Uncertain context data management in dynamic mobile environments

Building systems that acquire, process and reason with context data is a major challenge. Model updates and modifications are required for the mobile context-aware systems. Additionally, the nature of the sensor-based systems implies that the data required for the reasoning is not always available nor it is certain. Finally, the amount of context data can be significant and can grow fast, constantly being processed and interpreted under soft real-time constraints. Such characteristics make it a case for a challenging big data application. In this paper we argue, that mobile context-aware systems require specific methods to process big data related to context, at the same time being able to handle uncertainty and dynamics of this data. We identify and define main requirements and challenges for developing such systems. Then we discuss how these challenges were effectively addressed in the KnowMe project. In our solution, the acquisition of context data is made with the use of the AWARE platform. We extended it with techniques that can minimise the power consumption as well as conserve storage on a mobile device. The data can then be used to build rule models that can express user preferences and habits. We handle the missing or ambiguous data with number of uncertainty management techniques. Reasoning with rule models is provided by a rule engine developed for mobile platforms. Finally, we demonstrate how our tools can be used to visualise the stored data and simulate the operation of the system in a testing environment.     

User involvement in developing mobile and temporarily interconnected systems

Information systems (IS) research on user involvement has primarily theorized relationships between developers, managers and users in systems development. However, so far, marginal attention has been paid to differences in user involvement practices between information systems. This paper explores user involvement in developing mobile and temporarily interconnected systems (MTIS). We refer to MTIS as heterogeneous systems that rely on network technologies for increasing the ubiquity of information services for users on the move. Such systems are becoming increasingly important in leveraging, e.g. car infotainment, supply chain management and wireless e‐commerce. With particular emphasis on the nature of MTIS and its implications for user involvement, the paper analyses the systems development process of an action research project. The findings suggest that user involvement practices need to be adapted to accommodate features of this class of systems. Being an early attempt to trace the implications of technology features such as use context switches and temporary system relationships, the paper contributes to the development of an updated theory of the user role in an era of increased system complexity and stakeholder ambiguity.     

Monitoring and management of high-end tourism in protected areas based on 3D sensor image collection

The expansion of tourism demand and the rapid growth of tourism industry objectively promote the tourism development and utilization of nature reserves. At present, there are various difficulties in the practical application of tourism environmental capacity assessment technology in nature reserves. This article attempts to carry out tourism monitoring and management in protected areas by combining 3D sensor image acquisition and environmental capacity assessment technology. First of all, this paper proposes a dynamic monitoring plan for the ecological environment of the reserve using 3D sensor image acquisition technology, and realizes the monitoring of tourists in the reserve and the collection of natural environment data. Secondly, this article proposes a new natural reserve tourism environment capacity assessment and pricing plan, and takes the Changtang National Park high-end tourism project as an example, and discusses its application in the form of a case study. This program provides a new solution for balancing the economic and environmental benefits of the reserve. Through simulation tests and questionnaire surveys, we found that the program can effectively improve the nature protection and tourism inspection work in the reserve.     

A comprehensive agent-based architecture for intelligent information retrieval in a distributed heterogeneous environment

The Internet has become the global infrastructure supporting information acquisition and retrieval from many heterogeneous data sources containing high-speed text and rich multimedia images, audio, and video. AgentRAIDER is an ongoing research project at Texas Tech University designed to develop a comprehensive architecture for an intelligent information retrieval system with distributed heterogeneous data sources. The system is designed to support intelligent retrieval and integration of information from the Internet. Current systems of this nature focus only on specific aspects of the distributed heterogeneous problem such as database queries or information filtering. Consequently, these concepts and others have never been successfully integrated into a unified, cohesive architecture. This paper discusses the design and implementation of the AgentRAIDER system and identifies areas for applications of the system in various domains.     

Context management for m-commerce applications: determinants, methodology and the role of marketing

Studying consumer behaviour and usage of environmental determinants in the mobile services domain contributes to the identification of context information which is critical for the effective operation of mobile commerce applications. Exploiting this information towards providing enhanced and innovative mobile services offers a competitive advantage within the highly demanding domain of m-commerce applications. However, in order to effectively exploit such context information, there is a need to design the necessary methods, software tools and information systems that will be employed for collecting, processing and disseminating this information. In this paper we develop a theoretical framework which defines the context information necessary for m-commerce applications, taking into account relevant marketing dimensions as well as privacy protection perspectives. Then, this framework is operationalized through the design of an appropriate software architecture which enables the standardization and management of context information.     

Urban environmental management: monitoring, GIS, and modeling

Urban environmental management must integrate the spatial, structural features of a city, typically captured in geographical information systems (GIS), and the dynamics of environmental quality indicators that can be obtained by monitoring. To provide decision-relevant information supporting planning and management, these components are integrated in models for scenario analysis and optimisation tasks. The paper describes some results from an environmental Telematics project (ECOSIM) and two Esprit projects (HITERM, SIMTRAP), as well as a EUREKA EUROENVIRON project (AIDAIR), and applications in cities such as Vienna, Berlin, Geneva, Basel, Milano, Athens, Gdansk, and Izmir. Strategies for the integration of monitoring, GIS, and modeling are presented, that use a common client–server architecture, an object-oriented design, embedded expert systems technology, and a multi-media user interface to support easy access, and easy use of complex analytical tools for urban environmental management.     

