US 11,539,666 B2 · Method and apparatus for secure communication and routing

Abstract

An apparatus is provided, comprising: a volatile memory; a non-volatile memory; a first electronic circuit that is configured to operate as a wireless access point, the first electronic circuit including a wireless controller for accessing a wireless network; and a second electronic circuit that is operatively coupled to the first electronic circuit, the second electronic circuit including at least one processor configured to execute: (i) a first virtual machine that includes a wireless network authentication server, and (ii) a second virtual machine that includes a virtual private network (VPN) server, wherein the wireless network authentication server is configured to authenticate devices that attempt to join the wireless network; wherein the VPN server is arranged to encrypt data that is received at the apparatus to produce encrypted data, and forward the encrypted data to the wireless controller for transmission over the wireless network.

Claims14

Dependent claims

An apparatus, comprising:

a volatile memory;
a non-volatile memory;
a first electronic circuit that is configured to operate as a wireless access point, the first electronic circuit including a wireless controller for accessing a wireless network;
and
a second electronic circuit that is operatively coupled via a wired connection to the first electronic circuit, the second electronic circuit including at least one processor configured to execute:
(i) a first virtual machine that includes a wireless network authentication server, and (ii) a second virtual machine that includes a virtual private network (VPN) server,
wherein the wireless network authentication server is configured to authenticate devices that attempt to join the wireless network;
wherein the VPN server is arranged to encrypt data that is received at the apparatus to produce encrypted data, and forward the encrypted data to the wireless controller for transmission over the wireless network, and
wherein at least one of the first virtual machine or the second virtual machine is fully contained in the volatile memory.

6 more elements

A method for use in an electronic device that includes a first electronic circuit configured to operate as an access point for accessing a wireless network and a second electronic circuit coupled via wired connection to the first electronic circuit and having a volatile memory and at least one processor, the method comprising:

instantiating a random-access memory (RAM) disk in the volatile memory of the second electronic circuit;
partitioning the RAM disk into a plurality of partitions;
launching a first virtual machine on the second electronic circuit, the first virtual machine being launched in a first partition of the RAM disk, the first virtual machine including a wireless network authentication server that is configured to authenticate devices that attempt to join the wireless network via the first electronic circuit;
and
launching a second virtual machine on the second electronic circuit, the second virtual machine being launched in a second partition of the RAM disk, the second virtual machine including a virtual private network (VPN) server that is configured to encrypt data that is received at the apparatus to produce encrypted data, and forward the encrypted data to the first electronic circuit for transmission over the wireless network,
wherein the first virtual machine and the second virtual machine are fully contained in the volatile memory of the second electronic circuit.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method and apparatus for secure communication and routing

Life of this patent

Method and apparatus for secure communication and routing

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims14