Automated calibration of EMI fingerprint scanning instrumentation for utility power system counterfeit detection

Abstract

To provide systems and methods associated with automated calibration of electromagnetic interference (EMI) fingerprint scanning instrumentation for utility power system counterfeit detection.SOLUTION: A method includes: a step 710 of collecting electromagnetic signals with an EMI fingerprint scanning device for a test period of time at a geographic location; a step 715 of identifying one or more peak frequency bands in the collected electromagnetic signals; a step 720 of comparing the one or more peak frequency bands to assigned radio station frequencies at the geographic location to determine if a match is found; and a step 725 of generating a calibration state signal based at least in part on the comparison to indicate whether the EMI fingerprint scanning device is calibrated or not calibrated.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Background technology]

[0001] background Counterfeit electronic components in the international supply chain are estimated to cost $220 billion annually across all industries that use electronics, including information technology, healthcare, military, gaming, transportation, and utilities. Counterfeit systems (or systems containing counterfeit parts) often appear so realistic that service engineers cannot distinguish them from authentic systems by simple visual inspection. However, counterfeit systems often contain scrap parts from discarded systems, cheaply manufactured parts, or old parts from recycled vintage systems that have been repackaged to look like authentic systems.

[0002] Counterfeit systems or systems containing counterfeit parts (“counterfeit systems”) are then incorporated into the supply chain via broker channels. When counterfeit systems are shipped to customers, they are often faulty on arrival or fail within a very short period of time, resulting in significant warranty losses, reduced mean time between failures, and customer dissatisfaction. In some situations, counterfeit systems even contain “spy chips” or “modded chips” that may allow unauthorized access to or control of the counterfeit systems, posing a significant risk to infrastructure. In the utility sector, the use of counterfeit electronic components is not only a costly nuisance, but also a major safety concern. Utility component failures can result in life-threatening situations such as power outages and fires.

[0003] The North American Electric Reliability Council (NERC) and the Federal Energy Reliability Commission (FERC) have issued the Supply Chain Risk Management Rule (No. CIP-013-1) to mitigate risks to the reliable operation of bulk electric systems. The rule mandates that by July 2020, all utilities in North America must implement technology to detect counterfeit components in all power system assets used in generating equipment, supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) subsystems, and distribution grid assets. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] overview In one embodiment, a method for detecting a calibration status of an electromagnetic interference (EMI) fingerprint scanning device comprises the steps of collecting electromagnetic signals over a test period at a geographic location using the EMI fingerprint scanning device; identifying one or more peak frequency bands in the collected electromagnetic signals; comparing the one or more peak frequency bands with assigned radio station frequencies at the geographic location to determine whether a match is found; and generating a calibration status signal indicating whether the EMI fingerprint scanning device is calibrated based at least in part on the comparison.

[0005] In one embodiment, a method for detecting a calibration status of an EMI fingerprint scanning device, the method comprising the steps of: allowing initiation of an EMI fingerprint scan of a target device using the EMI fingerprint scanning device in response to the calibration status signal indicating that the EMI fingerprint scanning device is calibrated; and and preventing initiation of the EMI fingerprint scan of the target device using the EMI fingerprint scanning apparatus in response to the calibration status signal indicating that the target device is in a calibration state.

[0006] In one embodiment, a method for detecting a calibration status of an EMI fingerprint scanning device, the method further comprising: performing an EMI fingerprint scan of a target utility device to generate an EMI fingerprint for the target utility device; generating a calibration certificate of the EMI fingerprint scan from the collected electromagnetic frequencies, the assigned radio station frequencies and the calibration status signal; and including the calibration certificate with the EMI fingerprint.

[0007] In one embodiment, a method for detecting the calibration status of an EMI fingerprint scanning device, the method further comprising the step of initiating a recalibration process to correct the calibration of the EMI fingerprint scanning device in response to the calibration verification signal indicating that the EMI fingerprint scanning device is not calibrated, the recalibration process comprising the steps of identifying an error based at least on a difference between one or more of the assigned radio station frequencies and one or more of the peak frequency bands in the collected electromagnetic signal, deriving a correction factor from at least the error, and applying the correction factor to the radio receiver to recalibrate the EMI fingerprint scanning device.

[0008] In one embodiment, a method for detecting the calibration status of an EMI fingerprint scanning device, wherein the comparison of the one or more peak frequency bands further comprises the steps of requesting radio station frequency information for radio stations near the geographic location from a frequency data service; parsing a response from the frequency data service to determine a list of local radio station frequencies; and determining whether any of the one or more peak frequency bands are included in the list, wherein a no-match signal is generated if a peak frequency band is not included in the list, and a match signal is generated if a peak frequency band is included in the list.

[0009] In one embodiment, a method for detecting a calibration status of an EMI fingerprint scanning device, wherein the comparison of the one or more peak frequency bands further comprises the steps of: for at least one peak frequency band of the one or more peak frequency bands, requesting radio station identification information from a frequency data service for radio stations near the geographic location that broadcast in the one peak frequency band; and parsing a response from the frequency data service to determine whether the one peak frequency band is assigned to a radio station, wherein a no-match signal is generated if the response does not include a radio station identification for the one peak frequency band, and a match signal is generated if the response includes a radio station identification for the one peak frequency band.

[0010] In one embodiment, a method for detecting the calibration status of an EMI fingerprint scanning device, the method further comprising the steps of: displaying a visual calibration confirmation on a graphical user interface of the scanning device in response to the calibration status signal indicating that the EMI fingerprint scanning device is calibrated; and displaying a visual calibration warning on the graphical user interface of the scanning device in response to the calibration status signal indicating that the EMI fingerprint scanning device is not calibrated.

[0011] In one embodiment, a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions for detecting a calibration status of an electromagnetic interference (EMI) fingerprint scanning device, the instructions, when executed by at least a processor of the EMI fingerprint scanning device, cause the EMI fingerprint scanning device to collect electromagnetic signals over a test period at a geographic location using the EMI fingerprint scanning device, identify one or more peak frequency bands in the collected electromagnetic signals, compare the one or more peak frequency bands with assigned radio station frequencies at the geographic location to determine whether a match is found, and generate a calibration status signal indicating whether the EMI fingerprint scanning device is calibrated based at least in part on the comparison.

[0012] In one embodiment, a non-transitory computer-readable medium, wherein the instructions further cause the EMI fingerprint scanning device to initiate an EMI fingerprint scan of a target device using the EMI fingerprint scanning device in response to the calibration status signal indicating that the EMI fingerprint scanning device is calibrated.

[0013] In one embodiment, a non-transitory computer-readable medium, wherein in response to the calibration verification signal indicating that the EMI fingerprint scanning device is not calibrated, the instructions further cause the EMI fingerprint scanning device to identify an error based at least on a difference between the one or more of the assigned radio station frequencies and one or more of the peak frequency bands in the collected electromagnetic signal, derive a correction factor from at least the error, and apply the correction factor to the radio receiver to recalibrate the EMI fingerprint scanning device.

[0014] In one embodiment, a non-transitory computer-readable medium, the instructions further causing the EMI fingerprint scanning device to request information about radio stations near the geographic location from a frequency data service for the comparison of the one or more peak frequency bands, and to use at least a portion of the information returned by the frequency data service to determine whether to generate a match signal or a mismatch signal.

[0015] In one embodiment, an electromagnetic interference (EMI) fingerprint scanning device comprises: a processor; a memory operatively connected to the processor; a radio receiver operatively connected to the processor and the memory; and a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions for detecting a calibration status of an electromagnetic interference (EMI) fingerprint scanning device, the instructions, when executed by at least the processor, causing the EMI fingerprint scanning device to collect electromagnetic signals over a test period at a geographical location using the EMI fingerprint scanning device; identify one or more peak frequency bands in the collected electromagnetic signals; compare the one or more peak frequency bands with assigned radio station frequencies at the geographical location to determine whether a match is found; and generate a calibration status signal indicating whether the EMI fingerprint scanning device is calibrated based at least in part on the comparison.

[0016] In one embodiment, in an EMI fingerprint scanning device, the instructions further include causing the EMI fingerprint scanning device to, in response to the calibration status signal indicating that the EMI fingerprint scanning device is to be calibrated, display a visual calibration confirmation on a graphical user interface of the scanning device; and scanning the EMI fingerprint of a target device using the EMI fingerprint scanning device. and in response to the calibration status signal indicating that the EMI fingerprint scanning device is not calibrated, display a visual calibration warning on the graphical user interface of the scanning device, prevent the initiation of the EMI fingerprint scan of the target device using the EMI fingerprint scanning device, and initiate a recalibration process to correct the calibration of the EMI fingerprint scanning device.

[0017] In one embodiment, in an EMI fingerprint scanning device, in response to the calibration verification signal indicating that the EMI fingerprint scanning device is not calibrated, the instructions further cause the EMI fingerprint scanning device to identify an error based at least on a difference between one or more of the assigned radio station frequencies and one or more of the peak frequency bands in the collected electromagnetic signal, derive a correction factor from at least the error, and apply the correction factor to the radio receiver to recalibrate the EMI fingerprint scanning device.

[0018] In one embodiment, in an EMI fingerprint scanning device, the instructions further cause the EMI fingerprint scanning device to accept latitude and longitude coordinates as the geographic location from a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver associated with the EMI fingerprint scanning device for the comparison of the one or more peak frequency bands, request information about radio stations near the geographic location from a frequency data service, and use at least a portion of the information returned by the frequency data service to determine whether to generate a match signal or a mismatch signal.

[0019] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated into and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate various systems, methods, and other embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be understood that element boundaries (e.g., boxes, boxes, or other shapes) shown in the drawings represent one embodiment of a boundary. In some embodiments, one element may be realized as multiple elements, or multiple elements may be realized as one element. In some embodiments, an element shown as an internal component of another element may be realized as an external component, and vice versa. Additionally, the elements are not drawn to scale. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment of an EMI fingerprint scanning device associated with automatic calibration of EMI fingerprint scanning instruments for utility power system counterfeit detection. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment of an EMI fingerprint scanning device associated with automatic calibration of the EMI fingerprint scanning instrument in an environment in which the EMI fingerprint scanning device is used to detect EMI signals from a target utility device. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment of an EMI fingerprint scanning device associated with automatic calibration of the EMI fingerprint scanning instrument in an environment where the EMI fingerprint scanning device detects EM signals from wireless stations for calibration. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment of an environment for calibrating an EMI fingerprint scanning device associated with automatic calibration of an EMI fingerprint scanning instrument. [Figure 5] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary heat map of wireless broadcast frequency bands collected near Hillsborough County, New Hampshire by an embodiment of an EMI fingerprint scanning device associated with automatic calibration of the EMI fingerprint scanning instrument. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary heat map of wireless broadcast frequency bands collected near San Mateo County, California by an embodiment of an EMI fingerprint scanning device associated with automatic calibration of the EMI fingerprint scanning instrument. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment of a method associated with auto-calibration of an EMI fingerprint scanning instrument. [Figure 8A] FIG. 1 illustrates one embodiment of a method associated with comparing peak frequency bands with assigned radio station frequencies in auto-calibration of an EMI fingerprint scanning instrument. [Figure 8B] FIG. 10 illustrates another embodiment of a method associated with comparing peak frequency bands with assigned radio station frequencies in auto-calibration of an EMI fingerprint scanning instrument. [Figure 9] FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment of a method associated with auto-calibration of an EMI fingerprint scanning instrument. [Figure 10A] FIG. 10 illustrates one embodiment of a graphical user interface associated with notifying a user of an EMI fingerprint scanning device that the EMI fingerprint scanning device is properly calibrated. [Figure 10B] FIG. 10 illustrates one embodiment of a graphical user interface associated with alerting a user of an EMI fingerprint scanning device that the EMI fingerprint scanning device is not properly calibrated. [Figure 11] FIG. 1 illustrates one embodiment of a method associated with generating a calibration certificate to demonstrate that an EMI fingerprint of a target device was created by a correctly calibrated EMI fingerprint scanning device. [Figure 12] FIG. 1 illustrates one embodiment of a method associated with automatic recalibration of an improperly calibrated EMI fingerprint scanning instrument. [Figure 13]FIG. 1 illustrates one embodiment of a computing device configured and / or programmed with one or more of the example systems, methods and / or special purpose apparatus and / or equivalents disclosed herein. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] Detailed Description Described herein are systems and methods that provide automatic calibration of electromagnetic interference (EMI) fingerprint scanning instruments for utility power system counterfeit detection. Power utility devices can be non-invasively determined to be composed entirely of genuine components or partially or entirely of counterfeit components by scanning EMI signals generated by the power utility devices. However, systems for detecting electromagnetic signals can drift out of calibration, which will affect the accuracy of the counterfeit determination.

