Patent ID: 8555058
Filing Date: 2013-10-08
Classification: H04B

Abstract:
1. A method of distributing group identifiers IDs (GIDs) in a power line communication (PLC) network, the method 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, wherein the authentication mode is set by a user before the determining; 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.