Dual Network Stack Keep-Alive for Low-Power Session Connectivity
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Mobile devices face significant power consumption challenges due to the need to maintain network connectivity, which disrupts the energy-saving sleep modes of processors, especially when handling network traffic.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a separate lightweight network stack on a lower power processor to maintain connectivity while the primary processor is in a reduced power state, using a proxy component to manage traffic and buffer or wake the primary processor as needed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the primary processor maintains network connectivity to handle network traffic, then network responsiveness is improved, but power consumption increases and sleep mode effectiveness is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides network stack functionality into two separate processors: a primary processor running a full-featured network stack and a secondary processor running a lightweight network stack. This segmentation allows the primary processor to enter sleep mode while the secondary processor maintains network connectivity, resolving the contradiction between network responsiveness and power consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The secondary processor acts as an intermediary that handles basic network traffic and wake-up notifications, allowing the primary processor to remain in sleep mode. The secondary processor mediates between the network interface and the primary processor, only activating the primary processor when necessary, thus reducing overall power consumption while maintaining connectivity.
2Loss of energy
If the primary processor enters sleep mode to conserve energy, then power consumption is reduced, but network traffic handling capability is lost
Solution Approach 1:
Network processing responsibilities are segmented between two processors: the primary processor handles power management and enters sleep mode, while the secondary processor handles network traffic reception and initial processing. This segmentation enables energy savings without complete loss of network productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The secondary processor independently handles network traffic reception, buffering, and basic processing without requiring the primary processor to remain active. This self-service capability allows the primary processor to conserve energy while network productivity is maintained by the secondary processor.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a full-featured network stack runs continuously on the primary processor, then network functionality is comprehensive, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The network stack functionality is segmented into a full-featured stack on the primary processor and a lightweight stack on the secondary processor. The primary processor maintains comprehensive network adaptability when active, while the secondary processor handles continuous operation with reduced power consumption, resolving the contradiction between functionality and energy usage.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically switches between processors based on operational needs. The primary processor with full-featured network stack activates only when comprehensive network functionality is required, while the secondary processor with lightweight stack handles routine operations, optimizing the balance between adaptability and power consumption.
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques are disclosed relating to communicating network traffic using multiple network stacks. In various embodiments, a device including first and second processors and a network interface establishes, via a first network stack executing on the first processor, trust with an external computing system and leverages, via a second network stack executing on the second processor, the established trust to communicate with the external computing system. In some embodiments, establishing the trust includes performing an authentication exchange with the external computing system and receiving a credential for the second network stack to communicate with the external computing system. In some embodiments, the second processor is an efficiency processor having a reduced power consumption relative to the first processor. In some embodiments, the first processor enters a reduced power state while the second processor communicates via the second network stack with the external computing system.