Measurement device, particularly energy counter and method for recognition of manipulations

• US 8,949,055 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2009
• Issued: 02/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: iAd Gesellschaft Automatisierung und Datenverarbeitungs GmbH
• Original Assignee: IAD Gesellschaft Fur Informatik Automatisierung und Datenverarbeitung mbH
• Inventors: Hampel, Hermann, Bumiller, Gerd
• Primary Examiner(s): Breene, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bloss, Stephanie
• Application Number:
  US13/130,088
• Publication Number:
  US 20110224935A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,903 Days
• Field of Search: 702/85, 702/61, 705/63
• US Class Current: 702/85
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/004 Remote reading of utility meters to a fixed location
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/60 Digital content management, e.g. content distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/805 Lightweight hardware, e.g. radio-frequency identification [RFID] or sensor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3247 involving digital signatures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3297 involving time stamps, e.g. generation of time stamps
• 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: Y04S 20/30 Smart metering, e.g. specially adapted for remote reading
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/20 Information technology specific aspects, e.g. CAD, simulation, modelling, system security

Abstract

A measurement device, which communicates data to at least one system, and which has the capability of identifying measurement data returned by the system via the data communication as its own, and the capability to rule out manipulation of measurement values without use of a public or non-personal key. The measurement device includes at least an encryption and/or signature encoder that supplies information including a validity and reliability identifier for inspecting the integrity of the data, and compiles said information into a current data set and transfers it to at least said communication interface for transfer, and at least an encryption and/or signature decoder that inspects data sets returned via the communication interface using one or more keys in memory for integrity of data content and identification of the measurement device and, upon successful inspection of this data, supplies said data for further processing, evaluating or displaying.

Claims

1. A measurement device (EZ), for communicating with components (SK) of at least one system, which includes a memory (SM) for storing measurement data and which is configured to obtain time information from a time reference (ZR), which comprises said measurement device (EZ) comprising:

at least a communication interface (KSS) for bidirectional data communication with the system,

at least one sensor (S) for determining energy measured values or counts,

at least a measuring module (M), which assigns measurement signals to energy measured values or counts supplied by the at least one sensor (S),

at least a measurement value memory (MS) for a measurement value, said measurement value being the last determined energy measured value or count,

a time module (Z) for supplying a time stamp for the last determined energy measured value or count,

at least a time stamp memory (ZS) for the time stamp,

at least a time adjustment module (ZA), which is configured to check and adjust the time reference, (ZR) offered by said communication interface (KSS), which was received from the system, to a local time of the time module (Z),

at least an identification memory (IS) for an identification assigned to said measurement device (EZ),

at least a key memory (SS) for one or more keys required for encrypting and/or signing, said keys not being public or non-personal keys and not being keys for key management by a trusted authority,

at least an encryption and/or signature encoder (VSK) that supplies, using the one or more keys in said key memory (SS), information offered to the identification memory (IS), measurement value memory (MS) and time stamp memory (ZS), including a validity and reliability identifier having information for inspecting data integrity, and compiles said information into a current data set and transfers it to at least said communication interface (KSS) for transfer, wherein only one part of a last data set or its content is saved in the measurement device (EZ),

at least an encryption and/or signature decoder (VSD) that inspects, without key management by a trusted authority, data sets returned via the communication interface (KSS) using the one or more keys in said key memory (SS) for data integrity and identification of the measurement device (EZ) and, upon successful inspection, supplies said data sets for further processing, evaluating or displaying, and

a management device with program memory for at least managing an indicator (A) configured to display the measurement value in response to a user-controlled query

wherein the measurement device (EZ) has the capability of identifying measurement data provided from the system via the communication interface (KSS) as its own, and the capability of ruling out manipulation of measurement values without use of public or non-personal keys and keys for key management by a trusted authority.

2. The measurement device according to claim 1, wherein said measurement device (EZ) further comprises a customer interface (KSK), said customer interface (KSK) being configured to hand over data sets checked for data integrity and identification to a client apparatus (KG), which has its own display (KA), or to another apparatus that possesses a monitor.

3. The measurement device according to claim 1, wherein a serial number or a property number is stored in said identification memory (IS).

4. The measurement device according to claim 1, wherein said time module (Z) leads the local time and a date.

5. The measurement device according to claim 1, a world time UTC coordinated by time institutes is used as time reference (ZR).

6. The measurement device according to claim 5, wherein the world time UTC coordinated by time institutes is the UTC (PTB) of the Physical-Technical Federal Institution (Germany).

7. A method for the recognition of manipulations with a measurement device (EZ) without use of public or non-personal keys or key management by a trusted authority, which was approved and/or calibrated, comprising the following method steps:

generating data packets in the measurement device (EZ) containing at least an identification (IS), a time value (ZS), a measurement value (MS) and a key (SS),

handing over the data packets to a system or components (SK) of the system, which was not approved and/or was not calibrated, said system or components (SK) storing (SM) and delivering back the data packets or relevant parts on request of the measurement value (MS) to the measurement device (EZ),

storing the data packets or relevant parts which were delivered back to the measurement device (EZ) from said system or components (SK) and were not previously stored in the measurement device (EZ),

validating with proven safety by the measurement device (EZ), and not by a trusted authority, the data packets or relevant parts, supplied by said system or components (SK) of said system, on the basis of the key (SS) and a signature if data of the data packets or relevant parts was not modified and came from said measurement device (EZ), said key not being a public or non-personal key and not being a key used for key management by a trusted authority, and

displaying measurement values on an indicator (A) associated with a management device and program memory in response to a user-controlled query wherein said measurement values displayed on the indicator (A) were approved and/or calibrated, with the same confidence status as measurement values, which did not leave said measurement device (EZ).

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the successful tested data are provided at an interface (KSK) of said measurement device (EZ) for further processing or evaluation or displaying (A).

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein a Network Time Protocol NTP is used for transmission of a time reference (ZR) of the system over a public network to the measurement device (EZ).

10. The method according to claim 7, wherein the measurement device is an energy counter (EZ).

11. The method according to claim 7, further comprising providing a user-controlled query of measurement values that can be made by a customer interface (KSK) of said measurement device (EZ) and/or by a push button or by a communication/control module (COM) or by a MUC (Multi utility Communication) of said measurement device (EZ).