Utility network interface device configured to detect and report abnormal operating condition
First Claim
1. A utility network interface device comprising:
- a memory unit having recorded therein a software component including at least one executable operation of the utility network interface device for communicating with at least one of an associated utility meter and a node in a wireless utility network;
a control unit configured to execute the software component and to detect a tampering with the software component recorded in the memory unit; and
a notification unit configured to output, external to the utility meter, a visual indication constituting notification of the tampering detected by the control unit,wherein the control unit is configured to automatically control the notification unit to output the external notification of the tampering in response to the detection of the tampering.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A utility network interface device is provided for operation with a utility network. The utility network interface device includes a control unit configured to detect a tampering with a software component of a utility meter with which the utility network interface device is associated. The utility network interface device also includes a notification unit configured to output, external to the utility meter, a visual indication constituting notification of the tampering detected by the control unit. The control unit is configured to automatically control the notification unit to output the external notification of the tampering in response to the detection of the tampering. Also provided are a utility network including the utility network interface device, a method of operating a utility network interface device, and a computer-readable recording medium having a computer program recorded thereon for operating a utility network interface device.
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Citations
32 Claims
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1. A utility network interface device comprising:
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a memory unit having recorded therein a software component including at least one executable operation of the utility network interface device for communicating with at least one of an associated utility meter and a node in a wireless utility network; a control unit configured to execute the software component and to detect a tampering with the software component recorded in the memory unit; and a notification unit configured to output, external to the utility meter, a visual indication constituting notification of the tampering detected by the control unit, wherein the control unit is configured to automatically control the notification unit to output the external notification of the tampering in response to the detection of the tampering. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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5. A utility network interface device comprising:
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a control unit configured to detect a tampering with a software component of a utility meter with which the utility network interface device is associated; and a notification unit configured to output, external to the utility meter, a visual indication constituting notification of the tampering detected by the control unit, wherein; the control unit is configured to automatically control the notification unit to output the external notification of the tampering in response to the detection of the tampering; the notification unit includes an indicator device configured to visually display the tampering notification; the indicator device is configured to display a representation of the tampering notification according to a predetermined pattern of illumination; the control unit is configured to detect a plurality of different types of tampering; and the control unit is configured to control the indicator device to illuminate the indicator device according to a plurality of unique patterns each being respectively associated with one of the plurality of different types of tampering. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9)
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11. A utility network interface device comprising:
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a control unit configured to detect a tampering with a software component of a utility meter with which the utility network interface device is associated; and a notification unit configured to output, external to the utility meter, a visual indication constituting notification of the tampering detected by the control unit, wherein; the control unit is configured to automatically control the notification unit to output the external notification of the tampering in response to the detection of the tampering; the notification unit is an indicator device configured to visually display the tampering notification; and the indicator device is configured to display an alphanumeric representation of the tampering detected by the control unit on the digital display.
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17. A utility network interface device comprising:
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a control unit configured to detect a tampering with a software component of a utility meter with which the utility network interface device is associated; and a notification unit configured to output, external to the utility meter, a visual indication constituting notification of the tampering detected by the control unit, wherein; the control unit is configured to automatically control the notification unit to output the external notification of the tampering in response to the detection of the tampering; the utility network interface device comprises a memory unit having record therein tampering type data respectively representing different types of detectable tampering; the control unit is configured to, in response to the detection of tampering; determine which one of three modes of communication is to be utilized for transmitting the notification of the detected tampering, based on the detected tampering and the tampering type data recorded in the memory unit; generate a notification signal containing data representative of the tampering notification, an identification of the utility network interface device, and a destination address of at least one node in a utility network of which the utility network interface device is a member, according to one of the three modes of communication, in which in a first mode among the three modes, the destination address is a communication station of a utility provider, in a second mode among the three modes, the destination address is a specific neighboring node of the utility network, and in a third mode among the three nodes, the destination address is any node in the utility network; and automatically control the notification unit to transmit the generated notification signal to the destination address contained in the notification signal.
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18. A utility network interface device comprising:
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a memory unit having recorded therein a first software component including at least one executable operation of the utility network interface device for communicating with at least one of an associated first utility meter and a node in a wireless utility network; a control unit configured to execute the first software component recorded in the memory unit, and to recognize tampering with the first software component recorded in the memory unit, and a second software component executable by another utility network interface device with which the first utility meter is configured to communicate over a network; and a notification unit configured to output, external to the first utility meter, notification of the recognized tampering of the at least one of the of the first and second software components respectively associated with the first utility meter and the second utility meter, wherein the control unit is configured to automatically control the notification unit to output the external notification of the tampering in response to the recognition of the tampering. - View Dependent Claims (19, 21)
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20. A utility network interface device comprising:
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a control unit configured to recognize tampering with a respective software component of at least one of a first utility meter with which the utility network interface device is associated, and a second utility meter with which the first utility meter is configured to communicate over a network; and a notification unit configured to output, external to the first utility meter, notification of the recognized tampering of the at least one of the of the first utility meter and the second utility meter, wherein; the control unit is configured to automatically control the notification unit to output the external notification of the tampering in response to the recognition of the tampering; the notification unit includes a transceiver; and the control unit is configured to cause the transceiver to transmit a notification signal to a node in a network of which the utility network interface device is a member, in response to the control unit recognizing a tampering with a software component of the second utility meter, the notification signal contains data representative of the tampering notification and an identification of the second utility meter the node in the network is a device selected from the group consisting of another utility network interface device which is a member of the network, a communication station of the utility provider, and an access point constituting an interface between the first utility meter and the communication station of the utility provider.
