Mobile Plus Expressways Travel Assistant Assistant System (M-PEX)

Most frequent PLUS Expressways users found it was difficult for them to access point-of-need information (e.g. toll fare, RSA, Touch ‘n Go and etc.) while travelling on the expressways. Currently, the only way to do so was through the web based application.Thus, the purpose of this study is to develop a mobile application, Mobile PLUS Expressways Travel Assistant System (M-PEX) that will be able to assist PLUS Expressways users by providing on the spot information. M-PEX will focus on five main functions which are toll fare calculation, travel duration calculation,facilities,services provided by PLUS and PLUS user guide. M-PEX was developed using Rational Unified Process (RUP) methodology. A user acceptance testing and evaluation has been high reliability of M-PEX’s ability to assist user by providing on the spot information. They also show some interesting differences in user response between the users who owns transportation and users who does not owns transportation, due to differences in the frequency of using PLUS Expressways

Position Management für ortsbezogene Community-Dienste

In Location-based Community Services (LBCSs) mobile users interchange and correlate their spatial positions, for example, in order to find out which other community members are currently staying nearby. The so-called position management is responsible for the transmission, analysis, processing and access control of position information, which is directed along a corresponding supply chain. The supply chain spans from the mobile device of the target person, where the position is derived, for example, by GPS, via intermediaries like the location or LBS provider, to the domain of the user. Community services pose special requirements on position management, which can be coarsely divided into the fields privacy protection and efficiency: First, the target person must be able to control by who and under which circumstances her position information is accessed. To guarantee that, it must be possible to anonymize the position data with respect to the location and LBS provider, for which so far no technique exists that is suited for community services. Also, the target person must be able to authorize requests to access her position in an easy and socially acceptable fashion. Second, concepts for efficiently realizing so-called proactive multi-target LBCSs are needed. These services are automatically triggered as soon as two or more target person have entered into a certain pre-defined spatial constellation. An example is buddy tracking, which automatically detects when two persons have approached each other below a certain proximity distance. The technical problem to solve is the frequent transmission of position information over the scarce air-interface and the associated energy consumption at the mobile terminal of the target person. This dissertation develops new concepts in both of the sketched fields and shows their feasibility based on numerous simulations and analytical reflection. Also the TraX-platform is presented, which practically implements the developed concepts.Bei ortsbezogenen Community-Diensten (Location-based Community Services, LBCSs) tauschen mobile Nutzer ihre Ortsinformationen miteinander aus oder setzen sie zueinander in Beziehung, zum Beispiel um zu erfahren, welche anderen Community-Mitglieder gerade in der Nähe sind. Dabei regelt das so genannte Position Management die Übertragung, Analyse, Aufbereitung und Zugriffsverwaltung der Ortsinformationen entlang einer entsprechenden Wertschöpfungskette. Diese erstreckt sich vom Endgerät der Zielperson, auf dem die Ortsinformation zum Beispiel mittels GPS abgeleitet wird, über Intermediäre wie dem Location und LBS Provider bis hin zum Nutzer. Bei Community-Diensten ergeben sich die folgenden Herausforderungen an das Position Management, die sich grob in die Bereiche Datenschutz und Effizienz einteilen lassen: Zum einen soll die Zielperson Kontrolle darüber erhalten, wer unter welchen Umständen auf ihre Ortsinformationen zugreifen darf. Um dies zu gewährleisten, müssen Ortsdaten vor dem Location und LBS Provider anonymisiert werden können, wofür bislang keine für Community-Dienste geeignete Technik besteht. Außerdem soll die Zielperson in der Lage sein, den Zugriff anderer Nutzer auf eine möglichst einfache und sozial akzeptable Form zu steuern. Zum anderen sollen so genannte proaktive Mehrpersonen-LBCSs effizient realisiert werden. Hier wird automatisch erkannt, wenn zwei oder mehr Zielpersonen eine vorher definierte räumliche Konstellation zueinander einnehmen. Ein Beispiel ist Buddy Tracking, bei dem automatisch festgestellt wird, ob sich zwei Personen einander angenähert haben. Das Problem hierbei ist die häufige Übertragung von Ortsinformationen über die knappe Luftschnittstelle und der hohe, damit einhergehende Energieverbrauch auf dem Enderät der Zielperson. Auch hier fehlen bislang geeignete Lösungsansätze. Die Dissertation entwickelt daher neuartige Konzepte in beiden vorgestellten Bereichen und zeigt deren Eignung anhand zahlreicher Simulationen sowie analytischer Bewertungen. Auch wird die TraX-Plattform vorgestellt, welche die erarbeiteten Konzepte praktisch umsetzt

