Proxy Wireless Network Service for Battery Conservation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Portable multi-network communication devices face battery depletion due to the need to perform registration and connectivity management tasks independently on each network, which is resource-intensive and affects application response times.

Innovation Solution

A method where a multi-network terminal uses a proxy component within a preferred network to forward registration information to an agent component of a secondary network, allowing the preferred network to act as a proxy for the secondary network in registration and maintenance tasks, thereby reducing the need for the device to perform these tasks directly on the secondary network.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the multi-network terminal performs registration and connectivity management tasks independently on each network, then the device maintains reliable connectivity on both networks, but battery power is rapidly depleted

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveconnectivity reliabilityVSAvoidbattery power consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a proxy component on the first network that acts as an intermediary between the multi-network terminal and the second network. The terminal sends registration information to the proxy, which forwards it to an agent component on the second network. This mediator approach allows the terminal to maintain connectivity on both networks while performing registration tasks through the more energy-efficient first network, thereby reducing battery power consumption while preserving connectivity reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If the multi-network terminal performs registration tasks on the secondary network, then the device ensures proper registration on all networks, but resource-intensive activities increase and slow down application response times

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveregistration completenessVSAvoidapplication response time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The proxy component serves as an intermediary that handles the resource-intensive registration and maintenance tasks on behalf of the terminal. By routing these tasks through the proxy on the first network, the terminal avoids performing computationally intensive operations that would slow down application response times, while the proxy ensures proper registration on the second network through coordinated communication with the agent component.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs registration information transmission and proxy forwarding in advance, establishing the connectivity framework before applications require network access. The proxy component pre-manages registration tasks, so when applications need network connectivity, the registration is already complete, eliminating delays caused by on-demand registration processing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Use of energy by moving object

If the device minimizes registration and maintenance activity on the secondary network, then battery power is conserved, but connectivity management effectiveness may be compromised

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebattery power conservationVSAvoidconnectivity management effectiveness
Core Design Contradiction:
Use of energy by moving objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The proxy component on the first network acts as a mediator that maintains connectivity effectiveness on the second network without requiring the terminal to perform direct registration activities. The proxy forwards necessary maintenance information to the agent component on the second network, ensuring connectivity management remains effective while the terminal conserves battery power by minimizing its own transmission activities.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP2832172B1Systems and methods for registration and maintenance of wireless clients via a proxy wireless network service.
Publication Date: 2019.11.06 HARRIS CORP
  • EP2832172B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2832172B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2832172B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The application relates to a wireless multi-network terminal which uses a first wireless connection to a first network to register and to establish a second wireless connection with a second network in order to receive a service such as e.g. a P25 voice transmission service over the second wireless connection. Portable multi-network communications devices which maintain connections to multiple communications networks can rapidly deplete battery power when performing registration and connectivity management tasks independently on each network. These devices would benefit from mechanisms that minimize this registration and maintenance activity without affecting application response times. Because LTE is more battery efficient than P25 for the transmission of registration and connection maintenance procedure messages, an LTE network service (214) is configured to operate as a proxy (216) for the P25 network (224), relieving the less efficient network of registration, maintenance, provisioning, and network management tasks, and thereby conserving battery power. In this way, the wireless multi-network communication device (202) preserves its battery for network specific P25 services, e.g., voice transmission. This can be accomplished by conducting registration, provisioning, and network management services to the P25 client on the wireless multi-network terminal (202) over the LTE network (214). This minimizes activity by the P25 radio and thereby extends battery operation as a result of the much lower power requirements of LTE radios. The P25 radio is relieved from control plane communications by the proxy component 216 and is only required to periodically monitor signal quality to provide data for a potential handover to another P25 cell.