Expedited key exchange in a wireless network

Abstract

This disclosure provides methods, components, devices and systems that may help expedite key exchange during a pairing procedure. According to certain aspects, one or more previously obtained keys may be provided as encrypted payload ("piggybacked") in a frame that is transmitted as part of an authentication process for establishing a pairing procedure.

Description

EXPEDITED KEY EXCHANGE IN A WIRELESS NETWORKCROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] This application claims priority to Indian Patent Application No. 202341057530, filed August 28, 2023, which is assigned to the assignee hereof and hereby expressly incorporated by reference in its entirety as if fully set forth below and for all applicable purposes.TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] This disclosure relates generally to wireless communication, and more specifically, to the exchange of security keys in wireless networks.DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED TECHNOLOGY

[0003] A wireless local area network (WLAN) may be formed by one or more wireless access points (APs) that provide a shared wireless communication medium for use by multiple client devices also referred to as wireless stations (STAs). The basic building block of a WLAN conforming to the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 family of standards is a Basic Service Set (BSS), which is managed by an AP. Each BSS is identified by a Basic Service Set Identifier (BSSID) that is advertised by the AP. An AP periodically broadcasts beacon frames to enable any STAs within wireless range of the AP to establish or maintain a communication link with the WLAN.

[0004] In some scenarios, however, devices may communicate directly with each other, using peer-to-peer (P2P) protocols or other such technologies. In such cases, there may be no notion of a BSS and peer devices may communicate between themselves without the need for assistance from an AP.

[0005] In some WLANs, devices may perform a pairing procedure before they communicate with each other. In this context, device pairing generally refers to establishing a secure wireless connection between devices. Various device pairing protocols have been proposed, with different sequences of messages exchanged and with varying types and / or levels of security.SUMMARY

[0006] The systems, methods and devices of this disclosure each have several innovative aspects, no single one of which is solely responsible for the desirable attributes disclosed herein.

[0007] One aspect provides a method for wireless communications at a first wireless node. The method includes outputting, for transmission as part of an authentication process for establishing a pairing procedure with a second wireless node, a first frame, wherein the first frame includes an encrypted payload having at least a first previously obtained security key; obtaining a second frame as part of the pairing procedure; and confirming the pairing procedure if the second frame also includes at least the first previously obtained security key.

[0008] Other aspects provide: an apparatus operable, configured, or otherwise adapted to perform any one or more of the aforementioned methods and / or those described elsewhere herein; a non-transitory, computer-readable media comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor of an apparatus, cause the apparatus to perform the aforementioned methods as well as those described elsewhere herein; a computer program product embodied on a computer-readable storage medium comprising code for performing the aforementioned methods as well as those described elsewhere herein; and / or an apparatus comprising means for performing the aforementioned methods as well as those described elsewhere herein. By way of example, an apparatus may comprise a processing system, a device with a processing system, or processing systems cooperating over one or more networks.

[0009] Details of one or more implementations of the subject matter described in this disclosure are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, aspects, and advantages will become apparent from the description, the drawings and the claims. Note that the relative dimensions of the following figures may not be drawn to scale.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] The appended figures depict certain features of the various aspects described herein and are not to be considered limiting of the scope of this disclosure.

[0011] Figure 1 shows a pictorial diagram of an example wireless communication network.

[0012] Figure 2 shows a pictorial diagram of an example neighbor aware network (NAN), in which aspects of the present disclosure may be utilized.

[0013] Figure 3 shows a call flow diagram illustrating an example process for exchanging security keys.

[0014] Figure 4 shows a call flow diagram illustrating another example process for exchanging security keys.

[0015] Figure 5 shows a format of an example data structure for conveying security keys as encrypted payload.

[0016] Figure 6 shows a flowchart illustrating an example process performable by or at a wireless station that supports expedited exchange of security keys.

[0017] Figure 7 shows a block diagram of an example wireless communication device that supports expedited exchange of security keys.

[0018] Like reference numbers and designations in the various drawings indicate like elements.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] The following description is directed to some particular examples for the purposes of describing innovative aspects of this disclosure. However, a person having ordinary skill in the art will readily recognize that the teachings herein can be applied in a multitude of different ways. Some or all of the described examples may be implemented in any device, system or network that is capable of transmitting and receiving radio frequency (RF) signals according to one or more of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standards, the IEEE 802.15 standards, the Bluetooth® standards as defined by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG), or the Long Term Evolution (LTE), 3G, 4G or 5G (New Radio (NR)) standards promulgated by the 3rdGeneration Partnership Project (3 GPP), among others. The described examples can be implemented in any device, system or network that is capable of transmitting and receiving RF signals according to one or more of the following technologies or techniques: code division multiple access (CDMA), time division multiple access (TDMA), orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM), frequency division multiple access (FDMA), orthogonal FDMA (OFDMA), single-carrier FDMA (SC- FDMA), spatial division multiple access (SDMA), rate-splitting multiple access (RSMA), multi-user shared access (MUSA), single-user (SU) multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) and multi-user (MU)-MIMO (MU-MIMO). The described examples also canbe implemented using other wireless communication protocols or RF signals suitable for use in one or more of a wireless personal area network (WPAN), a wireless local area network (WLAN), a wireless wide area network (WWAN), a wireless metropolitan area network (WMAN), or an internet of things (IOT) network.

[0020] Various aspects relate generally to wireless communication and more particularly to techniques that may help expedite key exchange during a pairing procedure.

[0021] A pairing procedure may enable a pair of wireless devices to authenticate each other when they establish a first trust and verify each other's identity after they set up a pairing relationship. A pairing can be opportunistic or password based. For password based pairing, devices may need additional bootstrapping to ensure they possess the same password. The exact pairing mechanisms may depend on a particular type of wireless network. For example, in a neighbor aware network (NAN, an example of which is shown in Figure 2, also known as Wi-Fi Aware), a pairing procedure may involve a NAN pairing setup protocol and a NAN pairing verification protocol.

