Patents by Inventor Benjamin N. Damm

Benjamin N. Damm has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20230370445
    Abstract: Various embodiments set forth a method comprising validating, by a first computing system in a secured computing environment, a demand event generated by an operator, where the operator is authenticated to generate demand events within the secured computing environment and the demand event corresponds to a set of endpoints operating outside the secured computing environment, generating, by the first computing system, an authorization permit associated with the demand event, and sending, from the first computing system to a second computing system outside of the secured computing environment, (i) an indicator of the demand event, and (ii) the authorization permit, where the demand event is usable by the second computing system to generate a demand event command for the set of endpoints, and the authorization permit is usable by the set of endpoints to validate the demand event command
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 12, 2022
    Publication date: November 16, 2023
    Inventors: Connie BRADBURY, Benjamin N. DAMM, Aaron GLASENAPP, Thomas J. BARBOUR, Donald Lloyd REEVES, III
  • Patent number: 10609562
    Abstract: To provide overall security to a utility management system, critical command and control messages that are issued to components of the system are explicitly approved by a secure authority. The explicit approval authenticates the requested action and authorizes the performance of the specific action indicated in a message. Key components of the utility management and control system that are associated with access control are placed in a physical bunker. With this approach, it only becomes necessary to bunker those subsystems that are responsible for approving network actions. Other management modules can remain outside the bunker, thereby avoiding the need to partition them into bunkered and non-bunkered components. Access to critical components of each of the non-bunkered subsystems is controlled through the bunkered approval system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2020
    Assignee: ITRON NETWORKED SOLUTIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Raj Vaswani, Wilson Chuen Yew Yeung, Cristina Seibert, Nelson Bruce Bolyard, Benjamin N. Damm, Michael C. Stjohns
  • Patent number: 10455420
    Abstract: To provide overall security to a utility management system, critical command and control messages that are issued to components of the system are explicitly approved by a secure authority. The explicit approval authenticates the requested action and authorizes the performance of the specific action indicated in a message. Key components of the utility management and control system that are associated with access control are placed in a physical bunker. With this approach, it only becomes necessary to bunker those subsystems that are responsible for approving network actions. Other management modules can remain outside the bunker, thereby avoiding the need to partition them into bunkered and non-bunkered components. Access to critical components of each of the non-bunkered subsystems is controlled through the bunkered approval system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2019
    Assignee: ITRON NETWORKED SOLUTIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Raj Vaswani, Wilson Chuen Yew Yeung, Cristina Seibert, Nelson Bruce Bolyard, Benjamin N. Damm, Michael C. StJohns
  • Patent number: 10169764
    Abstract: A permitting system for controlling devices in a system includes a permit issuing agent that receives a command to be sent to a device. Based upon at least one attribute of the command, the permit issuing agent identifies one or more business logic modules that is pertinent to the command. Each business logic module has a respectively different set of business rules associated with it. Each identified business logic module determines whether the command complies with the business rules associated with that module. If the command is determined to comply with the business rules of all of the identified business logic modules, the agent issues a permit for the command, and the permit is sent to the device for execution of the command.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2019
    Assignee: ITRON NETWORKED SOLUTIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Aditi Dubey, Benjamin N. Damm, Michael StJohns, Raj Vaswani
  • Patent number: 10120996
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2018
    Assignee: ITRON NETWORKED SOLUTIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Aditi Dubey, Benjamin N. Damm, Michael StJohns
  • Publication number: 20180234850
    Abstract: To provide overall security to a utility management system, critical command and control messages that are issued to components of the system are explicitly approved by a secure authority. The explicit approval authenticates the requested action and authorizes the performance of the specific action indicated in a message. Key components of the utility management and control system that are associated with access control are placed in a physical bunker. With this approach, it only becomes necessary to bunker those subsystems that are responsible for approving network actions. Other management modules can remain outside the bunker, thereby avoiding the need to partition them into bunkered and non-bunkered components. Access to critical components of each of the non-bunkered subsystems is controlled through the bunkered approval system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 10, 2018
    Publication date: August 16, 2018
    Applicant: Itron Networked Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Raj VASWANI, Wilson Chuen Yew YEUNG, Cristina SEIBERT, Nelson Bruce BOYLARD, Benjamin N. DAMM, Michael C. STJOHNS
  • Patent number: 9961550
    Abstract: To provide overall security to a utility management system, critical command and control messages that are issued to components of the system are explicitly approved by a secure authority. The explicit approval authenticates the requested action and authorizes the performance of the specific action indicated in a message. Key components of the utility management and control system that are associated with access control are placed in a physical bunker. With this approach, it only becomes necessary to bunker those subsystems that are responsible for approving network actions. Other management modules can remain outside the bunker, thereby avoiding the need to partition them into bunkered and non-bunkered components. Access to critical components of each of the non-bunkered subsystems is controlled through the bunkered approval system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: ITRON NETWORKED SOLUTIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Raj Vaswani, Wilson Chuen Yew Yeung, Cristina Seibert, Nelson Bruce Bolyard, Benjamin N. Damm, Michael C. StJohns
  • Publication number: 20180089418
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 17, 2017
    Publication date: March 29, 2018
    Applicant: SILVER SPRING NETWORKS, INC.
