Integrated Mobile VPN Client for Software Conflict Resolution

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Solution Overview

Problem

The increasing use of cellular mobile devices for data services poses challenges for enterprises in enabling secure, easy, and universal connectivity, particularly due to misconfiguration issues that can lead to security risks and network conflicts, complicating IT staff's tasks in managing diverse endpoint security and connectivity software.

Innovation Solution

An integrated, multi-service network client for cellular mobile devices provides secure enterprise VPN connectivity, network acceleration, security management, and compliance, deployable as a single package that integrates with the device's operating system, reducing the need for multiple software agents and simplifying user interaction and administrative efforts.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If multiple software agents are installed on mobile devices to provide security and connectivity services, then service functionality is improved, but device complexity and software conflicts increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveservice functionalityVSAvoidsoftware conflicts
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple separate software agents (VPN client, security software, connectivity services) into a single integrated mobile device. This consolidation maintains all necessary service functionalities while eliminating software conflicts that arise from multiple agents running simultaneously, directly resolving the technical contradiction between service functionality and device complexity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Adaptability or versatility

If multiple software agents are deployed to provide comprehensive security and connectivity, then service coverage is improved, but deployment costs and maintenance burden increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveservice coverageVSAvoiddeployment costs
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The mobile device integrates multiple security and connectivity software agents into a single unified system, reducing deployment costs by eliminating the need to separately install and configure multiple software packages while maintaining comprehensive service coverage through the combined functionalities of the integrated agents

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The integrated mobile device is designed to perform multiple functions (VPN connectivity, security management, network acceleration) within a single device platform, allowing it to replace multiple specialized software agents and thereby reduce both deployment complexity and ongoing maintenance expenses

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Ease of operation

If users manually configure security and connectivity settings on their devices, then customization and control are improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to technical complexity

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveuser controlVSAvoidconfiguration complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The integrated mobile device automatically manages security and connectivity configurations without requiring manual user intervention. The device performs self-configuration of VPN settings, security policies, and network parameters, thereby maintaining user control over these functions while eliminating the technical complexity that would otherwise burden the user

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

4Adaptability or versatility

If a web browser is invoked to display the VPN home page, then web compatibility and rendering capability are improved, but processing overhead and user experience performance deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveweb compatibilityVSAvoidpage rendering performance
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The mobile device extracts and displays only the essential components of the VPN home page (bookmark links and input controls) directly within the VPN application interface, rather than invoking a full web browser. This extraction approach maintains web compatibility by preserving the functional elements while eliminating the performance overhead of launching and running a browser engine

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentEP2403210B1VPN Network Client for Mobile Device Having Dynamically Translated User Home Page
Publication Date: 2013.02.13 JUNIPER NETWORKS INC
  • EP2403210B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2403210B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2403210B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A virtual private network (VPN) client for cellular mobile devices is described. The VPN network client processes network packets for securely tunneling the network packets between the cellular mobile device and the remote VPN security device. Upon establishing the VPN connection, the VPN network client receives a web-based home page from the secure VPN device via a secure response, dynamically parses bookmark links from the secure response and renders a bookmark window using input controls native to the cellular mobile device without invoking a web browser on the cellular mobile device. Each of the input controls corresponds to a different one of the bookmarks parsed from the secure response. Upon selection of one of the input controls, the VPN network client formulates and outputs an appropriate request to the secure VPN device as if a corresponding one of the bookmark links were selected by the user.