Mobile Learning using Mixed Reality Games and a Conversational, Instructional and Motivational Paradigm. Design and implementation of technical language learning mobile games for the developing world with special attention to mixed reality games for the realization of a conversational, instructional and motivational paradigm.

Mobile learning has significant potential to be very influential in further and higher education. In this research a new definition for Mobile Educational Mixed Reality Games (MEMRG) is proposed based on a mobile learning environment. A questionnaire and a quantifying scale are utilised to assist the game developers in designing a MEMRG. A ¿Conversational Framework¿ is proposed as an appropriate psycho-pedagogical approach to teaching and learning for MEMRG. This methodology is based on the theme of a ¿conversation¿ between different actors of the learning community with the objective of building the architectural framework for MEMRG. Various elements responsible for instructing and motivating learners in educational games are utilised in an instructional-motivational model. User interface design for the games incorporates an efficient navigation system that uses contextual information, and allows the players to move seamlessly between real and virtual worlds. The implementation of MEMRG using the Java 2 Micro Edition (J2ME) platform iii is presented. The hardware and software specification for the MEMRG implementation and deployment are also discussed. MEMRG has produced improvements in the different cognitive processes of the learner, and also produced a deeper level of learning through enculturation, externalising ideas, and socialising. Learners¿ enjoyment, involvement, motivation, autonomy and metacognition skills have improved. This research will assist developers and teachers to gain an insight into learning paradigms which utilise mobile game environments that are formed by mixing real and virtual spaces, and provide them with a vision for effectively incorporating these games into formal and informal classroom sessions

A mobile toolkit and customised location server for the creation of cross-referencing location-based services

Although there are several Software Development kits and Application Programming Interfaces for client-side location-based services development, they mostly involve the creation of self-referencing location-based services. Self-referencing location-based services include services such as geocoding, reverse geocoding, route management and navigation which focus on satisfying the location-based requirements of a single mobile device. There is a lack of open-source Software Development Kits for the development of client-side location-based services that are cross-referencing. Cross-referencing location-based services are designed for the sharing of location information amongst different entities on a given network. This project was undertaken to assemble, through incremental prototyping, a client-side Java Micro Edition location-based services Software Development Kit and a Mobicents location server to aid mobile network operators and developers alike in the quick creation of the transport and privacy protection of cross-referencing location-based applications on Session Initiation Protocol bearer networks. The privacy of the location information is protected using geolocation policies. Developers do not need to have an understanding of Session Initiation Protocol event signaling specifications or of the XML Configuration Access Protocol to use the tools that we put together. The developed tools are later consolidated using two sample applications, the friend-finder and child-tracker services. Developer guidelines are also provided, to aid in using the provided tools

Security in Context-aware Mobile Business Applications

The support of location computation on mobile devices (e.g. mobile phones, PDAs) has enabled the development of context-aware and especially location-aware applications (e.g. Restaurant Finder, Friend Finder) which are becoming the new trend for future software applications. However, fears regarding security and privacy are the biggest barriers against their success. Especially, mobile users are afraid of the possible threats against their private identity and personal data. Within the M-Business research group at the University of Mannheim, various security and privacy aspects of context-aware mobile business applications are examined in this thesis. After providing a detailed introduction to context-aware applications, the security challenges of context-aware applications from the perspectives of different principals (i.e. mobile users, the broker, service providers) are analyzed. The privacy aspects, the challenges, the threats and legal directives regarding user privacy are explained and illustrated by real-life examples. The user-centric security architectures integrated within context-aware applications are introduced as anonymity and mobile identity management solutions. The M-Business security architecture providing security components for communication security, dynamic policy-based anonymity, secure storage on mobile devices, identity management for mobile users and cryptography libraries is explained in detail. The LaCoDa compiler which automatically generates final Java code from high level specifications of security protocols is introduced as a software-centric solution for preventing developer-specific security bugs in applications

