System and method for clustering of mobile devices and applications
View Patent ↗Systems and methods are disclosed to configure mobile devices to work in a mobile cluster and to collaboratively leverage applications resident on the cluster of mobile devices. Systems and methods are also disclosed to leverage device functionalities of mobile devices in the cluster to provide a replacement or an extension of device functionalities to the mobile device of a primary member in a failover condition. Configuration and management of the cluster may be through a cluster master. After the cluster is configured, actions may be taken by individual members of the cluster or initiated by the cluster master to collaborate on residing applications or to share device functionalities of the mobile devices. Each cluster member may determine the applications or the device functionalities that it wishes to collaborate or share with its cluster partners. A database keeps track of the applications for collaboration and the device functionalities for sharing.
1. A mobile device system comprising:
a non-transitory memory storing a cluster database comprising information for one or more shared resources, and for each of the one or more shared resources, device identifiers for mobile device cluster partners of a cluster network available to use all or part of the one or more shared resources to process a computing task with a task-initiating mobile device cluster partner of the mobile device cluster partners, and wherein the mobile device cluster partners include the mobile device system; and
one or more hardware processors configured to execute instructions to cause the mobile device system to perform operations comprising:
receiving an indication of a failover condition of the mobile device system based on a battery power of the mobile device system that is being consumed by application data processing performed by the mobile device system;
determining a resource required for use by the mobile device system for the application data processing, wherein the resource is listed in one or more shared resources in the cluster database, and wherein offloading the application data processing to the mobile device cluster partners reduces consumption of the battery power;
determining, using the cluster database, at least one of the mobile device cluster partners to perform the application data processing using the resource with the mobile device system;
transmitting a request to use the resource to the at least one of the mobile device cluster partners;
in response to being authorized by the at least one of the mobile device cluster partners, extending the battery power of the mobile device system by using the resource at the at least one of the mobile device cluster partners;
reducing use of the resource at the mobile device system; and
terminating use of the resource by at least one of the one or more mobile device cluster partners based on requirements of the mobile device system for the resource and a change in the battery power.
2. The mobile device system of claim 1 , wherein the resource for use further comprises an application whose resource required to run the application is distributed among the mobile device system and the at least one of the mobile device cluster partners, and wherein the mobile device system coordinates use of the resource on the mobile device system and on the at least one of the mobile device cluster partners to provide an output from the application on the mobile device system.
3. The mobile device system of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:
receiving a confirmation that the at least one of the mobile device cluster partners is ready to use the resource with the mobile device system; and
determining that the at least one of the mobile device cluster partners is available to use the resource with the mobile device system.
4. The mobile device system of claim 3 , wherein determining the at least one of the mobile device cluster partners comprises selecting from the cluster database the at least one of the mobile device cluster partners available to use the resource.
5. The mobile device system of claim 3 , wherein receiving the confirmation comprises receiving monitored communications on the cluster network that comprise a heartbeat signal from a mobile device cluster partner signifying its availability to use the resource.
6. The mobile device system of claim 1 , wherein the request to use the resource is sent using a member of the cluster network.
7. The mobile device system of claim 1 , wherein the resource for use further comprises a device functionality of the mobile device cluster partners that is also found in the mobile device system, and wherein the operations further comprise:
replacing or extending functionality of the mobile device system with the device functionality of the at least one of the mobile device cluster partners.
8. The mobile device system of claim 7 , wherein the device functionality of the at least one of the mobile device cluster partners replaces or extends the device functionality of the mobile device system without an interruption in the application data processing.
9. The mobile device system of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:
designating one of the at least one of the mobile device cluster partners of the cluster network to become a cluster master during the failover condition.
10. The mobile device system of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:
receiving entry in the cluster network from a cluster master;
receiving update information from the cluster master, wherein the update information comprises monitored communications on the cluster network by the cluster master; and
updating the cluster database based on the update information.
11. The mobile device system of claim 1 , wherein the cluster database further comprises an order for use of the mobile device cluster partners for each of the one or more shared resources depending on use of one or more applications needed to complete the computing task, and wherein the operations further comprise:
determining a hierarchy of use of the at least one of the mobile device cluster partners using the order for use in the cluster database,
wherein using the resource is further based on the hierarchy.
