USER-CENTERED TASK SCHEDULING FOR MULTI-SCREEN VIEWING IN CLOUD COMPUTING ENVIRONMENT

• US 20160328265A1
• Filed: 12/31/2013
• Published: 11/10/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: XU, Yan, DU, Lin, CHENG, Gang
• Granted Patent: US 10,114,672 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4831 with variable priority
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4881 Scheduling strategies for dispatcher, e.g. round robin, multi-level priority queues
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/28 characterised by path configuration, e.g. LAN [Local Area Networks] or WAN [Wide Area Networks] wireless communication networks H04W ; arrangements for dividing the transmission path H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2829 involving user profiles according to which the execution of a home appliance functionality is automatically triggered
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/24 Traffic characterised by specific attributes, e.g. priority or QoS
• 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 67/60 Scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests, e.g. requests for application data transmissions using the analysis and optimisation of the required network resources admission control or resource allocation H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/00 Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD] real-time bi-directional transmission of motion video data H04N7/14 ; broadcast or conference over packet switching networks H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/00 Network traffic management; Network resource management

Abstract

A method and apparatus are provided for priority-based task scheduling that is user-centered, with improved user experience in a multi-screen viewing environment.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, via a device, a plurality of requests from users, wherein each user has a plurality of associated viewing screens;

determining, via said device, a priority score for each one of said requests based on at least one factor related to said plurality of associated viewing screens; and

processing one of said requests based on said priority score.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of associated viewing screens corresponds to a separate user device selected from a group including a television, a computer and a mobile device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said device comprises a server in a cloud computing environment.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least one factor related to said plurality of associated viewing screens includes at least one of:

whether said request is from a user device associated with a dominant screen that is most frequently used by said user, and whether none of said plurality of associated viewing screens for said user is active.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said priority score is further based on a deadline associated with said request.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said deadline is based on an arrival time of said request and a user latency tolerance associated with said request.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said user latency tolerance varies based on at least one of requested content and an applicable user device.

8. A device, comprising:

a module for receiving a plurality of requests from users, wherein each said user has a plurality of associated viewing screens; and

a module for determining a priority score for each one of said requests based on at least one factor related to said plurality of associated viewing screens.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein each of said plurality of associated viewing screens corresponds to a separate user device selected from a group including a television, a computer and a mobile device.

10. The device of claim 8, wherein one of said requests is processed based on said priority score and said device comprises a server in a cloud computing environment.

11. The device of claim 8, wherein said at least one factor related to said plurality of associated viewing screens includes at least one of:

whether said request is from a user device associated with a dominant screen that is most frequently used by said user, and whether none of said plurality of associated viewing screens for said user is active.

12. The device of claim 8, wherein said priority score is further based on a deadline associated with said request.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein said deadline is based on an arrival time of said request and a user latency tolerance associated with said request.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein said user latency tolerance varies based on at least one of requested content and an applicable user device making said request.

15. Electronic apparatus, comprising:

computer hardware operative to execute computer software, which when executed, enables receipt of a plurality of requests from users, wherein each said user has a plurality of associated viewing screens, and further enables generation of a priority score for each one of said requests based on at least one factor related to said plurality of associated viewing screens.

16. The electronic apparatus of claim 15, wherein each of said plurality of associated viewing screens corresponds to a separate user device selected from a group including a television, a computer and a mobile device.

17. The electronic apparatus of claim 15, wherein one of said requests is processed based on said priority score and said device comprises a server in a cloud computing environment.

18. The electronic apparatus of claim 15, wherein said at least one factor related to said plurality of associated viewing screens includes at least one of:

whether said request is from a user device associated with a dominant screen that is most frequently used by said user, and whether none of said plurality of associated viewing screens for said user is active.

19. The electronic apparatus of claim 15, wherein said priority score is further based on a deadline associated with said request.

20. The electronic apparatus of claim 19, wherein said deadline is based on an arrival time of said request and a user latency tolerance associated with said request.

21. The electronic apparatus of claim 20, wherein said user latency tolerance varies based on at least one of requested content and an applicable user device making said request.