Method of distributing group IDs in PLC network, method of receiving group IDs in PLC network, authentication apparatus, and PLC apparatus

• US 20070220088A1
• Filed: 10/24/2006
• Published: 09/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Joon-hee, You, Ho-jeong, Lee, Ju-han, Choi, Jun-hae, Kim, In-hwan, Chang, Seung-gi, Kim, Ji-hoon
• Granted Patent: US 8,555,058 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5445 Local network
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/54 Systems for transmission via power distribution lines

Abstract

A method of distributing group identifiers IDs (GIDs) in a power line communication (PLC) network, a method of receiving the GIDs, an authentication apparatus, and a PLC apparatus are provided. The authentication apparatus includes: an authentication mode storing unit which stores an authentication mode having a value including one of an authentication authorized mode and an authentication unauthorized mode; a GID request receiver which receives a GID request message from a PLC apparatus; and a GID transmitter which, if the authentication mode is the authentication authorized mode, transmits a GID corresponding to the PLC apparatus to the PLC apparatus. Authentication is realized in a PLC media access control layer distributing the GIDs between a PLC apparatus and an authentication apparatus, so manually inputting a GID into the PLC apparatus is not necessary. Further, the GIDs are distributed via the authentication apparatus, thereby centrally managing the GIDs.

Claims

1. A method of distributing group identifiers IDs (GIDs) in a power line communication (PLC) network, the method comprising:

receiving a GID request message from a PLC apparatus;

disregarding the GID request message if an authentication mode is an authentication unauthorized mode; and

transmitting a GID corresponding to the PLC apparatus to the PLC apparatus if the authentication mode is an authentication authorized mode.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting of the GID comprises:

selecting a GID corresponding to an existing group and transmitting the GID to the PLC apparatus if the PLC apparatus belongs to the existing group; and

generating a new GID and transmitting the new GID to the PLC apparatus if the PLC apparatus belongs to a new group.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the selecting of the GID corresponding to the existing group comprises selecting a GID corresponding to the existing group from a list of GIDs used by a GID authentication apparatus.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting of the GID to the PLC apparatus comprises if the GID request message does not comprise a default GID, disregarding the GID request message.

5. A method of receiving a group identifier ID (GID) in a power line communication (PLC) network, the method comprising:

transmitting a GID request message to a GID authentication apparatus from a PLC apparatus;

receiving at the PLC apparatus the GID from the GID authentication apparatus in response to the GID request message; and

generating at the PLC apparatus an encryption key corresponding to the GID.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the method is performed only in a default mode if the PLC apparatus is unauthenticated.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the PLC apparatus is initially set to the default mode.

8. The method of claim 5, the method further comprising changing a current mode of the PLC apparatus to a normal mode if the PLC apparatus is authenticated after receiving the GID.

9. An authentication apparatus in a power line communication (PLC) network comprising:

an authentication mode storing unit which stores an authentication mode having a value corresponding to one of an authentication authorized mode and an authentication unauthorized mode;

a group identifier ID (GID) request receiver which receives a GID request message from a PLC apparatus; and

a GID transmitter which transmits a GID corresponding to the PLC apparatus to the PLC apparatus if the authentication mode is the authentication authorized mode.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the GID transmitter comprises:

a GID selector which selects a GID corresponding to an existing group if the PLC apparatus belongs to the existing group; and

a GID generator which generates a new GID if the PLC apparatus belongs to a new group.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, the apparatus further comprising a GID storing unit which stores a list of GIDs of groups belonging to the PLC network,

wherein the GID selector selects the GID from the list of the GIDs stored in the GID storing unit.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the GID transmitter transmits the GID corresponding to the PLC apparatus only if the GID request message includes a default GID.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, the apparatus further comprising an authentication mode selection button which selects the authentication mode according to a selection by a user.

14. A power line communication (PLC) apparatus comprising:

a mode storing unit which stores a mode having a value corresponding to one of a default mode where the PLC apparatus is unauthenticated and a normal mode where the PLC apparatus is authenticated;

a message transmitter which transmits a group identifier ID (GID) request message to a GID authentication apparatus;

a GID receiver which receives the GID from the GID authentication apparatus in response to the GID request message; and

an encryption key generator which generates an encryption key corresponding to the GID.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the message transmitter transmits the GID request message only if the mode is the default mode.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the PLC apparatus is initially set to the default mode.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the mode storing unit changes a current mode of the PLC apparatus to the normal mode after the GID receiver receives the GID from the GID authentication apparatus.

18. The apparatus of claim 14, the apparatus further comprising a mode reset button which changes the mode to the default mode according to a user'"'"'s selection.

19. A computer-readable recording medium having embodied thereon a computer program for executing a method of distributing group identifiers IDs (GIDs) in a power line communication (PLC) network, the medium comprising:

receiving a GID request message from a PLC apparatus;

disregarding the GID request message if an authentication mode is an authentication unauthorized mode; and

transmitting a GID corresponding to the PLC apparatus to the PLC apparatus if the authentication mode is an authentication authorized mode.

20. A computer readable recording medium having embodied thereon a computer program for executing a method of receiving a group identifier ID (GID) in a power line communication (PLC) network, the medium comprising:

transmitting a GID request message to a GID authentication apparatus from a PLC apparatus;

receiving at the PLC apparatus the GID from the GID authentication apparatus in response to the GID request message; and

generating at the PLC apparatus an encryption key corresponding to the GID.