US 12,250,741 B2
Security for multi-link operation in a wireless local area network (WLAN)
Sai Yiu Duncan Ho, San Diego, CA (US); George Cherian, San Diego, CA (US); Abhishek Pramod Patil, San Diego, CA (US); Jouni Kalevi Malinen, Tuusula (FI); and Soo Bum Lee, San Diego, CA (US)
Assigned to QUALCOMM Incorporated, San Diego, CA (US)
Filed by QUALCOMM Incorporated, San Diego, CA (US)
Filed on Sep. 13, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/466,052.
Application 18/466,052 is a continuation of application No. 17/033,168, filed on Sep. 25, 2020, granted, now 11,765,779.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/906,690, filed on Sep. 26, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2024/0129980 A1, Apr. 18, 2024
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. H04L 47/34 (2022.01); H04W 12/033 (2021.01); H04W 12/04 (2021.01); H04W 72/0446 (2023.01); H04W 76/11 (2018.01); H04W 76/15 (2018.01); H04W 80/02 (2009.01); H04W 84/12 (2009.01)
CPC H04W 76/15 (2018.02) [H04L 47/34 (2013.01); H04W 12/033 (2021.01); H04W 12/04 (2013.01); H04W 72/0446 (2013.01); H04W 76/11 (2018.02); H04W 80/02 (2013.01); H04W 84/12 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A first wireless communications device, comprising:
at least one processor;
a multi-link configuration module; and
memory comprising instructions executable by the at least one processor to cause the first wireless communications device to:
establish, between the first wireless communications device and a second wireless communications device, a multi-link association that enables the first wireless communications device to exchange frames with the second wireless communications device via a first wireless communication link and a second wireless communication link;
determine, by the multi-link configuration module, security configurations for the first wireless communication link and the second wireless communication link, the security configurations including a common temporal key and a common packet number counter;
assign a first packet number from a set of sequential packet numbers of the common packet number counter to a first frame for preparing for a transmission via the first wireless communication link;
assign a second packet number from the set of sequential packet numbers of the common packet number counter to a second frame for preparing for a transmission via the second wireless communication link;
encrypt a first media access control (MAC) protocol data unit (MPDU) based at least in part on the common temporal key and the first packet number, wherein the first frame includes the encrypted first MPDU;
encrypt a second MPDU based at least in part on the common temporal key and the second packet number, wherein the second frame includes the encrypted second MPDU;
transmit the first frame for transmission via the first wireless communication link; and
transmit the second frame for transmission via the second wireless communication link.