Context data management: an architectural framework for context-aware services

Mobile devices are equipped with increasing processing power and sensing capabilities, and mobile services can benefit from these features to provide a more personalized and context-aware experience to final users. To efficiently collect and deliver context information, a proper architecture is required, where heterogeneous context information can be processed to provide higher-level context information, context data are represented uniformly, and applications can process context data with high-level queries. This paper fulfils this goal of interoperability and domain independence by defining a framework for context data management relying on open standards (XMPP and REST), acting as an enabler for third-party context-aware applications; other main novelties of our work are the definition of a ContextML for standard context data representation, and a Context Query Language (CQL) to access context information based on high-level data filtering.     

Context modelling and a context-aware framework for pervasive service creation: A model-driven approach

Pervasive service creation entails a complex process that involves a diversity of development aspects. Context-awareness is an important facet of pervasive service creation, which deals with the acquisition, rendering, representation and utilisation of context information. In this paper we tackle context-awareness at the application level dealing with the representation and utilisation of context by services. We propose a model-driven approach that facilitates the creation of a context modelling framework and simplifies the design and implementation of pervasive services. To conclude, we demonstrate the benefits of our model-driven approach via the creation of a pervasive museum service and its evaluation using selected software metrics.     

A context-aware multimedia framework toward personal social network services

People use various Internet-based services including social networks to conduct tasks of diversified categories such as informational, professional, educational, hobbies, health, recreational, academic, and news. Many people not only maintain association with a number of different services but also share information with their social ties in their daily life. However, a person only consumes a subset of services and needs to communicate with a subset of social ties at any given context. In this paper, we present a framework called SenseFace that leverages sensory data coming from one’s body sensor network and multimedia information contained within Internet-based services to recommend context-aware services and community of interest. We present the detailed design and implementation of the framework and share our preliminary test results.     

Aspect-oriented design and implementation of context-aware pervasive applications

Pervasive applications must be aware of the contexts where they are executed. These contexts may vary greatly and change quickly. Two main problems are associated with this issue: (1) context-awareness is a crosscutting concern that cannot be well-encapsulated in a single module using traditional technologies, thus hindering software maintenance and reusability; and (2) reasoning about application design correctness can be complex due to the number and diversity of potential contexts where a pervasive application could be executed. In order to overcome these problems, we present a process for the design and implementation of context-aware pervasive applications that uses aspect-orientation and executable modelling in order to overcome these shortcomings. Aspect-oriented techniques contribute to the encapsulation of crosscutting concerns, such as context-awareness, into well-localized modules. Executable modelling helps engineers to reason about application design by executing the design models in different contexts and situations. Pervasive applications are modelled using the aspect-oriented executable modelling UML 2.0 profile, executed at the modelling level for testing purposes, and then mapped into an aspect-oriented middleware platform for pervasive applications. This process is illustrated using a location-aware intelligent transportation system consisting of a set of cooperating sentient vehicles. This work has been supported by the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnologa (MCYT) Project TIN2005-09405-C02-01 and the European Commission Grant IST-2-004349-NOE AOSD-Europe and the European Commission STREP Project AMPLE IST-033710.     

Agent-based architecture for context-aware and personalized event recommendation

In order to offer context-aware and personalized information, intelligent processing techniques are necessary. Different initiatives considering many contexts have been proposed, but users preferences need to be learned to offer contextualized and personalized services, products or information. Therefore, this paper proposes an agent-based architecture for context-aware and personalized event recommendation based on ontology and the spreading algorithm. The use of ontology allows to define the domain knowledge model, while the spreading activation algorithm learns user patterns by discovering user interests. The proposed agent-based architecture was validated with the modeling and implementation of eAgora? application, which was illustrated at the pervasive university context.     

Towards the Model Driven Development of context-aware pervasive systems

In this work, we introduce a Model Driven Development method for developing context-aware pervasive systems. This method allows us to specify a context-aware pervasive system at a high level of abstraction by means of a set of models, which describes both the system functionality and the context information. From these models, an automated code generation strategy is applied. This strategy allows us to generate the system Java code that provides the system functionality and as well as an OWL specification that represents the context information and allows us to manage this information without additional burden. Furthermore, this specification is used by a reasoner at runtime to infer context knowledge that is not directly observable, and it is also used by machine learning algorithms to give support to the system adaptation according to the context information.     

An application framework for mobile,context-aware trails

In this paper we describe the design, implementation and evaluation of a software framework that supports the development of mobile, context-aware trails-based applications. A trail is a contextually scheduled collection of activities and represents a generic model that can be used to satisfy the activity management requirements of a wide range of context-based time management applications. Trails overcome limitations with traditional time management techniques based on static to-do lists by dynamically reordering activities based on emergent context.     

觉察上下文的Web服务研究与应用

现有的Web服务框架不能适应普适计算的特点,即无法为移动用户提供自定义的个性化的服务.通过对现有Web服务的扩展,提出了一个觉察上下文的自适应的Web服务开发与部署框架.在该框架中,客户端的上下文信息作为SOAP消息的头块被分布式地传递和处理,Web服务可为客户端提供自定义的个性化的服务.同时,上下文是可扩展的,通过自动的上下文处理,Web服务可自适应新的上下文而不需要改变Web服务本身.     

