Task management system for a modular electronic device

• US 9,977,697 B2
• Filed: 04/15/2016
• Issued: 05/22/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Liu, Eric H C, Brune, Kevin D., Matsuoka, Yoshimichi, Cabillic, Gilbert, Shah, Gaurav
• Primary Examiner(s): KESSLER, GREGORY AARON
• Application Number:
  US15/130,300
• Publication Number:
  US 20170300365A1
• Time in Patent Office: 767 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/502 Proximity
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/503 Resource availability
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/509 Offload
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5044 considering hardware capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/505 considering the load
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5055 considering software capabilities, i.e. software resources associated or available to the machine

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for managing task performance for a modular electronic device. In one implementation, a modular electronic device can include one or more electronic modular components. The modular electronic device can identify a computational task associated with the modular electronic device and identify one or more computing devices that are available to perform at least a portion of the computational task. The modular electronic device can obtain one or more sets of data associated with one or more computational resources of the computing devices. The modular electronic device can determine a potential benefit to the modular electronic device associated with the performance of the computational task by the computing devices. The modular electronic device can perform at least a portion of the computational task with the computing devices based, at least in part, on the sets of data associated with the computational resources and the potential benefit.

Claims

1. A modular electronic device including one or more electronic modular components, wherein the modular electronic device comprises:

one or more processors and one or more memory devices that include computer-readable instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the modular electronic device to perform operations, the operations comprising;

identifying a computational task associated with the modular electronic device;

identifying one or more computing devices that are available to perform at least a portion of the computational task;

obtaining one or more sets of data associated with one or more computational resources of one or more of the computing devices, wherein the sets of data are indicative of at least one of a communication capability, a processing capability, and a storage capability associated with one or more of the computing devices;

determining a potential benefit to the modular electronic device associated with the performance of the computational task by one or more of the computing devices;

determining whether it is cost-effective to have the one or more electronic modular components of the modular electronic device perform at least the portion of the computational task; and

determining whether to perform at least the portion of the computational task with one or more of the computing devices based at least in part on the one or more sets of data associated with the one or more computational resources, the potential benefit to the modular electronic device, and the determination as to whether it is cost-effective to have the one or more electronic modular components of the modular electronic device perform at least the portion of the computational task.

2. The modular electronic device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining that the one or more electronic modular components cannot perform at least the portion of the computational task.

3. The modular electronic device of claim 1, wherein the one or more computing devices are associated with one or more electronic devices that are physically separate from the modular electronic device.

4. The modular electronic device of claim 1, wherein identifying the one or more computing devices that are available to perform at least the portion of the computational task comprises determining that the electronic modular components are in a communication range with the one or more computing devices.

5. The modular electronic device of claim 1, wherein identifying the one or more computing devices that are available to perform at least the portion of the computational task comprises:

sending one or more requests for information indicative of an availability of one or more of the computing devices to perform at least the portion of the computational task; and

receiving a response comprising information indicative of the availability of one or more of the computing devices to perform at least the portion of the computational task.

6. The modular electronic device of claim 1, wherein obtaining one or more sets of data associated with the one or more computational resources of one or more of the computing devices comprises:

sending one or more requests for one or more sets of data associated with the one or more computational resources of one or more of the computing devices; and

receiving the one or more sets of data associated with the one or more computational resources of one or more of the computing devices.

7. The modular electronic device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

coordinating the performance of the computational task such that at least the portion of the computational task is performed by one or more of the computing devices.

8. The modular electronic device of claim 1, wherein determining whether it is cost-effective to have the one or more electronic modular components of the modular electronic device perform at least the portion of the computational task comprises:

determining a first score associated with one or more of the computing devices, wherein the first score is based at least in part on the one or more sets of data associated with the one or more computational resources of one or more of the computing devices;

determining a second score associated with the computational task, wherein the second score is based at least in part on the potential benefit to the modular electronic device;

comparing the first score associated with one or more of the computing devices to the second score associated with the computational task; and

wherein determining whether to perform at least the portion of the computational task with one or more of the computing devices comprises;

determining whether to perform the computational task based at least in part on the comparison of the first score and the second score.

9. The modular electronic device of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise:

coordinating the performance of the computational task such that at least the portion of the computational task is performed by one or more of the computing devices when the second score associated with the computational task outweighs the first score associated with the one or more computing devices.

10. The modular electronic device of claim 8, wherein the one or more sets of data are indicative of a price associated with one or more of the computing devices performing the computational task.

11. The modular electronic device of claim 1, wherein the potential benefit to the modular electronic device comprises an increase in at least one of a second communication capability, a second processing capability, or a second storage capability associated with the modular electronic device.

