Methods and systems for distributed processing on consumer devices

1. A method of distributed processing on a service provider network that includes a plurality of remotely located consumer devices, each of the remotely located consumer devices including a processing device, comprising:

providing a service from the service provider network to the remotely located consumer devices;

receiving one or more tasks for processing;

breaking one of the one or more tasks into subtasks;

causing by the service provider network, distribution of subtasks of differentiable tasks to at least some of the processing devices of the remotely located consumer devices, including distributing a first one of the subtasks to a first processing device and distributing a second one of the subtasks to a second processing device; and

causing, by the service provider network, distributed processing of the subtasks of the differentiable tasks on the at least some of the processing devices of the remotely located consumer devices, the distributed processing and the distributed subtasks of the differentiable tasks being unrelated to the service provided to the consumer devices by the service provider network, the distributed processing occuring even when the processing devices are in use by the corresponding remotely located consumer devices.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving results of the distributed processing from the first processing device and from the second processing device.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising aggregating the results of the distributed processing from the results received from the first processing device and from the second processing device.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the service provider network is one of a cable television network, a satellite television network, a phone network, and an internet service provider network.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

providing services from a plurality of service provider networks to a plurality of consumer devices, a first group of the consumer devices connected to a first one of the service provider networks and a second group of the consumer devices connected to a second one of the service provider networks; and

causing distributed processing on the first group of the consumer devices and on the second group of the consumer devices.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein causing distributed processing on the first group of the consumer devices and on the second group of the consumer devices comprises:

receiving a task for processing;

breaking the task into subtasks; and

sending, from the first service provider, a first one of the subtasks to a consumer device in the first group of consumer devices, and sending, from the second service provider, a second one of the subtasks to a consumer device in the second group of consumer devices.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the first and second service networks provide different types of services.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the distributed processing and the distributed task unrelated to the service provided to the consumer devices by the service provider network are performed on behalf of an entity other than the service provider network.

9. A system for providing distributed processing, comprising:

a service provider network that provides a service;

a management system that performs the following operations:

receives one or more tasks for processing;

breaks one of the one or more tasks into subtasks;

distributes a first one of the subtasks to a first processing device of the remotely located consumer devices and distributes a second one of the subtasks to a second processing device of the remotely located consumer devices; and

causes distributed processing of parts of differentiable tasks sent from the service provider network to at least some of a plurality of remotely located consumer devices, each of the remotely located consumer devices including a processing device, the distributed processing and the distributed parts of differentiable tasks being unrelated to the service provided to the consumer devices by the service provider network, the distributed processing occurring even when the processing devices are in use by the corresponding remotely located consumer devices.

10. The system of claim 4 , wherein the management system receives results of the distributed processing from the first processing device and from the second processing device.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the management system aggregates the results of the distributed processing from the results received from the first processing device and from the second processing device.

12. The system of claim 10 , wherein the service provider network is one of a cable television network, a satellite television network, a phone network, and an internet service provider network.

13. The system of claim 9 , wherein the distributed processing and the distributed task unrelated to the service provided to the consumer devices by the service provider are performed on behalf of an entity other than the service provider network.

14. A system for providing distributed processing, comprising:

a plurality of service provider networks each providing a service to a plurality of consumer devices, a first group of the consumer devices connected to a first one of the service provider networks and a second group of the consumer devices connected to a second one of the service provider networks; and

a management system that breaks the task into a plurality of differentiable subtasks and sends, from the first service provider network, a first one of a plurality of differentiable subtasks unrelated to the service provided from the first service provider network to a consumer device in the first group of consumer devices, and sends, from the second service provider network, a second one of a plurality of differentiable subtasks unrelated to the service provided from the second service provider network to a consumer device in the second group of consumer devices.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the first and second service networks provide different types of services.

16. The system of claim 14 , wherein the subtasks unrelated to the service provided to the consumer devices by the service provider are performed on behalf of an entity other than the service provider network.

17. A non-transitory machine-readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of executable instructions for causing distributed processing on a service provider network that includes a plurality of remotely located consumer devices, each of the remotely located consumer devices including a processing device, the plurality of instructions comprising instructions to:

provide a service from the service provider network to the remotely located consumer devices;

receive one or more differentiable tasks for processing;

break one of the tasks into subtasks;

causing by the service provider network, distribution of subtasks of differentiable tasks to at least some of the processing devices of the remotely located consumer devices, including distributing a first one of the subtasks to a first processing device of the remotely located consumer devices and distributes a second one of the subtasks to a second processing device of the remotely located consumer devices; and

cause, by the service provider network, distributed processing of the differentiable tasks on at least some of the processing devices of the remotely located consumer devices, the distributed processing and the differentiable tasks being unrelated to the service provided to the consumer devices by the service provider network, the distributed processing occurring even when the processing devices are in use by the corresponding remotely located consumer devices.

18. A method of distributed processing on a service provider network that includes a plurality of remotely located consumer devices, each of the remotely located consumer devices including a processing device, comprising:

providing a service from the service provider network to the remotely located consumer devices;

receiving tasks for processing;

breaking one of the tasks into subtasks;

causing by the service provider network, distribution of subtasks of differentiable tasks to at least some of the processing devices of the remotely located consumer devices, including distributing a first one of the subtasks to a first group of processing devices, and distributing a second one of the subtasks to a second group of processing devices; and

causing, by the service provider network, distributed processing of the subtasks of the differentiable tasks on the at least some of the processing devices of the remotely located consumer devices,

the distributed processing and the distributed parts of differentiable tasks being unrelated to the service provided to the consumer devices by the service provider network, the distributed processing occurring even when the processing devices of the consumer devices are in use by the corresponding remotely located consumer devices.

19. A system for providing distributed processing, comprising:

a service provider network that provides a service;

a management system that performs the following operations:

receives tasks for processing;

breaks one or more of the tasks into subtasks;

distributes a first one of the subtasks to a first group of processing devices of the remotely located consumer devices and distributes a second one of the subtasks to a second group of processing devices of the remotely located consumer devices; and

causes distributed processing of subtasks of differentiable tasks sent from the service provider network to at least some of a plurality of remotely located consumer devices, each of the remotely located consumer devices including a processing device, the distributed processing and the distributed subtasks of differentiable tasks being unrelated to the service provided to the consumer devices by the service provider network, the distributed processing occurring even when the processing devices of the consumer devices are in use by the corresponding remotely located consumer devices.

20. A non-transitory machine-readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of executable instructions for causing distributed processing on a service provider network that includes a plurality of remotely located consumer devices, each of the remotely located consumer devices including a processing device, the plurality of instructions comprising instructions to:

provide a service from the service provider network to the remotely located consumer devices;

receive tasks for processing;

break one or more of the tasks into subtasks;

causing by the service provider network, distribution of subtasks of differentiable tasks to at least some of the processing devices of the remotely located consumer devices, including distributing a first one of the subtasks to a first group of processing devices of the remotely located consumer devices and distributes a second one of the subtasks to a second group of processing devices of the remotely located consumer devices; and

cause, by the service provider network, distributed processing of the differentiable tasks on at least some of the processing devices of the remotely located consumer devices, the distributed processing and the differentiable tasks being unrelated to the service provided to the consumer devices by the service provider network, the distributed processing occurring even when the processing devices are in use by the corresponding remotely located consumer devices.