Performing demand reset in a secure mobile network environment

• US 9,817,999 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Issued: 11/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Itron, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Itron, Inc.
• Inventors: Holmdahl, Bret Gregory
• Primary Examiner(s): Borissov, Igor
• Application Number:
  US13/836,821
• Publication Number:
  US 20140214728A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,705 Days
• Field of Search: 705412, 705 63, 705 64, 34087002, 34087003, 34087006
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/002 Remote reading of utility meters
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/006 Remote reading of utility meters to a non-fixed location, i.e. mobile location
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/72 in cryptographic circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/145 Payments according to the detected use or quantity
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/062 applying encryption of the keys cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution using key encryption key H04L9/0822
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/062 for key distribution, e.g. centrally by trusted party cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving a central third party H04L9/0819
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/40 Support for services or applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0825 using asymmetric-key encryption or public key infrastructure [PKI], e.g. key signature or public key certificates
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/10 using a centralized architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/25 using a mesh network, e.g. a public urban network such as public lighting, bus stops or traffic lights
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/40 using a wireless architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/50 using a mobile data collecting device, e.g. walk by or drive by
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/60 for transmitting utility meters data, i.e. transmission of data from the reader of the utility meter
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom
• 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 40/18 Network protocols supporting networked applications, e.g. including control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/20 Information technology specific aspects, e.g. CAD, simulation, modelling, system security

Abstract

Techniques are discussed for performing a demand reset in a wireless meter reading environment, in a manner such that demand data may not be lost. In response to receiving a command from a mobile device of a requester, a meter may store demand value(s) in a log, reset register(s) that store the demand value(s) and wirelessly provide the demand value(s) to the mobile device of the requester. Due to the lack of reliability associated with wireless communications between the meter and a requestor, the requestor may not actually receive the demand value(s). Upon receiving a subsequent command for the demand value(s), the meter may determine that the command is a replay, and provide the demand value(s) without resetting the register(s). Techniques are also discussed for generating the commands, securing the commands, and providing the commands to mobile devices in route packages.

Claims

1. A meter, configured to reduce at least one of data loss at the meter, data loss in a network, or network traffic, the meter comprising:

one or more processors;

memory communicatively coupled to the one or more processors;

a metrology module stored in the memory and configured to, when executed by the one or more processors, collect values in one or more registers; and

a communications module stored in the memory and configured to, when executed by the one or more processors;

receive a first command in a first radio frequency (RF) message, wherein the first command comprises a first tracking identifier (ID) that is unique with respect to a first collection cycle of a plurality of collection cycles;

determine whether or not the first command is valid, wherein validity techniques reduce network traffic by dis-incentivizing transmission of invalid demand reset commands, and wherein determining whether or not the first command is valid comprises;

comparing a hash of the first command to a valid hash result;

or

decrypting the first command;

in response to determining that the first command is valid;

obtaining, from the one or more registers, demand values for the first collection cycle;

storing the demand values in a log prior to RF transmission, to thereby prevent data loss if RF transmission fails;

transmitting a first RF response message that includes the demand values for the first collection cycle; and

resetting the one or more registers to clear the demand values from the one or more registers;

receive a second command in a second RF message, the second command comprises a second tracking ID;

determine whether or not the second command is a replay, wherein the determining whether or not the second command is a replay is based at least in part on a comparison of the second tracking ID to the first tracking ID that is unique with respect to the first collection cycle;

in response to determining that the second command is valid and that the second command is a replay;

restoring data lost in the first RF response message by retrieving the demand values from the log; and

transmitting a second RF response message that includes the demand values; and

in response to determining that the second command is not valid;

transmitting an RF response message that does not include the demand values.

2. The meter recited in claim 1, wherein the demand values comprise peak load demand information and/or peak load usage information pertaining to a resource measured by the meter.

3. The meter recited in claim 1, wherein:

the first command includes a collect demand data request and a reset demand instruction;

the reset demand instruction causes the communications module to reset the one or more registers to clear the demand values from the one or more registers; and

the collect demand data request causes the communications module to obtain the demand values for the first collection cycle and transmit the first RF response message that includes the demand values.

4. The meter recited in claim 1, wherein the communications module is configured to, in response to determining that the second command is a replay:

generate a replay indication; and

insert the replay indication into the RF response message prior to transmitting the RF response message.

5. The meter recited in claim 1, wherein the communications module is configured to compare the first tracking ID in the first command with tracking IDs in a list of previously received demand reset commands.

6. The meter recited in claim 5, wherein the communications module is configured to, in response to determination of a replay, not reset the values in the one or more registers.

7. The meter recited in claim 5, wherein the first tracking ID is associated with a secured command and a specific meter.

