Multilink Wi‑Fi Key Sharing Across Frequency Channels
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing communication technologies face challenges in exchanging encryption keys when establishing connections via multiple frequency channels, leading to potential security vulnerabilities.
Innovation Solution
A communication apparatus that performs multilink communication using the IEEE802.11 standard, enabling the establishment of links via multiple frequency channels and sharing encryption keys, such as PTK and GTK, through out-band communication to ensure secure key exchange.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multiple frequency channels are used for communication, then communication throughput and frequency use efficiency are improved, but encryption key exchange becomes problematic and security may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a key information element as an intermediary carrier to transmit PTK and GTK information across different frequency channels. This key information element acts as a mediator that enables secure key exchange between APs operating on different channels, resolving the problem of how to securely share encryption keys when communication occurs across multiple frequency channels.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extends the key exchange mechanism from a single frequency channel dimension to multiple frequency channel dimensions. By defining how key information elements are transmitted and interpreted across different channels (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 6 GHz), the system enables secure communication in a multi-dimensional frequency space while maintaining cryptographic security.
2Ease of operation
If PTK and GTK are generated and shared via one frequency channel, then key exchange is simple, but connection establishment via other frequency channels cannot be secured
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal key information element structure that can be transmitted across any frequency channel and used to secure communications on any channel. This key information element serves multiple functions: it carries both PTK and GTK, works across different frequency bands (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 6 GHz), and enables both initial connection and subsequent secure communication regardless of which channel is used.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary key generation and packaging into key information elements before actual data transmission on multiple channels. By pre-preparing the encrypted key information in a standardized format that can be transmitted on any channel, the system enables rapid secure connection establishment across multiple frequency channels without requiring separate key exchange procedures for each channel.
Data Source
AI summary
A communication apparatus capable of performing multilink communication conforming to the IEEE802.11 standard series, the communication apparatus includes an establishment unit configured to establish a link with another communication apparatus, and a first sharing unit configured to share, in a case where the establishment unit establishes a first link and a second link between the communication apparatus and the another communication apparatus, a PTK (Pairwise Transient Key) for encryption of unicast communication by 4 Way Handshake processing that is performed with the another communication apparatus in the first link, wherein, in the second link, the PTK is used to encrypt unicast communication in the second link without performing the 4 Way Handshake processing.