Apple Inc.

Sidharth R Thakur

Yong Liu

Su Khiong Yong

Tianyu Wu

Jarkko L Kneckt

Daniel R Borges

Debashis Dash

Charles Francis Dominguez

Oren Shani

Matthew L Semersky

Yoel Boger

Qi Wang

Elliot S Briggs

Veerendra Boodannavar

Welly Kasten

Yang Yu

Aniruddha Subhash Diwan

Noam Ginsburg

Nathan A Kralian

Ilan Evron

Nisan Reuven

Udi Atar

Embodiments are disclosed for encrypting media access control (MAC) Header fields for Wireless LAN (WLAN) privacy enhancement. For example, a transceiver of a station (STA) or an access point (AP) can set a real time Media Access Control (MAC) header bit in a payload of an aggregated MAC Protocol Data Unit (A-MPDU) subframe to an actual value of a power management (PM) field of a MAC header of the A-MPDU subframe. The transceiver can encrypt the payload, set the PM field to an over the air (OTA) PM value, and transmit the A-MPDU subframe over the air. The OTA PM value can include all zeros, a predetermined value, or a randomized value The transceiver can also set static MAC header bits in the payload of the A-MPDU subframe to corresponding actual values of an aggregated MAC service data unit (A-MSDU) present field of the A-MPDU subframe.

Encrypting MAC header fields for WLAN privacy enhancement

Embodiments are disclosed for address changing schemes for a multi-link device in a wireless communications system. Some embodiments include a privacy enhanced (PE) access point (AP) multi-link device (MLD) that includes one or more affiliated APs operating on different links. The PE AP MLD can generate a first randomized OTA MLD address based at least on the MLD address of the PE AP MLD for a first affiliated PE AP (PE AP). The PE AP MLD can transmit a first data transmission using the first OTA MLD address where the first data transmission includes an encrypted aggregated MAC service data unit (A-MSDU) subframe that includes the MLD address. The PE AP MLD can correlate the MLD address of the PE AP MPL with multiple addresses comprising: the first OTA MLD, a unique MLD address, and a Media Access Control (MAC) service access point (SAP) MLD address.

Address randomization schemes for multi-link devices

Embodiments are disclosed for address changing schemes in a wireless communications system. Some embodiments include an access point (AP) that can establish two or more address profiles with a station (STA), establish a schedule for switching from a first address profile to a second address profile, where the first and second address profiles are of the two or more address profiles, and transmit a first data transmission using the first address profile. Some embodiments include switching from the first address profile to the second address profile based on the schedule, and transmitting a second data transmission using the second address profile. The schedule can be based on a randomized time synchronization function (TSF). The AP can establish a joint algorithm with the STA, and use the joint algorithm determine the first and the second address profiles as well as transition times for the schedule.

Address randomization schemes

Systems, methods, and mechanisms for a privacy enhanced basic service set (BSS), including privacy enhancements for both access points and wireless stations as well as privacy enchantments for authentication, association, and discovery operations. Further, the systems, methods, and mechanisms disclosed may continue to support legacy wireless stations and are thus, backward compatible. A station may communicate with a legacy BSS of a wireless network to transition to a PE BSS of the wireless network. The station may receive, from the PE BSS of the wireless network, an encrypted beacon, wherein the encrypted beacon is decoded based on information received from the legacy BSS and perform, with the PE BSS of the wireless network, an encrypted handshake procedure to authenticate and associate with the PE BSS of the wireless network.

Privacy enhanced BSS and discovery mechanisms

Growing community of inventors

San Jose, CA, United States of America

Sidharth R Thakur