Multimedia Content Distribution Management Using a Distributed Topology

Advertising plays an important role in order for many companies to promote their products and services. It can be expensive to place advertisements with no guarantees that the message will reach the intended persons. In this field, targeted advertising is the mainstream strategy to captivate the potential consumer. People are used to see advertisements everywhere they go in many different forms. One of those is the use of screen displays that are believed to make the ads more engaging. However, using digital screens to advertise may lead to some issues, like down times or unwanted error messages from the device that controls the screens. This can cause a bad experience for both the target audience and the advertiser. This thesis was developed within the scope of a project called Vixtape. It’s a platform with the goal of turning any public screen into an ads displaying device and in the process reward the screen owner by exposing ads to the target audience. It also has the mission of giving the end user a optimal technological experience, no flaws and highly efficient. All these characteristics are accomplished by the use of a new open source technology called Interplanetary File System (IPFS), that allow devices to share content between them in a Peer-to-Peer (P2P) topology. This content distribution method saves Internet bandwidth to the end user (i.e., the Vixtape service client) and also enables the devices to work offline in case their Internet connection drops. This will greatly reduce the common problems seen with ads screen, thus giving a better experience to both the audience and the end user. By the end of this document one can see that, adding a distributed topology to the Vixtape platform increased the Internet usage efficiency of the ads devices by always having up-to-date content available. This avoids that a device unnecessarily requests content from any of the other devices that had previously requested it. Additionally, a strategy to target a given audience was employed in order to choose the right ads to play. This further increases the maximum potential consumers the advertisements are shown to

Intelligent Circuits and Systems

ICICS-2020 is the third conference initiated by the School of Electronics and Electrical Engineering at Lovely Professional University that explored recent innovations of researchers working for the development of smart and green technologies in the fields of Energy, Electronics, Communications, Computers, and Control. ICICS provides innovators to identify new opportunities for the social and economic benefits of society.　 This conference bridges the gap between academics and R&D institutions, social visionaries, and experts from all strata of society to present their ongoing research activities and foster research relations between them. It provides opportunities for the exchange of new ideas, applications, and experiences in the field of smart technologies and finding global partners for future collaboration. The ICICS-2020 was conducted in two broad categories, Intelligent Circuits & Intelligent Systems and Emerging Technologies in Electrical Engineering

Mobility management in 5G heterogeneous networks

In recent years, mobile data traffic has increased exponentially as a result of widespread popularity and uptake of portable devices, such as smartphones, tablets and laptops. This growth has placed enormous stress on network service providers who are committed to offering the best quality of service to consumer groups. Consequently, telecommunication engineers are investigating innovative solutions to accommodate the additional load offered by growing numbers of mobile users. The fifth generation (5G) of wireless communication standard is expected to provide numerous innovative solutions to meet the growing demand of consumer groups. Accordingly the ultimate goal is to achieve several key technological milestones including up to 1000 times higher wireless area capacity and a significant cut in power consumption. Massive deployment of small cells is likely to be a key innovation in 5G, which enables frequent frequency reuse and higher data rates. Small cells, however, present a major challenge for nodes moving at vehicular speeds. This is because the smaller coverage areas of small cells result in frequent handover, which leads to lower throughput and longer delay. In this thesis, a new mobility management technique is introduced that reduces the number of handovers in a 5G heterogeneous network. This research also investigates techniques to accommodate low latency applications in nodes moving at vehicular speeds

Mobility in a Globalised World

The term mobility has different meanings in the following academic disciplines. In economics, mobility is the ability of an individual or a group to improve their economic status in relation to income and wealth within their lifetime or between generations. In information systems and computer science, mobility is used for the concept of mobile computing, in which a computer is transported by a person during normal use. Logistics creates, by the design of logistics networks, the infrastructure for the mobility of people and goods. Electric mobility is one of today’s solutions from engineering perspective to reduce the need of energy resources and environmental impact. Moreover, for urban planning, mobility is the crunch question about how to optimize the different needs for mobility and how to link different transportation systems. The conference “Mobility in a Globalised World” took place in Iserlohn, Germany, on September 14th – 15th, 2011. The aim of this conference was to provide an interdisciplinary forum for the exchange of ideas among practitioners, researchers, and government officials regarding the different modes of mobility in a globalised world, focusing on both domestic and international issues. The proceedings at hand document the results of the presentations and ensuing discussions at the conference

