Broker System for Distributed Task Allocation

The patent introduces a broker system as an intermediary component that mediates between task requesters and worker devices. The broker system receives task requests, discovers available worker devices through advertisements, allocates tasks, and coordinates communication. This intermediary approach maintains reliable task coordination without requiring dedicated client software on worker devices, as the broker handles all coordination logic centrally while workers only need to listen for and execute assigned tasks.

The patent implements a self-service mechanism where worker devices automatically advertise their availability and capabilities to the broker system without requiring manual configuration or software updates. The broker system automatically discovers these advertisements, evaluates worker suitability, and assigns tasks. This eliminates the need for manual software maintenance and updates on worker devices, allowing the infrastructure to scale dynamically as devices join and leave the network organically.

The patent creates a universal distributed computing platform that can utilize any device with processing capabilities (smartphones, tablets, laptops, servers) as worker nodes. The broker system provides a unified interface for task submission and worker discovery, allowing diverse hardware resources to be pooled together. This multi-functional approach replaces the need for dedicated centralized data centers with existing ubiquitous devices, eliminating capital investment in specialized infrastructure while providing comparable computing power through aggregated consumer and enterprise devices.

The patent extracts the runtime environment and task execution logic from the worker devices and relocates it to the broker system. Worker devices only need to advertise their availability and receive task assignments via advertisements; all task processing, environment setup, and execution occur on the broker system or in cloud-based virtual machines. This extraction eliminates runtime environment complexity from worker devices while maintaining ease of operation, as devices simply participate by listening for and executing assigned tasks without any software installation or configuration.