Bluetooth enabled Peer2Peer services in ActorFrame

TLDR: This thesis evaluates ActorFrame as a framework for service creation in Bluetooth ad hoc networks and finds limitations both regarding mobile devices running applications based on the ActorFrame framework and the framework itself are discovered.

Abstract: To make services for mobile devices more user friendly wireless communication is a very helpful tool. Wireless communication normally requires no or very little user input, and communication over a wireless interface is therefore in many cases preferred. A trend today is for example that radio or TV shows are recorded to your mobile device during the day. When arriving your home/office the media file can be transferred or streamed to your desktop computer and/or stereo for better sound and larger screen. Normally this is done using a docking station, but this could also be done through a wireless interface. Combining wireless communication with more advanced service logic opens the possibilities for easier file sharing between mobile devices in a peer-to-peer fashion. This thesis evaluates ActorFrame as a framework for service creation in Bluetooth ad hoc networks. Through the thesis limitations in the Bluetooth protocol and mobile devices supporting the Bluetooth protocol are discovered. One of the known limitations of Bluetooth is the range limitation, since Bluetooth only is a short range protocol. To extend the range between Bluetooth enabled devices they must be able to function as mediators. For this to be possible information regarding available services on the different devices must be exchanged. This task is performed by routing protocols. The existing routing protocol in ActorFrame is evaluated, and a study of alternative wired and wireless routing protocols is also done. Besides user friendliness a service should be as cheap as possible. This way as many people as possible will use the service. The Bluetooth functionality integrated in the framework evaluated in this thesis could be utilized in a beneficial way. For example the functionality could be used in peer-to-peer kind of services mentioned above, where a media file is transferred from the mobile device to the desktop computer. Other wireless technologies could also be used for this purpose, namely GPRS or UMTS. As opposed to Bluetooth transmission, which is free, data transmission using either of these two technologies cost money to use. If ActorFrame could be used in a beneficial way depends on the performance of the Bluetooth functionality. Performance below what a certain service demands, where UMTS can offer the required performance quality, would imply that the framework could not be used in a beneficial way. To test this performance the possibilities of streaming MP3’s via the Bluetooth interface using ActorFrame based devices is studied, where a prototype is designed. Through this study limitations both regarding mobile devices running applications based on the ActorFrame framework and the framework itself are discovered.