12. A computer-implemented method of managing task performance for a modular electronic device, the method comprising:

identifying, by one or more electronic modular components of a modular electronic device, a computational task associated with the modular electronic device;

identifying, by the one or more electronic modular components, one or more computing devices that are available to perform at least a portion of the computational task, wherein the computing devices are associated with at least one electronic device that is different from the modular electronic device;

obtaining, by the one or more electronic modular components, one or more sets of data associated with one or more computational resources of one or more of the computing devices, wherein the sets of data are indicative of at least one of a communication capability, a processing capability, or a storage capability associated with one or more of the computing devices;

determining, by the one or more electronic modular components, a potential benefit to the modular electronic device associated with the performance of the computational task by one or more of the computing devices;

determining whether it is cost-effective to have the one or more electronic modular components of the modular electronic device perform at least the portion of the computational task; and

determining, by the one or more electronic modular components, whether to perform at least the portion of the computational task with one or more of the computing devices based at least in part on the one or more sets of data associated with the one or more computational resources, the potential benefit to the modular electronic device, and the determination as to whether it is cost-effective to have the one or more electronic modular components of the modular electronic device perform at least the portion of the computational task.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, further comprising:

coordinating, by the one or more electronic modular components, the performance of the computational task such that at least the portion of the computational task is performed by one or more of the computing devices.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, further comprising:

coordinating, by the one or more electronic modular components, the performance of the computational task such that a first portion of the computational task is performed by one or more of the electronic modular components and a second portion of the computational task is performed by one or more of the computing devices.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, wherein determining whether it is cost-effective to have the one or more electronic modular components of the modular electronic device perform at least the portion of the computational task comprises:

determining, by the one or more electronic modular components, a first score associated with one or more of the computing devices, wherein the first score is based at least in part on the one or more sets of data associated with the one or more computational resources of one or more of the computing devices;

determining, by the one or more electronic modular components, a second score associated with the computational task, wherein the second score is based at least in part on the potential benefit to the modular electronic device;

comparing, by the one or more electronic modular components, the first score to the second score; and

wherein determining, by the one or more electronic modular components, whether to perform at least the portion of the computational task with one or more of the computing devices comprises;

determining, by the one or more electronic modular components, whether to perform the computational task based at least in part on the comparison of the first score and the second score.

16. An electronic modular component for a modular electronic device, the electronic modular component comprising:

a module housing;

one or more processors included in the module housing; and

one or more memory devices included in the module housing, the one or more memory devices storing computer-readable instructions that when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations, the operations comprising;

identifying a computational task;

obtaining one or more sets of data indicative of at least one of a communication capability, a processing capability, or a storage capability associated with one or more computing devices that are available to perform at least a portion of the computational task;

determining a potential benefit to the modular electronic device associated with the performance of the computational task;

determining whether it is cost-effective to have the one or more electronic modular components of the modular electronic device perform at least the portion of the computational task; and

determining whether to have at least the portion of the computational task performed by the one or more computing devices based at least in part on the one or more sets of data, the potential benefit to the modular electronic device associated with the performance of the computational task, and the determination as to whether it is cost-effective to have the one or more electronic modular components of the modular electronic device perform at least the portion of the computational task.

17. The electronic modular component of claim 16, wherein determining whether it is cost-effective to have the one or more electronic modular components of the modular electronic device perform at least the portion of the computational task comprises determining that it is not cost-effective to have one or more electronic modular components associated with the modular electronic device perform the portion of the computational task, and wherein the operations further comprise:

coordinating the performance of the computational task such that at least the portion of the computational task is performed by one or more of the computing devices.

18. The electronic modular component of claim 16, determining whether it is cost-effective to have the one or more electronic modular components of the modular electronic device perform at least the portion of the computational task comprises:

determining an amount of computational resources associated with one or more of the computing devices to be used in a performance of the computational task based at least in part on the one or more sets of data; and

comparing the amount of computational resources associated with one or more of the computing devices to be used in the performance of the computational task and the potential benefit to the modular electronic device associated with the performance of the computational task.

19. The electronic modular component of claim 18, wherein the operations further comprise:

coordinating the performance of the computational task such that at least a portion of the computational task is performed by one or more of the computing devices when the potential benefit to the modular electronic device outweighs the amount of computational resources associated with one or more of the computing devices to be used in the performance of the computational task.

20. The electronic modular component of claim 18, wherein the potential benefit to the modular electronic device comprises at least one of an increase in a computational resource associated with one or more electronic modular components of the modular electronic device.