JP2007081493A - Register - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To facilitate the procedure for registering set information and an authentication ID to a power line communication modem. <P>SOLUTION: On a power line (16) connecting a power supply plug (12) and an outlet (14), first and second signal filters (18, 20) for multiplexing/demultiplexing power line communication signals are arranged in serial. A communication circuit (22) communicates with a first power line communication modem connected to the power supply plug (12) side through the first signal filter (18), and communicates with a second power line communication modem connected to the outlet (14) side through the second signal filter (20). An authentication ID is stored in a memory (26). A control circuit (24) examines whether the second power line communication modem conforms to a predetermined reference or not, and registers that authentication ID in the second power line communication modem if it conforms to the predetermined reference. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a registration device for registering an authentication ID in a power line communication modem.

  In the conventional setting information registration method in the power line communication network, specific network information is registered in advance in the power line communication modem, or a user uses a PC or the like connected to the power line communication modem and connects to the power line communication network for setting. There was a method.

  In a power line communication system, it is necessary to set an ID for each modem in order to identify power line communication modems constituting the same network. A method of setting an ID with a DIP (Dual Inline Package) switch of each modem is known. Also, Patent Documents 1 and 2 describe a method in which a server or a dedicated device sets an ID in a modem in the same network. Yes.

Further, Patent Document 2 stores a power consuming terminal whose setting information is lost when the power is turned off and customization data related to the power consuming terminal, retains the memory even when the power is turned off, and broadcasts the customized data when power supply is restored. Patent Document 2 discloses a power line network system including information distribution apparatuses.
JP 2000-295258 A JP 2001-117678 A

  The method of setting IDs for individual power line communication modems by the server or the information distribution apparatus is that power line communication modems that should not belong to the same network should be in the same network unless a means for limiting the network is provided. The ID may be set by mistake.

  If specific network information is registered in advance in the power line communication modem, an ID can be set appropriately by checking this network information, but it becomes impossible to freely select a connection destination network.

  Further, in the method in which the user connects and sets the power line communication modem to a PC or the like, setting is difficult for a general user who does not have knowledge of the network and the PC.

  Furthermore, in order to allow only a specific power line communication modem permitted by the administrator to be connected to the network, the conventional method is not perfect.

  An object of this invention is to show the registration apparatus which eliminates such an inconvenience.

  A registration apparatus according to the present invention includes a power plug, an outlet, and first and second signal filters that are serially arranged on a power line connecting the power plug and the outlet, and separate and multiplex power line communication signals. A first power line communication modem connected to the power plug side through the first signal filter; a second power line communication modem connected to the outlet side through the second signal filter; A communication circuit that communicates, a memory that stores an authentication ID, and whether or not the second power line communication modem matches a predetermined standard. If they match, the authentication ID is sent to the second power line communication modem. And a control circuit to be registered.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to very easily set and register an authentication ID in each power line communication modem using the registration apparatus having the above-described configuration.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 shows a schematic block diagram of a first embodiment of the present invention.

  The power line communication setting information registration device 10 is incorporated in an AC power supply extension cord having a power plug 12 connected to a power outlet 30 and outlets 14 for supplying AC power to other devices at both ends.

  In the registration device 10, signal filters 18 and 20 for separating and multiplexing power line communication signals are arranged on a power line 16 that connects the power plug 12 and the outlet 14. Signal input / output terminals of the signal filters 18 and 20 are connected to the communication circuit 22. The signal filter 18 supplies the power line communication signal from the power plug 12 to the communication circuit 22 and supplies the power line communication signal from the communication circuit 22 to the power plug 12. On the other hand, the signal filter 20 supplies the power line communication signal from the communication circuit 22 to the outlet 14 and supplies the power line communication signal from the outlet 14 to the communication circuit 22.

  With this configuration, the power line communication modem connected to the power line connected to the power plug 12 and the power line communication modem connected to the power line connected to the outlet 14 cannot communicate directly. The relay of the circuit 22 is required. In the initial state, this relay function is cut off.

  The control circuit 24 can control the whole, communicate with other devices using the communication circuit 22, and exchange specific information with a specific device using the transmission / reception circuit 28. In the memory 26, setting information such as an authentication ID is registered in advance. The signal transmission / reception circuit 28 can communicate with other devices via the signal cable 32.

  An electronic device (for example, a set top box) 42 having a built-in power line communication modem 40 for which an authentication ID is to be set is connected to the outlet 14 for setting the authentication ID. When the power plug 44 of the electronic device 42 is connected to the outlet 14, electric power is supplied to the electronic device 42 and the modem 40 operates.