    Inventors: Aditi Dubey, Benjamin N. Damm, Michael StJohns
  • Publication number: 20180082309
    Abstract: A permitting system for controlling devices in a system includes a permit issuing agent that receives a command to be sent to a device. Based upon at least one attribute of the command, the permit issuing agent identifies one or more business logic modules that is pertinent to the command. Each business logic module has a respectively different set of business rules associated with it. Each identified business logic module determines whether the command complies with the business rules associated with that module. If the command is determined to comply with the business rules of all of the identified business logic modules, the agent issues a permit for the command, and the permit is sent to the device for execution of the command.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 27, 2017
    Publication date: March 22, 2018
    Applicant: Silver Spring Networks, Inc.
    Inventors: Aditi Dubey, Benjamin N. Damm, Michael StJohns, Raj Vaswani
  • Patent number: 9846882
    Abstract: A permitting system for controlling devices in a system includes a permit issuing agent that receives a command to be sent to a device. Based upon at least one attribute of the command, the permit issuing agent identifies one or more business logic modules that is pertinent to the command. Each business logic module has a respectively different set of business rules associated with it. Each identified business logic module determines whether the command complies with the business rules associated with that module. If the command is determined to comply with the business rules of all of the identified business logic modules, the agent issues a permit for the command, and the permit is sent to the device for execution of the command.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2017
    Assignee: SILVER SPRING NETWORKS, INC.
    Inventors: Aditi Dubey, Benjamin N. Damm, Michael StJohns, Raj Vaswani
  • Patent number: 9830446
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: SILVER SPRING NETWORKS, INC.
    Inventors: Aditi Dubey, Benjamin N. Damm, Michael StJohns
  • Publication number: 20170083923
    Abstract: A permitting system for controlling devices in a system includes a permit issuing agent that receives a command to be sent to a device. Based upon at least one attribute of the command, the permit issuing agent identifies one or more business logic modules that is pertinent to the command. Each business logic module has a respectively different set of business rules associated with it. Each identified business logic module determines whether the command complies with the business rules associated with that module. If the command is determined to comply with the business rules of all of the identified business logic modules, the agent issues a permit for the command, and the permit is sent to the device for execution of the command.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2016
    Publication date: March 23, 2017
    Applicant: Silver Spring Networks, Inc.
    Inventors: Aditi Dubey, Benjamin N. Damm, Michael StJohns, Raj Vaswani
  • Patent number: 9548995
    Abstract: A permitting system for controlling devices in a system includes a permit issuing agent that receives a command to be sent to a device. Based upon at least one attribute of the command, the permit issuing agent identifies one or more business logic modules that is pertinent to the command. Each business logic module has a respectively different set of business rules associated with it. Each identified business logic module determines whether the command complies with the business rules associated with that module. If the command is determined to comply with the business rules of all of the identified business logic modules, the agent issues a permit for the command, and the permit is sent to the device for execution of the command.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2017
    Assignee: SILVER SPRING NETWORKS, INC.
