Method and apparatus for providing energy-aware connection and code offloading

• US 8,849,241 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2010
• Issued: 09/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: WSOU Investments, LLC (WSOU Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Tarkoma, Sasu
• Primary Examiner(s): Taha, Shaq
• Application Number:
  US12/824,878
• Publication Number:
  US 20110316663A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,555 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204
• US Class Current: 455/405
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3206 Monitoring of events, devices or parameters that trigger a change in power modality
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/329 by task scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5094 where the allocation takes into account power or heat criteria power management in computers in general G06F1/3203; thermal management in computers in general G06F1/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0216 using a pre-established activity schedule, e.g. traffic indication frame
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0219 where the power saving management affects multiple terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0264 by selectively disabling software applications
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

An apparatus for enabling provision of energy-aware connection and code offloading may include at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code. The at least one memory and the computer program code may be configured, with the processor, to cause the apparatus to perform at least monitoring, at a client terminal, communications or processes associated with at least two applications of the client terminal, determining whether a trigger condition associated with the communications or processes monitored is met based at least on a directed graph defining a plurality of triggers for different applications and corresponding inputs and outputs associated with each respective trigger, and determining whether to direct an operational adjustment with respect to at least one of the communications or processes monitored based at least on profile information in response to the trigger condition being met. A corresponding method and computer program product are also provided.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to at least:

monitor, at a client terminal, communications or processes associated with at least two applications of the client terminal, the at least two applications being concurrent and independent;

determine whether a trigger condition associated with the communications or processes monitored is met based at least on a directed graph, the directed graph defining a plurality of triggers for the at least two different applications and corresponding inputs and outputs associated with each respective trigger;

determine whether to direct an operational adjustment with respect to at least one of the communications or processes monitored based at least on profile information in response to the trigger condition being met; and

enable operational adjustment of the at least one of the communications or processes monitored based on the trigger condition and at least one corresponding cost of the trigger condition as indicated by the corresponding profile,

the trigger conditions having corresponding offline and online profiles, wherein the corresponding offline and online profiles determine relevant costs of each respective trigger, the relevant costs determined on the basis of delay and energy consumption for a given trigger.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the memory and computer program code are configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to determine whether the trigger condition is met by utilizing a modified directed graph generated with respect to a corresponding application in response to development of the application and updated during operation of the application to determine whether the trigger condition is met.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the memory and computer program code are configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to determine whether to direct an operational adjustment by determining whether to offload actions associated with a particular routine operation to network resources.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the memory and computer program code are configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to monitor communications by intercepting communications associated with client terminal initiated connections.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the memory and computer program code are configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to determine whether to direct an operational adjustment by determining whether to multiplex at least some of the client terminal initiated connections.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the memory and computer program code are configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to determine whether to direct an operational adjustment by determining whether to initiate connection offloading or code offloading based on profile information indicative of energy cost or delay cost associated with a corresponding trigger.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the memory and computer program code are configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to determine whether the trigger condition is met by determining whether conditions associated with an input interface description of a corresponding trigger are satisfied.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is a mobile terminal and further comprises user interface circuitry configured to facilitate user control of at least some functions of the mobile terminal.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the memory and computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to initiate the operational adjustment by storing data in a buffer for communication according to a scheduling algorithm.

10. A method comprising:

monitoring, at a client terminal, communications or processes associated with at least two applications of the client terminal, the at least two applications being concurrent and independent;

determining whether a trigger condition associated with the communications or processes monitored is met based at least on a directed graph, the directed graph defining a plurality of triggers for the at least two different applications and corresponding inputs and outputs associated with each respective trigger;

determining whether to direct an operational adjustment with respect to at least one of the communications or processes monitored based at least on profile information in response to the trigger condition being met; and

enabling operational adjustment of the at least one of the communications or processes monitored based on the trigger condition and at least one corresponding cost of the trigger condition as indicated by the corresponding profile,

the trigger conditions having corresponding offline and online profiles, wherein the corresponding offline and online profiles determine relevant costs of each respective trigger, the relevant costs determined on the basis of delay and energy consumption for a given trigger.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein determining whether the trigger condition is met comprises utilizing a modified directed graph generated with respect to a corresponding application in response to development of the application and updated during operation of the application to determine whether the trigger condition is met.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein determining whether to direct an operational adjustment comprises determining whether to offload actions associated with a particular routine operation to network resources.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein monitoring communications comprises intercepting communications associated with client terminal initiated connections.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein determining whether to direct an operational adjustment comprises determining whether to multiplex at least some of the client terminal initiated connections.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein determining whether to direct an operational adjustment comprises determining whether to initiate connection offloading or code offloading based on profile information indicative of energy cost or delay cost associated with a corresponding trigger.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein determining whether the trigger condition is met comprises determining whether conditions associated with an input interface description of a corresponding trigger are satisfied.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising initiating the operational adjustment comprising storing data in a buffer for communication according to a scheduling algorithm.

18. A computer program product comprising at least one computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable program code instructions stored therein, the computer-executable program code instructions including program code instructions for:

monitoring, at a client terminal, communications or processes associated with at least two applications of the client terminal, the at least two applications being concurrent and independent;

determining whether a trigger condition associated with the communications or processes monitored is met based at least on a directed graph, the directed graph defining a plurality of triggers for the at least two different applications and corresponding inputs and outputs associated with each respective trigger;

determining whether to direct an operational adjustment with respect to at least one of the communications or processes monitored based at least on profile information in response to the trigger condition being met; and

enabling operational adjustment of the at least one of the communications or processes monitored based on the trigger condition and at least one corresponding cost of the trigger condition as indicated by the corresponding profile,

the trigger conditions having corresponding offline and online profiles, wherein the corresponding offline and online profiles determine relevant costs of each respective trigger, the relevant costs determined on the basis of delay and energy consumption for a given trigger.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein program code instructions for determining whether to direct the operational adjustment include instructions for determining whether to initiate connection offloading or code offloading based on profile information indicative of energy cost or delay cost associated with a corresponding trigger.

20. The computer program product of claim 18, further comprising program code instructions for initiating the operational adjustment comprising storing data in a buffer for communication according to a scheduling algorithm.