Method and apparatus for supporting protection for control frame in wireless LAN system

Abstract

Disclosed are a method and an apparatus for supporting protection for a control frame in a wireless LAN system. A method performed by a first STA in a wireless local area network (WLAN) system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may comprise the steps of: checking key information related to protection for a control frame; receiving, from a second STA, a control frame to which the protection is applied; and performing an integrity check on the control frame on the basis of the key information. Here, a user information list field in the control frame includes one or more specific field structures including protection information for the integrity check, and each specific field structure may include an association ID (AID) field set to a value related to the protection information.

Description

Method and device for supporting protection of control frames in a wireless LAN system

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a method and device for supporting protection of a control frame in a wireless local area network (WLAN) system.

[0002] New technologies have been introduced for wireless local area networks (WLANs) to improve transmission rates, increase bandwidth, enhance reliability, reduce errors, and reduce latency. Among WLAN technologies, the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) 802.11 series of standards can be referred to as Wi-Fi. For example, recently introduced technologies for WLANs include enhancements for Very High Throughput (VHT) in the 802.11ac standard and enhancements for High Efficiency (HE) in the IEEE 802.11ax standard.

[0003] To provide a more advanced wireless communication environment, improved technologies for Extremely High Throughput (EHT) are being discussed. For example, technologies for Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO), which supports increased bandwidth, efficient utilization of multiple bands, and increased spatial streams, and for coordination of multiple access points (APs), are being studied. In particular, various technologies are being studied to support low latency or real-time traffic. Furthermore, new technologies are being discussed to support ultra-high reliability (UHR), including improvements or extensions of EHT technology.

[0004] The technical problem of the present disclosure is to provide a method and device for supporting protection of a control frame in a wireless LAN system.

[0005] The technical problem of the present disclosure is to provide a method and device for supporting an integrity check based on BIP (Broadcast / multicast integrity protocol) for a trigger frame in a wireless LAN system.

[0006] The technical problem of the present disclosure is to provide a method and device for configuring a trigger frame format that takes into account a case where a user information field for a station (STA) that does not support protection for a trigger frame in a wireless LAN system is included in the trigger frame.

[0007] The technical problems to be achieved in the present disclosure are not limited to the technical problems mentioned above, and other technical problems not mentioned can be clearly understood by a person having ordinary skill in the technical field to which the present disclosure belongs from the description below.

[0008] A method performed by a first station (STA) in a wireless local area network (WLAN) system according to one aspect of the present disclosure may include: verifying key information related to protection for a control frame; receiving a control frame to which the protection has been applied from a second STA; and performing an integrity check for the control frame based on the key information. Here, a user information list field in the control frame may include one or more specific field structures including protection information for the integrity check, and each specific field structure may include an association ID (AID) field set to a value related to the protection information.

[0009] A method performed by a second station (STA) in a wireless local area network (WLAN) system according to an additional aspect of the present disclosure may include: verifying key information related to protection for a control frame; constructing a control frame including protection information for an integrity check based on the key information; and transmitting the control frame to which the protection has been applied to a first STA. Here, a user information list field in the control frame may include one or more specific field structures including the protection information, and each specific field structure may include an association ID (AID) field set to a value related to the protection information.

[0010] According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, a method and device for supporting protection for a control frame in a wireless LAN system may be provided.

[0011] According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, a method and device for supporting BIP-based integrity check for a trigger frame in a wireless LAN system may be provided.

[0012] According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, a method and apparatus for configuring a trigger frame format that takes into account a case where a user information field for a station (STA) that does not support protection for a trigger frame in a wireless LAN system is included in the trigger frame may be provided.

[0013] The effects that can be obtained from the present disclosure are not limited to the effects mentioned above, and other effects that are not mentioned will be clearly understood by a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure pertains from the description below.

[0014] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and are part of the detailed description to aid in understanding the present disclosure, provide embodiments of the present disclosure and, together with the detailed description, describe the technical features of the present disclosure.

[0015] FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of a wireless communication device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0016] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an exemplary structure of a wireless LAN system to which the present disclosure can be applied.

[0017] FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining a link setup process to which the present disclosure can be applied.

[0018] FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a backoff process to which the present disclosure can be applied.

[0019] FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining a CSMA / CA-based frame transmission operation to which the present disclosure can be applied.

[0020] FIG. 6 is a drawing for explaining an example of a frame structure used in a wireless LAN system to which the present disclosure can be applied.

[0021] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating examples of PPDUs defined in the IEEE 802.11 standard to which the present disclosure can be applied.

[0022] FIG. 8 is a drawing showing an exemplary format of a trigger frame to which the present disclosure can be applied.

[0023] Figure 9 illustrates a BIP MMPDU format applicable to the present disclosure.

[0024] FIG. 10 illustrates a protection information field / subfield format according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0025] FIG. 11 illustrates an example of a trigger frame configuration supporting integrity check according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0026] FIG. 12 illustrates another example of a trigger frame configuration supporting integrity checking according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0027] FIG. 13 illustrates another example of a trigger frame configuration supporting integrity checking according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0028] FIG. 14 illustrates another example of a trigger frame configuration supporting integrity checking according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0029] FIG. 15 illustrates the operation of a transmitting STA that supports integrity check for a trigger frame according to the present disclosure.

[0030] FIG. 16 illustrates the operation of a receiving STA that supports integrity check for a trigger frame according to the present disclosure.

[0031] FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating an example of a method performed by a first STA according to the present disclosure.

[0032] FIG. 18 is a drawing for explaining an example of a method performed by a second STA according to the present disclosure.

[0033] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The detailed description set forth below, together with the accompanying drawings, is intended to explain exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure and is not intended to represent the only embodiments in which the present disclosure may be practiced. The following detailed description includes specific details to provide a thorough understanding of the present disclosure. However, one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the present disclosure may be practiced without these specific details.

[0034] In some cases, to avoid obscuring the concepts of the present disclosure, known structures and devices may be omitted or illustrated in block diagram form focusing on the core functions of each structure and device.

[0035] In the present disclosure, when a component is said to be "connected," "coupled," or "connected" to another component, this may include not only a direct connection but also an indirect connection in which another component exists between them. Furthermore, the terms "comprises" or "has" in the present disclosure specify the presence of the mentioned features, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof.

[0036] In this disclosure, terms such as “first,” “second,” etc. are used only to distinguish one component from another and are not used to limit the components, and do not limit the order or importance between the components unless specifically stated otherwise. Accordingly, within the scope of this disclosure, a first component in one embodiment may be referred to as a second component in another embodiment, and similarly, a second component in one embodiment may be referred to as a first component in another embodiment.

[0037] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments and is not intended to limit the scope of the claims. As used in the description of the embodiments and the appended claims, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. The term "and / or" as used herein may refer to any one of the associated enumerated items, or is meant to refer to and encompass any and all possible combinations of two or more of them. Furthermore, the use of " / " between words in this disclosure has the same meaning as "and / or" unless otherwise stated.

[0038] The examples of the present disclosure can be applied to various wireless communication systems. For example, the examples of the present disclosure can be applied to a wireless LAN system. For example, the examples of the present disclosure can be applied to a wireless LAN based on the IEEE 802.11a / g / n / ac / ax / be standards. Furthermore, the examples of the present disclosure can be applied to a wireless LAN based on the newly proposed IEEE 802.11bn (or UHR) standard. Additionally, the examples of the present disclosure can be applied to a wireless LAN based on the next-generation standard after IEEE 802.11bn. Furthermore, the examples of the present disclosure can be applied to a cellular wireless communication system. For example, the examples of the present disclosure can be applied to a cellular wireless communication system based on the LTE (Long Term Evolution) series of technologies and the 5G NR (New Radio) series of technologies of the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) standard.

[0039] Below, technical features to which examples of the present disclosure can be applied are described.

[0040] FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of a wireless communication device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0041] The first device (100) and the second device (200) illustrated in FIG. 1 may be replaced with various terms such as a terminal, a wireless device, a WTRU (Wireless Transmit Receive Unit), a UE (User Equipment), an MS (Mobile Station), a UT (user terminal), an MSS (Mobile Subscriber Station), an MSS (Mobile Subscriber Unit), an SS (Subscriber Station), an AMS (Advanced Mobile Station), a WT (Wireless terminal), or simply a user. In addition, the first device (100) and the second device (200) may be replaced with various terms such as an access point (AP), a BS (Base Station), a fixed station, a Node B, a BTS (Base Transceiver System), a network, an AI (Artificial Intelligence) system, an RSU (road side unit), a repeater, a router, a relay, a gateway, etc.

[0042] The devices (100, 200) illustrated in FIG. 1 may also be referred to as stations (STAs). For example, the devices (100, 200) illustrated in FIG. 1 may be referred to by various terms such as transmitting device, receiving device, transmitting STA, and receiving STA. For example, the STAs (110, 200) may perform an AP (access point) role or a non-AP role. That is, in the present disclosure, the STAs (110, 200) may perform the functions of an AP and / or a non-AP. When the STAs (110, 200) perform an AP function, they may simply be referred to as APs, and when the STAs (110, 200) perform a non-AP function, they may simply be referred to as STAs. In addition, in the present disclosure, the APs may also be referred to as AP STAs.

[0043] Referring to FIG. 1, the first device (100) and the second device (200) can transmit and receive wireless signals through various wireless LAN technologies (e.g., IEEE 802.11 series). The first device (100) and the second device (200) can include interfaces for a medium access control (MAC) layer and a physical layer (PHY) that follow the provisions of the IEEE 802.11 standard.

[0044] In addition, the first device (100) and the second device (200) may additionally support various communication standards (e.g., 3GPP LTE series, 5G NR series standards, etc.) other than wireless LAN technology. In addition, the device of the present disclosure may be implemented as various devices such as a mobile phone, a vehicle, a personal computer, an AR (Augmented Reality) device, a VR (Virtual Reality) device, etc. In addition, the STA of the present specification may support various communication services such as voice calls, video calls, data communications, autonomous driving, MTC (Machine-Type Communication), M2M (Machine-to-Machine), D2D (Device-to-Device), and IoT (Internet-of-Things).

[0045] A first device (100) includes one or more processors (102) and one or more memories (104), and may further include one or more transceivers (106) and / or one or more antennas (108). The processor (102) controls the memories (104) and / or the transceivers (106), and may be configured to implement the descriptions, functions, procedures, proposals, methods, and / or operational flowcharts disclosed in the present disclosure. For example, the processor (102) may process information in the memories (104) to generate first information / signals, and then transmit a wireless signal including the first information / signals via the transceivers (106). Furthermore, the processor (102) may receive a wireless signal including second information / signals via the transceivers (106), and then store information obtained from signal processing of the second information / signals in the memory (104). The memory (104) may be connected to the processor (102) and may store various information related to the operation of the processor (102). For example, the memory (104) may perform some or all of the processes controlled by the processor (102), or may store software code including instructions for performing the descriptions, functions, procedures, proposals, methods, and / or operation flowcharts disclosed in the present disclosure. Here, the processor (102) and the memory (104) may be part of a communication modem / circuit / chip designed to implement a wireless LAN technology (e.g., IEEE 802.11 series). The transceiver (106) may be connected to the processor (102) and may transmit and / or receive wireless signals via one or more antennas (108). The transceiver (106) may include a transmitter and / or a receiver. The transceiver (106) may be used interchangeably with an RF (Radio Frequency) unit. In the present disclosure, a device may also mean a communication modem / circuit / chip.

[0046] The second device (200) includes one or more processors (202), one or more memories (204), and may further include one or more transceivers (206) and / or one or more antennas (208). The processor (202) controls the memories (204) and / or the transceivers (206), and may be configured to implement the descriptions, functions, procedures, proposals, methods, and / or operational flowcharts disclosed in the present disclosure. For example, the processor (202) may process information in the memory (204) to generate third information / signals, and then transmit a wireless signal including the third information / signals via the transceivers (206). Furthermore, the processor (202) may receive a wireless signal including fourth information / signals via the transceivers (206), and then store information obtained from signal processing of the fourth information / signals in the memory (204). The memory (204) may be connected to the processor (202) and may store various information related to the operation of the processor (202). For example, the memory (204) may perform some or all of the processes controlled by the processor (202), or may store software code including instructions for performing the descriptions, functions, procedures, proposals, methods, and / or operation flowcharts disclosed in the present disclosure. Here, the processor (202) and the memory (204) may be part of a communication modem / circuit / chip designed to implement a wireless LAN technology (e.g., IEEE 802.11 series). The transceiver (206) may be connected to the processor (202) and may transmit and / or receive wireless signals via one or more antennas (208). The transceiver (206) may include a transmitter and / or a receiver. The transceiver (206) may be used interchangeably with an RF unit. In the present disclosure, a device may also mean a communication modem / circuit / chip.

[0047] Hereinafter, the hardware elements of the device (100, 200) will be described in more detail. Although not limited thereto, one or more protocol layers may be implemented by one or more processors (102, 202). For example, one or more processors (102, 202) may implement one or more layers (e.g., functional layers such as PHY, MAC). One or more processors (102, 202) may generate one or more Protocol Data Units (PDUs) and / or one or more Service Data Units (SDUs) according to the descriptions, functions, procedures, proposals, methods, and / or operational flowcharts disclosed in the present disclosure. One or more processors (102, 202) may generate messages, control information, data, or information according to the descriptions, functions, procedures, proposals, methods, and / or operational flowcharts disclosed in the present disclosure. One or more processors (102, 202) can generate signals (e.g., baseband signals) including PDUs, SDUs, messages, control information, data or information according to the functions, procedures, proposals and / or methods disclosed in the present disclosure, and provide the signals to one or more transceivers (106, 206). One or more processors (102, 202) can receive signals (e.g., baseband signals) from one or more transceivers (106, 206) and obtain PDUs, SDUs, messages, control information, data or information according to the descriptions, functions, procedures, proposals, methods and / or operational flowcharts disclosed in the present disclosure.