12. A method of collaborating on shared resources among cluster partners of a cluster network, comprising:
maintaining, by a mobile device, a cluster database comprising information for one or more shared resources, and for each of the one or more shared resources, device identifiers for mobile device cluster partners of a cluster network available to use all or part of the one or more shared resources process a computing task with a task-initiating mobile device cluster partner of the mobile device cluster partners, and wherein the mobile device cluster partners include the mobile device;
receiving an indication of a failover condition of the mobile device based on a battery power of the mobile device that is being consumed by application data processing performed by the mobile device;
determining, by the mobile device, a resource required for use by the mobile device for the application data processing, wherein the resource is listed in the one or more shared resources in the cluster database, and wherein offloading the application data processing to the mobile device cluster partners reduces consumption of the battery power;
determining, by the mobile device using the cluster database, at least one of the mobile device cluster partners to perform the application data processing using the resource with the mobile device;
transmitting a request to use the resource to the at least one of the mobile device cluster partners;
in response to being authorized by the at least one of the mobile device cluster partners, extending the battery power of the mobile device by using the resource at the at least one of the mobile device cluster partners;
reducing use of the resource at the mobile device; and
terminating use of the resource by at least one of the one or more mobile device cluster partners based on requirements of the mobile device for the resource and a change in the battery power.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the resource for use further comprises an application whose resource required to run the application is distributed among the mobile device and the at least one of the mobile device cluster partners, and wherein using the resource comprises coordinating use of the resource on mobile device and on the at least one of the mobile device cluster partners when running the application.
14. The method of claim 12 ,
receiving by the mobile device a confirmation that the at least one of the mobile device cluster partners is ready to use the resource with the mobile device; and
determining that the at least one of the mobile device cluster partners is available to use the resource with the mobile device.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein determining at least one of the mobile device cluster partners comprises selecting from the cluster database the at least one of the mobile device cluster partners from the mobile device cluster partners available to use the resource with the mobile device.
16. The method of claim 14 , wherein receiving the confirmation comprises receiving monitored communications on the cluster network that comprise a heartbeat signal from a mobile device cluster partner signifying its availability to use the resource.
17. The method of claim 12 , wherein the request to use the resource is sent using a member of the cluster network.
18. The method of claim 12 , wherein the resource for use further comprises a device functionality of the mobile device cluster partners that is also found in the mobile device, and wherein the method further comprises:
replacing or extending the device functionality of the mobile device with the device functionality of the at least one of the mobile device cluster partners.
19. The method of claim 18 wherein the device functionality of the mobile device is replaced or extended by the device functionality of the at least one of the mobile device cluster partners without an interruption in the application data processing.
20. A non-transitory machine-readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of machine readable instructions executable to cause a machine to perform operations comprising:
maintaining, by a mobile device, a cluster database comprising information for one or more shared resources, and for each of the one or more shared resources, device identifiers for mobile device cluster partners of a cluster network available to use all or part of the one or more shared resources to process a computing task with a task-initiating mobile device cluster partner of the mobile device cluster partners, and wherein the mobile device cluster partners include the mobile device;
receiving an indication of a failover condition of the mobile device based on a battery power of the mobile device that is being consumed by application data processing performed by the mobile device;
determining, by the mobile device, a resource for use by the mobile device for the application data processing, wherein the resource is listed in the one or more shared resources in the cluster database, and wherein offloading the application data processing to the mobile device cluster partners reduces consumption of the battery power;
determining, by the mobile device using the cluster database, at least one of the mobile device cluster partners to perform the application data processing using the resource with the mobile device;
transmitting a request to use the resource to the at least one of the mobile device cluster partners;
in response to being authorized by the at least one of the mobile device cluster partners, extending the battery power of the mobile device by using the resource at the at least one of the mobile device cluster partners;
reducing use of the resource at the mobile device; and
terminating use of the resource by at least one of the one or more mobile device cluster partners based on requirements of the mobile device for the resource and a change in the battery power.