Methods and systems for distributed processing on consumer devices

• US 8,638,937 B2
• Filed: 07/16/2012
• Issued: 01/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CSC Holdings LLC (Altice USA, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: CSC Holdings LLC (Altice USA, Inc.)
• Inventors: Neill, Richard W., Rivkin, Leon
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Luu
• Assistant Examiner(s): HOLMES, ANGELA R
• Application Number:
  US13/549,865
• Publication Number:
  US 20130046808A1
• Time in Patent Office: 561 Days
• Field of Search: 709/201, 709217-219, 709223-229, 726/3, 455/3.01, 455/414.2, 713/189, 380/270, 380/255
• US Class Current: 380/270
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/5017 Task decomposition
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5072 Grid computing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/52 Program synchronisation; Mutual exclusion, e.g. by means of semaphores
• 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: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/24 Transfer of terminal data

Abstract

Systems and methods are used to provide distributed processing on a service provider network that includes a plurality of remotely located consumer devices. Each of the remotely located consumer devices includes a processing device. A service is provided from the service provider network to the remotely located consumer devices. Distributed processing of a task on the processing devices of the remotely located consumer devices occurs, the distributed processing being unrelated to the service provided to the consumers. The distributed processing occurs even when the processing devices are in use by corresponding remotely located consumer devices.

Claims

1. A method of facilitating distributed processing of tasks via a service provider network, the network comprising a device management system, a service management system, at least one processing device, at least one memory, and a plurality of remotely-located consumer devices, each of the remotely-located consumer devices having at least one processor, the method comprising:

providing, using the service management system, a service from the service provider network to the consumer devices;

identifying, using the device management system, a task for processing, the task unrelated to the provided service;

dividing, using the device management system, the task into a plurality of subtasks;

distributing the plurality of subtasks, using the device management system, to the consumer devices;

utilizing unused power in the at least one processor of the plurality of consumer devices to perform the distributed processing of the plurality of subtasks,

wherein unused power is defined as that portion of total, available power that is not being used in providing the service,

wherein the service provider network comprises at least one of a cable television network, a satellite television network, an Internet service provider, a cellular phone service provider, and a portable computer service provider, and

wherein the consumer devices are selected from the group consisting of cellular phones, computers, portable computing devices, set-top boxes, televisions, and cameras.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the consumer devices are wirelessly connected to the service provider network.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving processing results from a subplurality of the consumer devices.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting the consumer devices for processing the plurality of subtasks based on device availability.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting the consumer devices for processing the plurality of subtasks based on fault tolerance targets.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving resource data for each of the consumer devices.

7. The method of claim 3, further comprising aggregating the processing results.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the identified task is received from a source outside the service provider network.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising sending the aggregated results to the source of the task.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising distributing one or more additional subtasks to one or more of the consumer devices based on the received resource data.

11. A system that facilitates distributed processing of tasks over a service provider network that provides a consumer service that is unrelated to the tasks, the system comprising:

a plurality of consumer devices, each consumer device of the plurality of consumer devices having a processor with a power capability, a portion of which receives and processes the consumer service from the service provider network and a portion of which is not utilized by the consumer;

a service provider that performs the following operations;

provides the service from the service provider network to the consumer devices;

identifies a task for processing;

divides the task into a plurality of subtasks;

distributes the plurality of subtasks to a plurality of the processors of the plurality of consumer devices;

utilizes unused power in the at least one processor of the plurality of consumer devices to perform the distributed processing of the plurality of subtasks,

wherein unused power is defined as that portion of total, available power that is not being used in providing the service,

wherein the service provider network comprises at least one of a cable television network, a satellite television network, an Internet service provider, a cellular phone service provider, and a portable computer service provider, and

wherein the consumer devices are selected from the group consisting of cellular phones, computers, portable computing devices, set-top boxes, televisions, and cameras.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the consumer devices are wirelessly connected to the service provider network.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the service provider receives processing results from a subplurality of the consumer devices.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the service provider selects the consumer devices for processing the plurality of subtasks based on device availability.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the service provider selects the consumer devices for processing the plurality of subtasks based on fault tolerance targets.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the service provider receives resource data for each of the consumer devices.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the service provider aggregates the processing results.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the identified task is received from a source outside the service provider network.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the service provider sends the aggregated results to the source of the task.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the service provider distributes one or more additional subtasks to one or more of the consumer devices based on the received resource data.

21. A process management device, the device comprising:

a processing device; and

a non-transitory memory having stored thereon instructions in a readable format and that are executable on the processing device, the executable instructions implementing the following;

partitioning, using a process partitioning module, a task into a plurality of subtasks;

determining, using a resource management module, optimization data based on device parametrics of a plurality of consumer devices connected to a service provider network, each consumer device of the plurality of consumer devices including a processor having a power capability that includes a portion that is used for services provided by the service provider network and a portion that is not utilized;

mapping, using a process management module, the plurality of subtasks onto the consumer devices for processing based on the optimization data;

providing, using an interface layer, the mapped plurality of subtasks to the service provider network for distribution of the plurality of subtasks among the consumer devices, the mapped plurality of subtasks unrelated to the services provided by the service provider network to the consumer devices;

utilizing unused power in the at least one processor of the plurality of consumer devices to perform the distributed processing of the plurality of subtasks,

wherein unused power is defined as that portion of total, available power that is not being used in providing the service,

wherein the service provider network comprises at least one of a cable television network, a satellite television network, an Internet service provider, a cellular phone service provider, and a portable computer service provider, and

wherein the consumer devices are selected from the group consisting of cellular phones, computers, portable computing devices, set-top boxes, televisions, and cameras.

22. The process management device of claim 21, wherein optimization data includes the portions of a power capabilities of the processors of each consumer device that are not utilized.