Device and method for facilitating secure communications over a cellular network

• US 8,856,323 B2
• Filed: 02/09/2012
• Issued: 10/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trilliant Holdings, Inc. (Trilliant Networks Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Trilliant Holdings, Inc. (Trilliant Networks Incorporated)
• Inventors: Enns, Frederick, Veillette, Michel, Frei, Randy
• Primary Examiner(s): Won, Michel Y
• Application Number:
  US13/369,520
• Publication Number:
  US 20120209951A1
• Time in Patent Office: 971 Days
• Field of Search: 709/224
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/004 Remote reading of utility meters to a fixed location
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00 Circuit arrangements for providing remote indication of network conditions, e.g. an instantaneous record of the open or closed condition of each circuitbreaker in the network; Circuit arrangements for providing remote control of switching means in a power distribution network, e.g. switching in and out of current consumers by using a pulse code signal carried by the network
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/14 The load or loads being home appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/28 characterised by path configuration, e.g. LAN [Local Area Networks] or WAN [Wide Area Networks] wireless communication networks H04W ; arrangements for dividing the transmission path H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2834 Switching of information between an external network and a home network access arrangements H04L12/2856
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/082 the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0442 wherein the sending and receiving network entities apply asymmetric encryption, i.e. different keys for encryption and decryption cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for public-key encryption H04L9/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5651 Reducing the amount or size of exchanged application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/164 Adaptation or special uses of UDP protocol
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/169 Special adaptations of TCP, UDP or IP for interworking of IP based networks with other networks protocols for interworking, protocol conversion H04L69/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/28 Timers or timing mechanisms used in protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/38 for collecting sensor information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/00 Power management, e.g. TPC [Transmission Power Control], power saving or power classes gain control in transmitters or power amplifiers H03G3/3042
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/30 : Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for improving the carbon footprint of the management of residential or tertiary loads, i.e. smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the buildings sector, including also the last stages of power distribution and the control, monitoring or operating management systems at local level
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/3225 : Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 90/20 : Smart grids as enabling technology in buildings sector smart grids supporting the management or operation of end-user stationary applications in general, or like technologies with no associated climate change mitigation effect Y04S20/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 : Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/222 : Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/242 : Home appliances
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/30 : Smart metering, e.g. specially adapted for remote reading
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/00 : Systems for electrical power generation, transmission, distribution or end-user application management characterised by the use of communication or information technologies, or communication or information technology specific aspects supporting them
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/18 : Network protocols supporting networked applications, e.g. including control of end-device applications over a network

Abstract

A process for communicating utility-related data over at least one network is described. the process includes: collecting utility-related data at a hub device during a first predetermined period of time; securing the utility-related data at the hub device using digital envelopes during the first predetermined period of time; initiating by the hub device an autonomous wake up process during a second predetermined period of time; sending the secure utility-related data over a first network to a designated server via at least one User Datagram protocol (“UDP”) message during the second predetermined period of time; and receiving an acknowledgement of receipt message of the at least one UDP message from the designated server; wherein the first and second predetermined periods of time typically do not overlap, but may overlap.

Claims

1. A process for communicating utility-related data over at least one network comprising:

collecting utility-related data at a hub device during a first predetermined period of time;

securing the utility-related data at the hub device using digital envelopes during the first predetermined period of time;

initiating by the hub device an autonomous wake up process during a second predetermined period of time;

sending the secure utility-related data over a first network to a designated server via at least one User Datagram protocol (UDP) message during the second predetermined period of time; and

receiving an acknowledgement of receipt message of the at least one UDP message from the designated server, wherein the hub device sends multiple UDP messages in a single bulk push to the designated server during the second predetermined period of time and wherein each of the multiple UDP messages includes a header having a code therein for facilitating sorting of each of the multiple UDP messages into predetermined storage buckets by the designated server during the second predetermined time period.

2. The process according to claim 1, wherein the hub device receives the utility-related data from at least one dwelling device.

3. The process to claim 2, wherein the hub device and the at least one dwelling device are a single device.

4. The process according to claim 2, wherein the hub device is not located within the dwelling.

5. The process according to claim 1, wherein the first and second determined periods of time do not overlap.

6. The process according to claim 1, wherein the first and second predetermined periods of time at least partially overlap.

7. The process according to claim 1, wherein the designated server processes each of the multiple UDP messages to retrieve utility-related data at a third predetermined time period, wherein the second and third predetermined time periods do not overlap.

8. The process according to claim 1, wherein the designated server processes each of the multiple UDP messages in the predetermined storage buckets to retrieve utility-related data at a third predetermined time period, wherein the second and third predetermined time periods do not overlap.