[0022] In a typical NAN pairing procedure, a NAN pairing capable device generates a key, referred to as a NAN Identity Key (NIK) which is then used to generate a parameter referred to as a NAN identity resolution attribute (NIRA). The NIRA is included in NAN service discovery frames (SDFs) to reveal device long-term identity to paired peers. As will be described in further detail below with reference to Figure 3, the NIK, along with other parameters (such as a lifetime that indicates how long the NIK is valid), are typically exchanged in the key descriptor elements (KDEs) of a shared Key Descriptor, which is encrypted with a NAN management key encryption key (NM-KEK) of an encrypted message that is typically exchanged only after a pre-association security negotiation (PASN) authentication exchange.

[0023] Hence, an additional follow-up frame is typically required, after PASN, to share the NIK with the paired device. Along with NIK and NIK lifetime, devices can also exchange various group keys KDEs and corresponding lifetime KDEs. Unfortunately, conveying the NIK (and other keys) in follow-up frames only after completion of an authentication or pairing process adds latency to the pairing procedure and may impact user experience.

[0024] Aspects of the present disclosure, however, may help expedite such a key exchange. For example, a NIK and / or other KDEs may be provided as encrypted payload (“piggybacked”) in a frame that is transmitted as part of the PASN, avoiding the need towait for additional follow-up frames. The NIK may be available at this stage, for example, if NIK caching is enabled, allowing a device to store a previously obtained NIK.

[0025] Particular aspects of the subject matter described in this disclosure can be implemented to realize one or more of the following potential advantages. In some examples, by effectively piggybacking a NIK in earlier frames (e.g., PASN frames) the described techniques can be used to expedite pairing setup and reduce overall latency. As a result, the techniques may lead to better performance and improved user experience.

[0026] Figure 1 shows a pictorial diagram of an example wireless communication network 100. According to some aspects, the wireless communication network 100 can be an example of a wireless local area network (WLAN) such as a Wi-Fi network. For example, the wireless communication network 100 can be a network implementing at least one of the IEEE 802.11 family of wireless communication protocol standards (such as defined by the IEEE 802.11-2020 specification or amendments thereof including, but not limited to, 802.11ay, 802.11ax, 802.11az, 802.11ba, 802.11bd, 802.11be, 802.11bf, and 802.11bn). In some other examples, the wireless communication network 100 can be an example of a cellular radio access network (RAN), such as a 5G or 6G RAN that implements one or more cellular protocols such as those specified in one or more 3GPP standards. In some other examples, the wireless communication network 100 can include a WLAN that functions in an interoperable or converged manner with one or more cellular RANs to provide greater or enhanced network coverage to wireless communication devices within the wireless communication network 100 or to enable such devices to connect to a cellular network’s core, such as to access the network management capabilities and functionality offered by the cellular network core.

[0027] The wireless communication network 100 may include numerous wireless communication devices including at least one wireless access point (AP) 102 and any number of wireless stations (STAs) 104. While only one AP 102 is shown in Figure 1, the wireless communication network 100 can include multiple APs 102. The AP 102 can be or represent various different types of network entities including, but not limited to, a home networking AP, an enterprise-level AP, a single-frequency AP, a dual-band simultaneous (DBS) AP, a tri -band simultaneous (TBS) AP, a standalone AP, a non- standalone AP, a software-enabled AP (soft AP), and a multi-link AP (also referred to as an AP multi-link device (MLD)), as well as cellular (such as 3GPP, 4G LTE, 5G or 6G) base stations or other cellular network nodes such as a Node B, an evolved Node B (eNB), a gNB, a transmission reception point (TRP) or another type of device or equipmentincluded in a radio access network (RAN), including Open-RAN (O-RAN) network entities, such as a central unit (CU), a distributed unit (DU) or a radio unit (RU).

[0028] Each of the STAs 104 also may be referred to as a mobile station (MS), a mobile device, a mobile handset, a wireless handset, an access terminal (AT), a user equipment (UE), a subscriber station (SS), or a subscriber unit, among other examples. The STAs 104 may represent various devices such as mobile phones, other handheld or wearable communication devices, netbooks, notebook computers, tablet computers, laptops, Chromebooks, augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), mixed reality (MR) or extended reality (XR) wireless headsets or other peripheral devices, wireless earbuds, other wearable devices, display devices (for example, TVs, computer monitors or video gaming consoles), video game controllers, navigation systems, music or other audio or stereo devices, remote control devices, printers, kitchen appliances (including smart refrigerators) or other household appliances, key fobs (for example, for passive keyless entry and start (PKES) systems), Internet of Things (loT) devices, and vehicles, among other examples.

[0029] A single AP 102 and an associated set of STAs 104 may be referred to as a basic service set (BSS), which is managed by the respective AP 102. Figure 1 additionally shows an example coverage area 108 of the AP 102, which may represent a basic service area (BSA) of the wireless communication network 100. The BSS may be identified by STAs 104 and other devices by a service set identifier (SSID), as well as a basic service set identifier (BSSID), which may be a medium access control (MAC) address of the AP 102. The AP 102 may periodically broadcast beacon frames (“beacons”) including the BSSID to enable any STAs 104 within wireless range of the AP 102 to “associate” or reassociate with the AP 102 to establish a respective communication link 106 (hereinafter also referred to as a “Wi-Fi link”), or to maintain a communication link 106, with the AP 102. For example, the beacons can include an identification or indication of a primary channel used by the respective AP 102 as well as a timing synchronization function (TSF) for establishing or maintaining timing synchronization with the AP 102. The AP 102 may provide access to external networks to various STAs 104 in the wireless communication network 100 via respective communication links 106.

