IP Library Granted Patent US 12,683,938
Granted Patent B2
US 12,683,938 · App. 18/231,691 · Granted Jul 14, 2026

Medium access control header obfuscation

Inventors: Jarkko L Kneckt (Los Gatos, CA); Debashis Dash (San Jose, CA); Elliot S Briggs (Carmel, CA); Nisan Reuven (Rehovot, IL); Qi Wang (Sunnyvale, CA); Sidharth R Thakur (San Jose, CA); Su Khiong Yong (Palo Alto, CA); Yong Liu (Campbell, CA); Tianyu Wu (Monterey, CA)
Assignee: Apple Inc.
H04L63/0428H04L69/22
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,683,938
App. No.
18/231,691
Granted
Jul 14, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

Techniques are provided for medium access control header obfuscation. One example method includes a first device encrypting a data payload using a first encryption algorithm. The first device can encrypt a field of a medium access control (MAC) header using a second encryption algorithm, different from the first encryption algorithm. The first device can generate a data frame comprising the encrypted MAC header field and the encrypted payload. The first device can transmit the data frame to a second communication device.

Claims (38)

1 . A method, comprising:

by a first communication device:

encrypting a data payload using a first encryption algorithm;

encrypting a field of a medium access control (MAC) header using a second encryption algorithm different from the first encryption algorithm;

generating a data frame comprising the encrypted MAC header field and the encrypted data payload; and

transmitting the data frame to a second communication device.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:

generating additional authenticated data (AAD), wherein the data frame comprises the additional authenticated data (AAD).

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises setting a first octet of the encrypted MAC header field to zero prior to transmitting the data frame.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the encrypted MAC header field comprises a counter mode cipher block chaining message authentication code protocol field.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein encrypting the data payload further comprises encrypting an aggregate MAC data unit field based on the first encryption algorithm.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a timing for encrypting the MAC header field is based on a transmission opportunity.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises selecting the field of the MAC header to encrypt based on a privacy enhancement supported by the first communication device.

8 . A first communication device, comprising:

one or more processors,

one or more computer-readable media including instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to:

encrypt a data payload using a first encryption algorithm;

encrypt a field of a medium access control (MAC) header using a second encryption algorithm different from the first encryption algorithm;

generate a data frame comprising the encrypted MAC header field and the encrypted data payload; and

transmit the data frame to a second communication device.

9 . The first communication device of claim 8 , wherein the instructions that, when executed, further cause the one or more processors to:

generate additional authenticated data (AAD), wherein the data frame comprises the additional authenticated data (AAD).

10 . The first communication device of claim 8 , wherein the instructions that, when executed, further cause the one or more processors to set a first octet of the encrypted MAC header field to zero prior to transmitting the data frame.

11 . The first communication device of claim 8 , wherein the encrypted MAC header field comprises a counter mode cipher block chaining message authentication code protocol field.

12 . The first communication device of claim 8 , wherein encrypting the data payload further comprises encrypting an aggregate MAC data unit field based on the first encryption algorithm.

13 . The first communication device of claim 8 , wherein a timing for encrypting the MAC header field is based on a transmission opportunity.

14 . The first communication device of claim 8 , wherein the instructions that, when executed, further cause the one or more processors to select the field of the MAC header to encrypt based on a privacy enhancement supported by the first communication device.

15 . One or more non-transitory, computer-readable media having stored thereon a sequence of instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to:

encrypt a data payload using a first encryption algorithm;

encrypt a field of a medium access control (MAC) header using a second encryption algorithm different from the first encryption algorithm;

generate a data frame comprising the encrypted MAC header field and the encrypted data payload; and

transmit the data frame to a second communication device.

16 . The one or more non-transitory, computer-readable media of claim 15 , wherein the instructions that, when executed, further cause the one or more processors to:

generate additional authenticated data (AAD), wherein the data frame comprises the additional authenticated data (AAD).

17 . The one or more non-transitory, computer-readable media of claim 15 , wherein the instructions that, when executed, further cause the one or more processors to set a first octet of the encrypted MAC header field to zero prior to transmitting the data frame.

18 . The one or more non-transitory, computer-readable media of claim 15 , wherein the encrypted MAC header field comprises a counter mode cipher block chaining message authentication code protocol field.

19 . The one or more non-transitory, computer-readable media of claim 15 , wherein encrypting the data payload further comprises encrypting an aggregate MAC data unit field based on the first encryption algorithm.

20 . The one or more non-transitory, computer-readable media of claim 15 , wherein a timing for encrypting the MAC header field is based on a transmission opportunity.