Method for detecting and regulating identifier overlap on power line communication network, electronic appliance connected to subnet of power line communication network, and communication module used in electronic appliance

• US 7,356,614 B2
• Filed: 09/17/2002
• Issued: 04/08/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation), Planet System Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Chul, Park, Chung Ha
• Primary Examiner(s): Follansbee; John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Phillips; Hassan
• Application Number:
  US10/244,525
• Publication Number:
  US 20030055923A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,030 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 709/245
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/00 Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks

Abstract

A method for detecting and regulating subnet identifier overlap on a power line communication network includes a communication module. The communication module includes an identifier generating means for generating at least two identifiers for identifying a home subnet; an identifier setup means for generating an identifier different from identifiers of outside subnets; an identifier storing means for storing the generated identifiers; a transceiver for broadcasting a data packet including at least one identifier among at least two identifiers over a communication network; a comparing means for comparing the identifiers included in the received data packet with corresponding identifiers identifying its home subnet; and an overlap detecting means for determining whether more than one subnet uses the corresponding identifier when a part of at least two identifiers included in the received data packet is the same as the identifier identifying its home subnet and the remaining part is different.

Claims

1. A node of a subnet connected to a communication network, comprising:

an identifier generating means for generating at least two types of identifiers for identifying a home subnet of the node;

an identifier setup means for generating an identifier for identifying the home subnet of the node, wherein the identifier generated by the identifier setup means is different from identifiers of outside subnets;

an identifier storing means for storing the generated identifiers;

a transceiver for broadcasting and receiving a data packet, said broadcasted data packet comprising at least one of said at least two types of identifiers over the communication network;

a comparing means for comparing identifiers included in a received data packet with identifiers of the home subnet of the node that received the data packet; and

an overlap detecting means for determining whether overlap of an identifier between different subnets exists.

2. The node according to claim 1, wherein a broadcasted data packet comprises an overlap detection signal when said overlap detecting means determines overlap exists, wherein said overlap detection signal includes said overlapping identifier.

3. The node according to claim 1, wherein

a broadcasted data packet comprises an identifier hail signal;

and

said identifier setup means modifies an overlapping identifier included within said identifier hail signal.

4. The node according to claim 3, wherein a broadcasted data packet comprises an identifier modification command, said identifier modification command comprising said modified overlapping identifier and said overlapping identifier.

5. The node according to claim 1, wherein

a received data packet comprises a received identifier hail signal;

said comparing means compares identifiers included in said received data packet with identifiers identifying the home subnet of the node; and

a broadcasted data packet comprises a non-acknowledgment signal when an identifier included within said received data packet is identical to a corresponding identifier identifying the home subnet of the node.

6. The node according to claim 5, wherein a received data packet further comprises a non-acknowledgment signal;

and said identifier generating means generates a new identifier when said transceiver receives the non-acknowledgment signal.

7. The node according to claim 5, wherein

a received data packet comprises an identifier hail signal;

said comparing means compares said identifiers included in said received data packet with said identifiers identifying the home subnet of the node;

said transceiver maintains a non-response state when an identifier included within the received data packet is different from a corresponding identifier identifying the home subnet of the node; and

said identifier setup means generates said corresponding identifier identifying its home subnet as a formal identifier for identifying its home subnet when said transceiver does not receive a non-acknowledgment signal within a predetermined amount of time after broadcasting an identifier hail signal.

8. The node according to claim 1, wherein a broadcasted data packet comprises a starting signal generated when said node is powered-on.

9. The node according to claim 8, wherein a broadcasted data packet comprises an identifier modification command when a received data packet comprises a starting signal, wherein a first portion of identifiers included in said received data packet is identical to corresponding identifiers identifying the home subnet of the node and when a second portion of said identifiers included in said received data packet is different from corresponding identifiers identifying the home subnet of the node;

and

said comparing means compares identifiers included in a received data packet with identifiers identifying the home subnet of the node.

10. The node according to claim 1, wherein

a received data packet comprises an identifier modification command;

and

said comparing means compares identifiers included in said received data packet with identifiers identifying the home subnet of the node; and

said identifier setup means modifies generated identifiers into identifiers included in said received data packet when a first portion of said identifiers included in said received data packet is identical to identifiers identifying its own subnet and when a second portion of said identifiers included in said received data packet is different from identifiers identifying the home subnet of the node.

11. The node according to claim 1, further comprising an open communication medium, wherein said open communication medium connects said node to said subnet.

