Connected device information management system and method

Abstract

To provide a method for managing data generated by connected systems and / or devices in connection with energy consumption, management, and / or determination of price setting.SOLUTION: The method includes, in a gateway device: receiving policy information from a client system; receiving energy management signal information from an energy management system; identifying a control action on the basis of conditions explicitly indicated in the received policy information and energy management signal information; generating a control signal which instructs a connected device to perform the identified control action; transmitting the control signal to the connected device; receiving a response showing that the identified control action has been performed in response to the control signal, from the connected device; and storing an energy management transaction data record including the energy management signal information and the response.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Related Applications This application claims the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 831,489, filed Apr. 9, 2019, entitled “TRANSACTIONAL ENERGY SYSTEMS AND METHODS,” which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

[0002] Copyright Notice Portions of the disclosure of this patent document may contain material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the United States Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights.

Summary of the Invention

[0003] The present disclosure generally relates to systems and methods for managing data generated by one or more connected systems and / or devices. More specifically, but not exclusively, the present disclosure relates to the management of data generated by connected systems and / or devices in relation to energy usage, management, and / or pricing decisions.

[0004] Energy generation, utilization, and / or pricing can vary significantly over time, at least in part based on demand conditions. For example, during a hot summer day, due to the need for air conditioning, the demand on the power grid and the associated electricity usage increase, which may cause electricity rates to rise during these periods. Similarly, during winter nights when household lighting and / or inductive heating loads increase, electricity rates may rise. In some cases, electricity rates may be set for periods as short as about five minutes based on the applicable demand and / or generation conditions.

[0005] Electric power companies and / or other public utility companies can use automatic demand management technologies to smooth out highly volatile pricing and / or demand curves. Conventional automatic demand response ("ADR") systems may be provided to customers and are often installed at customers' businesses and / or residences in relation to higher demand loads in order to better manage such loads in consideration of overall utility demand. Many ADR systems may engage in certain actions based on automatic control signaling received directly from the utility company. For example, an ADR system may be installed in relation to a residential air conditioning system, and / or a washer / dryer system, etc. Typically, such ADR systems are separate from a single associated load, but otherwise include individual systems and / or devices that provide power to a single associated load.

[0006] When a public utility reaches certain energy pricing, demand, and / or generation thresholds, the utility may send a signal to the ADR system to execute control actions. For example, the utility may send a signal to the ADR system to reduce the output from an associated air conditioning system and / or turn it off in other ways, turn off an associated washer / dryer unit, and / or the like. In this way, the utility can temporarily reduce demand by instructing a particular load to be powered off and / or in other cases by changing settings and / or configurations. However, typical ADR systems, once installed, cannot be controlled by the customer for ADR decisions, much less for fine-grained control.

[0007] Many consumer and / or commercial devices are becoming increasingly interconnected. For example, various Internet-connected devices are available to consumers as part of a connected device ecosystem that utilizes the existing Internet infrastructure, which in some cases may be referred to as the "Internet of Things" ("IoT") and / or the "Internet of Everything" ("IoE"). This ecosystem can provide connections that make various computing devices (i.e., things) and / or groups of devices more convenient.

[0008] Various industrial systems and devices are also becoming increasingly interconnected. For example, wind turbines (e.g., an array of wind turbines included in a wind farm), solar panels and / or arrays, and / or energy storage devices can be communicatively connected to other network devices. The connected systems and devices within the IoT also enable the collection of an unprecedented amount of data related to the systems and / or their associated users, thereby facilitating the understanding of the environment, user behavior, and / or the performance of various systems and / or devices.

[0009] The systems and methods disclosed herein facilitate the collection and / or analysis of various data generated by one or more connected systems and / or devices, as well as the control and / or automation of various systems and / or devices in response to energy management signal information, thereby improving the interaction between interconnected systems and / or devices. Embodiments of the disclosed systems and methods may be further used in various other suitable applications, contexts, and / or ecosystems, although certain embodiments may be applied in the context of a retail energy transaction ecosystem. In some embodiments, various aspects of the disclosed systems and methods may enable an energy retailer to transmit energy pricing data and / or related information to customers. Customers can use this information to, among other things, change their home energy consumption profile and explicitly and / or implicitly accept the pricing of the energy consumed over a particular period.

[0010] Various aspects of the disclosed embodiments may further enable a retailer to adjust the system energy load (e.g., global consumption) (e.g., collectively, by group and / or by region, etc.) and / or to predict the elasticity of future consumption and / or demand. That is, some embodiments can collect information useful for optimizing the revenue and / or costs of an energy retailer by predicting demand based on the pricing options offered to consumers. Particular embodiments of the disclosed systems and methods can further meet the information needs of multiple stakeholders, including energy retailers, suppliers, consumers, and / or regulatory authorities. In some embodiments, data record branching techniques can be used to address various stakeholders' concerns regarding transparency, confidentiality, privacy, auditability, and / or verification of data origin.

[0011] The working body of the present invention will be readily understood by reference to the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0012]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0013] A detailed description of systems and methods consistent with embodiments of the present disclosure is provided below. Although several embodiments are described, it should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to any one embodiment, but instead encompasses numerous alternatives, modifications, and equivalents. Numerous specific details are set forth in the following description to provide a complete understanding of the embodiments disclosed herein, but some embodiments can be practiced without some or all of these details. Further, certain technical material known in the relevant art is not described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the disclosure.

[0014] Embodiments of the present disclosure can be understood by referring to the drawings, and like parts can be denoted by like numbers. The components of the disclosed embodiments can be arranged and designed in a wide variety of configurations as generally described and illustrated in the figures of this specification. Accordingly, the following detailed description of embodiments of the systems and methods of the present disclosure is not intended to limit the scope of the claimed disclosure, but is merely representative of possible embodiments of the present disclosure. In addition, the steps of any method disclosed herein need not necessarily be executed in any particular order, need not be executed sequentially, and need not be executed only once, unless otherwise specified.

[0015] The systems and methods disclosed herein facilitate the collection and / or analysis of various data generated by one or more connected systems and / or devices, as well as the control and / or automation of various systems and / or devices. Specific embodiments are described in relation to energy management and transaction ecosystems, but various aspects of the disclosed systems and methods are not so limited in application. Indeed, aspects of the disclosed systems and methods can be used in connection with a variety of other suitable applications, contexts, and / or ecosystems, including, but not limited to, medical and / or bioinformatics applications.

[0016] Various embodiments enable an energy retailer to send energy price setting data and / or related information to consumer devices, which can use this information to, among other things, make changes to their energy consumption and / or configuration. In some embodiments, information can be communicated to connected devices for use in adjusting the energy load and / or consumption of a utility system (e.g., collectively, by group and / or by region) and / or for predicting future consumption. This can help, among other things, to smooth out highly variable energy price settings and / or demand curves.

[0017] In certain embodiments, information can be collected and communicated to energy retailers and / or other stakeholders to assist in optimizing the revenue and / or costs of the energy retailer through predictive demand and / or consumer response modeling. In various embodiments, certain confidential information, protected information, security-protected information, and / or other private information can be separated from less confidential, unprotected, less secure, and / or more public information for storage and / or management. In some implementations, separating lower security and / or confidentiality data (e.g., public data) from higher security and / or confidentiality data (e.g., private data) for storage and / or management according to the aspects of the disclosed embodiments can facilitate a system that provides transparency, confidentiality, privacy, and / or auditability.

[0018] In relation to an energy transaction management system, embodiments of the disclosed systems and methods can, among other things, be the following.

