System, methods, apparatuses and computer program products for providing step-ahead computing

• US 8,819,215 B2
• Filed: 01/29/2007
• Issued: 08/26/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Marton, Gabor, Akkanen, Jyrki
• Primary Examiner(s): Tiv, B.
• Application Number:
  US11/668,089
• Publication Number:
  US 20080183801A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,766 Days
• Field of Search: 709/205, 715/810
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/34 Recording or statistical evaluation of computer activity, e.g. of down time, of input/output operation ; Recording or statistical evaluation of user activity, e.g. usability assessment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3442 for planning or managing the needed capacity
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3447 Performance evaluation by modeling
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3452 Performance evaluation by statistical analysis
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/08 Monitoring or testing based on specific metrics, e.g. QoS, energy consumption or environmental parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1008 based on parameters of servers, e.g. available memory or workload monitoring of computer activity G06F11/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information

Abstract

A system for providing step-ahead computing may include a client and a server. The client may include a communication element, a user interface element and a processor. The communication element may be configured to receive a set of pre-computed actions. The set of pre-computed actions may be based on at least one possible future state of the client. The user interface element may be configured to receive a user input corresponding to a particular action. The processor may be in communication with the communication element and the user interface element. The processor may be configured to determine whether the set of pre-computed actions include an action corresponding to the particular action and to execute the action in response to a determination that the set of pre-computed actions include the action corresponding to the particular action. The server may include a processing element, a pre-computing element and a server side communication element. The processing element may be configured to receive an indication of a current state of the client. The pre-computing element may be in communication with the processing element and configured to determine the set of pre-computed actions based on the at least one possible future state of the client. The server side communication element may be in communication with the processing element and configured to communicate the pre-computed actions to the client.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving an indication of a current state of a client;

monitoring resource availability of a server;

determining a set of pre-computed actions based on at least one possible future state of the client and based on the resource availability of the server; and

communicating the pre-computed actions to the client from the server prior to receiving client selection of an action.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein determining the set of pre-computed actions comprises determining each possible action executable by the client from the current state of the client.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein communicating the pre-computed actions to the client comprises communicating one of:

one or more bitmaps associated with a corresponding one or more of the pre-computed actions;

or

one or more scripts associated with one or more of the pre-computed actions, each of the scripts having a unique identifier.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein determining the set of pre-computed actions comprises determining a predefined number of most likely possible actions executable by the client based on a personal history of the client.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein determining the set of pre-computed actions comprises determining a predefined number of most likely possible actions executable by the client based on a history of all clients served by the server.

6. A method according to claim 1, further comprising defining a precondition associated with enabling execution of at least one of the pre-computed actions.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause an apparatus to at least perform the following steps:

receiving an indication of a current state of a client;

monitoring resource availability of a server;

determining a set of pre-computed actions based on at least one possible future state of the client and based on the resource availability of the server; and

communicating the pre-computed actions to the client from the server prior to receiving client selection of an action.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 7, wherein the determining a set of pre-computed actions includes instructions for determining each possible action executable by the client from the current state of the client.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 7, wherein the communicating the pre-computed actions includes instructions for communicating one of:

one or more bitmaps associated with a corresponding one or more of the pre-computed actions;

or

one or more scripts associated with one or more of the pre-computed actions, each of the scripts having a unique identifier.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 7, wherein the determining a set of pre-computed actions includes instructions for determining a predefined number of most likely possible actions executable by the client based on a personal history of the client.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 7, wherein the determining a set of pre-computed actions includes instructions for determining a predefined number of most likely possible actions executable by the client based on a history of all clients served by the server.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 7, the steps further comprising defining a precondition associated with enabling execution of at least one of the pre-computed actions.

13. An apparatus comprising:

a processor and memory including computer program code, the memory and the computer program code configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to;

receive an indication of a current state of a client;

monitor resource availability of a server;

determine a set of pre-computed actions based on at least one possible future state of the client and based on the resource availability of the server; and

communicate the pre-computed actions to the client from the server prior to receiving client selection of an action.

14. An apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the apparatus is further caused to determine each possible action executable by the client from the current state of the client.

15. An apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the apparatus is caused to communicate one of:

one or more bitmaps associated with a corresponding one or more of the pre-computed actions;

or

one or more scripts associated with one or more of the pre-computed actions, each of the scripts having a unique identifier.