[0030] To establish a communication link 106 with an AP 102, each of the STAs 104 is configured to perform passive or active scanning operations (“scans”) on frequency channels in one or more frequency bands (for example, the 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 6 GHz, 45 GHz, or 60 GHz bands). To perform passive scanning, a STA 104 listens for beacons,which are transmitted by respective APs 102 at periodic time intervals referred to as target beacon transmission times (TBTTs). To perform active scanning, a STA 104 generates and sequentially transmits probe requests on each channel to be scanned and listens for probe responses from APs 102. Each STA 104 may identify, determine, ascertain, or select an AP 102 with which to associate in accordance with the scanning information obtained through the passive or active scans, and to perform authentication and association operations to establish a communication link 106 with the selected AP 102. The selected AP 102 assigns an association identifier (AID) to the STA 104 at the culmination of the association operations, which the AP 102 uses to track the STA 104.

[0031] As a result of the increasing ubiquity of wireless networks, a STA 104 may have the opportunity to select one of many BSSs within range of the STA 104 or to select among multiple APs 102 that together form an extended service set (ESS) including multiple connected BSSs. For example, the wireless communication network 100 may be connected to a wired or wireless distribution system that may enable multiple APs 102 to be connected in such an ESS. As such, a STA 104 can be covered by more than one AP 102 and can associate with different APs 102 at different times for different transmissions. Additionally, after association with an AP 102, a STA 104 also may periodically scan its surroundings to find a more suitable AP 102 with which to associate. For example, a STA 104 that is moving relative to its associated AP 102 may perform a “roaming” scan to find another AP 102 having more desirable network characteristics such as a greater received signal strength indicator (RS SI) or a reduced traffic load.

[0032] In some cases, STAs 104 may form networks without APs 102 or other equipment other than the STAs 104 themselves. One example of such a network is an ad hoc network (or wireless ad hoc network). Ad hoc networks may alternatively be referred to as mesh networks or peer-to-peer (P2P) networks. In some cases, ad hoc networks may be implemented within a larger network such as the wireless communication network 100. In such examples, while the STAs 104 may be capable of communicating with each other through the AP 102 using communication links 106, STAs 104 also can communicate directly with each other via direct wireless communication links 110. Additionally, two STAs 104 may communicate via a direct communication link 110 regardless of whether both STAs 104 are associated with and served by the same AP 102. In such an ad hoc system, one or more of the STAs 104 may assume the role filled by the AP 102 in a BSS. Such a STA 104 may be referred to as a group owner (GO) and may coordinate transmissions within the ad hoc network. Examples of direct wirelesscommunication links 110 include Wi-Fi Direct connections, connections established by using a Wi-Fi Tunneled Direct Link Setup (TDLS) link, and other P2P group connections.

[0033] In some networks, the AP 102 or the STAs 104, or both, may support applications associated with high throughput or low-latency requirements, or may provide lossless audio to one or more other devices. For example, the AP 102 or the STAs 104 may support applications and use cases associated with ultra-low-latency (ULL), such as ULL gaming, or streaming lossless audio and video to one or more personal audio devices (such as peripheral devices) or AR / VR / MR / XR headset devices. In scenarios in which a user uses two or more peripheral devices, the AP 102 or the STAs 104 may support an extended personal audio network enabling communication with the two or more peripheral devices. Additionally, the AP 102 and STAs 104 may support additional ULL applications such as cloud-based applications (such as VR cloud gaming) that have ULL and high throughput requirements.

[0034] As indicated above, in some implementations, the AP 102 and the STAs 104 may function and communicate (via the respective communication links 106) according to one or more of the IEEE 802.11 family of wireless communication protocol standards. These standards define the WLAN radio and baseband protocols for the physical (PHY) and MAC layers. The AP 102 and STAs 104 transmit and receive wireless communications (hereinafter also referred to as “Wi-Fi communications” or “wireless packets”) to and from one another in the form of PHY protocol data units (PPDUs).

[0035] Each PPDU is a composite structure that includes a PHY preamble and a payload that is in the form of a PHY service data unit (PSDU). The information provided in the preamble may be used by a receiving device to decode the subsequent data in the PSDU. In instances in which a PPDU is transmitted over a bonded or wideband channel, the preamble fields may be duplicated and transmitted in each of multiple component channels. The PHY preamble may include both a legacy portion (or “legacy preamble”) and a non-legacy portion (or “non-legacy preamble”). The legacy preamble may be used for packet detection, automatic gain control and channel estimation, among other uses. The legacy preamble also may generally be used to maintain compatibility with legacy devices. The format of, coding of, and information provided in the non-legacy portion of the preamble is associated with the particular IEEE 802.11 wireless communication protocol to be used to transmit the payload.

[0036] The APs 102 and STAs 104 in the WLAN 100 may transmit PPDUs over an unlicensed spectrum, which may be a portion of spectrum that includes frequency bandstraditionally used by Wi-Fi technology, such as the 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 6 GHz, 45 GHz, and 60 GHz bands. Some examples of the APs 102 and STAs 104 described herein also may communicate in other frequency bands that may support licensed or unlicensed communications. For example, the APs 102 or STAs 104, or both, also may be capable of communicating over licensed operating bands, where multiple operators may have respective licenses to operate in the same or overlapping frequency ranges. Such licensed operating bands may map to or be associated with frequency range designations of FR1 (410 MHz - 7.125 GHz), FR2 (24.25 GHz - 52.6 GHz), FR3 (7.125 GHz - 24.25 GHz), FR4a or FR4-1 (52.6 GHz - 71 GHz), FR4 (52.6 GHz - 114.25 GHz), and FR5 (114.25 GHz - 300 GHz).