[0019] ■ Responsiveness - Consumers may respond to price setting with relatively minimal delay, and retailers can obtain detailed, differentiated (e.g., differentiated by device level and / or groups of devices) storage and / or production information.

[0020] ■ Transparency and / or Auditability - Information that is publicly available and / or accessible to regulatory authorities and / or other stakeholders may be certifiable and / or auditable. For example, stakeholders can trust that the data is of authentic origin. In some embodiments, stakeholders can cross - check the data with other data for consistency.

[0021] ■ Privacy Protection - It is possible to protect consumers' privacy and / or consumers' confidential information.

[0022] ■ Confidentiality Protection - It is possible to maintain the confidentiality of retailers' confidential information (e.g., price - setting information and / or strategies).

[0023] ■ Relatively Easy Integration - Aspects of the disclosed embodiments may enable relatively easy integration into various connected devices from many manufacturers.

[0024] ■ Portability - Various embodiments may be resalable and / or portable to various regions as a service and / or as a combination of licensed technologies and / or services. For example, system architectures and / or data management functions can be adapted to various regulatory environments.

[0025] Data Management Ecosystem FIG. 1 shows a data management ecosystem according to certain embodiments of the present disclosure. In various embodiments, the ecosystem includes various devices, systems, services, entities, roles, and / or components and / or may use various different data objects including some, all, and / or subsets of various different devices, systems, services, entities, roles, components, and / or data objects illustrated and described in relation to FIG. 1 and / or elsewhere in this specification.

[0026] In various embodiments, the disclosed ecosystem may be capable of controlling and / or otherwise managing various different types of connected devices 100 based at least in part on signals received from various different entities. The connected devices 100 may be directly controlled by such entities based on the received signals, for example. In further embodiments, the connected devices 100 may engage in control actions in response to signals received from various entities according to one or more policies and / or configurations (e.g., customer-defined policies) implemented by the device and / or another system associated with the device.

[0027] For example, as will be discussed in more detail below, the energy retailer 102 and / or another entity can communicate an energy management signal that includes price setting information signals (e.g., current price setting, future price setting, discount information, indication of predicted supply, predicted load, predicted shortage, fees, associated period, and / or price boundaries, etc.) to associated systems and / or services such as one or more connected devices 100 and / or associated gateways 104. The customer can, in response to such signals, specify a configuration policy that causes one or more connected devices 100 to engage in one or more specified control actions. For example, the customer can specify a policy associated with an air conditioning unit and / or an associated connected thermostat to turn off the power of the air conditioning unit and / or the connected thermostat and / or otherwise reduce the air conditioning load when the price setting information received from the energy retailer 102 exceeds a certain threshold. In this way, the energy consumer can better manage the power consumption of its connected devices 100, while the energy retailer 102 can better manage price setting and / or incentive programs and grid load.

[0028] According to various embodiments, the energy management signal can include, for example, without limitation, one or more of the following.

[0029] ■ Price setting information that can include, for example, without limitation, current price, future price, price setting schedule, discount, additional fee, surcharge, boundary (e.g., upper and / or lower limit), and / or any other information applicable to energy consumption, generation, storage (e.g., charging), and / or discharge (e.g., discharging) by the connected device 100.

[0030] Address information that may include a class identified by a specific device (e.g., a device associated with an identifier) and / or a device group and / or a group, type, and / or class identifier that may be associated with a device.

[0031] Actions and / or action names that may directly or indirectly implement and / or imply a response by a specified device and / or a device having a specific functional type and / or one or more devices that are members of one or more classes (e.g., an authenticated class).

[0032] A machine-readable statement that can include the above information and / or a subset thereof in a conditional and / or unconditional predicate and / or propositional form.

[0033] An information statement that does not necessarily invoke a response by a device that may provide information to a human and / or an artificial intelligence mechanism.

[0034] Connected device The disclosed embodiments can be used in connection with various connected devices 100, systems, or "things." As used herein, the terms device, connected device, and / or thing may be used interchangeably in certain instances. Embodiments of the disclosed systems and methods can be implemented in connection with a variety of ecosystems of connected devices 100 associated with an individual, their home, their vehicle, their workplace, and / or commercial and / or industrial settings, among others. Embodiments of the disclosed systems and methods can be used in connection with various connected devices 100, including, for example, but not limited to, thermostats, heating (e.g., furnace), ventilation, and air conditioning ("AC") systems, irrigation systems, water control, pumps, heaters, home utility meters, home network gateways, activity sensors, connected appliances (e.g., refrigerator, washing machine, laundry dryer, television, etc.), media devices (e.g., television), connected vehicles, connected energy storage systems (e.g., batteries and / or devices including batteries), connected energy generation systems, and / or any other connected device, as well as associated data stores.

[0035] Connected devices 100 may be associated with various functional categories and / or attributes, including, for example, but not limited to, control functions, loads (e.g., energy consuming devices), generators (e.g., energy generating devices), and / or storage (e.g., batteries, etc.). Other functional categories and / or attributes of the devices may further include, for example, but not limited to, timers, status checkers, status indicators, alarms, alarm thresholds, and / or sensor thresholds.

[0036] The connected device 100 may include devices that consume electricity. In some examples herein, a connected device 100 that consumes energy may sometimes be referred to as a load device. Further, the connected device 100 may include devices that generate electricity, such as, for example, but not limited to, residential and / or commercial solar panel arrays, wind turbine generators, hydroelectric generators (e.g., micro-hydro power systems), and / or any other type of power generation system. The connected device 100 may also include devices that can store electrical energy, such as, for example, but not limited to, residential and / or commercial battery storage systems, thermal sinks, and / or position energy generators. In some embodiments, for example, but not limited to, a battery and / or other energy storage device included in a subsystem of another system, such as a battery system included in a vehicle, may be further used in connection with the storage of electrical energy and, thus, be considered a connected device. In some embodiments, a group of connected devices 100 may include power consumption, generation, and / or storage devices that together form a microgrid associated with a customer.

[0037] A particular connected device 100 may be able to control the operation of other connected devices. For example, a connected thermostat may sometimes control the operation of an AC unit. In some embodiments, a device may operate as a connected device by being controlled by a connected device 100 without necessarily being connected to the Internet and / or a local network. For example, some AC units themselves may not include any local and / or Internet network connectivity capabilities and, by being controlled by a connected thermostat, these units may be managed as connected devices.

[0038] Specific embodiments and / or examples are described herein in connection with a particular type of connected device 100 in a residential setting, but various other connected systems and devices may be used in connection with the systems and methods disclosed in various other settings and / or contexts (e.g., commercial contexts such as factories and / or business complexes), and it will be understood that any suitable type of connected system and / or device in any suitable setting and / or context may be used in connection with the various disclosed embodiments.

[0039] Energy management signals and related information As described above, the energy retailer 102 can generate energy management signals. The energy management signals can include, for example, but not limited to, pricing data and / or related information (e.g., current pricing data, future pricing data, discount information, and / or tariff thresholds, etc.), predicted supply, predicted load, predicted shortages, tariffs, time of day, and / or any other type of energy management signal indication.

[0040] Price setting information may include, for example, but is not limited to, current energy price setting information, future energy price setting information, energy price setting schedules, discounts, surcharges (e.g., a surcharge for consuming more energy than an agreed-upon amount), premiums (e.g., a premium provided when power is contributed from a storage), and / or price setting boundaries (e.g., upper and / or lower limits of prices that may be applied to the consumption, generation, storage (e.g., charging), and / or discharge (e.g., discharging) of energy by one or more connected devices 100). Conditional discounts included in the price setting information may be provided in response to connected devices 100 engaging in certain control actions such as consumption reduction or energy storage. Similarly, a surcharge may be included in the price setting information if power is consumed in excess of an agreed-upon amount, and / or a premium may be specified in the price information provided when a device contributes power from storage.

