Heterogeneous Mobile Environment Research Articles

Deep Learning-Assisted Online Task Offloading for Latency Minimization in Heterogeneous Mobile Edge

With the proliferation of smart devices in recent years, many applications requiring high computing capability and low latency have emerged. Edge computing is one of the promising paradigms to support such applications. Due to the high volatility of edge environments, e.g., frequent movements of mobile devices, varying task sizes, and time-variant channel conditions, we have to make the offloading and resource management decisions on the fly. This paper formulates and studies the problem of online task offloading and resource management in heterogeneous mobile edge environments. The goal of the problem is to minimize the overall system latency. We prove that the problem is NP-hard. Moreover, traditional algorithms needing long decision-making times are insufficient to support applications with high volatility. This paper proposes a deep learning-assisted online algorithm that can make fast decisions. In particular, we design an offline solver for the proposed problem and use a deep neural network to emulate the solver. We conduct extensive simulations to evaluate the proposed approach. Results show that the proposed approach is around <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$50,000\times$</tex-math></inline-formula> and <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$500\times$</tex-math></inline-formula> faster than the commercial Gurobi solver for the optimal solution and the proposed offline approximation solver, respectively. Moreover, the overall latency under the proposed approach is near-optimal.

Joint Optimization of QoE and Fairness for Adaptive Video Streaming in Heterogeneous Mobile Environments

The rapid growth of mobile video traffic and user demand poses a more stringent requirement for efficient bandwidth allocation in mobile networks where multiple users may share a bottleneck link. This provides content providers an opportunity to jointly optimize multiple users’ experiences but users often suffer short connection durations and frequent handoffs because of their high mobility. In this paper, we propose an end-to-end scheme, VSiM, for supporting mobile video streaming applications in heterogeneous wireless networks. The key idea is allocating bottleneck bandwidth among multiple users based on their mobility profiles and Quality of Experience (QoE)-related knowledge to achieve max-min QoE fairness. Besides, the QoE of buffer-sensitive clients is further improved by the novel server push strategy based on HTTP/3 protocol without affecting the existing bandwidth allocation approach or sacrificing other clients’ view quality. VSiM is lightweight and easy to deploy in the real world without touching the underlying network infrastructure. We evaluated VSiM experimentally in both simulations and a lab testbed on top of the HTTP/3 protocol. We find that the clients’ QoE fairness of VSiM achieves more than 40% improvement compared with state-of-the-art solutions, i.e., the viewing quality of clients in VSiM can be improved from 720p to 1080p in resolution. Meanwhile, VSiM provides about 20% improvement of average QoE.

Hybrid radio-over-fiber transport system to support heterogeneous indoor mobile network environments

The recent advances in mobile network technologies are based on pioneering higher radio frequency ranges such as millimeter wave and (sub-)terahertz bands. Most likely, the simultaneous use of multiple bands of such high frequency as well as mid/low frequency ranges should be considered to implement heterogeneous mobile environments where diverse conventional and emerging applications can coexist. This study aims to propose, demonstrate, and evaluate a radio-over-fiber (RoF)-based optical transport system that meets the aforementioned future indoor network’s requirements. In particular, we suggest a novel distributed antenna system architecture that can support next-generation mobile services such as millimeter wave 5G and terahertz 6G as well as commercial 5G systems employing low/mid bands. Following the experimental validation of the downlink and uplink transmission of radio signals, we investigate the cost reductions obtained by implementing the proposed system in comparison to conventional topologies such as point-to-point and wavelength division multiplexing-based point-to-multipoint connections.

