Patent ID: 7706800
Filing Date: 2010-04-27
Classification: H04W

Abstract:
1. A device comprising: an authentication unit to authenticate communications between a wireless communication station and a mobile station, the authentication unit including: an authentication key generator capable of generating from a pairwise master key an authentication key; a context unit to update a first context based on a count of authenticated communications exchanged, between the wireless communication station and the mobile station using the authentication key; and a memory to store a second context including a count of previous authenticated communications, which were exchanged with the mobile station based on the pairwise master key, wherein the authentication unit is to provide the second context to another wireless communication station, in response to a request for a handoff process to handoff communication with the mobile station from the wireless communication station, and wherein, during the handoff process the authentication unit is to authenticate communications with the mobile station using the first context and the authentication key; wherein the first context includes an uplink counter and a downlink counter, and wherein the context unit is to update the uplink counter based on a count of authenticated communications exchanged over an uplink between the mobile station and the wireless communication station, and to update the downlink counter based on a count of authenticated communications exchanged over a downlink between the wireless communication station and the mobile station; and wherein the context unit is to update the first context by resuming the count of the first context.