Apparatus, system, and method of peer-to-peer (P2P) communication

Inventors: Emily H. Qi (Gig Harbor, WA); Ilan Peer (Modiin, IL); Ido Ouzieli (Tel Aviv, IL); Carlos Cordeiro (Portland, OR); Preston Hunt (Portland, OR)

Assignee: INTEL CORPORATION

H04L67/104 H04L51/04 H04W12/041

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Quick Facts

Patent No.: US 12701159
App. No.: 18/091,023
Granted: Aug 4, 2026
Kind: B2

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Abstract

For example, a first wireless communication device may be configured to determine a negotiated bootstrapping mechanism based on a first message-exchange including Peer-to-Peer (P2P) messages exchanged with a second wireless communication device; to pair the first wireless communication device with the second wireless communication device according to the negotiated bootstrapping mechanism; to derive a Pairwise Master Key Security Association (PMKSA) based on a second message-exchange with the second wireless communication device, e.g., after pairing with the second wireless communication device; and to determine an encryption key according to a third message exchange with the second wireless communication device based on the PMKSA. For example, the encryption key may be configured to encrypt a P2P communication with the second wireless communication device.

Claims (38)

1 . An apparatus comprising:

a processor configured to cause a first wireless communication device to:

determine a negotiated bootstrapping mechanism from a plurality of bootstrapping mechanisms based on a first message-exchange with a second wireless communication device, the first message-exchange comprises a first Peer-to-Peer (P2P) frame from the first wireless communication device and a second P2P frame from the second wireless communication device, the first P2P frame comprises first supported bootstrapping functionality information to indicate one or more first bootstrapping functionalities supported by the first wireless communication device, the second P2P frame comprises second supported bootstrapping functionality information to indicate one or more second bootstrapping functionalities supported by the second wireless communication device;

after determination of the negotiated bootstrapping mechanism, pair the first wireless communication device with the second wireless communication device according to the negotiated bootstrapping mechanism;

derive a Pairwise Master Key Security Association (PMKSA) based on a second message-exchange with the second wireless communication device after pairing with the second wireless communication device; and

determine an encryption key according to a third message exchange with the second wireless communication device based on the PMKSA, the encryption key configured to encrypt a P2P communication with the second wireless communication device; and

a memory to store information processed by the processor.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 configured to cause the first wireless communication device to determine the negotiated bootstrapping mechanism based on a match between a first identified bootstrapping functionality of the one or more first bootstrapping functionalities and a second identified bootstrapping functionality of the one or more second bootstrapping functionalities.

3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein one of the first P2P frame or the second P2P frame comprises a P2P probe request, and another one of the first P2P frame or the second P2P frame comprises a P2P probe response.

4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first P2P frame comprises a first bootstrapping functionality indication to indicate a first bootstrapping functionality of the bootstrapping mechanism to be performed by the first wireless communication device, wherein the second P2P frame comprises a second bootstrapping functionality indication to indicate a second bootstrapping functionality of the bootstrapping mechanism to be performed by the second wireless communication device.

5 . The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein one of the first P2P frame or the second P2P frame comprises a P2P provision discovery request, and another one of the first P2P frame or the second P2P frame comprises a P2P provision discovery response.

6 . The apparatus of claim 1 configured to cause the first wireless communication device to derive the PMKSA based on a common password, which is derived according to the negotiated bootstrapping mechanism.

7 . The apparatus of claim 1 configured to cause the first wireless communication device to derive the PMKSA by performing the second message-exchange according to a Simultaneous Authentication of Equals (SAE) with SAE Hash-to-Element (H2E) (SAE-H2E) protocol based on a common password, which is derived according to the negotiated bootstrapping mechanism.

8 . The apparatus of claim 1 configured to cause the first wireless communication device to derive the PMKSA by performing the second message-exchange according to a Simultaneous Authentication of Equals (SAE) with Hash-to-Element (H2E) (SAE-H2E) protocol based on a default Personal Information Number (PIN).