[0022] EMI signals are generated by power utility devices, such as transformers, generators, inverters, meters, relays, or other power grid systems, during operation. While these EMI signals are generally considered noise, these EMI signals can also carry information that can be used to generate a unique EMI fingerprint for the utility device. For example, the EMI emitted by a target utility device having an unknown component configuration can be scanned to generate a target EMI fingerprint for the target utility device. The generated target EMI fingerprint can be compared to a reference EMI fingerprint of a reference utility device of known configuration to confirm that the target utility device is a utility device of a known make, model, and configuration, or to identify the target utility device. The utility device may be notified that the utility device is not of a known make, model, and configuration and may therefore contain one or more suspected counterfeit parts, or may be suspected of being entirely counterfeit. (For convenience, a utility device containing one or more counterfeit parts may be referred to herein as a "counterfeit," even though the device may contain many genuine parts.) This counterfeit detection technology is “passive” because it does not require disassembly of the target utility device’s power system electronics to perform internal inspections, such as visual or photographic inspections. Counterfeit detection techniques that require disassembly are ineffective and often cause problems for the inspected utility device later, even if they do not detect counterfeit components. In contrast, this passive technology makes it practical to periodically inspect power system devices (i) at checkpoints in the supply chain, (ii) at ports of entry / exit when components or assembled / integrated systems are transported across borders, or (iii) when systems are accepted by utility customers as part of initial setup preparation during power-on self-test (POST) operations prior to deployment to the power grid or power generation facility. Therefore, this new technology helps prevent counterfeit components or “spy chips” or “modded chips” from being incorporated into power system electronics during transitions between component manufacturing and the “assembly plant” or between the assembly plant and the utility system. Additionally, this new technology does not require hardware changes in the commercial power system, making it backward compatible with legacy power systems commonly used by utilities.

[0023] To further enhance the utility of EMI fingerprint counterfeit detection, embodiments present the user with a simple "all clear" determination indicating that the scanned target device contains no counterfeit components and is a genuine or authentic device, or generate an alarm, alert, or warning that all or part of the scanned target device is suspected to be counterfeit. This allows the scanning procedure to be used by non-skilled staff, who can understand the results without training in EMI emissions science, data science, machine learning, or counterfeit detection techniques. This scanning procedure enables rigorous detection and identification of counterfeits in an autonomous manner, so that (i) staff involved in utility acceptance testing of components from the supply chain and (ii) staff involved in inspecting shipped systems at ports of entry and other domestic and international borders can quickly identify utility devices containing internal counterfeit components or certify that a utility device has all authentic components.

[0024] In one embodiment, an EMI fingerprint scanning instrument (also referred to herein as an EMI fingerprint scanning device) is configured to perform scans of target utility devices. However, calibration may need to be performed before and / or after any critical analysis (in other words, approximately simultaneously with any critical analysis) because the instrument may drift out of calibration. In particular, components of the EMI fingerprint scanning instrument used to detect EMI are susceptible to drift out of calibration due to time, temperature, or a wide variety of other factors. Improper calibration of the EMI fingerprint scanning instrument may result in false alerts (Type I errors) or failures to alert (Type II errors) regarding whether the target device is counterfeit.

[0025] In either case, errors are costly. For example, if a target device is detected as a suspected counterfeit device containing one or more counterfeit components, the device may be subject to subsequent disassembly and detailed internal inspection and testing by more highly trained staff. The target device may be set aside for testing. Disassembly, inspection, and testing can damage the target device or cause performance issues for the device at a later time. Thus, a Type I false positive detection of a target device as containing one or more counterfeit components wastes resources during internal testing and exposes the target device itself to risk of damage. A Type II failure to detect a target device as containing one or more counterfeit components puts the counterfeit device into service, exposing the power grid or other system in which it is incorporated to a higher risk of failure. Therefore, it is very important to ensure that EMI fingerprint scanning equipment is accurately calibrated before every scan or series of scans, especially when the goal of the scan is a "compliant" vs. "non-compliant" assessment.

[0026] Similar to simplifying the counterfeit scanning procedure to allow use by unskilled staff, the systems and methods described herein provide an automated calibration procedure that requires little human attention or interaction and minimal training for the staff performing the scans. The systems and methods described herein provide a fully autonomous calibration procedure that allows lay staff to autonomously fully calibrate each EMI fingerprint scan with minimal additional effort or training required for the staff performing the scans. This calibration procedure ensures that the frequency, amplitude, and gain of the radio frequency detector instrument of the EMI fingerprint scanning device have not drifted from calibration before a new scan is performed.

[0027] Calibration typically requires access to a bulky and expensive reference source. The systems and methods described herein eliminate this requirement. In one embodiment, the systems and methods described herein leverage ubiquitous public AM (amplitude modulation) and FM (frequency modulation) radio signals in combination with publicly available information from frequency data services, such as databases maintained by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC), to synthesize a reference source. The FCC database (and other frequency data services) accessible via FCC.gov provides the ability to search for the nearest AM and FM radio stations along with their assigned broadcast frequencies, transmitting a geographic location during the search. Thus, an EMI fingerprint scanning device may include a software application, software module, or other logic configured to query a frequency data service using the EMI fingerprint scanning device's current location and receive a formatted list of local AM and FM radio stations and their fixed broadcast frequencies. The EMI fingerprint scanning device can then select a subset of those fixed frequencies, for example, a "top 10" list (by proximity or by broadcast power), to serve as the reference source. The EMI fingerprint scanning device can evaluate these known fixed reference sources against the electromagnetic signals detected by the EMI fingerprint scanning device for autonomous calibration verification of the EMI fingerprint instrument. This results in a robust, straightforward, and reliable calibration process.

[0028] Therefore, no additional equipment is required to calibrate the EMI fingerprint scanning device, and no special skills or knowledge are required for the operator of the EMI fingerprint scanning device to perform the calibration, and operator participation in the calibration process is minimized.

[0029] Furthermore, mobile devices now typically have the ability to locate their location using built-in, low-cost Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver chips. In one embodiment, the EMI fingerprint scanning device incorporates this same GPS chip for locating the EMI fingerprint scanning device. This allows an EMI fingerprint scanning device to detect and transmit its own location to a frequency data service without requiring the user to provide location information, thus substantially eliminating the participation of the operator of the EMI fingerprint scanning device from the calibration process.

[0030] -Exemplary EMI Fingerprint Scanning Device- 1 illustrates an embodiment of an EMI fingerprint scanning device 100 associated with automatic calibration of EMI fingerprint scanning equipment for utility power system counterfeit detection. EMI fingerprint scanning device 100 may be used to detect EMI emissions of a target utility device and compare the EMI fingerprint based on the detected EMI emissions with a reference EMI fingerprint from an authenticated, authentic reference utility device. In one embodiment, EMI fingerprint scanning device 100 includes a processor 105, local data storage 110, a display 120, an input device 125, a network interface 130, an antenna 135, a wireless receiver 140 for detecting electromagnetic signals 145, scanner control logic 150, and a GPS receiver 155, each of which are operatively interconnected, for example, by one or more buses.

[0031] In one embodiment, processor 105 is configured to perform one or more steps of the methods described herein. Processor 105 may be, for example, a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a controller, a mobile device processor, or a special purpose processor associated with EMI fingerprint scanning device 100.

[0032] In one embodiment, local data storage 110 may include volatile and / or non-volatile memory hardware incorporated into EMI fingerprint scanning device 100. The memory hardware may be operated by storage management software executed by processor 105. Local data storage 110 stores information collected or generated by other components within the memory hardware using one or more data structures.

[0033] In one embodiment, display 120 may include a display device such as an LED or LCD display and associated graphics hardware for managing the display device. Display 120 may be configured to display a graphical user interface (GUI). In one embodiment, input device 125 may include one or more input devices including a cursor controller, a touchscreen integrated with display 120, a hardware keyboard or keypad, a software keyboard or keypad, a microphone with speech-to-text software and voice processing, and / or configurable or dedicated special-purpose buttons.

[0034] In one embodiment, network interface 130 may be a wireless network interface device, such as an Ethernet or Bluetooth transceiver. In one embodiment, network interface 130 is configured to allow EMI fingerprint scanning apparatus 100 to communicate with other computing devices over a computing network.

[0035] In one embodiment, the antenna 135 is configured to detect an electromagnetic signal 145 and apply the detected signal to a wireless receiver 140 coupled to the antenna 135. Depending on the configuration of antenna 135 and radio receiver 140, EMI signals may be detected across a wide frequency spectrum, for example, from about 500 kilohertz to about 4 gigahertz. Other ranges may be reasonable, and the range of frequencies available to EMI fingerprint counterfeit scanner 100 may be determined by the combination of antenna 135 and radio receiver 140. In general, the range of frequencies detected by the combination of antenna 135 and radio receiver 140 should include a range of frequencies that encompasses some or all of the electromagnetic frequencies allocated to broadcast AM radio, broadcast FM radio, or broadcast television.

[0036] In one embodiment, antenna 135 may include a dipole antenna, a Yagi-Uda antenna, a loop antenna, an electrically shorted antenna (e.g., an open-ended wire having a length less than a quarter wavelength), a fractal antenna, a parabolic antenna, a microstrip antenna, a quad antenna, a random wire antenna (e.g., an open-ended wire having a length greater than one wavelength), a beverage antenna, a helical antenna, a phased array antenna, and other types of antennas now known or later developed. In one simple and inexpensive embodiment, antenna 135 may be an insulated wire with a fixed length of insulation stripped. In one embodiment, the antenna type and length may be selected to achieve optimal discrimination sensitivity and robustness.

[0037] In one embodiment, radio receiver 140 is a software-defined radio receiver or transceiver. Radio receiver 140 may include a local oscillator 170 (e.g., a crystal oscillator), a frequency synthesizer 175 (e.g., a phase-locked loop frequency synthesizer), and other radio front-end components. Note that the frequency signal generated by frequency synthesizer 175 is a multiple of the stable frequency generated by local oscillator 170. While crystal oscillators generate highly stable frequencies, time (age of the crystal), temperature, humidity, operating voltage, or other factors can cause the frequency generated by the crystal oscillator to deviate from the desired frequency. Because the synthesized frequency is a multiple of the frequency generated by local oscillator 170, this deviation can cause EMI fingerprint scanning device 100 to sense the electromagnetic spectrum at an incorrect frequency. Other factors may also contribute to this deviation.

[0038] In one embodiment, scanner control logic 160 is a logic component specially configured with instructions for executing calibration logic 160 and / or fingerprint logic 165. In one embodiment, scanner control logic 160 is an EPROM or similar special purpose logic chip. In one embodiment, scanner control logic 160 is a processor, such as processor 105, configured with instructions for executing calibration logic 160 and / or fingerprint logic 165. Calibration logic 160 includes instructions for performing one or more steps of the methods described herein associated with automatically calibrating EMI fingerprint scanning instruments. Fingerprint logic 165 includes instructions for performing one or more steps of the methods described herein associated with detecting and identifying counterfeit components in utility power systems.

