The progressive execution technique for mobile systems

We describe a novel technique supporting the mobile computing environment and used in the implementation of our system: the progressive execution technique (PET). In PET, execution of a function is done in parallel-on the mobile and in the fixed network; results are displayed as soon as they arrive, progressively updating the display. The technique is a special case of distribution of processing in a mobile environment; it optimizes the performance when the results availability and the processing speed are the most important criteria, followed by the initial accuracy of the results and the processing costs. PET is especially suited for the mobile environment, hiding the shortcomings of today´s mobile hardware; e.g., the limited computing power and the limited memory of portable notebooks and PDAs