US 11,682,086 B2
Operating smart sensors using distributed ledgers
Tim Patterson, Baltimore, MD (US); and Lucas Scheidler, Oakland, CA (US)
Assigned to Itron, Inc., Liberty Lake, WA (US)
Filed by Itron, Inc., Liberty Lake, WA (US)
Filed on Jun. 29, 2018, as Appl. No. 16/24,632.
Prior Publication US 2020/0005403 A1, Jan. 2, 2020
Int. Cl. G06Q 50/06 (2012.01); G06Q 20/10 (2012.01); G06F 8/65 (2018.01)
CPC G06Q 50/06 (2013.01) [G06F 8/65 (2013.01); G06Q 20/10 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method implemented by a smart utility meter, the method comprising:
receiving a first transmission from a broker node;
determining that the first transmission indicates a first update to a distributed ledger associated with the smart utility meter, the first update to the distributed ledger including a first activity instruction for the smart utility meter;
performing an action based on the first activity instruction;
determining a result of the action, the action including performing an installation location determination by scanning an identification tag fixed to a service panel and located in proximity to the smart utility meter and performing validation of the identification tag to determine that the smart utility meter is at an expected location;
sending, to the broker node, a second transmission indicating performance of the action by the smart utility meter, the second transmission causing the broker node to perform a second update to the distributed ledger; and
determining that a second activity instruction has been updated to the distributed ledger, the second activity instruction comprising i) an instruction to transfer funds from a first account associated with a user and to update a balance associated with the smart utility meter, and ii) meter configuration data configured to cause the smart utility meter to perform setting a signal strength used by the smart utility meter, wherein the smart utility meter is configured to monitor consumption of a utility resource provided to multiple utility resource loads.