[0041] In some embodiments, such price setting data may vary over time, for example, based on current and / or predicted grid demand. For various reasons, energy retailer 102 may be interested in smoothing widely varying price settings and / or demand curves, and the price setting data may be adjusted and changed by energy retailer 102 to help achieve this goal. Various embodiments may enable energy retailer 102 to transmit energy price setting data and / or related information to connected devices 100 (e.g., either directly and / or via one or more customer gateways 104), and these devices may use this information to control characteristics related to energy consumption, generation, and / or storage, including, among other things, changing their energy consumption, changing their energy generation, changing their energy storage, changing their configuration and / or settings, and / or changing related control thresholds.

[0042] In certain embodiments, an energy management signal that includes price setting data and / or related information enables a customer and / or its associated connected device 100 to automatically and / or optimally respond to price setting and / or other energy management signals based on preferences and / or policies set by the customer. For example, in at least one non-limiting example, the price setting data may include the specified price of energy for a specified period. The price setting information may further include one or more discounts that are conditional and / or otherwise dependent on one or more connected devices 100 taking specified actions (e.g., engaging in a low power mode, turning off power, adjusting control and / or operation settings, discharging energy from a storage system to the grid, providing generated energy to the grid, and / or storing energy from the grid, etc.).

[0043] The embodiments disclosed herein may enable an energy retailer 102 to bill a customer for consumed energy based on, in addition to and / or instead of, measurement information received from an on-premises network-connected meter, authenticated data received from one or more connected devices 100. The energy retailer 102 can perform certain data analytics based on historical and / or real-time data to better optimize price setting and / or manage load, and thus control operating costs.

[0044] Customer Gateway Price setting data and / or other related information (which in certain cases may be referred to as energy management signal information) may be communicated from the energy retailer 102 to one or more customer gateways 104. In some embodiments, the price setting information may be authenticated (e.g., via a secure authenticated channel and / or authenticated object). In certain embodiments, the gateway 104 may include one or more reliable components for performing measurements, sensing, communication, and / or reliable calculations for automating energy consumption and / or storage decisions, data collation, and / or secure data management, such as calculations of secure channels and / or containers.

[0045] In some embodiments, the gateway 104 may, in a particular implementation, be installed on the customer's premises and may include one or more individual devices configured to communicate with one or more connected devices 100 and / or the energy retailer 102. For example, in certain embodiments, the gateway 104 may include a device (or devices) communicatively coupled to a network router associated with a network that communicates with one or more connected devices 100. In further embodiments, the gateway 104 may be cloud-based and / or, alternatively, may be a remote system and / or service that performs the functions of a gateway as described herein.

[0046] In certain embodiments, the functionality of gateway 104 can be implemented by both an individual device that communicates directly with the customer's local network (e.g., a device coupled to a network router) and a cloud-based remote service. For example, a subset of connected devices 100 can be managed by an individual gateway device associated with the customer's local network, and another subset of connected devices 100 can be managed by a cloud-based remote gateway service. In yet further embodiments, certain connected devices can communicate with and / or be otherwise managed by both an individual local gateway device and a cloud-based remote gateway service.

[0047] In some embodiments, gateway 104 can function as a protocol converter to facilitate communication between various connected devices 100. For example, among the connected devices 100, some have more sophisticated reporting capabilities while others are more simplistic. Gateway 104 can be configured to convert information received from and / or communicated to various connected devices 100 to better enable communication between connected devices 100 and / or with other devices, systems, and / or services.

[0048] In accordance with various disclosed embodiments, customer gateway 104 may receive energy management signals such as price setting information that can constitute secure signals and / or data received via a secure authentication channel and / or authenticated object, various configurations, rules, thresholds, and / or other input decisions of connected devices 100 received from energy retailer 102 and / or control application 106, connected device and / or IoT configuration information, and / or any other information used in connection with aspects of the disclosed systems and methods.

[0049] Customer Gateway 104 may further output a control action signal to the connected device 100, a decision notice to one or more external databases (e.g., public ledger 114 and / or private database 116) and / or transaction data, and / or a measured reading value (which may or may not be distinguished by the device) as any of an individual data record and / or time series data distributed to the external database, and / or any other suitable information used in connection with the disclosed system and method embodiments.

[0050] In various embodiments, the gateway 104 can, for example:

[0051] ■ Use the energy management signal input to make decisions regarding energy usage and / or configure and / or execute a charging and / or discharging schedule for energy. This may, in some cases, depend on direct simultaneous customer input, but is usually automated.

[0052] ■ Provide energy usage and / or configuration information to an external database (e.g., public ledger 114 and / or private database 116).

[0053] ■ Transmit and / or receive signals from the connected device 100 having an energy consumption, generation, and / or storage function.

[0054] ■ More generally, function as a controller for a "scene" involving multiple devices and / or virtual composite devices. For example, several devices can be conveniently aggregated into a unit with a single interface.

[0055] ■ Include a reference monitor and / or security association table for the connected device 100 and / or the associated network. This may enable a complete IoT security solution, including, for example, authenticated commands, encrypted sensors, and / or device signal fields.

[0056] ■ Implement a secure update manager and / or a self-defense mechanism for secure software.

[0057] As discussed above, the connected device 100 may communicate with the gateway 104 and receive various information from the gateway 104, including, for example, but not limited to, device data (which may be returned to the gateway 104 as a response to a control action), transaction data (such as actions taken by one or more connected devices 100 in response to signals such as price setting information received from the energy retailer 102 according to a policy), status data, configuration data, and / or control signals. Device data as used herein may include any data associated with one or more connected devices 100 and may be related to the maintenance, control, management, and / or operation of the associated connected devices 100. A wide variety of types of transaction data, status data, configuration data, and / or control system data may be generated and / or otherwise associated with the connected devices 100 and communicated between the gateway 104, and it will be understood that any suitable type of data and / or other information associated with the connected devices 100 may be used in connection with the various disclosed embodiments.

[0058] In certain embodiments, information including control signals and / or responses and / or associated device data can be communicated directly between the connected device and the gateway 104. In further embodiments, the connected device can communicate indirectly with the gateway 104 through another connected device. For example, an air conditioning unit lacking an Internet network connection can communicate device data to an associated connected thermostat, which can share device data associated with and / or generated by the AC unit with the gateway 104.

[0059] Customer control application As shown in FIG. 1, the customer can interact with the gateway 104 via one or more control applications 106 executed on a customer device 108 (e.g., a computer system, laptop, and / or smartphone, etc.). In some embodiments, the control application 106 can include a web-based browser application accessed by the customer device 108. Using the control application 106, the customer can, for example, in some embodiments, provision configuration data that may include policy information to the connected device 100 and / or the gateway 104. The policy information can specify one or more policies that can cause one or more connected devices 100 to engage in one or more specified control actions in response to a specified signal received from the energy retailer 102. For example, the customer can specify a policy associated with the AC unit and / or an associated connected thermostat to turn off the power of the AC unit and / or the connected thermostat and / or otherwise reduce the AC load when price setting information received from the energy retailer 102 exceeds a certain threshold.

