Applications In Ubiquitous Environments Research Articles

Heavyweight extension to the UML class diagram metamodel for modeling context aware systems in ubiquitous computing

PurposeThe development of context-aware applications in ubiquitous environments depends not only on the user interactions but also on several context parameters. The handling of these parameters is a fundamental problem in these systems. The key purpose of this work is to enrich the unified modeling language (UML) class diagram with new constructs to provide a universal model capable of coping with the context-awareness concerns.Design/methodology/approachThe authors provide a review of existing context handling approaches. Afterward, they relied on the UML extensibility mechanisms to propose a heavyweight extension for the UML class diagram. This generic approach allows describing the different context parameters since the modeling phase.FindingsExisting solutions for context handling apply the contextual constraints on finished applications or tend to be dependent on a specific development process. This paper presents a solution based on UML, which allows dealing with context since the modeling phase, and independently of development processes. This proposal is implemented as an eclipse editor and illustrated through a case study in the healthcare field.Originality/valueThis paper addresses the problem of context handling, and it presents a review of the foremost existing solutions. The paper also presents a heavyweight extension for the UML class diagram, which consists in enriching it with additional constructs, capable of monitoring how applications are linked to context parameters and how the values of these parameters may affect the application behavior.

Fostering Innovations in Pervasive Applications through Teaching and Learning of STEMSEL Microchip Technology

This Paper describes the new Paradigm in the Teaching & Learning of Embedded & Microcontroller programming and Application Development. The Authors use the STEMSEL Microchip Programming methodology to teach the Application Development for Pervasive Computing Environments. In the recent years the development of Applications in Ubiquitous environments with the use Internet of Things has triggered a massive research challenges and intensive programming needs. This paper explains the use of a new Integrated Development Environment using simple Graphical Drag & Drop based tool to program such applications. This is applied to develop applications using Bluetooth , WIFI etc for various pervasive computing needs. This Integrated Development Environment is very useful to Teach & Learn such technologies in a simple and quick way.

MaPS: A framework to aid the development of collaborative applications for ubiquitous environments

A research topic of growing interest is the convergence between Collaborative Systems and Ubiquitous Computing, where context awareness is becoming a tool for enhancing collaboration processes. The application of Ubiquitous Computing concepts in the improvement of collaboration strategies created a research front called Ubiquitous Collaboration. This article proposes a framework to aid the development of collaborative applications for ubiquitous environments, called MaPS. MaPS works at one relevant stage of the collaboration. It uses context information and user profiles to improve the search for peers and the selection of communication channels. The article proposes the framework, its requirements and its architecture. Moreover, we describe a prototype and two applications which were developed with it. The framework was evaluated considering software development, based on the experience got in the implementation of the applications and aspects of functionalities. It was made through a scenario involving active participants. The results of both evaluations show the potential for using MaPS. Keywords: collaboration, collaborative applications, ubiquitous computing, ubiquitous collaboration, ubiquitous environments, context awareness.

Theme issue on context-aware middleware and applications

Context-aware computing is a central theme of ubiquitous computing. In order to facilitate the development and proliferation of context-aware applications in ubiquitous environment, a context-aware middleware is indispensable. Although many middleware systems have been presented in recent years, context-aware applications are still not very widely deployed in our real-life settings. Several key issues are not properly addressed, such as low cost (light-weight), QoS, spontaneous access, prototype verification and testing, balancing autonomy and user control, safety and privacy, scalability, etc. Context-aware middleware and applications require further scientific research for extending the current capabilities to be more effective and applicable in the real world. Submissions to this special issue come from an open call for papers as well as from selected papers presented at the 6th International Conference on Ubiquitous Intelligence and Computing (UIC-09) held at Brisbane, Australia, 7–9 July 2009. We received a total of 22 submissions of which six papers were accepted after three rounds of rigorous reviews. A large number of reviewers assisted us in the review process. In order to ensure high reviewing standards, three to four reviewers evaluated each paper. The six selected papers just fall into the two main topics equally, three are about context-aware middleware, and the other three are about context-aware applications. In the opening paper of this special issue, ‘‘Towards a cooperative programming framework for context-aware applications’’, Bin Guo, Daqing Zhang, and Michita Imai propose an ontology-based programming framework for rapid prototyping, sharing, and personalization of contextaware applications, called OPEN. The framework provides different programming support for users with diverse technical skills. According to the programming requirements of different users, several cooperation patterns are identified, and the mechanisms to facilitate resource sharing and reuse are built into the framework. Three corresponding programming modes are elaborated by showing how a context-aware game is developed step-by-step with the support of the OPEN framework. The second paper, ‘‘Mobility management in ubiquitous environments’’, authored by Chiung-Ying Wang, HsiaoYun Huang, and Ren-Hung Hwang, addresses the problem of managing mobility in context-aware services. It first introduces an open framework, namely Ubiquitous Gate (U-gate) that includes a distributed context management architecture and a communication model based on standard protocols. A context-aware path planning mechanism (UbiPaPaGo), and a context-aware handoff mechanism (UbiHandoff), is proposed to achieve complete mobility management. Based on the path planning results of UbiPaPaGo, UbiHandoff derives a minimum Access Point Z. Yu (&) School of Computer Science, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an, China e-mail: zhiwenyu@nwpu.edu.cn

