Showing papers on "Mobile technology published in 2000"

The design of personal mobile technologies for lifelong learning

Abstract: This paper sets out a framework for the design of a new genre of educational technology — personal (handheld or wearable) computer systems that support learning from any location throughout a lifetime. We set out a theory of lifelong learning mediated by technology and indicate how it can provide requirements for the software, hardware, communications and interface design of a handheld learning resource, or HandLeR. The paper concludes with a description and formative evaluation of a demonstrator system for children aged 7–11.

Network-based mobile workgroup system

Abstract: A network-based mobile workgroup system has considerably wider appeal and application than normal virtual private networks in that it provides seamless mobility across a number of access technologies at the same time as it offers a granular security separation down to workgroup level. The mobile workgroup system is an access management system for mobile users with VPN and firewall functionality inbuilt. The mobile user can access the mobile workgroup system over a set of access technologies and select server resources and correspondent nodes to access pending their workgroup membership approvals. All workgroup policy rules are defined in a mobile service manager and pushed down to one or more mobile service routers for policy enforcement. The mobile service router closest to the mobile client, and being part of the mobile virtual private network, performs regular authentication checks of the mobile client during service execution. At the same time it performs traffic filtering based on the mobile user's workgroup memberships. Together, these two components constitute an unprecedented security lock, effectively isolating a distributed workgroup into a mobile virtual private network.

Mobility management for a multimedia mobile network

Abstract: Various methodologies and related apparatus associated with mobility management issues within a packet-based multiaccess mobile communications system, which includes a plurality of mobile user stations and a plurality of network nodes, are provided. Location management techniques include tracking and/or locating mobile stations within the system. The invention makes use of home and visiting location registers in which information such as mobile station addresses and/or host names associated with mobile stations are stored. Mobile access methodologies include a complete mobile access method and a direct mobile access method. The former allows a mobile station to preferably include a unique address in the packets being transmitted, while the latter allows the station to merely use the host name of the destination station. The invention also includes various in-call mobility management techniques, including handoffs, which make use of the concept of an anchor.

Going wireless: behavior & practice of new mobile phone users

Abstract: We report on the results of a study in which 19 new mobile phone users were closely tracked for the first six weeks after service acquisition. Results show that new users tend to rapidly modify their perceptions of social appropriateness around mobile phone use, that actual nature of use frequently differs from what users initially predict, and that comprehension of service-oriented technologies can be problematic. We describe instances and features of mobile telephony practice. When in use, mobile phones occupy multiple social spaces simultaneously, spaces with norms that sometimes conflict: the physical space of the mobile phone user and the virtual space of the conversation.

MARS: a programmable coordination architecture for mobile agents

Abstract: Mobile agents offer much promise, but agent mobility and Internet openness make coordination more difficult. Mobile Agent Reactive Spaces (MARS), a Linda-like coordination architecture with programming features, can handle a heterogeneous network while still allowing simple and flexible application design.

Mobile commerce: a new frontier

Abstract: Electronic commerce continues to see phenomenal growth, but so far most e-commerce development involves wired infrastructures. The authors believe emerging wireless and mobile networks will provide new avenues for growth, creating new opportunities in mobile commerce. According to the GartnerGroup, a market research firm, by 2004 at least 40 percent of consumer-to-business e-commerce will come from smart phones using the wireless application protocol (WAP). Based on a study by the Wireless Data and Computing Service, a division of Strategy Analytics, the annual mobile commerce market may rise to $200 billion by 2004. The authors provide a mobile commerce framework to illustrate potential applications such as mobile inventory management, product location and search, proactive service management, and mobile entertainment. They also describe the wireless user and networking infrastructure, emerging W3C standards, and the open and global WAP specification.

Reliability and survivability of wireless and mobile networks

Abstract: The world is becoming more dependent on wireless and mobile services, but the ability of wireless network infrastructures to handle the growing demand is questionable. As wireless and mobile services grow, weaknesses in network infrastructures become clearer. Failures not only affect current voice and data use but could also limit emerging wireless applications such as e-commerce and high-bandwidth Internet access. As wireless and mobile systems play greater roles in emergency response, including 911 and enhanced 911 services, network failures take on life-or-death significance. Therefore, in addition to directing some attention to designing survivable wireless and mobile networks, developers must also keep in mind that increasingly pervasive and demanding services will further escalate the importance of reliability and survivability requirements. The authors explain several options providers must consider to decrease the number of network failures and to cope with failures when they do occur.

Method and system for providing resource access in a mobile environment

Abstract: Techniques that facilitate participation of mobile devices in accessing resources over a data network are disclosed. The data network can be wired, wireless or some combination thereof. In one aspect, a mobile navigation metaphor is provided to yield similar navigation experiences on both mobile devices and personal computers. In another aspect, a central content server is able to return requested content to requesters in a format suitable for their device.

