TRUSTED AND PRIVACY-PRESERVING MECHANISM FOR ELECTRICITY USAGE DATA DISCLOSURE USING VERIFIABLE NOISE

• US 20150324604A1
• Filed: 05/09/2014
• Published: 11/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: MASHIMA, Daisuke, ROY, Arnab
• Granted Patent: US 9,703,963 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/60 Protecting data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/602 Providing cryptographic facilities or services
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/62 Protecting access to data via a platform, e.g. using keys or access control rules
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/003 for power analysis, e.g. differential power analysis [DPA] or simple power analysis [SPA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/321 involving a third party or a trusted authority
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3247 involving digital signatures

Abstract

A method of energy usage data privacy preservation is described. The method includes downloading energy usage data and a signature from a repository. The method includes determining whether the signature is that of a utility. When the signature is not that of the utility, the method includes rejecting the energy usage data. When the signature is that of the utility, the method includes generating noisy data, encrypting a message-signature pair, constructing a proof, and communicating the noisy data, the encrypted message-signature pair, and the proof to a third party. The noisy data is generated by adding random noise to the energy usage data. The message-signature pair includes the energy usage data and a verified signature. The proof is configured to establish that the encrypted message-signature pair and the noisy data are members of a corresponding proof language.

Claims

1. A method of energy usage data privacy preservation, the method comprising:

downloading energy usage data and a signature from a repository;

determining whether the signature is that of a utility;

rejecting the energy usage data when the signature is not that of the utility; and

when the signature is that of the utility;

generating noisy data by adding random noise to the energy usage data;

encrypting a message-signature pair that includes the energy usage data and a verified signature;

constructing a proof configured to establish that the encrypted message-signature pair and the noisy data are members of a corresponding proof language; and

communicating the noisy data, the encrypted message-signature pair, and the proof to a third party.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving input effective to select a noise bound, wherein:

the noise bound is quantified as a portion of the energy usage data; and

the random noise added to the energy usage data is configured to vary the energy usage data by an amount less than the noise bound.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein:

the noise bound is defined according to a noise bound equation;

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving an offer from the third party that includes an incentive to reduce the noise bound; and

re-generating the noisy data based on a second noise bound in exchange for the incentive.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the proof includes a non-interactive zero knowledge (NIZK) proof; and

the corresponding proof language includes a specifically-configured language that belongs to a class of non-deterministic polynomial time (NP) languages (designed NP language).

6. The method of claim 5, wherein:

the designed NP language is defined according to a designed NP language expression;

7. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the signature is generated using an existentially unforgeable signature scheme; and

the encrypting is performed using a secure encryption scheme that satisfies one or more provable security properties.

8. A method of demand response (DR) event implementation comprising:

communicating a curtailment request of a DR event to a customer;

requesting energy usage data of the customer during the DR event following the DR event;

receiving noisy data, an encrypted message-signature pair, and a proof, the noisy data including energy usage data with random noise;

determining whether the proof is a valid proof of an expression stating that the noisy data and the encrypted message-signature pair are members of a corresponding proof language; and

when the proof is a valid proof of the expression;

accepting the noisy data as the requested energy usage data; and

evaluating compliance of the customer with the DR event based at least partially on the noisy data.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising suspending a DR transaction with the customer when the proof is not a valid proof of the expression.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising communicating an offer to the customer to decrease a noise bound used to generate the noisy data in exchange for a particular incentive.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising providing to the customer a privacy setting tool configured to receive input from the customer that is effective to select a privacy preference that corresponds to a noise bound used to generate the noisy data.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein:

the proof includes a non-interactive zero knowledge (NIZK) proof; and

the corresponding proof language includes a specifically-configured language that belongs to a class of non-deterministic polynomial time (NP) languages (designed NP language).

13. The method of claim 12, wherein:

the designed NP language is defined according to a designed NP language expression;

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the DR event is implemented according to a capacity bidding program (CBP) or a demand bidding program (DBP).

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having encoded therein programming code executable by a processor to perform operations comprising:

downloading energy usage data and a signature from a repository;

determining whether the signature is that of a utility;

rejecting the energy usage data when the signature is not that of the utility; and

when the signature is that of the utility;

generating noisy data by adding random noise to the energy usage data;

encrypting a message-signature pair that includes the energy usage data and a verified signature;

constructing a proof configured to establish that the encrypted message-signature pair and the noisy data are members of a corresponding proof language; and

communicating the noisy data, the encrypted message-signature pair, and the proof to a third party.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein:

the operations further comprise receiving user input effective to select a noise bound;

the noise bound is quantified as a portion of the energy usage data; and

the random noise added to the energy usage data is configured to vary the energy usage data by an amount less than the noise bound.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein:

the noise bound is defined according to a noise bound equation;

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving an offer from the third party that includes an incentive to reduce the noise bound; and

re-generating the noisy data based on a second noise bound in exchange for the incentive.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein:

the proof includes a non-interactive zero knowledge (NIZK) proof; and

the corresponding proof language includes a specifically-configured language that belongs to a class of non-deterministic polynomial time (NP) languages (designed NP language).

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein:

the designed NP language is defined according to a designed NP language expression;

21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein:

the signature is generated using an existentially unforgeable signature scheme; and

the encrypting is performed using a secure encryption scheme that satisfies one or more provable security properties.

22. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having encoded therein programming code executable by a processor to perform operations comprising:

communicating a curtailment request of a DR event to a customer;

requesting energy usage data of the customer during the DR event following the DR event;

receiving noisy data, an encrypted message-signature pair, and a proof, the noisy data including energy usage data with random noise;

determining whether the proof is a valid proof of an expression stating that the noisy data and the encrypted message-signature pair are members of a corresponding proof language; and

when the proof is a valid proof of the expression;

accepting the noisy data as the requested energy usage data; and

evaluating compliance of the customer with the DR event based at least partially on the noisy data.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the operations further comprise suspending a DR transaction with the customer when the proof is not a valid proof of the expression.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the operations further comprise communicating an offer to the customer to decrease a noise bound used to generate the noisy data in exchange for a particular incentive.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the operations further comprise providing to the customer a privacy setting tool configured to receive input from the customer that is effective to select a privacy preference that corresponds to a noise bound used to generate the noisy data.

26. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein:

the proof includes a non-interactive zero knowledge (NIZK) proof; and

the corresponding proof language includes a specifically-configured language that belongs to a class of non-deterministic polynomial time (NP) languages (designed NP language).

27. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 26, wherein:

the designed NP language is defined according to a designed NP language expression;

28. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the DR event is implemented according to a capacity bidding program (CBP) or a demand bidding program (DBP).