US 12,526,624 B2Granted

System that manages access point multi-link device with multiple stations

AssigneeQUALCOMM Incorporated

InventorsSai Yiu Duncan Ho, George Cherian, Abhishek Pramod Patil, Alfred Asterjadhi, Yanjun Sun, Jouni Kalevi Malinen

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Abstract

This disclosure provides methods, devices and systems that facilitate mobility of wireless communication devices configured for multi-link operation (MLO). Particular aspects more specifically relate to facilitating fast basic service set (BSS) transitions by wireless communication devices that support MLO. For example, some aspects provide support for station (STA) multi-link device (MLD) roaming between access point (AP) MLDs, from an AP MLD to a non-MLO AP, or from a non-MLO AP to an AP MLD. In some aspects, a STA MLD may be configured to use a medium access control (MAC) service access point address (MAC-SAP address) of the AP MLD when re-associating or communicating with a legacy AP or with an AP MLD. In such aspects, the MAC-SAP address may be used by all STAs of the non-AP MLD for fast BSS transitions.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A system comprising:

a network controller that comprises a first processor that is communicatively coupled with a first modem and a first memory;
and
a first access point (AP) multi-link device (MLD) that comprises a second processor that is communicatively coupled with a second modem and a second memory, wherein the first AP MLD is configured to transmit to the network controller, a first pairwise master key (PMK) and an address of a non-AP MLD, the first PMK being generated during an initial association of the first AP MLD with the non-AP MLD, and
wherein the network controller is configured to:
receive a message indicating a medium access control service access point (MAC-SAP) address that identifies the non-AP MLD in a wireless local area network (WLAN) and a medium access control (MAC) address of a target AP device, the message being received in relation to a first reassociation request received at the target AP device;
and
generate a second PMK based on the first PMK, the MAC-SAP address and the MAC address that identifies the target AP device, and
wherein the first AP MLD is further configured to:
receive, from a first station of a plurality of stations of the non-AP MLD, an initial association request to initiate an association between the non-AP MLD and the first AP MLD;
establish a secret key shared with the non-AP MLD based on the initial association request;
transmit, by the first AP MLD to the first station, a response to the initial association request indicating establishment of the secret key;
generate the first PMK based on the secret key;
receive, from a second station of the plurality of stations of the non-AP MLD through the target AP device, the first reassociation request after the response to the initial association request is transmitted;
generate the second PMK based on the first PMK, the MAC-SAP address, and the MAC address that identifies the target AP device;
transmit, by the first AP MLD to the second station, a response to the first reassociation request that is based on the second PMK;
and
associate with the second station based on the second PMK.

14 more elements

A system comprising:

a network controller that comprises a first processor that is communicatively coupled with a first modem and a first memory;
and
a first access point (AP) multi-link device (MLD) that comprises a second processor that is communicatively coupled with a second modem and a second memory,
wherein the first AP MLD is configured to transmit to the network controller, a first pairwise master key (PMK) and an address of a non-AP MLD, the first PMK being generated during an initial association of the first AP MLD with the non-AP MLD,
wherein the network controller is configured to:
receive a message indicating a medium access control service access point (MAC-SAP) address that identifies the non-AP MLD in a wireless local area network (WLAN) and a medium access control (MAC) address of a target AP device, the message being received in relation to a first reassociation request received at the target AP device;
and
generate a second PMK based on the first PMK, the MAC-SAP address and the MAC address that identifies the target AP device, and
wherein the non-AP MLD is configured to:
transmit, by a first station of a plurality of stations of the non-AP MLD to the first AP MLD, an initial association request to initiate an association between the non-AP MLD and the first AP MLD;
receive, from the first AP MLD, a first response to the initial association request indicating establishment of a secret key shared by the non-AP MLD and the first AP MLD;
generate the first PMK based on the secret key;
transmit, by a second station to the target AP device, the first reassociation request based on the first response to the initial association request;
generate the second PMK based on the first PMK, the MAC-SAP address, and the MAC address that identifies the target AP device;
receive, from the target AP device, a second response to the first reassociation request the second response to the first reassociation request being based on the second PMK;
and
associate the non-AP MLD with the target AP device based on the second PMK responsive to the second response.

14 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 18/517,130Filed 22 Nov 2023 · continuation
Priority: 16 Jul 2020
Published: US 2024/0089730 A114 Mar 2024
Granted: 13 Jan 2026
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification14 codes

H04W 12/0431
Using a trusted network node as an anchor: key distribution or pre-distribution; Key agreement
H04W 12/50
Security arrangements; Authentication; Protecting privacy or anonymity: secure pairing of devices
H04W 12/037
Protecting confidentiality, e.g. by encryption: of the control plane, e.g. signalling traffic
H04W 12/041
Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA]: key generation or derivation

Family

Application63/052,802Us provisional application · filed 16 Jul 2020
Application17/360,060Parent of this continuation · filed 28 Jun 2021
US 2024/0089730 A1Pre-grant publication · published 14 Mar 2024
US 11,863,978 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2022/0022033 A1Published application
US 12,526,624 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.