[0039] In one embodiment, GPS receiver 155 is a Global Positioning System (GPS) (or other satellite radio navigation system such as Galileo, GLONASS or BeiDou) configured to detect electromagnetic time signals from navigation satellites and calculate longitude, latitude and altitude from the detected signals.

[0040] FIG. 2 illustrates an EMI fingerprint scanning apparatus 100 used to detect an EMI signal 205 from a target utility device 210 in an environment 200 associated with automatic calibration of the EMI fingerprint scanning apparatus. 1 illustrates one embodiment of an EMI fingerprint scanning device 100. In one embodiment, the EMI fingerprint scanning device 110 is a mobile device (not shown) or computer 215 coupled to a radio receiver 140 and an antenna 135. In one embodiment, the EMI fingerprint scanning device 100 is a special purpose unit that includes a radio receiver. In one embodiment, the EMI fingerprint scanning is performed using a handheld wand or mag-mounted small device that includes an antenna and a software-defined radio (SDR), or an insertable device combination of an antenna and an SDR.

[0041] Detecting the EMI signal 205 from the target utility device 210 may be referred to herein as "scanning" the target utility device 210. To scan the target utility device 210, the antenna 135 may be positioned proximate to the target utility device 210 or farther away from the target utility device 210. To achieve better sensitivity in the antenna 135, and therefore a higher signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) in the EMI fingerprint counterfeit scanner 100, a small distance between the target utility device 210 and the antenna 135 is preferred. In addition to distance, the sensitivity of the antenna 135 may also be affected by its orientation relative to the target utility device 210.

[0042] In one embodiment, antenna 135 is positioned at a predetermined distance and orientation relative to target utility device 210 during scanning. This predetermined distance and orientation may be the same as the distance and orientation used to detect a reference EMI signal from a reference utility device of the same make and model as target utility device 210. Consistency in antenna placement relative to the utility device being scanned may improve the ability of EMI fingerprint counterfeit scanner 100 to match target EMI fingerprints with and distinguish the target EMI fingerprints from the reference EMI fingerprints.

[0043] In one embodiment, antenna 135 may be attached to EMI fingerprint counterfeit scanner 100. In one embodiment, antenna 135 may be at a fixed position (distance and orientation) relative to target utility device 210 during scanning of target utility device 210 by EMI fingerprint counterfeit scanner 100. For example, antenna 135 may be installed in proximity to target utility device 210 and not moved during scanning. Antenna 135 may be attached to or within the housing of target utility device 210. Antenna 135 may be attached mechanically, such as with bolts, screws, or clips, magnetically, or with an adhesive such as sensor wax. In one embodiment, multiple antennas and / or radios (not shown) may be positioned at various locations and orientations relative to target utility device 210 during scanning, and measurements obtained from these multiple antennas and / or radios may be combined. In one embodiment, antenna 135 is moved to multiple different locations and orientations relative to target utility device 210 during scanning. These various antenna positions and configurations, as well as other position and configuration implementations, may be selected as desired to improve the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the detected EMI signal for the entire target utility device 210, or to highlight EMI signals emitted by particular components of the target utility device 210.

[0044] In one embodiment, the wireless receiver 140 receives EMI signals detected by the antenna 135, and the fingerprint logic 165 is configured to convert the received EMI signals from analog to digital signals and record the power amplitude and frequency of these signals at specified time intervals. In one embodiment, the fingerprint logic 165 is configured to store the recorded signals as a data structure in the local data storage 110 and / or compare them to reference EMI fingerprints. In one embodiment, the signals are stored as a tuple of time, frequency, and power amplitude values ​​(t, f, p). In one embodiment, the signals are stored in a flat-file dataset with columns of frequency and rows of observations (time), with a power amplitude value for each row-column entry. In one embodiment, the system converts the target EMI signals from the time domain to the frequency domain, for example, by performing a fast Fourier transform (FFT) or other appropriate transform on the collected target EMI signals. In one embodiment, the observation rate may be one observation per second, although a faster or slower rate may be selected based on the pace of transitions in the test sequence. In one embodiment, EMI signals across the entire range of frequencies detected by antenna 115 and radio 120 are stored, such as a range from about 500 kilohertz to about 4 gigahertz.

[0045] FIG. 3 illustrates an embodiment of an EMI fingerprint scanning device 100 associated with automatic calibration of an EMI fingerprint scanning instrument in an environment 300 in which the EMI fingerprint scanning device 100 detects electromagnetic signals 305, 310, 315 from a wireless station 320 for calibration.

[0046] In one embodiment, the electromagnetic signals 305, 310, and 315 are broadcast AM or FM radio signals from local radio stations 325, 330, and 335, respectively. In one embodiment, radio receiver 140 receives the radio signals 305, 310, and 315 detected by antenna 135, and calibration logic is configured to convert the received radio signals from analog to digital and record the power amplitude and frequency of these signals at defined time intervals. In one embodiment, this is performed in a manner similar to that described with reference to the detected EMI signals described with reference to FIG. 2 above. However, the observation frequency may be significantly higher, e.g., values ​​are recorded every tenth of a second. Furthermore, the entire range of detectable signals need not be recorded; recording may be limited to a subset of frequencies reserved for AM or FM (or television) broadcasting. For example, in the United States, the AM radio band is within the frequency range of 535 to 1605 kHz. AM radio station carrier frequencies from 540 to 1600 kHz are allocated at 10 kHz intervals. In the United States, the FM radio band is within the frequency range of 88-108 MHz. FM radio stations are assigned center frequencies every 200 kHz, starting at 88.1 MHz, with a maximum deviation of 75 kHz from the center frequency. Therefore, the range of detected frequencies for recording may be limited to a range encompassing the AM and / or FM radio bands. Electromagnetic signals 305, 310, and 315 are broadcast AM or FM radio signals from local radio stations 325, 330, and 335, respectively, and would be captured by recordings covering this range.

[0047] 4 illustrates one embodiment of an environment 400 for calibrating EMI fingerprint scanning device 100 associated with automatic calibration of the EMI fingerprint scanning instrument. In one embodiment, EMI fingerprint scanning device 100 is a mobile device 405 or computing device 410 coupled to a software-defined radio receiver (such as radio receiver 140) and an antenna (such as antenna 135). In one embodiment, network interface 130 is configured to allow EMI fingerprint scanning device 100 to interact with one or more remote computers over communication network 415. In one embodiment, EMI fingerprint scanning device 100 communicates with frequency data service 420. The web server 420 may send requests to and receive responses from a web server, such as the web interface server 420 of the web server 420. In one embodiment, these communications may take the form of Remote Representational State Transfer (REST) ​​requests, for example, using JavaScript® Object Notation (JSON) as the data exchange format, or in another example, Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) requests to and from an XML server. In another embodiment, these communications may take the form of interactions with HTML / JavaScript forms on web pages and parsing of the web pages served in response to these interactions.

[0048] In one embodiment, in addition to the web interface server 420, the frequency data service 425 also includes a frequency information retrieval system 430 and one or more data stores 435 on a data storage device. The web interface server 420, the frequency information retrieval system 430, and the data stores 435 are interconnected by a local network 440. In one embodiment, the frequency data service 425 is configured to provide information about assigned radio frequencies in response to requests received via the web interface server 420. The data stores 435 include one or more databases containing information including the geographic location and broadcast frequency of each radio (or television) station within the geographic region. The frequency information retrieval system parses requests received via the web interface server 420 to construct queries against the databases in the data stores 435 and responds to these requests with the requested information. The web interface server constructs an appropriately formatted response that provides the retrieved information to the requesting EMI fingerprint scanning device 100 via the network 415.

[0049] In one embodiment, frequency data service 425 is the publicly accessible Federal Communications Commission website FCC.gov. The FCC maintains a publicly accessible database containing the geographic location and assigned carrier (AM) / center (FM) frequencies (or more generally, broadcast frequency bands) for all broadcast AM, FM, and television stations in the United States. These broadcast frequencies do not change and remain constant. The database also contains other information about the radio stations, such as call signs and broadcast power. The FCC website allows queries against this database, including queries to search for stations based on (i) a radius from a given location based on latitude and longitude coordinates, (ii) a radius from a given location based on a zip code, (iii) a radius from a given location based on a city / state name, and (iv) an assigned broadcast frequency, or a combination thereof. In one embodiment, results are returned in ascending order of distance from the searched location. Others may provide similar functionality. In one embodiment, these queries may be performed by running the query on the appropriate page of the FCC website. The EMI fingerprint scanner may collect the returned information by scraping and parsing the web page containing the query results. In one embodiment, the FCC website (or other frequency data service) may expose an API to accept such queries, for example as REST requests, and return query results.

[0050] -Local radio broadcast frequency as a reference source- In one embodiment, in a calibration operation of an EMI fingerprint scanning device, local broadcast frequencies for a particular location provided by a frequency data service may be used at that particular location as a reference source for comparison with observed broadcast frequencies.

[0051] Figure 5 shows the EMI associated with the automatic calibration of the EMI fingerprint scanning instrument. 1 illustrates an exemplary heat map 500 of wireless broadcast frequency bands collected near Hillsborough County, New Hampshire by one embodiment of an EMI fingerprint scanning device. Heat map 500 shows the presence of signals in a given frequency range over a period of time t collected by an EMI fingerprint scanning device operating in a geographic location within area code 03052 in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire. In one embodiment, t = 5 seconds. Heat map 500 shows a frequency band (or frequency line) for a given signal at a given frequency. Heat map 500 includes a frequency band / line for each of a number of wireless stations near the EMI fingerprint scanning device. Zip code 03052 was used to query the FCC frequency information database via fcc.gov, and the resulting wireless stations were collected with their respective broadcast frequency bands, call signs, and station locations labeled adjacent to the frequency band / line. The broadcast frequency bands in and around zip code 03052 are accurately captured in the heat map 500 generated by the EMI fingerprint scanning device.

[0052] In particular, frequency band 505, as shown by label 510, is designated at 88.3 MHz and is associated with radio station WEVS, broadcasting from Nashua, New Hampshire. Frequency band 515, as shown by label 520, is designated at 92.1 MHz and is associated with radio station WDER-FM, broadcasting from Peterborough, New Hampshire. Frequency band 525, as shown by label 530, is designated at 91.4 MHz and is associated with radio station W231BR, broadcasting from Manchester, New Hampshire. Frequency band 535, as shown by label 540, is designated at 95.7 MHz and is associated with radio station WZID, broadcasting from Manchester, New Hampshire. Frequency band 545, as shown by label 550, is designated at 96.5 MHz and is associated with radio station WMLL, broadcasting from Bedford, New Hampshire. As shown by label 560, frequency band 555 is designated at 98.9 MHz and is associated with radio station W255DA broadcasting from Salem, New Hampshire. As shown by label 570, frequency band 565 is designated at 101.1 MHz and is associated with radio station WGIR-FM broadcasting from Manchester, New Hampshire.

[0053] It should be noted that not all frequency bands, such as frequency band 575, are labeled with radio station information. These frequencies may be associated with radio stations, but may not be among the top N radio stations returned by a query to the FCC database. In this example, only the top seven radio stations (indicated by labels 510, 520, 530, 540, 550, 560, and 570) would be requested or selected from the returned results. Or, in this example, there would only be seven radio stations broadcasting within a predetermined radius of zip code 03052. Thus, other frequency bands, such as frequency band 575, may be emitted by stations that are further away or less powerful.

[0054] Alternatively, other unlabeled frequency bands, such as frequency band 575, may represent persistent sources of EMI interference detected by EMI fingerprint scanning equipment, for example, nearby unshielded powered devices generating EMI at those frequencies.

