Multi-link device resetup and transition with station device address authentication

Abstract

This disclosure describes systems, methods, and devices related to multi-link device (MLD) device resetup and transition. A device may perform an initial association with a first transition peer. The device may initiate a fast multi-link device (MLD) transition from the first transition peer to a second transition peer, wherein the MLD is configured to use authentication keys, and wherein at least one of the first transition peer or the second transition peer it is an access point (AP) MLD having a plurality of links associated with a plurality of APs within the AP MLD. The device may include an MLD link identification (ID) within a fast basic service set transition element (FTE) of a reassociation request or reassociation response frame, wherein the MLD link ID identifies an individual link of the plurality of links. The device may perform a second association with the second transition peer.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A device, the device comprising processing circuitry coupled to storage, the processing circuitry configured to:
 perform an initial association with a first transition peer;   initiate a fast multi-link device (MLD) transition from the first transition peer to a second transition peer, wherein the MLD is configured to use authentication keys, and wherein at least one of the first transition peer or the second transition peer it is an access point (AP) MLD having a plurality of links associated with a plurality of APs within the AP MLD;   include an MLD link identification (ID) within an fast basic service set transition element (FTE) of a reassociation request or reassociation response frame, wherein the MLD link ID identifies an individual link of the plurality of links; and   perform a second association with the second transition peer.   
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the initial association comprises exchanging a multi-link element in a reassociation request or a reassociation response frame when the device is a non-access point (AP) MLD and the first transition peer is an AP multi-link device (MLD). 
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the initial association comprises exchanging a key data encapsulation (KDE) in message 2 and message 3 of a fast basic service set transition (FT) 4-way handshake when the device is a non-access point (AP) MLD and the first transition peer is an AP multi-link device (MLD) and wherein the KDE comprises one link ID associated with a link of the AP MLD plus STA MAC address fields for the link. 
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:
 determine the device is a non-AP MLD and the first transition peer is an AP MLD, wherein the initial association comprises receiving a first group temporal key (GTK), a first integrity group temporal key (IGTK), or a first beacon integrity group transient key (BIGTK) associated with a first link between the non-AP MLD and the first transition peer in message 3 of fast basic service set transition (FT) 4-way handshake; and   receive a second GTK, a second IGTK, or a second BIGTK associated with a second link between the non-AP MLD and the first transition peer in message 3 of fast basic service set transition (FT) 4-way handshake.   
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 4 , wherein a multi-link GTK KDE, a multi-link IGTK KDE, or a multi-link BIGTK KDE in message 3 of a fast basic service set transition (FT) 4-way handshake each comprises one link ID associated with a link of the AP MLD plus the first GTK, the first IGTK, or the first BIGTK. 
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the device is a fast basic service set transition originator (FTO). 
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the FTE comprises a multi-link subelement of an, wherein the subelement comprises one link ID associated with a link of the AP MLD plus station device (STA) medium access control (MAC) address fields. 
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:
 determine the device is a non-AP MLD and the second transition peer is in AP MLD;   receive a first group temporal key (GTK), a first integrity group temporal key (IGTK), or a first beacon integrity group transient key (BIGTK) associated with a first link between the non-AP MLD and the second transition peer in reassociation response; and   receive a second GTK, a second IGTK, or a second BIGTK associated with a second link between the non-AP MLD and the second transition peer in reassociation response.   
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 8 , wherein a multi-link GTK subelement of FTE, a multi-link IGTK subelement of FTE, or multi-link BIGTK subelement of FTE each comprises with one link ID associated with a link of the AP MLD plus the first GTK, first IGTK, or the first BIGTK. 
     
     
         10 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions which when executed by one or more processors result in performing operations comprising:
 performing an initial association with a first transition peer;   initiating a fast multi-link device (MLD) transition from the first transition peer to a second transition peer, wherein the MLD is configured to use authentication keys, and wherein at least one of the first transition peer or the second transition peer it is an access point (AP) MLD having a plurality of links associated with a plurality of APs within the AP MLD;   including an MLD link identification (ID) within an fast basic service set transition element (FTE) of a reassociation request or reassociation response frame, wherein the MLD link ID identifies an individual link of the plurality of links; and   performing a second association with the second transition peer.   
     
     
         11 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 10 , wherein the initial association comprises exchanging a multi-link element in a reassociation request or a reassociation response frame when the device is a non-access point (AP) MLD and the first transition peer is an AP multi-link device (MLD). 
     
     
         12 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 10 , wherein the initial association comprises exchanging a key data encapsulation (KDE) in message 2 and message 3 of a fast basic service set transition (FT) 4-way handshake when the device is a non-access point (AP) MLD and the first transition peer is an AP multi-link device (MLD) and wherein the KDE comprises one link ID associated with a link of the AP MLD plus STA MAC address fields for the link. 
     
     
         13 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 10 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 determining the device is a non-AP MLD and the first transition peer is an AP MLD, wherein the initial association comprises receiving a first group temporal key (GTK), a first integrity group temporal key (IGTK), or a first beacon integrity group transient key (BIGTK) associated with a first link between the non-AP MLD and the first transition peer in message 3 of fast basic service set transition (FT) 4-way handshake; and   receiving a second GTK, a second IGTK, or a second BIGTK associated with a second link between the non-AP MLD and the first transition peer in message 3 of fast basic service set transition (FT) 4-way handshake.   
     
     
         14 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 13 , wherein a multi-link GTK KDE, a multi-link IGTK KDE, or a multi-link BIGTK KDE in message 3 of a fast basic service set transition (FT) 4-way handshake each comprises one link ID associated with a link of the AP MLD plus the first GTK, the first IGTK, or the first BIGTK. 
     
     
         15 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 10 , wherein the device is a fast basic service set transition originator (FTO). 
     
     
         16 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 10 , wherein the FTE comprises a multi-link subelement of an, wherein the subelement comprises one link ID associated with a link of the AP MLD plus station device (STA) medium access control (MAC) address fields. 
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 10 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 determining the device is a non-AP MLD and the second transition peer is in AP MLD;   receiving a first group temporal key (GTK), a first integrity group temporal key (IGTK), or a first beacon integrity group transient key (BIGTK) associated with a first link between the non-AP MLD and the second transition peer in reassociation response; and   receiving a second GTK, a second IGTK, or a second BIGTK associated with a second link between the non-AP MLD and the second transition peer in reassociation response.   
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein a multi-link GTK subelement of FTE, a multi-link IGTK subelement of FTE, or multi-link BIGTK subelement of FTE each comprises with one link ID associated with a link of the AP MLD plus the first GTK, first IGTK, or the first BIGTK. 
     
     
         19 . A method comprising:
 performing, by one or more processors, an initial association with a first transition peer;   initiating a fast multi-link device (MLD) transition from the first transition peer to a second transition peer, wherein the MLD is configured to use authentication keys, and wherein at least one of the first transition peer or the second transition peer it is an access point (AP) MLD having a plurality of links associated with a plurality of APs within the AP MLD;   including an MLD link identification (ID) within an fast basic service set transition element (FTE) of a reassociation request or reassociation response frame, wherein the MLD link ID identifies an individual link of the plurality of links; and   performing a second association with the second transition peer.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the initial association comprises exchanging a multi-link element in a reassociation request or a reassociation response frame when the device is a non-access point (AP) MLD and the first transition peer is an AP multi-link device (MLD).