Hardware and processing request brokerage

• US 8,135,835 B2
• Filed: 05/12/2005
• Issued: 03/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Daedalus Blue LLC
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Wilbrink, Tijs I., Kelley, Edward E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bhatia, Ajay
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEE, BRYAN Y
• Application Number:
  US10/908,450
• Publication Number:
  US 20060258375A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,497 Days
• Field of Search: 709/226
• US Class Current: 709/226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/562 Brokering proxy services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/22 Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities

Abstract

Methods, brokerage systems and program products for enabling a mobile electronic device communicate with another electronic device for accomplishing a requested task without interrupting a user of the other electronic device. A task is requested at the mobile device and a transmission signal locates other electronic devices within a receivable range of the transmission signal. A number of scenarios of various combinations of located other devices is built, whereby each scenario is capable of accomplishing the requested task. One of these scenarios is selected, information relating to the task is sent to the electronic devices within such scenario, and then the requested task is performed by such selected electronic devices. Upon completion of the task, deliverables may be transmitted from the selected electronic device to a predetermined destination. Owners of the selected electronic devices may be rewarded for usage of their devices.

Claims

1. A method for performing a requested task between electronic devices comprising:

providing a mobile electronic device having a wireless interface;

requesting a task at said mobile electronic device;

transmitting a wireless signal corresponding to said task from said wireless interface of said mobile electronic device;

locating and connecting to a plurality of electronic devices within a receivable transmission range of said wireless signal using said wireless interface of said mobile electronic device, thereby building an ad-hoc, peer-to-peer network between said mobile electronic device and said plurality of electronic devices;

determining the amount of resources required to process and accomplish said task;

analyzing resource capabilities and capacities of each of said plurality of electronic devices at said mobile electronic device;

identifying from said plurality of electronic devices compatible electronic devices having at least one wireless connection interface compatible with said wireless interface of said mobile electronic device using said analyzed resource capabilities and capacities data;

storing a list of said compatible electronic devices of said mobile electronic device;

building and storing a plurality of electronic device scenarios on said mobile electronic device using said determined amount of resources required to process and accomplish said task in combination with said stored list of compatible electronic devices, each of said scenarios having at least one compatible electronic device capable of accomplishing said task;

selecting one of said plurality of electronic device scenarios on said mobile electronic device;

transmitting information relating to said task from said wireless interface of said mobile electronic device directly to said at least one compatible electronic device of said selected electronic device scenario; and

accomplishing said task at said at least one compatible electronic device.

2. The method of claim 1 further including the steps of:

determining whether said mobile electronic device is capable of accomplishing said task;

and locating said electronic device if it is determined that said mobile electronic device is not capable of accomplishing said task.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of locating said electronic device comprises:

determining all available wireless connection interfaces on said mobile electronic device;

searching for said determined available wireless connection interfaces of other electronic devices within said receivable transmission range of said mobile electronic device;

identifying said electronic device from said other electronic devices, whereby said electronic device has at least one of said determined available wireless connection interfaces that is capable of accomplishing said task; and

receiving an identification of said electronic device at said mobile electronic device.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said plurality of electronic devices are selected from the group consisting of mobile devices, stationary devices, wireless devices, non-wireless devices, and combinations thereof.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein each of said plurality of built electronic device scenarios comprise a compatible electronic device that is capable of accomplishing said task.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein each of said plurality of built electronic device scenarios comprise a plurality of compatible electronic devices that together are capable of accomplishing said task.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein each of said plurality of built electronic device scenarios are capable of accomplishing said task within an imposed time constraint for completing said task.

8. The method of claim 1 further including the steps of determining the availability of each said compatible electronic device within each of said electronic device scenarios;

and

updating said plurality of built electronic device scenarios based on said availability results to include only those built electronic device scenarios having compatible electronic devices allowing said task to be accomplished.

9. The method of claim 1 further including the steps of selecting a built electronic device scenario from said plurality of electronic device scenarios;

transmitting a set of instructions for said task from said mobile electronic device to each of said compatible electronic devices within said selected built electronic device scenario;

and

accomplishing said task by said compatible electronic devices within said selected built electronic device scenario.

