IP Library Granted Patent US 10,120,996
Granted Patent B2
US 10,120,996 · App. 15/816,716 · Granted Nov 6, 2018

Return material authorization fulfillment system for network devices with specific cryptographic credentials

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,120,996
App. No.
15/816,716
Granted
Nov 6, 2018
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method for removing credentials from a smart grid device includes: receiving, by a receiving device, a removal request, wherein the removal request includes a device identifier associated with a smart grid device and is signed by an entity associated with a set of security credentials stored in a memory of the smart grid device, the set of security credentials restricting access to one or more components or operations of the smart grid device; extracting, by a processing device, the device identifier included in the received removal request; generating, by the processing device, a permit configured to remove the set of credentials from the smart grid device, wherein the generated permit includes the extracted device identifier; and transmitting, by a transmitting device, the generated permit to the smart grid device for removal of the set of credentials from the memory of the smart grid device.

Claims (43)

1. A method for removing credentials from a device, comprising:

receiving, by a receiving device of a computing system of a first entity, a removal request, wherein

the removal request includes a device identifier associated with a device,

the removal request is signed by a second entity having generated a set of security credentials stored in a memory of the device,

the removal request is signed using a private key possessed by the second entity having generated the set of security credentials,

the set of security credentials restricts access to one or more components or operations of the device, and

the first entity and second entity are separate entities;

extracting, by a processing device of the computing system, the device identifier included in the received removal request;

generating, by the processing device of the computing system, a permit configured to remove the set of credentials from the device; and

transmitting, by a transmitting device of the computing system, the generated permit to the device for removal of the set of credentials from the memory of the device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein

the set of security credentials are associated with an ownership state of the device, and

removal of the set of credentials from the memory of the device reverts the device to an unowned ownership state.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein

the device includes a barcode affixed thereto encoded with the removal request, and

receiving the removal request includes reading, by a barcode reader, the barcode affixed to the device to obtain the encoded removal request.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the barcode is formatted pursuant to the PDF417 standard.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the device identifier is a media access control address.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

verifying, by the processing device, the received removal request using a public key related to the private key.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the received removal request is received from the second entity associated with the set of credentials.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the generated permit includes the extracted device identifier.

9. A system for removing credentials from a device, comprising:

a receiving device of a computing system of a first entity configured to receive a removal request, wherein

the removal request includes a device identifier associated with a device,

the removal request is signed by a second entity having generated a set of security credentials stored in a memory of the device,

the removal request is signed using a private key possessed by the second entity having generated the set of security credentials,

the set of security credentials restricts access to one or more components or operations of the device, and

the first entity and the second entity are separate entities;

a processing device of the first entity configured to:

extract the device identifier included in the received removal request, and

generate a permit configured to remove the set of credentials from the device; and

a transmitting device of the first entity configured to transmit the generated permit to the device for removal of the set of credentials from the memory of the device.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein

the set of security credentials are associated with an ownership state of the device, and

removal of the set of credentials from the memory of the device reverts the device to an unowned ownership state.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the device includes a barcode affixed thereto encoded with the removal request, and the system further comprises:

a barcode reader configured to read the barcode affixed to the device to obtain the encoded removal request.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the barcode is formatted pursuant to the PDF417 standard.

13. The system of claim 9 , wherein the device identifier is a media access control address.

14. The system of claim 9 , wherein the processing device is further configured to verify the received removal request using a public key related to the private key.

15. The system of claim 9 , wherein the received removal request is received from the second entity associated with the set of credentials.

16. The system of claim 9 , wherein the generated permit includes the extracted device identifier.

Assignments (4)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 30, 2023
From: ITRON, INC.; ITRON NETWORKED SOLUTIONS, INC.
To: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 065727/0302 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Feb 1, 2018
From: SILVER SPRING NETWORKS, INC.
To: ITRON NETWORKED SOLUTIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 045221/0804 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jan 8, 2018
From: ITRON, INC.; ITRON NETWORKED SOLUTIONS, INC.
To: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
Reel/Frame 045017/0893 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 14, 2017
From: DUBEY, ADITI; DAMM, BENJAMIN N; STJOHNS, MICHAEL
To: SILVER SPRING NETWORKS, INC.
Reel/Frame 044397/0737 →