[0060] Policies and / or other configuration information communicated from the control application 106 may further include gateway configuration information, connected device configuration information, rules, thresholds, and / or any other suitable type of information used in connection with the disclosed systems and methods. In certain embodiments, a customer may be provided with status, control, and / or notifications associated with the connected devices 100 and / or the gateway 104 via the control application 106.

[0061] The customer may further use the control application 106 to receive and / or otherwise interact with notifications and / or other information issued by the energy retailer 102. For example, in some embodiments, the retailer 102 may provide the customer with analytics supported by the retailer (such as comparison data with other customers, etc.) for the management of the energy use of an individual's home.

[0062] In certain embodiments, one or more of the connected devices 100 may be configured and / or otherwise controlled directly via the control application 106. In further embodiments, one or more of the connected devices 100 may be configured and / or otherwise controlled by the control application 106 via the gateway 104.

[0063] Communication between the control application 106, the gateway 104, and / or any other system, store, and / or entity (e.g., the energy retailer 102) can be authenticated and / or trusted in other ways. For example, in some embodiments, the control application 106 includes trusted components having a security association with the gateway 104, the connected devices 100, the energy retailer 102, and / or one or more data stores 114, 116 and / or related systems (e.g., a dual-authenticated key including keys that can be used to establish a secure authentication channel and / or communicate secure authenticated messages). In this way, communication with the control application 106 can be trusted.

[0064] Identification and Credential Management In certain embodiments, an identification and / or credential management service 110 (or such services) may be used to issue secure identification information, credentials, and / or keys to one or more connected devices 100, energy retailers 102, and / or other systems and / or entities within the ecosystem (e.g., customer devices 108 and / or the control application 106, the gateway 104, regulatory authorities and / or other third-party institutional systems 118, trusted partner systems 120, etc.). In some embodiments, the identification and / or credential management service 110 may provide a system-wide cryptographic key management service that enables secure peer-to-peer and / or client-server communication, data authentication, secure control of connected devices 100, and / or secure data access permissions.

[0065] In some implementations, the identification and / or credential management service 110 can issue secure identification information, credentials, and / or keys directly to one or more connected devices 100. In further embodiments, the identification and / or credential management service 110 can issue secure identification information, credentials, and / or keys to one or more device providers 112, and these providers 112 can provision such information, credentials, and / or keys to the connected devices 100 (e.g., during manufacturing).

[0066] In certain embodiments, a device manufacturer can directly provision its own secure identification information, credentials, and / or keys to one or more connected devices 100. Keys provisioned by such a manufacturer can be submitted and / or otherwise registered with a trusted directory service such as the identification and / or credential management service 110. Other parties in the ecosystem may contact the trusted directory service when determining whether to trust a device as part of the ecosystem. In certain embodiments, the identification and / or credential management service 100 may maintain such a registry of devices in a trusted immutable and / or unchangeable assertion ledger, which in some examples may be implemented using a blockchain ledger.

[0067] In various embodiments, the identification and / or credential management service 110 may provide trusted and / or otherwise authenticated classifications and / or attributes for one or more connected devices 100, thereby enabling pricing and other energy management information to be addressed to devices belonging to a particular class, group, and / or having particular attributes. In some embodiments, such information can be used to generate and / or manage "scenes" involving multiple devices. These classifications can also be used by an auditing system (e.g., a regulatory authority and / or third-party agency 118) that can independently verify that a device or the owner of the device or a related entity is eligible to receive the processes described in the pricing and other energy management signals.

[0068] In accordance with the various disclosed embodiments, secure identification information, credentials, and / or keys may be provisioned to trusted components and / or elements included in various connected devices 100, gateways 104, control applications 106, and / or other participating systems and / or services. For example, in certain embodiments, the identification and / or credential management service 110 may support a retailer's multi-vendor device authentication program for trusted elements within the gateway 104 and / or connected devices 100, thereby enabling a wide variety of connected devices to be trusted to accurately and securely report device data, transactions, status, configuration, measurements, and / or other trusted information. The use of trusted components and / or elements included in a device and / or system may facilitate scalability and enable the measurement of trust and reliance on devices and / or systems that include such components and / or elements.

[0069] In various embodiments, provisioned secure identification information, credentials, and / or keys can be used to establish secure connections and / or enable secure messaging and / or communication among various devices, systems, services, and / or entities. For example, in some embodiments, messages may be signed with a provisioned key and authenticated based on the associated secure signature. Secure messaging, communication, and / or identity management according to aspects of the disclosed embodiments can enable gateway 104 to trust the integrity and / or authenticity of information received from one or more connected devices 100, energy retailer 104, and / or control application 106. Such techniques can further enable trust in the integrity and / or reliability of information communicated from gateway 104 to one or more other systems (e.g., connected devices 100 and / or data stores 116, 114, etc.).

[0070] In certain embodiments, the identification and / or credential management service 100 may support rich identifiers and / or credentials indicating the role, function, and / or compliance assertions of system elements, thereby enabling the achievement of security, privacy, and / or integrity, among other things. In this regard, the identification and / or credential management service 110 can, among other things, do the following.

[0071] ■ As discussed above, provide identity and / or credential information to various ecosystem devices, services, entities, elements, and components.

[0072] ■Enable efficient verification of identities and credentials, including the source of commands and response data, reliable processing of data (e.g., governance), the role and / or authority of entities that request and / or make assertions about data, and / or the ability to authenticate the authority of other entities.

[0073] ■Support secure P2P (e.g., between various connected devices 100) and client / server communication functions.

[0074] ■Enable rapid invalidation and / or replacement of compromised credentials and make them highly renewable.

[0075] ■Allow the addition of new types of credential information and / or identity assertions when new types of policies emerge.

[0076] ■Support the identities of devices, software, and / or services from multiple providers and / or support a compliance authentication system regarding the functionality of various device types and the robustness of those functions.

[0077] Public data and private data bifurcation Various information may be received by the gateway 104, which includes, for example, but is not limited to, responses received from the connected device 100, device data, transactions, status, and / or configuration information, energy management signals including price setting information received from the energy retailer 102, and / or configuration and / or other policy information from the control application 106 associated with the customer. The gateway 104 can engage in specific control decisions in response to the received energy management signals, price setting information, policy and / or configuration information, and / or other various information received from the connected device 100. For example, the gateway 104 can send a signal to one or more connected devices 100 to engage in a control action (e.g., change configuration, and / or settings, etc.) in response to the price setting information received from the energy retailer 102. The gateway 104 can further receive the response from the signaled connected device 100 and confirm and / or otherwise indicate whether the connected device 100 has successfully performed the specified control action and / or auxiliary information regarding the device's operational response to the received signal.

[0078] In certain embodiments, the gateway 104 may receive from the connected device 100 one or more audit history information indicating that a control action has been performed and / or has persisted for a certain period (e.g., has persisted for a specified period and / or has been engaged in other ways) and / or that a subset of a specified set of control actions has been performed. For example, a connected device including an electric vehicle may be triggered by the gateway 104 to store electrical energy for a specified period and / or to store a specified amount of energy. The vehicle may store energy for a certain period (e.g., 95% of the specified period), but then the vehicle owner may need to use the vehicle. The audit history information may be shared with the gateway device 104 to determine the relative amount and / or degree of compliance to the specified control action.

[0079] Information received and / or generated by the gateway 104 in response to a control decision, and / or information transmitted from the gateway 104 to the connected device 100 and / or other systems and / or services may be communicated to and / or stored in one or more data stores 114, 116. In some embodiments, such information may be stored as part of an energy management decision record. In certain embodiments, the data stores 114, 116 may be associated with a single system. In further embodiments, the data stores 114, 116 may be substantially distributed across any suitable number of systems.

