Patent ID: 7787627
Filing Date: 2010-08-31
Classification: H04L,H04W

Abstract:
1. A method comprising: receiving, by a first access point (AP), a first-level pairwise master key (PMK), wherein a first key name is associated with the first-level PMK; generating, by the first AP, a plurality of second-level derived authentication keys based at least in part on the first-level PMK, the plurality of second-level derived authentication keys including a first second-level PMK, a second second-level PMK, and a third second-level PMK; providing, by the first AP, the second second-level PMK and the third second-level PMK to a second AP and a third AP, respectively, to enable the second AP and the third AP to establish communication sessions with a subscriber station using at least in part the second second-level PMK and the third second-level PMK, respectively; communicating, by the first AP, with a subscriber station to generate one or more session keys based on the first second-level PMK, wherein the one or more session keys are used by the first AP to establish a communication session with the subscriber station; and generating, by the first AP, a second key name, a third key name, and a fourth key name associated with the first second-level PMK, the second second-level PMK, and the third second-level PMK, respectively; wherein each of the second key name, the third key name, and the fourth key name includes at least in part the first key name and an address of the subscriber station.