Method for allocating addressing identifier, access point, station, and communications system

A method for allocating an addressing identifier comprising a Media Access Control (MAC) address and an association identifier (AID), the method comprising:

• receiving, by a station, an encrypted new MAC address and an encrypted new AID that correspond to the station and that are sent by an access point in a basic service set (BSS) in which the station is located;
• obtaining a new MAC address by decrypting the encrypted new MAC address;
• obtaining a new AID by decrypting the encrypted new AID;
• and
• when a predetermined update condition is met, updating, by the station, a currently used MAC address to the new MAC address and updating a currently used AID to the new AID, such that when a message is subsequently received from the access point or sent to the access point, the new MAC address is used as the MAC address of the station.

An access point, comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a memory coupled to the processor and storing instructions for execution by the processor, wherein the processor is configured to execute the instructions and cause the access point to:
• send, to at least two stations in a basic service set (BSS) served by the access point, an encrypted new Media Access Control (MAC) address and an encrypted new association identifier (AID) that correspond to each station, the encrypted new MAC addresses for enabling the at least two stations to update respective MAC addresses when a predetermined update condition is met, and the encrypted new AIDs for enabling the at least two stations to update respective AIDs when the predetermined update condition is met,
• send an indication of the predetermined update condition, and
• when the predetermined update condition is met, update, at the access point, the MAC addresses of the at least two stations to the new MAC addresses that correspond to the at least two stations, and update, at the access point, the AIDs of the at least two stations to the new AIDs that correspond to the at least two stations, such that when a message is subsequently received from the stations or sent to the stations, the new MAC addresses are used as the MAC addresses of the stations.

A station, comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a memory coupled to the processor and storing instructions for execution by the processor, wherein the processor is configured to execute the instructions and cause the station to:
• receive an encrypted new Media Access Control (MAC) address and an encrypted new association identifier (AID) that correspond to the station and that are sent by an access point in a basic service set (BSS) in which the station is located,
• obtain a new MAC address by decrypting the encrypted new MAC address,
• obtain a new AID by decrypting the encrypted new AID, and
• when a predetermined update condition is met, update a currently used MAC address to the new MAC address and update a currently used AID to the new AID, such that when a message is subsequently received from the access point or sent to the access point,
• the new MAC address is used as the MAC address of the station.