Decoupled Application Processor for Always-On VPN Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for accessing email on wireless devices are inefficient due to high power consumption, expensive data transfer for authentication, and inability to maintain VPN connections during low-power states, especially when using SMS or periodic polling.
Innovation Solution
The application processor is electrically and logically decoupled from the wireless data network module, allowing it to sleep independently while maintaining a security association, enabling email polling without re-establishing connections and conserving power.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the device remains connected to VPN at all times for timely email access, then email accessibility is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system is divided into two independent components: the application processor that can sleep, and the wireless data network module that maintains the VPN connection. This segmentation allows the power-consuming network module to operate independently while the application processor enters low-power state, resolving the contradiction between continuous connectivity and power conservation.
Solution Approach 2:
The VPN connection and security associations are established in advance before the application processor needs to sleep. This preliminary action ensures that when the device wakes up, the connection is already ready and no re-authentication is needed, maintaining reliability while enabling power savings.
2Use of energy by moving object
If the device polls for email periodically by waking up and dialing into the network, then power consumption is reduced, but data transfer cost increases due to authentication
Solution Approach 1:
By separating the application processor from the wireless data network module, the system allows the network module to maintain an authenticated VPN connection independently. This eliminates the need for repeated authentication data transfers when polling for email, reducing data transfer costs while allowing periodic polling for power savings.
Solution Approach 2:
The VPN connection is maintained continuously in the background by the wireless data network module even when the application processor is sleeping. This continuous connection ensures that email polling can occur without re-authentication, eliminating the wasteful data transfer associated with repeated authentication while maintaining the ability to poll periodically.
3Use of energy by moving object
If the application processor sleeps to conserve power, then power consumption is reduced, but VPN connection is lost requiring re-authentication
Solution Approach 1:
The system architecture separates the application processor from the wireless data network module, allowing them to operate independently. The network module continues to maintain the VPN connection and security associations even when the application processor enters sleep mode, ensuring connection continuity without preventing power savings.
Solution Approach 2:
The wireless data network module acts as an intermediary that maintains the VPN connection between the sleeping application processor and the network. It handles connection maintenance and can wake the application processor when email is available, serving as a mediator that preserves connection reliability during low-power states.
Data Source
AI summary
An application processor is electrically and logically decoupled from a wireless data network module so that it may go to sleep independently. A security association may be established between the wireless data network module and a wireless data network. Then the application processor may be placed in a suspend state while maintaining the security association between the wireless data network module and the wireless data network. This allows email polling, for example, to occur without having to re-establish the security association by logging in again.