10. the method of claim 9 further including transmitting deliverables from said compatible electronic devices within said selected built electronic device scenario to a preselected destination upon completion of said task.

11. the method of claim 9 further including rewarding owners of said compatible electronic devices within said selected built electronic device scenario upon completion of said task.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein said task is completed without interrupting end users of said compatible electronic devices within said selected built electronic device scenario.

13. The method of claim 9 further including providing said compatible electronic devices within said selected built electronic device scenario with a default command for informing end users of said compatible electronic devices within said selected built electronic device scenario that said task is being performed thereon, thereby enabling completion of said task.

14. A brokerage system for performing a requested task between a mobile electronic device and another electronic device comprising:

a mobile phone having a wireless interface;

a request system of said mobile device for requesting a task at said mobile electronic device;

a first transmission system of said mobile device for transmitting a wireless signal from said wireless interface of said mobile electronic device corresponding to said task;

a location system of said mobile device for locating and connecting to at least one electronic device within a receivable transmission range of said wireless signal thereby building an ad-hoc, peer-to-peer network between said mobile electronic device and said plurality of electronic devices, said at least one electronic device being capable of accomplishing said task;

an analysis system of said mobile device for analyzing resource capabilities and capacities of each of said plurality of electronic devices, and for identifying from said plurality of electronic devices compatible electronic devices having at least one wireless connection interface compatible with said wireless interface of said mobile electronic device;

a storage device of said mobile device for storing a list of said compatible electronic devices on said mobile electronic device;

a building system of said mobile device for building and storing a plurality of electronic device scenarios on said mobile electronic device using said stored list of compatible electronic devices, each of said scenarios having at least one compatible electronic device capable of accomplishing said task

a selection system of said mobile device for selecting one of said plurality of electronic device scenarios on said mobile electronic device;

a second transmission system of said mobile device for transmitting information relating to said task from said wireless interface of said mobile electronic device directly to said at least one compatible electronic device of said selected electronic device scenario; and

a performance system of said at least one compatible electronic device for accomplishing said task at said at least one compatible electronic device.

15. The brokerage system of claim 14 further including:

said second transmission system for transmitting a set of instructions for said task from said wireless interface of said mobile electronic device to each of said electronic devices within said selected built electronic device scenario; and

said performance system for accomplishing said task by said compatible electronic devices within said selected built electronic device scenario.

16. The brokerage system of claim 15 further including a third transmission system for transmitting deliverables from said compatible electronic devices within said selected built electronic device scenario to a preselected destination upon completion of said task.

17. A computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for performing a requested task between a mobile electronic device having a wireless interface and an electronic device, said computer non-transitory computer usable medium having;

computer readable program code means for requesting a task at said mobile electronic device;

computer readable program code means for transmitting a wireless signal corresponding to said requested task from said wireless interface of said mobile electronic device;

computer readable program code means for locating and connecting to a plurality of electronic devices within a receivable transmission range of said wireless signal using said wireless interface of said mobile electronic device, thereby building an ad-hoc, peer-to-peer network between said mobile electronic device and said plurality of electronic devices;

computer readable program code means for determining the amount of resources required to process and accomplish said task;

computer readable program code means for analyzing resource capabilities and capacities of each of said plurality of electronic devices at said mobile electronic device;

computer readable program code means for identifying from said plurality of electronic devices compatible electronic devices having at least one wireless connection interface compatible with said wireless interface of said mobile electronic device using said analyzed resource capabilities and capacities data;

computer readable program code means for storing a list of said compatible electronic devices on said mobile electronic device;

computer readable program code means for building and storing a plurality of electronic device scenarios on said mobile electronic device using said determined amount of resources required to process and accomplish said task in combination the said stored list of compatible electronic devices, each of said scenarios having at least one compatible electronic device capable of accomplishing said task;

computer readable program code means for selecting one of said plurality of electronic device scenarios on said mobile electronic device;

computer readable program code means for transmitting information relating to said requested task from said wireless interface of said mobile electronic device directly to said at least one compatible electronic device of said selected electronic device scenario; and

computer readable program code means for enabling accomplishment of said requested task at said at least one compatible electronic device.