Improving Content Delivery and Service Discovery in Networks

Production and consumption of multimedia content on the Internet is rising, fueled by the demand for content from services such as YouTube, Netflix and Facebook video. The Internet is shifting from host-based to content-centric networking. At the same time, users are shifting away from a homogeneous desktop computing environment to using a heterogeneous mix of devices, such as smartphones, tablets and thin clients, all of which allow users to consume data on the move using wireless and cellular data networks. The popularity of these new class of devices has, in turn, increased demand for multimedia content by mobile users. The emergence of rich Internet applications and the widespread adoption and use of High Definition (HD) video has also placed higher pressure on the service providers and the core Internet backbone, forcing service providers to respond to increased bandwidth use in such networks. In my thesis, I aim to provide clarity and insight into the usage of core networking protocols and multimedia consumption on both mobile and wireless networks, as well as the network core. I also present research prototypes for potential solutions to some of the problems caused by the increased multimedia consumption on the Internet

Persönliche Wege der Interaktion mit multimedialen Inhalten

Today the world of multimedia is almost completely device- and content-centered. It focuses it’s energy nearly exclusively on technical issues such as computing power, network specifics or content and device characteristics and capabilities. In most multimedia systems, the presentation of multimedia content and the basic controls for playback are main issues. Because of this, a very passive user experience, comparable to that of traditional TV, is most often provided. In the face of recent developments and changes in the realm of multimedia and mass media, this ”traditional” focus seems outdated. The increasing use of multimedia content on mobile devices, along with the continuous growth in the amount and variety of content available, make necessary an urgent re-orientation of this domain. In order to highlight the depth of the increasingly difficult situation faced by users of such systems, it is only logical that these individuals be brought to the center of attention. In this thesis we consider these trends and developments by applying concepts and mechanisms to multimedia systems that were first introduced in the domain of usercentrism. Central to the concept of user-centrism is that devices should provide users with an easy way to access services and applications. Thus, the current challenge is to combine mobility, additional services and easy access in a single and user-centric approach. This thesis presents a framework for introducing and supporting several of the key concepts of user-centrism in multimedia systems. Additionally, a new definition of a user-centric multimedia framework has been developed and implemented. To satisfy the user’s need for mobility and flexibility, our framework makes possible seamless media and service consumption. The main aim of session mobility is to help people cope with the increasing number of different devices in use. Using a mobile agent system, multimedia sessions can be transferred between different devices in a context-sensitive way. The use of the international standard MPEG-21 guarantees extensibility and the integration of content adaptation mechanisms. Furthermore, a concept is presented that will allow for individualized and personalized selection and face the need for finding appropriate content. All of which can be done, using this approach, in an easy and intuitive way. Especially in the realm of television, the demand that such systems cater to the need of the audience is constantly growing. Our approach combines content-filtering methods, state-of-the-art classification techniques and mechanisms well known from the area of information retrieval and text mining. These are all utilized for the generation of recommendations in a promising new way. Additionally, concepts from the area of collaborative tagging systems are also used. An extensive experimental evaluation resulted in several interesting findings and proves the applicability of our approach. In contrast to the ”lean-back” experience of traditional media consumption, interactive media services offer a solution to make possible the active participation of the audience. Thus, we present a concept which enables the use of interactive media services on mobile devices in a personalized way. Finally, a use case for enriching TV with additional content and services demonstrates the feasibility of this concept.Die heutige Welt der Medien und der multimedialen Inhalte ist