Task management system for computer networks

• US 10,268,520 B2
• Filed: 05/21/2018
• Issued: 04/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Liu, Eric H C, Brune, Kevin D., Matsuoka, Yoshimichi, Cabillic, Gilbert, Shah, Gaurav
• Primary Examiner(s): Kessler, Gregory A
• Application Number:
  US15/984,709
• Publication Number:
  US 20180276048A1
• Time in Patent Office: 337 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/502 Proximity
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/503 Resource availability
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/509 Offload
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5044 considering hardware capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/505 considering the load
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5055 considering software capabilities, i.e. software resources associated or available to the machine

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for managing task performance for a modular electronic device. In one implementation, a modular electronic device can include one or more electronic modular components. The modular electronic device can identify a computational task associated with the modular electronic device and identify one or more computing devices that are available to perform at least a portion of the computational task. The modular electronic device can obtain one or more sets of data associated with one or more computational resources of the computing devices. The modular electronic device can determine a potential benefit to the modular electronic device associated with the performance of the computational task by the computing devices. The modular electronic device can perform at least a portion of the computational task with the computing devices based, at least in part, on the sets of data associated with the computational resources and the potential benefit.

Claims

1. A network of computing devices, wherein at least one computing device of the network of computing devices comprises:

one or more processors and one or more memory devices that include computer-readable instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the at least one computing device to perform operations, the operations comprising;

identifying a computational task associated with the at least one computing device;

identifying one or more other computing devices within the network of computing devices that are available to perform at least a portion of the computational task;

obtaining one or more sets of data associated with one or more computational resources of the one or more other computing devices;

determining a potential benefit to the at least one computing device associated with the performance of the computational task by the one or more other computing devices;

determining whether it is cost-effective to have the at least one computing device perform at least the portion of the computational task; and

determining whether to perform at least the portion of the computational task with the one or more other computing devices based at least in part on the one or more sets of data associated with the one or more computational resources, the potential benefit to the at least one computing device, and the determination as to whether it is cost-effective to have the at least one computing device perform at least the portion of the computational task.

2. The network of computing devices of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining that the at least one computing device cannot perform at least the portion of the computational task.

3. The network of computing devices of claim 1, wherein the one or more other computing devices are associated with one or more electronic devices that are physically separate from the at least one computing device.

4. The network of computing devices of claim 1, wherein the at least one computing device and the one or more other computing devices are within a same environment.

5. The network of computing devices of claim 1, wherein identifying the one or more other computing devices that are available to perform at least the portion of the computational task comprises determining that the at least one computing device is in a communication range with the one or more other computing devices.

6. The network of computing devices of claim 1, wherein obtaining one or more sets of data associated with the one or more computational resources of one or more of the other computing devices comprises:

sending one or more requests for one or more sets of data associated with the one or more computational resources of the one or more other computing devices; and

receiving the one or more sets of data associated with the one or more computational resources of the one or more other computing devices, wherein the one or more sets of data are indicative of at least one of a communication capability, a processing capability, and a storage capability associated with the one or more other computing devices.

7. The network of computing devices of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

coordinating the performance of the computational task such that at least the portion of the computational task is performed by the one or more other computing devices.

8. The network of computing devices of claim 1, wherein determining whether it is cost-effective to have the at least one computing device perform at least the portion of the computational task comprises:

determining a first score associated with the one or more other computing devices, wherein the first score is based at least in part on the one or more sets of data associated with the one or more computational resources of the one or more other computing devices;

determining a second score associated with the computational task, wherein the second score is based at least in part on the potential benefit to the at least one computing device; and

comparing the first score associated with one or more of the other computing devices to the second score associated with the computational task.

9. The network of computing devices of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise:

coordinating the performance of the computational task such that at least the portion of the computational task is performed by the one or more other computing devices when the second score associated with the computational task outweighs the first score associated with the one or more other computing devices.

10. The network of computing devices of claim 8, wherein the one or more sets of data are indicative of a price associated with the one or more other computing devices performing the computational task.