Hybrid fuzzy response threshold-based distributed task allocation in heterogeneous multi-robot environment

Task allocation is a vital challenge in a multi-robot environment. A hybrid fuzzy response threshold-based method is proposed to address the problem of task allocation in a heterogeneous mobile robot environment. The method follows a distributed task allocation approach where every robot chooses its task and performs it, resulting in concurrent execution. The algorithm uses a fuzzy inference system to determine the capability of the robot to carry out a task. Then, the robot employs the response threshold model, utilizing the obtained capability to decide on the task to complete. The objective here is to maximize the tasks completed with the resources available while balancing the affinity with which the task is done. The proposed algorithm is initially applied to the static scenario where there is no failure among the mobile robots. The algorithm is then improved to run in the dynamic scenario to study the effect on the allocation. The proposed algorithm is empirically evaluated in simulation for multiple runs under different environment instances. The results show a good increase in tasks performed successfully across all the instances in static and dynamic scenarios. The proposed algorithms are validated using FireBird V mobile robots in an experimental environment.

A novel optimized resource management model for software defined future mobile networks

SummaryExtreme densities are an important factor in future mobile networks that can provide very high data rate to mobile users. It also increases complexity in handover decisions and resource management. However, SDNs (software‐defined networks) and mobility models can provide seamless mobility and efficient resource management in heterogeneous mobile environment, and ensure QoS (quality of service) is achieved. The paper proposes SDN based on GMM (Group Mobility Model) called MoMo, and resource management using MLOAs (mutation lion optimization algorithms) are used to alleviate handover and addressing issues in network congestion. The proposed method is based on SDN controllers working in global perspectives for achieving required network conditions and end user QoSs. SDN with GMM‐MoMo‐MLOA offer transparent and dynamic support for sessions during handoffs and thus eliminates congestion overheads and packet losses related to mobile traffic, resulting in improved QoS for mobile users. The performance analysis through experiments depicts that the proposed model gives enhanced performance when compared to that of the other conventional methods and also has proven efficiency in terms of other parameters such as handover latency, signaling cost, throughput, and packet loss. The results from the simulation show that the proposed method SDN‐GMM‐MoMo‐MLOA greatly improves the performance of network and also maintains optimum resource utilization and efficiency.

A Secure User Authentication Protocol for Heterogeneous Mobile Environments

Mobile devices have become very important for our daily needs. The user authentication protocols with the key agreement are required to deal with the security issues that arise from the use of mobile devices through Internet applications. However, existing user authentication protocols are only suitable if the client and the server use a similar cryptographic approach. Therefore, it is important to develop an authentication protocol for mobile environments with heterogeneous cryptographic approaches. In this paper, an efficient user authentication and key agreement protocol is proposed for a heterogeneous client-server mobile environment. The security of the proposed scheme is formally proved under the <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${q}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>-strong Diffie-Hellman problem (<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${q}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>-SDH), the <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${q}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>-bilinear Diffie-Hellman inversion problem (<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${q}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>-BDHI), and the modified bilinear Diffie-Hellman inversion problem (mBDHI), respectively. Our scheme has reasonable processing costs and communication costs on the client and server sides. Moreover, our scheme is suitable for applications that use different cryptographic approaches. In particular, the proposed protocol can work when the client applies the identity-based cryptosystem and the server applies the certificateless cryptosystem.

RETRACTED ARTICLE: Application of combined kernel function artificial intelligence algorithm in mobile communication network security authentication mechanism

Security threats, security requirements, and adopted security policies in the new mobile environment have changed. As a key issue in the development of mobile communication, the mobile communication network security authentication mechanism has attracted the attention of academic circles and industry, and research on its security has become a research hotspot. Firstly, aiming at the security threats and security requirements in the heterogeneous mobile communication network environment, the architecture of the security authentication mechanism in this mobile environment is proposed. The security architecture consists of three layers (transport layer, service layer, application layer) and four domains (user domain, access domain, network domain, and application domain), and defined security features. The security architecture includes functional entities such as public key infrastructure and application servers and defines new security features for security threats in the application domain and user domain, so that the security architecture can meet the heterogeneous mobile communication network environment. Security needs. Secondly, a linear combination kernel function is used to construct a new class of kernel functions with different characteristics in a linear combination and satisfy the Mercer theorem. The combined kernel function has both global kernel function and local kernel. The advantages function and their weight on the combined kernel function can be adjusted by the weight coefficient factor, and a better comprehensive prediction effect is obtained in the support vector machine model. Finally, the experimental results also show that the support vector regression machine model based on combined kernel function can achieve higher learning precision.

