Method of wireless communication using authentication information

A data communication method comprising the steps of:

• providing a data packet including an actual payload and a Message Authentication Code (MAC);
• transmitting the MAC from a sender node to a receiver node;
• using the receiver node to identify a plurality of possible payloads each having a probability above a threshold probability value, the identifying occurring before the MAC is received by the receiver node;
• using the receiver node to calculate a respective said MAC for each of the identified possible payloads, the MACs being calculated before the transmitted MAC is received by the receiver node;
• and
• determining whether one of the identified possible payloads is equivalent to the actual payload, the determining step including comparing the calculated MACs to the transmitted MAC.

A data communication method comprising the steps of:

• providing a sender node having a data packet of information, the data packet including at least one first field and a second field, the second field having content that is dependent upon actual content of the at least one first field;
• transmitting the content of the second field of the data packet from the sender node to a receiver node;
• using the receiver node to predict a plurality of possible actual contents of the first field of the data packet before the content of the second field of the data packet is received by the receiver node, each of the possible actual contents having a probability above a threshold probability value, the prediction being based upon at least one of knowledge by the receiver node of prior communications, a lookup table, and a formula;
• using the receiver node to calculate a plurality of possible contents of the second field of the data packet based upon respective ones of the predicted possible actual contents of the first field, the plurality of possible contents of the second field being calculated before the transmitted content of the second field is received by the receiver node;
• and
• confirming that one of the predicted possible contents of the first field is equivalent to the actual content of the first field, the confirming step including comparing the calculated possible contents of the second field to the transmitted content of the second field.