Communication Gateway for Facilitating Communications With a Supervisory Control and Data Aquisition System

• US 20150082385A1
• Filed: 11/24/2014
• Published: 03/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Maria, Arturo
• Granted Patent: US 10,212,162 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/3
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/24215 Scada supervisory control and data acquisition
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• 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 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports

Abstract

Transfer of data between at least one supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) device and an advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) device via a wireless communication network is facilitated. The data is used for monitoring and/or controlling the AMI device. A protocol conversion of the data is performed to facilitate transfer of the data between the SCADA device and the AMI device as data packets via a packet data network gateway and a wireless communications network.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory comprising instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

receiving, in response to a connection being initiated between the system and a supervisory control and data acquisition device connected to a first network, security information comprising a security profile of the supervisory control and data acquisition device;

provisioning the connection using the security profile; and

initiating, in response to the connection being provisioned, a transfer of data between the supervisory control and data acquisition device and an advanced metering infrastructure device connected to a second network, wherein the transfer of data is performed without traversing the first network.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the security profile comprises a characteristic selected from the group consisting of a connection type supported by the supervisory control and data acquisition device, a protocol type supported by the supervisory control and data acquisition device, and an address of the supervisory control and data acquisition device.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the operation of provisioning the connection comprises using a characteristic selected from the group consisting of a connection type, a protocol type, a source address, a destination address, and a transmission restriction.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise initiating the connection.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the operation of receiving the security information is performed in response to the connection being initiated by the supervisory control and data acquisition device.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the operation of initiating the transfer of data between the supervisory control and data acquisition device and the advanced metering infrastructure device comprises converting a protocol of the data from a first protocol to a second protocol.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein converting the protocol of the data comprises performing a data link layer protocol conversion,

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the second protocol is associated with an Internet protocol suite.

9. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a system comprising a processor, in response to a connection being initiated between the system and a supervisory control and data acquisition device connected to a first network, security information comprising a security profile of the supervisory control and data acquisition device;

provisioning, by the system, the connection using the security profile; and

initiating, by the system, in response to the connection being provisioned, a transfer of data between the supervisory control and data acquisition device and an advanced metering infrastructure device connected to a second network, wherein the transfer of data is performed without traversing the first network

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the security profile comprises a characteristic selected from the group consisting of a connection type supported by the supervisory control and data acquisition device, a protocol type supported by the supervisory control and data acquisition device, and an address of the supervisory control and data acquisition device.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising initiating the connection by the system.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein initiating the transfer of data between the supervisory control and data acquisition device and the advanced metering infrastructure device comprises converting a protocol of the data from a first protocol to a second protocol.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein converting the protocol of the data comprises performing a data link layer protocol conversion.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the second protocol is associated with an Internet protocol suite.

15. A computer-readable storage device comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving, in response to a connection being initiated between the processor and a supervisory control and data acquisition device connected to a first network, security information comprising a security profile of the supervisory control and data acquisition device;

provisioning the connection using the security profile; and

initiating, in response to the connection being provisioned, a transfer of data between the supervisory control and data acquisition device and an advanced metering infrastructure device connected to a second network, wherein the transfer of data is performed without traversing the first network.

16. The computer-readable storage device of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise initiating the connection.

17. The computer-readable storage device of claim 15, wherein the security profile comprises a characteristic selected from the group consisting of a connection type supported by the supervisory control and data acquisition device, a protocol type of the supervisory control and data acquisition device, a source address, a destination address, and a transmission restriction.

18. The computer-readable storage device of claim 15, wherein the operation of initiating the transfer of data between the supervisory control and data acquisition device and the advanced metering infrastructure device comprises converting a protocol of the data from a first protocol to a second protocol.

19. The computer-readable storage device of claim 18, wherein converting the protocol of the data comprises performing a data link layer protocol conversion.

20. The computer-readable storage device of claim 18, wherein the second protocol is associated with an Internet protocol suite.