Advanced QoS Provisioning and Mobile Fog Computing for 5G

This paper presents a novel QoS and mobile cloud and fog computing framework for future fifth generation (5G) of mobile and fixed nodes with radio network aggregation capability. The proposed 5G framework is leading to high QoS provisioning for any given multimedia service, higher bandwidth utilization, traffic load sharing, mobile cloud plus fog computing features, and multi-radio interface capabilities. The framework is user-centric, targeted at always-on connectivity with using radio network aggregation for available mobile broadband connections, and empowered with mobile cloud and fog computing advantages. Moreover, our proposed framework is using Lyapunov drift-plus-penalty theorem that provides a methodology for designing algorithm to maximize the average throughput and stabilize the queuing. Also, we are showing the upper bound of the consumed power and the lower bound of the battery lifetime for the proposed 5G terminal. The advanced performance of our 5G QoS plus MCC framework is evaluated using simulations and analysis with multimedia traffic in heterogeneous mobile and wireless environment. The simulation results are showing that the maximal network utilization, maximal throughput, minimal end-to-end delay, efficient energy consumption, and other performance improvements are achieved.

An Online Algorithm for Task Offloading in Heterogeneous Mobile Clouds

Mobile cloud computing is emerging as a promising approach to enrich user experiences at the mobile device end. Computation offloading in a heterogeneous mobile cloud environment has recently drawn increasing attention in research. The computation offloading decision making and tasks scheduling among heterogeneous shared resources in mobile clouds are becoming challenging problems in terms of providing global optimal task response time and energy efficiency. In this article, we address these two problems together in a heterogeneous mobile cloud environment as an optimization problem. Different from conventional distributed computing system scheduling problems, our joint offloading and scheduling optimization problem considers unique contexts of mobile clouds such as wireless network connections and mobile device mobility, which makes the problem more complex. We propose a context-aware mixed integer programming model to provide off-line optimal solutions for making the offloading decisions and scheduling the offloaded tasks among the shared computing resources in heterogeneous mobile clouds. The objective is to minimize the global task completion time (i.e., makespan). To solve the problem in real time, we further propose a deterministic online algorithm—the Online Code Offloading and Scheduling (OCOS) algorithm—based on the rent/buy problem and prove the algorithm is 2-competitive. Performance evaluation results show that the OCOS algorithm can generate schedules that have around two times shorter makespan than conventional independent task scheduling algorithms. Also, it can save around 30% more on makespan of task execution schedules than conventional offloading strategies, and scales well as the number of users grows.

Optimized Application Level Checkpoint Based Load Sharing Model for Heterogeneous Mobile Grid Computing

Objectives: Recent technical advances have fueled the popularity of mobile grid computing. Mobile devices such as cellular phones and PDAs are becoming more common due to the diminution in their size and increase of computational power. In addition, wireless networks are also beginning to fill the environment. With these advances, mobile devices are becoming available to act as service providers in Grid. But the mobile environment presents a number of challenges. Analysis: The range of mobile execution platforms now available which introduces the problem of heterogeneity. Heavy weight checkpoints also provide hindrance to achieve this integration. At present, Grid Computing standards, neither state any load sharing architecture and model that integrates mobile devices in Grid computing nor does it provide any policy that hides heterogeneity and overcome memory limitations of mobile devices thus it is still an open research problem. Findings: Mobile Grid computing solutions must be developed that are lightweight, independent of specific platform and a load sharing model for mobile grid computing that distributes computational tasks on heterogeneous mobile devices. Our simulation results show the effectiveness of data optimization techniques for mobile devices, interoperability and proxy performance in heterogeneous mobile environment. Novelty: We propose a novel layered architecture that adjusts the data size of checkpoints at the minimum possible level and a load sharing Mobile Proxy algorithm.