8. The meter recited in claim 1, wherein the communications module is configured to, in response to determining that the first command is not valid:

generate a security failure response; and

transmit an RF response message that includes the security failure response.

9. The meter recited in claim 1, wherein the demand values comprise peak load demand information or peak load usage information pertaining to a resource measured by the meter prior to a reset of the demand values in the one or more registers, and any RF response message transmitted includes at least one of:

a status of the reset of the demand values;

time information corresponding to the reset of the demand values;

or

a time of occurrence of a time interval associated with the peak load demand information or the peak load usage information.

10. The meter recited in claim 1, wherein the demand values are stored in the log in response to determining that the first command is not a replay.

11. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a meter, reduce at least one of data loss at the meter, data loss in a network, or network traffic, and perform acts comprising:

receiving, at a meter, a first command wirelessly from a device, wherein the first command requests one or more values related to peak load demand or peak load usage of a resource, and wherein the first command comprises a first tracking identifier (ID) that is unique with respect to a first collection cycle of a plurality of collection cycles;

determining whether or not the first command is valid, wherein validity techniques reduce network traffic by dis-incentivizing transmission of invalid demand reset commands, and wherein determining whether the first command is valid comprises at least one of;

comparing a hash of the first command to a valid hash result;

or

decrypting the first command;

in response to determining that the first command is valid;

obtaining, from one or more registers of the meter, the one or more values for the first collection cycle;

storing the demand values in a log prior to RF transmission, to thereby prevent data loss if RF transmission fails;

transmitting a first wireless response message that includes the one or more values; and

resetting the one or more registers to clear the one or more values from the one or more registers;

receiving a second command wirelessly from the device, wherein the second command comprises a second tracking ID;

determining whether or not the second command is a replay, wherein the determining whether or not the second command is a replay is based at least in part on a comparison of the first tracking ID for the first collection cycle to the second tracking ID;

restoring data lost in the first wireless response message by obtaining, if the second command is valid and is based at least in part on determining that the second command is a replay, the one or more values from the log of the meter; and

transmitting a second wireless response message that includes the one or more values if the second command was determined to be valid, and does not include the one or more values if the second command was determined to be not valid.

12. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media recited in claim 11, wherein determining whether or not the second command is the replay is based at least in part on comparing the second tracking ID in the second command to tracking IDs of previously received demand reset commands.

13. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media recited in claim 12, wherein:

when the second tracking ID of the second command does not match a tracking ID of a previously received command, the second command is determined to not be the replay and the one or more registers are reset; and

when the second tracking ID of the second command matches a tracking ID of a previously received command, the second command is determined to be the replay and the one or more registers are not reset.

14. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media recited in claim 12, wherein the first tracking ID is associated with a secured reset demand command that is unique to the meter.

15. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media recited in claim 11, the acts further comprising:

in response to determining that the second command is not a replay;

copying the one or more values from the one or more registers of the meter to the log; and

resetting the one or more registers.

16. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media recited in claim 11, the acts further comprising:

in response to determining that the second command is a replay;

obtaining the one or more values from the log;

generating a replay indication; and

generating the second wireless response message to include the one or more values and the replay indication.

17. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media recited in claim 11, wherein the resource is measured by the meter.

18. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media recited in claim 11, wherein the second wireless response message further includes at least one of:

time information corresponding to a resetting of the one or more registers;

or

a time of occurrence of a time interval associated with the peak load demand or the peak load usage of the resource.

19. A method, to reduce at least one of data loss at a meter device, data loss in a network, or network traffic, the method comprising:

receiving, at the metering device, a first radio frequency (RF) message including a first command, the first command including a first tracking identifier (ID) that is associated with a first collection cycle of the metering device for a period of time;

determining that the first command is valid, wherein validity techniques reduce network traffic by dis-incentivizing transmission of invalid demand reset commands;

based at least in part on determining that the first command is valid;

obtaining, from one or more registers of the metering device, one or more demand values corresponding to the first collection cycle;

storing the demand values in a log prior to RF transmission, to thereby prevent data loss if RF transmission fails;

transmitting a first RF response message that includes the one or more demand values corresponding to the first collection cycle; and

resetting the one or more registers to clear the one or more demand values from the one or more registers;

receiving, at the metering device, a second RF message including a second command, the second command including a second tracking ID;

determining that the second command is a replay based at least in part on a comparison between the first tracking ID and the second tracking ID; and

based at least in part on determining that the second command is a replay;

restoring data lost in the first RF response message by retrieving the one or more demand values from the log; and

transmitting a second RF response message that includes the one or more demand values corresponding to the first collection cycle.