Personal Wireless Network Capabilities-Based Task Portion Distribution

• US 20090318074A1
• Filed: 06/24/2008
• Published: 12/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bose Corporation
• Original Assignee: Bose Corporation
• Inventors: Isaac, Ronald N., Burge, Benjamin D., Ueda, Joji
• Granted Patent: US 7,995,964 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/3.10
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/505 considering the load
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/24 Transfer of terminal data

Abstract

Where a plurality of personal portable devices communicating with each other through a personal wireless network are to cooperate to perform a task made up of a plurality of task portions, the task portions are automatically distributed among the personal portable devices at least partially in response to comparisons between the capabilities required to perform each task portion and the capabilities of each of the personal portable devices. In making such comparisons, the capabilities of each of the personal portable devices that are actually available for the performance of one or more of the task portions at the time such comparisons are made may be taken into account, and further, such comparisons may be repeated as the capabilities of each of the personal portable devices that are actually available change over time.

Claims

1. A first personal portable device to cooperate with at least a second personal portable device through a wireless network to perform a task comprising a plurality of task portions, the first personal portable device comprising:

a first wireless transceiver to enable communications across the wireless network with the second personal portable device;

a first processor; and

a first storage in which is stored a first assignment routine comprising a sequence of instructions, that when executed by the first processor, causes the first processor to;

retrieve a first requirements data indicating a capability required to execute a first task routine to perform a first task portion of the plurality of task portions, a second requirements data indicating a capability required to execute a second task routine to perform a second task portion of the plurality of task portions, and a first capabilities data indicating a capability of the first personal portable device to execute a routine;

operate the first wireless transceiver to signal the second personal portable device through the wireless network to retrieve a second capabilities data indicating a capability of the second personal portable device to execute a routine;

derive a first distribution of assignments of performances of the first and second task portions among the first and second personal portable devices in response to comparing the first requirements data to the first and second capabilities data and in response to comparing the second requirements data to the first and second capabilities data, wherein the first task portion is assigned to be performed by the first personal portable device such that the first processor is assigned to execute the first routine and the second task portion is assigned to be performed by the second personal portable device such that a second processor of the second personal portable device is assigned to execute the second routine; and

operate the first wireless transceiver to signal the second personal portable device through the wireless network with an indication that the second personal portable device is assigned to execute the second task routine.

2. The first personal portable device of claim 1, wherein the first capabilities data indicates a degree to which the capability of the first personal portable device remains available for executing a routine as a result of the capability of the first personal portable device being at least partly utilized in the execution of a routine of another task.

3. The first personal portable device of claim 2, wherein executing the first assignment routine further causes the first processor to:

detect a change in the degree to which the capability of the first personal portable device remains available; and

derive a second distribution of assignments of performance of the first and second task portions among the first and second personal portable devices in response to the change in the degree to which the capability of the first personal portable device remains available.

4. The first personal portable device of claim 1, further comprising a first interactive component having a manually-operable control to enable a user of at least the first and second personal portable devices to enable a user to signal for at least the first and second personal portable devices to cooperate to perform the task.

5. The first personal portable device of claim 1, wherein:

the capability indicated by the first requirements data is selected from the group consisting of an indication of an amount of storage, an indication of a level of processor throughput, an indication of a level of network throughput, and an indication of a user interaction capability; and

the capability indicated by the second requirements data is selected from the group consisting of an indication of an amount of storage, an indication of a level of processor throughput, an indication of a level of network throughput, and an indication of a user interaction capability.

6. The first personal portable device of claim 1, wherein:

the capability available indicated by the first capabilities data is selected from the group consisting of an indication of an amount of storage within the first personal portable device, an indication of a level of processor throughput of the first processor, an indication of a level of network throughput of the first personal portable device on the wireless network, and an indication of a user interaction capability of the first personal portable device; and

the capability available indicated by the second capabilities data is selected from the group consisting of an indication of an amount of storage within the second personal portable device, an indication of a level of processor throughput of the second processor, an indication of a level of network throughput of the second personal portable device on the wireless network, and an indication of a user interaction capability of the second personal portable device.

7. The first personal portable device of claim 1, wherein the first processor being caused to derive the first distribution comprises the first processing being caused to determine which one of the first and second personal portable devices stores a task data required to perform the task.

8. The first personal portable device of claim 1, wherein the first processor being caused to derive the first distribution comprises the first processing being caused to:

compare a version level of the first task routine to a version level of another task routine corresponding to the first task portion and stored in a second storage of the second personal portable device; and

select the first task routine at least partially due to the version level of the first task routine being a later version than the version level of the other task routine.

9. The first personal portable device of claim 1, wherein the first distribution requires that at least one of the first and second task routines be copied between the first storage of the first personal portable device and a second storage of the second personal portable device, and wherein the first processor being caused to derive the first distribution comprises the first processor being caused to determine whether copying at least one of the first and second task routines between the first and second storages is permissible in view of a licensing restriction.

10. The first personal portable device of claim 1, wherein the first distribution requires that at least one of the first and second task routines be copied between the first storage of the first personal portable device and a second storage of the second personal portable device, and wherein the first processor being caused to derive the first distribution comprises the first processor being caused to determine whether at least one of the first and second task routines is compatible with at least one of the first and second processors.