Efficient QoS based mobile multicast using context transfer

New challenging applications and scenarios for converged fixed and mobile Internet infrastructures, require efficient technologies adapting the multicast services for fixed IPv6 infrastructures to heterogeneous mobile environment. This paper discusses architecture aimed to support QoS based mobile multicast in heterogeneous mobile IPv6 environmentusing context transfer between access routers for seamlesshandover of mobile multicast applications. The architecture includes components for policy based QoS management of mobile multicast, reliable mobile multicast support at access routers and optimised handover based on learning of capabilities of access routers and networks.

Adaptive interface selection over cloud-based split-layer video streaming via multi-wireless networks

As mobile devices such as tablet PCs and smartphones proliferate, the online video consumption over a wireless network has been accelerated. From this phenomenon, there are several challenges to provide the video streaming service more efficiently and stably in the heterogeneous mobile environment. In order to guarantee the QoS of real-time HD video services, the steady and reliable wireless mesh is necessary. Furthermore, the video service providers have to maintain the QoS by provisioning streaming servers to respond the clients’ request of different video resolution. In this paper, we propose a reliable cloud-based video delivery scheme with the split-layer SVC encoding and real-time adaptive multi-interface selection over LTE and WiFi links. A split-layer video streaming can effectively scale to manage the required channels on each layer of various client connections. Moreover, split-layer SVC model brings streaming service providers a remarkable opportunity to stream video over multiple interfaces (e.g. WiFi, LTE, etc.) with a separate controlling based on their network status. Through the adaptive interface selection, the proposed system aims to ensure the maximizing video quality which the bandwidth of LTE/WiFi accommodates. In addition, the system offers cost-effective streaming to mobile clients by saving the LTE data consumption. In our system, an adaptive interface selection is developed with two different algorithms, such as INSTANT and EWMA methods. We implemented a prototype of mobile client based on iOS particularly by using iPhone5S. Moreover, we also employ the split-layer SVC encodes in streaming server-side as the add-on module to SVC reference encoding tool in a virtualized environment of KVM hypervisor. We evaluated the proposed system in an emulated and a real-world heterogeneous wireless network environments. The results show that the proposed system not only achieves to guarantee the highest quality of video frames via WiFi and LTE simultaneous connection, but also efficiently saves LTE bandwidth consumption for cost-effectiveness to client-side. Our proposed method provides the highest video quality without deadline misses, while it consumes 50.6% LTE bandwidth of ‘LTE-only’ method and 72.8% of the conventional (non-split) SVC streaming over a real-world mobile environment.

5G mobile terminals with advanced QoS-based user-centric aggregation (AQUA) for heterogeneous wireless and mobile networks

In this paper we present an advanced QoS provisioning module with vertical multi-homing framework for future fifth generation (5G) mobile terminals with radio network aggregation capability and traffic load sharing in heterogeneous mobile and wireless environments. The proposed 5G mobile terminal framework is leading to high performance utility networks with high QoS provisioning for any given multimedia service, higher bandwidth utilization and multi-RAT capabilities. It is using vertical multi-homing and virtual QoS routing algorithms within the mobile terminal, that is able to handle simultaneously multiple radio network connections via multiple wireless and mobile network interfaces. Our 5G proposal is user-centric, targeted to always-on connectivity, maximal network utilization, maximal throughput, seamless handovers and performances improvement by using vertical multi-homing, as well as session continuity. The performance of our proposed mobile terminal framework for 5G is evaluated using simulations and analysis with multimedia traffic in heterogeneous mobile and wireless scenarios with coexistence of multiple radio access technologies, such as 3G, 4G as well as future 5G radio access networks.