[0055] 6 illustrates an exemplary heat map 600 of radio broadcast frequency bands collected near San Mateo County, California, according to one embodiment of an EMI fingerprint scanning device associated with automatic calibration of the EMI fingerprint scanning instrument. Heat map 600 illustrates a period of time collected by an EMI fingerprint scanning device operating in a geographic location within zip code 94065 in San Mateo County, California. The heat map 600 shows the presence of a signal at a given frequency over a period of time t. In one embodiment, t=5 seconds. The heat map 600 shows a frequency band (or frequency line) for a signal at a given frequency. The heat map 600 includes a frequency band / line for each of a number of radio stations near the EMI fingerprint scanning device. Zip code 94065 is used to query the FCC frequency information database via fcc.gov, and the resulting radio stations are collected with their respective broadcast frequency bands, call signs, and station locations labeled adjacent to the frequency bands / lines. The broadcast frequency bands in the 94065 area code and vicinity are accurately captured in the heat map 600 generated by the EMI fingerprint scanning device.

[0056] In particular, frequency band 605, as indicated by label 610, is designated at 88.5 MHz and is associated with radio station KQED-FM, broadcasting from San Francisco. Frequency band 615, as indicated by label 620, is designated at 91.1 MHz and is associated with radio station KCSM, broadcasting from San Mateo, California. Frequency band 625, as indicated by label 630, is designated at 93.3 MHz and is associated with radio station KRZZ, broadcasting from San Francisco, California. Frequency band 635, as indicated by label 640, is designated at 94.1 MHz and is associated with radio station KPFA, broadcasting from Berkeley, California. Frequency band 645, as indicated by label 650, is designated at 94.9 MHz and is associated with radio station KYLD, broadcasting from San Mateo, California. Frequency band 655, as indicated by label 660, is designated at 95.7 MHz and is associated with radio station KGMZ, broadcasting from San Francisco, California. As shown by label 670, frequency band 665 is denoted at 96.5 MHz and is associated with radio station KOIT, broadcasting from San Francisco, California. As shown by label 680, frequency band 675 is denoted at 97.3 MHz and is associated with radio station KLLC, broadcasting from San Francisco, California.

[0057] Similar to Figure 5, not all frequency bands shown in Figure 6, such as frequency band 685, are labeled with radio station information, and are not labeled for reasons similar to those described with respect to Figure 5. It should also be noted that heat maps (such as heat maps 500 and 600) may, but do not necessarily, cover the entire electromagnetic spectrum allocated to FM or AM radios. Instead, the heat maps may cover only a subset of the allocated spectrum, as shown in Figures 5 and 6.

[0058] Each of Figures 5 and 6 demonstrates that local radio station broadcast signals, along with information indicating the assigned broadcast frequencies for those broadcast signals, can be used as a reference source for automatic calibration of an EMI fingerprint scanning device. Alignment between one or more broadcast signal bands detected at a geographic location and one or more local broadcast frequencies assigned to radio stations near that geographic location means that the EMI fingerprint scanning device is calibrated. In one embodiment, alignment within 1% of the published US FCC frequencies is considered optimal. Heat maps and assigned broadcast frequency identification similar to those shown in Figures 5 and 6 can be prepared for any geographic location in the United States (and in other areas where broadcast frequencies are assigned to radio stations). Therefore, users of EMI fingerprint scanning devices do not need to perform manual calibration before conducting EMI fingerprint counterfeit scans. In one embodiment, the EMI fingerprint scanning device may be configured to display both a "green light" calibration confirmation and a labeled two-dimensional heat map in the graphical user interface, proving that the EMI fingerprint scanning device accurately "sees" the nearest wireless signals in their precise frequency bands, thereby providing a This ensures that the software-defined radio (SDR) radio frequency (RF) circuitry and fast Fourier transform (FFT) processing actually sees the exact frequency spectrum.

[0059] -Exemplary Auto-Calibration Method- In one embodiment, each step of the computer-implemented methods described herein may be performed by a processor (such as processor 1310 shown and described with reference to FIG. 13 ) of one or more computing devices configured with (i) memory (such as memory 1315 and / or other computing device components shown and described with reference to FIG. 13 ) and (ii) logic to cause the system to perform the method steps (such as utility power system EMI fingerprint scanning instrument auto-calibration logic 1330 shown and described with reference to FIG. 13 ). For example, the processor accesses and reads and writes to the memory to perform the computer-implemented method steps described herein. These steps may include (i) retrieving any necessary information, (ii) calculating, determining, generating, classifying, or creating any data, and (iii) storing any calculated, determined, generated, classified, or created data. References to storage or storing mean storage as a data structure in the memory or storage / disk of a computing device (such as memory 1315 or storage / disk 1335 of computing device 1305 shown and described with reference to FIG. 13, or a remote computer 1365).

[0060] In one embodiment, each subsequent step of the method is initiated in response to parsing of a received signal or retrieved stored data indicating that the previous step has been performed at least to the extent necessary for the subsequent step to begin. Typically, the received signal or retrieved stored data indicates completion of the previous step.

[0061] 7 illustrates one embodiment of a method 700 associated with auto-calibrating an EMI fingerprint scanning instrument. In one embodiment, the steps of method 700 are performed by EMI fingerprint scanner 100 (shown and described with reference to FIGS. 1-4). In one embodiment, EMI fingerprint scanner 100 is a special-purpose computing device (such as computing device 1305) configured with utility power system EMI fingerprint scanning instrument auto-calibration logic 1330.

[0062] Method 700 may be initiated based on various triggers, such as (i) a user (or administrator) of EMI fingerprint scanner 100 initiating method 700, (ii) method 700 being scheduled to begin at a predetermined time or time interval, (iii) a user (or administrator) of EMI fingerprint scanner 100 initiating an EMI fingerprint counterfeit scan of a target utility device, or (iv) receiving a signal over the network or parsing stored data indicating that EMI fingerprint scanner 100 has completed an EMI fingerprint scan of a target utility device. Method 700 begins at start block 705 in response to parsing the received signal or retrieved stored data and determining that the signal or stored data indicates that method 700 should begin. Processing proceeds to process block 710.

[0063] At process block 710, the processor uses an EMI fingerprint scanning device to collect electromagnetic signals over a test period at a geographic location.

[0064] In one embodiment, the test period for signal collection is EMI fingerprinting. The test period and observation interval are determined by the processor 105 of the scanning device 110. Similarly, the observation interval for recording collected signals is determined by the processor 105. For example, the test period and observation interval values ​​may be predetermined periods retrieved from respective locations in the local data storage 110 or hard-coded into the calibration logic 160. In one embodiment, the test period is between 1 and 15 seconds, such as 5 seconds, and the sampling interval is between 0.001 and 0.1 seconds, such as 0.01 seconds. Alternatively, the operator of the EMI fingerprint scanning device 110 may be presented with the option to enter or change these default values ​​for the test period and observation interval. During the test period, the processor accepts electromagnetic signals detected by the antenna 135 and collected by the radio receiver 140 within the AM and / or FM radio bands and records the digital values ​​of these signals at each observation interval. Observed signals outside the AM and / or FM radio bands may be ignored and not recorded. In one embodiment, the observed signals are stored in the local data storage 110 as tuples of observation time, frequency, and power amplitude values ​​(t, f, p). In one embodiment, these signals are stored in a flat file dataset with columns of frequency, rows of observation values ​​(time), and a power amplitude value for each row-column entry.

[0065] In one embodiment, process block 710 is performed while utility devices proximate to EMI fingerprint scanning apparatus 100 are turned off to reduce noise detected during the calibration process. In one embodiment, process block 710 is performed while EMI fingerprint scanning apparatus 100 is away from systems that generate significant amounts of EMI to reduce noise detected during the calibration process. In one embodiment, process block 710 is performed while EMI fingerprint scanning apparatus 100 is placed in a partial Faraday cage to reduce noise detected during the calibration process.

[0066] Thus, once the processor has completed collecting electromagnetic signals over a test period at a geographic location using the EMI fingerprint scanning device, processing at process block 710 is complete and processing proceeds to process block 715.

[0067] At process block 715, the processor identifies one or more peak frequency bands in the collected electromagnetic signal.

[0068] In one embodiment, the processor identifies frequencies that (i) have a constant signal over the test period and (ii) have a power spectral density (PSD) greater than neighboring frequencies. These frequencies are most likely assigned carrier frequencies for AM radio stations or assigned center frequencies for FM radio stations. In one embodiment, the system converts the observed radio signals recorded over the test period from the time domain to the frequency domain, for example, by performing a fast Fourier transform (FFT) or other appropriate transform on the observed radio signals. The system then calculates the power spectral density for the signals observed over the test period for each frequency and records the power spectral density values ​​in local data storage 110 in a data structure that associates PSD values ​​with frequencies. The system then analyzes the PSD values ​​for each frequency to detect a "peak" frequency among the neighboring frequencies based on the highest PSD value among the group of neighboring frequencies. The frequency identified as a "peak" frequency based on the power spectral density values ​​over the test period is likely to contain the assigned carrier / center frequency for the local radio station. A list of the detected peak frequency bands is stored in local data storage 110 as a data structure for subsequent retrieval and processing.

[0069] In this manner, the processor may detect one or more peak frequencies in the collected electromagnetic signal. Once the bands have been identified, processing at process block 715 is complete and processing proceeds to process block 720.

[0070] At process block 720, the processor compares the peak frequency band or bands with the assigned radio station frequencies at the geographic location to determine if a match is found. In one embodiment, a "match" is considered when the measured frequency falls within 1% of a frequency published by the US FCC.

[0071] In one embodiment, the geographic location of EMI fingerprint scanner 100 may be retrieved in response to an indication that the geographic location of the EMI fingerprint device is needed to query frequency data service 425. In one embodiment, calibration logic 160 may cause the geographic location of the EMI fingerprint to be requested from an operator of EMI fingerprint scanner 100. For example, EMI fingerprint scanning device 100 may display a prompt for inputting the geographic location on a graphical user interface (displayed by display 120) of EMI fingerprint scanning device 100. For example, EMI fingerprint scanning device 100 may generate a form including fields for accepting user input, requesting that the user enter a zip code, a city and / or state, or a longitude and latitude, and display the form on display 120. Calibration logic 160 may then cause EMI fingerprint scanning device 100 to accept user input in response to the prompt as the geographic location. For example, calibration logic 160 may detect that a user has selected a "Submit" or "Accept" button on a form. In response to detecting the selection of the submit button, calibration logic 160 causes the data entered by the user in the fields of the form to be validated and then stored in local data storage 110 in a data structure that indicates the geographic location of EMI fingerprint scanning device 100. The geographic location may be retrieved from local data storage 110 as needed.

[0072] In one embodiment, calibration logic 160 may cause the geographic location of the EMI fingerprint to be requested from GPS receiver 155. Calibration logic 160 generates instructions to collect the current latitude and longitude from GPS receiver 155. In response to collecting the current latitude and longitude from GPS receiver 155, calibration logic 160 causes the current latitude and longitude to be stored in a data structure indicating the geographic location of EMI fingerprint scanning device 100. The geographic location may be retrieved from local data storage 110 as needed.

[0073] Note that latitude and longitude information may be provided by GPS receiver 155 in decimal longitude and latitude format and require conversion to degrees-minutes-seconds format before being used to query frequency data services, or vice versa. Calibration logic 160 may perform these conversions by applying applicable conversion formulas. Also, zip code (or city / state) information may be required to be converted to latitude and longitude format. Calibration logic 160 may perform these conversions by looking up the zip code (or city / state) in a table of latitudes and longitudes representative of the zip code (or city / state).

