Distributed computing task costing with a mobile device

• US 9,955,330 B2
• Filed: 04/14/2015
• Issued: 04/24/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Miluzzo, Emiliano, Caceres, Ramon, Chen, Yih-Farn Robin
• Primary Examiner(s): Hua, Quan M
• Application Number:
  US14/686,721
• Publication Number:
  US 20150223043A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,106 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/5017 Task decomposition
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5072 Grid computing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0826 for reduction of network costs H04L41/0833 takes precedence
• 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: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/61 based on the service used
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8044 Least cost routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8214 Data or packet based
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing

Abstract

Distributed computing task costing is disclosed. Costing can be employed to determine if a task will be passed to a distributed computing cluster including mobile devices. Costing can include determining a base cost value predicated on a selectable level of utility to a user of a burdened device, a base time value related to completing the task without the use of the cluster, determining a delay cost, and any monetary costs associated with performing the task without the use of the cluster. Costing can further include demining a relief cost that can include the selectable level of utility, a relief time value related to completing the task with the cluster, the delay cost, an incentive cost based on the sum across a set of relief devices and their corresponding parameters for cluster participation, and any remaining monetary costs borne by the burdened device. Where the base cost value and relief cost value satisfies conditions, a task can be divided into subtasks that can be distributed to the cluster to accomplish the task in a distributed computing environment.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising;

receiving, based on an interaction via a user interface of a networked mobile device, a selectable utility to monetary cost value associated with accomplishing a task using the networked mobile device and a different device from a pool of devices;

determining, for the task to be accomplished, a first monetary cost value based on accomplishing the task by the networked mobile device with the assistance of a first device and a second device, wherein the determining the first monetary cost value is based on the selectable utility to monetary cost value, a cluster time determined for the accomplishing the task with assistance of devices comprising the first device, a utility value relating to a priority ranking determined for the accomplishing the task, a utility per unit time value associated with a delay determined for the accomplishing the task, and monetary cost values associated with a use of resources by the devices for the accomplishing the task;

determining, for the second device, a base monetary cost value associated with accomplishing the task by the networked mobile device with the assistance of the second device and without assistance from the first device; and

initiating selection of a participating device, from the pool of devices, to perform the task, wherein the selection is based on the base monetary cost value and the first monetary cost value, and wherein the pool of devices comprises the first device and the second device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the determining the base monetary cost value for the second device is based on a base time determined to accomplish the task without the assistance of the first device, a utility value relating to a priority ranking determined to accomplish accomplishing the task, a utility per unit time value associated with a delay determined to accomplish the task, the selectable utility to monetary cost value, and a resource monetary cost value associated with a fee for a use of resources determined to accomplish the task.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the resource monetary cost value comprises a monetary cost for accessing information over an air interface.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the determining the base monetary cost value comprises determining a product of the base time, the utility per unit time value, and the selectable utility to monetary cost value, and subtracting the product and the first monetary cost value from a second monetary cost value.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the determining the first monetary cost value is further based on a resource cost value associated with use of the devices.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the resource cost value comprises a monetary cost value associated with the devices incurring a monetary cost for the use of the resources, comprising cellular radio resources.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the determining the first monetary cost value comprises determining a product of the cluster time and a cost per unit time value, and determining a summation of monetary cost values of the monetary cost values for available devices of the devices, and subtracting the product, the summation of monetary cost values, and the resource cost value from a second monetary value.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

assigning a portion of the task to the first device, based on the base monetary cost value being determined to satisfy a condition related to the first monetary cost value.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining a second monetary cost value related to accomplishing the task with the assistance of the first device, the second device, and a third device;

determining, for the second device, a second base monetary cost value associated with accomplishing the task by the second device without assistance from the first device and with assistance from the third device; and

facilitating access to the second monetary cost value information and the second base monetary cost value to facilitate the initiating the selection of the devices.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining, for the second device, a third base monetary cost value associated with accomplishing the task by the first device and third device without assistance from the second device; and

facilitating access to the third base monetary cost value to facilitate the initiating the selection of the devices.

11. A method, comprising:

determining, by a system comprising a processor, first monetary cost value information related to devices comprising a first device and a second device, which facilitate accomplishing a task, wherein the determining the first monetary cost value information is based on an adjustable utility to monetary cost value corresponding to accomplishing the task via at the devices, and wherein the adjustable utility to monetary cost value is received by the processor via a user interface of the second device;

determining, by the system, a base monetary cost value associated with accomplishing the task by the devices in absence of the first device, wherein the determining the base monetary cost value comprises determining a product of a base time and a utility per unit time value, subtracting the product from a utility value, and multiplying the result by a monetary cost conversion factor value; and

selecting, by the system, a peer device from the devices based on the base monetary cost value and the first monetary cost value information, wherein the selecting results in a selected group of the devices to accomplish the task, and wherein the selected group of the devices is adapted to satisfy a costing goal in relation to the based monetary cost value and the first monetary cost value information.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the determining the base monetary cost value comprises determining the base time related to the accomplishing the task by the devices in the absence of the first device.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the determining the base monetary cost value comprises determining the utility value relating to a selectable priority level for the accomplishing the task by the devices in the absence of the first device.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the determining the base monetary cost value comprises determining the utility per unit time value associated with a delay in the accomplishing the task by the devices in the absence of the first device.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the determining the first monetary cost value information comprises receiving the adjustable utility to monetary cost factor value related to the accomplishing the task.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the determining the first monetary cost value information comprises receiving a cellular data cost rate and determining an amount of data to be accessed by way of a cellular radio.

17. A machine-readable storage medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:

determining first monetary information related to devices comprising a first device and a second device which facilitate a joint accomplishment of a task, wherein the first monetary information is based on a selectable utility to monetary cost conversion factor that relates to joint accomplishment of a task by the devices and that is received via a user interface of the second device of the devices, a cluster time determined for the accomplishing the task with assistance of devices comprising the first device, a utility value relating to a priority ranking determined for the accomplishing the task, a utility per unit time value associated with a delay determined for the accomplishing the task, and monetary cost values associated with a use of resources by the devices for the accomplishing the task;

determining a base monetary value associated with accomplishing the task by the devices in absence of the first device, wherein the determining the base monetary cost value information comprises determining a product of a base time and a utility per unit time value and subtracting the product from a utility value; and

causing selection of a group of the devices to jointly accomplish the task, wherein the group of the devices is determined to satisfy a selection rule relating to the base monetary cost value and the first monetary cost value.

18. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining second monetary information related to the devices, comprising the first device, the second device, and a third device, which facilitate the joint accomplishment of the task;

determining a second base monetary value associated with the accomplishing the task by the devices in the absence of the first device; and

enabling access to the second base monetary cost value and the second monetary cost value to facilitate the causing the selection of the group of the devices.

19. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the determining the base monetary cost value information further comprises multiplying the result of the determining the product of the base time and the utility per unit time value and subtracting the product from the utility value, by a monetary cost conversion factor value.

20. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise:

distributing a portion of the task to the first device based on the base monetary cost value being determined to satisfy a condition related to the first monetary cost value information.