Patent ID: 8086872

Claim:
A method for setting a security channel between an optical line terminator (OLT) and at least one optical network unit (ONU) in an Ethernet passive optical network (EPON), the method comprising the steps of: a) at the OLT, generating a channel by negotiating, in a discovery interval, a reciprocal security capability with at least one of ONUs which want to set a security channel, using a multi-point control protocol (MPCP) message including various security capability information of the OLT and the ONU and automatically registering the ONU completed with the security capability negotiation; b) at the OLT, setting the security channel by distributing an encryption key for the security to the ONU making an agreement of the security capability negotiation among the ONUs that have been completed with the security capability negotiation and the automatic registration; and c) sharing a renewal time of the encryption key by transmitting a message indicative of a time to change the encryption key between the OLT and the ONU both completed with the encryption key distribution after the setting of the security channel, wherein the MPCP message includes header information, an OPCODE, a time stamp, and a parameter list including the various security capability information, wherein the various security capability information includes secure connectivity association information, secure channel association information, security algorithm type information, security mode per frame type information, control parameter information including an encryption function activation mode, almost packet number (PN) expire value information, and PN change value information, and wherein the MPCP message including the various security capability information is transmitted and received between the OLT and at least one of ONUs for the security capability negotiation between the OLT and the ONU in the discovery interval.