[0080] In accordance with the embodiments disclosed herein, in some examples and various examples described herein, a public database, which can include a public ledger 114, and a private database 116 may be used in connection with a method of branching record information in a consistent manner for storage that maintains the desired privacy characteristics and the requirements of various stakeholders, and at the same time, can also provide means for determining the origin. Although a single private database 116 and a public ledger 114 are shown in relation to FIG. 1, it will be understood that several private databases 116 and public ledgers 114 may be used in other implementations. For example, a first private database and a public ledger may store various device, transaction, state, and / or configuration data from connected devices 100, gateways 104, and / or control applications 106 that are generated based on and / or otherwise associated with price setting information received from a first energy retailer, and a second private database and a public ledger may store various device, transaction, state, and / or configuration data from connected devices 100, gateways 104, and / or control applications 106 that are generated based on and / or otherwise associated with price setting information received from a second energy retailer. Further, although various embodiments are described herein in connection with a public database that includes a public ledger 114, it will be understood that any suitable public database and / or database structure may be used in connection with the disclosed embodiments, including various information stores that do not use ledgers and / or blockchain structures.

[0081] In some embodiments, one or more private databases 116 and / or public ledgers 114 may be associated with one or more device providers 112 and / or identification and / or credential information management services 110. For example, a device provider 112 may store private customer registration data in a private database and public serial numbers, configurations, and / or authentication data in a public database and / or ledger. Similarly, an identification and / or credential information management service 110 may store private authentication and / or activation status information that may be associated with a corresponding public database storing related public information.

[0082] The public ledger 114 may include a database and / or ledger in which authenticated price settings and / or non-confidential and / or other less secure consumption data and / or other statistics and information may be stored and / or accessed. In some embodiments, the public ledger 114 may be designed to support secure public monitoring and / or auditing of information reported by the gateway 104 without necessarily revealing more individual customer and / or retailer information. In certain embodiments, the data stored in the public ledger 114 can be securely correlated with the data stored in the private database 116. The data provided to the public ledger 114 by the gateway 104 may be anonymized and / or obfuscated in other ways. For example, names, addresses, and / or identifiers may be removed by the gateway 104 before reporting the data to the public ledger 114.

[0083] The private database 116 can be configured to store more private and / or confidential data. For example, the data stored by the private database 116 can include, for example, but not limited to, private device and / or pricing data, transaction information (e.g., actions engaged in by the device 100 and / or the gateway 104 in response to received pricing information according to customer-specified policies and / or configurations), status data, and / or configuration data, etc., including more private, confidential, and / or otherwise secure customer and / or retailer-specific data. In certain embodiments, the information stored by the private database 116 can be used for things such as billing, analysis of the effectiveness of various pricing and / or energy demand management strategies, energy load prediction capabilities, demand elasticity, and / or device and / or system failures and / or other metrics. In certain embodiments, the data stored in the private database 116 can be maintained in a manner that correlates consistently with the data stored in the public ledger 114.

[0084] In certain embodiments, the private database 116 can, for example, but not limited to, enable the sharing of information with trusted members of different classes of stakeholders such as regulatory authorities and / or other third-party institutions 118, trusted partners 120, and / or wholesalers. Such sharing can be achieved in a manner that respects the customer's privacy rights.

[0085] In accordance with various disclosed embodiments, in some implementations, even though a reconciliation may occur between the public ledger 114 and the private database 116 (which can receive such secure information), the public ledger 114 does not receive information that directly identifies the customer as the source of the information and / or that can be used to directly identify the customer. In certain situations, specific consumption patterns and / or device data may be associated with a customer's unique behavioral signature. For example, in a relatively small community, the identity of an unusually large energy consumer can be readily identifiable and / or inferable based on information indicating that the customer consumes significantly more energy than other anonymous customers in the surrounding community, even if the information related to such consumption does not include any information that directly identifies the consumer. Thus, additional anonymization can be used to help protect the privacy of public specific data and / or records that may be disclosed in the public ledger 114. For example, in some embodiments, among other anonymized data communicated from the gateway 104 to the public ledger 114, a proxy 122 may be used to analyze and / or scan usage patterns that may be used to identify and / or otherwise infer the identity of individual customers and, if necessary, respond with additional anonymization and / or obfuscation.

[0086] In certain embodiments, trust can be distributed to one or more gateways 104. Based on the trusted gateway 104, a stakeholder can rely on the gateway to perform correct calculations on correct data and communicate appropriate information to the public ledger 114 and / or the private database 114.

[0087] As discussed above, data branching can be used to reconcile various concerns related to transparency, confidentiality, privacy, auditability, and / or provenance of data. FIG. 2 shows a conceptual diagram 200 illustrating a data bifurcation process according to a particular embodiment of the present disclosure. As illustrated, data record R may include a public component N and a confidential component C. In some embodiments, the data record may include records received by the gateway and / or otherwise generated as described above, such as an energy management decision data record. Record R can be represented as R=(N:C).

[0088] The data record branching process 202 can generate an encrypted hash of the entire data record h(R). The hash of the entire data record, along with the public component of the data record (h(R):N), can be sent to the public ledger 114 for storage. In certain embodiments, a hash function such as SHA-256 can be used to generate the hash of the data record, although other suitable hashes and / or other cryptographic functions can also be used. The entire data record R can be sent to the private database 116 for storage. In some embodiments, the hash of the entire data record h(R) can also be sent to the private database 116 and associated with the entire data record R for indexing purposes. In further embodiments, the private database 116 can calculate the hash of the entire data record h(R) and associate it with the entire data record R for indexing purposes.

[0089] In certain embodiments, the partitioning scheme of data record R may be known to the private database 116. This may allow a system having access to the private database 116 (e.g., an energy retailer, a partner, an auditor, a regulatory authority, and / or other trusted third-party institution) to calculate the hash and use it for an efficient index within the private database 116 and possibly find the record within the public ledger 114.

[0090] In certain embodiments, a customer can search for any records generated in both databases 114, 116, and a regulatory authority, auditor, and / or other trusted third-party institution can continuously and / or cross-audit the private database 116 (in certain implementations using an automated process). For example, a trusted regulatory authority, auditor, and / or third-party institution can audit the private database 116 over time and across a customer base and check for consistency with the public ledger 114.

[0091] Although various embodiments herein are described in the context of an energy management and transaction ecosystem, aspects of the disclosed systems and methods may be used in connection with a variety of other suitable applications, including, but not limited to, medical information, health data, and / or bioinformatics applications. For example, embodiments of the disclosed data branching process may be used to manage the public and private aspects of health information while balancing privacy, security, and data integrity and / or auditing goals.

[0092] In at least one non-limiting example, a health data record may have certain private data components that include information that can identify an individual and fewer private data components. Private components that include information that can identify an individual can be stored in a private database, but private and / or generally generalized patient demographic information of an individual (e.g., age, gender) and / or other generally generalized diagnostic information (e.g., positive and / or negative test results for a particular infectious disease) may be stored in the public ledger. Data stored in the private database can be indexed by information stored in the private databases of authorized entities according to various aspects of the disclosed embodiments.

