17949910. Privacy Enhanced BSS and Discovery Mechanisms simplified abstract (Apple Inc.)

Privacy Enhanced BSS and Discovery Mechanisms

Organization Name

Apple Inc.

Inventor(s)

Jarkko L Kneckt of Los Gatos CA (US)

Charles F. Dominguez of Redwood City CA (US)

Daniel R. Borges of Fremont CA (US)

Debashis Dash of San Jose CA (US)

Elliot S. Briggs of Santa Cruz CA (US)

Sidharth R. Thakur of San Jose CA (US)

Su Khiong Yong of Palo Alto CA (US)

Yong Liu of Campbell CA (US)

Privacy Enhanced BSS and Discovery Mechanisms - A simplified explanation of the abstract

This abstract first appeared for US patent application 17949910 titled 'Privacy Enhanced BSS and Discovery Mechanisms

Simplified Explanation

The patent application describes a system and method for enhancing privacy in a wireless network. The innovation includes privacy enhancements for access points and wireless stations, as well as for authentication, association, and discovery operations.

• The system supports both legacy wireless stations and the new privacy enhanced basic service set (BSS).
• A station can transition from a legacy BSS to a privacy enhanced BSS by communicating with the wireless network.
• The station receives an encrypted beacon from the privacy enhanced BSS, which is decoded using information from the legacy BSS.
• The station then performs an encrypted handshake procedure with the privacy enhanced BSS to authenticate and associate with it.

Potential Applications

• Wireless networks that prioritize privacy and security.
• Environments where sensitive data is transmitted over wireless networks, such as healthcare facilities or financial institutions.
• Any scenario where privacy and secure communication are crucial, such as government agencies or defense organizations.

Problems Solved

• Lack of privacy in wireless networks, where unauthorized users can intercept and access data.
• Inadequate authentication and association procedures that can lead to unauthorized access.
• Compatibility issues between legacy wireless stations and new privacy enhanced BSS.

Benefits

• Enhanced privacy and security for wireless networks.
• Compatibility with legacy wireless stations, ensuring a smooth transition to the privacy enhanced BSS.
• Improved authentication and association procedures, reducing the risk of unauthorized access.

Original Abstract Submitted

Systems, methods, and mechanisms for a privacy enhanced basic service set (BSS), including privacy enhancements for both access points and wireless stations as well as privacy enchantments for authentication, association, and discovery operations. Further, the systems, methods, and mechanisms disclosed may continue to support legacy wireless stations and are thus, backward compatible. A station may communicate with a legacy BSS of a wireless network to transition to a PE BSS of the wireless network. The station may receive, from the PE BSS of the wireless network, an encrypted beacon, wherein the encrypted beacon is decoded based on information received from the legacy BSS and perform, with the PE BSS of the wireless network, an encrypted handshake procedure to authenticate and associate with the PE BSS of the wireless network.