[0037] Each of the frequency bands may include multiple sub-bands and frequency channels (also referred to as subchannels). For example, PPDUs conforming to the IEEE 802.1 In, 802.1 lac, 802.1 lax, 802.11be and 802.11bn standard amendments may be transmitted over one or more of the 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, or 6 GHz bands, each of which is divided into multiple 20 MHz channels. As such, these PPDUs are transmitted over a physical channel having a minimum bandwidth of 20 MHz, but larger channels can be formed through channel bonding. For example, PPDUs may be transmitted over physical channels having bandwidths of 40 MHz, 80 MHz, 160 MHz, 240 MHz, 320 MHz, 480 MHz, or 640 MHz by bonding together multiple 20 MHz channels.

[0038] Figure 2 shows a pictorial diagram of an example neighbor aware network (NAN) 200, in which aspects of the present disclosure may be utilized.

[0039] A NAN Network comprises all NAN Devices 204 that share a common set of NAN parameters. These parameters may include, for example, the time period between consecutive Discovery Windows, the time duration of the Discovery Windows, the beacon interval, and NAN Discovery Channel(s). A NAN Cluster 210 generally refers to a collection of NAN devices that share a common set of NAN parameters and are synchronized to a same Discovery Window schedule. A NAN Cluster may be identified by a NAN Cluster ID.

[0040] A NAN Device may send multicast NAN Service Discovery frames directly to other NAN devices within range in the same NAN Cluster during the Discovery Window. A NAN Device may send unicast NAN Service Discovery frames directly to any other NAN Device within range in the same NAN Cluster during the Discovery Window

[0041] NAN Devices that are part of the same NAN Cluster may participate in a NAN Master Selection procedure. NAN Master Selection is performed on a NAN Cluster basis. Depending on changes in the NAN Cluster, such as NAN Devices that are part of NAN Cluster and their Master Ranks, different NAN Devices may be elected to become NAN Devices in Master role at different times. NAN Devices with equal Master Preference may have equal chance of becoming a NAN Master. In a NAN deployment, NAN devices may serve in different roles, such as a NAN publisher and NAN subscriber. In general, a NAN device serving as a NAN publisher is responsible for sending data by forming a cluster with nearby devices or creating a new cluster, while a NAN device serving as a NAN subscriber receives a notification and can accept service (join a cluster), if interested.Aspects Related to Expedited Key Exchange for Pairing

[0042] Various aspects relate generally to wireless communication and more particularly to techniques that may help expedite key exchange during a pairing procedure.

[0043] As will be described in greater detail below, previously established keys (e.g., NIK and / or group Keys) may be included in (piggybacked with) frames used to establish pairing (pre-association) between devices. For example, the previously established keys may include a key previously derived during a paring verification process and / or a key defined during a pairing setup process and may be included in PASN authentication frames or any other type of (e.g., action) frames used to establish pairing / pre-association between devices.

[0044] As noted above, a pairing procedure may enable a pair of wireless devices to authenticate each other when they establish a first trust and verify each other's identity after they set up a pairing relationship.

[0045] Figure 3 illustrates an example call flow diagram 300 for NAN pairing involving two NAN devices, a pairing initiator and a pairing responder. As illustrated at 302 and 304, the example pairing may use pairing credentials, such as a password provided by a service publisher and service subscriber. The pairing may be triggered by a pairing setup request from the service subscriber, as shown at 306.

[0046] In response, the pairing initiator may initiate the pairing setup with the pairing responder and authenticate each other by proving possession of the password. To establishthe pairing session, the two devices may exchange frames as part of an authentication process, which allows the devices to establish first trust and verify each other’s identity.

[0047] As illustrated, the password-authenticated pairing setup may employ PreAssociation Security Negotiation (PASN) authentication, with simultaneous authentication of equals (SAE) tunneling. PASN Authentication frames may be used in the pairing setup handshakes.

[0048] For example, as shown at 308, a first PASN authentication frame (PASN-M1) may be transmitted by the pairing initiator. The PASN-M1 frame may include a NAN information element (IE) with various NAN attributes. For example, these attributes may include a Device Capability Extension attribute (DCEA) with a paring setup enabled bit set and a bit indicating whether caching of a NAN Identity Key (NIK) is enabled, a cipher suite information attribute (CSIA), and a NAN pairing bootstrapping attribute (NPBA).

[0049] As shown at 310 and 312, after receiving the PASN-M1 message, the pairing responder may send a pairing setup indication to the service publisher, which may respond with a pairing setup response.

[0050] As shown at 314, a second PASN authentication frame (PASN-M2) is transmitted by the pairing responder. The PASN-M2 frame may include a NAN IE with various attributes, which may be the same as those included in the publish or subscribe messages transmitted by the pairing responder (e.g., a DCEA, CSIA and / or NPBA). As shown at 316, a third PASN Authentication frame is transmitted by the pairing initiator.

[0051] After pre-authentication, a NAN pairing capable device can generate a NIK, which can then be used to generate a NAN identity attribute (NIRA). The NIRA may be included in NAN service discovery frames (SDFs) frames to reveal a device long-term identity to paired peers.

[0052] As illustrated at 320, the NIK is typically shared between paired peers through a secure channel after the pairing setup is established. The NIK, along with a NIK lifetime are exchanged in the key data encapsulations (KDEs) of a shared Key Descriptor. The shared key descriptor may be encrypted with a NAN management key encryption key (NM-KEK) of an encrypted follow-up after PASN authentication.

[0053] Hence, as shown at 322 and 324, additional follow-up frames may be needed to share the keys between paired devices. Along with the NIK and NIK lifetime, devices can also exchange the group keys KDEs including an Integrity Group Transient Key (IGTK), Beacon Integrity Group Transient Key (BIGTK) KDEs, and corresponding lifetime KDEs.