[0093] Returning to FIG. 1, in some embodiments, the public ledger 114 may include a blockchain and / or other encrypted ledger. For example, in some embodiments, the public ledger 114 may be fixed to the blockchain using a scheme in which hashes are input into a Merkle tree and the root of each tree is recorded in the blockchain ledger. The public ledger 114 may include, for example, but not limited to, price setting data received from the energy retailer 102 (which may be the same data received from the energy retailer 102 and / or derived from data provided by the energy retailer 102), price-related signals, thresholds, and / or conditions that may affect a customer's decision-making and / or the configuration and / or control actions of associated connected devices 100 (automated or otherwise), and any other signals and / or information that may be used in connection with a customer's decision-making and / or the configuration and / or control actions of associated connected devices 100 (automated or otherwise). The use of hash indexes and blockchain entries may, in some embodiments, provide an authenticated and public record of system transactions that may correlate with a retailer's private records and may be used for publicly calculated and referenced analysis.

[0094] In various embodiments, the functionality of the private database 116 may be distributed across multiple databases and / or other components and / or implemented in other ways. As detailed above, the private database 116 may store one or more of specific detailed customer transaction and / or energy usage decision information (referencing the public ledger 114 through a hash index), specific customer energy device identification information, and / or a digital twin of the gateway 104 and / or connected device 100.

[0095] In some embodiments, the information included in the public database 116 may be used by the hosting system to provide data processing capabilities to various customer and / or partner dashboards. For example, when permitted by applicable policies and / or authorization conditions, the customer control application 106, the energy retailer 102, one or more trusted partners 120, and / or a trusted regulatory authority and / or third party agency 118 may access the information included in the private database 116 and / or the public ledger 114 in connection with various data processing and / or analysis processes. For example, the services associated with the private database 116 may host data analysis functions for unique energy load, production, storage, and / or price elasticity predictions that may be accessed and / or otherwise used by various stakeholders having the necessary authorization. To facilitate such functions, the private database 116 may implement extensive data governance, access control, and / or policy management functions that enable policy-managed access from authorized entities (e.g., authorized customers, retailer 102, trusted partner 120, trusted regulatory authority and / or third party agency stakeholders 118, and / or the like).

[0096] As described herein, branching data between the public ledger 114 and the private database 116 using a hash index that enables reconciliation between databases can provide an effective and secure function that supports several potentially conflicting goals, including transparency, privacy, auditability, and / or an appropriate allocation of public and / or proprietary analytics capabilities. By providing a function that is not overly complex and / or otherwise burdensome and is trustworthy to stakeholders, the requirements for ecosystem reliability may not become significantly greater than those for measurement and / or measurement notification functions. Data branching by the gateway 104 can further distribute trust and / or reduce the likelihood of systemic failures. Using the public ledger 114 to record public information supplied directly from customer sources (e.g., devices 100 connected via the gateway 104) can enhance the trust provided by the public and / or regulatory authorities.

[0097] Trusted Data Flows and Trusted Components In accordance with embodiments disclosed herein, communications between various devices, systems, services, entities, roles, components, and / or stakeholders may include trusted data flows. Such trusted data flows may include, for example, but are not limited to, one or more of the following.

[0098] ■ Energy management signals and / or price setting data communicated from the energy retailer 102 to the gateway 104 and / or the public ledger 114.

[0099] ■ Energy management decision records and / or other data records (which may include time-series data) communicated from gateway 104 to the public ledger 114 and / or the private database 116. This may include data records communicated from gateway 104 to the public ledger 114 outside the transaction ecosystem (e.g., connected device data such as backup configuration and / or other information that the customer wants the energy retailer 102 to manage).

[0100] ■ Information communicated from gateway 104 to the customer control application 106 and / or another database supporting the control application 106.

[0101] ■ Messages issued by the identification and credential management service 110 that establish trust and security among various devices, systems, services, entities, roles, components, and / or stakeholders (e.g., key management messages such as security association management protocol messages).

[0102] ■ Certified assertions from authorities for credential attestation and / or public key authentication associated with various devices, systems, services, entities, roles, components, and / or stakeholders.

[0103] In certain embodiments, various information (e.g., price setting information, devices, transactions, status, and / or configuration data, etc.) can be collected, generated, communicated, and / or managed by one or more trusted components, systems, services, entities, roles, components (e.g., applications), and / or stakeholders running on connected device 100, gateway 104, and / or any other device. In some embodiments, the trusted components can be installed on related systems and / or devices during manufacturing. In further embodiments, the trusted components can be installed on connected device 100 and / or other devices and / or systems at the instruction of the related user. In particular, the trusted components can be configured to establish secure connections between various devices, systems, services, entities, roles, components, and / or stakeholders and enable secure communication of information related to various applicable data flows.

[0104] In certain embodiments, a trusted component that can include one or more connected devices 100, gateway 104, customer control application 106, and / or a personal agent running on a related system and / or service, as described in U.S. Patent Application No. 12 / 785,406, filed on May 21, 2010, can be used to collect, store, and / or otherwise manage various collected and / or generated data. In certain embodiments, privacy considerations can be maintained because only the personal agent can directly access certain confidential information. Users and / or stakeholders of such data may be able to control the information disclosed from the personal agent to other entities.

[0105] Personal agents can be implemented in various ways to collect, store, and / or manage confidential data. In some embodiments, the personal agent can be implemented as an agent that runs locally on a connected device 100, such as a background service configured to monitor events and collect information from various sources. In further embodiments, the personal agent can be implemented as a network service that operates services to collect various information of interest.

[0106] In some embodiments, information collection and / or sharing through the personal agent can be controlled to protect the user's privacy. The user's privacy can be protected in various ways. The personal agent may support an interface that can specify a policy that defines what data the system and the user can obtain and / or for what purposes the information can be used. For example, in some embodiments, the personal agent can provide the user with a function to opt out of operational data collection and / or a function to draw specific inferences from the collected operational data.

[0107] Data may be stored and / or managed in a secure manner by a personal agent. For example, the personal agent can store the collected operational data using an encrypted database and / or data store. Further, a personal agent service running in the cloud can protect operational data using enterprise service level security. By interfacing with a personal agent associated with one's connected device 100 (e.g., using a control application 106, etc.), a user can view, edit, and / or delete from storage and / or collection of one's data, consent to sharing one's data, provide conditions associated with such sharing, view data one is sharing, identify with whom one is sharing, and / or confirm the value provided in the exchange.

[0108] The connected device 100, the energy retailer 102, the gateway 104, the customer device 108, the identification and / or credential information management service 110, the device provider 112, the public ledger 114, the private database 116, the regulatory authority and / or third-party agency 118, the trusted partner 120, and / or any other device, system, service, entity, role, and / or component illustrated and described in relation to FIG. 1 may include any suitable computing system(s) for implementing the systems and methods disclosed herein, including various computing devices and / or systems, and / or may be otherwise associated. For example, the connected device 100, the energy retailer 102, the gateway 104, the customer device 108, the identification and / or credential information management service 110, the device provider 112, the public ledger 114, the private database 116, the regulatory authority and / or third-party agency 118, the trusted partner 120, and / or any other device, system, service, entity, role, and / or component may include various computing devices and systems, such as a laptop computer system, a desktop computer system, a server computer system, a distributed computer system, a smartphone, and / or a tablet, etc.

[0109] The connected device 100 may further include any of the types of devices disclosed herein. Any suitable configuration of the computing system and storage medium is not limited thereto and may be used with respect to a system that includes a single server, or a cluster of servers, or a distributed aggregation of heterogeneous computer systems connected by various networks (such as, for example, the Internet, a public network and / or a private network, and / or the like).

