POWER LINE COMMUNICATION APPARATUS, REGISTRATION STATUS CONFIRMATION METHOD, AND POWER LINE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

• US 20080191851A1
• Filed: 02/13/2008
• Published: 08/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: KOGA, Hisao
• Application Number:
  US12/030,778
• Publication Number:
  US 20080191851A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/12.32
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5454 Adapter and plugs
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/542 the information being in digital form
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/34 Encoding or coding, e.g. Huffman coding or error correction
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3271 using challenge-response
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/20 Information technology specific aspects, e.g. CAD, simulation, modelling, system security

Abstract

A power line communication apparatus capable of performing power line communications with an other power line communication apparatus, the power line communication apparatus, including an authentication processing part which performs an authentication process using at least either an authentication request signal or an authentication response signal with the other power line communication apparatus via a power line, and a signal transmitting part which transmits a predetermined signal to the other power line communication apparatus so that the other power line communication apparatus indicates that the other power line communication apparatus and the power line communication apparatus are made communicatable to each other by the authentication process.

Claims

1. A power line communication apparatus capable of performing power line communications with an other power line communication apparatus, the power line communication apparatus, comprising:

an authentication processing part which performs an authentication process using at least either an authentication request signal or an authentication response signal with the other power line communication apparatus via a power line; and

a signal transmitting part which transmits a predetermined signal to the other power line communication apparatus so that the other power line communication apparatus indicates that the power line communication apparatus and the other power line communication apparatus are made communicatable to each other by the authentication process.

2. The power line communication apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an operation part that is operable,

wherein the signal transmitting part transmits the predetermined signal to the other power line communication apparatus in accordance with operation of the operation part.

3. The power line communication apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a storage part for storing device registration information indicating a registration status of at least one of a plurality of the other power line communication apparatuses,

wherein the signal transmitting part transmits the predetermined signal to the other power line communication apparatuses connected to the power line and causes an indicator to indicate the number of the other power line communication apparatuses that are communicatable while referencing the device registration information stored in the device registration information storage part.

4. The power line communication apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a signal receiving part which receives a predetermined signal,

wherein the signal receiving part causes the indicator of the power line communication apparatus to indicate that the power line communication apparatus and the other power line communication apparatus are made communicatable to each other in case the signal receiving part receives the predetermined signal from other power line communication apparatus connected to the power line.

5. The power line communication apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the operation part starts the authentication process to enable communications with the other power line communication apparatus;

and

wherein the authentication processing part transmits a setup starting signal notifying that the authentication process is to take place after the operation of the operation part.

6. The power line communication apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the authentication processing part transmits the setup starting signal in case the authentication processing part receives one or fewer setup starting signal from the other power line communication apparatuses within the predetermined period after the operation of the operation part.

7. The power line communication apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the authentication processing part transmits the setup starting signal with a transmitting power thereof reduced below a transmitting power of the authentication response signal.

8. The power line communication apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the authentication processing part retransmits the setup starting signal with increased transmitting power in case the authentication processing part fails to receive a response from the other power line communication apparatus within a predetermined period after detecting the operation of the operation part.

9. The power line communication apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the authentication processing part, transmits a setup disable signal notifying that the authentication process is disabled to the other power line communication apparatuses in case the authentication processing part receives responses from a plurality of the other power line communication apparatuses within a predetermined period after detecting the operation of the operation part.

10. The power line communication apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the authentication processing part changes a length of the predetermined period to monitor reception of the setup starting signal from the other power line communication apparatuses based on a operation time of the operation part.

11. The power line communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a diversity signal is employed as a signal used for the authentication process.

12. The power line communication apparatus according to claim 11, wherein a frequency diversity signal utilizing a frequency region is used as the diversity signal.

13. The power line communication apparatus according to claim 11, wherein a time diversity signal utilizing a time region is used as the diversity signal.

14. The power line communication apparatus according to claim 11, wherein a frequency-time diversity signal utilizing a frequency region and a time region is used as the diversity signal.

15. A registration status confirmation method for confirming a registration status between power line communication apparatuses performing power line communications via a power line, the method comprising:

transmitting a registration status confirmation signal instructing confirmation of the registration status from a first power line communication apparatus connected to the power line to a second power line communication apparatus connected to the power line; and

indicating that the second power line communication apparatus is communicatable to the first power line communication apparatus in the second power line communication apparatus that receives the registration status confirmation signal.

16. The registration status confirmation method according to claim 15, comprising:

transmitting, by the first power line communication apparatus, the registration status confirmation signal and indicating information including a number of the second power line communication apparatuses that are communicatable to the first power line communication apparatus while referencing device registration information indicating the registration status between the power line communication apparatuses.

17. The registration status confirmation method according to claim 15, comprising:

transmitting, by the first power line communication apparatus, a setup starting signal notifying that an authentication process is to take place, after starting the authentication process to enable communications with the second power line communication apparatus.

18. The registration status confirmation method according to claim 15, wherein a diversity signal is employed as a signal used for the authentication process.

19. The registration status confirmation method according to claim 15, comprising:

indicating, by the first power line communication apparatus connected to the power line, information including a number of the second power line communication apparatuses that are communicatable based on device registration information indicating the registration status of the second power line communication apparatuses.

20. A power line communication system in which power line communications are enabled by a first power line communication apparatus and a second power line communication apparatus,

wherein the second power line communication apparatus transmits an authentication request signal via a power line;

wherein the first power line communication apparatus transmits an authentication response signal in response to the authentication request signal; and

wherein the first power line communication apparatus transmits a predetermined signal to the second power line communication apparatus to allow the second power line communication apparatus to indicate that the first power line communication apparatus and the second power line communication apparatus are made communicatable to each other by way of an authentication process using the authentication request signal and the authentication response signal.