Network interface apparatus

• US 20090003319A1
• Filed: 06/28/2007
• Published: 01/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Sood, Kapil, Maciocco, Christian
• Granted Patent: US 8,369,254 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0229 where the received signal is a wanted signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0235 where the received signal is a power saving command
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/028 switching on or off only a part of the equipment circuit blocks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/025 Indirect paging
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

An intelligent network interface apparatus to provide always-on, always-connected processing for call signals is described. One embodiment of the apparatus includes logic to selectively handle incoming call signals even when a computer to which the apparatus is operably connected is unavailable (e.g., asleep). The apparatus may also include logic for selectively waking up a sleeping computer upon determining that incoming call signals indicate that a communication with the computer is desired. The incoming call signals may be associated with a voice over internet protocol (VoIP) communication.

Claims

1. A network interface apparatus (NIA), comprising:

a microcontroller (uC) to store and execute communication signal processing firmware, where the uC is to control the firmware to selectively process an incoming communication signal based, at least in part, on an availability state of a computing platform to which the NIA is operably connected;

a wake up logic to selectively send a state signal to the computing platform based, at least in part, on the incoming communication signal, where the state signal is configured to control a logic on the computing platform to change the availability state; and

a multiplexer logic to selectively route the incoming communication signal to one of, the uC, and the computing platform based, at least in part, on the availability state,

where the NIA is to provide always-on communications for the computing platform independent of the availability state of the computing platform.

2. The network interface apparatus of claim 1, the incoming communication signal being associated with one of, a voice over internet protocol (VoIP) application, an instant messaging (IM) application, an electronic mail (email) application, and an application using a virtual private network (VPN).

3. The network interface apparatus of claim 1, the availability state being a sleep state associated with an energy efficient mode.

4. The network interface apparatus of claim 1, the network interface apparatus to maintain an active VPN session for the computing platform independent of the availability state.

5. The network interface apparatus of claim 4, the active VPN session being one of, an internet protocol security (IPsec) session, a secure socket layer (SSL) session, a transport layer security (TLS) session, and a web-based session, and where the network interface apparatus is to handle multiple VPN sessions having different properties.

6. The network interface apparatus of claim 1, where the network interface apparatus is to receive a configuration signal from the computing platform, the configuration signal to control the network interface apparatus to perform VoIP session initiation protocol (SIP) incoming call detection.

7. The network interface apparatus of claim 1, the computing platform to which the network interface apparatus is operably connected comprising:

an operating system to run a communication application for which the incoming communication signal is intended;

a sleep logic to selectively control the availability state, the availability state being a power control state; and

a communication driver to facilitate communications between the computing platform and the network interface apparatus.

8. The network interface apparatus of claim 7, where the operating system includes a VPN logic to implement a VPN between the communication application and a remote application.

9. The network interface apparatus of claim 1, including:

a network logic to maintain connectivity with an access point; and

a virtual network logic to provide a virtual network IP adapter on the network interface apparatus.

10. The network interface apparatus of claim 1, including a transmission control protocol (TCP) logic to provide a TCP/IP stack on the NIA, the TCP/IP stack being configurable to communicate with a TCP/IP stack on the computing platform.

11. The network interface apparatus of claim 1, including:

a keys logic to receive an ingress VPN key from the computing platform, the ingress VPN key being available to decrypt an incoming packet, and

a packet classification logic to identify a match between a decrypted VPN packet and a packet pattern.

12. The network interface apparatus of claim 1, the computing platform being a mobile platform configured for wireless communications.

13. The network interface apparatus of claim 1, the firmware including executable instructions to perform one or more of, buffering an incoming call signal, dropping an incoming call signal, performing exception handling based on a property of an incoming call signal, and de-fragmenting a set of incoming packets.

14. The network interface apparatus of claim 2, comprising:

a network logic to maintain connectivity with an access point;

a virtual network logic to provide a virtual network IP adapter on the network interface apparatus;

a TCP logic to provide a TCP/IP stack on the NIA, the TCP/IP stack being configurable to communicate with a TCP/IP stack on the computing platform;

a keys logic to receive an ingress VPN key from the computing platform, the ingress VPN key being available to decrypt an incoming packet;

a packet classification logic to identify a match between a decrypted VPN packet and a packet pattern;

and

where the availability state is a sleep state associated with an energy efficient mode;

where the network interface apparatus is to maintain an active VPN session for the computing platform regardless of the availability state, the active VPN session being one of, an IPsec session, a SSL session, a TLS session, and a web-based session, and where the network interface apparatus is to handle multiple VPN sessions having different properties;

where the network interface apparatus is to receive a configuration signal from the computing platform, the configuration signal to control the network interface apparatus to perform VoIP SIP incoming call detection; and

where the firmware includes executable instructions to perform one or more of, buffering one or more incoming call signals, dropping an incoming call signal, performing exception handling based on a property of an incoming call signal, and de-fragmenting a set of incoming packets.

15. A system, comprising:

means for partially handling incoming call signals, the means for partially handling incoming call signals being arranged on an intelligent network interface controller, the means for partially handling incoming call signals being always-on;

means for completely handling incoming call signals, the means for completely handling incoming call signals being arranged in a platform to which the intelligent network interface controller is operably connected; and

means for selectively routing incoming call signals to the means for partially handling incoming call signals upon determining that the means for completely handling incoming call signals is unavailable.