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22. A utility network interface device comprising:
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a control unit configured to recognize tampering with a respective software component of at least one of a first utility meter with which the utility network interface device is associated, and a second utility meter with which the first utility meter is configured to communicate over a network; and a notification unit configured to output, external to the first utility meter, notification of the recognized tampering of the at least one of the of the first utility meter and the second utility meter, wherein; the control unit is configured to automatically control the notification unit to output the external notification of the tampering in response to the recognition of the tampering; the notification unit includes at least one indicator device configured to display a representation of the tampering notification according to a predetermined pattern of illuminating the at least one indicator device, and a transceiver configured to transmit a notification signal having data representative of the tampering notification to a node in a network of which the utility network interface device is a member; the control unit, in response to recognizing a tampering with a software component of the first utility meter, is configured to control the notification unit to illuminate the at least one indicator device according to a pattern associated with a type of the tampering with first utility meter recognized by the control unit; and the control unit, in response to recognizing tampering with a software component of the second utility meter, is configured to cause the transceiver to transmit a notification signal, which contains data representative of the tampering notification and an identification of the second utility meter, to a node in a network of which the utility network interface device is a member. - View Dependent Claims (23)
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24. A utility network interface device associated with a first utility meter, the utility network interface device comprising:
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a memory unit having recorded therein a first software component including at least one executable operation of the utility network interface device for communicating with at least one of the first utility meter with which the utility network interface device is associated, and at least one second utility meter arranged in a network with the first utility meter; a communication unit configured to communicate with the at least one second utility meter; a control unit configured to detect a tampering with an operating condition of the second utility meter based on a communication transmitted from the second utility meter that is indicative of a compromised second software component executable in the second utility meter; and a notification unit configured to transmit, external to the first utility meter, notification of the tampering detected in the second utility meter, wherein the control unit is configured to automatically control the notification unit to transmit the external notification of the tampering in response to the detection of the tampering. - View Dependent Claims (25)
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26. A utility network interface device associated with a first utility meter, the utility network interface device comprising:
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a communication unit configured to communicate with at least one second utility meter arranged in a network with the first utility meter, with which the utility network interface device is associated; a control unit configured to detect a tampering with an operating condition of the second utility meter based on a communication transmitted from the second utility meter that is indicative of a compromised software component of the second utility meter; and a notification unit configured to transmit, external to the first utility meter, notification of the tampering detected in the second utility meter, wherein; the control unit is configured to automatically control the notification unit to transmit the external notification of the tampering in response to the detection of the tampering; the notification unit includes a transceiver; the control unit is configured to cause the transceiver to transmit a notification signal to a node in the network, in response to the control unit detecting a tampering with the operating condition of the second utility meter; the notification signal contains data representative of the tampering notification and an identification of the second utility meter; and the node in the network is a device selected from the group consisting of another utility network interface device which is a member of the network, a communication station of the utility provider, and an access point constituting an interface between the first utility meter and the communication station of the utility provider.
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27. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having a computer non-transitory program recorded thereon that causes a computer processing unit of a utility network interface device to perform operations comprising:
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executing a software component recorded in a memory unit of the utility network interface device, the software component including at least one executable operation of the utility network interface device for communicating with at least one of an associated utility meter and a node in a wireless utility network; detecting a tampering with the software component recorded in the memory unit; and automatically outputting, external to the utility meter, a visual indication constituting notification of the detected tampering, in response to the detection of the tampering. - View Dependent Claims (28)
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29. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having a computer non-transitory program recorded thereon that causes a computer processing unit of a utility network interface device to perform operations comprising:
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detecting a tampering with a software component of a utility meter with which the utility network interface device is associated; and automatically outputting, external to the utility meter, a visual indication constituting notification of the detected tampering, in response to the detection of the tampering, wherein; the computer program causes the computer processing unit to, in response to the detection of the tampering, cause at least one indicator device to display a representation of the tampering notification according to a predetermined pattern of illuminating the at least one indicator device based on a type of the tampering detected; and types of tampering detectable by the computer processing unit include (i) a corrupted or insecure software image executed by or to be executed by the computer processing unit, (ii) a corruption of a security key with which the utility network interface device is enabled to communicate with a node in a network of which the utility meter is a member, and (iii) notification of a corruption of a software component of the utility network interface device by another node in the network.
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30. A method of operating a utility network interface device, the method comprising:
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recording, in a memory unit of the utility network interface device, a software component including at least one executable operation of the utility network interface device for communicating with at least one of an associated utility meter and a node in a wireless utility network; executing the software component recorded in the memory unit; detecting a tampering with the software component recorded in the memory unit; and automatically outputting, external to the utility meter, a visual indication constituting notification of the detected tampering, in response to the detection of the tampering. - View Dependent Claims (31)
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32. A method of operating a utility network interface device, the method comprising:
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detecting a tampering with a software component of a utility meter with which the utility network interface device is associated; and automatically outputting, external to the utility meter, a visual indication constituting notification of the detected tampering, in response to the detection of the tampering; displaying, via at least one indicator device, in response to the detection of the tampering, a representation of the tampering notification according to a predetermined pattern of illuminating the at least one indicator device based on a type of tampering detected, wherein types of tampering detectable by the computer processing unit include (i) a corrupted or insecure software image executed by or to be executed by the computer processing unit, (ii) a corruption of a security key with which the utility network interface device is enabled to communicate with a node in a network of which the utility meter is a member, and (iii) notification of a corruption of a software component of the utility network interface device by another node in the network.
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Specification