Mobile IP joins forces with AAA

Abstract: We present a set of requirements for a new security architecture for mobile IP, organized according to a progressively more detailed model of operation. The first requirements follow from the natural model for operation used in today's Internet, with special attention focused on the kinds of existing security associations that have evolved over the last few years. From this model, additional needs can be associated with the need for machine configuration and, in particular the dynamic allocation of an IP home address for a mobile client that wishes to use mobile IP. From the requirements and the natural trust model, a message flow has been engineered. With the proposals currently under consideration in the IETF a mobile node becomes truly able to roam throughout the Internet, while on the other hand needing substantially less administrative attention. It only needs a password and an NAI to formulate its global passport. If the existing Internet becomes integrated with telephone and mobile cellular infrastructures, Mobile IP may lead the way to economical communications anywhere in the world. The interaction between mobile IP entities and accounting, authentication, and authorization (AAA) services supplies the missing piece to enable operators to make a business case for offering mobile IP wireless data to their customers.

A pre‐serialization transaction management technique for mobile multidatabases

Abstract: Rapid advances in hardware and wireless communication technology have made the concept of mobile computing a reality. Thus, evolving database technology needs to address the requirements of the future mobile user. The frequent disconnection and migration of the mobile user violate underlying presumptions about connectivity that exist in wired database systems and introduce new issues that affect transaction management. In this paper, we present the Pre-Serialization (PS) transaction management technique for the mobile multidatabase environment. This technique addresses disconnection and migration and enforces a range of atomicity and isolation criteria. We also develop an analytical model to compare the performance of the PS technique to that of the Kangaroo model.

CAMP: a context-aware mobile portal

Abstract: Context-awareness enhancing mobile computing is expected to be one of the major ingredients of the future wireless services based on IP technologies. This paper proposes the concept of a modular mobile Internet portal enhanced with context-awareness features. Some context-aware services built into the portal are explained and the benefit for the mobile users analyzed. We present a functional prototype, which has been successfully used as a concept proof.

Method and apparatus for updating applications on a mobile device via device synchronization

Abstract: A method and system for the delivery of updated web platform applications to a mobile electronic device upon synchronization of the mobile device with a computer. Specifically, one embodiment of the present invention discloses a method and system for dynamically creating personalized and up-to-date applications whenever a mobile electronic device is synchronized with a stand-alone computer system that is coupled to remotely located content servers or computers via a communication network, such as the Internet. Conduits act as gateways for synchronization between the mobile electronic device and the plurality of content servers or computers. These conduits coordinate the loading of the personalized and up-to-date applications onto the mobile electronic device. In one example, a user can then access up-to-date information on the applications at a more convenient time and while disconnected from the content servers or computers that provide the information.

System and method for providing wireless device access

Abstract: A system and method for enabling users to send and receive messages and other information from mobile devices and enabling users to access server-based information using mobile devices over wireless data networks are disclosed. The present invention provides a system and method for providing wireless device access where users may have access to electronic mail, calendar, public directories and other information from the user's mobile device, such as a cell phone, interactive pager, PDA or other wireless device, via a wireless service provider.

Reflection: A Solution For Highly Adaptive Mobile Systems

Abstract: Mobile systems are characterised by the fact that they operate in an environment prone to rapid and drastic changes [4]. More specifically, attributes like network quality of service (QoS) or power availability can vary significantly compared to non-mobile systems. Mobile applications should be capable of being informed of such changes and should also be able to adapt their behaviour accordingly in order to deliver the best level of service to the end-user. Moreover, future mobile systems should be capable of adapting to general environmental and contextual triggers such as the system’s physical location [2]. As presented in [3], current middleware support lacks the required level of control for co-ordinating highly adaptive systems triggered by multiple contextual attributes.

Method and system for implementing wireless data transfers between a selected group of mobile computing devices

Abstract: A wireless communication method for selective transmission of data among a group of mobile computing devices. A user's device is used to broadcast a query to determine a group of mobile computing devices within communications range. A list of resulting mobile computing devices is then presented to the user through the device's interface. The user selects at least one of the mobile computing devices from the list for a data transfer. The data transfer is then performed to the selected at least one mobile computing device. Upon completion of the transfer, a confirmation is presented to the user. In this manner, wireless data transfers can be performed with a number of different mobile computing devices within communications range. The user can select a number of mobile computing devices from the list and perform the data transfer to each of the selected number in a single step. The data transfer is performed using a wireless RF communications link. The wireless RF communications link can be compatible with a version of the Bluetooth specification.

Mobile computing in a hospital: the WARD-IN-HAND project

Abstract: We present file guidelines of a new project whose main task is to exploit mobile computers, comlected via a Wireless Networks, in Personal Health systems, computerizing patient clinical records with sophisticated solutions for taking clinical infommtion at the point of care.

Challenges in Mobile Electronic Commerce

Abstract: Advances in wireless network technology and the continuously increasing number of users of hand held terminals make the latter an ideal channel for offering personalized services to mobile users and give pace to the rapid development of Mobile Electronic Commerce (MEC). MEC operates partially in a differ ent environment than Internet E-Commerce due to the special characteristics and constraints of mobile terminals and wireless networks and the context, situations and circumstances that people use their hand-held terminals. In this paper, we discuss challen ges in electronic commerce transactions including designing new business models, applications and services.