  The modem 40 includes a signal filter 48, a communication circuit 50, a control circuit 52, a memory 54, and a signal transmission / reception circuit 56 arranged on the power line 46 from the power plug 44. The signal filter 48 separates the power line communication signal on the power line 46 and supplies it to the communication circuit 50, and supplies the power line communication signal from the communication circuit 50 onto the power line 46. The control circuit 52 controls the modem 40. The memory 54 stores various setting information including an authentication ID. The CPU 58 of the set top box 42 can communicate with an external device via the communication circuit 50 of the modem 40. The AC power output of the signal filter 48 is connected to a power circuit (not shown) of the set top box 42.

  The usage and operation of the setting information registration apparatus 10 will be described. In the memory 26 of the setting information registration apparatus 10, setting information relating to the household or network used, device information of a power line communication modem that permits power line communication, and a power line communication modem installed in the household or network are set in advance. The authentication ID to be stored is stored. The registration device 10 is provided by, for example, a business operator who has been contracted to construct a local communication network using power line communication.

  The signal transmission / reception circuit 56 of the electronic device 42 for which the authentication ID is to be set is connected to the signal transmission / reception circuit 26 of the registration apparatus 10 by the signal cable 32, and the power plug 12 is connected to the outlet 30. As a result, the registration device 10 can communicate with the power line communication modem connected to the power line of the outlet 30. However, in the initial state, the control circuit 24 blocks relaying of power line communication between the power plug 12 and the outlet 14.

  Next, the power plug 44 of the electronic device 42 is connected to the outlet 14. As a result, power is supplied to the electronic device 42 and the built-in modem 40 is activated.

  After the connection of the power line, the registration device 10 confirms whether or not the power line communication with the power line communication modem 40 of the electronic device 42 is possible. If the power line communication is possible, the registration device 10 compares the model number of the power line communication modem 40 with the similar information stored in the memory 26, so that the power line communication modem 40 is a modem permitted to communicate. Authenticate. When the power line communication modem 40 is a modem permitted to communicate, the control device 24 transmits setting information for network connection and an authentication ID to the modem 40 via the signal cable 32. The modem 40 receives the setting information and authentication ID from the signal cable 32 by the signal transmission / reception circuit 56 and stores them in the memory 54. The memory 54 is backed up by a battery, and can store data even if the power plug 44 is removed from the outlet 14 for a short time, for example, about 5 minutes.

  When the transfer of the setting information and the authentication ID is completed, the power plug 44 is removed from the outlet 14 and connected to the outlet 30 or an adjacent outlet. In the meantime, since the data stored in the memory 54 is held by the backup power source, the modem 42 uses the setting information and the authentication ID transferred from the registration device 10 to connect other power lines connected to the power outlet 30 thereafter. Can communicate with a power line communication modem. Further, the signal cable 32 is disconnected from the modems 10 and 40.

  Here, an example in which the setting information and the authentication ID are transferred to the modem 40 has been described. Of course, only the authentication ID may be transferred to the modem 40.

  Since the setting information and the authentication ID are transferred from the registration device 10 to the modem 40 using the dedicated signal cable 32, the risk of leakage can be reduced and the transfer of these information to the wrong power line communication modem can be prevented.

  The setting information and the authentication ID are transmitted from the registration device 10 to the modem 40 using the signal cable 32. Of course, only the setting information and the authentication ID or the authentication ID are transmitted from the registration device 10 to the modem 40 by the power line communication function. May be. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the communication circuit 22, in principle, cuts off the communication with the modem 40 and the communication with the power line communication modem connected to the power line connected to the power plug 12. The setting information and the authentication ID can be transferred to the modem 40.

  However, this method cannot be used when an extension cord is connected to the outlet 14 and a plurality of power line communication modems are connected to the extension cord. Only when a single power line communication modem is connected to the outlet 14.

  FIG. 2 shows a schematic block diagram of a power line communication setting information registration system in the third embodiment of the present invention. The same components as those in FIG. 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals.

  An outlet 36 is further connected to the power line 34 to which the power outlet 30 is connected, and a power plug 64 of a server 62 incorporating the power line communication modem 60 is connected to the outlet 36. When the power plug 64 of the server 60 is connected to the outlet 34, power is supplied to the server 62, and the server 62 and the modem 60 operate.