[0054] In some applications, if devices support NIK caching, for pairing confirmation, the peer device NIK may be expected in the pairing confirmation indication event. This means that, in such cases, the pairing confirmation to the application would have to be deferred until the follow-up frames containing NIK KDE are exchanged after the PASN authentication is done. Unfortunately, this can result in considerable delay, as the follow-up frame exchanges may be delayed until discovery window (DW) slots.

[0055] Aspects of the present disclosure, however, may help expedite key exchange during a pairing procedure by including previously established keys (e.g., cached NIKs) in frames used to establish pairing (pre-association) between devices. This may reduce overall setup latency, as devices do not need to wait for additional follow-up frames.

[0056] In cases when devices cache keys (e.g., NIK caching is enabled), previously obtained keys may be effectively piggybacked frames that are part of an authentication process for establishing pairing. For example, a NIK and group KDEs may be included as encrypted payload in PASN authentication frames (e.g., for pairing setup as well as pairing verification).

[0057] Previously obtained keys may include keys previously derived during a verification process and / or a key defined during a pairing verification process. While examples are described herein with reference to NAN (WiFi Aware) protocols, the techniques proposed herein may be broadly applied in any scenarios involving with peer- to-peer (P2P) pairing utilizing other types of protocol, such as WiFi direct.

[0058] Techniques proposed herein may be understood with reference to the example call flow diagram 400 of Figure 4.

[0059] Pairing setup begins similar to the example described above with reference to Figure 3, up to transmission of the PASN-M1 frame from the pairing initiator. In this example, however, the pairing responder includes a NAN Shared key Descriptor attribute (SKDA) in the PASN-M2 frame, as illustrated at 414. Similarly, the pairing initiator includes a NAN SKDA in the PASN-M3 frame, as illustrated at 416.

[0060] As illustrated at 418, one or more previously obtained keys may be included in the NAN SKDA, which may be included in a NAN IE of the PASN-M2 frame and / or PASN-M3 frame. As illustrated at 420, by providing the previously obtained key(s) in the PASN-M2 and PASN-M3 frames, no follow-up frames are needed before pairing confirmation (in contrast to the example shown in Figure 3). Thus, overall pairing setup latency may be reduced.

[0061] In some cases, the previously obtained security key(s) may be encrypted based on a key encryption key (KEK), such as a NAN management KEK (NM-KEK). ' The encrypted payload may also include keys other than the NIK. For example, the encrypted payload may include at least one of: a group transient key (GTK), an integrity group transient key (IGTK), or a beacon integrity group transient key (BIGTK). The encrypted payload may also indicate a lifetime of one or more previously obtained keys, indicating how long the corresponding keys are considered valid.

[0062] The encrypted payload may be included in an IE, such as an extensible authentication protocol (EAP) over LAN (EAPOL) IE, for example, in an SKDA field of the EAPOL IE.

[0063] As illustrated in Figure 5, a NAN SKDA 500 may contain the IEEE 802.11 RSNA Key Descriptor (EAPOL) field 510. As illustrated at 512, one option is option to include the KDEs in such a data field, which may be further encrypted with a NM-KEK.

[0064] As described above, NAN pairing handshake uses PASN protocol to derive the Session Keys. When the PASN-M1 frame is received by the pairing responder, it may derive required session keys such as TK, KDK, KCK and KEK. The pairing responder can then include NIK (e.g., and NIK lifetime KDE) in the NAN SKDA in the PASN-M2 frame. As described above, other KDEs, such as the IGTK and BIGTK KDEs, along with the corresponding lifetime KDEs, may also be included.

[0065] In some cases, the pairing responder device may check the peer device capabilities to see if it supports NIK caching, as well as if it requires group management protection before including the corresponding KDEs as NAN CSIA and DCEA are included in the authentication frames.

[0066] Upon receiving the PASN-M2 frame, the pairing initiator may validate and process the message integrity check (MIC). Up on successful authentication, the pairing initiator may also generate the session keys and send the PASN-M3 frame for confirmation. As illustrated in Figure 4, the pairing initiator may also include a NAN SKDA in the NAN IE of the PASN-M3 frame. In the SKDA, the pairing initiator can include the NIK KDE, NIK lifetime KDE. It can also additionally include the IGTK, BIGTK and corresponding lifetime KDEs.

[0067] In some cases, if the pairing handshake is not successful, the pairing initiator and responder may ignore peer Group keys.

[0068] In some cases, to maintain backward compatibility with other (e.g., vendor / legacy) devices, the pairing initiator device may still initiate a follow-up exchangeof frames containing the NIK and other group KDEs. For example, the pairing initiator may initiate the follow-up exchange if it has not received an SKDA (with NIK and / or other keys) in the NAN IE of the PASN M2 frame (as shown in Figure 4). The pairing responder device may also respond back with a follow-up frame containing the SKDA attribute, if the pairing initiator device sends a follow-up frame with SKDA attribute.

[0069] As described above, by piggybacking the delivery of previously obtained keys with frames used in an authentication process (e.g., PASN frames), pairing setup latencies may be reduced, for devices that support key caching. The techniques proposed herein may help avoid additional frames between devices NAN pairing setup and NDP setup and may help satisfy key performance indicator (KPI) requirement for various use-cases.Example Operations

[0070] Figure 6 shows an example of a method 600 of wireless communications at a first wireless node. In some examples, the first wireless node is a station, such as a STA 104 of Figure 1. In some examples, the first wireless node is an access point, such as an AP 102 of Figure 1.

[0071] Method 600 begins at step 605 with outputting, for transmission as part of an authentication process for establishing a pairing procedure with a second wireless node, a first frame, wherein the first frame includes an encrypted payload having at least a first previously obtained security key.

