NFC Interface for Secure Remote Meter Diagnostics
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing remote metering systems face challenges in facilitating communication with protected equipment, such as water meters, especially when they fail or reach the end of their battery life, due to secure casing designs that prevent physical and wired access, making diagnosis and reprogramming difficult and potentially leading to data loss or equipment damage.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a non-volatile memory and an NFC interface device within the meter's casing, allowing for radiofrequency-based read and write operations of operating parameters without physical or wired access, enabling remote diagnosis and programming while preventing damage to the equipment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the meter casing is designed to prevent material access to processing means and energy storage means, then security and protection of equipment are improved, but ease of repair and diagnostic capability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary interface device that mediates between the external environment and the protected processing means. This device includes a wired interface that allows controlled access to the meter's internal systems through the sealed casing, enabling diagnostics and repairs without compromising the security and protection of the core equipment.
2Ease of operation
If wired access ports are added to the meter casing to facilitate communication with processing means, then ease of operation and diagnostic capability are improved, but risk of fraud, damage, and corrosion increases
Solution Approach 1:
The wired interface acts as an intermediary that enables controlled communication access while maintaining the integrity of the sealed casing. It provides a secure pathway for data exchange without creating vulnerable points that could be exploited for fraud or subjected to corrosion, thus balancing operational ease with security.
Solution Approach 2:
The interface device incorporates a sealed connection mechanism that maintains the protective barrier of the casing while allowing controlled access. This approach ensures that the casing's protective properties are preserved even where communication access is required.
3Use of energy by moving object
If microcontroller standby time is reduced to save energy, then energy consumption is improved, but communication capability in failure scenarios deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The interface device serves as an intermediary that can initiate wake-up signals to the microcontroller from the external environment. This allows the microcontroller to remain in a low-power standby state during normal operation while still being capable of responding to external communication requests, thus maintaining both energy efficiency and communication capability in failure scenarios.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables secure and non-invasive access to meter data for diagnosis and programming, extending equipment life by delaying transition to nominal mode and reducing energy consumption, while maintaining the security of the meter's casing.
Implementation Method 1
an NFC interface device (33) comprising means for storing energy and radiofrequency means able to be controlled by said means for storing energy
Data Source
Figure 1~2
AI summary
The invention relates to an entity (30) comprising processing means (1) designed so as to perform nominal operations of this entity, energy storage means (2) for powering the processing means, a housing, inside which are installed the processing means and the energy storage means, said housing being fashioned so as to prevent material access to said processing means and to said energy storage means, characterized in that the entity furthermore comprises a memory (4) distinct from, and in communication with, the processing means, for storing values of operating parameters of said processing means, and an interface device (NFC) comprising radiofrequency reception means and an electronic circuit able to operate using the energy arising from said radiofrequency reception means, to perform memory reading and/or writing operations.