[0074] In one embodiment, the processor retrieves information about radio stations identified as local to the geographic location, for example, by being identified as being located within a particular radius of the geographic location. In one embodiment, the EMI fingerprint scanning device requests information about radio stations near the geographic location from a frequency data service. In one embodiment, the EMI fingerprint scanning device 100 uses at least a portion of the information returned by the frequency data service to generate a match signal. For example, the information returned about the wireless station is used to determine whether one or more of the peak frequencies in the list are broadcast by the local wireless station, and if one or more of the peak frequencies in the list are broadcast by the local wireless station (in one embodiment, within 1% of the local broadcast frequency), a match signal is generated. Comparing and matching are described in further detail below with reference to Figures 8A and 8B.

[0075] Once the processor has completed comparing one or more peak frequency bands with the assigned radio station frequencies at the geographic location to determine whether a match is found, processing at process block 720 is complete and processing proceeds to process block 725.

[0076] At process block 725, the processor generates a calibration status signal indicating whether the EMI fingerprint scanning device is calibrated based at least in part on the comparison.

[0077] In one embodiment, in response to a comparison indicating that at least one match is found, calibration logic 160 determines the calibration status of EMI fingerprint scanning device 100 to be "calibrated." Calibration logic 160 causes the EMI fingerprint scanner to generate a data value indicating that EMI fingerprint scanning device 100 is "calibrated" and writes this value to a data structure in local data storage 110. The stored data value serves as a signal indicating that EMI fingerprint scanning device 100 is calibrated.

[0078] In one embodiment, in response to a comparison indicating that no match is found, calibration logic 160 determines the calibration status of EMI fingerprint scanning device 100 to be "not calibrated." Calibration logic 160 causes the EMI fingerprint scanner to generate a data value indicating that EMI fingerprint scanning device 100 is "not calibrated" and writes this value to a data structure in local data storage 110. The stored data value serves as a signal indicating that EMI fingerprint scanning device 100 is not calibrated.

[0079] Once the processor has thus completed generating a calibration status signal indicating whether the EMI fingerprint scanning device is calibrated or not based at least in part on the comparison, processing at process block 725 is complete and processing proceeds to end block 730 where process 700 ends.

[0080] -Example of a method for comparing with assigned frequencies- Referring again to process block 720, it should be noted that there are multiple ways in which the peak frequency band or bands can be compared to the assigned radio station frequencies at that geographic location to determine if a match is found. Two exemplary methods are described below.

[0081] In one embodiment, the comparison is performed locally on the EMI fingerprint scanning device 100 in response to searching a list of frequencies assigned to local wireless stations. Figure 8A illustrates one embodiment of a method 800 associated with comparing peak frequency bands with assigned wireless station frequencies in auto-calibration of an EMI fingerprint scanning instrument. In one embodiment, method 800 is performed as part of method 700, and in particular as part of process block 720. In one embodiment, method 800 is performed by the EMI fingerprint scanning device 100. Method 800 begins at start block 805 in response to a received signal indicating that method 800 should begin, such as the beginning of process block 720 in method 700, or parsing of retrieved stored data. Processing proceeds to process block 810.

[0082] In process block 810, the processor requests radio station frequency information from a frequency data service for radio stations near the geographic location. In one embodiment, calibration logic 160 causes EMI fingerprint scanning device 100 to formulate a request from frequency data service 425 for at least the frequencies, call signs, and station locations of all radio stations within a specific radius (e.g., 100 kilometers) of the geographic location. For example, the request may be a REST request. EMI fingerprint scanning device 100 transmits the request from network interface 130 over network 415 to web interface server 420 of frequency data service 425, which processes the request. Once the processor has completed requesting radio station frequency information from the frequency data service for radio stations near the geographic location, processing at process block 810 is complete and processing continues to process block 815.

[0083] At process block 815, the processor parses the response from the frequency data service to determine a list of local radio station frequencies. In one embodiment, frequency information retrieval system 430 retrieves the requested information from a database in data store 435. The web interface server generates a response, such as a web page or a REST request, and sends it over network 415 to network interface 130 of EMI fingerprint scanning device 100. Calibration logic 160 causes EMI fingerprint scanning device 100 to parse the response to extract a list of local radio station frequencies and their associated call signs and station locations. Calibration logic 160 causes EMI fingerprint scanning device 100 to store the list as a data structure in local data storage 110. Once the processor has completed parsing the response from the frequency data service to determine the list of local radio station frequencies, processing at process block 815 is complete and processing proceeds to decision block 820.

[0084] At decision block 820, the processor determines whether any of the one or more peak frequency bands are included in the list. In one embodiment, calibration logic 160 causes EMI fingerprint scanning device 100 to search (i) the list of local radio station frequencies and their associated call signs and station locations, and (ii) the list of detected peak frequency bands generated in process block 715 of method 700 above. Calibration logic 160 then causes EMI fingerprint scanning device 100 to compare each of the detected peak frequency bands with the list of frequencies assigned to local radio stations until at least one peak frequency band is found to be included in the list of assigned frequencies (in one embodiment, within 1% of the assigned frequencies) or until it is determined that the peak frequency band is not included in the list of assigned frequencies. If any peak frequency bands are included in the list (YES), processing at decision block 820 is complete and processing proceeds to process block 825. If the peak frequency bands are not included in the list (NO), processing at decision block 820 is complete and processing proceeds to process block 830.

[0085] Because the peak frequency band was included in the list, the processor generates a match signal at process block 825. In one embodiment, in response to finding at least one match between the detected peak frequency band and a frequency assigned to a local wireless station: The calibration logic 160 causes the EMI fingerprint scanning device to generate a data value that a match was found and write that value to a data structure in the local data storage 110. In one embodiment, this data value is a list of one or more assigned radio frequencies (and associated call signs and locations) that match the detected peak frequency band (identified by their frequencies). Once the processor has completed generating a match signal in this manner, processing at process block 825 is complete and processing proceeds to end block 835 where process 800 ends.

[0086] At process block 830, because the peak frequency band was not included in the list, the processor generates a no-match signal. In one embodiment, in response to finding a mismatch between the detected peak frequency band and the frequency assigned to the local wireless station, the calibration logic 160 causes the EMI fingerprint scanning device to generate a data value indicating that a match was not found and write that value to a data structure in the local data storage 110. In one embodiment, this data value indicates that the set of matching stations and frequency bands is a null or empty set. The stored data value serves as a match signal. Once the processor has generated the no-match signal in this manner, processing at process block 830 is complete and processing proceeds to end block 835, where method 800 is complete.

[0087] In another embodiment, the comparison is performed remotely as an incidental feature of one or more requests to frequency data service 425. FIG. 8B illustrates another embodiment of a method 850 associated with comparing peak frequency bands with assigned radio station frequencies in auto-calibration of an EMI fingerprint scanning instrument. In one embodiment, method 850 is performed as part of method 700, and in particular as part of process block 720. In one embodiment, method 850 is performed by EMI fingerprint scanning device 100. Method 850 begins at start block 855 in response to a received signal or parsing of retrieved stored data indicating that method 850 should begin, e.g., the start of process block 720 in method 700. Processing proceeds to process block 860.

[0088] In process block 860, the processor requests radio station identification information from the frequency data service for radio stations near the geographic location broadcasting in one peak frequency band. In one embodiment, calibration logic 160 causes EMI fingerprint scanning device 100 to formulate a request from frequency data service 425 for at least the call signs and station locations of all radio stations within a specific radius (e.g., 100 kilometers) of the geographic location broadcasting in one peak frequency band. For example, the request may be a REST request. EMI fingerprint scanning device 100 transmits the request from network interface 130 over network 415 to web interface server 420 of frequency data service 425, which processes the request. Once the processor has completed requesting radio station identification information from the frequency data service for radio stations near the geographic location broadcasting in one peak frequency band, processing in process block 860 is complete, and processing proceeds to decision block 865.

[0089] In decision block 865, the processor parses the response from the frequency data service to determine whether a peak frequency band is allocated to the wireless station. In one embodiment, the frequency information retrieval system 430 retrieves the requested information from a database in a data store 435. The web interface server generates a response, such as a web page or a REST request, and transmits it over the network 415 to the EMI. The EMI fingerprint scanning device 100 then sends a response to the network interface 130 of the fingerprint scanning device 100. If a radio station assigned to broadcast on one of the peak frequency bands is within the radius, the response includes the call sign and location information for that radio station. If no radio station assigned to broadcast on one of the peak frequency bands is within the radius, the response is null, empty, or does not include any call sign or location information. The calibration logic 160 causes the EMI fingerprint scanning device 100 to parse the response to determine whether a radio station is identified. The calibration logic 160 causes the EMI fingerprint scanning device 100 to add the assigned frequency, call sign, and station information (if any) to a list of matches in the local data storage 110.

[0090] Thus, returning station information (call sign, location, etc.) in response to a query for one peak frequency band indicates a match with the identified station, and the absence of station information in response to a query for one peak frequency band indicates a no-match with the radio station. If the response includes a radio station identification for one peak frequency band (YES), processing at decision block 865 is complete and processing continues to process block 870. If the response does not include a radio station identification for one peak frequency band (NO), processing at decision block 865 is complete and processing continues to process block 875.

[0091] At process block 870, because the response included a wireless station identification for one peak frequency band, the processor generates a match signal, which is generated as described above with reference to process block 825. Processing at process block 870 is complete, and processing proceeds to end block 880, where process 850 ends.

[0092] At process block 875, because the response did not include a radio station identification for one of the peak frequency bands, the processor generates a no-match signal, which is generated as described above with reference to process block 830. Processing at process block 875 is complete, and processing proceeds to end block 880, where method 850 is complete.

[0093] Further exemplary auto-calibration methods 9 illustrates one embodiment of a method associated with auto-calibrating an EMI fingerprint scanning instrument. In one embodiment, method 900 is performed as a continuation of method 700, particularly in response to a calibration status signal generated at process block 725. In one embodiment, the steps of method 900 are performed by EMI fingerprint scanning device 100. Method 900 begins at start block 805 in response to a received signal indicating that method 900 should begin, such as the completion of process block 725 in method 700, or parsing of retrieved stored data. Processing proceeds to decision block 910.

[0094] At decision block 910, the processor determines whether the calibration status signal indicates that the EMI fingerprint scanning device is to be calibrated. In one embodiment, calibration logic 160 causes EMI fingerprint scanning device 100 to retrieve the calibration status signal from local data storage 110. Calibration logic 160 causes EMI fingerprint scanning device 100 to parse the value of the calibration status signal to determine whether it indicates "calibrated" or "not calibrated." If the calibration status signal indicates that the EMI fingerprint scanning device indicates that the EMI fingerprint scanning device is to be calibrated (YES), processing proceeds to one or more of process blocks 915 and 920. If the calibration status signal indicates that the EMI fingerprint scanning device is not to be calibrated, processing proceeds to one or more of process blocks 916 and 920. If the calibration status signal indicates that the print scanning device is not ready (NO), processing continues to one or more of process blocks 925, 930, and 935.

[0095] For example, in one embodiment, as indicated by process blocks 915 and 925, proceeding to perform an EMI fingerprint scan of the target device may be permitted or prevented based on whether the EMI fingerprint scanning device is determined to be calibrated. At process block 915, in response to a calibration status signal indicating that the EMI fingerprint scanning device is calibrated, the processor permits initiation of an EMI fingerprint scan of the target device using the EMI fingerprint scanning device. For example, this authorization may be performed by enabling or making accessible to an operator of EMI fingerprint scanning device 100 a “Start Scan” button or similar scan initiation option. For example, the button may be made to appear in the GUI if it was previously hidden, or may be enabled to initiate an EMI fingerprint scan of the target device if the button was not previously enabled. Selection of the Start Scan button may then be detected and an EMI fingerprint scan of the target device may be initiated by fingerprint logic 165. Processing at process block 915 is then complete, and processing proceeds to end block 940, where method 900 is complete.

