Broadcom Corporation

Henry S Ptasinski

Mahesh A Iyer

Jason A Trachewsky

Manoj Thawani

Edward Carter

Manas Deb

Jeff Vadasz

Tracy D Mallory

Eric Jon Ojard

John T Holloway

Christopher J Hansen

Stephen Ray Palm

Amit Goutam Bagchi

Raymond Hayes

Matthew James Fischer

Edward H Frank

Steven Deane Hall

Angel Arturo Polo

Alan G Corry

Kevin H Peterson

Larry C Yamano

David Lawrence Cohen

Jay Pattin

Clinton W Brown

A collocated device functioning as a configurator can use short and long button activations to enter a configuration state, open a timing window, and force client devices currently joined to a network to rejoin the network. If the collocated device functioning as a configurator is unconfigured, a short (or long) button activation can initiate a configuration sequence. A short button activation on that same collocated device, once configured, can cause the device to open a configurator timing window, during which one or more devices can be provided the information necessary to securely communicate on a network. A long (or short) button activation can be used to force all currently connected client devices, or rejoin the network using a new Service Set Identifier (SSID) or passphrase.

Configurator forced client network rejoining

An integrated circuit radio transceiver and associated method comprises a multi-mode device operable to support personal area network communications as well as traditional wireless local area network communications. In one embodiment, IEEE 802.11 protocol IBSS communications are used to transport Bluetooth communication data packets. In another embodiment, a direct link comprising direct packet transfers without beaconing is performed between the multi-mode device and another multi-mode device. Thus, the multi-mode device is operable to establish traditional BSS communications with an Access Point in addition to establishing peer-to-peer communications with another multi-mode device to transport the Bluetooth communications over the 802.11 IBSS communication link or over an IEEE 802.11 direct communication link.

Simple pairing to generate private keys for different protocol communications

Certain aspects of a method for enabling exchange of information in a secure communication system may comprise configuring at least one 802.11 client station via authentication enablement information comprising data that specifies a time period during which configuration is allowed. The data that specifies a time period during which configuration is allowed may comprise a configuration window open field, which indicates a period when a configuration setup window is open. At least one client station may be configured via the authentication enablement information comprising recently configured data, which indicates whether at least one configurator has configured at least one other client station within the time period during which the configuration is allowed.

Client configuration during timing window

Aspects of an infrastructure offload wake on wireless LAN (WOWL) are described. An aspect of the system may include a networked device, or station, which may communicate one or more filters to an infrastructure networking device. The infrastructure networking device may utilize the filters to perform pattern matching operations on frames or packets received from the network for delivery to at least the station while the station is in an inactive, or low-power, state. When pattern matching operations performed at the infrastructure networking device indicate receipt of a frame or packet on behalf of the inactive station, which matches at least one of the filters, the infrastructure networking device may store an indication value. The indication value may denote receipt of at least one frame or packet that matched at least one of the filters, which were communicated to the infrastructure networking device by the station.

Infrastructure offload wake on wireless LAN (WOWL)

Methods and systems for enabling communication of information within a network are disclosed herein and comprise receiving at a first communication device located within a network, configuration information from a network service provider for configuring a plurality of communication devices located within said network. The first communication device located within the network can be configured based on at least a portion of the received configuration information. In response to a user input at a second communication device located within the network, at least a portion of the received configuration information can be communicated from the first communication device to the second communication device located within the network. The network service provider can be coupled to the first communication device via a wired connection. The network can comprise a wireless network.

Minimum intervention authentication of heterogeneous network technologies (MIAHNT)

Method and system for exchanging setup configuration protocol information in beacon frames in a WLAN

Aspects of a system for enabling secure wireless communication of information between stations in a communication system may comprise a configurator, that exchanges configuration information with a client station, in an IEEE 802.11 communication system. The exchange of configuration information may be encrypted based on information transmitted between the configurator and the client station via a communication network, and information that remains locally on the configurator and locally on the client station. Aspects of a method for enabling secure wireless communication of information between stations in a communication system may comprise exchanging configuration information between a configurator and a client station, in an IEEE 802.11 communication system. The exchanged configuration information may be encrypted based on information transmitted between the configurator and the client station via a communication network, and information that remains locally on the configurator and locally on the client station.

Method and system for improved authentication for communications network setup

Aspects of a method and system for protected MAC sequence numbers, as well as secure block acknowledgment (block ACK) with protected MAC sequence number are presented. In one aspect of the system a communicating station (STA) may protect the sequence number (SN) field portion of transmitted protocol data units (PDUs), for example data MAC layer PDUs (MPDUs), or frames. In another aspect of the system, starting sequence number (SSN) information communicated via control frames, such as block acknowledgment request (BAR) and block acknowledgment (BA) frames, may be protected. In another aspect of the system, communicating STAs may exchange management frames to enable the protection of SN information in data MPDUs and/or the protection of SSN values in control MPDUs.

Method and system for secure block acknowledgment (block ACK) with protected MAC sequence number

Aspects of a method and system for transporting configuration messages across a DS in a WLAN are presented. Aspects of a method for enabling communication of information in a secure communication system may comprise configuring a wireless client station located in a client network based on configuration information received from a configurator. The configurator is located in a configurator network that is located external to and communicatively coupled to the client network. Aspects of a system for enabling communication of information in a secure communication system may comprise a configurator located in a configurator network that is located external to and communicatively coupled to a client network. The configurator configures a wireless client station located in the client network based on configuration information transmitted by the configurator to the wireless client station.

Method and system for transporting configuration protocol messages across a distribution system (DS) in a wireless local area network (WLAN)

A method and apparatus for providing improved security and improved roaming transition times in wireless networks. The same pairwise master key (PMK) from an authentication server can be used across multiple access points and a new pairwise transition key (PTK) is derived for each association of a station to any of the access points. A plurality of access points are organized in functional hierarchical levels and are operable to advertise an indicator of the PMK cache depth supported by a group of access points (N) and an ordered list of the identifiers for the derivation path. Access points in each level in the cache hierarchy compute the derived pairwise master keys (DPMKs) for devices in the next lower level in the hierarchy and then deliver the DPMKs to those devices. An access point calculates the PTK as part of the security exchange process when the station wishes to associate to the access point. The station also computes the PTK as part of the security exchange process. The station calculates all the DMPKs in the hierarchy as part of computing the PTK. The method and apparatus allow the cache depth to vary per station, but it remains constant for a given station within a key circle.

Derivation method for cached keys in wireless communication system

Methods and apparatus for data communication are disclosed. An example method includes encoding a first plurality of transmitting frames, where a header segment of each frame is encoded in accordance with a fixed set of header encoding parameters and a payload segment of each frame is encoded in accordance with a first set of a variable set of payload encoding parameters. The example method also includes transmitting the first plurality of transmitting frames to a receiving station and receiving a request from the receiving station to change the first set of payload encoding parameters to a second set of the variable set of payload encoding parameters. The example method further includes selecting the second set of payload encoding parameters based on the request and encoding a second plurality of transmitting frames, where a header segment of each frame of the second plurality of transmitting frames is encoded in accordance with the fixed set of header encoding parameters and a payload segment of each frame of the second plurality of transmitting frames is encoded in accordance with the second set of payload encoding parameters. The example method still further includes transmitting the second plurality of transmitting frames to the receiving station.

Growing community of inventors

Mountain View, CA, United States of America

Henry S Ptasinski