[0110] In certain embodiments, various devices, systems, services, entities, roles, and / or components may include at least one processor system configured to execute instructions stored on a related non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. As will be discussed in more detail below, various devices, systems, services, entities, roles, and / or components may further include a secure processing unit ("SPU") configured to perform confidential operations such as the management of trustworthy credential information and / or keys, the management and / or enforcement of security policies, and / or other aspects of the systems and methods disclosed herein. The devices, systems, services, entities, roles, and / or components may further include software and / or hardware configured to enable electronic communication of information between devices, systems, services, entities, roles, and / or components via one or more networks (e.g., the network) using any suitable communication technology and / or standard.

[0111] In certain embodiments, various devices, systems, services, entities, roles, and / or components may be communicatively coupled via one or more network connections (e.g., a network connection of a particular network). The network connections may include various network communication devices and / or channels and may utilize any suitable communication protocol and / or standard that facilitates communication between various systems. The network connections can include the Internet, local area networks, virtual private networks, and / or any other communication network that utilizes one or more electronic communication technologies and / or standards (e.g., Ethernet, etc.). In some embodiments, the network can include a wireless carrier system such as a personal communication system (“PCS”) and / or any other suitable communication system incorporating any suitable communication standard and / or protocol. In further embodiments, the network connections can include an analog mobile communication network and / or a digital mobile communication network that utilizes, for example, code division multiple access (“CDMA”), global system for mobile communication or group special mobile (“GSM”), frequency division multiple access (“FDMA”), and / or time division multiple access (“TDMA”) standards. In certain embodiments, the network connections can incorporate one or more satellite communication links. In still further embodiments, the network connections can utilize the IEEE 802.11 standard, Bluetooth® , ultra-wideband (“UWB”), Zigbee® , and / or any other suitable standard or protocol.

[0112] Within the scope of the work body of the present invention, it will be understood that numerous variations can be made to the architecture and relationships presented with respect to FIG. 1. For example, without limitation, in some embodiments, some or all of the functions performed by the illustrated devices, systems, services, entities, roles, and / or components can be performed by a single system and / or any suitable combination of systems. Thus, it will be understood that FIG. 1 is provided for purposes of illustration and explanation and is not limiting.

[0113] FIG. 3 shows a flowchart of an example of a method 300 for managing information received by one or more connected devices via a gateway, in accordance with embodiments disclosed herein. The illustrated method 300 can be implemented in various ways, including using software, firmware, hardware, and / or any combination thereof. In certain embodiments, various aspects of the method 300 can be performed by a gateway device in relation to a customer system and / or control application, one or more connected devices, an energy management system (e.g., an energy retailer system), and / or one or more data stores (e.g., a public ledger and / or a private database), and / or any other suitable system and / or combination of systems.

[0114] At 302, policy information can be received at the gateway device from a customer system. For example, a customer can operate a control application running on a related system to provide policy and / or other configuration information to the gateway device. In some embodiments, the policy information can specify one or more control actions to be performed by one or more connected devices associated with the customer in response to the occurrence of one or more conditions.

[0115] In some embodiments, the connected device may include one or more load devices such as, but not limited to, a connected thermostat, a connected furnace, a connected AC system, a connected irrigation control system, a pump system, a network gateway, a media system, a connected appliance, and a connected vehicle. The connected device may further include one or more energy generation systems such as, but not limited to, a solar energy generation system, a wind energy generation system, and a hydroelectric energy generation system. In certain embodiments, one or more connected devices may include at least one energy storage system such as, but not limited to, a battery storage system, a thermal sink, and a potential energy storage system. In still further embodiments, the connected device may include at least one control device (e.g., a thermostat that controls an AC unit, etc.) configured to control a separate connected device.

[0116] The gateway device can further receive energy management signal information at 304 from an energy management system such as, for example, an energy retailer system. In some embodiments, this signal information may include pricing data and / or related information (e.g., current pricing data, future pricing data, and / or discount information, etc.). In some embodiments, such pricing data may vary over time and / or in other cases may be associated with a temporal component and / or period based on, for example, current and / or predicted grid demand.

[0117] A determination can be made at 306 as to whether the received energy management signal information triggers one or more conditions associated with the received policy information. If the policy conditions are not triggered, method 300 may end. However, if the policy conditions are triggered, the method can proceed to 308.

[0118] At 308, the gateway device can identify at least one control action among one or more control actions specified in the received policy information, based on one or more conditions specified in the received policy information triggered by the received energy management signal information. For example, the energy management signal information may include price setting data indicating the price of energy for a specific period. The policy information can specify that when the received price setting signal indicates an energy price exceeding a threshold, the power of one or more connected devices should be turned off and / or an instruction should be given to enter a power-saving mode in other ways.

[0119] In some embodiments, the gateway device can implement one or more "software circuit breakers" in the form of a program that evaluates possible actions to determine whether those actions fall within safe parameters (e.g., parameters that may be associated with the device) and / or whether those actions comply with policies set by and / or on behalf of the user. These circuit breakers can evaluate the collection status and / or recent history of the devices monitored by the gateway device to determine whether a particular action needs to be disabled and / or changed.

[0120] In at least one non-limiting example, the price setting data received by the gateway device can vary from 9.99 to 10.04 cents / kwh. The policy associated with the connected devices managed by the gateway device may be triggered at 10 cents / kwh. However, in certain connected devices, such as large motors, refrigeration equipment and / or associated compressors, or large industrial ovens, frequently changing the trigger for control settings and / or control actions is cost-ineffective or, in the worst case, can even damage the equipment due to sudden on / off fluctuations triggered by the policy. In accordance with the various aspects disclosed herein, the gateway device can provide additional data for the gateway device to make intelligent and information-based policy decisions, taking into account technical policy data that can be set by the customer and / or associated with the device in other ways (e.g., programmed at the time of manufacture) and / or obtained from a reliable manufacturer source.

[0121] In response to the identified control action, the gateway device may generate and transmit a control signal to at least one of the one or more connected devices at 310. For example, in various embodiments, the control signal can instruct at least one connected device to perform at least one control action identified at 308.

[0122] At 310, a secure response can be received from at least one connected device in response to an issued control signal. In some embodiments, the secure response can indicate that at least one connected device has performed the identified control action included in the control signal sent to the device. In certain embodiments, the secure response can be authenticated by the gateway based at least in part on verification of a cryptographic signature securely associated with the response. In some embodiments, commands and / or other operation requests issued by the gateway device can include an identifier that can be referenced by the connected device when providing a response, subsequent response, and / or other notification that the connected device has declared a change in operation (e.g., immediate and / or subsequent) in response to the command and / or request.

[0123] An energy management transaction data record is generated and securely stored at 312. In accordance with the various disclosed embodiments, the energy management decision data record can include one or more of energy management signal information, secure responses, related policy information, control action information, identification information related to the controlled connected device, and / or any other device data, price setting data, transaction data, status data, configuration data, and / or any other related data described herein.

[0124] In some embodiments, the data management transaction record can be stored in one or more remote data stores. In certain embodiments, the data management transaction record can include a confidential component that can be stored in a private database and a public component that can be stored in a public ledger that can include a blockchain ledger. In some embodiments, storing the confidential component can include storing the entire energy management transaction data record in a private database. In further embodiments, storing the public component can include storing the public component and a hash of the entire energy management transaction data record in the public ledger.

[0125] Figure 4 shows a flowchart of an example of a method 400 for accessing public and private components of a data record, according to a particular embodiment of the present disclosure. The illustrated method 400 can be implemented in various ways, including using software, firmware, hardware, and / or any combination thereof. In a particular embodiment, various aspects of the method 400 can be performed by, for example, a trusted partner, an authorized regulatory authority, and / or a customer interested in accessing information included in a data management decision record.