Mobility and Handover Technique in Heterogeneous Wireless Networks

The management techniques for Mobile IPv6 between different wireless technologies are very important to complete the handover process with the least possible delay. In the fast handover, when a mobile node moves to another network, it needs to do handover operations. These operations have a severe impact on the handover latency. This paper proposes an Enhanced Advanced Duplicate Address Detection (EA-DAD) method in a heterogeneous mobile environment with the support of the MIH services. The proposed method quickly provides a unique Ipv6 address for MNs. At the same time, the binding updates to home agent and correspondent node are to be performed from old access router. We can see through results that by optimizing network layer, EA-DAD quickly presents unique Ipv6 addresses for MNs with a minimum handover latency and packet loss even at high speed movements.

Advanced Mobile Terminal for Heterogeneous Wireless Networks

This manuscript introduces a novel design concept for advanced mobile terminals with radio network aggregation capability and enhanced Quality of Service (QoS) provisioning for various multimedia services in heterogeneous wireless and mobile networks. We establish a new module that provides the best QoS and lowest cost for any given multimedia service (voice, video and audio) by using simultaneously all available wireless and mobile networks for a given traffic flow. The performance of our proposal is evaluated using simulations with multimode mobile stations carrying multimedia traffic in heterogeneous environment with coexistence of multiple Radio Access Technologies, such as 3G, 4G as well as future 5G radio access networks. The analysis of the proposed framework for radio networks aggregation in advanced mobile terminals has shown overall better performances regarding the achievable throughput and multimedia access probability in heterogeneous wireless and mobile environment.

Improvements on a Mobile IP Registration Protocol Featured with User Anonymity

Security of mobile IP is very important for seamless roaming in heterogeneous mobile environments. Recently, Dang et al. proposed a new scheme for secure registration procedure of mobile IP. However, we found out that the scheme had three weaknesses in security or performance. In this paper, we point out the weaknesses of their scheme and give some improvements in order to achieve user privacy and protocol efficiency.

IEEE 802.21 Information Services deployment for heterogeneous mobile environments

In the future mobile Internet, a key challenge is how the content is delivered to the mobile user, especially when there are multiple networks belonging to distinct operators. Knowing the network services and conditions available at each one becomes crucial. In order to store information from several networks and operators, the new IEEE 802.21 standard specifies a Media Independent Information Service (MIIS) supporting various information elements (IEs) that provide network information within a geographical area, with the aim of optimising the handover process. Since next-generation wireless devices are expected to support multiple radio access networks, users will be able to maintain connections when switching from one network to another. This article addresses a general approach towards the deployment of a Hierarchical 802.21 Information Service management infrastructure in a heterogeneous mobile environment. Through an NS-2-based simulation, it is shown that the proposed scheme improves the user experience in terms of MIIS server access time and number of optimal handovers in a random mobility scenario.

Improving Slow-start based probing mechanisms for flow adaptation after handovers

In a heterogeneous mobile networking environment, when a mobile user needs to perform a handover and switch to a new network, besides all the mobility management procedures to keep its connections alive and divert its on-going flows to the new location, the transmission rate of these flows should also be correctly adapted to match the conditions of the new network. One of the common practices is to let the flows to go through a fresh new Slow-start (or its variants) phase to probe along the path between the new location of the mobile user and its correspondent for the appropriate rate. Unfortunately, in many situations packets from these flows will be leaked into the new path at the old rate already before the Slow-start probing is performed, which not only interferes with the probing process but also disturbs the new network and affects the cross traffic along the new path. In this paper we propose to introduce some intelligence into the network, more specifically onto the mobility agent, so that this packet leaking issue is well taken care of before and during the Slow-start probing. On the other hand, with the introduced intelligence the probing process can also be improved in the sense of promptness, speed and data throughput, and these improvements are clearly demonstrated by simulation results.

