Data transmission apparatus and method

• US 9,383,224 B2
• Filed: 04/25/2011
• Issued: 07/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Efthymiou, Costas, Kalogridis, Georgios
• Primary Examiner(s): Tweel, Jr., John A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kingston, Shawna M
• Application Number:
  US13/093,170
• Publication Number:
  US 20110267202A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,898 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/004 Remote reading of utility meters to a fixed location
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0407 wherein the identity of one or more communicating identities is hidden cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for anonymous credentials or for identity based cryptographic systems H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• 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 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 20/242 Home appliances
• 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 system comprising a data collector and a plurality of end consumers connected to and supplied with a utility by a utility distribution station. Each end consumer comprises a metering device arranged to meter the end consumer'"'"'s consumption of the utility supplied by the distribution station. The metering device is arranged to report consumption data to the data collector using a high frequency ID, the high frequency ID being anonymous so that the consumption data reported by the metering device together with the high frequency ID is not able to be associated to a particular metering device and to report the consumption data to the data collector using a low frequency ID so that the consumption data reported by the metering device together with the low frequency ID is able to be attributed to a particular metering device. The data collector stores IDs and is arranged to only accept consumption data carrying a said stored ID.

Claims

1. A system comprising a data collector and a plurality of end consumers connected to and supplied with a utility by a utility distribution station,

wherein each end consumer comprises a metering device arranged to meter the end consumer'"'"'s consumption of the utility supplied by the distribution station, wherein the metering device is arranged to:

report consumption data to the data collector using a high frequency ID, and

report the consumption data to the same data collector using a low frequency ID so that the consumption data reported by the metering device together with the low frequency ID is able to be attributed to a particular metering device,

wherein the metering device is arranged to communicate with the data collector more frequently using the high frequency ID than using the low frequency ID, and

wherein the data collector stores high frequency and low frequency IDs and is arranged to only accept consumption data carrying a said stored high frequency or a said low frequency ID,

wherein the high frequency ID is anonymous to the data collector, so that the data collector cannot associate the consumption data reported by the metering device together with the high frequency ID with a particular metering device.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the data collector is arranged to store said high and low frequency IDs upon request of a third party, said data collector storing information for identifying messages received from the third party.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the data collector checks if the data collector has stored an ID corresponding to the received high frequency ID and, if the data collector has stored an ID corresponding to the received high frequency ID, provides the consumption data to the distribution station.

4. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a trusted third party, and

the metering device sending a request for configuration of the anonymous metering facility, the request including the high frequency ID of the metering device;

the third party checking, upon receipt of the request, if a metering device with the ID of the request is entitled to send anonymous metering data and, if the metering device with the ID of the request is entitled to send anonymous metering data, sending a message comprising a permission for the ID to be used in anonymous metering; and

the data collector checking upon receipt of the message if the third party is entitled to provide a permission for metering devices to use the anonymous metering facility and, if the third party is entitled to provide the permission, storing the ID.

5. A metering device arranged to meter an end consumer'"'"'s consumption of a utility supplied by a distribution station, wherein the metering device is arranged to:

report consumption data to a data collector using a high frequency ID, the high frequency ID being anonymous to the data collector so that the consumption data reported by the metering device together with the high frequency ID is not able to be associated to a particular metering device; and

report the consumption data to the same data collector using a low frequency ID so that the consumption data reported by the metering device together with the low frequency ID is able to be attributed to a particular metering device,

wherein the consumption data is metering data transmitted via a communication channel using said high frequency ID more regularly than transmitting the metering data using the low frequency ID.

6. The device according to claim 5, further comprising a communication device arranged to participate in a data transmission using the low frequency ID of the metering device and to send a request for a permission for the metering device to participate in anonymous metering using the high frequency ID after the expiry of a waiting period of random length, wherein the request comprises the high frequency ID.

7. The device according to claim 5, wherein the communication device is further arranged to receive a message to commence sending consumption data using the high frequency ID and, after the expiry of a waiting period of random length, start to report consumption.

8. The device according to claim 5, wherein the communication device is further arranged to start sending consumption data using the high frequency ID following receipt of a message to commence sending consumption data using the high frequency ID and, following expiry of a subsequent waiting period of random length, to commence the sending of consumption data.

9. The device according to claim 5, wherein the high and low frequency IDs are two unique IDs.