Using ontologies for modeling context-aware services platforms

This paper discusses the suitability of using ontologies for modeling context-aware services platforms. It addresses the directions of research we are following in the WASP (Web Architectures for Services Platforms) project. For this purpose a simple scenario is considered

A framework for requirements engineering for context-aware services

Context-aware services, especially when made available to mobile devices, constitute an interesting but very challenging domain. It poses fundamental problems for both requirements engineering, software architecture, and their relationship. We propose a novel, reflection-based framework for requirements engineering for this class of applications. The framework addresses the key difficulties in this field, such as changing context and changing requirements. We report preliminary work on this framework and suggest future directions

Towards Self-evolving Context-aware Services

The introduction of new communication infrastructures such as Beyond 3rd Generation (B3G) and the widespread usage of small computing devices are rapidly changing the way we use and interact with technology to perform everyday tasks. Ubiquitous networking empowered by B3G networking makes it possible for mobile users to access networked software services across continuously changing heterogeneous infrastructures by resource-constrained devices. Heterogeneity and devices' limitedness, create serious problems for the development and dynamic deployment of mobile applications that are able to run properly on the execution context and consume services matching with the users' expectations. Furthermore, the everchanging B3G environment calls for applications that self-evolve according to context changes. Out of these problems, self-evolving adaptable applications are increasingly emerging in the software community. In this paper we describe how CHAMELEON, a declarative framework for tailoring adaptable applications, is being used for tackling adaptation and self-evolution within the IST PLASTIC project

Agent-oriented approach to develop context-aware applications : a case study on communities of practice

This paper presents and discusses the use of an agent-oriented context-aware platform to support the interactions of the participating actors of communities of practice in the health care domain. Our work is based on a scenario where communities of practice are applied in a hospital to enhance the knowledge sharing among the hospital staff members who share interests and goals. An agent-oriented modeling language (AORML) is used to support the analysis of contextual information and interaction between participating actors in the context-aware services platform. The chosen supporting platform is a context-aware services platform that uses semantic web services and runs on top of 3G networks

Context-Aware Services for Physical Hypermedia Applications

In this paper we present an approach for designing and deploying context-aware services in the context of physical hypermedia applications, those applications in which mobile users explore real and digital objects using the hypermedia paradigm. We show how to adapt the objects’ response to the user’s navigation context by changing the role these objects play in the user’s travel. We first motivate our research with a simple example and survey some related work; next we introduce the concept of travel object and show that physical objects might assume the role of different type of travel objects. We then present an architectural approach for context-aware services and describe its evolution into a software substrate for physical hypermedia services. We conclude by indicating some further work we are pursuing.Publicado en: OTM'06 Proceedings of the 2006 international conference on On the Move to Meaningful Internet Systems: AWeSOMe, CAMS, COMINF, IS, KSinBIT, MIOS-CIAO, MONET - Volume Part IIFacultad de InformáticaLaboratorio de Investigación y Formación en Informática Avanzada (LIFIA

Context-Aware Services for Physical Hypermedia Applications

In this paper we present an approach for designing and deploying context-aware services in the context of physical hypermedia applications, those applications in which mobile users explore real and digital objects using the hypermedia paradigm. We show how to adapt the objects’ response to the user’s navigation context by changing the role these objects play in the user’s travel. We first motivate our research with a simple example and survey some related work; next we introduce the concept of travel object and show that physical objects might assume the role of different type of travel objects. We then present an architectural approach for context-aware services and describe its evolution into a software substrate for physical hypermedia services. We conclude by indicating some further work we are pursuing.Publicado en: OTM'06 Proceedings of the 2006 international conference on On the Move to Meaningful Internet Systems: AWeSOMe, CAMS, COMINF, IS, KSinBIT, MIOS-CIAO, MONET - Volume Part IIFacultad de InformáticaLaboratorio de Investigación y Formación en Informática Avanzada (LIFIA

