WiFi Sensing Frame Integrity via Message Integrity Code

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Solution Overview

Problem

Wireless sensing systems, such as WiFi sensing, face challenges in ensuring the integrity of frames transmitted for sensing measurements, as interfering devices can distort or corrupt these frames, leading to inaccurate measurements.

Innovation Solution

Incorporating a message integrity code (MIC) to protect the timestamp of frames, allowing receiving devices to verify the integrity of the frames by comparing the receipt time to the timestamp, and discarding frames with significant time differences exceeding the expected propagation time, thereby preventing the use of spoofed or altered frames.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If wireless sensing systems use standard WLAN signals for environment mapping and object tracking, then the system can achieve versatile sensing capabilities, but the system becomes vulnerable to frame distortion and corruption by interfering devices

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesensing capabilitiesVSAvoidframe integrity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by embedding a Message Integrity Code (MIC) and timestamp in the frame before transmission. The MIC is calculated over the entire frame content including the timestamp, creating a protective mechanism in advance that allows the receiving device to verify frame integrity upon receipt, preventing the use of spoofed or altered frames for sensing measurements

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Measurement precision

If the system verifies the integrity of every received frame using MIC, then measurement accuracy improves, but processing time and computational overhead increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesensing measurement accuracyVSAvoidframe verification time

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies self-service by having the transmitting device automatically generate and attach the MIC and timestamp to each frame before transmission. The receiving device then automatically verifies the MIC and checks the timestamp validity without requiring manual intervention or complex external validation processes, reducing processing overhead while maintaining measurement precision

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

3Adaptability or versatility

If the system accepts frames with large time differences between arrival time and timestamp, then the system can handle propagation delays, but it becomes vulnerable to spoofed frames from interfering devices

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepropagation delay toleranceVSAvoidspoofed frame vulnerability

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces the MIC as an intermediary verification mechanism between the timestamp and the sensing measurement process. The MIC acts as a mediator that must be validated before the timestamp can be trusted, and before any sensing measurements can be performed on the frame data. This intermediary layer prevents spoofed frames from being accepted even if they arrive within expected propagation time windows

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS11558746B2Protected WiFi sensing measurements

Publication Date: 2023.01.17 QUALCOMM INC

AI summary

This disclosure provides systems, methods, and apparatuses for wireless communication. In some aspects, An example method includes receiving, from a second wireless communication device, a frame associated with one or more wireless sensing measurements, verifying an integrity of the received frame associated with a message integrity code (MIC) in the received frame, and obtaining one or more wireless sensing measurements associated with the received frame.