Opportunistic offloading of tasks between nearby computing devices

• US 9,955,290 B2
• Filed: 12/13/2016
• Issued: 04/24/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Swaminathan, Arvind, Sen, Anandamoy, Yildirim, Ahmet Ferhat
• Primary Examiner(s): AYOTUNDE, AYODEJI O
• Application Number:
  US15/378,003
• Publication Number:
  US 20170164141A1
• Time in Patent Office: 497 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/082 the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• 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 67/59 Providing operational support to end devices by off-loading in the network or by emulation, e.g. when they are unavailable
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/00 Reducing energy consumption in communication networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

The embodiments set forth a technique for enabling a group of computing devices to delegate tasks in a manner that promotes energy savings. According to one embodiment, each computing device is configured to identify situations where the computing device has an energy advantage (e.g., when plugged-in) and should serve as a proxy computing device to other computing devices. Each computing device is also configured to identify situations where the computing device has an energy disadvantage (e.g., a low battery) and should seek out another computing device to act as a proxy computing device. In this manner, computing devices can delegate tasks between one another to reduce or eliminate the processing redundancies that otherwise occur when the computing devices work in isolation to maintain network connectivity and carry out tasks on their own.

Claims

1. A method for altering a proxy computing device among a group of portable computing devices, the method comprising, at a portable computing device that currently serves as the proxy computing device for one or more neighboring portable computing devices:

in response to determining that a fitness level associated with the portable computing device does not satisfy a proxy fitness threshold for a condition;

identifying a request to establish one of the one or more neighboring portable computing devices to serve as the proxy computing device;

receiving, from at least one neighboring portable computing device of the one or more neighboring portable computing devices, a respective fitness level associated with the at least one neighboring portable computing device;

identifying, among the respective fitness levels, a neighboring portable computing device having a strongest respective fitness level;

comparing the strongest respective fitness level to the fitness level associated with the portable computing device; and

in response to determining that the strongest respective fitness level (i) satisfies the proxy fitness threshold, and (ii) is stronger than the fitness level associated with the portable computing device;

selecting the neighboring portable computing device to replace the portable computing device to serve as the proxy computing device for the one or more neighboring portable computing devices.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting a second request to a server device to assign the neighboring portable computing device as the proxy computing device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the respective fitness level is based on historical performance data associated with each neighboring portable computing device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein, subsequent to identifying the neighboring portable computing device having the strongest respective fitness level, the method further comprises:

determining whether the strongest respective fitness level is weaker than the fitness level associated with the portable computing device; and

in response to determining that the strongest respective fitness level is weaker than the fitness level;

preventing the portable computing device from being replaced as the proxy computing device, and

transmitting a second request to a server device for maintaining the portable computing device as the proxy computing device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the request originates at the portable computing device, or is received from a particular neighboring portable computing device among the one or more neighboring portable computing devices.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein, prior to identifying the request to establish one of the one or more neighboring portable computing devices to serve as the proxy computing device, the method further comprises:

receiving respective identifying information associated with the one or more neighboring portable computing devices;

determining, based on the respective identifying information, that the one or more neighboring portable computing devices satisfy a threshold level of trust; and

adding the one or more neighboring portable computing devices to a list of trusted neighboring portable computing devices.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the one or more neighboring portable computing devices are associated with a user account that is shared with the portable computing device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the condition includes at least one of a battery life, a wireless connectivity, a strength of an internet connection, an activity level of an electronic component of the portable computing device, whether a user account associated with the portable computing device is shared by one of the one or more neighboring portable computing devices, or historical performance associated with the portable computing device serving as the proxy computing device.

9. At least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium configured to store instructions that, when executed by at least one processor included in a portable computing device that currently serves as a proxy computing device for one or more neighboring portable computing devices, cause the portable computing device to:

in response to determining that a fitness level associated with the portable computing device does not satisfy a proxy fitness threshold for a condition;

identify a request to establish one of the one or more neighboring portable computing devices to serve as the proxy computing device;

receive, from at least one neighboring portable computing device of the one or more neighboring portable computing devices, a respective fitness level associated with the at least one neighboring portable computing device;

identify, among the respective fitness levels, a neighboring portable computing device having a strongest respective fitness level;

compare the strongest respective fitness level to the fitness level associated with the portable computing device; and

in response to determining that the strongest respective fitness level (i) satisfies the proxy fitness threshold, and (ii) is stronger than the fitness level associated with the portable computing device;

select the neighboring portable computing device to replace the portable computing device to serve as the proxy computing device for the one or more neighboring portable computing devices.

