On Optimal and Fair Service Allocation in Mobile Cloud Computing

This paper studies the optimal and fair service allocation for a variety of mobile applications (single or group and collaborative mobile applications) in mobile cloud computing. We exploit the observation that using tiered clouds, i.e. clouds at multiple levels (local and public) can increase the performance and scalability of mobile applications. We proposed a novel framework to model mobile applications as a location-time workflows (LTW) of tasks; here users mobility patterns are translated to mobile service usage patterns. We show that an optimal mapping of LTWs to tiered cloud resources considering multiple QoS goals such application delay, device power consumption and user cost/price is an NP-hard problem for both single and group-based applications. We propose an efficient heuristic algorithm called MuSIC that is able to perform well (73% of optimal, 30% better than simple strategies), and scale well to a large number of users while ensuring high mobile application QoS. We evaluate MuSIC and the 2-tier mobile cloud approach via implementation (on real world clouds) and extensive simulations using rich mobile applications like intensive signal processing, video streaming and multimedia file sharing applications. Our experimental and simulation results indicate that MuSIC supports scalable operation (100+ concurrent users executing complex workflows) while improving QoS. We observe about 25% lower delays and power (under fixed price constraints) and about 35% decrease in price (considering fixed delay) in comparison to only using the public cloud. Our studies also show that MuSIC performs quite well under different mobility patterns, e.g. random waypoint and Manhattan models

Delay Tolerant Networking over the Metropolitan Public Transportation

We discuss MDTN: a delay tolerant application platform built on top of the Public Transportation System (PTS) and able to provide service access while exploiting opportunistic connectivity. Our solution adopts a carrier-based approach where buses act as data collectors for user requests requiring Internet access. Simulations based on real maps and PTS routes with state-of-the-art routing protocols demonstrate that MDTN represents a viable solution for elastic nonreal-time service delivery. Nevertheless, performance indexes of the considered routing policies show that there is no golden rule for optimal performance and a tailored routing strategy is required for each specific case

Quasi-omniscient networks: scenarios on context capturing and new services through wireless sensor networks

This paper addresses future scenarios for the telecommunications field, addressing the impact of three important research trends in computer networks: Context, Sensors and Wireless Networks. The proposed scenarios clearly highlight the possible synergies between the defined areas, and describe the role of Users and Network Operators in order to achieve the described goals. The potential danger of an over-encompassing network is identified, with a brief discussion on the challenges associated to the implementation of such a knowledge-aware communications network. The paper finalizes presenting a classification on the typical scenarios to be expected, and highlighting the associated challenges. It also presents a proposal on a scalable network infrastructure for Context processing

Investigating the use of semantic technologies in spatial mapping applications

Semantic Web Technologies are ideally suited to build context-aware information retrieval applications. However, the geospatial aspect of context awareness presents unique challenges such as the semantic modelling of geographical references for efficient handling of spatial queries, the reconciliation of the heterogeneity at the semantic and geo-representation levels, maintaining the quality of service and scalability of communicating, and the efficient rendering of the spatial queries' results. In this paper, we describe the modelling decisions taken to solve these challenges by analysing our implementation of an intelligent planning and recommendation tool that provides location-aware advice for a specific application domain. This paper contributes to the methodology of integrating heterogeneous geo-referenced data into semantic knowledgebases, and also proposes mechanisms for efficient spatial interrogation of the semantic knowledgebase and optimising the rendering of the dynamically retrieved context-relevant information on a web frontend

Quality of Information in Mobile Crowdsensing: Survey and Research Challenges

Smartphones have become the most pervasive devices in people's lives, and are clearly transforming the way we live and perceive technology. Today's smartphones benefit from almost ubiquitous Internet connectivity and come equipped with a plethora of inexpensive yet powerful embedded sensors, such as accelerometer, gyroscope, microphone, and camera. This unique combination has enabled revolutionary applications based on the mobile crowdsensing paradigm, such as real-time road traffic monitoring, air and noise pollution, crime control, and wildlife monitoring, just to name a few. Differently from prior sensing paradigms, humans are now the primary actors of the sensing process, since they become fundamental in retrieving reliable and up-to-date information about the event being monitored. As humans may behave unreliably or maliciously, assessing and guaranteeing Quality of Information (QoI) becomes more important than ever. In this paper, we provide a new framework for defining and enforcing the QoI in mobile crowdsensing, and analyze in depth the current state-of-the-art on the topic. We also outline novel research challenges, along with possible directions of future work.Comment: To appear in ACM Transactions on Sensor Networks (TOSN

Context-Aware Mobile Games Using Android, Arduino and HTML5

Mobiilitehnoloogiate areng ja nutitelefonide kiire levik loob uusi võimalusi mobiilirakenduste arendamiseks ning palju rõhku pannakse mängudele. Loodavad mängud muutuvad aga keerulisemaks, sest üha enam kasutatakse keskkonnast tulevat informatsiooni, et kohandada mängu vastavalt kasutaja asukohale ja kontekstile. Mänge, mis seovad kasutaja füüsile asukoha ja oleku virtuaalmaailmaga keskkonnateadlikuks mänguks. Üha enam luuakse rakendusi veebiplatvormile, mitte kindlatele operatsioonisüsteemidele, sest veebitehnoloogiad võimaldavad luua võrdväärse funktsionaalsuse ning kasutajamugavusega rakendusi. Veebipõhiste rakenduste suurimaks eeliseks on see, et nende tööks on vaja ainult veebibrauserit ning igale operastioonisüteemile ei pea kirjutama eraldi programmi. Antud tehnoloogiad on jõudnud ka mobiilimaailma, kus iga operatsioonisõsteemi jaoks peab arendama eraldiseisva rakenduse, sest iga tootja süsteem on teistest erinev. Antud bakalaurusetöö eesmärgiks on luua veebitehnoloogiaid kasutades mobiilimäng, mille juhtimiseks kasutatakse nutitelefonis olevaid sensoreid ning lisaks Arduino mikrokontrolleritest tulevat väliskeskoona informatsiooni. Antud bakalaurusetöö suurimaks panuseks on PhoneGap raamistikule loodud moodul, mis võimaldab pärida Arduino mikrokontrollerist saadetud sensorite informatsiooni kliendipoolsest koodist, mis tavaliste lahendustega pole võimalik.Latest technological achievements in mobile and open-source electronics platforms made it possible to develop pervasive applications that use environmental information to enhance software usability aspects in real-time, like in the case of context-aware mobile games. However, the development of this kind of pervasive applications is tied to speci c aspects owned by each mobile platform (e.g. programming language, SDK and tools, etc.). Moreover, a considerable effort and knowledge in low-level programming techniques is required for porting the applications between platforms, and thus in general most of the solutions are targeted at particular platform. In order to investigate the possibility of creating portable pervasive applications that combine sensor information from the multiple micromechanical artefacts embedded within the smartphones, we used contextual sensor data provided by Arduino Microcontroller. The current thesis proposed extending the existing implementation of PhoneGap to create hybrid mobile applications based on HTML5 that are easy to port, maintain and reuse