[0048] One or more processors (102, 202) may be referred to as a controller, a microcontroller, a microprocessor, or a microcomputer. One or more processors (102, 202) may be implemented by hardware, firmware, software, or a combination thereof. For example, one or more Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), one or more Digital Signal Processors (DSPs), one or more Digital Signal Processing Devices (DSPDs), one or more Programmable Logic Devices (PLDs), or one or more Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) may be included in one or more processors (102, 202). The descriptions, functions, procedures, proposals, methods, and / or operational flowcharts disclosed in this disclosure may be implemented using firmware or software, and the firmware or software may be implemented to include modules, procedures, functions, etc. The descriptions, functions, procedures, proposals, methods and / or operation flowcharts disclosed in this disclosure may be implemented using firmware or software configured to perform one or more processors (102, 202) or stored in one or more memories (104, 204) and driven by one or more processors (102, 202). The descriptions, functions, procedures, proposals, methods and / or operation flowcharts disclosed in this disclosure may be implemented using firmware or software in the form of codes, instructions and / or sets of instructions.

[0049] One or more memories (104, 204) may be coupled to one or more processors (102, 202) and may store various forms of data, signals, messages, information, programs, codes, instructions, and / or commands. The one or more memories (104, 204) may be configured as ROM, RAM, EPROM, flash memory, hard drives, registers, cache memory, computer-readable storage media, and / or combinations thereof. The one or more memories (104, 204) may be located internally and / or externally to the one or more processors (102, 202). Additionally, the one or more memories (104, 204) may be coupled to the one or more processors (102, 202) via various technologies, such as wired or wireless connections.

[0050] One or more transceivers (106, 206) can transmit user data, control information, wireless signals / channels, etc., as mentioned in the methods and / or flowcharts of the present disclosure, to one or more other devices. One or more transceivers (106, 206) can receive user data, control information, wireless signals / channels, etc., as mentioned in the descriptions, functions, procedures, proposals, methods and / or flowcharts of the present disclosure, from one or more other devices. For example, one or more transceivers (106, 206) can be coupled to one or more processors (102, 202) and can transmit and receive wireless signals. For example, one or more processors (102, 202) can control one or more transceivers (106, 206) to transmit user data, control information, or wireless signals to one or more other devices. Additionally, one or more processors (102, 202) may control one or more transceivers (106, 206) to receive user data, control information, or wireless signals from one or more other devices. Additionally, one or more transceivers (106, 206) may be coupled to one or more antennas (108, 208), and one or more transceivers (106, 206) may be configured to transmit and receive user data, control information, wireless signals / channels, or the like, as referred to in the descriptions, functions, procedures, proposals, methods, and / or operational flowcharts disclosed in the present disclosure, via one or more antennas (108, 208). In the present disclosure, one or more antennas may be multiple physical antennas or multiple logical antennas (e.g., antenna ports). One or more transceivers (106, 206) can convert received user data, control information, wireless signals / channels, etc. from RF band signals to baseband signals in order to process the received user data, control information, wireless signals / channels, etc. using one or more processors (102, 202).One or more transceivers (106, 206) may convert user data, control information, wireless signals / channels, etc. processed by one or more processors (102, 202) from baseband signals to RF band signals. For this purpose, one or more transceivers (106, 206) may include an (analog) oscillator and / or filter.

[0051] For example, one of the STAs (100, 200) may perform the intended operation of an AP, and the other of the STAs (100, 200) may perform the intended operation of a non-AP STA. For example, the transceivers (106, 206) of FIG. 1 may perform transmission and reception operations of signals (e.g., packets or PPDUs (Physical layer Protocol Data Units) according to IEEE 802.11a / b / g / n / ac / ax / be / bn, etc.). In addition, in the present disclosure, operations in which various STAs generate transmission and reception signals or perform data processing or calculations in advance for transmission and reception signals may be performed in the processors (102, 202) of FIG. 1. For example, an example of an operation for generating a transmission / reception signal or performing data processing or operation in advance for a transmission / reception signal may include 1) an operation for determining / obtaining / configuring / computing / decoding / encoding bit information of a field (SIG (signal), STF (short training field), LTF (long training field), Data, etc.) included in a PPDU, 2) an operation for determining / configuring / obtaining time resources or frequency resources (e.g., subcarrier resources) used for a field (SIG, STF, LTF, Data, etc.) included in a PPDU, 3) an operation for determining / configuring / obtaining a specific sequence (e.g., a pilot sequence, an STF / LTF sequence, an extra sequence applied to SIG) used for a field (SIG, STF, LTF, Data, etc.) included in a PPDU, 4) a power control operation and / or a power saving operation applied to an STA, 5) an operation related to determining / obtaining / configuring / computing / decoding / encoding an ACK signal, etc. Additionally, in the examples below, various information (e.g., information related to fields / subfields / control fields / parameters / power, etc.) used by various STAs for determining / acquiring / configuring / computing / decoding / encoding transmission / reception signals can be stored in the memory (104, 204) of FIG. 1.

[0052] Hereinafter, downlink (DL) refers to a link for communication from an AP STA to a non-AP STA, and downlink PPDUs / packets / signals, etc. can be transmitted and received through the downlink. In downlink communication, the transmitter may be part of an AP STA, and the receiver may be part of a non-AP STA. Uplink (UL) refers to a link for communication from a non-AP STA to an AP STA, and uplink PPDUs / packets / signals, etc. can be transmitted and received through the uplink. In uplink communication, the transmitter may be part of a non-AP STA, and the receiver may be part of an AP STA.

[0053] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an exemplary structure of a wireless LAN system to which the present disclosure can be applied.

[0054] The structure of a wireless LAN system can be composed of multiple components. Through the interaction of multiple components, a wireless LAN that supports transparent STA mobility to the upper layer can be provided. A Basic Service Set (BSS) corresponds to a basic building block of a wireless LAN. FIG. 2 illustrates, by way of example, the existence of two BSSs (BSS1 and BSS2) and the inclusion of two STAs as members of each BSS (STA1 and STA2 are included in BSS1, and STA3 and STA4 are included in BSS2). The oval representing a BSS in FIG. 2 can also be understood as representing a coverage area in which STAs included in the corresponding BSS maintain communication. This area can be referred to as a Basic Service Area (BSA). When an STA moves outside of a BSA, it cannot directly communicate with other STAs within the BSA.

[0055] If we do not consider the DS illustrated in Figure 2, the most basic type of BSS in a wireless LAN is an Independent BSS (IBSS). For example, an IBSS can have a minimal form consisting of only two STAs. For example, assuming other components are omitted, BSS1 consisting of only STA1 and STA2, or BSS2 consisting of only STA3 and STA4, can be representative examples of an IBSS, respectively. Such a configuration is possible when the STAs can communicate directly without an AP. Furthermore, in this type of WLAN, a LAN can be configured when needed rather than being planned in advance, and this can be called an ad-hoc network. Since an IBSS does not include an AP, there is no centralized management entity. That is, in an IBSS, STAs are managed in a distributed manner. In IBSS, all STAs can be mobile STAs, and access to distributed systems (DS) is not permitted, forming a self-contained network.

[0056] An STA's membership in a BSS can dynamically change, for example, when an STA is turned on or off, or when an STA enters or leaves a BSS area. To become a member of a BSS, an STA can join the BSS using a synchronization process. To access all services in the BSS infrastructure, an STA must be associated with the BSS. This association can be dynamically established and may involve the use of a Distribution System Service (DSS).

[0057] In a wireless LAN, the direct STA-to-STA distance can be limited by PHY performance. While this distance limit may be sufficient in some cases, communication between STAs over longer distances may be required in other cases. To support extended coverage, a distributed system (DS) can be configured.

[0058] DS refers to a structure in which BSSs are interconnected. Specifically, a BSS may exist as an extended component of a network composed of multiple BSSs, as illustrated in Figure 2. DS is a logical concept and can be specified by the characteristics of a distributed system medium (DSM). In this regard, the Wireless Medium (WM) and DSM can be logically distinguished. Each logical medium is used for a different purpose and by different components. These media are neither limited to being identical nor limited to being different. This logical difference between multiple media explains the flexibility of the WLAN architecture (DS architecture or other network architectures). In other words, the WLAN architecture can be implemented in various ways, and the physical characteristics of each implementation can independently specify the WLAN architecture.

[0059] A DS can support mobile devices by providing seamless integration of multiple BSSs and the logical services necessary to handle addresses to destinations. Additionally, a DS may further include a component called a portal, which acts as a bridge for connecting wireless LANs to other networks (e.g., IEEE 802.X).

[0060] An AP is an entity that enables access to a DS through a WM for associated non-AP STAs and also has the functionality of an STA. Data movement between a BSS and a DS can be performed through an AP. For example, STA2 and STA3 illustrated in FIG. 2 have the functionality of an STA and provide the function of allowing associated non-AP STAs (STA1 and STA4) to access the DS. In addition, since all APs are basically STAs, all APs are addressable entities. The address used by an AP for communication on a WM and the address used by an AP for communication on a DSM do not necessarily have to be the same. A BSS consisting of an AP and one or more STAs can be referred to as an infrastructure BSS.

[0061] Data transmitted from one of the STA(s) associated with an AP to the STA address of that AP is always received on an uncontrolled port and can be processed by an IEEE 802.1X port access entity. In addition, if the controlled port is authenticated, the transmitted data (or frame) can be forwarded to the DS.

[0062] In addition to the structure of the DS described above, an extended service set (ESS) may be established to provide wider coverage.

[0063] An ESS is a network of arbitrary size and complexity, consisting of DSs and BSSs. An ESS may correspond to a set of BSSs connected to a DS. However, an ESS does not include a DS. An ESS network is characterized by appearing as an IBSS at the Logical Link Control (LLC) layer. STAs within an ESS can communicate with each other, and mobile STAs can move from one BSS to another (within the same ESS) transparently to the LLC. APs within an ESS may have the same SSID (service set identification). The SSID is distinct from the BSSID, which is the identifier of the BSS.

[0064] In a wireless LAN system, no assumptions are made about the relative physical locations of BSSs, and all of the following configurations are possible: BSSs can be partially overlapping, which is commonly used to provide continuous coverage. BSSs can also be physically disconnected, and there is no logical distance limit between them. BSSs can also be physically co-located, which can be used to provide redundancy. Furthermore, one (or more) IBSS or ESS networks can physically co-exist with one (or more) ESS networks. This can occur in cases where an ad-hoc network operates at the same location as an ESS network, where physically overlapping wireless networks are configured by different organizations, or where two or more different access and security policies are required at the same location.

[0065] FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining a link setup process to which the present disclosure can be applied.

[0066] For an STA to set up a link and transmit and receive data on a network, it must first discover the network, perform authentication, establish an association, and complete security authentication procedures. The link setup process can also be referred to as the session initiation process or session setup process. Furthermore, the discovery, authentication, association, and security setup processes of the link setup process can be collectively referred to as the association process.

[0067] In step S310, the STA may perform a network discovery operation. This network discovery operation may include scanning operations by the STA. That is, for the STA to access a network, it must search for available networks. Before joining a wireless network, the STA must identify compatible networks. The process of identifying networks in a specific area is called scanning.

[0068] Scanning methods include active scanning and passive scanning. Figure 3 illustrates a network discovery operation including an active scanning process as an example. In active scanning, an STA performing scanning transmits a probe request frame to discover any APs in the vicinity while moving between channels and waits for a response. The responder transmits a probe response frame in response to the STA that transmitted the probe request frame. Here, the responder may be the STA that last transmitted a beacon frame in the BSS of the channel being scanned. In the BSS, the AP transmits the beacon frame, so the AP becomes the responder. In the IBSS, the STAs within the IBSS take turns transmitting beacon frames, so the responder is not fixed. For example, an STA that transmits a probe request frame on channel 1 and receives a probe response frame on channel 1 can store BSS-related information included in the received probe response frame and move to the next channel (e.g., channel 2) to perform scanning (i.e., transmitting and receiving probe requests / responses on channel 2) in the same manner.

[0069] Although not shown in Figure 3, the scanning operation can also be performed in a passive scanning manner. In passive scanning, the STA performing the scanning moves between channels and waits for a beacon frame. A beacon frame is one of the management frames defined in IEEE 802.11. It announces the existence of a wireless network and is periodically transmitted so that the STA performing the scanning can find the wireless network and participate in the wireless network. In the BSS, the AP performs the role of periodically transmitting the beacon frame, and in the IBSS, the STAs within the IBSS take turns transmitting the beacon frame. When the STA performing the scanning receives a beacon frame, it stores the information about the BSS included in the beacon frame and moves to another channel, recording the beacon frame information on each channel. The STA receiving the beacon frame stores the BSS-related information included in the received beacon frame and moves to the next channel to perform scanning on the next channel in the same manner. Comparing active scanning and passive scanning, active scanning has the advantage of lower delay and power consumption than passive scanning.

