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

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

• transmitting, by a PLC apparatus, a GID request message to a PLC authentication apparatus, the GID request message requesting the PLC authentication apparatus to assign transmit a GID of the PLC network to the PLC apparatus;
• automatically receiving, at the PLC apparatus, the GID from the PLC authentication apparatus, in response to transmitting the GID request message;
• and
• generating at the PLC apparatus an encryption key corresponding to the received GID,
• wherein the received GID is automatically set as a GID of the PLC apparatus at the PLC apparatus.

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

• an authentication mode storing unit which stores an authentication mode of the authentication apparatus, the authentication mode comprising one of an authorized mode in which the authentication apparatus is authorized to assign a group identifier (GID) to a PLC apparatus and an unauthorized mode in which the authentication apparatus is not authorized to assign the GID to the PLC apparatus;
• a GID request receiver which receives a GID request message from the PLC apparatus, the GID request message requesting the authentication apparatus to transmit a GID to the PLC apparatus;
• and
• a GID transmitter which determines whether the authentication mode of the authentication apparatus is one of the authorized mode and the unauthorized mode, and transmits the GID to the PLC apparatus, in response to determining that the authentication mode is the authorized mode, and disregards the GID request message, in response to determining the authentication mode is the unauthorized mode,
• wherein the GID transmitter's determining and one of the transmitting and the disregarding are performed automatically and the transmitted GID is automatically set as a GID for the PLC apparatus at the PLC apparatus.

A power line communication (PLC) apparatus comprising:

• a message transmitter which transmits a group identifier ID (GID) request message to a PLC authentication apparatus of a PLC network, the GID request message requesting the PLC authentication apparatus to transmit a GID of the PLC network to the PLC apparatus;
• a GID receiver which automatically receives the GID from the PLC authentication apparatus in response to transmitting the GID request message;
• and
• an encryption key generator which generates an encryption key corresponding to the received GID,
• wherein the received GID is automatically set as a GID of the PLC apparatus at the PLC apparatus.

A non-transitory 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, by a PLC authentication apparatus that automatically distributes GIDs of the PLC network, a GID request message from a PLC apparatus, the GID request message requesting the PLC authentication apparatus to transmit a GID of the PLC network to the PLC apparatus;
• determining, by the PLC authentication apparatus, whether an authentication mode of the PLC apparatus is one of an authorized mode in which the PLC authentication apparatus is authorized to transmit the GID to the PLC apparatus and an unauthorized mode in which the PLC authentication apparatus is not authorized to transmit the GID to the PLC apparatus;
• one of disregarding the GID request message, in response to determining that the authentication mode is the unauthorized mode, and transmitting the GID to the PLC apparatus in response to determining the authentication mode is the authorized mode,
• wherein the determining and one of disregarding and transmitting are performed automatically and the transmitted GID is automatically set as a GID for the PLC apparatus at the PLC apparatus.

A non-transitory 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, by a PLC apparatus, a GID request message to a PLC authentication apparatus, the GID request message requesting the PLC authentication apparatus to transmit a GID of the PLC network to the PLC apparatus;
• automatically receiving, at the PLC apparatus, the GID from the PLC authentication apparatus, in response to transmitting the GID request message;
• and
• generating at the PLC apparatus an encryption key corresponding to the received GID,
• wherein the received GID is automatically set as a GID of the PLC apparatus at the PLC apparatus.