10. The at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the at least one processor further causes the portable computing device to:

transmit a second request to a server device to assign the neighboring portable computing device as the proxy computing device.

12. The at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein, subsequent to identifying the neighboring portable computing device having the strongest respective fitness level, the at least one processor further causes the portable computing device to:

determine whether the strongest respective fitness level is weaker than the fitness level associated with the portable computing device; and

in response to determining that the strongest respective fitness level is weaker than the fitness level;

prevent the portable computing device from being replaced as the proxy computing device, and

transmit a second request to a server device for maintaining the portable computing device as the proxy computing device.

13. The at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein, prior to identifying the request to establish one of the one or more neighboring portable computing devices to serve as the proxy computing device, the at least one processor further causes the portable computing device to:

receive respective identifying information associated with the one or more neighboring portable computing devices;

determine, based on the respective identifying information, that the one or more neighboring portable computing devices satisfy a threshold level of trust; and

add the one or more neighboring portable computing devices in a list of trusted neighboring portable computing devices.

14. The at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the condition includes at least one of a battery life, a wireless connectivity, a strength of an internet connection, an activity level of an electronic component of the portable computing device, whether a user account associated with the portable computing device is shared by one of the one or more neighboring portable computing devices, or historical performance associated with the portable computing device serving as the proxy computing device.

11. The at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium 9, wherein the respective fitness level is based on historical performance data associated with each neighboring portable computing device.

15. A portable computing device configured to select a proxy computing device, comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory configured to store instructions that, in response to being executed by the at least one processor, cause the portable computing device that currently serves as the proxy computing device for one or more neighboring portable computing devices to;

in response to determining that a fitness level associated with the portable computing device does not satisfy a proxy fitness threshold for a condition;

identify a request to establish one of the one or more neighboring portable computing devices to serve as the proxy computing device;

receive, from at least one neighboring portable computing device of the one or more neighboring portable computing devices, a respective fitness level associated with the at least one neighboring portable computing device;

identify, among the respective fitness levels, a neighboring portable computing device having a strongest respective fitness level;

compare the strongest respective fitness level to the fitness level associated with the portable computing device; and

in response to determining that the strongest respective fitness level (i) satisfies the proxy fitness threshold, and (ii) is stronger than the fitness level associated with the portable computing device;

select the neighboring portable computing device to replace the portable computing device to serve as the proxy computing device for the one or more neighboring portable computing devices.

16. The portable computing device of claim 15, where the at least one processor further causes the portable computing device to:

transmit a second request to a server device to assign the neighboring portable computing device as the proxy computing device.

17. The portable computing device of claim 15, wherein the respective fitness level is based on historical performance data associated with each neighboring portable computing device.

18. The portable computing device of claim 15, wherein, subsequent to identifying the neighboring portable computing device having the strongest respective fitness level, the at least one processor further causes the portable computing device to:

determine whether the strongest respective fitness level is weaker than the fitness level associated with the portable computing device; and

in response to determining that the strongest respective fitness level is weaker than the fitness level;

prevent the portable computing device from being replaced as the proxy computing device, and

transmit a second request to a server device for maintaining the portable computing device as the proxy computing device.

19. The portable computing device of claim 15, wherein, prior to identifying the request to establish one of the one or more neighboring portable computing devices to serve as the proxy computing device, the at least one processor further causes the portable computing device to:

receive respective identifying information associated with the one or more neighboring portable computing devices;

determine, based on the respective identifying information, that the one or more neighboring portable computing devices satisfy a threshold level of trust; and

add the one or more neighboring portable computing devices to a list of trusted neighboring portable computing devices.

20. The portable computing device of claim 19, wherein the condition includes at least one of a battery life, a wireless connectivity, a strength of an internet connection, an activity level of an electronic component of the portable computing device, whether a user account associated with the portable computing device is shared by one of the one or more neighboring portable computing devices, or historical performance associated with the portable computing device serving as the proxy computing device.