[0070] After the STA discovers the network, an authentication process may be performed in step S320. This authentication process may be referred to as the first authentication process to clearly distinguish it from the security setup operation of step S340 described below.

[0071] The authentication process involves the STA sending an authentication request frame to the AP, and the AP responding by sending an authentication response frame to the STA. The authentication frame used for the authentication request / response corresponds to a management frame.

[0072] The authentication frame may include information such as an authentication algorithm number, an authentication transaction sequence number, a status code, a challenge text, a Robust Security Network (RSN), and a Finite Cyclic Group. These are just some examples of information that may be included in an authentication request / response frame, and may be replaced with other information or include additional information.

[0073] An STA can send an authentication request frame to an AP. The AP can determine whether to grant authentication to the STA based on the information contained in the received authentication request frame. The AP can provide the result of the authentication process to the STA via an authentication response frame.

[0074] After the STA is successfully authenticated, an association process may be performed in step S330. The association process includes a process in which the STA transmits an association request frame to the AP, and in response, the AP transmits an association response frame to the STA.

[0075] For example, the association request frame may include information about various capabilities, a beacon listen interval, a service set identifier (SSID), supported rates, supported channels, an RSN, a mobility domain, supported operating classes, a Traffic Indication Map Broadcast request, interworking service capabilities, etc. For example, the association response frame may include information about various capabilities, a status code, an Association ID (AID), supported rates, an Enhanced Distributed Channel Access (EDCA) parameter set, a Received Channel Power Indicator (RCPI), a Received Signal to Noise Indicator (RSNI), a mobility domain, a timeout interval (e.g., an association comeback time), overlapping BSS scan parameters, a TIM broadcast response, a Quality of Service (QoS) map, etc. These are just some examples of information that may be included in a combined request / response frame, and may be replaced by other information or include additional information.

[0076] After the STA successfully joins the network, a security setup process may be performed in step S340. The security setup process in step S340 may be referred to as an authentication process through a Robust Security Network Association (RSNA) request / response, the authentication process in step S320 may be referred to as a first authentication process, and the security setup process in step S340 may also be referred to simply as an authentication process.

[0077] The security setup process of step S340 may include, for example, a process of establishing a private key through a four-way handshaking using an Extensible Authentication Protocol over LAN (EAPOL) frame. Furthermore, the security setup process may be performed according to a security method not defined in the IEEE 802.11 standard.

[0078] FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a backoff process to which the present disclosure can be applied.

[0079] In wireless LAN systems, the basic access mechanism of MAC (Medium Access Control) is Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Avoidance (CSMA / CA). The CSMA / CA mechanism, also known as the Distributed Coordination Function (DCF) of the IEEE 802.11 MAC, essentially employs a "listen before talk" access mechanism. According to this type of access mechanism, the AP and / or STA may perform a Clear Channel Assessment (CCA) to sense the wireless channel or medium for a predetermined time period (e.g., a DCF Inter-Frame Space (DIFS)) before starting transmission. If the sensing result determines that the medium is in an idle state, the AP and / or STA may start transmitting frames through the medium. On the other hand, if the medium is detected to be occupied or busy, the AP and / or STA may not start its own transmission, but may wait for a delay period (e.g., a random backoff period) for medium access before attempting to transmit frames. By applying a random backoff period, multiple STAs are expected to attempt to transmit frames after waiting for different periods of time, thereby minimizing collisions.

[0080] In addition, the IEEE 802.11 MAC protocol provides the Hybrid Coordination Function (HCF). The HCF is based on the DCF and the Point Coordination Function (PCF). The PCF is a polling-based synchronous access method that periodically polls all receiving APs and / or STAs to ensure that they receive data frames. In addition, the HCF has the Enhanced Distributed Channel Access (EDCA) and the HCF Controlled Channel Access (HCCA). The EDCA is a contention-based access method for a provider to provide data frames to multiple users, while the HCCA uses a non-contention-based channel access method that utilizes a polling mechanism. In addition, the HCF includes a medium access mechanism to improve the Quality of Service (QoS) of the wireless LAN, and can transmit QoS data in both the Contention Period (CP) and the Contention Free Period (CFP).

[0081] Referring to Fig. 4, an operation based on a random backoff period is described. When a medium that was occupied / busy changes to an idle state, multiple STAs can attempt to transmit data (or frames). To minimize collisions, each STA can select a random backoff count, wait for the corresponding slot time, and then attempt transmission. The random backoff count has a pseudo-random integer value and can be determined as one of the values ​​in the range of 0 to CW. Here, CW is a contention window parameter value. The CW parameter is given an initial value of CWmin, but can take a value doubled in case of transmission failure (e.g., when an ACK for a transmitted frame is not received). When the CW parameter value becomes CWmax, data transmission can be attempted while maintaining the CWmax value until data transmission is successful, and if data transmission is successful, it is reset to the CWmin value. The CW, CWmin, and CWmax values ​​are 2. n It is desirable to set it to -1 (n=0, 1, 2, ...).

[0082] Once the random backoff process begins, the STA continues to monitor the medium while counting down the backoff slots according to the determined backoff count value. If the medium is monitored as occupied, the countdown stops and waits. When the medium becomes idle, the remaining countdown resumes.

[0083] In the example of FIG. 4, when a packet to be transmitted reaches the MAC of STA3, STA3 can immediately transmit a frame if it confirms that the medium is idle for DIFS. The remaining STAs monitor the medium for occupied / busy states and wait. In the meantime, data to be transmitted may also occur in each of STA1, STA2, and STA5, and each STA can count down the backoff slot according to a random backoff count value selected by each STA after waiting for DIFS if the medium is monitored as idle. Assume that STA2 selects the smallest backoff count value and STA1 selects the largest backoff count value. In other words, this example shows a case where the remaining backoff time of STA5 is shorter than the remaining backoff time of STA1 when STA2 finishes the backoff count and starts frame transmission. STA1 and STA5 briefly stop counting down and wait while STA2 occupies the medium. When STA2's occupation ends and the medium becomes idle again, STA1 and STA5 wait for DIFS and then resume the backoff count that they had stopped. That is, they can start transmitting frames after counting down the remaining backoff slots equal to the remaining backoff time. Since STA5's remaining backoff time is shorter than STA1's, STA5 starts transmitting frames. While STA2 occupies the medium, STA4 may also have data to transmit. From STA4's perspective, when the medium becomes idle, it waits for DIFS, counts down according to its selected random backoff count value, and then starts transmitting frames. In the example of Figure 4, the remaining backoff time of STA5 coincidentally matches the random backoff count value of STA4, in which case a collision may occur between STA4 and STA5. If a collision occurs, neither STA4 nor STA5 will receive an ACK, resulting in a failure in data transmission.In this case, STA4 and STA5 can select a random backoff count value and perform a countdown after doubling the CW value. STA1 waits while the medium is occupied by transmissions from STA4 and STA5, and when the medium becomes idle, it waits for DIFS and can start transmitting frames after the remaining backoff time elapses.

[0084] As in the example of Fig. 4, a data frame is a frame used for transmitting data forwarded to a higher layer, and can be transmitted after a backoff performed after DIFS elapses from when the medium becomes idle. Additionally, a management frame is a frame used for exchanging management information that is not forwarded to a higher layer, and is transmitted after a backoff performed after an IFS elapses, such as DIFS or PIFS (Point coordination function IFS). Subtype frames of a management frame include a beacon, an association request / response, a re-association request / response, a probe request / response, and an authentication request / response. A control frame is a frame used to control access to the medium. The subtype frames of the control frame include Request-To-Send (RTS), Clear-To-Send (CTS), Acknowledgment (ACK), Power Save-Poll (PS-Poll), Block ACK (BlockAck), Block ACK Request (BlockACKReq), Null Data Packet Announcement (NDP), and Trigger. If the control frame is not a response frame to the previous frame, it is transmitted after a backoff performed after the DIFS (Direct Inverse Frame Stop) has elapsed, and if it is a response frame to the previous frame, it is transmitted without a backoff performed after the SIFS (short IFS). The type and subtype of the frame can be identified by the type field and subtype field in the Frame Control (FC) field.

[0085] A QoS (Quality of Service) STA can transmit a frame after a backoff performed after the AIFS (arbitration IFS) for the access category (AC) to which the frame belongs, i.e., AIFS[i] (where i is a value determined by the AC), has elapsed. Here, the frames for which AIFS[i] can be used can be data frames, management frames, and also control frames that are not response frames.

[0086] FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining a CSMA / CA-based frame transmission operation to which the present disclosure can be applied.

[0087] As mentioned above, the CSMA / CA mechanism includes virtual carrier sensing in addition to physical carrier sensing, in which STAs directly sense the medium. Virtual carrier sensing is intended to address potential issues in medium access, such as the hidden node problem. For virtual carrier sensing, the MAC of an STA can utilize a Network Allocation Vector (NAV). The NAV is a value that an STA that is currently using or has the right to use the medium indicates to other STAs the remaining time until the medium becomes available. Therefore, the value set as NAV corresponds to the period during which the STA transmitting the frame is scheduled to use the medium, and an STA receiving the NAV value is prohibited from accessing the medium during that period. For example, the NAV can be set based on the value of the "duration" field in the MAC header of the frame.

[0088] In the example of FIG. 5, it is assumed that STA1 wants to transmit data to STA2, and STA3 is in a position to overhear some or all of the frames transmitted and received between STA1 and STA2.

[0089] In order to reduce the possibility of collisions in transmissions of multiple STAs in a CSMA / CA-based frame transmission operation, a mechanism using RTS / CTS frames may be applied. In the example of FIG. 5, while STA1 is transmitting, STA3 may determine that the medium is idle based on carrier sensing results. That is, STA1 may correspond to a hidden node for STA3. Alternatively, in the example of FIG. 5, while STA2 is transmitting, STA3 may determine that the medium is idle based on carrier sensing results. That is, STA2 may correspond to a hidden node for STA3. By exchanging RTS / CTS frames before performing data transmission and reception between STA1 and STA2, STAs outside the transmission range of either STA1 or STA2, or STAs outside the carrier sensing range for transmissions from STA1 or STA3, may not attempt to occupy the channel during data transmission and reception between STA1 and STA2.

[0090] Specifically, STA1 can determine whether a channel is occupied through carrier sensing. In terms of physical carrier sensing, STA1 can determine channel occupancy idleness based on the energy level or signal correlation detected in the channel. Furthermore, in terms of virtual carrier sensing, STA1 can determine the channel occupancy status using a network allocation vector (NAV) timer.

[0091] STA1 can transmit an RTS frame to STA2 after performing a backoff if the channel is idle during the DIFS. STA2 can transmit a CTS frame, which is a response to the RTS frame, to STA1 after an SIFS if it receives the RTS frame.

[0092] If STA3 cannot overhear a CTS frame from STA2 but can overhear an RTS frame from STA1, STA3 can use the duration information contained in the RTS frame to set a NAV timer for the subsequent consecutively transmitted frame transmission period (e.g., SIFS + CTS frame + SIFS + data frame + SIFS + ACK frame). Alternatively, if STA3 cannot overhear an RTS frame from STA1 but can overhear a CTS frame from STA2, STA3 can use the duration information contained in the CTS frame to set a NAV timer for the subsequent consecutively transmitted frame transmission period (e.g., SIFS + data frame + SIFS + ACK frame). That is, if STA3 can overhear one or more of the RTS or CTS frames from one or more of STA1 or STA2, it can set a NAV accordingly. If STA3 receives a new frame before the NAV timer expires, it can update the NAV timer using the duration information contained in the new frame. STA3 does not attempt channel access until the NAV timer expires.

[0093] If STA1 receives a CTS frame from STA2, it can transmit a data frame to STA2 after SIFS from the time when the CTS frame is completely received. If STA2 successfully receives the data frame, it can transmit an ACK frame in response to the data frame to STA1 after SIFS. STA3 can determine whether the channel is in use through carrier sensing if the NAV timer expires. If STA3 determines that the channel is not in use by another terminal during the DIFS after the NAV timer expires, it can attempt channel access after a contention window (CW) based on a random backoff has elapsed.

[0094] FIG. 6 is a drawing for explaining an example of a frame structure used in a wireless LAN system to which the present disclosure can be applied.

[0095] The PHY layer can prepare an MPDU (MAC PDU) to be transmitted based on an instruction or primitive (meaning a set of instructions or parameters) from the MAC layer. For example, when a command requesting the start of transmission of the PHY layer is received from the MAC layer, the PHY layer can switch to transmission mode and transmit the information (e.g., data) provided by the MAC layer in the form of a frame. In addition, when the PHY layer detects a valid preamble of the received frame, it monitors the header of the preamble and sends a command to the MAC layer notifying the start of reception of the PHY layer.

[0096] In this way, information transmission / reception in a wireless LAN system is done in the form of frames, and for this purpose, the PHY layer Protocol Data Unit (PPDU) format is defined.

[0097] A basic PPDU may include a Short Training Field (STF), a Long Training Field (LTF), a SIGNAL (SIG) field, and a Data field. The most basic (e.g., non-HT (High Throughput) as illustrated in FIG. 7) PPDU format may consist of only the Legacy-STF (L-STF), Legacy-LTF (L-LTF), Legacy-SIG (L-SIG) fields, and a Data field. Additionally, depending on the type of PPDU format (e.g., HT-mixed format PPDU, HT-greenfield format PPDU, VHT (Very High Throughput) PPDU, etc.), additional (or different types of) RL-SIG, U-SIG, non-legacy SIG field, non-legacy STF, non-legacy LTF, (i.e., xx-SIG, xx-STF, xx-LTF (e.g., xx is HT, VHT, HE, EHT, etc.)) may be included between the L-SIG field and the data field. More specific details will be described later with reference to FIG. 7.

