Method and apparatus pertaining to energy efficient task execution offloading

• US 9,049,248 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2011
• Issued: 06/02/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Singh, Ajit, Naik, Kshirasagar, Palit, Rajesh
• Primary Examiner(s): DAILEY, THOMAS J
• Application Number:
  US13/299,853
• Publication Number:
  US 20120131137A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,292 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 709/220, 709/226, 718/104
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A control circuit (such as a smartphone processor) having access to a wireless two-way transceiver (such as a short-range transceiver) determines a need to offload execution of a task to a server and then determines present unavailability of that server. This control circuit then transmits a first message to the server to prompt the server to awaken. The control circuit then transmits a second message to the server to establish a wireless connection that the control circuit employs to offload execution of the task to the server. By one approach, the aforementioned first message can include a unique identifier for the server. If desired, this unique identifier can have been provided earlier by the server via a general broadcast.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

at a control circuit having access to a wireless two-way transceiver;

determining a need to offload execution of a task to a server by, at least in part, using information from the server regarding the server'"'"'s available services to determine suitability of the server to execute the task;

determining present unavailability of the server;

transmitting a first message to the server via the wireless two-way transceiver to prompt the server to awaken;

transmitting a second message to the server to establish a wireless connection with the server;

upon establishing the wireless connection with the server, using the wireless connection to offload execution of the task to the server.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the wireless two-way transceiver comprises a short-range personal-area wireless two-way transceiver.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the first message includes a unique identifier for the server.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising, prior to determining the need to offload execution of the task to the server:

receiving via the wireless two-way transceiver information from the server regarding the server'"'"'s unique identifier;

storing the information from the server regarding the server'"'"'s unique identifier for use when transmitting the first message.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein receiving via the wireless two-way transceiver information from the server regarding the server'"'"'s unique identifier further comprises receiving via the wireless two-way transceiver the information from the server regarding the server'"'"'s available services.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving from the server, via the wireless two-way transceiver, executed task results.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

in response to receiving the executed task results, transmitting to the server via the wireless two-way transceiver a third message to prompt the server to sleep.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

upon determining present availability of the server;

transmitting the second message to the server to establish a wireless connection with the server;

upon establishing the wireless connection with the server, using the wireless connection to offload execution of the task to the server.

9. An apparatus comprising:

a wireless two-way transceiver;

a control circuit operably coupled to the wireless two-way transceiver and being configured to;

determine a need to offload execution of a task to a server by, at least in part, using information from the server regarding the server'"'"'s available services to determine suitability of the server to execute the task;

determine present unavailability of the server;

transmit a first message to the server via the wireless two-way transceiver to prompt the server to awaken;

transmit a second message to the server to establish a wireless connection with the server;

upon establishing the wireless connection with the server, use the wireless connection to offload execution of the task to the server.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the wireless two-way transceiver comprises a short-range personal-area wireless two-way transceiver.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the first message includes a unique identifier for the server.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the control circuit is further configured to, prior to determining the need to offload execution of the task to the server:

receive via the wireless two-way transceiver information from the server regarding the server'"'"'s unique identifier;

store the information from the server regarding the server'"'"'s unique identifier for use when transmitting the first message.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the control circuit is further configured to receive via the wireless two-way transceiver the information from the server regarding the server'"'"'s available services.

14. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the control circuit is further configured to:

receive from the server, via the wireless two-way transceiver, executed task results.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the control circuit is further configured to:

in response to receiving the executed task results, transmit to the server via the wireless two-way transceiver a third message to prompt the server to sleep.

16. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the control circuit is further configured to:

upon determining present availability of the server;

transmit the second message to the server to establish a wireless connection with the server;

upon establishing the wireless connection with the server, use the wireless connection to offload execution of the task to the server.