure response; and

transmit an RF response message that includes the security failure response.

9. The meter recited in claim 1, wherein the values comprise peak load demand information or peak load usage information pertaining to a resource measured by the meter prior to a reset of the values in the one or more registers, and the RF response message further includes at least one of:

a status of the reset of the values;

time information corresponding to the reset of the values;

or

a time of occurrence of a time interval associated with the peak load demand information or the peak load usage information.

10. The meter recited in claim 1, wherein the previously stored values are previously stored in the log in response to receiving a previous command that was not determined to be a replay.

11. One or more computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a meter, perform acts comprising:

receiving a command wirelessly from a device, the command requesting one or more values related to peak load demand or peak load usage of a resource;

determining whether or not the command is a replay;

obtaining the one or more requested values from one or more registers or a log of the meter based at least in part on the whether or not the command is the replay; and

transmitting a wireless response message that includes the one or more obtained values.

12. The one or more computer-readable media recited in claim 11, wherein determining whether or not the command is the replay is based at least in part on comparing a tracking identifier (ID) in the command to tracking IDs of previously received commands.

13. The one or more computer-readable media recited in claim 12, wherein:

when the tracking ID of the command does not match a tracking ID of a previously received command, the command is determined to not be the replay and the one or more registers are reset; and

when the tracking ID of the command matches a tracking ID of a previously received command, the command is determined to be the replay and the one or more registers are not reset.

14. The one or more computer-readable media recited in claim 11, the acts further comprising:

in response to determining that the command is not a replay;

copying the one or more values from the one or more registers of the meter to the log;

resetting the one or more registers; and

generating the wireless response message to include the one or more values.

15. The one or more computer-readable media recited in claim 11, the acts further comprising:

in response to determining that the command is a replay;

obtaining the one or more values from the log;

generating a replay indication; and

generating the RF response message to include the one or more values and the replay indication.

16. The one or more computer-readable media recited in claim 11, wherein the resource is measured by the meter.

17. The one or more computer-readable media recited in claim 11, wherein the wireless response message further includes at least one of:

time information corresponding to a resetting of the one or more registers;

or

a time of occurrence of a time interval associated with the peak load demand or the peak load usage of the resource.

18. A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory communicatively coupled to the one or more processors, the memory storing one or more instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform acts comprising;

generating secured commands for a list of meters;

verifying, for a collection cycle, that no two or more identical secured commands for a same meter of the list of meters are generated having different tracking identifiers;

generating route log packages to include routes and at least portions of the secured commands; and

providing the route log packages to one or more wireless mobile devices.

19. The system recited in claim 18, wherein verifying that no two or more identical secured commands for the same meter are generated having different tracking identifiers enables the meter to determine a replay upon receiving two or more of the identical secured commands from the one or more wireless mobile devices.

20. The system recited in claim 18, wherein two or more identical secured commands for the same meter are generated having different tracking identifiers, the two or more identical secured commands causing the meter to reset one or more registers of the meter when each of the two or more identical secured commands are received at the meter.