Dynamic media access control (MAC) address assignment
AssigneeQUALCOMM Incorporated
InventorsJeffrey Dyck, Uppinder Babbar
Life of this patent
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Abstract
According to the invention an embodiment, a network node for communicating using a MAC address is disclosed. The network node includes a point-to-point interface, a bridge and a MAC address register. The point-to-point interface uses a first protocol. The bridge is coupled to the point-to-point interface and provides a fixed route for the Ethernet interface. The first protocol encapsulates the data of a second protocol. The MAC address register stores the MAC address for the second protocol, were the MAC address is dynamically determined in the field and written to the MAC address register. The MAC address is used when communicating with the network node through the point-to-point interface.
Claims27
A method for dynamically assigning an ethernet media access control (MAC) address for a point-to-point connection between two nodes, the method comprising steps of:
- providing a first node of the two nodes, wherein the first node is released into the field with a first MAC address register that is programmable;
- checking which MAC addresses are used by other like nodes on a network;
- choosing a first MAC address to program into the first MAC address register, wherein programming of the first MAC address register happens automatically in the field;
- communicating the first MAC address to a second node;
- and
- communicating with the second node using the first MAC address.
A method for dynamically assigning a MAC address for a connection between two nodes, the method comprising steps of:
- providing a second node of the two nodes, wherein the second node is released into the field with a second MAC address register that is programmable;
- determining a second MAC address for the second node, wherein the second MAC address is unique on a network;
- loading the second MAC address into the second MAC address register, wherein the loading step occurs when the second node is deployed in the field;
- and
- communicating with the first node of the two nodes using the second MAC address.
A network node for communicating using a MAC address, the network node comprising:
- a point-to-point interface using a first protocol;
- a bridge coupled to the point-to-point interface, wherein the bridge encapsulates the first protocol in a second protocol;
- a MAC address register for storing the MAC address for the second protocol, wherein:
- the MAC address is dynamically determined in the field,
- the MAC address is written to the MAC address register, and
- the MAC address is used when communicating with the network node through the point-to-point interface.
A network for communicating using a dynamically-assigned ethernet media access control (MAC) address for a point-to-point connection between two nodes, the network node comprising:
- a first node of the two nodes, wherein the first node is released into the field with a first MAC address register that is programmable;
- means for checking which MAC addresses are used by other like nodes on a network;
- means for choosing a first MAC address to program into the first MAC address register, wherein programming of the first MAC address register happens automatically in the field;
- means for communicating the first MAC address to a second node;
- and
- means for communicating with the second node using the first MAC address.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.