[0098] STF is a signal for signal detection, AGC (Automatic Gain Control), diversity selection, and precise time synchronization, while LTF is a signal for channel estimation, frequency error estimation, etc. STF and LTF can be said to be signals for synchronization and channel estimation of the OFDM physical layer.

[0099] The SIG field may include various information related to PPDU transmission and reception. For example, the L-SIG field may consist of 24 bits and may include a 4-bit Rate field, a 1-bit Reserved bit, a 12-bit Length field, a 1-bit Parity field, and a 6-bit Tail field. The RATE field may include information about the modulation and coding rate of data. For example, the 12-bit Length field may include information about the length or time duration of the PPDU. For example, the value of the 12-bit Length field may be determined based on the type of the PPDU. For example, for a non-HT, HT, VHT, or EHT PPDU, the value of the Length field may be determined as a multiple of 3. For example, for HE PPDU, the value of the Length field can be determined as a multiple of 3 + 1 or a multiple of 3 + 2.

[0100] The data field may include a SERVICE field, a Physical layer Service Data Unit (PSDU), a PPDU TAIL bit, and, if necessary, padding bits. Some bits of the SERVICE field may be used to synchronize the descrambler at the receiving end. The PSDU corresponds to a MAC PDU defined at the MAC layer and may contain data generated / used by upper layers. The PPDU TAIL bit may be used to return the encoder to a 0 state. The padding bit may be used to adjust the length of the data field to a predetermined unit.

[0101] MAC PDUs are defined according to various MAC frame formats, and a basic MAC frame consists of a MAC header, a frame body, and a Frame Check Sequence (FCS). A MAC frame is composed of MAC PDUs and can be transmitted / received through the PSDU in the data portion of the PPDU format.

[0102] The MAC header includes a Frame Control field, a Duration / ID field, an Address field, etc. The Frame Control field may include control information required for frame transmission / reception. The Duration / ID field may be set to a time for transmitting the corresponding frame, etc. The Address subfields may indicate the receiver address, transmitter address, destination address, and source address of the frame, and some Address subfields may be omitted. For specific details of each subfield of the MAC header, including the Sequence Control, QoS Control, and HT Control subfields, refer to the IEEE 802.11 standard document.

[0103] The Null-Data PPDU (NDP) format refers to a PPDU format that does not include a data field. In other words, NDP refers to a frame format that includes a PPDU preamble (i.e., L-STF, L-LTF, L-SIG fields, and, if additionally present, non-legacy SIG, non-legacy STF, and non-legacy LTF) in the general PPDU format, and does not include the remaining part (i.e., data field).

[0104] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating examples of PPDUs defined in the IEEE 802.11 standard to which the present disclosure can be applied.

[0105] Standards such as IEEE 802.11a / g / n / ac / ax use various PPDU formats. The basic PPDU format (IEEE 802.11a / g) includes L-LTF, L-STF, L-SIG, and Data fields. The basic PPDU format can also be referred to as the non-HT PPDU format (Fig. 7(a)).

[0106] The HT PPDU format (IEEE 802.11n) additionally includes HT-SIG, HT-STF, and HT-LFT(s) fields in addition to the basic PPDU format. The HT PPDU format illustrated in Fig. 7(b) may be referred to as an HT-mixed format. Additionally, an HT-greenfield format PPDU may be defined, which corresponds to a format that does not include L-STF, L-LTF, and L-SIG, but consists of HT-GF-STF, HT-LTF1, HT-SIG, one or more HT-LTF, and Data fields (not illustrated).

[0107] An example of the VHT PPDU format (IEEE 802.11ac) includes VHT SIG-A, VHT-STF, VHT-LTF, and VHT-SIG-B fields in addition to the basic PPDU format (Fig. 7(c)).

[0108] An example of a HE PPDU format (IEEE 802.11ax) additionally includes RL-SIG (Repeated L-SIG), HE-SIG-A, HE-SIG-B, HE-STF, HE-LTF(s), and PE (Packet Extension) fields in addition to the basic PPDU format (Fig. 7(d)). Depending on specific examples of the HE PPDU format, some fields may be excluded or their lengths may vary. For example, the HE-SIG-B field is included in the HE PPDU format for multi-users (MUs), but the HE PPDU format for single users (SUs) does not include the HE-SIG-B. In addition, the HE trigger-based (TB) PPDU format does not include the HE-SIG-B, and the length of the HE-STF field may vary to 8us. The HE ER (Extended Range) SU PPDU format does not include the HE-SIG-B field, and the length of the HE-SIG-A field may vary to 16us. For example, RL-SIG can be configured identically to L-SIG. The receiving STA can determine that the received PPDU is a HE PPDU or an EHT PPDU, described later, based on the presence of RL-SIG.

[0109] The EHT PPDU format may include the EHT MU (multi-user) PPDU of FIG. 7(e) and the EHT TB (trigger-based) PPDU of FIG. 7(f). The EHT PPDU format is similar to the HE PPDU format in that it includes an RL-SIG following an L-SIG, but may include a U (universal)-SIG, an EHT-SIG, an EHT-STF, and an EHT-LTF following the RL-SIG.

[0110] The EHT MU PPDU in FIG. 7(e) corresponds to a PPDU that carries one or more data (or PSDUs) for one or more users. That is, the EHT MU PPDU can be used for both SU transmission and MU transmission. For example, the EHT MU PPDU can correspond to a PPDU for one receiving STA or multiple receiving STAs.

[0111] The EHT TB PPDU of Fig. 7(f) omits the EHT-SIG compared to the EHT MU PPDU. An STA that has received a trigger for UL MU transmission (e.g., a trigger frame or TRS (triggered response scheduling)) can perform UL transmission based on the EHT TB PPDU format.

[0112] The L-STF, L-LTF, L-SIG, RL-SIG, U-SIG (Universal SIGNAL), and EHT-SIG fields can be encoded and modulated to allow legacy STAs to attempt demodulation and decoding, and mapped based on a predetermined subcarrier frequency interval (e.g., 312.5 kHz). These can be referred to as pre-EHT modulated fields. Next, the EHT-STF, EHT-LTF, Data, and PE fields can be encoded and modulated to allow STAs that have successfully decoded non-legacy SIGs (e.g., U-SIG and / or EHT-SIG) and obtained the information contained in the fields, and mapped based on a predetermined subcarrier frequency interval (e.g., 78.125 kHz). These can be referred to as EHT modulated fields.

[0113] Similarly, in the HE PPDU format, the L-STF, L-LTF, L-SIG, RL-SIG, HE-SIG-A, and HE-SIG-B fields may be referred to as pre-HE modulation fields, and the HE-STF, HE-LTF, Data, and PE fields may be referred to as HE modulation fields. Additionally, in the VHT PPDU format, the L-STF, L-LTF, L-SIG, and VHT-SIG-A fields may be referred to as pre-VHT modulation fields, and the VHT STF, VHT-LTF, VHT-SIG-B, and Data fields may be referred to as VHT modulation fields.

[0114] The U-SIG included in the EHT PPDU format of FIG. 7 can be configured based on, for example, two symbols (e.g., two consecutive OFDM symbols). Each symbol (e.g., OFDM symbol) for the U-SIG can have a duration of 4 us, and the U-SIG can have a total duration of 8 us. Each symbol of the U-SIG can be used to transmit 26 bits of information. For example, each symbol of the U-SIG can be transmitted and received based on 52 data tones and 4 pilot tones.

[0115] U-SIGs can be configured in 20MHz units. For example, when an 80MHz PPDU is configured, the same U-SIG can be duplicated in 20MHz units. That is, four identical U-SIGs can be included in an 80MHz PPDU. When the bandwidth exceeds 80MHz, for example, for a 160MHz PPDU, the U-SIGs in the first 80MHz unit and the U-SIGs in the second 80MHz unit can be different.

[0116] For example, A uncoded bits may be transmitted via U-SIG, and a first symbol of U-SIG (e.g., a U-SIG-1 symbol) may transmit the first X bits of information out of a total A bits of information, and a second symbol of U-SIG (e.g., a U-SIG-2 symbol) may transmit the remaining Y bits of information out of a total A bits of information. The A bits of information (e.g., 52 uncoded bits) may include a CRC field (e.g., a field of 4 bits in length) and a tail field (e.g., a field of 6 bits in length). The tail field may be used to terminate the trellis of the convolutional decoder and may be set to 0, for example.

[0117] The A bit information transmitted by U-SIG can be divided into version-independent bits and version-dependent bits. For example, U-SIG can be included in a new PPDU format (e.g., UHR PPDU format) not shown in FIG. 7, and in the format of the U-SIG field included in the EHT PPDU format and the format of the U-SIG field included in the UHR PPDU format, the version-independent bits can be the same, and some or all of the version-dependent bits can be different.

[0118] For example, the size of the version-independent bits of U-SIG can be fixed or variable. The version-independent bits can be assigned only to U-SIG-1 symbols, or to both U-SIG-1 symbols and U-SIG-2 symbols. The version-independent bits and the version-dependent bits can be called by various names, such as the first control bit and the second control bit.

[0119] For example, the version-independent bits of the U-SIG may include a 3-bit PHY version identifier, which may indicate the PHY version (e.g., EHT, UHR, etc.) of the transmitted and received PPDUs. The version-independent bits of the U-SIG may include a 1-bit UL / DL flag field. The first value of the 1-bit UL / DL flag field relates to UL communication, and the second value of the UL / DL flag field relates to DL communication. The version-independent bits of the U-SIG may include information about the length of a transmission opportunity (TXOP) and information about a BSS color ID.

[0120] For example, the version-dependent bits of the U-SIG may contain information that directly or indirectly indicates the type of PPDU (e.g., SU PPDU, MU PPDU, TB PPDU, etc.).

[0121] Information required for PPDU transmission and reception may be included in the U-SIG. For example, the U-SIG may further include information about bandwidth, information about the MCS technique applied to the non-legacy SIG (e.g., EHT-SIG or UHR-SIG), information indicating whether a dual carrier modulation (DCM) technique (e.g., a technique to achieve an effect similar to frequency diversity by reusing the same signal on two subcarriers) is applied to the non-legacy SIG, information about the number of symbols used for the non-legacy SIG, information about whether the non-legacy SIG is generated across the entire band, etc.

[0122] Some of the information required for transmitting and receiving a PPDU may be included in the U-SIG and / or the non-legacy SIG (e.g., EHT-SIG or UHR-SIG, etc.). For example, information about the type of the non-legacy LTF / STF (e.g., EHT-LTF / EHT-STF or UHR-LTF / UHR-STF, etc.), information about the length of the non-legacy LTF and the cyclic prefix (CP) length, information about the guard interval (GI) applicable to the non-legacy LTF, information about preamble puncturing applicable to the PPDU, information about resource unit (RU) allocation, etc. may be included only in the U-SIG, may be included only in the non-legacy SIG, or may be indicated by a combination of the information included in the U-SIG and the information included in the non-legacy SIG.

[0123] Preamble puncturing may refer to the transmission of a PPDU in which no signal is present in one or more frequency units within the PPDU's bandwidth. For example, the size of the frequency unit (or the resolution of the preamble puncturing) may be defined as 20 MHz, 40 MHz, etc. For example, preamble puncturing may be applied to a PPDU bandwidth greater than a certain size.

[0124] In the example of FIG. 7, non-legacy SIGs such as HE-SIG-B and EHT-SIG may include control information for the receiving STA. The non-legacy SIG may be transmitted over at least one symbol, and each symbol may have a length of 4 us. Information regarding the number of symbols used for the EHT-SIG may be included in a previous SIG (e.g., HE-SIG-A, U-SIG, etc.).

[0125] Non-legacy SIGs, such as HE-SIG-B and EHT-SIG, may contain common fields and user-specific fields. Common and user-specific fields may be coded separately.

[0126] In some cases, common fields may be omitted. For example, in a compressed mode where non-OFDMA (orthogonal frequency multiple access) is applied, common fields may be omitted, and multiple STAs may receive PPDUs (e.g., data fields of PPDUs) over the same frequency band. In a non-compressed mode where OFDMA is applied, multiple users may receive PPDUs (e.g., data fields of PPDUs) over different frequency bands.

[0127] The number of user-specific fields can be determined based on the number of users. A single user block field can contain up to two user fields. Each user field can be associated with either MU-MIMO allocation or non-MU-MIMO allocation.

[0128] The common field may include CRC bits and Tail bits, the length of the CRC bits may be determined as 4 bits, and the length of the Tail bits may be determined as 6 bits and set to 000000. The common field may include RU allocation information. The RU allocation information may include information about the location of RUs to which multiple users (i.e., multiple receiving STAs) are allocated.

[0129] An RU can contain multiple subcarriers (or tones). RUs can be used when transmitting signals to multiple STAs based on OFDMA techniques. RUs can also be defined when transmitting signals to a single STA. Resources can be allocated on an RU basis for non-legacy STFs, non-legacy LTFs, and data fields.

