Patents by Inventor Michael C. StJohns

Michael C. StJohns 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).

  • 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
  • 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
  • Patent number: 9542713
    Abstract: Securing the manufacturing supply chain with digital certificates. A token is coupled to a manufacturing station and enabled via a personal identification number. The token includes a counter limiting the maximum number of certificates to be signed, and compares a serial number of a digital certificate to a tracked serial number. In some embodiments, the token is linked to a particular manufacturing station once the token is enabled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: SILVER SPRING NETWORKS, INC.
    Inventors: Michael C. StJohns, Robert G. Boehm, Jr., Aditi Hilbert
  • 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: 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