11. A method of distributing a first task portion and a second task portion of a task among a first personal portable device and a second personal portable device, the method comprising:

awaiting an indication from an operator of the first and second personal portable devices for the first and second personal portable devices to cooperate through a wireless network to perform the task;

retrieving a first requirements data indicating a capability required to perform the first task portion, a second requirements data indicating a capability required to perform the second task portion, a first capabilities data indicating a capability of the first personal portable device, and a second capabilities data indicating a capability of the second personal portable device;

deriving a first distribution of assignments of performances of the first and second task portions among the first and second personal portable devices in response to comparing the first requirements data to the first and second capabilities data and in response to comparing the second requirements data to the first and second capabilities data, wherein the first task portion is assigned to be performed by the first personal portable device and the second task portion is assigned to be performed by the second personal portable device; and

transmitting a signal from one of the first and second personal portable devices with an indication of the first distribution of assignments to the other of the first and second personal portable devices through the wireless network.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising retrieving at least one of the first and second requirements data and at least one of the first and second capabilities data from at least one of the first and second personal portable devices through the wireless network.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the first capabilities data indicates a degree to which the capability of the first personal portable device remains available for performing the task as a result of the capability of the first personal portable device being at least partly utilized in performing another task.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

detecting a change in the degree to which the capability of the first personal portable device remains available for performing the task; and

deriving a second distribution of assignments of performance of the first and second task portions among the first and second personal portable devices in response to the change in the degree to which the capability of the first personal portable device remains available.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein:

the first personal portable device performing the first task portion comprises a first processor of the first personal portable device retrieving a first task routine corresponding to the first task portion from a storage accessible to the first processor and executing the first task routine; and

the second personal portable device performing the second task portion comprises a second processor of the second personal portable device retrieving a second task routine corresponding to the second task portion from a storage accessible to the second processor and executing the second task routine.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein awaiting an indication from an operator comprises awaiting detection of the operation of a manually-operable control of at least one of the first and second personal portable devices.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein:

the first requirements data indicates a capability required to execute the first task routine, the indication being selected from the group consisting of an indication of an amount of storage, an indication of a level of processor throughput, an indication of a level of network throughput, and an indication of a user interaction capability; and

the second requirements data indicates a capability required to execute the second task routine, the indication being selected from the group consisting of an indication of an amount of storage, an indication of a level of processor throughput, an indication of a level of network throughput, and an indication of a user interaction capability.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein:

the first capabilities data indicates a capability available from the first personal portable device, the indication being selected from the group consisting of an indication of an amount of storage within the first personal portable device, an indication of a level of processor throughput of the first processor, an indication of a level of network throughput of the first personal portable device on the wireless network, and an indication of a user interaction capability of the first personal portable device; and

the second capabilities data indicates a capability available from the second personal portable device, the indication being selected from the group consisting of an indication of an amount of storage within the second personal portable device, an indication of a level of processor throughput of the second processor, an indication of a level of network throughput of the second personal portable device on the wireless network, and an indication of a user interaction capability of the second personal portable device.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein comparing the first requirements data to the first and second capabilities data comprises comparing requirements to execute the first task routine to capabilities of the first and second personal portable devices to execute routines, and wherein comparing the second requirements data to the first and second capabilities data comprises comparing requirements to execute the second task routine to capabilities of the first and second personal portable devices to execute routines.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein deriving the first distribution comprises determining which one of the first and second personal portable devices stores a task data required to perform the task.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein deriving the first distribution comprises:

comparing a version level of the first task routine to a version level of another task routine corresponding to the first task portion and stored in the second personal portable device; and

selecting the first task routine at least partially due to the version level of the first task routine being a later version than the version level of the other task routine.

22. The method of claim 15, wherein the first distribution requires that at least one of the first and second task routines be copied between the first and second personal portable devices, and wherein deriving the first distribution comprises determining whether copying at least one of the first and second task routines between the first and second personal portable devices is permissible in view of a licensing restriction.

23. The method of claim 15, wherein the first distribution requires that at least one of the first and second task routines be copied between the first and second personal portable devices, and wherein deriving the first distribution comprises determining whether at least one of the first and second task routines is compatible with at least one of the first and second processors.

24. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

transmitting a first audio data between the first and second personal portable devices in performing the first task portion; and

audibly outputting at least a first portion of the first audio data in performing the second task portion.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein:

the first and second personal portable devices cooperate with a third personal portable device through the wireless network to perform the task;

the wireless network is of a chain topography wherein the third personal portable devices occupies an endpoint of the chain topography; and

the method further comprises;

retransmitting at least a second portion of the first audio to the third personal portable device through the wireless network in performing a third task portion of the task to enable the third personal portable device to audibly output the at least a second portion of the first audio; and

retrieving a third requirements data indicating a capability required to perform the third task portion, and a third capabilities data indicating a capability of the third personal portable device.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein:

the first and second personal portable devices cooperate with a third personal portable device through the wireless network to perform the task;

the wireless network is of a chain topography wherein the third personal portable devices occupies an endpoint of the chain topography; and

the method further comprises;

retransmitting the at least a first portion of the first audio to the third personal portable device through the wireless network in performing a third task portion of the task to enable the third personal portable device to audibly output the at least a first portion of the first audio;

transmitting at least a portion of a second audio detected by a microphone of the second personal portable device to the first personal portable device through the wireless network in performing a fourth task portion of the task;

retrieving a third requirements data indicating a capability required to perform the third task portion, a fourth requirements data indicating a capability required to perform the fourth task portion, and a third capabilities data indicating a capability of the third personal portable device.