Patent ID: 8707045

Claim:
A method for a traffic encryption key (TEK) count management, the method comprising: transmitting, by a mobile station (MS) in an idle mode to a target base station (TBS), a ranging request message in order to perform a location update procedure in the idle mode, the ranging request message including a temporary identifier (ID) which is used instead of a medium access control (MAC) address of the MS; receiving a ranging response message in response to the ranging request message; identifying an authentication key (AK) by transmitting the ranging request message and receiving the ranging response message; resetting a first TEK counter and a second TEK counter to have initial values as consecutive values for generating two new TEKs; generating a first TEK of the two new TEKs by using a security association identifier (SAID) shared with the TBS, the AK and the first TEK counter; and generating a second TEK of the two new TEKs by using the SAID, the AK and the second TEK counter.