Dual-mode multi-service VPN network client for mobile device
First Claim
1. A cellular mobile device comprising:
- a transmitter and receiver to send and receive cellular communications in the form of radio frequency signals;
a microprocessor;
an operating system executing on the microprocessor to provide an operating environment of application software;
a multi-service virtual private network (VPN) client registered with the operating system as a single application, wherein the multi-service VPN client comprises;
a security manager integrated within the multi-service VPN client to apply at least one security service to network packets;
a VPN handler having an interface to exchange the network packets with the security manager for application of the security service, wherein the VPN handler is configurable to operate in one of an enterprise mode or a non-enterprise mode, wherein in the enterprise mode the VPN handler establishes a VPN connection with a remote VPN security device and provides encryption services to securely tunnel the network packets between the cellular mobile device and the remote VPN security device, and wherein in the non-enterprise mode the VPN handler directs the network packets to the security manager without application of the encryption services and communicates the network packets to a packet-based network without tunneling the packets; and
a VPN control application that provides a unified user interface that allows a user to configure both the VPN handler and the security manager of the multi-service VPN client, to submit credentials, and to instruct the VPN handler to dynamically instantiate the VPN connection or deconstruct an existing VPN connection,wherein upon establishing the VPN connection the VPN control application receives a web-based home page from the remote VPN security device via a Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) response,wherein the VPN control application dynamically parses HyperText Markup Language (HTML) bookmark links from the HTTPS response and renders a bookmark window using input controls native to the cellular mobile device, where each of the input controls corresponds to a different one of the bookmarks parsed from the HTTPS response received from the remote VPN security device, andwherein, upon selection of one of the input controls, the VPN control application formulates and outputs an appropriate HTTP string to the remote VPN security device as if a corresponding HTML link were selected by the user.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An integrated, multi-service network client for cellular mobile devices is described. The multi-service client includes a VPN handler having an interface programmed to exchange the network packets with the security manager for application of the security service, wherein the VPN handler is configurable to operate in one of an enterprise mode and in a non-enterprise mode, wherein in the enterprise mode the VPN handler establishes a VPN connection with a remote VPN security device and provides encryption services to securely tunnel the network packets between the cellular mobile device and the remote VPN security device, and wherein in the non-enterprise mode the VPN handler directs the network packets to the security manager without application of the encryption services and communicates the network packets to a packet-based network without tunneling the packets.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A cellular mobile device comprising:
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a transmitter and receiver to send and receive cellular communications in the form of radio frequency signals; a microprocessor; an operating system executing on the microprocessor to provide an operating environment of application software; a multi-service virtual private network (VPN) client registered with the operating system as a single application, wherein the multi-service VPN client comprises; a security manager integrated within the multi-service VPN client to apply at least one security service to network packets; a VPN handler having an interface to exchange the network packets with the security manager for application of the security service, wherein the VPN handler is configurable to operate in one of an enterprise mode or a non-enterprise mode, wherein in the enterprise mode the VPN handler establishes a VPN connection with a remote VPN security device and provides encryption services to securely tunnel the network packets between the cellular mobile device and the remote VPN security device, and wherein in the non-enterprise mode the VPN handler directs the network packets to the security manager without application of the encryption services and communicates the network packets to a packet-based network without tunneling the packets; and a VPN control application that provides a unified user interface that allows a user to configure both the VPN handler and the security manager of the multi-service VPN client, to submit credentials, and to instruct the VPN handler to dynamically instantiate the VPN connection or deconstruct an existing VPN connection, wherein upon establishing the VPN connection the VPN control application receives a web-based home page from the remote VPN security device via a Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) response, wherein the VPN control application dynamically parses HyperText Markup Language (HTML) bookmark links from the HTTPS response and renders a bookmark window using input controls native to the cellular mobile device, where each of the input controls corresponds to a different one of the bookmarks parsed from the HTTPS response received from the remote VPN security device, and wherein, upon selection of one of the input controls, the VPN control application formulates and outputs an appropriate HTTP string to the remote VPN security device as if a corresponding HTML link were selected by the user. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method comprising:
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receiving, with a cellular mobile device from an electronic repository, a single distribution software package that includes a multi-service network client, wherein the multi-service network client includes a virtual private network (VPN) handler, a security manager; and
a VPN control application that provides a unified user interface that allows a user to configure both the VPN handler and the security manager, to submit credentials, and to instruct the VPN handler to dynamically instantiate a secure VPN connection or deconstruct an existing secure VPN connection; andinstalling the multi-service network client on the cellular mobile device including registering the VPN handler with an operating system of the cellular mobile device, wherein the VPN handler provides a single point of entry for network packets from the operating system to apply VPN services with the VPN handler and security services with the security manager; when the multi-service network client is configured to operate within an enterprise mode, (a) establishing the secure VPN connection to a remote VPN security device of an enterprise, (b) providing encryption services with the VPN handler to network packets received from the operating system, (c) directing decrypted one of the network packets from the VPN handler to the security manager for application of the security services, and (d) securely tunneling the network packets between the cellular mobile device and the remote VPN security device via the VPN connection; when the multi-service network client is configured to operate within a non-enterprise mode, (e) receiving network packets from the operating system with the VPN handler, (f) directing the network packets from the VPN handler to the security manager for application of the security services without application of the encryption services, and (g) for communication the network packets to a packet-based network without tunneling the packets; upon establishing the VPN, receiving a web-based home page from the remote VPN security device, dynamically parsing, HyperText Markup Language (HTML) bookmark links from the home page and rendering a bookmark window using input controls native to the cellular mobile device, where each of the input controls corresponds to a different one of the bookmarks parsed from the HTTPS response received from the remote VPN security device, and responsive to selection of one of the input controls, outputting an HTTP string to the remote VPN security device as if a corresponding HTML link were selected by the user. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18)
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Specification