基于Agent的Web服务集成模型与集成算法

针对现有Web服务集成方法在动态性、灵活性和智能性等方面存在的不足,提出一种基于Agent的Web服务集成模型,对模型中多Agent系统的组织结构和交互方式进行了设计。为实现集成服务整体的QoS目标,以一个通用的Web服务QoS度量模型为基础,将局部最优与全局最优的思想相结合,提出一种基于QoS的Web服务集成路径选择算法,通过实验验证了其有效性。     

An architectural framework for the support of integrated services by broadband customer premises equipment

The ATM customer premises equipment (CPE) architecture proposed in this paper supports a broad range of user applications with varying service requirements. A backplane bus was chosen as a cost effective, reliable means of providing the necessary internal interconnection bandwidth. Incorporating a novel access mechanism and graceful performance degradation under fault conditions, this bus provides a foundation for Quality of Service provision. Essential functions including traffic management, connection admission control and signalling are then built on top of this. A prototype system which uses a semi-custom ASIC to implement the backplane access mechanism is briefly described. The architecture provides a flexible basis for service provision, allowing a single CPE device to meet a variety of end user requirements. Results of simulations showing the effectiveness of internal bandwidth access mechanisms are presented.     

Knowledge-Aware and Service-Oriented Middleware for deploying pervasive services

Many applications and services have emerged in the frame of new Internet of Things paradigm. This novel view has opened the Web services to a variety of devices especially to tiny and resource-constrained devices. Wireless Sensor and Actuator Networks belong to that kind of devices. Those networks have become one of the more promising technologies to take part in the Future Internet. However, the integration of Sensor and Actuator Networks into the Service Cloud is a hard challenge requiring specific new architectures and protocols. This paper presents a middleware approach addressing this important issue. A Knowledge-Aware and Service-Oriented Middleware (KASOM) for pervasive embedded networks is proposed. The major aim of KASOM is to offer advanced and enriched pervasive services to everyone connected to Internet. In this sense, KASOM implements mechanisms and protocols which allow managing the knowledge generated in pervasive embedded networks in order to expose it to Internet users in a readable way. General functional requirements of embedded sensor and actuator platforms have been taken into account when designing KASOM, with special attention in energy consumption, memory and bandwidth. The KASOM evaluation and validation will be demonstrated through a real Wireless Sensor and Actuator Network deployment based on integral healthcare services in a sanatorium.     

Agent-based integrated services for timber production and sales

I-commerce extends e-commerce by getting customers more involved so that contractors can more efficiently fulfill orders. This paper describes Casa project which focuses on developing an agent based information and trading network to help establish integrated services in forestry and agriculture.     

A security policy framework for context-aware and user preferences in e-services

In today’s dynamic and distributed markets a large spectrum of services is delivered through information and communication technologies. Emerging markets of e-services lie at the intersection of non-traditional user behaviour, and cyber-partnerships of enterprises to deliver innovative services. Current approaches to manage and control security demonstrate lacks in terms of security policy matching and integration in heterogeneous e-service environments. In this paper, we introduce a framework to support role-based access control for distributed services focusing on the integration of customer preferences. The framework aims to collect and generate policy-based security measures in cross-organisational scenarios. In addition to catering to specifications of security and business policies, the ability to integrate contextual information and user preferences make the role-based framework flexible and express a variety of access policies that provide a just-in-time permission activation.     

一种低成本普适网络环境构建及服务优化研究

蓝牙技术具有低成本、低覆盖范围、高速率和方便组织微微网等特点,ZigBee技术具有低功耗,低复杂性、低成本、长距离组网等特点,构建两者结合的低成本普适网络环境,提出基于用户属性的多用户接入算法和带宽分配算法。硬件体系由ARM、蓝牙、ZigBee、传感器等主要模块构成,软件环境为Linux操作系统。系统运行状态平稳,蓝牙和ZigBee信道利用率高,能够很好地满足用户对数据的下载需求,而且应用多用户接入算法使系统各项指标均好于系统采用平均分配算法。     

Mobile cloud computing framework for a pervasive and ubiquitous environment

The increasing use of wireless Internet and smartphone has accelerated the need for pervasive and ubiquitous computing (PUC). Smartphones stimulate growth of location-based service and mobile cloud computing. However, smartphone mobile computing poses challenges because of the limited battery capacity, constraints of wireless networks and the limitations of device. A fundamental challenge arises as a result of power-inefficiency of location awareness. The location awareness is one of smartphone’s killer applications; it runs steadily and consumes a large amount of power. Another fundamental challenge stems from the fact that smartphone mobile devices are generally less powerful than other devices. Therefore, it is necessary to offload the computation-intensive part by careful partitioning of application functions across a cloud. In this paper, we propose an energy-efficient location-based service (LBS) and mobile cloud convergence. This framework reduces the power dissipation of LBSs by substituting power-intensive sensors with the use of less-power-intensive sensors, when the smartphone is in a static state, for example, when lying idle on a table in an office. The substitution is controlled by a finite state machine with a user-movement detection strategy. We also propose a seamless connection handover mechanism between different access networks. For convenient on-site establishment, our approach is based on the end-to-end architecture between server and a smartphone that is independent of the internal architecture of current 3G cellular networks.     

Agent-based communities of web services: an argumentation-driven approach

The objective of this paper is to discuss how to sustain the growth of Web services through the use of communities. A community aims at gathering Web services with the same functionality independently of their origins, locations, and functioning. To make Web services more responsive to the environment in which they run and to be more flexible when managing communities, Web services are associated with software agents enhanced with argumentation capacities. This type of agents persuade and negotiate with other peers for the sake of letting their respective Web services reach their goals in an efficient way. Associating Web services with this type of agents allows them to select good communities and allow the communities to host the good Web services and to select the best ones for composite scenarios. Furthermore, this provides satisfactory solutions for three open problems: starvation (Web services refuse all the possibilities of joining communities), competition-free (Web services accept joining any community without being selective), and unfairness (always the same Web services members of a community are selected out of many others to participate in composite scenarios). In addition, the paper presents a formal and computational persuasive and negotiation protocol to manage the attraction and retainment of Web services in the communities and their identification for composite services.