Always-on virtual private network access

• US 20040068666A1
• Filed: 07/26/2002
• Published: 04/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Semtech Corporation
• Original Assignee: Sierra Wireless Incorporated
• Inventors: Tosey, Joseph Peter Robert
• Granted Patent: US 8,707,406 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/201
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0272 Virtual private networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/50 Secure pairing of devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0225 using monitoring of external events, e.g. the presence of a signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/028 switching on or off only a part of the equipment circuit blocks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/00 Wireless channel access
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/06 using polling
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

An application processor is electrically and logically decoupled from a wireless data network module so that it may go to sleep independently. A security association may be established between the wireless data network module and a wireless data network. Then the application processor may be placed in a suspend state while maintaining the security association between the wireless data network module and the wireless data network. This allows email polling, for example, to occur without having to re-establish the security association by logging in again.

Claims

1. A method for connecting a wireless Internet appliance to a wireless data network, the wireless Internet appliance having a wireless data network module and an application processor, comprising:

establishing a security association between the wireless data network module and the wireless data network; and

placing said application processor in a suspend state while maintaining said security association between the wireless data network module and the wireless data network.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending a message from the application processor to the wireless data network module requesting access to the wireless data network.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

polling the wireless data network for email while the application processor is not in said suspend state.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said polling comprises polling an email server.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

if the application processor is in a suspend state, waking up the application processor before said polling.

6. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

waking up the application processor before said polling after a predefined polling period.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless data network module is a wireless modem.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising re-establishing said security association if the connection between said wireless Internet appliance and said wireless data network is lost.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising waking the application processor if a network event occurs.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said network event is a receipt of an IP packet.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein said network event is a connection clear alert.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein said network event is an incoming email notification.

13. The method of claim 5, wherein said waking comprises waking the application processor using a RING signal.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein said waking comprises waking the application processor using a RING signal.

15. A wireless Internet appliance comprising:

an application processor;

a wireless data network module communicatively coupled to said application processor, wherein said wireless data network module is electrically decoupled from said application processor such that the application process may enter a suspend state without powering down said wireless data network module.

16. The wireless Internet appliance of claim 15, wherein said wireless data network module is a wireless modem.

17. An apparatus for connecting a wireless Internet appliance to a wireless data network, the wireless Internet appliance having a wireless data network module and an application processor, comprising:

a wireless data network security association establisher; and

a suspend state application processor placer coupled to said wireless data network security association establisher.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising:

an application processor wireless data network module access request sender coupled to said suspend state application processor placer.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising:

a wireless data network email poller coupled to said wireless data network security association establisher.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising:

an application processor waker coupled to said wireless data network email poller.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, comprising:

an application processor polling period waker coupled to said wireless data network email poller.

22. An apparatus for connecting a wireless Internet appliance to a wireless data network, the wireless Internet appliance having a wireless data network module and an application processor, comprising:

means for establishing a security association between the wireless data network module and the wireless data network; and

means for placing said application processor in a suspend state while maintaining said security association between the wireless data network module and the wireless data network.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, further comprising:

means for sending a message from the application processor to the wireless data network module requesting access to the wireless data network.

24. The apparatus of claim 22, further comprising:

means for polling the wireless data network for email while the application processor is not in said suspend state.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein said means for polling comprises means for polling an email server.

26. The apparatus of claim 24, further comprising:

if the application processor is in a suspend state, means for waking up the application processor before said polling.

27. The apparatus of claim 24, further comprising:

means for waking up the application processor before said polling after a predefined polling period.

28. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the wireless data network module is a wireless modem.

29. The apparatus of claim 22, further comprising means for re-establishing said security association if the connection between said wireless Internet appliance and said wireless data network is lost.

30. The apparatus of claim 29, further comprising means for waking the application processor if a network event occurs.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein said network event is a receipt of an IP packet.

32. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein said network event is a connection clear alert.

33. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein said network event is an incoming email notification.

34. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein said means for waking comprises means for waking the application processor using a RING signal.

35. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein said means for waking comprises means for waking the application processor using a RING signal.

36. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method for connecting a wireless Internet appliance to a wireless data network, the wireless Internet appliance having a wireless data network module and an application processor, the method comprising:

establishing a security association between the wireless data network module and the wireless data network; and

placing said application processor in a suspend state while maintaining said security association between the wireless data network module and the wireless data network.