Methods, devices, and computer programs for improving determination of when to change values of privacy enhancement parameters of a multi-link

Abstract

A time at which a value of a parameter of a non-AP station affiliated with a non-AP multi-link device (MLD) is to be modified is determined. The non-AP station communicates over a link with an AP affi

Claims

1. A method for determining a time at which a value of a parameter of a non-access point, AP, station affiliated with a non-AP multi-link device, MLD, is to be modified, the method comprising, at the non-AP station configured to communicate over a link with an AP affiliated with an AP MLD:obtaining a time offset, relatively to a time reference at the AP, associated with the link; anddetermining a time at which a value of the parameter is modified, wherein the time is determined as a function of the time offset and of a time counter of the affiliated station, the time counter being associated with the link.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining comprises receiving the time offset from the AP, over the link.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the time offset is received during setting Enhanced Data Privacy, EDP, parameters within the affiliated station.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the time offset is received within a set of Enhanced Data Privacy, EDP, parameters of a Group Epoch Sequence, in response to assigning the affiliated station to the Group Epoch Sequence or to a request from the affiliated station to create or to join the Group Epoch Sequence.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining comprises determining the time offset as a function of another time offset received by another non-AP station affiliated with the non-AP MLD from the AP over another link and a link time offset between the link and the other link.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the link time offset is received from the AP during setup of the link.

7. The method of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the time is further determined as a function of a reference start time based on the time reference.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising determining the reference start time.

9. The method of any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the time is further determined as a function of a pseudo-random variation time.

10. The method of any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the time offset is a time difference between the time reference and the time counter, at a given time.

11. The method of any one of claims 1 to 10, further comprising, if the link is reconfigured, computing an updated value of the time offset as a function of another time offset obtained from another non-AP station affiliated with the non-AP MLD and a link time offset between the link and another link linking the other non-AP station to the AP.

12. The method of any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the time counter is a Timing Synchronization Function, TSF, counter.

13. The method of any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the time reference is based on an internal reference clock of the AP.

14. A computer program product for a programmable apparatus, the computer program product comprising a sequence of instructions for implementing each of the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 13 when loaded into and executed by the programmable apparatus.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions of a computer program for implementing each of the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

16. A processing unit in a non-access point, AP, multi-link device, MLD, for determining a time at which a value of a parameter of a non-AP station affiliated with the non-AP MLD is to be modified, the processing unit being configured to carry out each of the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

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