Methods and Systems for Image or Audio Recognition Processing

1. In a distributed processing method that includes performing an operation on stimuli captured by a camera or microphone sensor of a user's mobile device, by using a combined system that includes both processing hardware in the mobile device and processing hardware remote from the mobile device, an improvement wherein: the operation comprises an image or audio recognition operation, and the method includes: identifying, using a hardware processor, a set of component operations that should be executed by said combined system to perform said recognition operation; and determining a sequence in which said component operations should be performed based on one or more circumstance or context factors selected from the group consisting of: (a) information about mobile device power availability or usage; (b) information about a needed function response time; (c) information about a routing constraint; (d) information about a state of hardware resources within the mobile device; (e) information about mobile device connectivity; (f) information about a geographical consideration; (g) information about a pipeline stall risk; (h) information about turnaround time or cost associated with the remote processor; and (i) information about a user preference regarding remote processing; and wherein, at a first time, said component operations are performed in a first sequence, and at a second time, said component operations are performed in a second, different, sequence, due to a difference in one or more of said factors between the first and second times.

2. The method of claim 1 in which said act of identifying a set of component operations is also based on one or more circumstance or context factors selected from said list, wherein at one time, a first set of component operations is identified to perform said recognition operation, and at another time, a second, different, set of component functions is identified to perform said recognition operation, due to a difference in one or more of said factors between said one and another times.

3. The method of claim 1 in which said act of determining a sequence is based on two or more of said factors.

4. The method of claim 1 in which said act of determining a sequence is based on one or more factors including information about a needed function response time.

5. The method of claim 1 in which said act of determining a sequence is based on one or more factors including information about a routing constraint.

6. The method of claim 5 in which the routing constraint is imposed by a provider of a local wireless network.

7. The method of claim 1 in which said act of determining a sequence is based on one or more factors including information about a state of hardware resources within the processing device.

8. The method of claim 1 in which said act of determining a sequence is based on one or more factors including information about mobile device connectivity.

9. The method of claim 1 in which said act of determining a sequence is based on one or more factors including information about a geographical consideration.

10. The method of claim 1 in which said act of determining a sequence is based on one or more factors including information about a pipeline stall risk.

11. The method of claim 10 that includes assessing the pipeline stall risk by reference to historical patterns, or based on information that completion of an operation requires further data of uncertain availability.

12. The method of claim 1 in which said act of determining a sequence is based on one or more factors including information about turnaround time or cost associated with the remote processor.

13. The method of claim 1 in which said act of determining a sequence is based on one or more factors including information about remote processor readiness, or information about remote processor cost.

14. The method of claim 1 in which said act of determining a sequence is based on one or more factors including information about a user preference regarding remote processing.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the user preference comprises user preference about location of a remote service provider.

16. The method of claim 1 that includes determining that one component operation should be performed before another component operation, and as a consequence, performing said one component operation using processing hardware in the mobile device, and performing said another component operation using processing hardware remote from the mobile device.

17. The method of claim 1 that includes determining that one component operation should be performed before another component operation, and as a consequence, performing said one component operation using processing hardware remote from the mobile device, and performing said another component operation using processing hardware in the mobile device.

18. A mobile device comprising at least one processor, memory, camera, and microphone, the memory containing software instructions that configure the device to perform an image or audio recognition operation in conjunction with a cooperating remote processing device, the recognition operation comprising plural component operations—one or more of which are performed by said at least one processor of the mobile device, and one or more of which are performed by the cooperating remote processing device, wherein said instructions in the mobile device memory include instructions for determining a sequence in which said component operations should be performed, based on one or more circumstance or context factors selected from the group consisting of: (a) information about mobile device power availability or usage; (b) information about a needed function response time; (c) information about a routing constraint; (d) information about a state of hardware resources within the mobile device; (e) information about mobile device connectivity; (f) information about a geographical consideration; (g) information about a pipeline stall risk; (h) information about turnaround time or cost associated with the remote device; and (i) information about a user preference regarding remote processing; and wherein, at a first time, said component operations are performed in a first sequence, and at a second time, said component operations are performed in a second, different, sequence, due to a difference in one or more of said factors between the first and second times.