Giving all energy stakeholders a voice: developing a theoretical framework for the uptake and sustained use of improved/clean biomass energy technologies

Achieving Sustainable Development Goal 7 - to ensure universal access to affordable, reliable and modern energy services by 2030 – represents a considerable challenge. Currently, 40% of the global population do not have access to sustainable energy sources, and instead rely on burning biomass (wood, dung, agricultural waste) to satisfy their energy needs. Despite a long history of energy technology for poverty-alleviation across the globe many interventions fail at persuading end-users to continue using such technologies beyond an initial adoption phase. Whilst many champion sustainable energy solutions, most implementation and evaluation approaches do not consider long term sustained use. As a result, many end-user-orientated energy solutions, such as Improved Cookstoves (ICS), fall out of use once project partners depart. These failures often reflect the fact that energy-focused development initiatives are shaped by increasingly complex technologies rather than social methodologies that prioritise understanding end-user priorities and the complex contextual barriers to sustained use. The global energy context is echoed in the focus country of this research Nepal. Nepal has a long history of International Development assistance, yet 65.8% of rural households still use firewood as their primary source of energy. Unfortunately, whilst 94% of Nepal’s population has access to electricity (The World Bank, 2018), the supply is often unstable and the infrastructure not suitable for households to rely on electricity for their cooking needs (Clements et al., 2020). This results in only 29% of the population having access to clean cooking fuels and technologies (The World Bank, 2018). In addition to these objective factors, I have an established network of International Development energy contacts that could facilitate an easy and effective working environment across Nepal. In this research I design, develop and present a novel qualitative implementation or delivery model, the Technology Implementation Model for Energy (TIME), for practitioners and policymakers that focuses on refining three core areas of energy technology implementation; to rethink how impact is defined, to understand differences between practitioner perception and end-user reality, and to champion a co-produced approach with all key stakeholders in the energy value chain or system. TIME is the first energy technology implementation model to blend Social Enterprise, Appropriate Technology, behavioural change models utilised in the Water, Hygiene and Sanitation (WASH) and Health sectors, and International Development planning tools. This method promotes a values-driven approach centred around co-production, ownership, use of resources and equality. In addition, I focus on evaluating the Nepali biomass ICS sector in two parts, the first using the Market Map Tool and second, using TIME. The results of which have been published at Robinson et al. (2021b) and Robinson et al. (2021a) respectively. The application of these tools leads to insights into the sector such as, the role of ‘stacking’ ICS (using multiple energy fuels/technologies simultaneously), the impact of demand and supply side incentives, and policy changes to increase the sustained use of ICS

Giving all energy stakeholders a voice: developing a theoretical framework for the uptake and sustained use of improved/clean biomass energy technologies

Achieving Sustainable Development Goal 7 - to ensure universal access to affordable, reliable and modern energy services by 2030 – represents a considerable challenge. Currently, 40% of the global population do not have access to sustainable energy sources, and instead rely on burning biomass (wood, dung, agricultural waste) to satisfy their energy needs. Despite a long history of energy technology for poverty-alleviation across the globe many interventions fail at persuading end-users to continue using such technologies beyond an initial adoption phase. Whilst many champion sustainable energy solutions, most implementation and evaluation approaches do not consider long term sustained use. As a result, many end-user-orientated energy solutions, such as Improved Cookstoves (ICS), fall out of use once project partners depart. These failures often reflect the fact that energy-focused development initiatives are shaped by increasingly complex technologies rather than social methodologies that prioritise understanding end-user priorities and the complex contextual barriers to sustained use. The global energy context is echoed in the focus country of this research Nepal. Nepal has a long history of International Development assistance, yet 65.8% of rural households still use firewood as their primary source of energy. Unfortunately, whilst 94% of Nepal’s population has access to electricity (The World Bank, 2018), the supply is often unstable and the infrastructure not suitable for households to rely on electricity for their cooking needs (Clements et al., 2020). This results in only 29% of the population having access to clean cooking fuels and technologies (The World Bank, 2018). In addition to these objective factors, I have an established network of International Development energy contacts that could facilitate an easy and effective working environment across Nepal. In this research I design, develop and present a novel qualitative implementation or delivery model, the Technology Implementation Model for Energy (TIME), for practitioners and policymakers that focuses on refining three core areas of energy technology implementation; to rethink how impact is defined, to understand differences between practitioner perception and end-user reality, and to champion a co-produced approach with all key stakeholders in the energy value chain or system. TIME is the first energy technology implementation model to blend Social Enterprise, Appropriate Technology, behavioural change models utilised in the Water, Hygiene and Sanitation (WASH) and Health sectors, and International Development planning tools. This method promotes a values-driven approach centred around co-production, ownership, use of resources and equality. In addition, I focus on evaluating the Nepali biomass ICS sector in two parts, the first using the Market Map Tool and second, using TIME. The results of which have been published at Robinson et al. (2021b) and Robinson et al. (2021a) respectively. The application of these tools leads to insights into the sector such as, the role of ‘stacking’ ICS (using multiple energy fuels/technologies simultaneously), the impact of demand and supply side incentives, and policy changes to increase the sustained use of ICS