[0096] Conversely, in process block 925, in response to a calibration status signal indicating that the EMI fingerprint scanning device is not calibrated, the processor prevents the initiation of an EMI fingerprint scan of the target device using the EMI fingerprint scanning device. For example, this prevention may be accomplished by disabling a “Start Scan” button or similar scan initiation option or making it inaccessible to an operator of EMI fingerprint scanning device 100. For example, the button may be hidden or made invisible in the GUI. Alternatively, the “Start Scan” button may be disabled such that selection of the Start Scan button will not cause the initiation of an EMI fingerprint scan of the target device. Processing at process block 915 is then complete, processing proceeds to end block 940, and method 900 is complete. Processing at process block 915 is then complete, processing proceeds to end block 940, and method 900 is complete.

[0097] In one embodiment, as indicated, for example, by process blocks 920 and 930, a visual indication or icon representing the calibration status of the EMI fingerprint scanning device may be displayed on the graphical user interface. Advantageously, this simplifies interpretation of the results of a calibration process such as method 700. In process block 920, the processor causes the display of the EMI fingerprint scanning device to display a visual calibration confirmation on the scanning device's graphical user interface in response to a calibration status signal indicating that the EMI fingerprint scanning device is calibrated. In one embodiment, the processor generates a GUI that includes the visual calibration confirmation. The processor then transmits this GUI to display 120. Display 120 displays the GUI indicating the visual calibration confirmation.

[0098] 10A, which illustrates one embodiment of a graphical user interface 1000 associated with informing a user of an EMI fingerprint scanning device that the EMI fingerprint scanning device is properly calibrated. In one embodiment, the visual calibration confirmation may take the form of a "calibration confirmed" icon 1005. Icon 1005 is displayed as a "confirm calibration" icon to proceed with the EMI fingerprint scan. In one embodiment, a "Details" graphical button 1010 may be selected to cause the GUI to display additional information about why the calibration is confirmed. For example, selection of button 1010 may cause the GUI to display a calibration heatmap labeled with matching local radio frequencies. In one embodiment, a "Start EMI Fingerprint Scan" graphical button 1015 is displayed. Selection of this button causes EMI fingerprint scanning device 100 to begin an EMI fingerprint scan in accordance with fingerprint logic 165.

[0099] Referring again to FIG. 9, processing at process block 920 is then complete and processing proceeds to end block 940 where the method 900 is complete.

[0100] At process block 930, the processor causes the display of the EMI fingerprint scanning device to display a visual calibration warning on the scanning device's graphical user interface in response to a calibration status signal indicating that the EMI fingerprint scanning device is not calibrated. In one embodiment, the processor generates a GUI that includes the visual calibration warning. The processor then transmits this GUI to display 120. Display 120 displays the GUI indicating the visual calibration warning.

[0101] 10B, which illustrates one embodiment of a graphical user interface 1050 associated with alerting a user of the EMI fingerprint scanning device that the EMI fingerprint scanning device is not properly calibrated. In one embodiment, the visual calibration alert may take the form of a “calibration alert” icon 1055. Icon 1055 may be a red octagon, suggesting the color and shape of a stop sign, to indicate that the user cannot proceed with the EMI fingerprint scan. In one embodiment, a “details” graphical button 1060 may be selected to cause the GUI to display additional information about why the calibration is not verified or failed. For example, selection of button 1060 may cause the GUI to display a calibration heatmap labeled with local radio frequencies (that do not align with the observed frequency band). In one embodiment, a “start recalibration” graphical button 1065 is displayed. Selection of this button causes EMI fingerprint scanning device 100 to initiate a self-recalibration process (such as that shown and described with reference to FIG. 12) in accordance with calibration logic 160.

[0102] Referring again to FIG. 9, processing at process block 930 is then complete and processing proceeds to end block 940 where the method 900 is complete.

[0103] As noted above, in one embodiment, a self-recalibration process may be performed by an EMI fingerprint scanning device that is determined to be out of calibration, for example, as shown in process block 935. At process block 935, the processor initiates a recalibration process to correct the calibration of the EMI fingerprint scanning device in response to a calibration verification signal indicating that the EMI fingerprint scanning device is not calibrated. In one embodiment, calibration logic 160 causes EMI fingerprint scanning device 100 to load the recalibration process from local data storage 110 and begin performing the recalibration process. Once the recalibration process has been initiated in this manner, processing at process block 935 is complete and processing proceeds to an end block where method 900 is complete.

[0104] -Calibration certificate for EMI fingerprinting- Figure 11 shows that the EMI fingerprint of the target device is 11 illustrates one embodiment of a method 1100 associated with generating a calibration certificate to indicate that the certificate was created by an EMI fingerprint scanning device. In one embodiment, the steps of method 1100 are performed by EMI fingerprint scanning device 100 in accordance with calibration logic 160 and fingerprint logic 165. In one embodiment, method 1100 may be continuation of permitting the initiation of an EMI fingerprint scan of a target device using the EMI fingerprint scanning device in response to a calibration status signal indicating that the EMI fingerprint scanning device is calibrated, as shown and described with reference to process block 915 of method 900. Method 1100 begins at start block 1105 in response to a received signal indicating that method 1100 should begin or parsing retrieved stored data, e.g., an indication that an EMI fingerprint scan of a target device has been initiated. Processing proceeds to process block 1110.

[0105] In process block 1110, the processor performs an EMI fingerprint scan of the target utility device to generate an EMI fingerprint for the target utility device.

[0106] In one embodiment, the EMI fingerprint scanning device performs the scan according to fingerprint logic 165. The EMI fingerprint scanning device 100 collects target EMI signals emitted by a target utility device (or “unit under test” (UUT)) that is subjected to a sequence of test operations. In one embodiment, the sequence of test operations nominally lasts 10 minutes, and the scan is performed over these 10 minutes. The EMI fingerprint scanning device 100 generates a target EMI fingerprint for the target device from the collected target EMI signals. The EMI fingerprint scanning device 100 compares the target EMI fingerprint with a reference EMI fingerprint of a reference utility device that has been verified to be an authentic device of the same type as the target utility device (or “golden system” (GS)). Based on the results of the comparison, the EMI fingerprint scanning device determines whether the target utility device is authentic or contains one or more counterfeit electronic components. The EMI fingerprint scanner stores the target EMI fingerprint and the authenticity / counterfeit determination in local data store 110.

[0107] In one embodiment, the collected target EMI signals and the reference EMI signals in the reference EMI fingerprint are subjected to a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) operation to convert each set of EMI signals from a time-domain representation to a frequency-domain representation. The transformed (frequency-domain) reference EMI signals are used to train a nonlinear nonparametric regression model, such as a multivariate state estimation technique (MSET) model. The trained MSET model is provided with the transformed (frequency-domain) target EMI signals as input to generate estimates of the target EMI signals. Comparison of the reference EMI signals with the target EMI signals is based at least in part on these estimates.

[0108] Once the processor has thus completed performing an EMI fingerprint scan of the target utility device and generating an EMI fingerprint for the target utility device, processing at process block 1110 is complete and processing proceeds to process block 1115.

[0109] At process block 1115, the processor generates a calibration certificate for the EMI fingerprint scan from the collected electromagnetic frequencies, the assigned radio station frequencies, and the calibration status signal.

[0110] In one embodiment, the flat file data set generated over the test period in process block 710 as shown and described with reference to diagram 700 serves as the basis for a heat map of signals observed over the test period for the EMI fingerprint scanning device at the current geographic location. The generated heat map is similar to exemplary heat maps 500 and 600. The heat map over the test period can be generated by plotting the observed power amplitude values ​​versus frequency and time, with points having saturation intensities that vary according to the observed power amplitude values. For example, in exemplary heat maps 500 and 600, higher power amplitude values ​​are plotted in darker shades of gray, with the highest values ​​approaching black, while lower power amplitude values ​​are plotted in lighter shades of gray approaching white. Colors other than black and white may be appropriate for a graphical user interface. Labels indicating assigned local radio station frequencies (and, if desired, call signs and locations) can be applied to corresponding frequency values ​​on the frequency axis based on the assigned frequency bands of geographically nearby radio stations searched for in process block 720. The application of labels to the heatmap serves as visual confirmation of the EMI fingerprint scanning device's determination that the EMI fingerprint scanning device 100 is calibrated or uncalibrated. For purposes of calibration verification, the labels should align with the observed frequency bands. If the labels align, the labeled heatmap contributes to verification of calibration. If the labels do not align with the observed frequency bands, the labeled heatmap contributes to verification of miscalibration.

[0111] In one embodiment, the calibration certificate is a data structure that includes the values ​​of the calibration status signal from the calibration process, heat map information from the calibration process, and heat map labels consisting of assigned local radio station frequencies, call signs, and broadcast locations retrieved from a frequency data provider, such as an FCC database, during the calibration process. In one embodiment, EMI fingerprint scanning device 100 stores the data used to generate the heat map, i.e., the flat file data set generated during the test period, in local data storage 110 as part of the calibration certificate data structure. In one embodiment, EMI fingerprint scanning device 100 stores the data used to generate the labels on the heat map, i.e., the assigned local radio station frequencies, call signs, and broadcast locations, in local data storage 110 as part of the calibration certificate data structure. In one embodiment, EMI fingerprint scanning device 100 stores the values ​​of the calibration status signal in local data storage 110 as part of the calibration certificate data structure. In one embodiment, EMI fingerprint scanning device 100 generates an image of the heat map with the labels applied and stores it in local data storage 110 as part of the calibration certificate data structure. In one embodiment, the heatmap image may include a calibration status signal value, such as text indicating "calibrated" or "not calibrated," or a visual calibration confirmation or warning, such as a "calibration check" icon 1005 or a "calibration warning" icon 1055, respectively, may be included in the image.

[0112] In one embodiment, the calibration certificate data structure does not include an image. The image may be constructed after reading the calibration certificate data structure from the other data included in the calibration certificate data structure, namely, the calibration status signal, the flat file data set, and the assigned radio frequency label. In another embodiment, the calibration certificate data structure includes an image, but does not include the basic calibration status signal, the flat file data set, and the assigned radio frequency label. This configuration may be used solely for visual confirmation of the calibration status. In another embodiment, both the image and the basic data are included in the calibration certificate data structure.

[0113] In this way, the processor can detect the collected electromagnetic frequencies, the assigned radio station frequencies, and Upon completing the generation of the calibration proof for the EMI fingerprint scan from the calibration status signal, processing at process block 1115 is complete and processing proceeds to process block 1120.

[0114] At process block 1120, the processor includes the calibration certificate with the EMI fingerprint. In one embodiment, EMI fingerprint scanning device 100 retrieves each of the target EMI fingerprint, the authenticity determination, and the calibration certificate data structure from local data store 110. EMI fingerprint scanning device 100 creates a combined data structure in local data store 110 that includes each of the target EMI fingerprint, the authenticity determination, and the calibration certificate data structure. In response to a request for the EMI fingerprint, the EMI fingerprint scanning device returns this combined data structure. Once the processor has completed including the calibration certificate with the EMI fingerprint, processing at process block 1120 is complete and processing proceeds to end block 1125, where method 1100 ends.

