Systems, apparatus, and methods for association in multi-hop networks

• US 10,039,071 B2
• Filed: 01/23/2013
• Issued: 07/31/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Abraham, Santosh Paul, Cherian, George, Jafarian, Amin
• Primary Examiner(s): Plecha, Thaddeus J
• Application Number:
  US13/747,874
• Publication Number:
  US 20140075189A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,015 Days
• Field of Search: 380 44, 713150, 713160, 713168, 726 2
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/033 of the user plane, e.g. user's traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/20 Selecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/00 Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/18 Management of setup rejection or failure
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/20 Manipulation of established connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

Systems, methods, and devices for communicating data in a wireless communications network are described herein. One innovative aspect of the present disclosure includes a method of communicating in a wireless network. The method includes encrypting a message based, at least in part, on an original source address, and a final destination address. The method further includes transmitting the encrypted message to a relay for delivery to the final destination address.

Claims

1. A method of communicating in a wireless network comprising:

receiving, by a station, a wireless communication from a relay, the wireless communication including a Media Access Control (MAC) address of an access point;

generating, by the station, an association request, the association request including the MAC address of the access point in a final destination address field;

encrypting, by the station, the association request based on a MAC address of the station and the MAC address of the access point;

wherein encrypting the association request further comprises computing a nonce based on the MAC address of the access point; and

transmitting, by the station, the encrypted association request to the relay for delivery to the access point.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein encrypting the association request is further based on additional authentication data (AAD), and wherein the AAD includes a masked quality-of-service control field.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein encrypting the association request comprises encrypting the association request according to a counter cipher mode with block chaining message authentication code protocol (CCMP).

4. A device configured to communicate in a wireless network comprising:

a receiver configured to receive a wireless communication from a relay, the wireless communication including a Media Access Control (MAC) address of an access point;

a processor configured to generate an association request, the association request including the MAC address of the access point in a final destination address field;

the processor further configured to encrypt, the association request based on a MAC address of the device and the MAC address of the access point;

wherein encrypting the association request further comprises computing a nonce based on the MAC address of the access point; and

a transmitter configured to transmit the encrypted association request to the relay for delivery to the access point.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein encrypting the association request is further based on additional authentication data (AAD), and wherein the AAD includes a masked quality-of-service control field.

6. The device of claim 4, wherein the processor is further configured to encrypt the association request according to a counter cipher mode with block chaining message authentication code protocol (CCMP).

7. An apparatus for communicating in a wireless network comprising:

means for receiving, by the apparatus, a wireless communication from a relay, the wireless communication including a Media Access Control (MAC) address of an access point;

means for generating, by the apparatus, an association request, the association request including the MAC address of the access point in a final destination address field;

means for encrypting, by the apparatus, the association request based on a MAC address of the apparatus and the MAC address of the access point, wherein the means for encrypting the association request further comprises means for computing a nonce based on the MAC address of the access point; and

means for transmitting, by the apparatus, the encrypted association request to the relay for delivery to the access point.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein encrypting the association request is further based on additional authentication data (AAD), and wherein the AAD includes a masked quality-of-service control field.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein means for encrypting the association request comprises means for encrypting the association request according to a counter cipher mode with block chaining message authentication code protocol (CCMP).

10. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising code that, when executed, causes an apparatus to:

receive, by the apparatus, a wireless communication from a relay, the wireless communication including a Media Access Control (MAC) address of an access point;

generate, by the apparatus, an association request, the association request including the MAC address of the access point in a final destination address field;

encrypt, by the apparatus, the association request based on a MAC address of the apparatus and the MAC address of the access point;

wherein encrypting the association request further comprises computing a nonce based on the MAC address of the access point; and

transmit, by the apparatus, the encrypted association request to the relay for delivery to the access point.

11. The medium of claim 10, wherein encrypting the association request is further based on additional authentication data (AAD), and wherein the AAD includes a masked quality-of-service control field.

12. The medium of claim 10, further comprising code that, when executed, causes the apparatus to encrypt the association request according to a counter cipher mode with block chaining message authentication code protocol (CCMP).