Exploring object-based content adaptation for mobile audio

Mobile devices enable users to consume media with audio content in a wide range of contexts, with environmental noise being present in many of these. Several methods exist that aim to improve the experience of mobile listening by utilising information about the environmental noise, such as volume and dynamic range adaptation. This paper explores a fundamentally different approach to improving the mobile listening experience by using the object-based audio paradigm, where individual audio sources are mixed in response to each specific listening context. Three experimental studies, containing both quantitative and qualitative aspects, are presented which investigate whether environmental noise influences preference of background-foreground audio object balance in a mix. The results indicate that environmental noise can influence the preferred audio mix and that the nature of the adaptations made is dependent upon both audio content and user. Additionally, qualitative analysis provides an understanding of the role of environmental noise on preferred audio mix. It is believed that the content adaptation method explored in this paper is a simple yet useful tool for adapting content to suit both the context and the user.     

User viewpoint modelling: understanding and representing user viewpoints during requirements definition

There has been increasing awareness of the impact of the early stages of systems development on the quality of information systems. A critical early activity is requirements definition, when the requirements for an information system are determined. Traditional requirements capture techniques do not support the collaborative nature of requirements definition or the emergent nature of requirements themselves. This paper focuses on viewpoint development as a means of resolving some of the difficulties of requirements definition. It proposes a user viewpoint model for capturing and representing the viewpoints of users during requirements acquisition. The model can facilitate communication and interaction between analysts and users and help build a shared understanding of requirements. It can be used to structure the requirements acquisition process. The model provides for evaluation of requirements acquisition techniques to guide the selection of appropriate techniques for developing user viewpoint models. The paper reports a multiple-case study of requirements definition efforts that examined user viewpoint development in practice and used the cases to validate empirically the concepts of the user viewpoint model. The implications of the case study findings for requirements definition practice are discussed, and some areas for future research are identified.     

Nature,nurture, and knowledge acquisition

The nature vs. nurture dualism has framed the modern conversation in biology and psychology. There is an analogous distinction for knowledge acquisition and artificial intelligence. In the context of building intelligent systems, nature means acquiring knowledge by being programmed or modeled that way. Nurture means acquiring knowledge by machine learning from data and information in the world. This paper develops the nature/nurture analogy in light of the history of knowledge acquisition, the current state of the art, and the future of intelligent machines learning from human knowledge.     

太湖局工情信息采集系统开发与应用

以国家防汛抗旱指挥系统二期工程太湖局工情信息采集系统为研究对象,对工情信息采集系统结构和功能设计、实现方法及特点进行系统介绍,分析工情信息采集系统在提高太湖流域控制性骨干工程工情险情信息采集与监测能力方面发挥的作用。工情信息采集系统实现了工情险情信息采集、工程指挥调度、综合业务管理等业务工作信息化,可以为太湖流域防汛抗旱、水资源调度、工程精细化管理提供依据和手段,从而提高会商决策精度和效率,提升工程管理水平。     

Constructing a web information system development methodology

Abstract. This paper reports on the extension of the Multiview framework to web‐based information systems. The aims are firstly to investigate the appropriateness of Multiview – a pre‐Internet analysis and design methodology – to web‐based information systems and, secondly, to reflect on the nature and role of methodology, as distinct from method, in the information systems (IS) development process. A 2‐year e‐commerce development project in a small to medium enterprise is the setting for learning through action research. To distinguish the project from consultancy, a framework of ideas – Multiview – is declared and tested in the research process. The differences and similarities of pre‐Internet and Internet‐based projects are analysed and reported on. At a higher order of learning the project provided an opportunity to reflect on how methodologies are constructed in practice.     

An overview of transmission theory and techniques of large-scale antenna systems for 5G wireless communications

To meet the future demand for huge traffic volume of wireless data service, the research on the fifth generation (5G) mobile communication systems has been undertaken in recent years. It is expected that the spectral and energy efficiencies in 5G mobile communication systems should be ten-fold higher than the ones in the fourth generation (4G) mobile communication systems. Therefore, it is important to further exploit the potential of spatial multiplexing of multiple antennas. In the last twenty years, multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) antenna techniques have been considered as the key techniques to increase the capacity of wireless communication systems. When a large-scale antenna array (which is also called massive MIMO) is equipped in a base-station, or a large number of distributed antennas (which is also called large-scale distributed MIMO) are deployed, the spectral and energy efficiencies can be further improved by using spatial domain multiple access. This paper provides an overview of massive MIMO and large-scale distributed MIMO systems, including spectral efficiency analysis, channel state information (CSI) acquisition, wireless transmission technology, and resource allocation.     