11. The network of the computing devices of claim 1, wherein the potential benefit to the at least one computing device comprises an increase in at least one of a communication capability, a processing capability, or a storage capability associated with the at least one computing device.

12. A computer-implemented method of performing a task using a network of computing devices, the method comprising:

identifying, by a first computing device of a plurality of computing devices, a computational task associated with the first computing device;

identifying, by the first computing device, one or more second computing devices that are available to perform at least a portion of the computational task, wherein the plurality of computing devices comprises the one or more second computing devices, and wherein the first computing device and the one or more second computing devices are configured to communicate via wireless communication;

obtaining, by the first computing device, one or more sets of data associated with one or more computational resources of the one or more second computing devices;

determining, by the first computing device, a potential benefit to the first computing device associated with the performance of the computational task by the one or more of the second computing devices;

determining, by the first computing device, whether it is cost-effective to have the first computing device perform at least the portion of the computational task; and

determining, by the first computing device, whether to perform at least the portion of the computational task with the one or more second computing devices based at least in part on the one or more sets of data associated with the one or more computational resources, the potential benefit to the first computing device, and the determination as to whether it is cost-effective to have the first computing device perform at least the portion of the computational task.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, further comprising:

coordinating, by the first computing device, the performance of the computational task such that at least the portion of the computational task is performed by the one or more second computing devices.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, further comprising:

coordinating, by the first computing device, the performance of the computational task such that a first portion of the computational task is performed by the first computing device and a second portion of the computational task is performed by the one or more second computing devices.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, wherein determining whether it is cost-effective to have the first computing device perform at least the portion of the computational task comprises:

determining, by the first computing device, a first score associated with one or more of the computing devices, wherein the first score is based at least in part on the one or more sets of data associated with the one or more computational resources of the one or more second computing devices;

determining, by the first computing device, a second score associated with the computational task, wherein the second score is based at least in part on the potential benefit to the first computing device; and

comparing, by the first computing device, the first score to the second score; and

wherein determining, by the first computing, whether to perform at least the portion of the computational task with the one or more second computing devices comprises determining, by the first computing device, whether to perform the computational task based at least in part on the comparison of the first score and the second score.

16. A computing device comprising:

a communication interface that allows the computing device to communicate with one or more other computing devices via one or more wireless communication networks;

one or more processors; and

one or more memory devices, the one or more memory devices storing computer-readable instructions that when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computing device to perform operations, the operations comprising;

identifying a computational task;

identifying the one or more other computing devices as available to perform at least a portion of the computational task;

obtaining one or more sets of data indicative of at least one of a communication capability, a processing capability, or a storage capability associated with the one or more other computing devices that are available to perform at least the portion of the computational task;

determining a potential benefit to the computing device associated with the performance of the computational task by the one or more other computing devices;

determining whether it is cost-effective to have the computing device perform at least the portion of the computational task; and

determining whether to have at least the portion of the computational task performed by the one or more other computing devices based at least in part on the one or more sets of data, the potential benefit to the computing device associated with the performance of the computational task, and the determination as to whether it is cost-effective to have the computing device perform at least the portion of the computational task.

17. The computing device of claim 16, wherein determining whether it is cost-effective to have the computing device perform at least the portion of the computational task comprises determining that it is not cost-effective to have the computing device perform the portion of the computational task, and wherein the operations further comprise:

coordinating the performance of the computational task such that at least the portion of the computational task is performed by the one or more other computing devices.

18. The computing device of claim 16, wherein determining whether it is cost-effective to have the computing device perform at least the portion of the computational task comprises:

determining an amount of computational resources associated with the one or more other computing devices to be used in a performance of the computational task based at least in part on the one or more sets of data; and

comparing the amount of computational resources associated with the one or more other computing devices to be used in the performance of the computational task and the potential benefit to the computing device associated with the performance of the computational task.

19. The computing device of claim 18, wherein the operations further comprise:

coordinating the performance of the computational task such that at least a portion of the computational task is performed by the one or more other computing devices when the potential benefit to the computing device outweighs the amount of computational resources associated with the one or more other computing devices to be used in the performance of the computational task.