Accounting Management Based on Quality of Service for Heterogeneous Mobile Communications Networks

Service Accounting Management within the new heterogeneous advanced mobile communications networks environment will be one of the great challenges to resolve from the point of view of service providers. The objective will be to maximize resource utilization and the economic benefits obtained. In the near future, service providers may make use of a combination of different technologies access to offer users a wide variety of innovative services, characterized by the demand for different requirements of quality of service (QoS). Furthermore, users can select appropriate to your preferences service provider. Within this scenario, service accounting management will become an effective tool that allows meet the demands of users and maximize the profits of providers. In this article we present a proposal for charging based on QoS that allows increase the level of satisfaction of the user at a first instance, maximizing the level of provided CdS, and a second instance implementing adaptable price strategies at the level of offered QoS management. These strategies allow service providers to maximize obtained profits.

Guest Editors’ Introduction: Advances in Interactive Digital Entertainment Technologies

With the significant development of digital technologies in recent years, we are seeing an increasing number of applications of these technologies, in particular in the entertainment domain. They may include computer games, e-learning, high- definition and interactive TVs, and virtual environments. The development of these applications typically involves the integration of existing technologies as well as the development of new technologies. The first International Workshop on Digital Entertainment Technologies 2008 (IDET’08) was held at Lanzhou University, China, in July 2008, in conjunction with the first IEEE International Conference on Ubi-media Computing (U-Media’08). This workshop was an initial effort to review various technological issues and challenges in digital entertainments. A special emphasis was on issues that are relevant to or supporting the dynamic interactions between users and applications. This special issue collects the extended version of some of the best papers presented in IDET’08 and relevant keynote papers presented in U-Media’08. This special issue includes six papers covering some of the recent technological advances in digital entertainments. These papers can be roughly divided into three groups. The first group of two papers addresses networking issues of digital entertainments. The article by Wah and Sat (of University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, U.S.A.) describes the authors’ work on real-time VoIP (voice over-IP) systems that can achieve high perceptual conversational quality. It focuses on the fundamental understanding of conversational quality and its trade-offs among the design of speech codecs and strategies for network control, playout scheduling, and loss concealments. The article by Ye, Li, and Chen (of City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong) presents an adaptive algorithm called “SPF-A*” for searching multimedia files in heterogeneous mobile P2P network environments in order for these multimedia resources to be transmitted more effectively. The second group of two papers addresses content analysis issues of digital entertainments. The article by Xu, Cheng, Zhang, Zhang, and Lu (of Chinese Academy of Sciences, China) presents a generic multi-layer and multi-modal framework for sports video analysis. It first introduces mid-level audio/visual features that are able to bridge the semantic gap between low-level features and high-level understanding and then discusses emerging applications on editorial content creation and content enhancement/adaptation in sports video analysis, including event detection, sports MTV generation, automatic broadcast video generation, tactic analysis, player action recognition, virtual content insertion, and mobile sports video adaptation. The article by Don and Ivrissimtzis (of University of Durham, United Kingdom) describes the use of multiple pens to resolve ambiguity and improve usability in a sketch recognition environment. User experiments in representing drawing modes using separate colored pens demonstrate greater user understanding and less recognition errors than in a system using textual descriptions with a single pen. The last group of two papers addresses issues that are related to computer gaming in digital entertainments. The article by Cao, Glukhova, Klamma, and Renzel (of RWTH Aachen University, Germany) presents a community success model (CSM) based on the DeLone & McLean IS Success Model to measure community satisfaction. CSM combines quantitative data collected through automatic monitoring of service usage with qualitative data extracted from automatically generated questionnaires, and CSM is applied to measure the results of a regular lab course as a proof of concept. The article by Li, Zhao, Lam, and Lau (of University of Durham, United Kingdom, and City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong) presents an interactive method for simulating flexible connectors by combining dynamic constraints and impulse-based simulation. This method can be used to support interactive gaming or animation. We would like to thank a lot of people who worked behind the scene to make this special issue possible. First, we would like to thank George Sun, the Chief Executive Editor of the Journal of Multimedia, for his kind support of this special issue. Second, we would like to thank all the reviewers, including the workshop program committee members and those who helped select the papers for this special issue, for their professional reviews. Finally, we would like to thank all the authors who contributed their work to IDET 2008 and to this special issue.