In-vehicle intelligent information technologies as safety benefit systems: consideration of philosophy and function

Various technological solutions have been advanced to address motorist failings (e.g., sensory limitations, perceptual biases, fatigue, inattention) in the acquisition of safety relevant information. One goal of these systems is to improve traffic safety. Although the functional goal of these technologies is to serve as safety benefit systems, they are foremost information technologies. This paper reviews a number of fundamental issues which underlie the basic nature of these systems as informational services. From the discussion of the philosophy of these systems in relation to the meaning of 'information', a number of functional requirements and limitations of these systems are identified.     

Mobile technology in mobile work: contradictions and congruencies in activity systems

Mobile technology and the information and communication services supported by it have become increasingly embedded in, and in some cases transformed, work and social activity and created new challenges for studying information systems. This paper focuses on the experience with mobile technology in an inherently mobile and information-intensive work activity – policing. Drawing upon data from this context this paper makes two key sets of contributions. Empirically, we illuminate the congruencies and contradictions between mobile technology and mobile working, and the relationship between the two, revealing a state of change based upon dialectic interaction. We highlight several ways in which mobile technology has changed the nature of mobile work activity. Theoretically we advance the use of activity theory to better understand the changes of mobile technology-mediated work. We extend traditional use of activity theory by adopting congruencies as an analytical lens, in addition to the approach of examining contradictions. The findings are applicable to other areas of mobile work and contribute to the body of knowledge concerning mobile technology-mediated work.     

室内移动机器人导航中信息获取方法研究综述

应用传感器感知环境信息实现室内移动机器人导航是自主移动机器人最基本、也是最关键的方法。本文对室内移动机器人导航所采取的信息获取方法进行了综述,分析比较了各国研究人员为实现室内自主移动机器人导航所采用的各种不同的信息获取方法及多传感器融合算法。并总结了各种方法的优缺点。探讨了现有的信息获取方法的存在的难点问题,并提出了该研究的发展方向。     

Applied research of data sensing and service to ubiquitous intelligent transportation system

High-efficiency transportation systems in urban environments are not only solutions for the growing public travel demands, but are also the premise for enlarging transportation capacity and narrowing the gap between urban and rural areas. Such transportation systems should have characteristics such as mobility, convenience and being accident-free. Ubiquitous-intelligent transportation systems (U-ITS) are next generation of intelligent transportation system (ITS). The key issue of U-ITS is providing better and more efficient services by providing vehicle to vehicle (V2V) or vehicle to infrastructure (V2I) interconnection. The emergence of cyber physical systems (CPS), which focus on information awareness technologies, provides technical assurance for the rapid development of U-ITS. This paper introduces the ongoing Beijing U-ITS project, which utilizes mobile sensors. Realization of universal interconnection between real-time information systems and large-scale detectors allows the system to maximize equipment efficiency and improve transportation efficiency through information services.     

In-vehicle intelligent information technologies as safety benefit systems: Consideration of philosophy and function

Various technological solutions have been advanced to address motorist failings (e.g., sensory limitations, perceptual biases, fatigue, inattention) in the acquisition of safety relevant information. One goal of these systems is to improve traffic safety. Although the functional goal of these technologies is to serve as safety benefit systems, they are foremost information technologies. This paper reviews a number of fundamental issues which underlie the basic nature of these systems as informational services. From the discussion of the philosophy of these systems in relation to the meaning of 'information', a number of functional requirements and limitations of these systems are identified.     

Providing user context for mobile and social networking applications

The processing capabilities of mobile devices coupled with portable and wearable sensors provide the basis for new context-aware services and applications tailored to the user environment and daily activities. In this article, we describe the approach developed within the UPCASE project, which makes use of sensors available in the mobile device as well as sensors externally connected via Bluetooth to provide user contexts. We describe the system architecture from sensor data acquisition to feature extraction, context inference and the publication of context information in web-centered servers that support well-known social networking services. In the current prototype, context inference is based on decision trees to learn and to identify contexts dynamically at run-time, but the middleware allows the integration of different inference engines if necessary. Experimental results in a real-world setting suggest that the proposed solution is a promising approach to provide user context to local mobile applications as well as to network-level applications such as social networking services.     

Enhancing workplace competence acquisition through a persuasive system

The continuous development of individual competences is a fundamental instrument for organizations aiming to achieve long-term competitive advantage. Digital technologies can play a pivotal role in competence acquisition by facilitating the learning process. This paper describes the design, development, and evaluation process of a competence acquisition mobile app incorporating persuasive systems principles. A pilot study involving managers from an IT consulting firm was used to evaluate the artifact. This was followed by a full-scale deployment of the mobile app with management and staff of a supermarket chain. The results indicate that the use of the mobile app effectively improved users’ learning process outcomes, as well as their ability to deploy the new competence. Theoretical and practical contributions are discussed.