[0130] Depending on the PPDU bandwidth, an applicable RU size can be defined. The RU may be defined identically or differently for the applicable PPDU format (e.g., HE PPDU, EHT PPDU, UHR PPDU, etc.). For example, in the case of an 80MHz PPDU, the RU arrangements of HE PPDU and EHT PPDU may be different. The applicable RU size, RU number, RU position, DC (direct current) subcarrier position and number, null subcarrier position and number, guard subcarrier position and number, etc. for each PPDU bandwidth can be referred to as a tone plan. For example, a tone plan for a wide bandwidth can be defined in the form of multiple repetitions of a low bandwidth tone plan.

[0131] RUs of different sizes can be defined, such as 26-ton RU, 52-ton RU, 106-ton RU, 242-ton RU, 484-ton RU, 996-ton RU, 2X996-ton RU, 4X996-ton RU, etc. A multiple RU (MRU) is distinguished from multiple individual RUs and corresponds to a group of subcarriers consisting of multiple RUs. For example, one MRU can be defined as 52+26-tons, 106+26-tons, 484+242-tons, 996+484-tons, 996+484+242-tons, 2X996+484-tons, 3X996-tons, or 3X996+484-tons. Additionally, multiple RUs constituting one MRU may or may not be consecutive in the frequency domain.

[0132] The specific size of an RU may be reduced or expanded. Therefore, the specific size of each RU (i.e., the number of corresponding tones) in the present disclosure is not limited and is exemplary. Furthermore, within a given bandwidth (e.g., 20, 40, 80, 160, 320 MHz, etc.) in the present disclosure, the number of RUs may vary depending on the RU size.

[0133] The names of each field in the PPDU formats of FIG. 7 are exemplary and the scope of the present disclosure is not limited by those names. Furthermore, the examples of the present disclosure can be applied not only to the PPDU format exemplified in FIG. 7, but also to a new PPDU format in which some fields are excluded and / or some fields are added based on the PPDU formats of FIG. 7.

[0134] trigger frame

[0135] FIG. 8 is a drawing showing an exemplary format of a trigger frame to which the present disclosure can be applied.

[0136] A trigger frame may allocate resources for the transmission of one or more TB PPDUs and request the transmission of TB PPDUs. The trigger frame may also include other information required by the STA transmitting the TB PPDU in response. The trigger frame may include common information and a user information list field in the frame body.

[0137] The common information field may include information that is common to one or more TB PPDU transmissions requested by a trigger frame, such as trigger type, UL length, presence of a subsequent trigger frame (e.g., More TF), whether CS (channel sensing) is required, UL BW (bandwidth), etc. Fig. 12 illustrates an example of an EHT variant common information field format.

[0138] The 4-bit trigger type subfield can have values ​​from 0 to 15. Among them, the values ​​0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 of the trigger type subfield are defined to correspond to basic, Beamforming Report Poll (BFRP), multi user-block acknowledgement request (MU-BAR), multi user-request to send (MU-RTS), Buffer Status Report Poll (BSRP), groupcast with retries (GCR), MU-BAR, Bandwidth Query Report Poll (BQRP), and NDP Feedback Report Poll (NFRP), respectively, and the values ​​8 to 15 are defined as reserved.

[0139] Among the common information, the trigger dependent common info subfield may include information that is optionally included based on the trigger type.

[0140] A special user info field may be included within the trigger frame. The special user info field does not contain user-specific information, but rather extended common information not provided in the common information field.

[0141] A user information list contains zero or more user information fields. Figure 12 illustrates an example of an EHT variant user information field format.

[0142] The AID12 subfield basically indicates that it is a user information field for an STA with the corresponding AID. In addition, if the AID12 field has a predetermined specific value, it may be utilized for other purposes, such as allocating a random access (RA)-RU, or being configured in the form of a special user information field. The special user information field is a user information field that does not contain user-specific information, but contains extended common information not provided in the common information field. For example, the special user information field can be identified by the AID12 value of 2007, and the special user information field flag subfield within the common information field can indicate whether the special user information field is included.

[0143] The RU allocation subfield can indicate the size and location of an RU / MRU. For this purpose, the RU allocation subfield can be interpreted together with the PS160 (primary / secondary 160MHz) subfield of the user information field, the UL BW subfield of the common information field, etc.

[0144] For example, the mapping of B7-B1 of the RU Allocation subfield can be defined together with the settings of the B0 and PS160 subfields of the RU Allocation subfield as shown in Table 1 below. Table 1 shows an example of encoding of the PS160 subfield and the RU Allocation subfield of the EHT Variant User Information Field.

[0145]

[0146]

[0147]

[0148] When B0 of the RU Allocation subfield is set to 0, it may indicate that the RU / MRU allocation is applied to the primary 80 MHz channel, and when its value is set to 1, it may indicate that the RU allocation is applied to the secondary 80 MHz channel of the primary 160 MHz. When B0 of the RU Allocation subfield is set to 0, it may indicate that the RU / MRU allocation is applied to the lower 80 MHz of the secondary 160 MHz, and when its value is set to 1, it may indicate that the RU allocation is applied to the upper 80 MHz of the secondary 160 MHz.

[0149] In the trigger frame RU allocation table of Table 1, the parameter N can be calculated based on the formula N=2*X1+X0. For a bandwidth of 80 MHz or less, the values ​​of PS160, B0, X0, and X1 can be set to 0. For a bandwidth of 160 MHz and a bandwidth of 320 MHz, the values ​​of PS160, B0, X0, and X1 can be set as shown in Table 2. These settings represent the absolute frequency order for the primary and secondary 80 MHz and 160 MHz channels. The order from left to right represents the order from low frequency to high frequency. The primary 80 MHz channel is represented as P80, the secondary 80 MHz channel is represented as S80, and the secondary 160 MHz channel is represented as S160.

[0150]

[0151] Broadcast / Multicast Integrity Protocol (BIP)

[0152] BIP provides data integrity and replay protection for group-addressed robust management frames after the establishment of the Integrity Group Temporal Key Security Association (IGTKSA) and for beacon frames after the establishment of the Beacon Integrity Group Temporal Key Security Association (BIGTKSA). BIP also provides integrity and replay protection for individually addressed and group-addressed Wake Up Radio (WUR) frames.

[0153] In this regard, BIP-CMAC-128 can provide data integrity and replay protection using AES-128 in CMAC mode with a 128-bit integrity key and a CMAC TLen value of 128 (16 octets). Additionally, BIP-CMAC-256 can provide data integrity and replay protection using AES-256 in CMAC mode with a 256-bit integrity key and a CMAC TLen value of 128 (16 octets).

[0154] BIP can use Integrity Group Temporal Key (IGTK) or Beacon Integrity Group Temporal Key (BIGTK) to compute message integrity code (MIC) of management MPDU (MMPDU). In addition, BIP can use WUR Temporal Key (WTK) to compute MIC to protect individually addressed WUR wake-up frames. In addition, BIP can use WUR Integrity Group Temporal Key (WIGTK) to compute MIC to protect broadcast or group addressed WUR wake-up frames.

[0155] When management frame protection is negotiated, the authenticator must distribute a new IGTK and IGTK packet number (IPN) each time it distributes a new Group Temporal Key (GTK). The IGTK can be identified by the MAC address of the transmitting STA and the IGTK Key ID encoded in the Key ID field within the Management MIC element (MME). Furthermore, when beacon protection is enabled, the authenticator may distribute a new BIGTK and BIGTK packet number (BIPN) when it distributes a new GTK. The BIGTK can be identified by the MAC address of the transmitting STA and the BIGTK Key ID encoded in the Key ID field within the MME. Furthermore, when WUR frame protection is negotiated, the authenticator may distribute a new WIGTK and WIGTK packet number (WIPN) when it distributes a new GTK. Here, the WIGTK can be identified by the MAC address of the transmitting STA and the WIGTK Key ID encoded in the Key ID field within the MME.

[0156] Figure 9 illustrates a BIP MMPDU format applicable to the present disclosure.

[0157] Referring to FIG. 9, BIP encapsulation, i.e., the BIP MPPDU format, may include a MAC header (e.g., IEEE 802.11 header), a management frame body including an MME (Management MIC element), and an FCS.

[0158] In this regard, the MME format may include element ID information, length information, key ID information, PN information (e.g., IPN, BIPN, WIPN, etc.), and MIC information.

[0159] Additionally, additional authentication data (AAD) (e.g., BIP AAD) utilized for BIP-based integrity check may be constructed from the MAC header. For example, the AAD may be constructed from an MPDU frame control field and address information. As a specific example, a 20-octet BIP AAD may include a 2-octet MPDU frame control field, a 6-octet MPDU Address 1 field, a 6-octet MPDU Address 2 field, and a 6-octet MPDU Address 3 field.

[0160] A method to support BIP-based integrity checks for control frames.

[0161] In the case of existing wireless LAN systems, encryption / decryption based on Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP) / CTR with CBC-MAC protocol (CCMP) / GCM Protocol (GCMP) can be performed / applied for individually addressed data frames (e.g., unicast-based data frames) and management frames(es) using a pairwise transient key (PTK). In addition, encryption / decryption based on TKIP / CCMP / GCMP can be performed / applied for group addressed frames (e.g., broadcast-based data frames) using a group temporal key (GTK). That is, CCMP / GCMP is a security protocol that performs encryption / decryption, and in the case of a single-user (SU), a TK based on a PTK can be used, and in the case of a multi-user (MU), a TK based on a GTK can be used. CCMP / GCMP can ensure confidentiality and integrity of data frames and management frame(s).

[0162] Additionally, for group-addressed management frames(es), BIP-based integrity check can be performed using IGTK (integrity group temporal key). In particular, for beacon frames, BIP-based integrity check can be performed using BIGTK (beacon integrity group temporal key). In the case of BIP, a TK based on IGTK / BIGTK is used to generate a message integrity code (MIC) for the frame body of the corresponding data frame, and an integrity check can be performed based on this. That is, unlike CCMP / GCMP, BIP can only guarantee the integrity of data frames and management frames(es).

[0163] The way MPDUs are constructed based on CCMP and GCMP and the way MMPDUs (management MPDUs) are constructed based on BIP have the following differences:

[0164] First, in the case of CCMP / GCMP, the transmitting STA encrypts the data portion using CCM / GCM and transmits the encrypted data, and the receiving STA can decrypt the received encrypted data. In contrast, in the case of BIP, the transmitting STA does not encrypt the data portion and can perform the corresponding protocol to generate an MIC for integrity verification of the data in the frame body.

[0165] Next, for CCMP / GCMP, the MPDU can be composed and transmitted and received in the following order: MAC header, CCMP / GCMP header, encrypted data, MIC (encrypted MIC in case of CCMP), and FCS. In contrast, for BIP, the MPDU can be composed and transmitted and received in the following order: MAC header, management frame body including MME (management MIC element), and FCS. Here, since the MME takes the role of CCMP / GCMP header, it can include information on Key ID field, IPN / BIPN, and MIC.

[0166] As previously mentioned, protection is supported for management frames, including data frames and beacon frames, among group-addressed frames. However, protection is not supported for control frames, and thus control frames are transmitted and received without any encryption / decryption and / or integrity check protocols applied.

[0167] Among control frames, a trigger frame is a frame that contains information that allocates specific RUs, specific bandwidths, etc. for data transmission and reception for multiple STAs. If the information contained in the trigger frame is exposed to a third-party STA (e.g., an attack STA), the data transmission and reception capabilities between the transmitting STA and the receiving STA may be reduced, or this may result in waste of power / medium.

[0168] Taking these points into consideration, the present disclosure proposes a security technology for ensuring the integrity of a trigger frame transmitted and received between a transmitting STA and a receiving STA.

[0169] The values / names proposed in this disclosure may be changed, and the scope of this disclosure is not limited thereto. Furthermore, the STA in this disclosure may include a non-AP STA and an AP STA.

[0170] Additionally, although the present disclosure describes a security technology for a trigger frame among control frames as a representative example, the proposed method of the present disclosure can be extended and applied to other types of control frames other than trigger frames.

[0171] In this disclosure, performing an integrity check on a trigger frame can be interpreted as extending and applying the BIP to the trigger frame. In this regard, additional provisions for control frames may be defined for the previously defined BIP, or a separate protocol based on the BIP for integrity checks on control frames may be newly defined.

[0172] Below, methods for supporting / performing integrity checks on trigger frames are described through specific examples.

[0173] Example 1

[0174] This embodiment relates to a trigger frame configuration method for supporting integrity check.

[0175] Specifically, in order to apply BIP to a trigger frame, the present disclosure proposes a configuration in which protection-related information is included in a sub-form within the trigger frame, instead of including an MME (management MIC element) at the end of the frame body when applying BIP to a management frame.

[0176] FIG. 10 illustrates a protection information field / subfield format according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0177] Referring to FIG. 10, the Protection Info (sub)field format including information required for integrity check may include Key ID information, PN related information (e.g., IPN / BIPN information), and MIC information.

[0178] The corresponding protection information (sub)field format may be included as a sub-field of the protection information subfield within the trigger frame.

[0179] The length of each piece of information included in the format is not limited to that shown in Fig. 10. For example, the key ID field may have a length of 2 octets for a key ID indicating IGTK or BIGTK, but may have a length of 2 bits for a key ID indicating GTK. In addition, the MIC field may have a length of 8 octets, 16 octets, 64 octets, etc. Additionally, the length may be changed by additionally applying the MIC value to a separate function.

