Patent ID: 8325922

Claim:
A method of implementing security zones on a multi-hop relay wireless network, the method comprising the steps of: defining a security zone including a base station and at least two relay stations on the multi-hop relay wireless network; establishing a security zone security association for use in connection with authenticating management messages, encrypting management messages, and decrypting management messages transmitted between the relay stations and between the relay stations and base station on the multi-hop relay wireless network; distributing security zone security association key material from the base station to the at least two relay stations to enable each of the relay stations on the multi-hop wireless network that have been defined as included in the security zone to use the security zone key material to authenticate management messages, encrypt management messages, and decrypt management messages transmitted between the relay stations and between the relay stations and base station on the multi-hop relay wireless network; and establishing a transport security association between one of the relay stations and a mobile station for use in connection with transmission of data between the relay station and mobile station, the security association between the relay station and mobile station being different than that security zone security association; wherein the security zone security association is used in connection with transmission of data between the base station and the relay station; and wherein the relay station uses the security zone security association key material to decrypt data messages received from the base station, and uses transport key material associated with the transport security association to encrypt the data messages received from the base station for transmission to the mobile station.