Open metering system with super password vault access

A super password is a one time use password that is issued to a user for the singular purpose of reinitializing the user password system for a meter. When the meter is manufactured, the meter and the Data Center share secret data such that they can execute a predefined and identical algorithm for secure communication. Through such secure communications, the Data Center can authenticate a metering system, and the metering system can accept a predefined command from the Data Center securely. Counters are used as data to encypt. One counter is used for the one way communication from the meter to the data center and counts the number of times that the meter issues a one time authentication code. Another counter is used for the one way communication from the Data Center to the meter and counts the number of times that the Data Center issues a one time super password. The counters are used for two purposes: as data to be encrypted and to confirm the delivery of secure codes between the Data Center and the meter. The use of counters in the process eliminates problems that undelivered messages would create.