[0180] In this regard, if the key does not need to be used for MIC generation, the key ID information may not be included in the corresponding protection information (sub)field.

[0181] Additionally or alternatively, the present disclosure illustrates, but is not limited to, the use of a protection information (sub)field format as illustrated in FIG. 10, in which the information is additionally configured in the trigger frame. That is, the key ID, PN-related information, and / or MIC may be included separately / distributed within the control frame to which security is applied.

[0182] For example, in the trigger frame configurations of Embodiments 1-1, 1-3, and 1-4 described below, the subfield corresponding to the key ID may be located at a position preceding the corresponding protection information (sub)field (e.g., within the Common Info field or the Special User Info field within the trigger frame).

[0183] In the description of the present disclosure, it is assumed that all receiving STAs that receive a trigger frame according to the method proposed in Embodiments 1-1 to 1-3 of the present disclosure transmitted by an AP, which is a transmitting STA, are UHR STAs (and / or beyond UHR STAs). That is, if a pre-UHR STA (e.g., an EHT / HE STA, etc.) receives a trigger frame configured according to the proposed method of the present disclosure, an error may occur during decoding of the trigger frame. In contrast, the receiving STAs that receive a trigger frame according to the method proposed in Embodiment 1-4 may include a Pre-UHR STA (e.g., a legacy STA, an EHT STA, etc.) and UHR STA(s) (e.g., non-legacy STA(s)). In this regard, a Pre-UHR STA may refer to an STA that does not support protection for a trigger frame, and a UHR STA may refer to an STA that can support protection for a trigger frame.

[0184] A trigger frame for integrity checking may be constructed based on one or more of the formats described below.

[0185] Example 1-1

[0186] The protection information (sub)field according to the present disclosure may be located within a user information field included in a trigger frame.

[0187] That is, by applying BIP to each user info field included in the user info list field within the trigger frame, a protection information (sub) field can be included at the end of the field.

[0188] FIG. 11 illustrates an example of a trigger frame configuration supporting integrity check according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0189] Referring to FIG. 11, the protection information (sub) field described in FIG. 10 may be located at the last part within each user information field.

[0190] For example, for a user information field for a UHR STA, a transmitting STA can apply a BIP to each user information field (or at least one user information field among the user information fields) and add a protection information (sub)field to the end of the field to transmit a trigger frame. Based on this, a receiving STA that receives the trigger frame can perform an integrity check on the specific user information field transmitted to it.

[0191] In this regard, the MIC information included in the corresponding protection information (sub)field, i.e., the calculation range of the MIC subfield, may correspond to the user information field that includes the protection information (sub)field. In other words, the target for which an integrity check is performed / applied based on the protection information (sub)field may correspond to the user information field to which the (sub)field belongs.

[0192] Example 1-2

[0193] The protection information (sub)field according to the present disclosure may be located within a common information field included in a trigger frame.

[0194] That is, by applying BIP to the common info field within the trigger frame, a protection information (sub)field can be included at the end of the field.

[0195] FIG. 12 illustrates another example of a trigger frame configuration supporting integrity checking according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0196] Referring to FIG. 12, the protection information (sub) field described in FIG. 10 may be located at the last part within the common information field.

[0197] In this case, the transmitting STA can transmit a trigger frame by applying a BIP to the common information field and adding a protection information (sub)field to the end of the field. Based on this, the receiving STA that receives the trigger frame can perform an integrity check on the common information field within the trigger frame based on the information.

[0198] In this regard, the MIC information included in the corresponding protection information (sub)field, i.e., the calculation range of the MIC subfield, may correspond to the common information field that includes the protection information (sub)field. In other words, the target for which an integrity check is performed / applied based on the protection information (sub)field may correspond to the common information field to which the (sub)field belongs.

[0199] Example 1-3

[0200] The protection information (sub)field according to the present disclosure may be located in a part other than the common information field and the user information field within the trigger frame.

[0201] FIG. 13 illustrates another example of a trigger frame configuration supporting integrity checking according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0202] Referring to FIG. 13, the protection information field may be located before the FCS within the trigger frame.

[0203] In this case, the transmitting STA applies BIP to the common information field and the user information list field (i.e., all user information fields), and adds a protection information (sub) field at the end to set the value(s) of each subfield.

[0204] In this regard, MIC information can be set by deriving MIC values ​​for both the common information field and the user information list field.

[0205] The transmitting STA can configure a trigger frame as shown in FIG. 13 and transmit it to the UHR STA(s).

[0206] Example 1-4

[0207] The protection information (sub)field according to the present disclosure may be divided / distributed into multiple user information fields within the user information list field included in the trigger frame.

[0208] FIG. 14 illustrates another example of a trigger frame configuration supporting integrity checking according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0209] Referring to FIG. 14, a transmitting STA may configure a trigger frame by including protection information (i.e., key ID, PN related information (e.g., IPN / BIPN, etc.), and MIC related information) in multiple user information fields.

[0210] In this regard, the values ​​of the AID fields (e.g., AID12 fields) of the user information fields including key ID, PN-related information, and MIC-related information may have the same value. Here, the corresponding AID field may have a specific value that does not overlap with the values ​​of the AID fields of the user information field(s) for the Pre-UHR STA and UHR STA(s) included in the user information list field within the corresponding trigger frame.

[0211] At this time, the UHR STA(s) can recognize in advance the AID value of the user information field containing the protection information. Based on this, the UHR STA(s) can concatenate the values ​​of the corresponding user information fields to decode the key ID, PN-related information, and MIC-related information.

[0212] User information fields including protection information can be located at the end of the user information list field and before the padding. For example, the UHR STA sequentially concatenates the 28-bits excluding the AID field in the first user information field in which the AID value indicating that protection information is included is set / included, to the 28-bits excluding the AID field in the user information field located before the padding field, thereby allowing the UHR STA to complete the key ID, PN-related information, and MIC-related information.

[0213] In FIG. 14, the key ID is 2 octets, the PN related information (e.g., IPN / BIPN) is 6 octets, and the MIC is 8 octets or 16 octets, but the scope of the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0214] For example, if the MIC is 8-octets, the UHR STA can include the key ID, PN-related information, and MIC-related information in 28-bit chunks each after the AID 12 subfield in the user information field. Based on this, the key ID, PN-related information, and MIC-related information can be included (split / distributed / spread across) a total of five user information fields. For another example, if the MIC is 16-octets, the UHR STA can include the key ID, PN-related information, and MIC-related information in 28-bit chunks each after the AID 12 subfield in the user information field. Based on this, the key ID, PN-related information, and MIC-related information can be included (split / distributed / spread across) a total of seven user information fields.

[0215] If the trigger frame does not include a padding field, the UHR STA can infer the length of the MIC through the key ID information and, based on this, concatenate the 28 bits in the user information field up to the FCS field.

[0216] Unlike the aforementioned embodiments 1-1 to 1-3, the format proposed in this embodiment can be utilized even in cases where the user information field(s) for not only UHR STAs but also Pre-UHR STAs are configured together in the user information list field within the trigger frame. That is, UHR STA(s) can recognize the user information field(s) containing protection information through the value of the AID 12 subfield. On the other hand, Pre-UHR STA(s) can ignore the corresponding user information field because the value of the AID 12 subfield is different from the value of its own AID 12.

[0217] The MIC value within the trigger frame configured in the format proposed in this embodiment can be derived / produced by applying BIP to the common information field and / or user information field(s) based on three methods, and an integrity check can be performed based on at least one method.

[0218] For example, as illustrated in FIG. 14, a MIC calculation method based on user information field(s) within the user information list field (i.e., scope 1), a MIC calculation method based on common information field (i.e., scope 2), or a MIC calculation method based on user information field(s) within the common information field and the user information list field (i.e., scope 3) may be considered.

[0219] Specifically, the MIC calculation method of scope 1 may mean a method of deriving a MIC for user information field(s) included in a user information list field within a trigger frame. At this time, the corresponding user information field(s) within the user information list field mean user information field(s) including information that a transmitting STA transmits to receiving STAs, and the user information field including the aforementioned protection information is excluded. In addition, the MIC calculation method of scope 2 may mean a method of deriving a MIC for a common information field within a trigger frame. In addition, the MIC calculation method of scope 3 may mean a method of deriving a MIC for user information field(s) including AID values ​​of receiving STAs within the common information field and the user information list field within a trigger frame, which includes both the cases of embodiment 1-1 and embodiment 1-2.

[0220] With respect to a trigger frame supporting integrity check according to the present disclosure, a transmitting STA and a receiving STA(s) may share information with each other regarding whether BIP is supported for the trigger frame. The information may be shared through a specific element (e.g., an Extended RSN element (RSNXE)) during a discovery process (e.g., a beacon frame, a probe response frame, etc.) and / or a (re)association process (e.g., a (re)association request frame, a (re)association response frame, etc.).

[0221] In this regard, support for BIP application to trigger frames can be shared by utilizing reserved bits in existing elements (e.g., RSNXE) or by defining new (sub)fields in new elements. For example, a newly defined 1-bit protected trigger support (sub)field can be defined such that a value of 1 means / indicates that BIP application to trigger frames is supported, and a value of 0 means / indicates that BIP application to trigger frames is not supported.

[0222] If both the transmitting STA and the receiving STA support BIP and support BIP application to the trigger frame, the two STAs can perform BIP application to the trigger frame. Conversely, if the transmitting STA and the receiving STA support BIP but do not support BIP application to the trigger frame, the two STAs may not perform BIP application to the trigger frame. Additionally, when applying the trigger frame to the BIP, the cipher suite of the management frame agreed upon by the transmitting STA and the receiving STA during the negotiation process (e.g., BIP-GMAC-128, BIP-GMAC-256, BIP-CMAC-128, or BIP-CMAC-256, etc.) may be used identically. Alternatively, in order to apply the trigger frame to the BIP, the transmitting STA and the receiving STA may negotiate an additional / separate cipher suite for the trigger frame.

[0223] For example, when configuring a trigger frame in the format proposed in Embodiment 1-1, Embodiment 1-2, and / or Embodiment 1-3 of the present disclosure, this may be allowed only when the transmitting STA and all receiving STAs of the trigger frame support BIP application for the trigger frame. That is, for the transmitting STA and all receiving STAs, the value of the protected trigger support (sub)field is set to a value indicating that they support BIP application for the trigger frame.

[0224] For example, when configuring a trigger frame in the format proposed in Embodiment 1-4 of the present disclosure, it may be allowed even if the transmitting STA of the trigger frame supports BIP application to the trigger frame, but only some receiving STA(s) support BIP application to the trigger frame. That is, for the transmitting STA, the value of the protected trigger support (sub)field is set to a value indicating support for BIP application to the trigger frame. In contrast, for the receiving STAs, the value of the protected trigger support (sub)field may be set to a value indicating not supporting BIP application to the trigger frame, as well as a value indicating support for BIP application to the trigger frame.

[0225] Additionally or alternatively, information regarding whether BIP application to a trigger frame is supported and in which format among the formats proposed in the present disclosure (e.g., the formats illustrated in FIGS. 11 to 14) the protection information (sub)field is configured may be shared between the transmitting STA and the receiving STA. In this regard, for sharing the information, reserved bits in an existing element (e.g., RSNXE), reserved bits in a UHR variant common information field, and / or reserved bits in a special user information field may be utilized, or a new (sub)field in a new element (e.g., a protected trigger mode (sub)field) may be defined. The (sub)field may be included in a beacon frame by the transmitting STA or in a data frame by the receiving STA during the (re)association process as well as the data transmission and reception process.

[0226] For example, setting the value of the protected trigger mode (sub)field to 0 may mean / indicate that BIP is not applied to the trigger frame. Conversely, setting the value of the protected trigger mode (sub)field to 1 or more may mean / indicate that the trigger frame is configured in at least one of the aforementioned methods (e.g., embodiments 1-1 to 1-4) and that BIP is applied to the trigger frame.

[0227] As a specific example, when the protected trigger mode (sub)field is set to a value of 1 or more, the value of the protected trigger mode (sub)field may be defined as in Table 3 below. Table 3 is exemplary, and at least one of the values ​​described in Table 3 may be applied / defined, and specific values ​​may be set / defined differently from the example.

[0228] Meaning of the value of the protected trigger mode (sub) field 0 BIP is not applied to the trigger frame 1 Trigger frame configuration based on embodiment 1-1 2 Trigger frame configuration based on embodiment 1-2 3 Trigger frame configuration based on embodiment 1-1 and embodiment 1-2 4 Trigger frame configuration based on embodiment 1-3 5 Trigger frame configuration based on embodiment 1-4 6 Trigger frame configuration based on embodiment 1-4, integrity check performed based on the MIC calculated for the common information field and user information fields (e.g., range 3 in FIG. 14) 7 Trigger frame configuration based on embodiment 1-4, integrity check performed based on the MIC calculated for the common information field (e.g., range 2 in FIG. 14) 8 Trigger frame configuration based on embodiment 1-4, integrity check performed based on the MIC calculated for the user information fields (e.g., range 1 in FIG. 14)

[0229] Referring to Table 3, a method for calculating a MIC value together with the configuration / format of a trigger frame including a protection information (sub)field according to the present disclosure through a protected trigger mode (sub)field may be indicated.

[0230] However, the scope of the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the configuration / format of a trigger frame including a protection information (sub)field according to the present disclosure may be indicated through a protected trigger mode (sub)field, and a method of calculating an MIC value may be separately indicated through another (sub)field.

