Utility meter tamper monitoring system and method
First Claim
1. A method comprising:
- activating a tamper monitoring circuit of a seal configured to securely lock a utility meter through at least one of;
a reception, inside a housing of the seal, of a locking portion,the reception to cause a conductive material of the locking portion to contact a conductive portion of the tamper monitoring circuit to complete an electrical coupling between a power source of the tamper monitoring circuit and the tamper monitoring circuit, anda communication through an external transceiver upon secure locking of the utility meter;
wirelessly transmitting at least one of an identification data and an integrity information associated with at least one of the seal and the utility meter to the external transceiver upon one of activating the tamper monitoring circuit and being queried by the external transceiver following the activation of the tamper monitoring circuit through a transceiver of the tamper monitoring circuit, the transceiver of the tamper monitoring circuit and the external transceiver being configured to securely communicate with each other through a protocol configured to enable the transceiver of the tamper monitoring circuit and the external transceiver to one of wait for a period of time when a channel is busy before attempting to transmit through the channel and transmit using another channel when the channel is busy,wherein the channel signifies a frequency in a frequency band of communication between the transceiver of the tamper monitoring circuit and the external transceiver;
detecting a tamper condition associated with tampering of the seal through the tamper monitoring circuit; and
wirelessly transmitting data associated with the tamper condition to the external transceiver upon one of detecting the tamper condition through the tamper monitoring circuit and being queried by the external transceiver through the transceiver of the tamper monitoring circuit.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method includes activating a tamper monitoring circuit of a security seal configured to securely lock a utility meter. The method also includes wirelessly transmitting an identification data and/or an integrity information associated with the security seal and/or the utility meter to the external transceiver upon activating the tamper monitoring circuit or being queried by the external transceiver through a transceiver of the tamper monitoring circuit. The transceiver of the tamper monitoring circuit and the external transceiver are configured to securely communicate with each other through a secure protocol. Further, the method includes detecting a tamper condition associated with tampering of the security seal through the tamper monitoring circuit, and wirelessly transmitting data associated with the tamper condition to the external transceiver.
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Citations
44 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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activating a tamper monitoring circuit of a seal configured to securely lock a utility meter through at least one of; a reception, inside a housing of the seal, of a locking portion, the reception to cause a conductive material of the locking portion to contact a conductive portion of the tamper monitoring circuit to complete an electrical coupling between a power source of the tamper monitoring circuit and the tamper monitoring circuit, and a communication through an external transceiver upon secure locking of the utility meter; wirelessly transmitting at least one of an identification data and an integrity information associated with at least one of the seal and the utility meter to the external transceiver upon one of activating the tamper monitoring circuit and being queried by the external transceiver following the activation of the tamper monitoring circuit through a transceiver of the tamper monitoring circuit, the transceiver of the tamper monitoring circuit and the external transceiver being configured to securely communicate with each other through a protocol configured to enable the transceiver of the tamper monitoring circuit and the external transceiver to one of wait for a period of time when a channel is busy before attempting to transmit through the channel and transmit using another channel when the channel is busy, wherein the channel signifies a frequency in a frequency band of communication between the transceiver of the tamper monitoring circuit and the external transceiver; detecting a tamper condition associated with tampering of the seal through the tamper monitoring circuit; and wirelessly transmitting data associated with the tamper condition to the external transceiver upon one of detecting the tamper condition through the tamper monitoring circuit and being queried by the external transceiver through the transceiver of the tamper monitoring circuit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A seal comprising:
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a housing; a locking portion configured to securely lock a utility meter through a reception thereof inside the housing; and a tamper monitoring circuit configured to be activated through at least one of the reception of the locking portion inside the housing and a communication through an external transceiver upon secure locking of the utility meter, the tamper monitoring circuit comprising; a transceiver configured to wirelessly transmit at least one of an identification data and an integrity information associated with at least one of the security seal and the associated utility meter to the external transceiver upon one of activating the tamper monitoring circuit and being queried by the external transceiver following the activation of the tamper monitoring circuit, wherein the transceiver of the tamper monitoring circuit and the external transceiver are configured to securely communicate with one another through a protocol configured to enable the transceiver of the tamper monitoring circuit and the external transceiver to one of wait for a period of time when a channel is busy before attempting to transmit through the channel and transmit using another channel when the channel is busy, wherein the channel signifies a frequency in a frequency band of communication between the transceiver of the tamper monitoring circuit and the external transceiver, wherein the tamper monitoring circuit is configured to detect a tamper condition associated with tampering of the security seal, and wherein the transceiver of the tamper monitoring circuit is configured to wirelessly transmit data associated with the tamper condition to the external transceiver upon one of detecting the tamper condition through the tamper monitoring circuit and being queried by the external transceiver. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34)
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35. A tamper monitoring system comprising:
a wireless network comprising a plurality of external transceivers as gateways thereof and a plurality of seals associated with each external transceiver, wherein the plurality of external transceivers is configured such that individual external transceivers communicate data not only between the plurality of seals associated therewith but also between other external transceivers within a mutual radio transmission range, wherein each seal comprises; a housing; a locking portion configured to securely lock a utility meter through a reception thereof inside the housing; and a tamper monitoring circuit configured to be activated through at least one of the reception of the locking portion inside the housing and a communication through the external transceiver associated therewith upon secure locking of the utility meter, the tamper monitoring circuit comprising; a transceiver configured to wirelessly transmit at least one of an identification data and an integrity information associated with at least one of the security seal and the utility meter associated therewith to the external transceiver associated therewith upon one of activating the tamper monitoring circuit and being queried by the external transceiver associated therewith following the activation of the tamper monitoring circuit, wherein the transceiver of the tamper monitoring circuit and the external transceiver associated therewith are configured to securely communicate with one another through a protocol configured to enable the transceiver of the tamper monitoring circuit and the external transceiver associated therewith to one of wait for a period of time when a channel is busy before attempting to transmit through the channel and transmit using another channel when the channel is busy, wherein the channel signifies a frequency in a frequency band of communication between the transceiver of the tamper monitoring circuit and the external transceiver associated therewith, wherein the tamper monitoring circuit is configured to detect a tamper condition associated with tampering of the security seal, and wherein the transceiver of the tamper monitoring circuit is configured to wirelessly transmit data associated with the tamper condition to the external transceiver associated therewith upon one of detecting the tamper condition through the tamper monitoring circuit and being queried by the external transceiver associated therewith. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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41. A resource monitoring system, comprising:
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a physical structure comprising at least one utility meter associated therewith; a computer network; and a utility payment server communicatively coupled with the at least one utility meter associated with the physical structure through the computer network, wherein the at least one utility meter includes a seal configured to securely lock the at least one utility meter and to securely communicate a tamper condition associated with tampering thereof to the utility payment server, wherein the seal comprises a tamper monitoring circuit configured to be activated through at least one of a reception of a locking portion inside a housing of the seal and a communication through an external transceiver associated with the utility payment server upon secure locking of the at least one utility meter, wherein a transceiver of the tamper monitoring circuit and the external transceiver associated with the utility payment server are configured to securely communicate with one another through a protocol configured to enable the transceiver of the tamper monitoring circuit and the external transceiver to one of wait for a period of time when a channel is busy before attempting to transmit through the channel and transmit using another channel when the channel is busy, and wherein the channel signifies a frequency in a frequency band of communication between the transceiver of the tamper monitoring circuit and the external transceiver. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44)
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Specification