Multi-Link Wireless Communication GTK Updates to Reduce Frame Overhead

The patent combines GTK update operations for multiple links into a single update action. When a GTK update is triggered for any link in the multi-link setup, the system updates the GTK across all links simultaneously through a single message exchange, rather than performing separate update operations for each link. This merging approach maintains encryption security across all links while significantly reducing the communication overhead associated with frequent GTK updates.

The patent implements a universal GTK update mechanism that serves multiple links simultaneously. A single GTK update operation performed on one link automatically applies to all other links in the multi-link configuration. This multi-functional approach allows the system to maintain multiple high-throughput links without proportionally increasing the time and resources required for GTK updates, as the update operation becomes a shared resource across all links.

The patent merges multiple GTK update operations into a single consolidated update action. Instead of performing separate update transactions for each link when security requirements demand frequent updates, the system triggers one update operation that propagates the new GTK across all links simultaneously. This approach maintains encryption key freshness across all links at the required frequency while reducing radio resource consumption by eliminating redundant update messages.