Http://www.airccse.org/journal/iju/currentissue.html

In this paper, we introduce a tilting interface that controls direction based applications in ubiquitous environments. A tilt interface is useful for situations that require remote and quick interactions or that are executed in public spaces. We explored the proposed tilting interface with different application types and classified the tilting interaction techniques. Augmenting objects with sensors can potentially address the problem of the lack of intuitive and natural input devices in ubiquitous environments. We have conducted an experiment to test the usability of the proposed tilting interface to compare it with conventional input devices and hand gestures. The experiment results showed greater improvement of the tilt gestures in comparison with hand gestures in terms of speed, accuracy, and user satisfaction.

ACN-RB-tree: Constrained Network-Based Index for Spatio-Temporal Aggregation of Moving Object Trajectory

Moving object management is widely used in traffic, logistic and data mining applications in ubiquitous environments. It is required to analyze spatio-temporal data and trajectories for moving object management. In this paper, we proposed a novel index structure for spatio-temporal aggregation of trajectory in a constrained network, named aCN-RB-tree. It manages aggregation values of trajectories using a constraint network-based index and it also supports direction of trajectory. An aCN-RB-tree consists of an aR-tree in its center and an extended B-tree. In this structure, an aR-tree is similar to a Min/Max R-tree, which stores the child nodes’ max aggregation value in the parent node. Also, the proposed index structure is based on a constrained network structure such as a FNR-tree, so that it can decrease the dead space of index nodes. Each leaf node of an aR-tree has an extended B-tree which can store timestamp-based aggregation values. As it considers the direction of trajectory, the extended B-tree has a structure with direction. So this kind of aCN-RB-tree index can support efficient search for trajectory and traffic zone. The aCN-RB-tree can find a moving object trajectory in a given time interval efficiently. It can support traffic management systems and mining systems in ubiquitous environments.

유비쿼터스 환경에서 적응적 컨텐츠 서비스를 위한 모델기반 아키텍처와 프로덕트라인 기법 : 선발 U-안전모니터링 시스템응용

In ubiquitous environments, the content adaptable services can be dynamically provided to adapt the frequent changes of contexts. These services have common things that the kinds of context factors are limited to ubiquitous environment, though the contexts are flexible. To reuse service architecture can be reasonable for effective adaptable service. In this paper, we design a software architecture with product line techniques for content adaptable applications in ubiquitous environment. Description of product line is to define variation points and their variants, to find out the dependencies between them and to keep the model based architecture, their alternatives.

Generic Model and Architecture for Cooperating Objects in Sensor Network Environments

The complexity and heterogeneity of cooperating object applications in ubiquitous environments or of applications in the sensor network domain require the use of generic models and architectures. These architectures should provide support for the following three key issues: flexible installation, management and reconfiguration of components in the system; optimization strategies whose implementation usually involves the proper management of cross-layer information; and proper adaptation techniques that allow for the self-configuration of nodes and components in the system with minimal human intervention. In this paper, we present one possible instance of such a generic model and architecture and show its applicability using Sustainable Bridges, a sensor network application that requires the analysis of complex sensor data to achieve its goal of effectively monitoring bridges for the detection of structural defects.

상황 인식 응용을 위한 2-레벨 상황 적응 기법

유비쿼터스 환경에서의 응용은 사용자의 요구사항 변경과 사용자의 서비스 환경 변화를 적응시킴으로써 사용자에게 최선의 서비스를 제공할 수 있어야 하며 상황 변화에 따른 하부 플랫폼의 동작에 서비스의 동작을 적응시킬 수 있어야 한다. 본 논문에서는 유비쿼터스 컴퓨팅 환경에서 사용자의 요구사항을 능동적으로 반영하고 사용자에게 유연한 서비스를 제공하기 위하여 상황 변화에 대한 동적인 응용 적응성을 지원하는 2-레벨 상황 적응 기법을 제안한다. 상황 적응성을 지원하기 위하여 상황의 범위를 사용자 요구사항으로 확대하여 응용 서비스 제공에 있어서 사용자의 선호도를 반영할 수 있도록 하였으며. 응용의 적응성은 적응 정책을 사용하여 발생할 수 있는 특정 상황에 대한 적응 방법을 명시적으로 요구함으로써 실제 상황이 발생했을 때 응용이 능동적으로 대처할 수 있도록 하였다. Applications in ubiquitous environments should provide the best services to users by considering the changes of users requirements and service environments, and should adapt service behaviors to the underlying platform's behaviors according to contextual changes. To reflect users requirements actively and provide more flexible services, we propose 2-level context adaptation method for supporting dynamic application adaptability in contextual changes. We offend the range of contexts to users requirements for supporting context adaptation. It can reflect users preferences in offering application services. For application adaptability, we use adaptation policies to allow applications require how they adapt to specific contexts, and to make them react actively on such situations.