Method and apparatus for providing a high security mode in a network

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11652659-B2
Application number	US-202117212791-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 25, 2021
Priority date	Aug 28, 2014
Publication date	May 16, 2023
Grant date	May 16, 2023

Abstract

Systems and methods systems and methods for efficiently and securely forming a communication network. As a non-limiting example, various aspects of the present disclosure provide systems and methods, for example utilizing a plurality of different security modes, for forming a premises-based network (e.g., a MoCA network).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A network comprising:
a first network node; and
a network coordinator node, wherein:
the first network node comprises at least one circuit operable to, at least:
receive a first beacon from the network coordinator node, where the first beacon comprises first timing information that indicates when a discovery request message may be transmitted to the network coordinator node;
analyze the first timing information in the received first beacon to determine when to transmit a first discovery request message to the network coordinator node; and
transmit the first discovery request message to the network coordinator node, where the first discovery request message comprises:
a first information field comprising security information; and
a second information field comprising second information that indicates to the network
coordinator node whether to wait for a second discovery request message from the first network
node before transmitting a discovery response message to the first network node; and

the network coordinator node comprises at least one circuit operable to, at least:
transmit the first beacon;
receive the first discovery request message from the first network node; determine based, at least in part, on the first information field and the second information field of the first discovery request message whether to wait for a second discovery request message from the first network node before transmitting a discovery response message to the first network node; and
when it is determined to wait for a second discovery request message from the first network node before transmitting a discovery response message to the first network node:
transmit at least a second beacon comprising second timing information that indicates when the first network node may transmit the second discovery request message; and
refrain from transmitting the discovery response message to the first network node until after receiving the second discovery request message from the first network node;
wherein the security information of the first discovery request message is based, at least in part, on whether privacy within the first network node is enabled; and the discovery response message comprises second security information that indicates whether privacy within the network coordinator node is enabled.

2. The network of claim 1 , wherein the at least one circuit of the first network node is operable to, after operating to transmit the first discovery request message:
receive the second beacon from the network coordinator node;
analyze the second timing information in the received second beacon to determine when to transmit the second discovery request message to the network coordinator node; and
transmit the second discovery request message to the network coordinator node.

3. The network of claim 2 , wherein the at least one circuit of the network coordinator node is operable to:
if it is determined to wait for the second discovery request message from the first network node before transmitting the discovery response message to the first network node:
after transmitting the second beacon, receive the second discovery request message from the first network node; and
send the discovery response message to the first network node in response to receiving the second discovery request message.

4. A network node comprising:
at least one circuit operable to, at least:
transmit a first beacon comprising first timing information, where the first timing information indicates when a node looking to gain admission to a network may transmit a discovery request message;
after transmitting the first beacon, receive a first discovery request message from a second node, the first discovery request message comprising:
a first information field comprising security information; and a second information field comprising second information;
determine based, at least in part, on the first information field and the second information field whether to wait for a second discovery request message from the second node before transmitting a discovery response message to the second node; and
when it is determined to wait for a second discovery request message from the second node before transmitting a discovery response message to the second node:
transmit at least a second beacon comprising second timing information that indicates when the second node looking to gain admission to the network may transmit the second discovery request message; and
refrain from transmitting the discovery response message to the second node until after receiving the second discovery request message from the second node;

wherein the security information of the first discovery request message is based, at least in part, on whether privacy within the second node is enabled; and
wherein the discovery response message comprises second security information that indicates whether privacy within the network node is enabled.

5. The network node of claim 4 , wherein the at least one circuit is operable to, if the at least one circuit determines that the security information of the first discovery request message does not match a security control parameter maintained by the network node, then indicate to a management entity of the network node that a security mismatch has occurred.

6. The network node of claim 4 , wherein the at least one circuit is operable to:
transmit a first type of beacon;
transmit a second type of beacon, different from the first type of beacon;
alternate transmitting at least the first and second types of beacons when operating in a first security mode; and
only transmit beacons of the first type when operating in a second security mode.

7. The network node of claim 4 , wherein the at least one circuit is operable to:
if it is determined to wait for a second discovery request message from the second node before transmitting a discovery response message to the second node:
after transmitting the second beacon, receive the second discovery request message; and
send the discovery response message in response to receiving the second discovery request message.

8. The network node of claim 7 , wherein the discovery response message comprises second security information that indicates a security mode in which the network node is operating.

9. The network node of claim 4 , wherein the at least one circuit is operable to:
analyze the security information of the first discovery request message by, at least in part, comparing the security information of the first discovery request message to a security control parameter maintained by the network node; and
if it is determined that the security information of the first discovery request message does not match the security control parameter maintained by the network node, then refrain from joining the second node to the network.

10. A network node comprising:
at least one circuit operable to, at least:
receive a first beacon from a second node of a network, where the first beacon comprises first timing information that indicates when a discovery request message may be transmitted to the second node;
analyze the first timing information in the received first beacon to determine when to transmit a first discovery request message to the second node;
transmit the first discovery request message to the second node, where the first discovery request message comprises:
a first information field comprising security information; and
a second information field comprising second information that indicates to the second node whether to wait for a second discovery request message from the network node before transmitting a discovery response message to the netw

Assignees

• Entropic Communications Llc

Inventors

• Hebron Yoav
• Chen Na
• Lee Ronald

Classifications

• H04L2012/284

  characterised by the type of medium used · CPC title

• H04L2012/2849

  Audio/video appliances · CPC title

• H04L63/20

  for managing network security; network security policies in general (filtering policies H04L63/0227) · CPC title

• H04L41/12

  Discovery or management of network topologies · CPC title

• H04L12/2838 Primary

  Distribution of signals within a home automation network, e.g. involving splitting/multiplexing signals to/from different paths (adaptations of television systems for transmission by electric cable for domestic distribution H04N7/106; hybrid transport H04L12/6418; home network arrangements specially adapted for distribution of digital video signals H04N7/24) · CPC title