[0231] For example, a receiving STA can recognize / verify the location of the protection information (sub)field within the received trigger frame through the protected trigger mode (sub)field. Based on this, the receiving STA can calculate the MIC value using the value indicated by the MIC calculation range (sub)field, thereby performing an integrity check on the trigger frame.

[0232] Example 2

[0233] This embodiment relates to a method for generating an MIC for BIP transmission / reception in relation to BIP application to the trigger frame described above.

[0234] For trigger frames, the type of trigger frame being transmitted and received can be indicated based on the value of the trigger type subfield within the common information field. Depending on the indicated value, the receiving STA can determine whether the trigger frame is an individually addressed frame or a group addressed frame.

[0235] In this regard, when applying BIP to a trigger frame, the key used to set the MIC value may be used differently depending on whether it is an individually addressed frame or a group addressed frame.

[0236] For example, for individually addressed data frames, MIC value calculation may be performed using a TK based on a PTK generated identically between the transmitting STA and the receiving STA. Conversely, for group addressed data frames, MIC value calculation may be performed using a TK based on a GTK shared by the transmitting STA with the receiving STA.

[0237] For existing BIPs (e.g., BIPs applied to data frames / management frames), BIPs based on IGTK or BIGTK can be utilized. In contrast, the present disclosure assumes that BIPs based on PTK / GTK can be utilized.

[0238] Below, we specifically describe how keys are used to calculate and check MIC values ​​for individually addressed trigger frames and / or group addressed trigger frames.

[0239] First, for individually addressed trigger frames, the MIC value can be calculated / checked as follows.

[0240] The transmitting STA and the receiving STA can calculate the MIC value using the TK based on the PTK generated identically during the 4-way handshake process. For example, in relation to the application of BIP to a trigger frame, the transmitting STA and the receiving STA can equally utilize the PTK generated in relation to the protection of the data frame during the 4-way handshake process, or can utilize a (new) PTK generated / agreed / shared identically between them in relation to the protection of the trigger frame during the 4-way handshake process.

[0241] Alternatively, the transmitting STA and the receiving STA may calculate the MIC value using a TK based on a new PTK for individually addressed trigger frames shared during the 4-way handshake process. In this regard, the new PTK may be referred to as a Trigger PTK (TPTK), and the transmitting STA may generate and share a different TPTK for each receiving STA. That is, different TPTKs may be shared for receiving STA 1 and receiving STA 2. In addition, information about the TPTK and information related to a cipher suite that can use the TPTK may be shared between the transmitting STA and the receiving STA through a new key data element (KDE) for the TPTK (e.g., TPTK KDE).

[0242] If the receiving STA recognizes / verifies the key (e.g., TPTK) for protecting the trigger frame (and / or received the key from the transmitting STA), the receiving STA can perform an MIC check on the trigger frame based on the key. Otherwise, the receiving STA can perform an MIC check on the trigger frame based on a key (e.g., PTK) previously shared with the transmitting STA.

[0243] Next, for group addressed trigger frames, the MIC value can be calculated / checked as follows.

[0244] A transmitting STA can generate an IGTK or a BIGTK and share it with a receiving STA during a 4-way handshake process, and the transmitting STA and the receiving STA can calculate an MIC value using a TK based on the IGTK or the BIGTK.

[0245] Alternatively, the transmitting STA can generate a GTK and share it with the receiving STA during the 4-way handshake process, and the transmitting STA and the receiving STA can use a TK based on the GTK to calculate the MIC value.

[0246] Alternatively, the transmitting STA may generate a new GTK for the group-addressed trigger frame and share it with the receiving STA during the 4-way handshake process, and the transmitting STA and the receiving STA may calculate an MIC value using a TK based on the new GTK. Here, the new GTK may be referred to as a trigger broadcast GTK (TBGTK), and the transmitting STA may share a TBGTK of the same value with the receiving STAs. That is, the AP may generate and share the same TBGTK with the STAs associated with it. In addition, information about the TBGTK and information related to a cipher suite that can use the TBGTK may be shared between the transmitting STA and the receiving STA through the new KDE for the TBGTK (e.g., the TBGTK KDE).

[0247] If the receiving STA has received a key (e.g., TBGTK) for protecting the trigger frame from the transmitting STA, the receiving STA can perform an MIC check on the trigger frame based on the key. Otherwise, the receiving STA can perform an MIC check on the trigger frame based on a key (e.g., IGTK or BIGTK) previously shared with the transmitting STA.

[0248] Example 3

[0249] This embodiment is about a specific method for performing protection for a trigger frame based on the trigger frame configuration proposed in the present disclosure.

[0250] First, if the trigger frame is a group-addressed trigger frame, the trigger frame configuration proposed in the present disclosure can be used as in the following examples.

[0251] For example, in the case of the trigger frame configuration described in Embodiment 1-2 (e.g., see FIG. 12), the transmitting STA and / or the receiving STA may derive the MIC value through BIP using the aforementioned GTK, IGTK, BIGTK, or TBGTK for the common information field. Additionally, in the case of the trigger frame configuration described in Embodiment 1-1 (e.g., see FIG. 11), the transmitting STA and / or the receiving STA may derive the MIC value through BIP using the aforementioned PTK or TPTK for each user information field. At this time, in order to derive the MIC value for the user information field, the transmitting STA and / or the receiving STA may use the PTK of the STA corresponding to the AID of the corresponding user information field.

[0252] For another example, for the trigger frame configuration described in Embodiment 1-3 (e.g., FIG. 13), the transmitting STA and / or the receiving STA may derive the MIC value via BIP using the aforementioned GTK, IGTK, BIGTK, or TBGTK for the common information field and the user information field.

[0253] Additionally, for the trigger frame configuration described in Embodiment 1-4 (e.g., FIG. 14), the examples of key usage for deriving the MIC value described above for Embodiment 1-1, Embodiment 1-2, and / or Embodiment 1-3 may be extended and applied depending on the calculation range of the MIC value (e.g., range 1, range 2, range 3).

[0254] Next, if the trigger frame is an individually addressed trigger frame, the trigger frame configuration proposed in the present disclosure can be used as in the following examples.

[0255] For example, in the trigger frame configuration described in Example 1-1 (e.g., see FIG. 11), the transmitting STA and / or the receiving STA may derive the MIC value through the BIP using the aforementioned PTK or TPTK for each user information field. At this time, in order to derive the MIC value for the user information field, the transmitting STA and / or the receiving STA may use the PTK or TPTK of the STA corresponding to the AID of the corresponding user information field.

[0256] For another example, in the trigger frame configuration described in Embodiment 1-2 (e.g., see FIG. 12), the transmitting STA and / or the receiving STA may derive the MIC value through the BIP using the PTK or TPTK described above for the common information field. At this time, in order to derive the MIC value for the common information field, the transmitting STA and / or the receiving STA may use the PTK or TPTK of the STA corresponding to the receiver address (RA) of the trigger frame.

[0257] For another example, in the trigger frame configuration described in Embodiment 1-3 (e.g., FIG. 13), the transmitting STA and / or the receiving STA may derive the MIC value through the BIP using the PTK or TPTK described above for the common information field and the user information field. At this time, in order to derive the MIC value for the common information field and the user information field, the transmitting STA and / or the receiving STA may use the PTK or TPTK of the STA corresponding to the receiving address (RA) of the trigger frame.

[0258] Additionally, for the trigger frame configuration described in Embodiment 1-4 (e.g., FIG. 14), the examples of key usage for deriving the MIC value described above for Embodiment 1-1, Embodiment 1-2, and / or Embodiment 1-3 may be extended and applied depending on the calculation range of the MIC value (e.g., range 1, range 2, range 3).

[0259] Based on the methods proposed in this disclosure, protection for trigger frames can be performed as follows.

[0260] For the example situations described below, it is assumed that the transmitting STA and the receiving STA(s) support the use of trigger frames on the BIP through a protected trigger support (sub)field and / or share the configuration of the protection information (sub)field within the trigger frame through a protected trigger mode (sub)field.

[0261] The receiving STA can configure additional authentication data (AAD) for the trigger frame based on information in the MAC header of the MPDU received from the transmitting STA (e.g., frame control field, interval field, RA field, TA field, etc.). Thereafter, the receiving STA can use the AAD to calculate the MIC value based on the MPDU. At this time, the receiving STA can derive the MIC value by performing the same process as the transmitting STA uses to calculate the MIC value based on the MPDU.

[0262] Thereafter, the receiving STA can compare the derived MIC value with the MIC value transmitted by the transmitting STA (e.g., MIC information included in the protection information (sub)field). If the two MIC values ​​are the same, the receiving STA can follow the information in the acquired MPDU. Conversely, if the two MIC values ​​are not the same, the receiving STA can recognize that at least one piece of information in the acquired MPDU has been modified by a third party STA (e.g., an attacking STA) or has been damaged during transmission and reception, and can discard it.

[0263] Additionally or alternatively, for coordination between APs (e.g., multi-AP cooperation), a trigger frame comprising one or more pieces of information for integrity checking may be transmitted and received. In this case, the method for configuring one or more pieces of information for integrity checking within the trigger frame and the method for performing the integrity check based on the one or more pieces of information may be based on the methods proposed in the present disclosure.

[0264] For example, in the information configuration for integrity check of the trigger frame proposed in the present disclosure (e.g., the protection information (sub)field of FIG. 10), the key ID information may refer to the key ID for the key for generating an MIC. In this regard, it is assumed that the APs are aware of the information about the corresponding key through prior sharing or agreement between the APs. If the use of a key is unnecessary for generating an MIC, the key ID information may not be included in the protection information (sub)field.

[0265] Additionally or alternatively, when a trigger frame is utilized that includes integrity check information (e.g., the protection information described above) based on the format proposed in Embodiment 1-4, a specific AID value (e.g., a value indicating a specific AID 12) indicating the user information field(s) containing the protection information(s) within the user information list field may be utilized.

[0266] In this regard, the AID of the user information field in the user information list field included in the trigger frame transmitted and received between APs may be utilized as an arbitrary value other than the AID used between a non-AP STA and an AP. For example, the arbitrary value may be an ID of a multi-AP, a part of the MAC address of the AP, etc. However, the AID of the user information field in the user information list field included in the trigger frame transmitted and received between APs is set so as not to overlap with the AID of the user information field(s) including the protection information(s).

[0267] The operation of an STA supporting / performing protection for a trigger frame according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may be as shown in FIGS. 15 and 16.

[0268] FIG. 15 illustrates the operation of a transmitting STA that supports integrity check for a trigger frame according to the present disclosure.

[0269] Referring to FIG. 15, a transmitting STA may share with a receiving STA information including whether it supports protection (e.g., integrity check) for a trigger frame (S1510).

[0270] At this time, if both the transmitting STA and the receiving STA(s) apply security to the trigger frame, the transmitting STA may generate and share key(s) (e.g., PTK / GTK(s)) used for integrity verification of the trigger frame (S1520). In this regard, the transmitting STA and the receiving STA may generate / negotiate / share the same key information through the key generation process, or the key information generated by the transmitting STA may be transmitted to the receiving STA.

[0271] Based on the key(s), the transmitting STA can construct a trigger frame including the result value / information of applying the BIP, and transmit the trigger frame to the receiving STA(s) (S1530).

[0272] In relation to the above-described process, the transmitting STA may share / discuss in advance with the receiving STA information on the format in which information related to integrity check is to be configured within the transmitted trigger frame, or may transmit the information by including it in the trigger frame.

[0273] FIG. 16 illustrates the operation of a receiving STA that supports integrity check for a trigger frame according to the present disclosure.

[0274] Referring to FIG. 16, the receiving STA can share with the transmitting STA information including whether it supports protection (e.g., integrity check) for the trigger frame (S1610).

[0275] At this time, if the key(s) used for integrity check of the transmitting STA and the trigger frame are shared, the receiving STA can assume that a protection method has been applied to the trigger frame transmitted by the transmitting STA (S1620).

[0276] In this regard, the transmitting STA and the receiving STA may generate / negotiate / share the same key information (e.g., PTK / GTK, etc.) through a key generation process, or key information generated by the transmitting STA may be transmitted to the receiving STA.

[0277] For example, a receiving STA may receive a trigger frame transmitted from a transmitting STA and recognize that it has applied a BIP based on information regarding the pre-shared key(s) and / or the way information for integrity checking within the trigger frame is structured.

[0278] Based on this, when a trigger frame is received, the receiving STA can perform an integrity check on the trigger frame using pre-shared / generated / agreed key(s) (e.g., PTK / GTK, etc.) (S1630).

[0279] Below, FIGS. 17 and 18 illustrate operations performed by an STA according to the proposed method of the present disclosure described above. In FIGS. 17 and 18, the second STA may correspond to an AP / transmitting STA, and the first STA may correspond to a non-AP STA / receiving STA coupled to an AP.

[0280] FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating an example of a method performed by a first STA according to the present disclosure.

[0281] Referring to FIG. 17, the first STA can check key information related to protection for a control frame (e.g., a trigger frame) (S1710).

[0282] Here, protection for the control frame may be based on an integrity check utilizing the BIP described above in the present disclosure. For example, at least one of BIP-CMAC-128, BIP-CMAC-256, BIP-GMAC-128, or BIP-GMAC-256 may be used as a cipher suite for the BIP.