nahezu ausschließlich inhalts- und geräteorientiert. Im Fokus verschiedener Systeme und Entwicklungen stehen oft primär die Art und Weise der Inhaltspräsentation und technische Spezifika, die meist geräteabhängig sind. Die zunehmende Menge und Vielfalt an multimedialen Inhalten und der verstärkte Einsatz von mobilen Geräten machen ein Umdenken bei der Konzeption von Multimedia Systemen und Frameworks dringend notwendig. Statt an eher starren und passiven Konzepten, wie sie aus dem TV Umfeld bekannt sind, festzuhalten, sollte der Nutzer in den Fokus der multimedialen Konzepte rücken. Um dem Nutzer im Umgang mit dieser immer komplexeren und schwierigen Situation zu helfen, ist ein Umdenken im grundlegenden Paradigma des Medienkonsums notwendig. Durch eine Fokussierung auf den Nutzer kann der beschriebenen Situation entgegengewirkt werden. In der folgenden Arbeit wird auf Konzepte aus dem Bereich Nutzerzentrierung zurückgegriffen, um diese auf den Medienbereich zu übertragen und sie im Sinne einer stärker nutzerspezifischen und nutzerorientierten Ausrichtung einzusetzen. Im Fokus steht hierbei der TV-Bereich, wobei die meisten Konzepte auch auf die allgemeine Mediennutzung übertragbar sind. Im Folgenden wird ein Framework für die Unterstützung der wichtigsten Konzepte der Nutzerzentrierung im Multimedia Bereich vorgestellt. Um dem Trend zur mobilen Mediennutzung Sorge zu tragen, ermöglicht das vorgestellte Framework die Nutzung von multimedialen Diensten und Inhalten auf und über die Grenzen verschiedener Geräte und Netzwerke hinweg (Session mobility). Durch die Nutzung einer mobilen Agentenplattform in Kombination mit dem MPEG-21 Standard konnte ein neuer und flexibel erweiterbarer Ansatz zur Mobilität von Benutzungssitzungen realisiert werden. Im Zusammenhang mit der stetig wachsenden Menge an Inhalten und Diensten stellt diese Arbeit ein Konzept zur einfachen und individualisierten Selektion und dem Auffinden von interessanten Inhalten und Diensten in einer kontextspezifischen Weise vor. Hierbei werden Konzepte und Methoden des inhaltsbasierten Filterns, aktuelle Klassifikationsmechanismen und Methoden aus dem Bereich des ”Textminings” in neuer Art und Weise in einem Multimedia Empfehlungssystem eingesetzt. Zusätzlich sind Methoden des Web 2.0 in eine als Tag-basierte kollaborative Komponente integriert. In einer umfassenden Evaluation wurde sowohl die Umsetzbarkeit als auch der Mehrwert dieser Komponente demonstriert. Eine aktivere Beteiligung im Medienkonsum ermöglicht unsere iTV Komponente. Sie unterstützt das Anbieten und die Nutzung von interaktiven Diensten, begleitend zum Medienkonsum, auf mobilen Geräten. Basierend auf einem Szenario zur Anreicherung von TV Sendungen um interaktive Dienste konnte die Umsetzbarkeit dieses Konzepts demonstriert werden

Cloud computing and context-awareness: A study of the adapted user experience

This thesis was submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and awarded by Brunel University.Today, mobile technology is part of everyday life and activities and the mobile ecosystems are blossoming, with smartphones and tablets being the major growth drivers. The mobile phones are no longer just another device, we rely on their capabilities in work and in private. We look to our mobile phones for timely and updated information and we rely on this being provided any time of any day at any place. Nevertheless, no matter how much you trust and love your mobile phone the quality of the information and the user experience is directly associated with the sources and presentation of information. In this perspective, our activities, interactions and preferences help shape the quality of service, content and products we use. Context-aware systems use such information about end-users as input mechanisms for producing applications based on mobile, location, social, cloud and customized content services. This represents new possibilities for extracting aggregated user-centric information and includes novel sources for context-aware applications. Accordingly, a Design Research based approach has been taken to further investigate the creation, presentation and tailoring of user-centric information. Through user evaluated experiments findings show how multi-dimensional context-aware information can be used to create adaptive solutions tailoring the user experience to the users’ needs. Research findings in this work; highlight possible architectures for integration of cloud computing services in a heterogeneous mobile environment in future context-aware solutions. When it comes to combining context-aware results from local computations with those of cloud based services, the results provide findings that give users tailored and adapted experiences based on the collective efforts of the two

