Electric Meter Communication Pairing Validation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing communication systems for electric meters face challenges in ensuring the confidentiality and protection of electricity consumption data, particularly when connected to multiple meters for the same user, leading to potential data security issues.
Innovation Solution
A method and electronic control device that acquire unique user, communication system, and electric meter identifiers to validate pairing, ensuring authorized communication and inhibiting unauthorized pairing, with regular transmission of consumption data frames including these identifiers to maintain data security.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the communication system is connected to multiple electricity meters for the same user, then the user can access data from all their meters, but the confidentiality and protection of data is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by performing a validity test of the pairing between the communication system and the electricity meter before allowing any data transmission. The control device acquires identifiers of the user, communication system, and electricity meter, and validates their pairing relationship in advance. Only after successful validation is data transmission authorized, thereby preventing unauthorized access while allowing legitimate multi-meter access.
2Productivity
If the communication system transmits data without validation, then data transmission is simple and fast, but unauthorized access and data security issues occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs the validity test and pairing validation before data transmission begins. The control device acquires and validates identifiers (user ID, communication system ID, meter ID) in advance to establish authorized relationships. This preliminary validation ensures that only authenticated devices can transmit data, preventing unauthorized access while maintaining efficient data transmission for legitimate users.
3Reliability
If the system implements identifier validation and pairing tests, then data security is improved, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback by having the control device receive identifier information from the communication system and the electricity meter, validate the pairing relationship, and then provide feedback by authorizing or inhibiting data transmission based on validation results. This feedback mechanism ensures data security through systematic verification while maintaining clear control logic that manages system complexity.
4Ease of operation
If the communication system allows pairing without validation, then the ease of operation is improved, but data protection is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary validation of the pairing relationship between the communication system and the electricity meter before allowing data transmission. The control device acquires identifiers and validates their correspondence in advance, ensuring that only properly paired devices can access data. This preliminary check maintains ease of operation for legitimate users while preventing unauthorized access and data protection breaches.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
This method for controlling a communication system (14) for an electricity meter (12), the communication system (14) being adapted to be connected to the meter (12) and to transmit data from the meter (12) to a user, is implemented by an electronic control device (20). It comprises the following steps: - acquisition of a first identifier, capable of uniquely identifying the user, - reception of second and third identifiers from the communication system (14), the second identifier being capable of uniquely identifying the communication system (14) and the third identifier being capable of uniquely identifying the electricity meter (12), and - validation test of a pairing of the communication system (14) with the electricity meter (12), based on the first, second and third identifiers; pairing being authorized in the event of a successful test and inhibited otherwise.