# US 10,120,996 B2 · Return material authorization fulfillment system for network devices with specific cryptographic credentials > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,120,996 B2 - Document ID: US10120996B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/816,716 - Filed: 2017-11-17 - Published: 2018-03-29 - Granted: 2018-11-06 - Earliest claimed: 2013-10-16 - Assignees: Itron Networked Solutions, Inc. - Applicants: Silver Spring Networks, Inc. - Inventors: Aditi Dubey; Benjamin N. Damm; Michael StJohns - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10120996B2 ## CPC - G06F 21/45: Structures or tools for the administration of authentication - G06F 21/604: {Tools and structures for managing or administering access control systems} - G06F 21/64: Protecting data integrity, e.g. using checksums, certificates or signatures - Y04S 40/20: Information technology specific aspects, e.g. CAD, simulation, modelling, system security - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - Y04S: SYSTEMS INTEGRATING TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO POWER NETWORK OPERATION, COMMUNICATION OR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES FOR IMPROVING THE ELECTRICAL POWER GENERATION, TRANSMISSION, DISTRIBUTION, MANAGEMENT OR USAGE, i.e. SMART GRIDS ## Abstract A method for removing credentials from a smart grid device includes: receiving, by a receiving device, a removal request, wherein the removal request includes a device identifier associated with a smart grid device and is signed by an entity associated with a set of security credentials stored in a memory of the smart grid device, the set of security credentials restricting access to one or more components or operations of the smart grid device; extracting, by a processing device, the device identifier included in the received removal request; generating, by the processing device, a permit configured to remove the set of credentials from the smart grid device, wherein the generated permit includes the extracted device identifier; and transmitting, by a transmitting device, the generated permit to the smart grid device for removal of the set of credentials from the memory of the smart grid device. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for removing credentials from a device, comprising: receiving, by a receiving device of a computing system of a first entity, a removal request, wherein the removal request includes a device identifier associated with a device, the removal request is signed by a second entity having generated a set of security credentials stored in a memory of the device, the removal request is signed using a private key possessed by the second entity having generated the set of security credentials, the set of security credentials restricts access to one or more components or operations of the device, and the first entity and second entity are separate entities; extracting, by a processing device of the computing system, the device identifier included in the received removal request; generating, by the processing device of the computing system, a permit configured to remove the set of credentials from the device; and transmitting, by a transmitting device of the computing system, the generated permit to the device for removal of the set of credentials from the memory of the device. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the set of security credentials are associated with an ownership state of the device, and removal of the set of credentials from the memory of the device reverts the device to an unowned ownership state. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the device includes a barcode affixed thereto encoded with the removal request, and receiving the removal request includes reading, by a barcode reader, the barcode affixed to the device to obtain the encoded removal request. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein the barcode is formatted pursuant to the PDF417 standard. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the device identifier is a media access control address. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: verifying, by the processing device, the received removal request using a public key related to the private key. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the received removal request is received from the second entity associated with the set of credentials. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the generated permit includes the extracted device identifier. ### Claim 9 A system for removing credentials from a device, comprising: a receiving device of a computing system of a first entity configured to receive a removal request, wherein the removal request includes a device identifier associated with a device, the removal request is signed by a second entity having generated a set of security credentials stored in a memory of the device, the removal request is signed using a private key possessed by the second entity having generated the set of security credentials, the set of security credentials restricts access to one or more components or operations of the device, and the first entity and the second entity are separate entities; a processing device of the first entity configured to: extract the device identifier included in the received removal request, and generate a permit configured to remove the set of credentials from the device; and a transmitting device of the first entity configured to transmit the generated permit to the device for removal of the set of credentials from the memory of the device. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the set of security credentials are associated with an ownership state of the device, and removal of the set of credentials from the memory of the device reverts the device to an unowned ownership state. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the device includes a barcode affixed thereto encoded with the removal request, and the system further comprises: a barcode reader configured to read the barcode affixed to the device to obtain the encoded removal request. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the barcode is formatted pursuant to the PDF417 standard. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the device identifier is a media access control address. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the processing device is further configured to verify the received removal request using a public key related to the private key. ### Claim 15 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the received removal request is received from the second entity associated with the set of credentials. ### Claim 16 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the generated permit includes the extracted device identifier.