Electronic device and method of using pairwise master key

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12273449-B2
Application number	US-202217863085-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 12, 2022
Priority date	Aug 9, 2021
Publication date	Apr 8, 2025
Grant date	Apr 8, 2025

Abstract

An electronic device may include at least one wireless communication module configured to transmit and receive a wireless signal; a memory electrically configured to store instructions; and at least one processor operatively connected to the at least one wireless communication module and the memory, the at least one processor being configured to execute the instructions to: based on an attempt to connect to an access point (AP), identify whether a pairwise master key security association (PMKSA) for the AP, generated based on to a previous connection of the electronic device to the AP, is present, and based on identifying that the PMKSA is present, determine whether to reuse a pairwise master key (PMK) stored in the PMKSA by comparing a lifetime of the PMK with a margin time in which a use of the PMK is guaranteed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device comprising:
at least one wireless communication module configured to transmit and receive a wireless signal;
a memory configured to store instructions; and
at least one processor operatively connected to the at least one wireless communication module and the memory, the at least one processor being configured to execute the instructions to:
based on an attempt to connect to an access point (AP), identify whether a pairwise master key security association (PMKSA) for the AP, generated based on to a previous connection of the electronic device to the AP, is present, and
based on identifying that the PMKSA is present, determine whether to reuse a pairwise master key (PMK) stored in the PMKSA by comparing a lifetime of the PMK with a margin time in which a reuse of the PMK is guaranteed,
wherein the margin time indicates a time period during which the PMK stored in the PMKSA does not expire.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the margin time is set based on usage information on wireless communication supported by the AP.

3. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the usage information comprises at least one of a connection time and a usage time pattern with respect to the AP.

4. The electronic device of claim 3 , wherein the operation of obtaining the new PMK comprises a simultaneous authentication of equals (SAE) authentication operation.

5. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the instructions to:
based on the lifetime of the PMK being greater than the margin time, perform a connection to the AP by reusing the PMK, and
based on the lifetime of the PMK not being greater than the margin time or the PMK not being present, perform an operation of obtaining a new PMK.

6. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to dynamically change the margin time based on usage information on wireless communication supported by the AP.

7. The electronic device of claim 6 , wherein the a least one processor is further configured to execute the instructions to periodically update the usage information.

8. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the margin time is determined and used for each device, user, service set identifier (SSID), and basic service set identifier (BSSID).

9. An electronic device comprising:
at least one wireless communication module configured to transmit and receive a wireless signal;
a memory configured to store instructions; and
at least one processor operatively connected to the at least one wireless communication module and the memory, the at least one processor being configured to execute the instructions to:
generate a pairwise master key (PMK) based on a connection to an access point (AP),
generate a PMK security association (PMKSA) for the AP,
adjust a default value of a lifetime of the PMK, based on usage information on wireless communication supported by the AP, and
store an adjusted value of the lifetime of the PMK in the PMKSA,
wherein the adjusted value indicates a time period during which the PMK stored in the PMKSA does not expire.

10. The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the instructions to generate the PMK by performing a simultaneous authentication of equals (SAE) authentication operation.

11. The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the usage information comprises at least one of a connection time and a usage time pattern with respect to the AP.

12. The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the instructions to, for each time a new PMK is generated based on a connection to the AP, dynamically change a default value of a lifetime of the new PMK, based on the usage information.

13. The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to periodically update the usage information.

14. An operating method of an electronic device, the operating method comprising:
based on the electronic device attempting to connect to an access point (AP), identifying whether a pairwise master key security association (PMKSA) for the AP, generated based on a previous connection of the electronic device to the AP, is present; and
based on identifying that the PMKSA is present, determining whether to reuse a pairwise master key (PMK) stored in the PMKSA by comparing a lifetime of the PMK with a margin time in which a reuse of the PMK is guaranteed,
wherein the margin time indicates a time period during which the PMK stored in the PMKSA does not expire.

15. The operating method of claim 14 , wherein the margin time is set based on usage information on wireless communication supported by the AP.

16. The operating method of claim 15 , further comprising:
based on the lifetime of the PMK being greater than the margin time, performing a connection to the AP by reusing the PMK; and
based on the lifetime of the PMK not being greater than the margin time or the PMK not being present, performing an operation of obtaining a new PMK.

17. The operating method of claim 16 , wherein the operation of obtaining the new PMK comprises a simultaneous authentication of equals (SAE) authentication operation.

18. The operating method of claim 14 , wherein the usage information comprises at least one of a connection time or a usage time pattern with respect to the AP.

19. The operating method of claim 14 , further comprising:
dynamically changing the margin time based on usage information on wireless communication supported by the AP.

20. The operating method of claim 14 , wherein the margin time is determined and used for each device, user, service set identifier (SSID), and basic service set identifier (BSSID).

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Nam Chounjong
• Lim Junhak
• Choi Seongsu

Classifications

• H04W12/06

  Authentication · CPC title

• H04W84/12

  WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks] · CPC title

• H04W12/61

  Time-dependent · CPC title

• H04W12/041

  Key generation or derivation · CPC title

• H04W12/069 Primary

  using certificates or pre-shared keys · CPC title