  The modem 60 includes a signal filter 68, a communication circuit 70, a control circuit 72, and a memory 74 arranged on the power line 66 from the power plug 64. The signal filter 68 separates the power line communication signal on the power line 66 and supplies it to the communication circuit 70, and supplies the power line communication signal from the communication circuit 70 onto the power line 66. The AC power output of the signal filter 68 is connected to a power circuit (not shown) of the server 62.

  The control circuit 72 controls the modem 60. In the memory 74, various setting information of the modem 60 is stored. The CPU 78 provides various information to the power line communication modem connected to the power line 34 by power line communication. Here, the server 62 provides the registration apparatus 10 with setting information and an authentication ID of the local communication network by power line communication. Of course, the control circuit 72 may be responsible for the function of the CPU 78. In addition, information provided by the server 62 may be stored in the memory 74.

  In this embodiment, first, the power plug 12 of the registration device 10 is connected to the outlet 30. The registration apparatus 10 requests the server 62 to transmit setting information and an authentication ID when the power is turned on. The server 62 transmits the requested information to the registration device 10. The registration device 10 stores information from the server 62 in the memory 26. Thereafter, the registration device 10 transfers the setting information and the authentication ID to the modem 40 of the electronic device 42 by the procedure described in the first embodiment or the second embodiment.

  After setting information and authentication ID are set in the modem 40 of the electronic device 42, the registration device 10 is disconnected from between the outlet 30 and the power plug 44, and the signal cable 32 is disconnected from the modems 10 and 40.

  As described above, in this embodiment, the setting information and / or the authentication ID can be taken into the registration apparatus 10 from the existing network.

  Also in this embodiment, instead of using the signal cable 32, the setting information and the authentication ID may be transferred from the registration device 10 to the modem 40 by power line communication.

  Although the invention has been described with reference to specific illustrative embodiments, various modifications and alterations may be made to the above-described embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the claims. This is obvious to an engineer in the field to which the present invention belongs, and such changes and modifications are also included in the technical scope of the present invention.

It is a schematic block diagram of the first embodiment of the present invention. It is a schematic block diagram of the third embodiment of the present invention.

Explanation of symbols

10: Power line communication setting information registration device 12: Power plug 14: Outlet 16: Power line 18, 20: Signal filter 22: Communication circuit 24: Control circuit 26: Memory 28: Signal transmission / reception circuit 30: Outlet 32: Signal cable 34: Power line 36: outlet 40: power line communication modem 42: electronic equipment 44: power plug 46: power line 48: signal filter 50: communication circuit 52: control circuit 54: memory 56: signal transmission / reception circuit 58: CPU
60: Power line communication modem 62: Server 64: Power plug 66: Power line 68: Signal filter 70: Communication circuit 72: Control circuit 74: Memory 78: CPU

Claims (8)

A power plug (12);
An outlet (14);
First and second signal filters (18, 20) that are serially arranged on a power line (16) connecting the power plug (12) and the outlet (14) and separate and multiplex power line communication signals;
It communicates with the first power line communication modem connected to the power plug (12) side via the first signal filter (18), and the outlet (14) via the second signal filter (20). A communication circuit (22) for communicating with the second power line communication modem connected to the) side;
A memory (26) for storing an authentication ID;
A control circuit (24) for checking whether or not the second power line communication modem meets a predetermined standard, and registering the authentication ID in the second power line communication modem if it matches.
A registration device. And a signal transmission / reception circuit (28) connected to the second power line communication modem via a signal cable.
The registration device according to claim 1, wherein the control circuit (24) transmits the authentication ID to the second power line communication modem via the signal transmission / reception circuit (28).   The control circuit (24) transmits the authentication ID to the second power line communication modem via the communication circuit (22) and the second signal filter (20). The registration device described in 1.   The registration device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the control circuit (24) acquires the authentication ID from the first power line communication modem.   The registration apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control circuit (24) registers setting information of the specific network and the authentication ID in the second power line communication modem. And a signal transmission / reception circuit (28) connected to the second power line communication modem via a signal cable.
The control circuit (24) transmits the setting information of the specific network and the authentication ID to the second power line communication modem via the signal transmission / reception circuit (28). Registration device.   The control circuit (24) transmits the setting information of the specific network and the authentication ID to the second power line communication modem via the communication circuit (22) and the second signal filter (20). The registration device according to claim 5.   The registration device according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein the control circuit (24) acquires the setting information and the authentication ID of the specific network from the first power line communication modem.

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