[0115] In one embodiment, the calibration procedure shown and described with reference to FIGS. 7 and 11 is performed automatically, without any indication to the user. For example, the calibration procedure is automated to be highly transparent to the scanner operator, such that the automatic calibration procedure is performed before, after, or both before and after the target utility asset is scanned and the target EMI fingerprint is saved, saving a calibration heatmap image (and / or other calibration verification information) along with the official EMI fingerprint scan. Typically, this calibration procedure takes less than 10 seconds, making it less noticeable to a human operator performing a scan that takes 10 minutes or more. This pre / post capture and certification that the instrument was sufficiently calibrated during every EMI fingerprint scan of the target utility asset, combined with the calibration certificate being saved with the digitized EMI fingerprint for the target utility asset, is an invaluable added value to a counterfeit-free certification. It corroborates the accuracy of the certification and provides quantitative evidence for taking action against detected counterfeits in the supply chain. For example, if a counterfeit is detected at a port of entry / exit, a false identification can be very costly. A Type I false alert error due to miscalibration can unnecessarily stop a large shipment of cargo, and a Type II failed alert error due to miscalibration can negate an opportunity to remove a large number of devices with counterfeit parts from the supply chain while they are all in one place.

[0116] -Frequency self-recalibration- 12 illustrates one embodiment of a method 1200 associated with automatically recalibrating an EMI fingerprint scanning instrument that is not properly calibrated. In one embodiment, the steps of method 1200 are performed by EMI fingerprint scanning device 100 in accordance with calibration logic 160. In one embodiment, method 1200 may follow initiation of a recalibration process in response to a calibration status signal indicating that the EMI fingerprint scanning device is not calibrated, as shown and described with reference to process block 935 of method 900. Method 1200 begins at start block 1205 in response to parsing a received signal or retrieved stored data indicating that method 1200 should begin, e.g., an indication that a recalibration process has been initiated. Processing proceeds to process block 1210.

[0117] At process block 1210, the processor determines an error based at least on a difference between one or more of the assigned radio station frequencies and one or more of the peak frequency bands in the collected electromagnetic signal.

[0118] In one embodiment, the EMI fingerprint scanning device 100 identifies at least two peak frequency bands in the collected electromagnetic signal with a common scalar error, each of which is different from at least two of the assigned radio station frequencies at the geographic location. While this scalar error can be determined from a pair of peak frequencies and assigned station frequencies, the existence of identical scalar errors (or error coefficients) for two pairs of peak frequencies and assigned radio station frequencies helps confirm that the peak frequencies are correctly paired with the assigned radio stations. This confirms that the correct scalar error has been identified. Identifying additional peak frequency-assigned radio station frequency pairs with identical scalar errors further confirms that the detected peak frequencies deviate from the actual radio station broadcast frequency. In one embodiment, the scalar error (or error coefficient) for a pair of observed peak frequencies and assigned radio station frequencies can be calculated by determining the difference between the observed peak frequency and the assigned radio station frequency and dividing this difference by the assigned radio station frequency. Note that there may be small differences between the error coefficients calculated for each pair. Therefore, error coefficients can be considered "identical" if they differ only within an acceptable tolerance. In one embodiment, the average of all error coefficients is determined to be the "actual" value of the error coefficient.

[0119] Thus, in one embodiment, EMI fingerprint scanning device 100 identifies multiple peak frequency bands in the collected electromagnetic signal that are different from the assigned local radio station frequency using the same coefficient. For example, EMI fingerprint scanning device 100 identifies an error coefficient between each combination of peak frequency band and assigned radio station frequency. EMI fingerprint scanning device 100 selects those pairs of coefficients whose coefficients differ only within an acceptable tolerance. EMI fingerprint scanning device 100 averages the selected coefficients and records this average as a scalar error (error coefficient) value in a data structure in local data storage 110.

[0120] Once the processor has completed identifying an error based at least on a difference between one or more of the assigned radio station frequencies and one or more of the peak frequency bands in the collected electromagnetic signals, processing at process block 1210 is complete and processing proceeds to process block 1215.

[0121] At process block 1215, the processor derives a correction factor from at least the error. In one embodiment, EMI fingerprint scanning device 100 retrieves the value of the error factor from local data storage 110. EMI fingerprint scanning device 100 generates the correction factor by taking the reciprocal (1 / N) of the error factor. EMI fingerprint scanning device 100 stores the value of the correction factor as a data structure in local data storage 110. Once the processor has completed deriving at least the correction factor from the error, processing at process block 1215 is complete and processing proceeds to process block 1220.

[0122] At process block 1220, the processor applies the correction factors to the radio receiver to recalibrate the EMI fingerprint scanning device.

[0123] In one embodiment, the EMI fingerprint scanning device 100 applies a correction factor to the output of the local oscillator 170 of the radio receiver 140 of the EMI fingerprint scanning device 100 to correct the frequency synthesized by the frequency synthesizer 175. The corrected synthesized frequency associates the observed electromagnetic signals with their exact wavelengths. EMI fingerprint scanning device 100 is thus recalibrated. In one embodiment, EMI fingerprint scanning device 100 retrieves the value of a correction factor from local data storage 110. EMI fingerprint scanning device 100 multiplies either (i) the local oscillator frequency or (ii) the synthesized frequency by the correction factor to correct the calibration of EMI fingerprint scanning device 100.

[0124] Once the processor has thus applied the correction factors to the radio receiver and recalibrated the EMI fingerprint scanning device, processing at process block 1220 is complete and processing proceeds to end block 1225, where method 1200 is complete.

[0125] In one embodiment, if the recalibration process still does not completely correct the calibration error of the EMI fingerprint scanning device 100, the EMI fingerprint scanning device may display a further calibration warning on the display 140 indicating that the calibration is not correctable in this field and may request equipment repair or replacement for one or more parts of the EMI fingerprint scanning device 100.

[0126] -Selected Benefits- The autonomous EMI fingerprint calibration system and method described herein substantially eliminates complexity in EMI fingerprint counterfeit detection procedures for essential utility assets. The system and method described herein makes calibration verification unobtrusive and easy for unskilled staff to perform. The system and method described herein eliminates the need to calibrate the EMI fingerprint scanning device 100 using a reference source of EMI signals. The system and method described herein provides proof or certification of calibration needed to support the EMI fingerprint scanning device's determination of whether a target utility device is authentic or contains one or more counterfeit components. The system and method described herein enables unskilled staff to identify and correct calibration drift in the EMI fingerprint scanning device 100, improving the accuracy of EMI fingerprint scans performed by the device. Other advantages enabled by the system and method are described elsewhere herein. Each of these advantages represents an improvement over EMI fingerprinting technology, electromagnetic scanning device calibration technology, or other technical fields. Accordingly, the systems and methods described herein are applied in practice to perform improved operations.

[0127] -Software module embodiment- Generally, software instructions are designed to be executed by a suitably programmed processor. These software instructions may include, for example, computer-executable code and source code that may be compiled into computer-executable code. These software instructions may also include instructions written in interpreted programming languages, such as scripting languages.

[0128] In complex systems, such instructions are typically arranged in program modules, with each such module performing a particular task, process, function, or operation, and the entire set of modules may be operationally controlled or coordinated by an operating system (OS) or other form of organizational platform.

[0129] In one embodiment, one or more of the components, functions, methods, or processes described herein are configured as modules stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium. These modules may be configured with stored software instructions. These stored software instructions, when executed by a processor that accesses at least the memory or storage, cause the computing device to perform the corresponding functions described herein.

[0130] -Computing Device Embodiment- 13 illustrates one embodiment of a computing device 1300 configured and / or programmed with one or more of the example systems, methods, and / or special purpose apparatus and / or equivalents disclosed herein. The example computing device 1300 may be a computer 1305 including a processor 1310, a memory 1315, and input / output ports 1320 operatively connected by a bus 1325. In one example, the computer 1305 may include utility power system EMI fingerprint scanning instrument auto-calibration logic 1330 configured to facilitate auto-calibration of an EMI fingerprint scanning instrument for utility power system counterfeit detection similar to the logic and systems illustrated in FIGS. 1-12. In different examples, the logic 1330 may be implemented in hardware, a non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored instructions, firmware, and / or combinations thereof. Although logic 1330 is shown as a hardware component attached to bus 1325, it should be understood that in other embodiments, logic 1330 may be executed on processor 1310, stored in memory 1315, or stored on disk 1335.

[0131] In one embodiment, logic 1330 or a computer is a means (e.g., structure: hardware, non-transitory computer-readable medium, firmware) for performing the described actions. In some embodiments, the computing device may be a server operating in a cloud computing system, a server configured in a Software as a Service (SaaS) architecture, a smartphone, a laptop, a tablet computing device, etc.

[0132] The means may be implemented as an ASIC programmed for sensitive detection and identification of counterfeit components in utility power systems using, for example, EMI frequency Kiviat tubes, or as stored computer-executable instructions provided to computer 1305 as data 1340 that are temporarily stored in memory 1315 and then executed by processor 1310.

[0133] The logic 1330 may also provide means (e.g., hardware, non-transitory computer-readable media storing executable instructions, firmware) for performing highly sensitive detection and identification of counterfeit parts in utility power systems using EMI frequency Kiviat tubes.

[0134] Broadly describing an exemplary configuration of computer 1305, processor 1310 can be a variety of different processors, including dual microprocessors and other multi-processor architectures. Memory 1315 can include volatile memory and / or non-volatile memory. Non-volatile memory can include, for example, ROM, PROM, etc. Volatile memory can include, for example, RAM, SRAM, DRAM, etc.

[0135] Storage disk 1335 may be operatively connected to computer 1300, for example, via input / output (I / O) interface (e.g., card, device) 1345 and input / output port 1320. Disk 1335 may be, for example, a magnetic disk drive, solid state disk drive, floppy disk drive, tape drive, zip drive, flash memory card, memory stick, etc. Additionally, disk 1335 may be a CD-ROM drive, CD-R drive, CD-RW drive, DVD ROM, etc. Memory 1315 may store, for example, processes 1350 and / or data 1340. Disk 1335 and / or memory 1315 may store an operating system that controls and allocates resources of computer 1305.

[0136] The computer 1305 may interact with input / output (I / O) devices via an I / O interface 1345 and input / output ports 1320. The input / output devices may be, for example, a keyboard 1380, a microphone 1384, a pointing and selection device 1382, a camera 1386, a video card, a display 1370, a scanner 1388, a printer 1372, speakers 1374, a disk 1335, a network device 1355, etc. The input / output ports 1320 may include, for example, a serial port, a parallel port, and a USB port. The input / output devices may include a broad spectrum (or other spectrum) radio receiver 1390 and an associated antenna 1392.

[0137] The computer 1305 can operate in a networked environment and, as such, can be connected to a network device 1355 via the I / O interface 1345 and / or the I / O port 1320. Through the network device 1355, the computer 1305 can interact with a network 1360. Through the network 1360, the computer 1305 can be logically connected to a remote computer 1365. The networks with which the computer 1305 can interact include, but are not limited to, a LAN, a WAN, and other networks.

[0138] -Definitions and Other Embodiments- In another embodiment, the described methods and / or their equivalents may be implemented with computer-executable instructions. Thus, in one embodiment, a non-transitory computer-readable / storage medium is configured with stored computer-executable instructions of an algorithm / executable application that, when executed by the machine, causes the machine (and / or associated components) to perform a method. Exemplary machines include, but are not limited to, processors, computers, servers operating in a cloud computing system, servers configured in a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) architecture, smartphones, etc. In one embodiment, a computing device is implemented with one or more executable algorithms configured to perform any of the disclosed methods.

[0139] In one or more embodiments, the disclosed methods or their equivalents are performed by either computer hardware configured to perform the methods or by computer instructions embodied in modules stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, the instructions configured as an executable algorithm configured to perform the methods when executed by at least a processor of a computing device.

[0140] For ease of explanation, the techniques illustrated in the figures are shown and described as a series of algorithmic blocks, but it should be understood that these techniques are not limited by the order of the blocks. Some blocks may occur in a different order and / or concurrently with blocks other than those shown and described. Furthermore, example techniques may be implemented using fewer than all of the blocks shown. Blocks may be combined or separated into multiple actions / components. Furthermore, other and / or alternative methods may be used. The method may also use other actions not shown in the blocks.

