Location-aware communications in smart environments

We present a location-aware communication approach for smart home environments that is based on a symbolic location model that represents the containment relationships between physical objects, computing devices, and places. The approach enables people and devices to discover and connect with communication partners based on their co-locations. It also provides non-smart objects, including home appliances, everyday objects, and places, with virtual counterparts, which both represent them and work as proxies for their targets. We present the design for this approach and describe its implementation and applications.