Evaluating Interaction of MAS Providing Context-Aware Services

Proceeding of: 5th KES International Conference, KES-AMSTA 2011, Manchester, UK, June 29 – July 1, 2011Much effort has been spent on suggesting and implementing new architectures of MAS to specific domains. Often each new architecture is not even compared to any existing architectures in order to evaluate their potential benefits. The evaluation of Multi-Agent Systems (MAS) is a complex problem and it does not have a single form. The present work follows the research line of considering the agent interaction as the main evaluation criteria, the most important characteristic of any complex software as autonomous agents according to [9]. So, in this paper, we have suggested an assignment of evaluation values to Agents interaction in an specific MAS architecture for providing context services by means of conversational agents. This evaluation is mainly based on the relevance of the messages content brought by an interaction. For dependant nature of the relevance of the messages, the valuation has to be adhoc, but our paper provides an example of how interesting is this alternative in order to evaluate any MAS architecture theoretically.Funded by projects CICYT TIN2008-06742-C02-02/TSI, CICYT TEC2008-06732- C02-02/TEC, SINPROB, CAM MADRINET S-0505/TIC/0255, and DPS2008-07029- C02-02

Exploring the motivations involved in context aware services

This paper reports on research focused upon understanding the factors influencing the effective use of context aware adaptive systems. Unlike many desktop applications, ubiquitous computing supports users in dynamic situations by utilizing surrounding context to help them manage and utilise technology. It is by its nature highly dynamic since it responds to changes in context of use, and this brings new challenges to interaction design. In particular, there is still little research into human factors relating to the effectiveness and appropriateness of ubiquitous computing concepts. We review theoretical factors regarding human user’s motivation, emotion, perception and preference that are relevant to evaluating ubiquitous computing. Here we then report on empirical research relating these theoretical factors to the use of contextually aware adaptive systems. The results show that there is a significant difference in users' preferences between intrinsic and extrinsic motivations. The other findings identify the importance and role of user involvement in decision-making processes. Overall the work raises interesting questions about the nature of empirical research as a methodology of relevance to adaptive system design

A case study on the transformation of context-aware domain data onto XML schemas

In order to accelerate the development of context-aware applications, it would be convenient to have a smooth path between the context models and the automated services that support these models. This paper discusses how MDA technology (metamodelling and the QVT standard) can support the transformation of high-level models of context-aware services onto the implementation of these services using web services. The total transformation process from context-aware services onto web services involves the following aspects: 1. service signatures, which should be translated onto WSDL definitions; 2. context-aware domain data used as input and output data in service operations, which should be translated onto XML schemas; and 3. service behaviours, which should be used to generate the service implementation. This paper concentrates on the modelling and transformation of the context-aware domain data. The results of this paper are generally applicable to the transformation of elements of any domain-specific language expressed in terms of a metamodel onto XML Schema data

Towards a Reference Architecture for Context-Aware Services

This Chapter describes an infrastructure for multi-modal perceptual systems which aims at developing and realizing computer services that are delivered to humans in an implicit and unobtrusive way. The framework presented here supports the implementation of humancentric context-aware applications providing non-obtrusive assistance to participants in events such as meetings, lectures, conferences and presentations taking place in indoor "smart spaces". We emphasize on the design and implementation of an agent-based framework that supports "pluggable" service logic in the sense that the service developer can concentrate on the service logic independently of the underlying middleware. Furthermore, we give an example of the architecture’s ability to support the cooperation of multiple services in a meeting scenario using an intelligent connector service and a semantic web oriented travel service. The framework was developed as part of the project CHIL (Computers in the Human Interaction Loop). The vision of CHIL was to be able to provide context-aware human centric services which will operate in the background, provide assistance to the participants in the CHIL spaces and undertake tedious tasks in an unobtrusive way. To achieve this, significant effort had to be put in designing efficient context extraction components so that the CHIL system can acquire an accurate perspective of the current state of the CHIL space. However, the CHIL services required a much more sophisticated modelling of the actual event, rather than simple and fluctuating impressions of it. Furthermore, by nature the CHIL spaces are highly dynamic and heterogeneous; people join or leave, sensors fail or are restarted, user devices connect to the network, etc. To manage this diverse infrastructure, sophisticated techniques were necessary that can map all entities present in the CHIL system and provide information to all components which may require it. From these facts, one can easily understand that in addition to highly sophisticated components at an individual level, another mechanism (or a combination of mechanisms) should be present which can handle this infrastructure. The CHIL Reference Architecture for Multi Modal Systems lies in the background, and provides the solid, high performance and robust backbone for the CHIL services. Each individual need is assigned to a specially designed and integrated layer which is docked to the individual component, and provides all the necessary actions to enable the component to be plugged in the CHIL framework