Libro de Actas JCC&BD 2018 : VI Jornadas de Cloud Computing & Big Data

Se recopilan las ponencias presentadas en las VI Jornadas de Cloud Computing & Big Data (JCC&BD), realizadas entre el 25 al 29 de junio de 2018 en la Facultad de Informática de la Universidad Nacional de La Plata.Universidad Nacional de La Plata (UNLP) - Facultad de Informátic

InGAME international pathway to collaboration: Collaboration in Games UK-China

In 2019 the Arts &amp; Humanities Research Council (AHRC) funded a series of projects as part of its UK-China Creative Partnerships Programme. Led by Abertay University in partnership with academic and industry partners across the UK and China, InGAME International was funded through this AHRC programme with the aim of studying the potential for UK-China cooperation and collaboration in the computer games sector. The project is linked to the AHRC Creative Industries Cluster, InGAME: Innovation for Games and Media Enterprise, which is also led by Abertay University in partnership with the University of Dundee and University of St Andrews. The games industry is one of the largest and fastest growing sectors in both the UK and the Chinese creative economies. In 2023, China was the largest gaming market globally with revenue forecast at $82.064 billion compared with$7.94 billion in the UK (Statista, 2023). The growth in China’s market has long been the source of appeal for UK game developers and publishers seeking new routes to market. However, the divergence between the UK and China in terms of market profile, consumption patterns, leading companies, technologies, regulation, licensing, management, and business culture has presented ongoing difficulties for any UK based developer interested in engagement in- or with- China. It is from this basis that the current study sought to consolidate industry, legal, and regulatory knowhow with a view to providing a valuable resource to games professionals and researchers who have interests in UK-China collaboration. This Pathway to Collaboration report curates the cumulative knowledge and insight generated during the InGAME International programme, with an intended audience of games industry professionals and researchers interested in UK-China collaboration. At the heart of the research is an unprecedented qualitative study that involved in-depth interviews with 47 leading experts from the UK, China and other territories and with knowledge of games development, business, publishing, marketing, localisation, IP, copyright, regulation, markets, and sales. This report is the first comprehensive qualitative study to investigate the intersection between the UK and China games industries and markets at this scale and depth, providing readers with an invaluable, interactive resource that will support professionals and researchers to initiate new collaborations between the two nations.</p

