Cloud phone with distributed processing

• US 9,087,018 B2
• Filed: 10/24/2013
• Issued: 07/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Nandlall, Vishwamitra, Akhtar, Haseeb
• Primary Examiner(s): NAWAZ, ASAD M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ali, Syed S
• Application Number:
  US14/062,483
• Publication Number:
  US 20140051424A1
• Time in Patent Office: 635 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/163 Interprocessor communication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/509 Offload
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5027 the resource being a machine, e.g. CPUs, Servers, Terminals
• 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 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/60 Subscription-based services using application servers or record carriers, e.g. SIM application toolkits
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0258 controlling an operation mode according to history or models of usage information, e.g. activity schedule or time of day
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0264 by selectively disabling software applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0277 according to available power supply, e.g. switching off when a low battery condition is detected
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A system and method for transferring application-specific functionality from a mobile handset to a wireless network associated with the mobile handset. A network component of the system communicates with a virtual copy of the mobile application on behalf of the handset while the handset is not actively using the application and performs any necessary application execution on behalf of the handset. The network component transfers execution back to the handset when the handset resumes active use of the mobile application.

Claims

1. A mobile handset comprising:

a wireless interface configured to interface with a wireless network associated with the mobile handset;

a first processor in wireless communication with a second processor via the wireless network associated with the mobile handset, wherein the second processor is external to the mobile handset and is operatively coupled to the wireless network;

a mobile application to be executed by the first processor; and

a memory in which is stored a program code, which, when executed by the first processor, causes the first processor to;

register the mobile application with the second processor;

continue to perform application-specific functionality for the mobile application;

discontinue performance of the application-specific functionality and transfer a most recent state of the mobile application to the second processor when requested thereby and in response to an absence of a first active usage of the mobile application being detected so as to allow the second processor to perform the application-specific functionality on behalf of the first processor for the mobile application using the most recent state thereof, wherein the program code further causes the first processor to validate at least one credential of the second processor prior to transferring the most recent state of the mobile application to the second processor;

receive from the second processor a result of performance of the application-specific functionality on behalf of the first processor in response to a second active usage of the mobile application being detected;

integrate the result into the most recent state of the mobile application, thereby generating an integrated state for the mobile application; and

re-commence performance of application-specific functionality for the mobile application using the integrated state thereof.

2. The mobile handset of claim 1, wherein the program code, upon execution by the first processor, causes the first processor to register the mobile application with the second processor by synchronizing the following with the second processor:

a change in program content of the mobile application;

a change in an execution state of the mobile application; and

application-specific contextual information for the mobile application.

3. The mobile handset of claim 1 wherein the at least one credential of the second processor includes an application-specific credential.

4. A method in a mobile handset, comprising:

establishing communication between a first processor in the mobile handset and a second processor external to the mobile handset, wherein the communication is established via a wireless network associated with the mobile handset;

registering with the second processor, a mobile application residing in and configured to be executed by the first processor;

discontinuing execution of the mobile application by the first processor;

receiving from the second processor, a request for a most recent state of the mobile application; and

transferring the most recent state of the mobile application to the second processor when requested thereby and in response to an absence of a first active usage of the mobile application being detected so as to allow the second processor to perform application-specific functionality on behalf of the first processor for the mobile application using the most recent state thereof, wherein the mobile handset validates at least one credential of the second processor prior to transferring the most recent state of the mobile application to the second processor;

receiving from the second processor a result of performance of the application-specific functionality on behalf of the first processor in response to a second active usage of the mobile application being detected;

integrating the result into the most recent state of the mobile application, thereby generating an integrated state for the mobile application; and

the first processor re-commencing performance of application-specific functionality for the mobile application using the integrated state thereof.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the registering step includes the first processor providing to the second processor, a copy of the mobile application for storage of a virtual instance of the mobile application by the second processor.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the registering step also includes the first processor synchronizing the following with the second processor:

a change in program content of the mobile application;

a change in an execution state of the mobile application; and

application-specific contextual information for the mobile application.

7. The method according to claim 4 wherein the at least one credential of the second processor includes an application-specific credential.