    Inventors: Aditi Dubey, Benjamin N. Damm, Michael StJohns, Raj Vaswani
  • Publication number: 20160249220
    Abstract: To provide overall security to a utility management system, critical command and control messages that are issued to components of the system are explicitly approved by a secure authority. The explicit approval authenticates the requested action and authorizes the performance of the specific action indicated in a message. Key components of the utility management and control system that are associated with access control are placed in a physical bunker. With this approach, it only becomes necessary to bunker those subsystems that are responsible for approving network actions. Other management modules can remain outside the bunker, thereby avoiding the need to partition them into bunkered and non-bunkered components. Access to critical components of each of the non-bunkered subsystems is controlled through the bunkered approval system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 2, 2016
    Publication date: August 25, 2016
    Applicant: Silver Spring Networks, Inc.
    Inventors: Raj VASWANI, Wilson Chuen Yew YEUNG, Cristina SEIBERT, Nelson Bruce BOLYARD, Benjamin N. DAMM, Michael C. STJOHNS
  • Publication number: 20150106894
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2014
    Publication date: April 16, 2015
    Inventors: Aditi DUBEY, Benjamin N. Damm, Michael St Johns
  • Publication number: 20150058918
    Abstract: A permitting system for controlling devices in a system includes a permit issuing agent that receives a command to be sent to a device. Based upon at least one attribute of the command, the permit issuing agent identifies one or more business logic modules that is pertinent to the command. Each business logic module has a respectively different set of business rules associated with it. Each identified business logic module determines whether the command complies with the business rules associated with that module. If the command is determined to comply with the business rules of all of the identified business logic modules, the agent issues a permit for the command, and the permit is sent to the device for execution of the command.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2014
    Publication date: February 26, 2015
    Applicant: Silver Spring Networks, Inc.
    Inventors: Aditi DUBEY, Benjamin N. Damm, Michael StJohns, Raj Vaswani
  • Patent number: 8880883
    Abstract: A permitting system for controlling devices in a system includes a permit issuing agent that receives a command to be sent to a device. Based upon at least one attribute of the command, the permit issuing agent identifies one or more business logic modules that is pertinent to the command. Each business logic module has a respectively different set of business rules associated with it. Each identified business logic module determines whether the command complies with the business rules associated with that module. If the command is determined to comply with the business rules of all of the identified business logic modules, the agent issues a permit for the command, and the permit is sent to the device for execution of the command.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: Silver Spring Networks, Inc.
    Inventors: Aditi Dubey, Benjamin N. Damm, Michael StJohns, Raj Vaswani
  • Publication number: 20140281528
    Abstract: A permitting system for controlling devices in a system includes a permit issuing agent that receives a command to be sent to a device. Based upon at least one attribute of the command, the permit issuing agent identifies one or more business logic modules that is pertinent to the command. Each business logic module has a respectively different set of business rules associated with it. Each identified business logic module determines whether the command complies with the business rules associated with that module. If the command is determined to comply with the business rules of all of the identified business logic modules, the agent issues a permit for the command, and the permit is sent to the device for execution of the command.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: SILVER SPRING NETWORKS, INC.
    Inventors: Aditi Dubey, Benjamin N. Damm, Michael StJohns, Raj Vaswani
  • Publication number: 20120116602
    Abstract: To provide overall security to a utility management system, critical command and control messages that are issued to components of the system are explicitly approved by a secure authority. The explicit approval authenticates the requested action and authorizes the performance of the specific action indicated in a message. Key components of the utility management and control system that are associated with access control are placed in a physical bunker. With this approach, it only becomes necessary to bunker those subsystems that are responsible for approving network actions. Other management modules can remain outside the bunker, thereby avoiding the need to partition them into bunkered and non-bunkered components. Access to critical components of each of the non-bunkered subsystems is controlled through the bunkered approval system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 4, 2010
    Publication date: May 10, 2012
    Applicant: Silver Spring Networks, Inc.
    Inventors: Raj VASWANI, Wilson Chuen Yew Yeung, Cristina Seibert, Nelson Bruce Bolyard, Benjamin N. Damm, Michael C. StJohns