[0072] Method 600 then proceeds to step 610 with obtaining a second frame as part of the pairing procedure.

[0073] Method 600 then proceeds to step 615 with confirming the pairing procedure if the second frame also includes at least the first previously obtained security key.

[0074] In some aspects, the at least a first previously obtained key comprises at least one of: a key previously derived during a paring verification process; or a key defined during a pairing setup process.

[0075] In some aspects, at least one of the first frame or second frame comprises an authentication frame.

[0076] In some aspects, at least one of the first frame or the second frame comprises a pre-association security negotiation (PASN) frame.

[0077] In some aspects, the first frame and the second frame are associated with a pairing setup or a pairing verification.

[0078] In some aspects, the method 600 further includes encrypting the at least a first previously obtained security key based on a key encryption key (KEK), wherein the encrypted payload comprises the encrypted first previously obtained security key.

[0079] In some aspects, the at least the first previously obtained security key comprises a neighbor aware network (NAN) identity key (NIK).

[0080] In some aspects, the encrypted payload also includes one or more second previously obtained security keys.

[0081] In some aspects, the one or more second previously obtained security keys include at least one of: a group transient key (GTK), an integrity group transient key (IGTK), or a beacon integrity group transient key (BIGTK).

[0082] In some aspects, the first frame also indicates a lifetime of at least one of the first previously obtained security key or the one or more second previously obtained security keys.

[0083] In some aspects, the encrypted payload is included in an information element (IE).

[0084] In some aspects, the IE comprises an extensible authentication protocol (EAP) over LAN (EAPOL) IE.

[0085] In some aspects, the encrypted payload is included in a shared key descriptor attribute (SKDA) field of the EAPOL IE.

[0086] In some aspects, the first frame is output, for transmission, prior to obtaining the second frame.

[0087] In some aspects, the first frame is output, for transmission, after obtaining the second frame.

[0088] In one aspect, method 600, or any aspect related to it, may be performed by an apparatus, such as wireless communication device 700 of Figure 7, which includes various components operable, configured, or adapted to perform the method 600. Wireless communication device 700 is described below in further detail.

[0089] Note that Figure 6 is just one example of a method, and other methods including fewer, additional, or alternative steps are possible consistent with this disclosure.Example Communications Device (s)

[0090] Figure 7 depicts aspects of an example wireless communication device 700. In some aspects, wireless communication device 700 is a station, such as a STA 104 ofFigure 1. In some aspects, wireless communication device 700 is an access point, such as an AP 102 of Figure 1.

[0091] The wireless communication device 700 may include one or more chips, SoCs, chipsets, packages, components or devices that individually or collectively constitute or comprise a processing system. The processing system may interface with other components of the wireless communication device 700, and may generally process information (such as inputs or signals) received from such other components and output information (such as outputs or signals) to such other components. In some aspects, an example chip may include a processing system, a first interface to output or transmit information and a second interface to receive or obtain information. For example, the first interface may refer to an interface between the processing system of the chip and a transmission component, such that the device 700 may transmit the information output from the chip. In such an example, the second interface may refer to an interface between the processing system of the chip and a reception component, such that the device 700 may receive information that is then passed to the processing system. In some such examples, the first interface also may obtain information, such as from the transmission component, and the second interface also may output information, such as to the reception component.

[0092] The processing system includes processor (or “processing”) circuitry in the form of one or multiple processors, microprocessors, processing units (such as central processing units (CPUs), graphics processing units (GPUs) or digital signal processors (DSPs)), processing blocks, application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC), programmable logic devices (PLDs) (such as field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs)), or other discrete gate or transistor logic or circuitry (all of which may be generally referred to herein individually as “processors” or collectively as “the processor” or “the processor circuitry”). One or more of the processors may be individually or collectively configurable or configured to perform various functions or operations described herein. The processing system may further include memory circuitry in the form of one or more memory devices, memory blocks, memory elements or other discrete gate or transistor logic or circuitry, each of which may include tangible storage media such as randomaccess memory (RAM) or read-only memory (ROM), or combinations thereof (all of which may be generally referred to herein individually as “memories” or collectively as “the memory” or “the memory circuitry”). One or more of the memories may be coupled with one or more of the processors and may individually or collectively store processor-executable code that, when executed by one or more of the processors, may configure one or more of the processors to perform various functions or operations described herein. Additionally or alternatively, in some examples, one or more of the processors may be preconfigured to perform various functions or operations described herein without requiring configuration by software. The processing system may further include or be coupled with one or more modems (such as a Wi-Fi (for example, IEEE compliant) modem or a cellular (for example, 3GPP 4G LTE, 5G or 6G compliant) modem). In some implementations, one or more processors of the processing system include or implement one or more of the modems. The processing system may further include or be coupled with multiple radios (collectively “the radio”), multiple RF chains or multiple transceivers, each of which may in turn be coupled with one or more of multiple antennas. In some implementations, one or more processors of the processing system include or implement one or more of the radios, RF chains or transceivers.

[0093] In some examples, the wireless communication device 700 can be configurable or configured for use in a STA, such as the STA 104 described with reference to Figure 1. In some other examples, the wireless communication device 700 can be a STA that includes such a processing system and other components including multiple antennas. The wireless communication device 700 is capable of transmitting and receiving wireless communications in the form of, for example, wireless packets. For example, the wireless communication device 700 can be configurable or configured to transmit and receive packets in the form of physical layer PPDUs and MPDUs conforming to one or more of the IEEE 802.11 family of wireless communication protocol standards. In some other examples, the wireless communication device 700 can be configurable or configured to transmit and receive signals and communications conforming to one or more 3GPP specifications including those for 5G NR or 6G. In some examples, the wireless communication device 700 also includes or can be coupled with one or more application processors which may be further coupled with one or more other memories. In some examples, the wireless communication device 700 further includes a user interface (UI) (such as a touchscreen or keypad) and a display, which may be integrated with the UI to form a touchscreen display that is coupled with the processing system. In some examples, the wireless communication device 700 may further include one or more sensors such as, for example, one or more inertial sensors, accelerometers, temperature sensors, pressure sensors, or altitude sensors, that are coupled with the processing system.