[0141] The following contains definitions of selected terms used herein. These definitions include various examples and / or forms of components that may be used to implement those terms that fall within their scope. These examples are not intended to be limiting. Both the singular and plural forms of the terms are within the scope of the definitions.

[0142] References to "one embodiment," "embodiment," "one example," "example," etc. mean that the embodiment or example so described may include a particular feature, structure, characteristic, property, element, or limitation, but not all embodiments or examples necessarily include that particular feature, structure, characteristic, property, element, or limitation. Moreover, repeated use of the phrase "in one embodiment" may, but does not necessarily, refer to the same embodiment.

[0143] ASIC: Application Specific Integrated Circuit CD: Compact Disc CD-R: Recordable CD CD-RW: Rewritable CD DVD: Digital Versatile Disc and / or Digital Video Disc LAN: Local Area Network RAM: Random Access Memory DRAM: Dynamic RAM SRAM: Synchronous RAM ROM: Read-only memory PROM: Programmable ROM EPROM: Erasable PROM EEPROM: Electrically Erasable PROM USB: Universal Serial Bus XML: Extensible Markup Language WAN: Wide Area Network As used herein, a "data structure" is an organization of data in a computing system, stored in memory, a storage device, or other computerized system. A data structure may be, for example, any of a data field, a data file, a data array, a data record, a database, a data table, a graph, a tree, a linked list, etc. A data structure may be formed from and contain many other data structures (e.g., a database contains many data records). Other examples of data structures are possible according to other embodiments.

[0144] As used herein, "computer-readable medium" or "computer storage medium" refers to a non-transitory medium that stores instructions and / or data configured to be executed to perform one or more of the disclosed functions. In some embodiments, data may function as instructions. Computer-readable medium may take forms including, but not limited to, non-volatile media and volatile media. Non-volatile media may include, for example, optical disks, magnetic disks, and the like. Volatile media may include, for example, semiconductor memory, dynamic memory, and the like. Common forms of computer-readable media may include, but are not limited to, floppy disks, flexible disks, hard disks, magnetic tape, other magnetic media, application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), programmable logic devices, compact disks (CDs), other optical media, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), memory chips or cards, memory sticks, solid-state storage devices (SSDs), flash drives, and other media with which a computer, processor, or other electronic device can function. Each type of media, when selected for implementation in an embodiment, may include stored instructions of an algorithm configured to perform one or more of the disclosed and / or claimed functions.

[0145] As used herein, "logic" refers to components embodied in computer or electrical hardware, non-transitory media having stored instructions of an executable application or program module, and / or combinations thereof, to perform any of the functions or actions disclosed herein and / or cause another logic, method, and / or system to perform a function or action as disclosed herein. Equivalent logic may include firmware, a microprocessor programmed with an algorithm, discrete logic (e.g., ASIC), at least one circuit, analog circuit, digital circuit, programmed logic device, memory device containing algorithmic instructions, etc., any of which may be configured to perform one or more of the disclosed functions. In one embodiment, logic may include one or more gates, combinations of gates, or other circuit components configured to perform one or more of the disclosed functions. In some embodiments, the logic may be implemented in a single logic. Where multiple logics are described, the multiple logics could be combined into one logic. Similarly, where a single logic is described, the single logic could be distributed among multiple logics. In one embodiment, one or more of the logics is the corresponding structure associated with performing the disclosed and / or claimed functions. The selection of which type of logic to implement may be based on desired system requirements or specifications. For example, if speed is a consideration, hardware would be selected to implement the function. If low cost is a consideration, stored instructions / executable applications would be selected to implement the function.

[0146] An "operative connection," or a connection by which entities are "operatively connected," is one in which signals, physical communications, and / or logical communications may be sent and / or received. An operative connection may include a physical interface, an electrical interface, and / or a data interface. An operative connection may include various combinations of interfaces and / or connections sufficient to enable operative control. For example, two entities may be operatively connected to communicate signals with each other directly or through one or more intermediary entities (e.g., processors, operating systems, logic, non-transitory computer-readable media). Logical and / or physical communication channels may be used to create an operative connection.

[0147] As used herein, a "user" includes, but is not limited to, one or more people, computers or other devices, or combinations thereof.

[0148] Although the disclosed embodiments have been shown and described in considerable detail, it is not intended to restrict or in any way limit the scope of the appended claims to such details. It is, of course, not possible to describe every conceivable combination of elements or methodologies for purposes of describing various aspects of the subject matter. Therefore, the disclosure is not limited to the specific details or illustrative examples shown and described. Accordingly, the disclosure is intended to embrace modifications, variations, and variations that fall within the scope of the appended claims.

[0149] The terms "includes" or "including" are used in the detailed description. or, to the extent that such term is used in the claims, including in the same manner as the term "comprising," as that term is interpreted when used as a transitional term in a claim. It is intended to be

[0150] The term "or," to the extent that it is used in the detailed description or claims (e.g., A or B), is intended to mean "A or B or both." If applicant wishes to indicate "only A or only B, but not both," the phrase "only A or only B, but not both" would be used. Thus, use of the term "or" herein is inclusive and not exclusive.

Claims

1. 1. A method for detecting a calibration status of an electromagnetic interference (EMI) fingerprint scanning device, comprising: collecting electromagnetic signals over a test period at a geographic location using the EMI fingerprint scanning device; identifying one or more peak frequency bands in the collected electromagnetic signals; comparing the one or more peak frequency bands with assigned radio station frequencies at the geographic location to determine whether a match is found; generating a calibration status signal indicating whether the EMI fingerprint scanning device is calibrated based at least in part on the comparison.

2. in response to the calibration status signal indicating that the EMI fingerprint scanning device is calibrated, permitting the initiation of an EMI fingerprint scan of a target device using the EMI fingerprint scanning device; 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: preventing initiation of the EMI fingerprint scan of the target device using the EMI fingerprint scanning device in response to the calibration status signal indicating that the EMI fingerprint scanning device is not calibrated.

3. performing an EMI fingerprint scan of a target utility device to generate an EMI fingerprint for the target utility device; generating a calibration certificate for the EMI fingerprint scan from the collected electromagnetic frequencies, the assigned radio station frequencies, and the calibration status signal; and including the calibration certificate with the EMI fingerprint.

4. and initiating a recalibration process to correct the calibration of the EMI fingerprint scanning device in response to the calibration verification signal indicating that the EMI fingerprint scanning device is not calibrated, the recalibration process comprising: determining an error based at least on a difference between the one or more of the assigned radio station frequencies and one or more of the peak frequency bands in the collected electromagnetic signals; deriving a correction factor from at least said error; and applying the correction factor to the radio receiver to recalibrate the EMI fingerprint scanning device.

5. The comparing of the one or more peak frequency bands comprises: requesting radio station frequency information for radio stations near the geographic location from a frequency data service; parsing a response from the frequency data service to determine a list of local radio station frequencies; and determining whether any of the one or more peak frequency bands is included in the list, wherein a mismatch signal is generated if a peak frequency band is not included in the list, and a match signal is generated if a peak frequency band is included in the list.

6. The comparison of the one or more peak frequency bands For at least one peak frequency band among the wavenumber bands, requesting radio station identification information from a frequency data service for radio stations near the geographic location that broadcast in the one peak frequency band; and parsing a response from the frequency data service to determine whether the one peak frequency band is assigned to a wireless station, wherein a mismatch signal is generated if the response does not include a wireless station identification for the one peak frequency band, and a match signal is generated if the response includes a wireless station identification for the one peak frequency band.

7. displaying a visual calibration confirmation on a graphical user interface of the scanning device in response to the calibration status signal indicating that the EMI fingerprint scanning device is calibrated; 10. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of: displaying a visual calibration warning on the graphical user interface of the scanning device in response to the calibration status signal indicating that the EMI fingerprint scanning device is not calibrated.

8. 1. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions for detecting a calibration status of an electromagnetic interference (EMI) fingerprint scanning device, the instructions, when executed by at least a processor of the EMI fingerprint scanning device, causing the EMI fingerprint scanning device to: collecting electromagnetic signals over a test period at a geographic location using the EMI fingerprint scanning device; identifying one or more peak frequency bands in the collected electromagnetic signals; comparing the one or more peak frequency bands with assigned radio station frequencies at the geographic location to determine whether a match is found; and a non-transitory computer-readable medium for causing the EMI fingerprint scanning device to generate a calibration status signal indicating whether the EMI fingerprint scanning device is calibrated based at least in part on the comparison.

9. 9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the instructions further cause the EMI fingerprint scanning device to initiate an EMI fingerprint scan of a target device using the EMI fingerprint scanning device in response to the calibration status signal indicating that the EMI fingerprint scanning device is calibrated.

10. In response to the calibration verification signal indicating that the EMI fingerprint scanning device is not calibrated, the instructions further include causing the EMI fingerprint scanning device to: determining an error based at least on a difference between one or more of the assigned radio station frequencies and one or more of the peak frequency bands in the collected electromagnetic signals; deriving a correction factor from at least the error; 9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the correction factor is applied to the wireless receiver to cause the EMI fingerprint scanning device to be recalibrated.

11. The instructions may further include causing the EMI fingerprint scanning device to, for the comparison of the one or more peak frequency bands: requesting information about radio stations near the geographic location from a frequency data service; and generating a match signal using at least a portion of the information returned by said frequency data service.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium causes the processor to determine whether to generate a match signal or a no match signal.

12. 1. An electromagnetic interference (EMI) fingerprint scanning device comprising: a processor; a memory operatively connected to said processor; a wireless receiver operatively connected to the processor and memory; and a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions for detecting a calibration status of an electromagnetic interference (EMI) fingerprint scanning device, the instructions, when executed by at least the processor, causing the EMI fingerprint scanning device to: collecting electromagnetic signals over a test period at a geographic location using the EMI fingerprint scanning device; identifying one or more peak frequency bands in the collected electromagnetic signals; comparing the one or more peak frequency bands with assigned radio station frequencies at the geographic location to determine whether a match is found; causing the EMI fingerprint scanning device to generate a calibration status signal indicating whether the EMI fingerprint scanning device is calibrated based at least in part on the comparison.

13. The instructions further include causing the EMI fingerprint scanning device to: in response to the calibration status signal indicating that the EMI fingerprint scanning device is to be calibrated; displaying a visual calibration confirmation on a graphical user interface of the scanning device; allowing the initiation of an EMI fingerprint scan of the target device using the EMI fingerprint scanning device; in response to the calibration status signal indicating that the EMI fingerprint scanning device is not calibrated; displaying a visual calibration warning on the graphical user interface of the scanning device; Preventing the initiation of an EMI fingerprint scan of the target device using the EMI fingerprint scanning device; 13. The EMI fingerprint scanning device of claim 12, further comprising: causing a recalibration process to be initiated to correct the calibration of the EMI fingerprint scanning device.

14. In response to the calibration verification signal indicating that the EMI fingerprint scanning device is not calibrated, the instructions further include causing the EMI fingerprint scanning device to: determining an error based at least on a difference between one or more of the assigned radio station frequencies and one or more of the peak frequency bands in the collected electromagnetic signals; deriving a correction factor from at least the error; 13. The EMI fingerprint scanning device of claim 12, wherein the correction factor is applied to the radio receiver to cause the EMI fingerprint scanning device to be recalibrated.

15. The instructions may further include causing the EMI fingerprint scanning device to, for the comparison of the one or more peak frequency bands: accepting latitude and longitude coordinates as the geographic location from a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver associated with the EMI fingerprint scanning device; requesting information about radio stations near the geographic location from a frequency data service; 13. The EMI fingerprint scanning device of claim 12, wherein at least a portion of the information returned by the frequency data service is used to determine whether to generate a match signal or a mismatch signal.

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