Method and apparatus for providing a reward for the use of a processor in a parallel processing environment

• US 6,996,548 B2
• Filed: 05/11/2001
• Issued: 02/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Gula Consulting Limited Liability Company (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Hemisphere II Investment LP
• Inventors: Ratcliff, III, Raymond F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hirl, Joseph P.
• Application Number:
  US09/853,841
• Publication Number:
  US 20020198769A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,733 Days
• Field of Search: 706/14, 706/11, 706/10, 709/201
• US Class Current: 706/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5072 Grid computing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes

Abstract

A parallel data processing system in which a plurality of data processing devices are coupled to a data network. Each of the data processing devices has a processor and a memory coupled to the processor. A reward is provided for use of the processors. A job includes a plurality of tasks. Responsive to a request signal from one of the data processing devices, one of the tasks is sent to the one data processing device over the data network. The one task is stored in the memory of the one data processing device. The processor of the one data processing device retrieves the one task from the memory. The processor of the one data processing device performs the one task to define a result. After defining the result, the reward is provided to a recipient associated with the one data processing device.

Claims

1. In a parallel data processing system including a plurality of data processing devices coupled to a network, each of the data processing devices having a processor, a method for providing a reward for use of each data processing device, the method comprising:

providing an algorithm including a plurality of algorithm portions;

providing data including a plurality of data portions;

selecting at least two of the plurality of data processing devices in order to use their processing abilities;

sending over the network, from a single originating module, a task to each of the at least two data processing devices coupled to the network, wherein the single originating module sends the task, the task including both at least one of the algorithm portions sent from the single originating module and at least one of the data portions sent from the single originating module, wherein the processor of each selected data processing device performs the at least one algorithm portion on the at least one data portion; and

providing the reward to a recipient associated with each selected data processing device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the reward is a payment.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the payment is a flat fee.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the payment is a recurring flat fee.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the payment is a one-time fee.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the payment is a fee computed based on CPU time that the each processor used to perform the at least one portion of the algorithm on the at least one portion of the data.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the payment is a revenue-sharing fee.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the payment is a recurring service-sharing fee.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least two data processing devices are selected based on availability.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein a request signal is received from each processing device over the data network when each processing device is available to process tasks.

11. In a parallel data processing system including a plurality of data processing devices coupled to a network, each of the data processing devices having a processor, at least one of the data processing devices being associated with a respective recipient, a method for providing a reward for use of each data processing device, the method comprising:

selecting at least two of the data processing devices;

providing, by a single originating module, instructions relating to both at least one portion of an algorithm and at least one portion of data, to each of at least two data processing devices

storing the instructions in each selected data processing device;

retrieving, by the processor of each selected data processing device, the instructions, wherein the processor executes the instructions to perform the at least one portion of the algorithm on the at least one portion of the; and

providing the reward to the recipient associated with each selected data processing device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the reward is a payment.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the payment is a flat fee.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the payment is a recurring flat fee.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the payment is a one-time fee.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the payment is a fee computed based on CPU time that each processor used to perform the at least one portion of the algorithm on the at least one portion of the data.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the payment is a revenue-sharing fee.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the payment is a recurring service-sharing fee.

19. A parallel data processing system for providing a reward for use of one of a plurality of processing devices to process data using an algorithm, the data including a plurality of data portions, the algorithm including a plurality of algorithm portions;

the plurality of processing devices coupled to a network, the parallel data processing system comprising;

a single originating module, coupled to the network, the single originating module capable of;

i) receiving the algorithm and the data,

ii) extracting the plurality of algorithm portions from the algorithm and the plurality of data portions from the data,

iii) selecting at least two of the plurality of data processing devices in order to use their processing abilities; and

iv) sending both at least one of the algorithm portions and

at least one of the data portions to each of the selected data processing devices over the network;

a result collation module in communication with the single originating module and a processor of each of the selected processing devices, the result collation module capable of;

i) receiving a result signal from the processor of each of the selected data processing devices, the result signal indicating that each processor has completed performing the at least one algorithm portion on the at least one data portion, and

ii) providing a reward signal after receiving the result signal; and

a reward module in communication with the result collation module, the reward module capable of;

i) receiving the reward signal from the collation module,

ii) identifying the recipient associated with each of the data processing devices after receiving the reward signal, and

iii) providing the reward to each identified recipient.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the reward is a payment.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the payment is a flat fee.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein the payment is a recurring flat fee.

23. The system of claim 20, wherein the payment is a one-time fee.

24. The system of claim 20, wherein the payment is a fee computed based on CPU time that each processor used to perform the at least one portion of the algorithm on the at least one portion of the data.

25. The system of claim 20, wherein the payment is a revenue-sharing fee.

26. The system of claim 20, wherein the payment is a recurring service-sharing fee.