[0094] The wireless communication device 700 includes an outputting component 702, an obtaining component 704, a confirming component 706, and an encrypting component 708. Portions of one or more of the components 702, 704, 706 and 708 may be implemented at least in part in hardware or firmware. For example, the outputting component 702 may be implemented at least in part by a processor or a modem. In some examples, portions of one or more of the components 702, 704, 706 and 708 may be implemented at least in part by a processor and software in the form of processorexecutable code stored in the memory. According to certain aspects, means for outputting, means for obtaining, means for confirming, and / or means for encrypting may implemented as one or more processors and / or one or more components of Figure 7.Example Clauses

[0095] Implementation examples are described in the following numbered clauses:

[0096] Clause 1 : A method for wireless communications at a first wireless node, comprising:: outputting, for transmission as part of an authentication process for establishing a pairing procedure with a second wireless node, a first frame, wherein the first frame includes an encrypted payload having at least a first previously obtained security key; obtaining a second frame as part of the pairing procedure; and confirming the pairing procedure if the second frame also includes at least the first previously obtained security key.

[0097] Clause 2: The method of Clause 1, wherein the at least a first previously obtained key comprises at least one of: a key previously derived during a paring verification process; or a key defined during a pairing setup process.

[0098] Clause 3: The method of any one of Clauses 1-2, wherein at least one of the first frame or second frame comprises an authentication frame.

[0099] Clause 4: The method of any one of Clauses 1-3, wherein at least one of the first frame or the second frame comprises a pre-association security negotiation (PASN) frame.

[0100] Clause 5: The method of any one of Clauses 1-4, wherein the first frame and the second frame are associated with a pairing setup or a pairing verification.

[0101] Clause 6: The method of any one of Clauses 1-5, further comprising: encrypting the at least a first previously obtained security key based on a key encryptionkey (KEK), wherein the encrypted payload comprises the encrypted first previously obtained security key.

[0102] Clause 7: The method of any one of Clauses 1-6, wherein the at least the first previously obtained security key comprises a neighbor aware network (NAN) identity key (NIK).

[0103] Clause 8: The method of any one of Clauses 1-7, wherein the encrypted payload also includes one or more second previously obtained security keys.

[0104] Clause 9: The method of Clause 8, wherein the one or more second previously obtained security keys include at least one of a group transient key (GTK), an integrity group transient key (IGTK), or a beacon integrity group transient key (BIGTK).

[0105] Clause 10: The method of Clause 8, wherein the first frame also indicates a lifetime of at least one of the first previously obtained security key or the one or more second previously obtained security keys.

[0106] Clause 11 : The method of any one of Clauses 1-10, wherein the encrypted payload is included in an information element (IE).

[0107] Clause 12: The method of Clause 11, wherein the IE comprises an extensible authentication protocol (EAP) over LAN (EAPOL) IE.

[0108] Clause 13: The method of Clause 12, wherein the encrypted payload is included in a shared key descriptor attribute (SKDA) field of the EAPOL IE.

[0109] Clause 14: The method of any one of Clauses 1-13, wherein: the first frame is output, for transmission, prior to obtaining the second frame.

[0110] Clause 15: The method of any one of Clauses 1-14, wherein: the first frame is output, for transmission, after obtaining the second frame.[OHl] Clause 16: An apparatus, comprising: a memory comprising executable instructions; and a processor configured to execute the executable instructions and cause the apparatus to perform a method in accordance with any one of Clauses 1-15.

[0112] Clause 17: An apparatus, comprising means for performing a method in accordance with any one of Clauses 1-15.

[0113] Clause 18: A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processor of an apparatus, cause the apparatus to perform a method in accordance with any one of Clauses 1-15.

[0114] Clause 19: A computer program product embodied on a computer-readable storage medium comprising code for performing a method in accordance with any one of Clauses 1-15.

[0115] Clause 20: A wireless station, comprising: at least one transceiver; a memory comprising executable instructions; and a processor configured to execute the executable instructions and cause the wireless station to perform a method in accordance with any one of Clauses 1-15, wherein the at least one transceiver is configured to transmit the first frame and receive the second frame.

[0116] As used herein, the term “determine” or “determining” encompasses a wide variety of actions and, therefore, “determining” can include calculating, computing, processing, deriving, estimating, investigating, looking up (such as via looking up in a table, a database, or another data structure), inferring, ascertaining, or measuring, among other possibilities. Also, “determining” can include receiving (such as receiving information), accessing (such as accessing data stored in memory) or transmitting (such as transmitting information), among other possibilities. Additionally, “determining” can include resolving, selecting, obtaining, choosing, establishing and other such similar actions.

[0117] As used herein, a phrase referring to “at least one of’ or “one or more of’ a list of items refers to any combination of those items, including single members. As an example, “at least one of: a, b, or c” is intended to cover: a, b, c, a-b, a-c, b-c, and a-b-c. As used herein, “or” is intended to be interpreted in the inclusive sense, unless otherwise explicitly indicated. For example, “a or b” may include a only, b only, or a combination of a and b. Furthermore, as used herein, a phrase referring to “a” or “an” element refers to one or more of such elements acting individually or collectively to perform the recited function(s). Additionally, a “set” refers to one or more items, and a “subset” refers to less than a whole set, but non-empty.

