Method and apparatus for medium access control in powerline communication network systems

An AC powerline networking circuit for managing encryption keys, comprising:

• (a) means for inputting one of a hard-wired key and a password;
• (b) means, responsive to the input means, for encrypting a current network encryption key utilizing a hard-wired key and for encrypting the hard-wired key utilizing a current network encryption key;
• (c) means, operatively coupled to the encrypting means, for transmitting an encryption key update payload message to a first device and for transmitting a key update acknowledgment payload message to a second device;
• and
• (d) means, responsive to the transmitting means, for receiving a beacon, the encryption key update payload message and the key update acknowledgment payload message.

An AC powerline networking circuit for managing encryption keys, comprising:

• (a) means for inputting one of a hard-wired key and a password to a first device;
• (b) a first encrypting means, responsive to the input means, for encrypting a current network encryption key utilizing a hard-wired key;
• (c) a first transmitting means, operatively coupled to the first encrypting means, for transmitting an encryption key update payload message to a second device;
• (d) a first receiving means, operatively coupled to the first transmitting means, for receiving the encryption key update payload message;
• (e) means, operatively coupled to the first receiving means, for decrypting the encryption key update payload message;
• (f) a second encrypting means, operatively coupled to the decrypting means, for encrypting the hard-wired key utilizing the current network encryption key;
• (g) a second transmitting means, operatively coupled to the second encrypting means, for transmitting a key update acknowledgment payload message to the first device;
• and
• (h) a second receiving means, operatively coupled to the second transmitting means, for determining if a beacon and the key update acknowledgment payload message is received by the first device.

A method of managing multiple MAC protocols in an AC powerline communication network system, wherein the communication network system comprises a plurality of devices, and wherein a first set of the plurality of devices uses a first MAC protocol and wherein a second set of the plurality of devices uses a second MAC protocol, and wherein the first MAC protocol is a previous MAC version and the second MAC protocol is a current MAC version, comprising the steps of:

• (a) selecting a newer-version MAC protocol device to control a blanking interval;
• (b) determining a period and a duration of the blanking interval of step (a);
• (c) transmitting a message at a predetermined interval, wherein the message specifies the period and the duration of the blanking interval;
• (d) allowing devices using the second MAC protocol to perform contention-based access during the blanking interval;
• and
• (e) allowing devices using the first MAC protocol to perform contention-based access during a special contention resolution slot.

A method of controller-less reservation based access in an AC powerline communication network system, wherein the communication network system includes a plurality of communication clients, comprising the steps of:

• (a) broadcasting a reservation establishment payload that establishes a reservation between an originating client and a recipient client;
• (b) determining a reservation schedule based upon clients that have active reservations, wherein the reservation schedule includes a plurality of reservation access periods, and wherein a specified originating client and a specified recipient client communicate during a specified reservation access period;
• (c) transmitting information between clients during the plurality of reservation access periods based upon the reservation schedule determined during step (b);
• and
• (d) determining whether to renew or to terminate reservations.

A method of identifying logical networks in an AC powerline communication network system, wherein the communication network system comprises a plurality of communication clients, and wherein each client is uniquely associated with a logical network, the method comprising the steps of:

• (a) determining a unique logical network identifier (LNI) for a selected plurality of clients;
• (b) broadcasting information regarding the unique LNI;
• (c) creating tables that map client addresses to the LNI;
• and
• (d) communicating data only between the selected plurality of clients associated with the unique LNI.

A method of controlling communication between devices in an AC powerline communication network system, wherein a first set of the devices uses a first MAC protocol and wherein a second set of the devices uses a second MAC protocol, wherein the first MAC protocol is a previous MAC version and the second MAC protocol is a current MAC version, and wherein medium blanking messages are transmitted on the network by a controlling one of the second set of devices, wherein the blanking messages contain blanking information that defines a blanking interval during which only the second set of devices are allowed to communicate, comprising the steps of:

• (a) determining whether a selected device is capable of receiving the blanking messages from the controlling device;
• (b) if the selected device is capable of receiving the blanking messages, assembling a respective and associated beacon message unique to the selected device, wherein the assembled beacon message is based upon information contained in received blanking messages, and wherein the beacon message includes blanking information contained in the received blanking messages, and proceeding to step (d), else proceeding to step (c);
• (c) if the selected device is incapable of receiving the blanking messages, assembling the beacon message based upon beacon messages received from other network devices, wherein each beacon message includes a lifetime field that is used by all of the devices in determining whether to use a received beacon message when assembling their respective and associated beacon messages;
• and
• (d) periodically transmitting the beacon message assembled in steps (b) or (c) to other devices in the network.