[0283] In this regard, the first STA may negotiate / share / generate key information (related to the control frame) with the second STA in advance through a four-way handshake process. Additionally or alternatively, the first STA may also receive key information generated from the second STA.

[0284] For example, if the control frame corresponds to an individually addressed control frame, the key information may include a key (e.g., a temporary key) based on a pairwise transient key (PTK) (e.g., a TPTK, etc.) for the first STA and the second STA. On the other hand, if the control frame corresponds to a group addressed control frame, the key information may include a key (e.g., a temporary key) based on a group temporal key (GTK) (e.g., a TBGTK, etc.) for the first STA and the second STA.

[0285] The first STA can receive a control frame to which the aforementioned protection is applied from the second STA (S1720).

[0286] In this regard, the user information list field within the control frame (e.g., trigger frame) may include one or more specific field structures that include protection information for the aforementioned integrity check. Here, the protection information may correspond to the protection information (sub)field (e.g., see FIG. 10) described above in the present disclosure. In this case, each specific field structure may include an AID field set to a value related to the corresponding protection information.

[0287] Thereafter, the first STA can perform an integrity check on the received control frame based on the verified key information (S1730).

[0288] In this regard, the protection information may include at least one of a first field related to key information, a second field related to a packet number for a control frame, or a third field related to a message integrity code (MIC) value for one or more fields within the control frame.

[0289] At this time, the number of one or more specific field structures within the user information field may be based on the size of the MIC value. Additionally or alternatively, the MIC value may be calculated for one of 1) a common information field within the control frame, 2) one or more user information fields within the user information field, or 3) the common information field and one or more user information fields. Here, each user information field may include an AID field set to a value for the STA receiving the control frame.

[0290] For example, a user information list field within a control frame may include one or more user information fields, each of which includes an AID field set to a value for an STA receiving the control frame. Here, within the user information list field, one or more specific field structures are positioned subsequent to the one or more user information fields described above.

[0291] Additionally, the value associated with the protection information in the AID field within a specific field structure may be a specific value different from the value for the STA receiving the control frame. For example, the STA receiving the control frame may correspond to either an STA that supports protection for the control frame (e.g., a UHR STA, etc.) or an STA that does not support protection for the control frame (e.g., a Pre-UHR STA, etc.).

[0292] Additionally or alternatively, with respect to the procedure described above, the protection information for integrity check may be divided / included in one or more specific field structures in units of preset sizes. The integrity check in step S1730 may be performed based on the protection information obtained by concatenating values ​​divided and included in one or more specific field structures described above. For example, if the size of the specific field structure is 40 bits (e.g., the same number of bits as the existing user information field structure), the size of the AID field may be 12 bits, and the preset size unit may be 28 bits.

[0293] Additionally or alternatively, with respect to the aforementioned procedure, information indicating whether protection for the control frame is supported may be transmitted and received between the first STA and the second STA. Furthermore, information regarding at least one of a frame format based on the location / configuration of protection information or a range to which the protection information is applied may be transmitted and received between the first STA and the second STA for the control frame. For example, the information may be included in at least one of a common information field or a special user information field within the control frame.

[0294] The method described in the example of FIG. 17 can be performed by the first device (100) of FIG. 1. That is, the first STA of FIG. 17 can be implemented by the first device (100). For example, one or more processors (102) of the first device (100) of FIG. 1 can be configured to verify key information related to protection for a control frame, receive a control frame with protection applied from a second STA, and perform an integrity check for the control frame based on the key information.

[0295] In this regard, the first STA can recognize whether protection / security has been applied to the received trigger frame based on information previously shared / agreed upon with the second STA. If the protection / security has been recognized as having been applied, the first STA can acquire complete protection information by concatenating information for integrity check that is partially / partially included in a plurality of user information fields having specific AIDs that do not overlap with the AIDs of the receiving STA(s). For example, the information for integrity check may include the derived MIC value, key information for deriving the MIC value, and packet number (PN) related information for the trigger frame. The first STA can perform integrity check using the MIC value derived by applying the obtained protection information / value(s) to the BIP.

[0296] Furthermore, one or more memories (104) of the first device (100) may store commands for performing the method described in the example of FIG. 17 or the examples described below when executed by one or more processors (102).

[0297] FIG. 18 is a drawing for explaining an example of a method performed by a second STA according to the present disclosure.

[0298] Referring to FIG. 18, the second STA can check key information related to protection for the control frame (S1810).

[0299] Here, protection for the control frame may be based on an integrity check utilizing the BIP described above in the present disclosure.

[0300] Thereafter, the second STA can configure a control frame including protection information for integrity check based on the key information (S1820).

[0301] For example, the protection information may include at least one of a first field associated with key information, a second field associated with a packet number for a control frame, or a third field associated with a message integrity code (MIC) value for one or more fields within the control frame.

[0302] Thereafter, the second STA can transmit a control frame to which the aforementioned protection is applied to the first STA (S1830).

[0303] The user information list field within the control frame (e.g., trigger frame) may include one or more specific field structures that contain protection information for the aforementioned integrity check. Here, the protection information may correspond to the protection information (sub)field (e.g., see FIG. 10) described above in the present disclosure. In this case, each specific field structure may include an AID field set to a value related to the corresponding protection information.

[0304] In this regard, specific details regarding protection for the control frame, key information, protection information, specific field structure, AID field, frame format, scope of application related to one or more fields, etc. are the same / similar to those described in FIG. 17, and therefore, a detailed description thereof is omitted.

[0305] The method described in the example of FIG. 18 can be performed by the second device (200) of FIG. 1. That is, the second STA of FIG. 18 can be implemented as the second device (200). For example, one or more processors (202) of the second device (200) of FIG. 1 can be configured to check key information related to protection for a control frame, configure a trigger frame including protection-related information for one or more fields based on the key information, and transmit the control frame with protection applied to the first STA.

[0306] In this regard, the second STA may perform an operation of partially / segmenting and including information related to integrity check (e.g., derived MIC value, key information for deriving MIC value, PN (Packet Number) for the trigger frame, etc.) into multiple user information fields having specific AIDs that do not overlap with the AIDs of receiving STAs including the first STA by applying BIP to the trigger frame based on information shared with the first STA before configuring the PPDU.

[0307] Furthermore, one or more memories (204) of the second device (200) may store instructions for performing the method described in the example of FIG. 18 or the examples described below when executed by one or more processors (202).

[0308] The embodiments described above are combinations of components and features of the present disclosure in a predetermined form. Each component or feature should be considered optional unless explicitly stated otherwise. Each component or feature may be implemented without being combined with other components or features. Furthermore, it is also possible to form embodiments of the present disclosure by combining some components and / or features. The order of operations described in the embodiments of the present disclosure may be changed. Some components or features of one embodiment may be included in another embodiment or may be replaced with corresponding components or features of another embodiment. It is self-evident that claims that do not have an explicit citation relationship in the patent claims may be combined to form embodiments or incorporated as new claims through post-application amendments.

[0309] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present disclosure may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the essential characteristics thereof. Therefore, the above detailed description should not be construed as limiting in any respect, but rather as illustrative. The scope of the present disclosure should be determined by a reasonable interpretation of the appended claims, and all modifications within the scope of equivalents of the present disclosure are intended to be included within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0310] The scope of the present disclosure includes software or machine-executable instructions (e.g., an operating system, an application, firmware, a program, etc.) that cause operations according to the methods of various embodiments to be executed on a device or a computer, and a non-transitory computer-readable medium having such software or instructions stored thereon and executable on the device or computer. Instructions that can be used to program a processing system to perform the features described in the present disclosure can be stored on / in a storage medium or a computer-readable storage medium, and a computer program product including such a storage medium can be used to implement the features described in the present disclosure. The storage medium can include, but is not limited to, high-speed random access memory, such as DRAM, SRAM, DDR RAM, or other random access solid state memory devices, and can include non-volatile memory, such as one or more magnetic disk storage devices, optical disk storage devices, flash memory devices, or other non-volatile solid state storage devices. The memory optionally includes one or more storage devices remotely located from the processor(s). The memory or, alternatively, the non-volatile memory device(s) within the memory comprise a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. The features described in this disclosure may be incorporated into software and / or firmware stored on any of the machine-readable media, which may control the hardware of the processing system and allow the processing system to interact with other mechanisms that utilize results according to embodiments of the present disclosure. Such software or firmware may include, but is not limited to, application code, device drivers, operating systems, and execution environments / containers.

[0311] The method proposed in this disclosure has been described with a focus on examples applied to IEEE 802.11-based systems, but can be applied to various wireless LANs or wireless communication systems in addition to IEEE 802.11-based systems.

Claims

1. A method performed by a first station (STA) in a wireless local area network (WLAN) system, the method comprising: A step of verifying key information related to protection for a control frame; A step of receiving a control frame to which the above protection is applied from a second STA; and A step of performing an integrity check on the control frame based on the above key information is included. The user information list field in the above control frame includes one or more specific field structures that include protection information for the integrity check, A method wherein each specific field structure includes an AID (association ID) field set to a value related to the above protection information.

2. In paragraph 1, A method wherein the protection information includes at least one of a first field related to the key information, a second field related to a packet number for the control frame, or a third field related to a message integrity code (MIC) value for one or more fields within the control frame.

3. In paragraph 2, A method wherein the number of said one or more specific field structures within said user information list field is based on the size of said MIC value.

4. In paragraph 2, The MIC value is calculated for one of the common information field in the control frame, one or more user information fields in the user information list field, or the common information field and the one or more user information fields, A method wherein each user information field includes an AID field set to a value for the STA receiving the control frame.

5. In paragraph 1, The above user information list field includes one or more user information fields including an AID field set to a value for an STA receiving the control frame, A method wherein the value associated with the above protection information is a specific value different from a value for an STA receiving the above control frame.

6. In paragraph 5, Within the above user information list field, A method wherein said one or more specific field structures are positioned subsequent to said one or more user information fields.

7. In paragraph 5, A method in which an STA receiving the control frame corresponds to either an STA that supports protection for the control frame or an STA that does not support protection for the control frame.

8. In paragraph 1, A method wherein the above protection information is divided into one or more specific field structures in units of preset sizes.

9. In paragraph 8, A method wherein the above integrity check is performed based on protection information obtained by concatenating values ​​included in the one or more specific field structures.

10. In paragraph 8, Based on the size of a specific field structure being 40 bits, A method wherein the size of the above AID field is 12 bits and the preset size unit is 28 bits.

11. In paragraph 1, A method in which information indicating whether protection for the control frame is supported is transmitted and received between the first STA and the second STA.

12. In paragraph 1, A method in which information on at least one of a frame format based on the configuration of the protection information or a range to which the protection information is applied is transmitted and received between the first STA and the second STA for the control frame.

13. In paragraph 12, A method wherein the above information is included in at least one of a common information field or a special user information field within the control frame.

14. In paragraph 1, Based on the fact that the above control frame corresponds to an individually addressed control frame, the key information is based on a pairwise transient key (PTK) for the first STA and the second STA, A method wherein the key information is based on a GTK (group temporal key) for the first STA and the second STA, based on the control frame corresponding to a group addressed control frame.

15. In paragraph 1, Protection for the above control frame is based on an integrity check utilizing the broadcast / multicast integrity protocol (BIP). A method in which BIP-CMAC-128, BIP-CMAC-256, BIP-GMAC-128, or BIP-GMAC-256 is used as a cipher suite for the above BIP.

16. In paragraph 1, The above second STA is an access point (AP), A method wherein the first STA is a non-AP STA coupled to the AP.

17. In a first station (STA) device in a wireless local area network (WLAN) system, the device: one or more transmitters and receivers; and comprising one or more processors connected to said one or more transceivers, One or more of the above processors: Verify key information related to protection for control frames; Receive a control frame with the above protection applied from a second STA; Based on the above key information, an integrity check is set to be performed on the control frame, The user information list field in the above control frame includes one or more specific field structures that include protection information for the integrity check, A device wherein each specific field structure includes an AID (association ID) field set to a value related to the above protection information.

18. A method performed by a second station (STA) in a wireless local area network (WLAN) system, the method comprising: A step of verifying key information related to protection for a control frame; A step of constructing a control frame including protection information for integrity check based on the above key information; and A step of transmitting a control frame to which the above protection is applied to a first STA is included, The user information list field within the above control frame includes one or more specific field structures that include the protection information, A method wherein each specific field structure includes an AID (association ID) field set to a value related to the above protection information.

19. In a second station (STA) device in a wireless local area network (WLAN) system, the device: one or more transmitters and receivers; and comprising one or more processors connected to said one or more transceivers, One or more of the above processors: Verify key information related to protection for control frames; Based on the above key information, a control frame including protection information for integrity check is constructed; It is set to transmit the control frame to which the above protection is applied to the first STA, The user information list field within the above control frame includes one or more specific field structures that include the protection information, A device wherein each specific field structure includes an AID (association ID) field set to a value related to the above protection information.

20. In a processing device configured to control a station (STA) in a wireless local area network (WLAN) system, the processing device: one or more processors; and A processing device comprising one or more computer memories operatively connected to said one or more processors and storing instructions that, when executed by said one or more processors, perform a method according to any one of claims 1 to 16.

21. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing one or more instructions, A computer-readable medium, wherein the one or more commands are executed by one or more processors to control a device in a wireless LAN system to perform a method according to any one of claims 1 to 16.

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