Smart meter security system and method
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsJohn M. Cohn, Eren Kursun, Maharaj Mukherjee, Anna Topol
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Abstract
A system, method and computer program product for protecting utility usage information from utility company users, e.g., power company endpoints. Smart meters monitor endpoint service usage to identify the start of a critical usage period. During critical usage periods the smart meters select and modulates a generic usage pattern by the difference between the pattern and actual usage. Instead of sending actual usage data, the smart meter sends the modulated generic usage pattern to the service provider. The service provider extracts the deltas and determines endpoint service usage from the extracted deltas.
Claims16
A security method for protecting service usage information comprising:
- monitoring service usage at an endpoint;
- identifying the start of a critical usage period;
- selecting a generic usage pattern;
- notifying a service provider of said start and the selected said generic usage pattern;
- determining a delta between said selected generic usage pattern and actual usage;
- communicating said selected generic usage pattern to said service provider, said delta being periodically communicated with said selected generic usage pattern;
- and at the end of said critical usage period
- returning to monitoring service usage.
A security method for protecting utility usage information from utility company users, said security method comprising:
- monitoring communications from endpoints;
- identifying in monitored communications a start notification indicating the start of a critical usage period at a user endpoint;
- identifying an indicated generic usage pattern being communicated from said user endpoint for the duration of said critical usage period;
- extracting periodically communicated deltas from communications from said user endpoint;
- and
- determining service usage at said endpoint from extracted said deltas.
16-25. (canceled)
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.