9. The process according to claim 1, wherein the designated server processes each of the multiple UDP messages in the predetermined storage buckets to retrieve utility-related data at a third predetermined time period, wherein the second and third predetermined time periods at least partially overlap.

10. The process according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined storage buckets include at least two of an electricity usage message bucket, a gas usage message bucket, an electricity generation message bucket, and an alarm message bucket.

11. The process according to claim 1, wherein the header is secured with integrity protection and a non-header portion of each of the multiple UDP messages is secured with both integrity protection and privacy encryption.

12. The process according to claim 1, wherein the first network is a wide area network (WAN).

13. The process according to claim 1, wherein the first network is a cellular network.

14. The process according to claim 1, wherein the acknowledgement of receipt message is a UDP message.

15. The process to claim 1, wherein the designated server processes the at least one UDP message to retrieve utility data at a third predetermined time period, wherein the second and third predetermined time periods do not overlap.

16. The process according to claim 1, wherein securing the utility data further comprises securing a first part of the at least one UDP message with integrity protection and securing a second part of the at least one UDP message with both integrity protection and privacy encryption.

17. The process according to claim 16, wherein the first part of the last one UDP message includes a reason code for facilitating sorting of the at least one UDP message by the designated server into one of multiple predetermined storage buckets and the second part of the at least one UDP message includes the utility-related data.

18. The process according to claim 1, wherein the acknowledgment of receipt message from the designated server includes clock synchronization information.

19. The process according to claim 1, wherein the designated server sends periodic clock synchronization messages to the hub device.

20. The process according to claim 1, wherein utility-related data includes one or more of utility meter reading data, utility meter alarm data and firmware upgrade status data.

21. A process for communicating utility-related data over at least one network comprising:

collecting utility-related data from a first network at a hub device during a first predetermined period of time;

securing the utility-related data at the hub device using digital envelopes during the first predetermined period of time;

initiating by the hub device an autonomous wake up process during a second predetermined period of time;

sending the secure utility-related data from the hub device over a second network to a designated server via at least one User Datagram protocol (UDP) message during the second predetermined period of time; and

receiving an acknowledgement of receipt message of the at least one UDP message from the designated server, wherein the hub device sends multiple UDP messages in a single bulk push to the designated server during the second predetermined period of time and wherein each of the multiple UDP messages includes a header having a code therein for facilitating sorting of each of the multiple UDP messages into predetermined storage buckets by the designated server during the second predetermined time period.

22. The process according to claim 21, wherein the hub device receives the utility-related data from at least one reporting device on the first network.

23. The process according to claim 22, wherein the hub device and the at least one reporting device are a single device.

24. The process according to claim 22, wherein the hub device is not located on the first network.

25. The process according to claim 22, wherein the at least one reporting device is selected from the group consisting of electricity meter, gas meter and in-home device (IHD).

26. The process according to claim 21, wherein the first and second predetermined periods of time do not overlap.

27. The process according to claim 21, wherein the first and second predetermined periods of time at least partially overlap.

29. The process according to claim 21, wherein the designated server processes each of the multiple UDP messages to retrieve utility-related data at a third predetermined time period, wherein the second and third predetermined time periods do not overlap.

30. The process according to claim 21, wherein the designated server processes each of the multiple UDP messages in the predetermined storage buckets to retrieve utility-related data at a third predetermined time period, wherein the second and third predetermined time periods do not overlap.

31. The process according to claim 21, wherein the header is secured with integrity protection and a non-header portion of each of the multiple UDP messages is secured with both integrity protection and privacy encryption.

32. The process according to claim 21, wherein the acknowledgment of receipt message from the designated server includes clock synchronization information.

33. The process according to claim 21, wherein the designated server sends periodic clock synchronization messages to the hub device.

34. The process according to claim 21, wherein utility-related data includes one or more of utility meter reading data, utility meter alarm data and firmware upgrade data.

28. The process 21, wherein the second network is a cellular network.

35. A system for communicating utility data over a wide area network (WAN) comprising:

means for collecting utility data;

means for securing the utility data using digital envelopes;

means for sending the secure utility data over a WAN via at least one UDP message;

means for receiving the secure utility data;

means for receiving an acknowledgement of receipt of the at least one UDP message from the means for receiving the secure utility data;

means for receiving clock synchronization information; and

means for retransmitting secure utility data that is not acknowledged,

wherein the means for sending the secure utility data over a WAN via at least one UDP message, sends multiple UDP messages in a single bulk push to the designated server during the second predetermined period of time and wherein each of the multiple UDP messages includes a header having a code therein for facilitating sorting of each of the multiple UDP messages into predetermined storage buckets by the designated server during the second predetermined time period.