UTILITY APPLICATION DELIVERY PLATFORM

• US 20140358734A1
• Filed: 05/31/2013
• Published: 12/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2013
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: Itron, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Itron, Inc.
• Inventors: Sehgal, Arun, Votava, Shannon M., Angelis, Bruce
• Granted Patent: US 11,328,344 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/27.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/654 using techniques specially adapted for alterable solid state memories, e.g. for EEPROM or flash memories
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2814 Exchanging control software or macros for controlling appliance services in a home automation network arrangements for maintenance or administration involving configuration of the network and network elements H04L41/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2825 Reporting to a device located outside the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with telemetering systems H04M11/002
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/285 Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators

Abstract

A utility application store may be configured to present an interface displaying multiple applications that are available from the utility application store. By accessing the interface of the utility application store, a utility supplier may, with a single request, initiate installation or activation of an application on multiple utility meters or other smart sensors in a utility communication network. The utility application store may be configured to provide notification of the availability of applications for utility meters or other smart sensors, consumer computing devices, and/or utility supplier back office computing devices. The utility application store may include one or more distributed applications that include a first portion configured for execution by a utility meter and one or more other portions configured for execution by another computing device (e.g., a personal computer, mobile device, utility supplier back office server, cloud service, or the like).

Claims

1. An application store system comprising:

one or more processors;

memory storing instructions executable by the one or more processors to perform operations comprising;

serving an interface to a computing device separate from the application store system, the interface displaying multiple applications that are available for the computing device;

receiving, at the application store system, a request from the computing device to install or activate on one or more smart utility meters an application of the multiple applications that are available for the computing device; and

causing, by the application store system, transmission of the application or a credential to activate the application to the one or more smart utility meters.

2. The application store system of claim 1, wherein the one or more smart utility meters include a predefined subset of a plurality of smart utility meters.

3. The application store system of claim 1, wherein the application store system is administered by a first entity, and wherein the computing device is administered by a second entity different than the first entity and comprises a personal computer, a mobile device, or a utility meter reading device.

4. The application store system of claim 1, the operations further comprising verifying, by the application store system, that a compatible version of the application exists for each of the one or more smart utility meters prior to causing transmission of the application or credential.

5. The application store system of claim 3, wherein the request includes an identifier for each of the one or more smart utility meters, and wherein the verifying that a compatible version of the application exists for the one or more smart utility meters comprises:

determining, from the identifier of each of the one or more smart utility meters, a type of each of the one or more smart utility meters; and

determining whether a compatible version of the application exists for the determined type of each of the one or more smart utility meters.

6. The application store system of claim 1, wherein the causing transmission of the application or the credential to the one or more smart utility meters comprises at least one of:

sending a message including the application or credential, by the application store system, to the one or more smart utility meters via a utility communication network;

or

transmitting the application or credential, by the application store system, to the computing device for distribution to the one or more smart sensors.

7. The application store system of claim 1, the operations further comprising, prior to the causing transmission of the application or credential:

presenting, by the application store system, a price for installation or activation of the application on the one or more smart utility meters; and

receiving, at the application store system, payment or agreement to pay for the installation or activation of the application on the one or more smart utility meters.

8. A method implemented by a first computing resource, the method comprising:

receiving a request from a second computing resource to install or activate an application on one or more smart sensors;

configuring the application or a credential to activate the application for the one or more smart sensors based at least in part on the request; and

causing transmission of the application or the credential to activate the application to the one or more smart sensors.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the one or more smart sensors include one or more utility meters.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the one or more smart sensors include a predefined subset of a plurality of smart sensors.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the application includes instructions to access metrology data collected by the smart sensor.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the first computing resource comprises one or more servers of an application store having multiple applications that are available for installation or activation.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the second computing resource comprises a personal computer, a mobile device, or a utility meter reading device.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the request includes an identifier for each of the one or more smart sensors, and wherein the configuring the application for the one or more smart sensors comprises:

determining, from the identifier of each of the one or more smart sensors, a compatible version of the application for each of the one or more smart sensors.

15. The method of claim 8, wherein the causing transmission of the application or the credential to the one or more smart sensors comprises transmitting the application or the credential to at least one of:

the one or more smart sensors;

or

the second computing resource for distribution to the one or more smart sensors.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the transmitting the application or the credential to the one or more smart sensors comprises sending a message including the application or the credential to the one or more smart sensors via a utility communication network.

17. The method of claim 8, wherein prior to the causing transmission of the application or the credential, the method further comprises at least one of:

preparing the application or credential for transmission to the one or more smart sensors by segmenting the application or credential into multiple segments, compressing the application or credential, and/or encrypting the application or credential;

or

presenting a price for installation or activation of the application on the one or more smart sensors, and receiving payment or agreement to pay for the installation or activation of the application on the one or more smart sensors.

18. The method of claim 8, wherein the first computing resource is administered by a first entity and the second computing resource is administered by a second entity that is different than the first entity.

19. The method of claim 8, further comprising serving, by the first computing resource, an interface displaying multiple applications that are available for download by the second computing resource.

20. The method of claim 8, wherein the application comprises an operating system, an update to an operating system, a software program, an update of a software program, an add-on to a software program, a patch, a plugin, a driver, a firmware image, or a firmware update.

21. One or more computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of an application store service, configure the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

receiving a request from a computing device separate from the application store service to install or activate an application on one or more smart sensors;

presenting a price for installation or activation of the application on the one or more smart sensors;

receiving payment or agreement to pay for the installation or activation of the application on the one or more smart sensors; and

causing transmission of the application or a credential to activate the application to the one or more smart sensors.

22. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 21, wherein at least one of the one or more smart sensors comprises a utility meter.

23. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 21, the operations further comprising storing multiple applications available for download, and storing instructions executable by the one or more processors to serve an interface presenting the multiple applications available for download.

24. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 21, wherein the causing transmission of the application or credential to the one or more smart sensors comprises at least one of:

sending the application or credential to the one or more smart sensors via a utility communication network;

or

transmitting the application or credential to the computing device for distribution to the one or more smart sensors.

25. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 21, wherein the application includes instructions to call an application programming interface to access metrology software of the smart sensor.