9 . The apparatus of claim 1 configured to cause the first wireless communication device to derive the PMKSA by performing the second message-exchange according to an Opportunistic Wireless Encryption (OWE) protocol.

10 . The apparatus of claim 1 configured to cause the first wireless communication device to derive the PMKSA by performing the second message-exchange using ephemeral keys without mutual authentication.

11 . The apparatus of claim 1 configured to cause the first wireless communication device to derive the PMKSA by performing the second message-exchange according to a Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) protocol.

12 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first message-exchange comprises a first public action frame from the first wireless communication device, and a second public action frame from the second wireless communication device.

13 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the negotiated bootstrapping mechanism is based on at least one of a pin-code pairing mechanism, a passphrase pairing mechanism, a Quick Response (QR) code pairing mechanism, or a Near Field Communication (NFC) tag pairing mechanism.

14 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the negotiated bootstrapping mechanism comprises an opportunistic bootstrapping mechanism based on non-authenticated pairing.

15 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the third message exchange comprises a message exchange of a 4-way handshake with the second wireless communication device based on the PMKSA.

16 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the third message exchange comprises a message exchange of a Pre-Association Security Negotiation (PASN) with the second wireless communication device based on the PMKSA.

17 . The apparatus of claim 1 comprising a radio to communicate messages of the first, second and third message exchanges.

18 . The apparatus of claim 17 comprising one or more antennas connected to the radio, and another processor to execute instructions of an operating system of the first wireless communication device.

19 . A product comprising one or more tangible computer-readable non-transitory storage media comprising instructions operable to, when executed by at least one processor, enable the at least one processor to cause a first wireless communication device to:

20 . The product of claim 19 , wherein the negotiated bootstrapping mechanism is based on at least one of a pin-code pairing mechanism, a passphrase pairing mechanism, a Quick Response (OR) code pairing mechanism, or a Near Field Communication (NFC) tag pairing mechanism.

21 . The product of claim 19 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the first wireless communication device to determine the negotiated bootstrapping mechanism based on a match between a first identified bootstrapping functionality of the one or more first bootstrapping functionalities and a second identified bootstrapping functionality of the one or more second bootstrapping functionalities.

22 . The product of claim 19 , wherein the first P2P frame comprises a first bootstrapping functionality indication to indicate a first bootstrapping functionality of the bootstrapping mechanism to be performed by the first wireless communication device, wherein the second P2P frame comprises a second bootstrapping functionality indication to indicate a second bootstrapping functionality of the bootstrapping mechanism to be performed by the second wireless communication device.

23 . An apparatus for a first wireless communication device, the apparatus comprising:

processing means for determining a negotiated bootstrapping mechanism from a plurality of bootstrapping mechanisms based on a first message-exchange with a second wireless communication device, the first message-exchange comprises a first Peer-to-Peer (P2P) frame from the first wireless communication device and a second P2P frame from the second wireless communication device, the first P2P frame comprises first supported bootstrapping functionality information to indicate one or more first bootstrapping functionalities supported by the first wireless communication device, the second P2P frame comprises second supported bootstrapping functionality information to indicate one or more second bootstrapping functionalities supported by the second wireless communication device;

processing means for causing the first wireless communication device to, after determination of the negotiated bootstrapping mechanism, pair with the second wireless communication device according to the negotiated bootstrapping mechanism;

processing means for deriving a Pairwise Master Key Security Association (PMKSA) based on a second message-exchange with the second wireless communication device after pairing with the second wireless communication device; and

processing means for determining an encryption key according to a third message exchange with the second wireless communication device based on the PMKSA, the encryption key configured to encrypt a P2P communication with the second wireless communication device.

24 . The apparatus of claim 23 comprising means for determining the negotiated bootstrapping mechanism based on a match between a first identified bootstrapping functionality of the one or more first bootstrapping functionalities and a second identified bootstrapping functionality of the one or more second bootstrapping functionalities.