Random changes of medium access control address of Wi-Fi station while connected to access point

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12501388-B2
Application number	US-202519255622-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 30, 2025
Priority date	Mar 21, 2024
Publication date	Dec 16, 2025
Grant date	Dec 16, 2025

Abstract

A method for operating a mobile station (STA) to periodically change its medium access control (MAC) address includes transmitting, from a STA, a first capability indication to an access point (AP) indicating that the STA supports identifiable random MAC (IRM). The STA receives a second capability indication from the AP indicating that the AP supports IRM. A first IRM address (IRMA) is determined and a first association between the STA and the AP is established using the first IRMA. A determination is made whether to change a MAC address of the STA. In response to a determination to change the MAC address of the STA, without disconnecting from the AP, a second IRMA is determined and a second association between the STA and the AP is established using the first IRMA. During the second association, the second IRMA is transmitted from the STA to the AP.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for operating a mobile station (STA) to periodically change its medium access control (MAC) address to increase privacy when associated to an Access Point (AP), the method comprising:
transmitting, from a STA, a first capability indication to an access point (AP), the first capability indication indicating that the STA supports identifiable random MAC (IRM); receiving, at the STA, a second capability indication from the AP, the second capability indication indicating that the AP supports IRM; determining, at the STA, a first IRM address (IRMA); and establishing a first association between the STA and the AP using a first random MAC address, wherein during the first association:
transmitting to the AP the first IRMA;
determining whether to change the first random MAC address of the STA;
in response to determining to change the first random MAC address of the STA, determining, without disconnecting from the AP, a second IRMA different from the first IRMA; and
establishing a second association between the STA and the AP using the first IRMA.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the first random MAC address comprises determining whether the STA has previously associated to the AP and whether the AP is known to the STA;
in response to determining that the AP is unknown to the STA, creating a random MAC address as the first random MAC address; and in response to determining that the AP is known to the STA, using an IRMA that was last transmitted from the STA to the AP during a previous association as the first random MAC address.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first and second IRMAs are transmitted to the AP in a key data encapsulation (KDE) field in one of a second message or a fourth message of a four-way handshake process, wherein the handshake process corresponds to a robust secure network association (RSNA).

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein, in a fast initial link setup (FILS), the first IRMA is transmitted to the AP in an information element in an Association Request after an authentication.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining whether to change the first random MAC address of the STA comprises determining whether traffic flow associated with the STA is in an interruptible state.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first IRMA comprises 96 bits with first 48 bits being used as a transmit address (TA) for the STA and last 48 bits being used as a receiver address (RA) of the STA.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the STA transmits packets, other than Control packets, to the AP using the first 48 bits of the 96-bit first IRMA as the TA and the second 48 bits of the 96-bit first IRMA as the RA, and wherein the AP and STA transmit Control packets using the TA of received packets as an RA.

8 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the method further comprises:
transmitting a third capability indication to the AP, the third capability indication indicating that the STA supports 96-bit identifiable random MAC (IRM); and receiving a fourth capability indication from the AP, the fourth capability indication indicating that the AP supports 96-bit IRM.

9 . The method of claim 6 , wherein in a new 96-bit IRMA comprising first 48 bits and second 48 bits, only the first 48 bits are replaced with a new 48-bit first random MAC address or only the second 48 bits are replaced by a new 48-bit first random MAC address.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein during the second association, transmitting the second IRMA from the STA to the AP.

11 . A mobile station (STA) configured to periodically change its medium access control (MAC) address in order to increase privacy when associated to an Access Point (AP), the STA comprising:
at least one memory device with computer-executable instructions stored thereon; and at least one processor for executing the computer-executable instructions stored on the at least one memory device, wherein execution of the computer-executable instructions by the at least one processor causes the at least one processor to perform operations comprising:
transmitting a first capability indication to an access point (AP), the first capability indication indicating that the STA supports identifiable random MAC (IRM);
receiving a second capability indication from the AP, the second capability indication indicating that the AP supports IRM;
determining a first IRM address (IRMA); and
establishing a first association between the STA and the AP using a random MAC address, wherein during the first association:
transmitting to the AP the first IRMA;
determining whether to change the random MAC address of the STA;
in response to determining to change the random MAC address of the STA, determining, without disconnecting from the AP, a second IRMA different from the first IRMA; and
establishing a second association between the STA and the AP using the first IRMA.

12 . The STA of claim 11 , wherein determining the random MAC address comprises:
determining whether the STA has previously associated to the AP, and whether the AP is known to the STA; in response to determining that the AP is unknown to the STA, creating a first random MAC address as the random MAC address; and in response to determining that the AP is known to the STA, using an IRMA that was last transmitted from the STA to the AP during a previous association, as the random MAC address.

13 . The STA of claim 11 , wherein the first and second IRMAs are transmitted to the AP in a key data encapsulation (KDE) field in one of a second message or a fourth message of a four-way handshake process, wherein the handshake process corresponds to a robust secure network association (RSNA).

14 . The STA of claim 11 , wherein, in a fast initial link setup (FILS), the first IRMA is transmitted to the AP in an information element in an Association Request after an authentication.

15 . The STA of claim 11 , wherein determining whether to change the random MAC address of the STA comprises determining whether traffic flow associated with the STA is in an interruptible state.

16 . The STA of claim 11 , wherein the first IRMA comprises 96 bits with first 48 bits being used as a transmit address (TA) for the STA, and last 48 bits being used as a receiver address (RA) of the STA.

17 . The STA of claim 16 , wherein the STA transmits packets, other than Control packets, to the AP using the first 48 bits of the 96-bit first IRMA as the TA and the second 48 bits of the 96-bit first IRMA as the RA, and wherein the AP and STA transmit Control packets using the TA of received packets as an RA.

18 . The STA of claim 16 , wherein the method further comprises:
transmitting a third capability indication to the AP, the third capability indication indicating that the STA supports 96-bit identifiable random MAC (IRM); and receiving a fourth capability indication from the AP, the fourth capability indication indicating that the AP supports 96-bit IRM.

19 . The STA of claim 16 , wherein in a new 96-bit IRMA comprising first 48 bits and second 48 bits, only the first 48 bits are replaced with a new 48-bit random MAC address or only the second 48 bits are replaced by a new 48-bit random MAC address.

20 . The STA of claim 11 , wherein during the second association, transmitting the second IRMA from the STA to the AP.

Assignees

• Sr Tech Inc

Inventors

• Smith Graham K

Classifications

• H04W8/22

  Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities · CPC title

• H04W12/06 Primary

  Authentication · CPC title

• H04W60/04 Primary

  using triggered events · CPC title