12. The node according to claim 11, wherein said open communication medium comprises a power line.

13. A communication module connected to a subnet, comprising:

an identifier generating means for generating at least two types of identifiers for identifying the subnet;

an identifier setup means for generating an identifier for identifying a home subnet of the communication module, wherein the identifier generated by the identifier setup means is different from identifiers of outside subnets;

an identifier storing means for storing the generated identifiers;

a transceiver for broadcasting and receiving a data packet, said broadcasted data packet comprising at least one of said at least two types of identifiers over a communication network;

a comparing means for comparing identifiers included in a received data packet with identifiers of the subnet that received the data packet; and

an overlap detecting means for determining whether overlap of an identifier between another subnet exists.

14. The communication module according to claim 13, wherein a broadcasted data packet comprises an overlap detection signal when said overlap detecting means determines overlap exists, wherein said overlap detection signal includes said overlapping identifier.

15. The communication module according to claim 13, wherein a broadcasted data packet comprises an identifier hail signal;

and said identifier setup means modifies an overlapping identifier included within said identifier hail signal.

16. The communication module according to claim 15, wherein a broadcasted data packet comprises an identifier modification command, said identifier modification command comprising said modified overlapping identifier and said overlapping identifier.

17. The communication module according to claim 13, wherein

a received data packet comprises a received identifier hail signal;

said comparing means compares identifiers included in the received data packet with identifiers identifying the subnet; and

a broadcasted data packet comprises a non-acknowledgment signal when an identifier included within said received data packet is identical to a corresponding identifier identifying the subnet.

18. The communication module according to claim 17, wherein a received data packet further comprises a non-acknowledgment signal;

and said identifier generating means generates a new identifier when said transceiver receives the non-acknowledgment signal.

19. The communication module according to claim 17, wherein

a received data packet comprises an identifier hail signal;

said comparing means compares said identifiers included in said received data packet with the identifiers for identifying the subnet;

said transceiver maintains a non-response state when an identifier included within said received data packet is different from a corresponding identifier identifying the subnet; and

said identifier setup means generates said corresponding identifier identifying the subnet as a formal identifier for identifying its home subnet when said transceiver does not receive a non-acknowledgment signal within a predetermined amount of time after broadcasting the identifier hail signal.

20. The communication module according to claim 13, wherein a broadcasted data packet comprises a starting signal generated when said communication module is powered-on.

21. The communication module according to claim 20, wherein

a broadcasted data packet comprises an identifier modification command when a when a received data packet comprises a starting signal, wherein a first portion of identifiers included in said received data packet is identical to corresponding identifiers identifying its own subnet and when a second portion of said identifiers included in said received data packet is different from corresponding identifiers identifying the subnet;

and

said comparing means compares identifiers included in a received data packet with identifiers identifying the subnet.

22. The communication module according to claim 13, wherein

a received data packet comprises an identifier modification command;

and

said comparing means compares the identifiers included in said received data packet with the identifiers identifying its home subnet; and

said identifier setup means modifies generated identifiers into identifiers included in said received data packet when a first portion of said identifiers included in said received data packet is identical to identifiers identifying the subnet and when a second portion of said identifiers included in said received data packet is different from identifiers identifying the subnet.

23. The communication module according claim 13, further comprising an open communication medium, wherein said open communication medium connects said communication module to the subnet.

24. The communication module according to claim 23, wherein said open communication medium comprises a power line.

25. A method for detecting overlap of a first identifier type between subnets using a second identifier type, wherein the second identifier type identifies a home subnet on a communication network where nodes belonging to the same subnet communicate with each other by enabling a transmission node to generate a data packet including the first identifier type, wherein the first identifier type identifies the home subnet of the node and broadcasts said data packet over the communication network using an open communication medium, and enabling a reception node to either validate received data packets when a first identifier type included in the received data packet is identical to a first identifier type identifying its home subnet or to invalidate the received data packets when the first identifier type included in the received data packet is different from a first identifier type identifying the home subnet of the node, comprising:

generating a data packet including said first identifier type and a second identifier type of said transmission node;

broadcasting said generated data packet over the communication network;

comparing said first and second identifier types included within said broadcasted data packet with first and second identifier types identifying a home subnet of said reception node;

and determining that said home subnet of said reception node is identified by the same first identifier type as another subnet when first identifier types of the broadcasted data packet and said home subnet of the reception node are identical and the second identifier types of the broadcasted data packet and said home subnet of the reception node are different.

26. The method according to claim 25, further comprising broadcasting an overlap detection signal from the home subnet of reception node after the determining step.

27. The method according to claim 26, further comprising:

modifying said first identifier type after the overlap detection signal is broadcasted; and

broadcasting an identifier modification command over the communication network, wherein the broadcasted identification modification command modifies first identifier types of nodes on the home subnet of said reception node.

