Privacy-protected association identifiers

An access point comprising:

• one or more processors;
• and
• memory configured to store computer-readable program code which, when executed by any combination of the one or more processors, performs an operation comprising:
• establishing a wireless communications link with a wireless station, wherein establishing the wireless communications link comprises assigning the wireless station to an Enhanced Data Privacy (EDP) group, the EDP group associated with timing information for rotating wireless frame anonymization parameters at epoch transitions;
• determining a privacy-enhanced association identifier (peAID) corresponding to the pairing of the access point and the wireless station, wherein a size of the peAID is greater than a size of an AID field that is used in one or more types of wireless frames on the wireless communications link;
• generating an over-the-air AID (otaAID) to be used in the one or more types of wireless frames, wherein generating the otaAID comprises applying at least the peAID to a hash function;
• and
• transmitting a first wireless frame having the otaAID in the AID field.

A method for use with a wireless station, the method comprising:

• establishing a wireless communications link with an access point, wherein the wireless station is assigned to an Enhanced Data Privacy (EDP) group, the EDP group associated with timing information for rotating wireless frame anonymization parameters at epoch transitions;
• determining a privacy-enhanced association identifier (peAID) corresponding to the pairing of the access point and the wireless station, wherein a size of the peAID is greater than a size of an AID field that is used in one or more types of wireless frames on the wireless communications link;
• generating an over-the-air AID (otaAID) to be used in the one or more types of wireless frames, wherein generating the otaAID comprises applying at least the peAID to a hash function;
• receiving a first wireless frame from the access point;
• and
• determining whether the first wireless frame is intended for the wireless station, wherein determining whether the first wireless frame is intended for the wireless station comprises:
• applying a value of the AID field of the first wireless frame to the hash function;
• and
• determining whether the result of applying the value of the AID field matches the peAID.