[0126] At 402, the public component of the data record and the cryptographic hash of the complete data record can be accessed from the public ledger by the system. The system can authenticate the access at 404 using a private database (e.g., by presenting valid authentication credentials, etc.). Once authenticated, at 406, the hash of the complete data record can be used to identify the complete data record within the private database using an index that associates the hash with the complete data record.

[0127] Figure 5 illustrates an exemplary system 500 that can be used to implement embodiments of the systems and methods of the present disclosure. Particular elements associated with the illustrated exemplary system 500 can be included in one or more systems configured to implement particular energy and / or other transaction management methods in relation to one or more connected devices according to embodiments of the disclosed systems and methods. For example, the various elements included in the illustrated system 500 can be included in a gateway device configured to receive policies, energy management signal information, and responses from connected devices, generate control signals based on applicable policies, and report various collected and / or generated information to a secure data store.

[0128] As shown in FIG. 5, system 500 includes a processing unit 502, a system memory 504 including a high-speed random access memory ( "RAM"), a non-volatile memory ( "ROM"), and / or one or more bulk non-volatile non-transitory computer-readable storage media (e.g., hard disk, flash memory, etc.) for storing programs and other data for use and execution by the processing unit, a port 506 for interfacing with a removable memory 508 including one or more diskettes, optical storage media, and / or other non-transitory computer-readable storage media (e.g., flash memory, thumb drive, USB dongle, compact disk, DVD, etc.), a network interface 510 for communicating with other systems via one or more network connections 516 using one or more communication technologies, a user interface 512 that can include a display and / or one or more input / output devices such as, for example, a touch screen, keyboard, mouse, trackpad, etc., and one or more buses 514 for communicatively coupling the elements of system 500.

[0129] In some embodiments, system 500 can alternatively or additionally include an SPU 518 that is protected from tampering by a user of the system or other entity by utilizing secure physical and / or virtual security techniques. The SPU 518 can help enhance the security of confidential operations such as personal information management, trusted credential and / or key management, privacy and policy management, and other aspects of the systems and methods disclosed herein. In certain embodiments, the SPU 518 operates in a logically secure processing domain and can be configured to protect and operate on confidential information as described herein. In some embodiments, the SPU 518 can include an internal memory for storing executable instructions or programs configured to enable the SPU 518 to perform secure operations as described herein.

[0130] The operation of system 500 can generally be controlled by processing unit 502 and / or SPU 518 that operate by executing software instructions and programs stored in system memory 504 (and / or other computer-readable media such as removable memory 508). System memory 504 can store various executable programs or modules for controlling the operation of system 500. For example, system memory 504 can include an operating system ("OS") 520 that at least partially manages and coordinates system hardware resources and provides common services for the execution of various applications, and a trust and privacy management system 522 for implementing trust and privacy management functions including the protection and / or management of personal data through the management and / or enforcement of related policies. System memory 504 can include, but is not limited to, communication software 524 configured to enable, in part, communication between and by the system, including establishing a secure communication channel with other systems (such as connected devices, energy management systems, customer systems, data stores, etc.); one or more applications; policies 528 and / or other configuration information; records 5230 that can include energy management decision records; and / or a record storage management module 532 for securely storing records in one or more data stores (such as private databases and / or public databases and / or ledgers) according to the disclosed embodiments; and / or can further include any other information, module, and / or any other application configured to implement the embodiments of the systems and methods disclosed herein.

[0131] The systems and methods disclosed herein are not inherently related to a particular computer, device, service, or other apparatus and can be implemented by a suitable combination of hardware, software, and / or firmware. The software implementation can include one or more computer programs that, when executed by a processor, include executable code / instructions that cause the processor to execute a method that is at least partially defined by the executable instructions. The computer programs can be written in any form of programming language, including compiled or interpreted languages, and can be deployed in any form, as a stand-alone program or as a module, component, subroutine, or other unit suitable for use in a computing environment. Further, the computer programs can be deployed to be executed on one computer or on multiple computers at one site or distributed across multiple sites and interconnected by a communication network. The software embodiments can be implemented as a computer program product that includes a computer program and instructions configured to store the computer program and instructions on a non-transitory storage medium that, when executed by a processor, is configured to cause the processor to execute the method according to the instructions. In certain embodiments, the non-transitory storage medium can take any form capable of storing processor-readable instructions. The non-transitory storage medium can be embodied by a compact disk, digital video disk, optical storage medium, flash memory, integrated circuit, or any other non-transitory digital processing device memory device.

[0132] Although the foregoing has been described in some detail for purposes of clarity, it will be apparent that certain changes and modifications can be made without departing from the principles of the invention. Note that there are many alternative ways of implementing both the systems and methods described herein. Accordingly, this embodiment should be considered illustrative and not restrictive, and the invention is not limited to the details described herein but may be modified within the scope and equivalents of the appended claims.

Claims

Claim 1 A method for managing energy utilization performed by a gateway device, the gateway device comprising a processor and a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the gateway device to perform the method, the method comprising: receiving, at the gateway device, policy information from a customer system that specifies one or more control actions to be performed by one or more connected devices in response to one or more conditions; receiving, at the gateway device, energy management signal information from an energy management system; identifying, by the gateway device, at least one of the one or more control actions based on the received policy information and the one or more conditions specified in the received energy management signal information; generating, by the gateway device, a control signal that commands at least one of the one or more connected devices to perform the at least one identified control action; transmitting, from the gateway device to the at least one connected device, the control signal; receiving, from the at least one connected device, a secure response indicating that the at least one connected device has performed the at least one identified control action in response to the control signal; securely storing an energy management transaction data record that includes the energy management signal information and the secure response. Claim 2 The method of claim 1, wherein the energy management transaction data record includes one or more of the policy information, the at least one identified control action, and identification information associated with the at least one connected device. Claim 3 The method of claim 1, wherein securely storing the energy management transaction data record includes securely storing the energy management transaction data record in one or more remote data stores. Claim 4 The method according to claim 3, wherein the energy management transaction data record includes a public component and a confidential component, and the one or more remote data stores include a public ledger and a private database.

5. Safely storing the energy management transaction data record includes storing the confidential component of the energy management transaction data record in the private database, and storing the public component of the energy management transaction data record in the public ledger, the method according to claim 4.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein storing the confidential component of the energy management transaction data record includes storing the entire energy management transaction data record in the private database.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein storing the public component of the energy management transaction data record includes storing the public component of the energy management transaction data record and a hash of the energy management transaction data record in the public ledger.

8. The method according to claim 4, wherein the public ledger includes a blockchain ledger.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the energy management system is associated with the energy retailer.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising authenticating the secure response based at least in part on verifying a cryptographic signature associated with the secure response.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the one or more connected devices include at least one energy load device.

12. The method according to claim 3, wherein the at least one energy load device includes at least one of a connected thermostat, a connected furnace, a connected air conditioning system, a connected irrigation control system, a pump system, a network gateway, a media system, a connected electrical appliance, and a connected vehicle.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the one or more connected devices include at least one energy generation system.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the at least one energy generation system comprises at least one of a solar energy generation system, a wind energy generation system, and a hydroelectric energy generation system.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein the one or more connected devices comprise at least one energy storage system.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the at least one energy storage system comprises at least one of a battery storage system, a thermal sink, and a potential energy storage system.

17. The method according to claim 1, wherein the one or more connected devices comprise at least one control device.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the at least one control device comprises a device configured to control a separate connected device.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the control signal is configured to instruct the at least one control device to change the configuration of the separate connected device.

20. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one control device comprises a connected thermostat.

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