Wireless Frame Counter Encoding for Low Overhead Security
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Solution Overview
Problem
Low rate personal wireless networks face power constraints and security challenges due to high data overhead in encryption methods, particularly with the need for frame counters that increase battery consumption and communication overhead.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus for encoding and transmitting frame counters in wireless communication systems, where the frame counter is uniquely computed and recoverable from a sequence counter, allowing for compressed message transmission and periodic resynchronization to reduce data transfer while maintaining security.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If frame counter and key identifier are included in the message for encryption security, then data confidentiality is maintained, but message overhead increases by 25%
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the frame counter information from the message payload and maintains it separately in local memory at both sender and receiver. Only the sequence counter (8 bits) is transmitted in the message header, while the full frame counter (32 bits) is recovered locally, eliminating the need to transmit the complete frame counter value.
Solution Approach 2:
The frame counter transmission problem is segmented into two parts: the sequence counter (transmitted in message header) and the frame counter counter (maintained locally). This segmentation allows the system to maintain security requirements while reducing transmitted data volume.
2Reliability
If complete frame counter is transmitted in each message, then data freshness is ensured, but battery consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts frame counter maintenance from the transmission process and performs it locally in memory. The sender and receiver both maintain their own frame counters independently, eliminating the need to transmit the complete frame counter value with each message.
Solution Approach 2:
Both sender and receiver devices maintain their own frame counters locally, serving themselves rather than requiring the counter value to be transmitted. The frame counter is incremented locally based on the sequence counter received in messages.
3Productivity
If frame counter size is reduced to decrease message overhead, then data transfer efficiency improves, but encryption security is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent moves the frame counter from the message transmission dimension to the local memory dimension. The full 32-bit frame counter is maintained in local memory at both ends, while only an 8-bit sequence counter is transmitted, achieving both security and efficiency.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of transmitting messages from a sender to a recipient over a wireless channel, the messages including a sequence counter and a frame counter. The method comprises establishing initial values of the sequence counter and the frame counter at the sender. Initial values of the frame counter and the sequence counter are provided to the recipient. The sender sends compressed messages including the value of the sequence counter and not the frame counter and monitors for an acknowledgement of receipt by the recipient. When no acknowledgment is received, the sender sends uncompressed messages until an acknowledgement of receipt is received from the recipient. The sequence counter is incremented and the next value of the frame counter is established as the integer next larger than previous value of the frame counter which is congruent to the sequence counter modulo 256.