Packet header protection for utility networks

• US 9,231,732 B2
• Filed: 10/07/2013
• Issued: 01/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Inventors: Zhang, Yumin, Qiu, Wenxun, Schmidl, Timothy Mark, Batra, Anuj
• Primary Examiner(s): MCMAHON, DANIEL F
• Application Number:
  US14/047,021
• Publication Number:
  US 20150100856A1
• Time in Patent Office: 820 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0709 in a distributed system consisting of a plurality of standalone computer nodes, e.g. clusters, client-server systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0763 by bit configuration check, e.g. of formats or tags
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0793 Remedial or corrective actions recovery from an exception in an instruction pipeline G06F9/3861; by retry G06F11/1402; for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity H04L69/40
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1004 to protect a block of data words, e.g. CRC or checksum G06F11/1076 takes precedence; security arrangements for protecting computers or computer systems against unauthorized activity G06F21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1402 Saving, restoring, recovering or retrying
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3006 where the computing system is distributed, e.g. networked systems, clusters, multiprocessor systems multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46; allocation of resources G06F9/50
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 13/09 Error detection only, e.g. using cyclic redundancy check [CRC] codes or single parity bit
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0041 Arrangements at the transmitter end
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0045 Arrangements at the receiver end
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0053 specially adapted for power saving
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0061 Error detection codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0072 Error control for data other than payload data, e.g. control data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0075 Transmission of coding parameters to receiver H04L1/0023 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0079 Formats for control data H04L1/16 takes precedence; training sequences H04L25/00 and H04L27/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0083 Formatting with frames or packets; Protocol or part of protocol for error control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/22 Parsing or analysis of headers

Abstract

A networking device includes a packet header protect generator, a transmitter, a receiver, a decoder and router. The transmitter transmits a data packet to the receiver. The data packet includes a data packet header. The packet header protection generator is arranged to toggle selected bits of a protected portion of the data packet header and generate a data integrity signature. The receiver receives the data packet and generates a received data integrity signature. The decoder computes a locally computed data integrity signature in response to the protected portion of the received data packet header. The locally computed data integrity signature is compared with the received data integrity signature. The router selects a portion of a routing path in response to whether a data packet forwarding destination includes a decoder arranged to compute a locally computed data integrity signature.

Claims

1. A networking device, comprising:

a transmitter that is arranged to transmit a data packet to a receiver, the data packet including a data packet header; and

a packet header protection generator that is arranged to toggle selected bits of a protected portion of the data packet header and to generate a data integrity signature in response to the protected portion of the data packet header, wherein the data integrity signature is included in an initial portion of the data packet, and wherein the data integrity signature is arranged to allow determination of at least one error in the protected portion of the data packet header;

a receiver that is arranged to receive the data packet having a received data integrity signature generated in response to the protected portion of the received data packet header, wherein the protected portion of the received data packet header includes selectively toggled bits; and

a decoder that is arranged to compute a locally computed data integrity signature in response to the protected portion of the received data packet header, is arranged to compare the locally computed data integrity signature with the received data integrity signature stored in the data packet frame structure, and is arranged to perform a responsive action in response to the comparison of the locally computed data integrity signature with the received data integrity signature; and

a router that is arranged to select a portion of a routing path in response to a determination of whether a data packet forwarding destination includes a decoder that is arranged to compute a locally computed data integrity signature in response to a protected portion of a forwarded data packet header.

2. A utility meter, comprising:

a transmitter that is arranged to transmit a transmitted data packet to a receiver of another meter in a utility network, the transmitted data packet including a data packet header;

a receiver that is arranged to receive a data packet from a transmitter of another meter in the utility network, the data packet from a transmitter of another meter in the utility network having a received data integrity signature generated in response to a protected portion of a received data packet header;

a packet header protection generator that is arranged to toggle selected bits of a protected portion of the data packet header of the transmitted data packet and to generate a transmitted data integrity signature in response to the protected portion of the data packet header of the transmitted data packet and to include the generated transmitted data integrity signature in the transmitted data packet; and

a decoder that is arranged to compute a locally computed data integrity signature in response to a protected portion of the received data packet header, to compare the locally computed data integrity signature with the received data integrity signature stored in a data packet frame structure, and to perform a responsive action in response to the comparison of the locally computed data integrity signature with the received data integrity signature;

wherein the utility network is a low-power wireless network that is arranged to collect usage data in response to transmitted data packets transmitted from a plurality of meters in the utility network.

3. A utility meter, comprising:

a transmitter that is arranged to transmit a transmitted data packet to a receiver of another meter in a utility network, the transmitted data packet including a data packet header;

a receiver that is arranged to receive a data packet from a transmitter of another meter in the utility network, the data packet from a transmitter of another meter in the utility network having a received data integrity signature generated in response to a protected portion of a received data packet header;

a packet header protection generator that is arranged to toggle selected bits of a protected portion of the data packet header of the transmitted data packet and to generate a transmitted data integrity signature in response to the protected portion of the data packet header of the transmitted data packet and to include the generated transmitted data integrity signature in the transmitted data packet; and

a decoder that is arranged to compute a locally computed data integrity signature in response to a protected portion of the received data packet header, to compare the locally computed data integrity signature with the received data integrity signature stored in a data packet frame structure, and to perform a responsive action in response to the comparison of the locally computed data integrity signature with the received data integrity signature; and

a router that is arranged to select a portion of a routing path in response to a determination of whether a data packet forwarding destination includes a decoder that is arranged to compute a locally computed data integrity signature in response to a protected portion of a forwarded data packet header.