초록 ▼

An energy monitoring device including procedures for secure communication of data from the device is disclosed. The energy monitoring device includes a public/private key pair used to encrypt and/or digitally sign communications by the device. This allows the receivers of these communications to aut

An energy monitoring device including procedures for secure communication of data from the device is disclosed. The energy monitoring device includes a public/private key pair used to encrypt and/or digitally sign communications by the device. This allows the receivers of these communications to authenticate the communications to ensure that the device and/or communications have not been compromised. The energy monitoring device is further capable of communications via an ad-hoc "mesh" network, thereby facilitating communications among devices which are substantially inaccessible due to either physical or economic limitations.

대표청구항 ▼

We claim: 1. An energy monitoring device for securely reporting energy consumption, comprising: current interface circuitry operative to sense current flow in at least one power line and generate a first analog signal indicative thereof; at least one analog to digital converter coupled with said cu

We claim: 1. An energy monitoring device for securely reporting energy consumption, comprising: current interface circuitry operative to sense current flow in at least one power line and generate a first analog signal indicative thereof; at least one analog to digital converter coupled with said current interface circuitry and operative to convert said first analog signal to a digital representation of said sensed current flow; a processor coupled with said at least one analog to digital converter, and operative to calculate at least one measure of energy consumption based on said digital representation and store said calculated at least one measure of energy consumption as at least one energy consumption message; a memory register coupled with said processor and operative to store a private key, wherein said processor is further operative to generate a digital signature based on said at least one energy consumption message and said private key and sign said at least one energy consumption message utilizing said digital signature; and a radio frequency interface coupled with said processor and operative to transmit said signed at least one energy consumption message, via at least a second and a third energy monitoring device, to a remote device. 2. The energy monitoring device of claim 1, further comprising: voltage interface circuitry operative to sense voltage in said at least one power line and generate a second analog signal indicative thereof; and wherein said at least one analog to digital converter is further coupled with said voltage interface circuitry and operative to convert said second analog signal to a digital representation of said sensed voltage. 3. The energy monitoring device of claim 1 wherein said at least one measure of energy consumption comprises at least one of kWh, kVARh, kVAh, kW demand, kVAR demand and kVA demand. 4. The energy monitoring device of claim 1, wherein said at least said second and said third energy monitoring devices comprise a mesh communications network operative to interconnect said energy monitoring device with said remote device. 5. The energy monitoring device of claim 1, wherein said remote device comprises a data aggregation device. 6. The energy monitoring device of claim 1, wherein said signed at least one energy consumption message is capable of being authenticated by said remote device. 7. The energy monitoring device of claim 1, wherein said remote device comprises a mesh network node, said signed at least one energy consumption message being capable of being authenticated by said mesh network node prior to being retransmitted. 8. An energy monitoring device for securely reporting energy consumption, comprising: current interface circuitry operative to sense current flow in at least one power line and generate a first analog signal indicative thereof; voltage interface circuitry operative to sense voltage in said at least one power line and generate a second analog signal indicative thereof; at least one analog to digital converter coupled with said current and voltage interface circuitry and operative to convert said first and second analog signals to a digital representation of said sensed voltage and current flow; a processor coupled with said at least one analog to digital converter and operative to calculate at least one measure of energy consumption based on at least said digital representation; a cover enclosing said current interface circuitry, voltage interface circuitry, at least one analog to digital converter and processor; a memory register coupled with said processor and operative to store a private key; wherein said processor is further operative to generate a digital signature based on at least said private key and said at least one measure of energy consumption; a public key accessible from the outside of said cover, said public key associated with said private key; and a communications interface coupled with said processor and operative to transmit data comprising said measure of energy consumption and said digital signature to a remote device. 9. The energy monitoring device of claim 8 wherein said public key is visually accessible from the outside of said cover. 10. The energy monitoring device of claim 8 wherein said public key comprises at least one of said at least one measure of energy consumption. 11. The energy monitoring device of claim 8 wherein said public key comprises a code affixed to said cover. 12. The energy monitoring device of claim 11 wherein said public key comprises a serial number of the energy monitoring device. 13. The energy monitoring device of claim 11 wherein said public key is a broadcast by the energy monitoring device. 14. The energy monitoring device of claim 11, wherein said public key is machine readable. 15. The energy monitoring device of claim 11, wherein said public key is human readable. 16. The energy monitoring device of claim 8 further comprising a display, wherein said public key comprises a code displayed on said display. 17. The energy monitoring device of claim 8 wherein said communications interface comprises a radio frequency interface. 18. The energy monitoring device of claim 17 wherein said communications interface is operative to communicate with said remote device via at least one second energy monitoring device. 19. The energy monitoring device of claim 18 wherein each of said at least one second energy monitoring device is operative to encrypt and decrypt at least a portion of said data incorporating said measure of energy consumption. 20. The energy monitoring device of claim 17 wherein said remote device comprises a handheld meter reading device. 21. The energy monitoring device of claim 8 wherein said remote device comprises a handheld meter reading device. 22. The energy monitoring device of claim 8 wherein said remote device comprises a data aggregation device. 23. An energy monitoring device for securely reporting energy consumption, comprising: current interface circuitry operative to sense current flow in at least one power line and generate a first analog signal indicative thereof; voltage interface circuitry operative to sense voltage in said at least one power line and generate a second analog signal indicative thereof; at least one analog to digital converter coupled to said current and voltage interface circuitry and operative to convert said first and second analog signals to a digital representation of said sensed voltage and current flow; a processor coupled to said at least one analog to digital converter and operative to calculate at least one measure of energy consumption; a cover enclosing said current interface circuitry, voltage interface circuitry, at least one analog to digital converter and processor; a memory register coupled to said processor and operative to store a private key; a second memory register coupled to said processor and operative to store said at least one measure of energy consumption; a third memory register coupled to said processor; said processor operative to store a hash of said private key and said at least one measure of energy consumption in said third memory register; and a communications interface coupled with said processor and operative to transmit data comprising at least the contents of said second memory register and said third memory register. 