Device and method for facilitating secure communications over a cellular network

• US 9,342,293 B2
• Filed: 03/18/2014
• Issued: 05/17/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trilliant Networks Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Trilliant Networks Incorporated
• Inventors: Enns, Frederick, Veillette, Michel, Frei, Randall Wayne
• Primary Examiner(s): WON, MICHAEL YOUNG
• Application Number:
  US14/218,170
• Publication Number:
  US 20140207854A1
• Time in Patent Office: 791 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/224, 709/225, 709/228, 709/229, 709/238
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 from one or more premise units at a hub device during a first predetermined period of time, wherein utility-related data includes one or more of utility meter reading data, premise unit alarm data, premise unit event data, premise unit status data and firmware upgrade data;

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 one or more additional predetermined periods of time;

sending the utility-related data secured at the hub device to a designated server via at least one User Datagram protocol (UDP) message during one or more predetermined periods of time; and

receiving from the designated server, an acknowledgement-of-receipt message of the at least one UDP message, wherein the acknowledgement-of receipt-message comprises communication control information, wherein the communication control information informs the hub device at least one of (i) to keep a data connection between the designated server the hub device open, (ii) to callback at a scheduled time, or (iii) that there is no further need of the data connection by the designated server, and wherein when the communication control information informs the hub device to callback at a scheduled time, the communication control information further comprises a token identifier for identifying a process to contact at call back.

2. The process of claim 1, wherein the communication control information further comprises at least one of (i) an IP address of a processor on the designated server requesting the callback, (ii) a frilly qualified domain name of the processor on the designated server requesting the callback, (iii) an IP transport layer port number of the process requesting the call back, or (iv) daylight savings time information.

3. The process of claim 1, wherein when the communication control information informs the hub device to keep the data connection open, the designated server initiates a TCP connection and negotiates a TLS session for maintaining communication with the hub device.

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

5. The process according to claim 4, wherein the hub device and the at least one premise unit are a single device.

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

7. The process according to claim 1, wherein the first predetermined period of time and other additional predetermined periods of time at least one of (i) do not overlap or (ii) at least partially overlap.

8. The process according to claim 1, wherein the hub device sends multiple UDP messages in a single bulk push to the designated server during one of the other additional predetermined periods of time.

9. The process according to claim 1, wherein the utility-related data is communicated over a wide area network (WAN).

10. The process according to claim 1, wherein the utility-related data is communicated over a cellular network.

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

12. The process according to claim 1, wherein the designated server processes the at least one UDP message to retrieve utility data at a predetermined time period.

13. The process according to claim 8, wherein the designated server processes each of the multiple UDP messages to retrieve utility-related data at a predetermined time period.

14. The process according to claim 8, 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.

15. The process according to claim 13, wherein the designated server processes each of the multiple UDP messages in the predetermined storage buckets to retrieve utility-related data at a predetermined time period.

16. The process according to claim 14, 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.

17. 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 integrity protection and privacy encryption.

18. The process according to claim 17, wherein the first part of the at least 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.

19. The process according to claim 14, wherein the header is secured with integrity protection and a non-header portion of each of the UDP messages is secured with integrity protection and sender authentication.

20. The process of claim 19, wherein the non-header portion of each of the UDP messages is secured with privacy encryption.

21. The process according to claim 1, wherein the acknowledgement of receipt message from the designated server includes sender authentication and integrity protected clock synchronization information.

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

23. The process according to claim 1, wherein sending the utility-related data to the designated server uses a protocol that supports more than one application language to communicate the utility related data.

24. The process according to claim 1, wherein the hub device communicates with one or more premise units on a local network.

25. The process according to claim 1, wherein the other additional predetermined periods are used for tasks which tasks include one or more of retransmissions of UPD messages that were not acknowledged in previous predetermined periods and premise device maintenance tasks.

26. The process according to claim 1, wherein the hub device sends multiple UDP messages in a single bulk push to the designated server during a predetermined period of time.

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

means for collecting utility data at a hub device;

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 receiving an acknowledgement of receipt of the at least one UDP message comprises communication control information, wherein the communication control information informs the hub device at least one of (i) to keep a data connection between a designated server and the hub device open, (ii) to callback at a scheduled time, or (iii) that there is no further need of the data connection by the designated server, and wherein when the communication control information informs the hub device to callback at a scheduled time, the communication control information further comprises a token identifier for identifying a process to contact at call back.

28. The system of claim 27, where the communication control information further comprises at least one of (i) an IP address of a processor on the designated server requesting the callback, (ii) a frilly qualified domain name of the processor on the designated server requesting die callback, (iii) an IP transport layer port number of the process requesting the call back, or (iv) daylight savings time information.

29. The system of claim 27, wherein when the communication control information informs the hub device to keep the data connection open, the designated server initiates a TCP connection and negotiates a TLS session for maintaining communication with the hub device.