InGAME international pathway to collaboration: Collaboration in Games UK-China

In 2019 the Arts &amp; Humanities Research Council (AHRC) funded a series of projects as part of its UK-China Creative Partnerships Programme. Led by Abertay University in partnership with academic and industry partners across the UK and China, InGAME International was funded through this AHRC programme with the aim of studying the potential for UK-China cooperation and collaboration in the computer games sector. The project is linked to the AHRC Creative Industries Cluster, InGAME: Innovation for Games and Media Enterprise, which is also led by Abertay University in partnership with the University of Dundee and University of St Andrews. The games industry is one of the largest and fastest growing sectors in both the UK and the Chinese creative economies. In 2023, China was the largest gaming market globally with revenue forecast at $82.064 billion compared with$7.94 billion in the UK (Statista, 2023). The growth in China’s market has long been the source of appeal for UK game developers and publishers seeking new routes to market. However, the divergence between the UK and China in terms of market profile, consumption patterns, leading companies, technologies, regulation, licensing, management, and business culture has presented ongoing difficulties for any UK based developer interested in engagement in- or with- China. It is from this basis that the current study sought to consolidate industry, legal, and regulatory knowhow with a view to providing a valuable resource to games professionals and researchers who have interests in UK-China collaboration. This Pathway to Collaboration report curates the cumulative knowledge and insight generated during the InGAME International programme, with an intended audience of games industry professionals and researchers interested in UK-China collaboration. At the heart of the research is an unprecedented qualitative study that involved in-depth interviews with 47 leading experts from the UK, China and other territories and with knowledge of games development, business, publishing, marketing, localisation, IP, copyright, regulation, markets, and sales. This report is the first comprehensive qualitative study to investigate the intersection between the UK and China games industries and markets at this scale and depth, providing readers with an invaluable, interactive resource that will support professionals and researchers to initiate new collaborations between the two nations.</p

Controlo de acesso ao meio em comunicações veiculares de tempo-real

Despite several preventive measures, the number of roadway accidents is still very high, being considered even a problem of public health by some entities. This thesis has as global purpose of contributing to the reduction of that number of accidents, and consequent fatalities, by using safety-related applications that use communication among vehicles. In particular, the primary goal is guaranteeing that communication between users in vehicular environments is done with appropriate time bounds to transfer safety-critical information. In detail, it is studied how to manage the scheduling of message’s transmissions (medium access control - MAC), in order to define precisely who will communicate and when is the appropriate instant. The preferable situation where a communication infrastructure is present with full coverage (RSUs) is also studied, from which medium access control is defined precisely, and vehicles (OBUs) become aware of medium utilization. Also, sporadic situations (e.g., absence of RSUs) are studied in which the communication network is “ad hoc” and solely formed by the current vehicles. It is used the recently WAVE / IEEE 802.11p standard, specific for vehicular communications, and it is proposed a TDMA based solution, with appropriate coordination between RSUs in order to effectively disseminate a critical safety event. It is taken into account two different ways of choosing the instant for the initial broadcast, and both cases are compared. In case there is no infrastructure available, methods are derived to minimize communication medium access collisions, and to maximize the available bandwidth. The results reflect the total end-to-end delay, and show that adequate times are attained, and meet with the requisites for the type of applications being considered. Also, enhancements are obtained when using the alternate choice for the initial broadcast instant.Apesar de diversas medidas preventivas, o número de acidentes rodoviários continua a ser muito elevado, sendo mesmo considerado uma questão de saúde pública por algumas entidades. Esta tese tem como objetivo geral contribuir para a redução desse número de acidentes, e consequentes fatalidades, através da utilização de aplicações de segurança que envolvem comunicação entre veículos. Em particular, o objetivo principal é garantir que a comunicação entre utentes, em ambientes veiculares, seja efetuada com limites temporais apropriados à transferência de informações críticas. De forma mais detalhada, é estudada a gestão do escalonamento das transmissões (controlo de acesso ao meio – MAC) que irá definir quem vai comunicar e quando o pode fazer. São estudadas situações (desejadas) onde há uma infra-estrutura de comunicações com cobertura integral (RSUs), a partir da qual se faz a coordenação do acesso ao meio pelos veículos (OBUs), e situações (esporádicas, por ausência de RSU) em que a rede de comunicação é “ad hoc” e apenas constituída pelos veículos presentes. Utiliza-se a recente norma WAVE / IEEE 802.11p, específica para comunicações veiculares, e propõe-se uma solução baseada em TDMA, com coordenação apropriada entre RSUs para disseminação efetiva de um evento crítico de segurança. A escolha do instante para o broadcast inicial do evento de segurança também é tida em conta, e são comparados dois casos distintos. No caso da ausência de infraestrutura, derivam-se métodos para minimizar colisões no acesso ao meio de comunicação, e maximizar a largura de banda disponível. Os resultados refletem o atraso total end-to-end, mostrando tempos apropriados para os requisitos das aplicações em causa, e evidenciando melhorias aquando da escolha alternativa para o instante do broadcast inicial.Programa Doutoral em Engenharia Eletrotécnic