Edge Computing Task Continuity via Predictive Handoff
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Solution Overview
Problem
In high-bandwidth, low latency cellular networks, computational tasks initiated by user devices may not be completed before a handoff to another base station, requiring reauthentication and disrupting task continuity, especially when tasks involve authentication services like VPNs.
Innovation Solution
A system that uses an application server co-located with the base station to manage computing tasks, including path prediction to anticipate user movement and transfer data and authentication tokens between base stations, minimizing reauthentication and ensuring task continuity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If a base station performs computational tasks for connected devices, then processing capability is improved, but task continuity deteriorates when handoff occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by predicting the user's future location and proactively transferring computing task data to the target base station before the handoff occurs. This advance preparation ensures that when the user actually moves to the new base station's coverage area, the data is already there and ready, preventing any interruption in task execution and eliminating the need for reauthentication.
Solution Approach 2:
The application server acts as an intermediary between the user device and multiple base stations. It receives computing task data from the serving base station, predicts the user's movement trajectory, and automatically forwards the data to future base stations along the predicted path. This intermediary mechanism decouples the computational task from any single base station, allowing seamless handoff while maintaining task continuity.
2Reliability
If data is transferred between base stations during handoff, then task continuity is improved, but latency increases due to reauthentication
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs data transfer and authentication setup in advance, before the actual handoff occurs. By predicting the user's future location and preparing the computing task data at the target base station beforehand, the system eliminates the need for time-consuming reauthentication when the handoff actually takes place, thus reducing latency while maintaining task continuity.
3Loss of time
If path prediction is used to transfer data proactively, then reauthentication is minimized, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The application server is designed with multi-functionality, serving both as a data transfer intermediary and as a path prediction engine. By integrating these functions into a single system component, the patent avoids the need for separate dedicated prediction systems and transfer mechanisms, thereby managing complexity while achieving proactive data transfer and minimized reauthentication.
Data Source
AI summary
In one example, a method includes at a first network infrastructure computing device of a plurality of networked infrastructure computing devices receiving, from a user computing device, an authentication token indicating a user using the user computing device is authenticated with respect to an electronic service, based on the user being authenticated, executing a computing task associated with the electronic service for the user computing device, the computing task including computing task data, predicting a set of possible future locations of the user based on an output of a movement prediction model executing on the first network infrastructure computing device, identifying a set of network infrastructure computing devices correlated with the set of possible future locations, and transmitting the authentication token and the computing task data to the set of network infrastructure computing devices.