Collaborative Quality Controlled Collection and Semantic Integration of Spatial Data

In den vergangenen Jahren ist die Verbreitung von mobilen Geräten mit integrierter Lokalisierungstechnologie (z.B. GPS) stark gestiegen. Jeder, der ein solches Gerät besitzt, kann zum Datenlieferanten werden und in einem Netzwerk von Freiwilligen, die Rolle eines Datensensors übernehmen. In der vorliegenden Dissertation werde ich zwei Problemstellungen näher betrachten, die im Kontext von raumbezogenen Daten, erhoben von Gemeinschaften aus fachlich (hier: geowissenschaftlich) nicht geschulten Nutzern, noch ungelöst sind: Wie können geowissenschaftliche Laien motiviert werden, freiwillig qualitätsgesicherte raumbezogene Daten zu erheben? Der erste Beitrag meiner Dissertation liefert eine Antwort auf diese Frage. Er beinhaltet ein Framework zum Design von ortsbezogenen Spielen, die geowissenschaftliche Laien motivieren, raumbezogene Daten qualitätsgesichert in spielerischer Art und Weise zu sammeln. Um es mit den Worten von Peltola et al. (2006) auszudrücken: ”game play is a natural motivator to participate in something that is not necessary or beneficial. [...] By controlling game events and perhaps game logics and rules, the agencies that ultimately use the gathered data, can steer players to do tasks supporting their needs“. Wie kann die Qualität von Sammlungen semantisch angereicherter raumbezogener Daten verbessert werden? Eine wichtige Eigenschaft von ortsbezogenen Spielen zur Datenerhebung ist die wiederholte Spielbarkeit. Im Gegensatz zu anderen Domänen ist nämlich die Erstellung redundanter Daten im raumbezogenen Kontext sogar erwünscht. Das Zusammenführen von Daten mehrerer Nutzer kann man als Mehrfachmessung auffassen, die sich dazu nutzen lässt, die Qualität von Lokalisierung (Wo?) und Kategorisierung (Was?) zu verbessern. Der zweite Beitrag meiner Dissertation gibt eine Antwort auf die Fragestellung und besteht in einem Ansatz zur semantischen Integration der gesammelten raumbezogenen Daten.In recent years, the proliferation of mobile devices capable of recording GPS coordinates has increased rapidly. Everyone owning such a device has the potential to be a ”voluntary sensor” (Goodchild, 2007) and as such provide useful information about his everyday environment. In my PhD thesis I want to investigate two research problems in the context of spatial data collected by these voluntary non-experts that are not solved yet: How can non-experts be motivated to collect quality controlled spatial data voluntarily? Therefore the first contribution of my PhD thesis is a framework to design location-based games that motivate voluntary non-experts to collect quality controlled spatial data in an entertaining way. To say it with Peltola et al. (2006): ”game play is a natural motivator to participate in something that is not necessary or beneficial. [...] By controlling game events and perhaps game logics and rules, the agencies that ultimately use the gathered data, can steer players to do tasks supporting their needs”. How can the quality of collections of semantically enhanced spatial data be improved? An important feature of location-based games for data collection is their replay ability. In contrast to other domains the redundant creation of data is very welcome in the context of spatial data. The integration of data from different users can be used to improve the quality of the localization (where?) and the categorization (what?) of such data. The second contribution of my PhD thesis is an approach to semantically integrate the collected spatial data