[0118] As used herein, “a processor,” “at least one processor” or “one or more processors” generally refers to a single processor configured to perform one or multiple operations or multiple processors configured to collectively perform one or more operations. In the case of multiple processors, performance the one or more operationscould be divided amongst different processors, though one processor may perform multiple operations, and multiple processors could collectively perform a single operation. Similarly, “a memory,” “at least one memory” or “one or more memories” generally refers to a single memory configured to store data and / or instructions, multiple memories configured to collectively store data and / or instructions.

[0119] As used herein, “based on” is intended to be interpreted in the inclusive sense, unless otherwise explicitly indicated. For example, “based on” may be used interchangeably with “based at least in part on,” “associated with,” “in association with,” or “in accordance with” unless otherwise explicitly indicated. Specifically, unless a phrase refers to “based on only ‘a,’” or the equivalent in context, whatever it is that is “based on ‘a,’” or “based at least in part on ‘a,’” may be based on “a” alone or based on a combination of “a” and one or more other factors, conditions, or information.

[0120] The various illustrative components, logic, logical blocks, modules, circuits, operations, and algorithm processes described in connection with the examples disclosed herein may be implemented as electronic hardware, firmware, software, or combinations of hardware, firmware, or software, including the structures disclosed in this specification and the structural equivalents thereof. The interchangeability of hardware, firmware and software has been described generally, in terms of functionality, and illustrated in the various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits and processes described above. Whether such functionality is implemented in hardware, firmware or software depends upon the particular application and design constraints imposed on the overall system.

[0121] Various modifications to the examples described in this disclosure may be readily apparent to persons having ordinary skill in the art, and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other examples without departing from the spirit or scope of this disclosure. Thus, the claims are not intended to be limited to the examples shown herein, but are to be accorded the widest scope consistent with this disclosure, the principles and the novel features disclosed herein.

[0122] Additionally, various features that are described in this specification in the context of separate examples also can be implemented in combination in a single implementation. Conversely, various features that are described in the context of a single implementation also can be implemented in multiple examples separately or in any suitable subcombination. As such, although features may be described above as acting in particular combinations, and even initially claimed as such, one or more features from aclaimed combination can in some cases be excised from the combination, and the claimed combination may be directed to a subcombination or variation of a subcombination.

[0123] Similarly, while operations are depicted in the drawings in a particular order, this should not be understood as requiring that such operations be performed in the particular order shown or in sequential order, or that all illustrated operations be performed, to achieve desirable results. Further, the drawings may schematically depict one or more example processes in the form of a flowchart or flow diagram. However, other operations that are not depicted can be incorporated in the example processes that are schematically illustrated. For example, one or more additional operations can be performed before, after, simultaneously, or between any of the illustrated operations. In some circumstances, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Moreover, the separation of various system components in the examples described above should not be understood as requiring such separation in all examples, and it should be understood that the described program components and systems can generally be integrated together in a single software product or packaged into multiple software products.

Claims

CLAIMS1. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising: at least one memory comprising computer-executable instructions; and one or more processors configured to execute the computer-executable instructions and cause the apparatus to: output, for transmission as part of an authentication process for establishing a pairing procedure with a wireless node, a first frame, wherein the first frame includes an encrypted payload having at least a first previously obtained security key; obtain a second frame as part of the pairing procedure; and confirm the pairing procedure if the second frame also includes at least the first previously obtained security key.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least a first previously obtained key comprises at least one of: a key previously derived during a paring verification process; or a key defined during a pairing setup process.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first frame or second frame comprises an authentication frame.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first frame or the second frame comprises a pre-association security negotiation (PASN) frame.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first frame and the second frame are associated with a pairing setup or a pairing verification.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein: the one or more processors are further configured to execute the computerexecutable instructions and cause the apparatus to encrypt the at least the first previously obtained security key based on a key encryption key (KEK), and the encrypted payload comprises the encrypted first previously obtained security key.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least the first previously obtained security key comprises a neighbor aware network (NAN) identity key (NIK).

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the encrypted payload also includes one or more second previously obtained security keys.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the one or more second previously obtained security keys include at least one of: a group transient key (GTK), an integrity group transient key (IGTK), or a beacon integrity group transient key (BIGTK).

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the first frame also indicates a lifetime of at least one of the first previously obtained security key or the one or more second previously obtained security keys.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the encrypted payload is included in an information element (IE).

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the IE comprises an extensible authentication protocol (EAP) over LAN (EAPOL) IE.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the encrypted payload is included in a shared key descriptor attribute (SKDA) field of the EAPOL IE.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein: the first frame is output, for transmission, prior to obtaining the second frame.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein: the first frame is output, for transmission, after obtaining the second frame.

16. A method for wireless communications at a first wireless node, comprising: outputting, for transmission as part of an authentication process for establishing a pairing procedure with a second wireless node, a first frame, wherein the first frame includes an encrypted payload having at least a first previously obtained security key; obtaining a second frame as part of the pairing procedure; and confirming the pairing procedure if the second frame also includes at least the first previously obtained security key.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the at least a first previously obtained key comprises at least one of: a key previously derived during a paring verification process; or a key defined during a pairing setup process.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein at least one of the first frame or second frame comprises an authentication frame.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein at least one of the first frame or the second frame comprises a pre-association security negotiation (PASN) frame.

20. A first wireless station, comprising: at least one transceiver; at least one memory comprising computer-executable instructions; and one or more processors configured to execute the computer-executable instructions and cause the first wireless station to: transmit, via the at least one transceiver as part of an authentication process for establishing a pairing procedure with a second wireless station, a first frame, wherein the first frame includes an encrypted payload having at least a first previously obtained security key; receive, via the at least one transceiver, a second frame as part of the pairing procedure; and confirm the pairing procedure if the second frame also includes at least the first previously obtained security key.

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