Patent US10193778 Energy Financial Settlements

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Patent US10193778

Issued 2019-01-29

System, Method And Program For Detecting Anomalous Events In A Network

A communication device detects whether anomalous events occur with respect to at least one node in a utility network. The communication device has recorded therein threshold operating information and situational operating information. The threshold operating information includes data indicative of configured acceptable operating parameters of nodes in the network based on respective locational information of the nodes. The situational information includes data indicative of configured operation data expected to be received from nodes in the network during a predetermined time period, based on a condition and/or event occurring during the time period. The communication device receives operation data from nodes in the network, and determines whether the operation data from a node constitutes an anomalous event based on a comparison of the received operation data with (i) the threshold operating information defined for the node and (ii) the situational information. The communication device outputs notification of any determined anomalous event.

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3 Independent Claims

1. A network communication device configured to monitor operating events occurring in a network, the communication device comprising: a memory unit having historical operating information and situational information recorded therein, the historical operating information including data indicative of historical operation of nodes in the network based on respective feature information that is uniquely defined for each of the nodes in the network, such that there is historical operating information for each node in the network based on the unique feature information for that node, and the situational information including data indicative of operation data expected to be received from nodes in the network during a predetermined time period based on at least one of a condition and an event that is occurring during the predetermined time period; a communication unit configured to receive respective operation data from nodes in the network; a control unit configured to compare the operation data received from a node in the network with (i) the historical operating information for the node from which the operation data was received and (ii) the situational information for the predetermined period in which the operation data is received, and to associate the received operation data with the historical operating information and the situational information in the memory unit based on the comparison of the received operation data with (i) the historical operating information for the node and (ii) the situational information.
18. A method of operating a network communication device to monitor operating events occurring in a network, the method comprising: defining, in the communication device, historical operating information for nodes in the network, the historical operating information including data indicative of historical operation of nodes in the network based on respective feature information that is uniquely defined for each of the nodes in the network, such that there is historical operating information for each node in the network based on the unique feature information for that node; defining, in the communication device, situational information for the nodes in the network, the situational information including data indicative of operation data expected to be received from nodes in the network during a predetermined time period based on at least one of a condition and an event that is occurring during the predetermined time period; recording the defined historical operating information and situational information in a memory unit of the communication device; receiving respective operation data from at least one node in the network; comparing, in a processing unit of the communication device, the received operation data with (i) the historical operating information and (ii) the situational information which are respectively for the node from which the operation data was received during the predetermined time period in which the operation data was received; and associating the received operation data with the recorded historical operating information and the situational information in the memory unit of the communication device, based on the comparison of the received operation data with (i) the historical operating information for the node from which the operation data was received and (ii) the situational information.
22. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having a computer program recorded thereon that causes a control unit of a network communication device communicatively connected to the computer-readable recording medium to monitor operating events occurring in a network, the program causing the control unit of the communication device to execute operations comprising: defining historical operating information for nodes in the network, the historical operating information including data indicative of historical operation of nodes in the network based on respective feature information that is uniquely defined for each of the nodes in the network, such that there is historical operating information for each node in the network based on the unique feature information for that node; defining situational information for the nodes in the network, the situational information including data indicative of operation data expected to be received from nodes in the network during a predetermined time period based on at least one of a condition and an event that is occurring during the predetermined time period; recording the defined historical operating information and situational information in a memory unit of the communication device; receiving respective operation data from at least one node in the network; comparing the received operation data with (i) the historical operating information and (ii) the situational information which are respectively defined for the node from which the operation data was received during the predetermined time period in which the operation data was received; and associating the received operation data with the recorded historical operating information and the situational information in the memory unit of the communication device, based on the comparison of the received operation data with (i) the historical operating information defined for the node from which the operation data was received and (ii) the situational information.