Patent ID: 7995964

Claim:
A first personal portable device to cooperate with at least a second personal portable device through a wireless network to perform a task comprising a plurality of task portions, the first personal portable device comprising: a first wireless transceiver to enable communications across the wireless network with the second personal portable device; a first processor; a first storage in which is stored a first assignment routine comprising a sequence of instructions, that when executed by the first processor, causes the first processor to: retrieve a first requirements data indicating a capability required to execute a first task routine to perform a first task portion of the plurality of task portions, a second requirements data indicating a capability required to execute a second task routine to perform a second task portion of the plurality of task portions, and a first capabilities data indicating a capability of the first personal portable device to execute a routine; operate the first wireless transceiver to signal the second personal portable device through the wireless network to retrieve a second capabilities data indicating a capability of the second personal portable device to execute a routine; derive a first distribution of assignments of performances of the first and second task portions among the first and second personal portable devices in response to comparing the first requirements data to the first and second capabilities data and in response to comparing the second requirements data to the first and second capabilities data, wherein the first task portion is assigned to be performed by the first personal portable device such that the first processor is assigned to execute the first routine and the second task portion is assigned to be performed by the second personal portable device such that a second processor of the second personal portable device is assigned to execute the second routine; and operate the first wireless transceiver to signal the second personal portable device through the wireless network with an indication that the second personal portable device is assigned to execute the second task routine; and wherein the first processor being caused to derive the first distribution comprises the first processing being caused to: compare a version level of the first task routine to a version level of another task routine corresponding to the first task portion and stored in a second storage of the second personal portable device; and select the first task routine at least partially due to the version level of the first task routine being a later version than the version level of the other task routine.