28. The method according to claim 27, wherein nodes on the home subnet of said reception node modify their first identifier types according to the identifier modification command broadcasted by the reception node.

29. The method according to claim 25, wherein said first identifier type comprises a home code and said second identifier type comprises a unique home ID.

30. The method according to claim 25, wherein said open communication medium comprises a power line.

31. A method for detecting overlap of a first identifier type between subnets and modifying an overlapping first identifier type using a second identifier type, wherein the second identifier type identifies a home subnet on a communication network where nodes belonging to the same subnet communicate with each other by enabling a transmission node to generate a data packet including the first identifier type, wherein the first identifier type identifies the home subnet of the node and broadcasts said data packet over the communication network using an open communication medium, and enabling a reception node to either validate received data packets when a first identifier type included in the received data packet is identical to a first identifier type identifying its home subnet or to invalidate the received data packets when the first identifier type included in the received data packet is different from a first identifier type identifying its home subnet, comprising:

generating a first identifier type for identifying the home subnet of the node;

temporarily storing said generated first identifier type;

generating an identifier hail signal, the identifier hail signal including the temporary first identifier type and an existing second identifier type;

broadcasting said generated identifier hail signal on the communication network;

determining whether a non-acknowledgment signal transmitted in response to said broadcasted identifier hail signal has been received within a predetermined amount of time;

repeating the steps from generating the first identifier type to broadcasting when it is determined that a non-acknowledgment signal has been received within said predetermined amount of time; and

generating and storing said temporary first identifier type as a formal first identifier type when the it is determined that a non-acknowledgment signal has not been received within said predetermined amount of time.

32. The method according to claim 31, wherein the determining comprises:

(a) counting a predetermined number of clock signals generated and maintaining a standby state;

(b) determining whether a received data packet includes a non-acknowledgment signal;

(c) determining whether said non-acknowledgment signal included within said received data packet includes a non-acknowledgment signal transmitted in response to its broadcasted identifier hail signal when it is determined that said received data packet includes a non-acknowledgment signal; and

(d) determining whether the predetermined number of clock signals counted during the standby step exceeds a predetermined value if it is determined that said non-acknowledgment signal is not transmitted in response to said broadcasted identifier hail signal, wherein

if a result of (b) or (d) is negative, the method from maintaining said standby state is repeated,

if a result of (c) is positive, the method from generating and storing the first identifier type is repeated, and

if a result of (d) is positive, the method advances to storing the temporary first identifier type as said formal first identifier type.

33. The method according to claim 31, further comprising modifying first identifier types of nodes on the same home subnet as the transmission node into the same first identifier type after the step temporarily storing said first identifier type.

34. The method according to claim 33, further comprising

generating an identifier modification command, the identifier modification command including the modified first identifier type and said existing second identifier type;

broadcasting said identifier modification command over the communication network;

comparing said existing second identifier type included in said broadcasted identifier modification command with a second identifier type of a reception node receiving the broadcasted identifier modification command; and

modifying a first identifier type of the reception node into the first identifier type included in the identifier modification command when the second identifier types are identical each other.

35. The method according to claim 31, wherein said first identifier type comprises a home code and the second identifier type comprises a unique home ID.

36. The method according to claim 31, wherein said open communication medium comprises a power line.

37. A method for modifying a first identifier after a powered-off node is powered-on using a second identifier, wherein the second identifier identifies a home subnet of the node, after other nodes of the home subnet modify their first identifiers in a communication network where nodes belonging to the same subnet communicate with each other by enabling a transmission node to generate a data packet including the first identifier for identifying the subnet of the nodes and broadcast the data packet over the communication network using an open communication medium, and enabling a reception node to either validate received data packets when the first identifier included in the received data packet is identical to a first identifier identifying the home subnet of the reception node or to invalidate the received data packets when the first identifier type included in the received data packet is different from a first identifier identifying the home subnet of the reception node, comprising:

a starting node generating a starting signal including the first identifier and the second identifier and broadcast the starting signal on the communication network;

a reception node comparing the first identifier and the second identifier included in the received starting signal with the first identifier and second identifier of the reception node;

a reception node generating an identifier modification command including the first identifier and second identifier of the reception node and broadcasting the identifier modification command when the first identifiers are different and the second identifiers are identical in the first identifier comparing step;

a starting node comparing the first identifier and the second identifier included in the received identifier modification command with its first identifier and second identifier of the starting node, the reception node modifying the first identifier of the reception node into the first identifier included in the identifier modification command when the first identifiers are different and the second identifiers are identical in the second identifier comparing step.

38. The method according to claim 37, wherein the first identifier comprises a home code and the second identifier comprises a unique home ID.

39. The method according to claim 37, wherein said open communication medium comprises a power line.