24. The energy monitoring device of claim 23 wherein said data is operative to be received and recorded in a handheld meter reading device. 25. The energy monitoring device of claim 23 wherein said data is operative to fit within a standard energy register. 26. The energy monitoring device of claim 23 wherein said data further comprises a public key associated with said private key. 27. The energy monitoring device of claim 23 wherein said at least one measure of energy consumption comprises at least one of kWh, kVARh, kVAh, kW demand, kVAR demand and kVA demand. 28. The energy monitoring device of claim 23, wherein said contents of said third memory register is capable of authenticating said contents of said second memory register. 29. The energy monitoring device of claim 23, wherein said communications interface is further operative to transmit said data to a remote device via a mesh communications network, wherein said data is capable of being authenticated by said remote device based on said contents of said third memory register. 30. The energy monitoring device of claim 23, wherein said communications interface is further operative to transmit said data to a remote device via a mesh communications network comprising a plurality of nodes, wherein said data is capable of being authenticated by each of said plurality of nodes prior to being retransmitted to another of said plurality of nodes. 31. A method of securely reporting energy consumption, said method comprising: sensing current flow in at least one power line and generating a first analog signal indicative thereof; converting said first analog signal to a digital representation of said sensed current flow; calculating at least one measure of energy consumption based on said digital representation and storing said calculated at least one measure of energy consumption as at least one energy consumption message; storing a private key; generating a digital signature based on said at least one energy consumption message and said private key and signing said at least one energy consumption message utilizing said digital signature; and transmitting via radio frequency said signed at least one energy consumption message, via at least a second and a third energy monitoring device, to a remote device. 32. The method of claim 31 wherein said at least one measure of energy consumption comprises at least one of kWh, kVARh, kVAh, kW demand, kVAR demand and kVA demand. 33. The method of claim 31, further comprising authenticating said signed at least one energy consumption message by said remote device. 34. The method of claim 31, wherein said remote device comprises a mesh network node, said method further comprising authenticating said signed at least one energy consumption message by said mesh network node and retransmitting said signed at least one energy consumption message if authentic. 35. A method of securely reporting energy consumption, comprising: sensing, by current interface circuitry, current flow in at least one power line and generating a first analog signal indicative thereof; sensing, by voltage interface circuitry, voltage in said at least one power line and generating a second analog signal indicative thereof; converting, by at least one analog to digital converter, said first and second analog signals to a digital representation of said sensed voltage and current flow; calculating, by a processor, at least one measure of energy consumption based on at least said digital representation; enclosing said current interface circuitry, voltage interface circuitry, at least one analog to digital converter and processor within a cover; storing a private key; generating a digital signature based on at least said private key and said at least one measure of energy consumption; providing a public key accessible from the outside of said cover, said public key associated with said private key; and transmitting data comprising said measure of energy consumption and said digital signature to a remote device. 36. The method of claim 35 wherein said providing further comprises visually providing said public key so as to be visually accessible from the outside of said cover. 37. The method of claim 35 wherein said public key comprises at least one of said at least one measure of energy consumption. 38. The method of claim 35 wherein said public key comprises a code affixed to said cover. 39. The method of claim 38 wherein said public key comprises a serial number of the energy monitoring device. 40. The method of claim 38 wherein said providing further comprises broadcasting said public key by the energy monitoring device. 41. The method of claim 38, wherein said public key is machine readable. 42. The method of claim 38, wherein said public key is human readable. 43. The method of claim 35 further comprising a display, wherein said public key comprises a code, said providing further comprising displaying said public key on said display. 44. The method of claim 35 wherein said transmitting further comprises transmitting via a radio frequency medium. 45. The method of claim 44 wherein said transmitting further comprises transmitting to said remote device via at least one second energy monitoring device. 46. The method of claim 45 wherein each of said at least one second energy monitoring device is operative to encrypt and decrypt at least a portion of said data incorporating said measure of energy consumption. 47. The method of claim 44 wherein said remote device comprises a handheld meter reading device. 48. The method of claim 35 wherein said remote device comprises a handheld meter reading device. 49. The method of claim 35 wherein said remote device comprises a data aggregation device. 50. An energy monitoring device for securely reporting energy consumption, comprising: means for sensing current flow in at least one power line and generating a first analog signal indicative thereof; means for converting said first analog signal to a digital representation of said sensed current flow; means for calculating at least one measure of energy consumption based on said digital representation and storing said calculated at least one measure of energy consumption as at least one energy consumption message; means for storing a private key; means for generating a digital signature based on said at least one energy consumption message and said private key and signing said at least one energy consumption message utilizing said digital signature; and means for transmitting via radio frequency said signed at least one energy consumption message, via at least a second and a third energy monitoring device, to a remote device. 51. An energy monitoring device for securely reporting energy consumption, comprising: means for sensing current flow in at least one power line and generating a first analog signal indicative thereof; means for sensing voltage in said at least one power line and generating a second analog signal indicative thereof; means for converting said first and second analog signals to a digital representation of said sensed voltage and current flow; means for calculating at least one measure of energy consumption based on at least said digital representation; means for enclosing said means for sensing current flow, means for sensing voltage, means for converting and means for calculating; means for storing a private key; means for generating a digital signature based on at least said private key and said at least one measure of energy consumption; means for providing a public key accessible from the outside of said means for enclosing, said public key associated with said private key; and means for transmitting data comprising said measure of energy consumption and said digital signature to a remote device.