16. An apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the apparatus is caused to determine a predefined number of most likely possible actions executable by the client based on a personal history of the client.

17. An apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the apparatus is caused to determine a predefined number of most likely possible actions executable by the client based on a history of all clients served by the server.

18. An apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the apparatus is caused to define a precondition associated with enabling execution of at least one of the pre-computed actions.

19. A method comprising:

receiving, at a client, a set of pre-computed actions from a server, the set of pre-computed actions being based on at least one possible future state of the client and based on resource availability of the server;

receiving a user input corresponding to a particular action after receiving the set of pre-computed actions from the server;

determining whether the set of pre-computed actions include an action corresponding to the particular action; and

executing the action in response to a determination that the set of pre-computed actions include the action corresponding to the particular action.

20. A method according to claim 19, wherein executing the action further comprises executing the action only if a precondition associated with the action is met.

21. A method according to claim 19, wherein receiving the set of pre-computed actions comprises receiving one of:

one or more bitmaps associated with a corresponding one or more of the pre-computed actions;

or

one or more scripts associated with one or more of the pre-computed actions, each of the scripts having a unique identifier.

22. A method according to claim 19, further comprising discarding ones among the pre-computed actions other than the action.

23. A method according to claim 19, further comprising a fifth executable portion for notifying the server of the execution of the action.

24. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause an apparatus to at least perform the following steps:

receiving, at a client, a set of pre-computed actions from a server, the set of pre-computed actions being based on at least one possible future state of the client and based on resource availability of the server;

receiving a user input corresponding to a particular action after receiving the set of pre-computed actions from the server;

determining whether the set of pre-computed actions include an action corresponding to the particular action; and

executing the action in response to a determination that the set of pre-computed actions include the action corresponding to the particular action.

25. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 24, wherein the action is executed if a precondition associated with the action is met.

26. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 24, wherein the apparatus is caused, at least in part, to further perform:

receiving one or more bitmaps associated with a corresponding one or more of the pre-computed actions;

or

receiving one or more scripts associated with one or more of the pre-computed actions, each of the scripts having a unique identifier.

27. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 24, wherein the apparatus is caused, at least in part, to further perform:

discarding ones among the pre-computed actions other than the action.

28. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 24, wherein the apparatus is caused, at least in part, to further perform:

notifying the server of the execution of the action.

29. An apparatus comprising:

a processor and memory including computer program code, the memory and the computer program code configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to;

receive, at a client, a set of pre-computed actions from a server, the set of pre-computed actions being based on at least one possible future state of the client and based on resource availability of the server;

receive a user input corresponding to a particular action after receiving the set of pre-computed actions from the server;

determine whether the set of pre-computed actions include an action corresponding to the particular action, and

execute the action in response to a determination that the set of pre-computed actions include the action corresponding to the particular action.

30. An apparatus according to claim 29, wherein the processing element is further configured to execute the action only if a precondition associated with the action is met.

31. An apparatus according to claim 29, wherein the apparatus is further caused to receive one of:

one or more bitmaps associated with a corresponding one or more of the pre-computed actions;

or

one or more scripts associated with one or more of the pre-computed actions, each of the scripts having a unique identifier.

32. An apparatus according to claim 29, wherein the apparatus is further caused to discard ones among the pre-computed actions other than the action.

33. An apparatus according to claim 29, wherein the apparatus is further caused to notify the server of the execution of the action.

34. An apparatus according to claim 29, wherein the apparatus is embodied as a mobile terminal.

35. A system comprising:

a client comprising;

a communication module configured to receive a set of pre-computed actions, the set of pre-computed actions being based on at least one possible future state of the client;

a user interface configured to receive a user input corresponding to a particular action; and

a first processor in communication with the communication module and the user interface and configured to determine whether the set of pre-computed actions include an action corresponding to the particular action and execute the action in response to a determination that the set of pre-computed actions include the action corresponding to the particular action; and

a server comprising;

a second processor configured to receive an indication of a current state of the client, and to monitor resource availability of the server;

a pre-computing module in communication with the second processor and configured to determine the set of pre-computed actions based on the at least one possible future state of the client and based on the resource availability of the server; and

a server side communication module in communication with the second processor and configured to communicate the pre-computed actions to the client from the server prior to receiving client selection of an action.