Developing mobile computing applications with LIME

Abstract: Mobile computing defines a very dynamic and challenging scenario for which software engineering practices are still largely in their initial developments. LIME is a middleware designed to enable the rapid development of dependable applications in the mobile environment. The model underlying LIME allows for coordination of physical and logical mobile units by exploiting a reactive, transiently shared tuple space whose contents changes according to connectivity. In this demonstration, we report about initial experiences in developing applications for physical mobility using LIME.

Security Issues in Mobile eCommerce

Abstract: With Mobile e-commerce the mobile user can buy and pay for things, pay his bill or make a bet via his mobile phone when on the move, anywhere and at any time. Mobile e-commerce will bring convenience and contribute to improve life quality of the users. However, in order to be successful, security measures must be strong enough to protect the user from illegal abuses and to get confidence from him. Unfortunately, current security measures for mobile phones are not yet sufficient. This paper describes the R&D activities in mobile e-commerce at Ericsson, which aim at making mobile e-commerce applications secure and enabling a full-scale development and deployment of them. The paper starts with a definition of mobile e-commerce. Next are a summary of the Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) and its achievements. The problems related to security in mobile e-commerce are then described. Thereafter, the solution to the problems is presented. The paper concludes with a look on the future and discussions on what can be done.

Designing Wireless Information Services

Abstract: Mobility and the Wireless Web. Designing Mobile Information. Optimizing the Web for Mobile Access. XML, WAP, and Mobile Information Systems. Building a Mobile Information Site: By Example. Personalized Services: Adapting Information to Position and User Context. Future Mobile Network Technologies. Future Mobile and Multimedia Applications. Appendix. About the Software. Index.

A mobile agent based push methodology for global parallel computing

Abstract: The 1990s are seeing the explosive growth of the Internet and Web-based information sharing and dissemination systems. The Internet is also showing a potential of forming of a supercomputing resource out of networked computers. Parallel computing on the Internet often works in a machine-centric “pull” execution model. That is, a coordinator machine maintains a pool of tasks and distributes the tasks to other participants on demands. This paper proposes a novel mobile agent based “push” methodology from the perspective of applications. In the method, users declare their computation-bound jobs as autonomous agents. The computational agents will roam on the Internet to find servers to run. Since the agents can be programmed to satisfy their goals, even if they move and lose contact with their creators, they can survive intermittent or unreliable network connection. During their lifetime, the agents can also move themselves autonomously from one machine to another for load balancing, enhancing data locality, and tolerating faults. We present an agent-oriented programming and resource brokerage infrastructure, TRAVELER, in support of global parallel computing. The TRAVELER provides a mechanism for clients to wrap their parallel applications as mobile agents. The agents are dispatched to a resource broker. The broker forms a parallel virtual machine atop available servers to execute the agents. TRAVELER relies on an integrated distributed shared array (DSA) runtime system to support inter-agent communication and synchronization on clusters of servers. We demonstrate the feasibility of the TRAVELER in parallel sorting and LU factorization problems.

Using non-speech sounds in mobile computing devices.

Abstract: INTRODUCTION One of the main problems with output from small, hand-held mobile computing devices is the lack of screen space. As the device must be small to fit into the user’s hand or pocket there is no space for a large screen. Much of the work on presentation in standard, desktop interfaces relies on a large, high-resolution screen. The whole desktop metaphor, in fact, relies on such a method of presentation. This means that much of the research on effective screen design and information output cannot be generalised to mobile devices. This has resulted in devices that are hard to use, with small text that is hard to read, cramped graphics and little contextual information.

Mobile communication system enabling location associated messages

Abstract: Mobile communication system (MS) comprising a plurality of mobile terminals (MT), being adapted for communicating with a dedicated server (DS) has been described. The mobile communication system comprises position means (PSS) for locating the geographical position of individual mobile terminals. The dedicated server is being adapted to store message data on-line in an information database (IDB) and link such message data to a first set of locations, the dedicated server is furthermore being adapted to engage in on-line search sessions with individual searching mobile terminals for forwarding stored message data to such searching mobile terminals upon request and in accordance with a user specified search profile involving a particular set of locations associated with the message and/or with an enquiring mobile.

Method and apparatus for providing location-dependent services to mobile users

Abstract: A method and apparatus for allowing a mobile processing device, such as a cellular telephone, notebook computer, automobile navigation system, PDA, PIM, etc., to access location-or time-dependent information maintained by a central server. At the server, a signal transmitted from the mobile device is received. The signal represents a user input applied at the mobile device and specifying an item in a database of the mobile device, such as a contact list. A signal corresponding to the selected item is transmitted by the mobile device to the server. The server computes location-or time-dependent information based on the signal and geocoded data in the server system. The location-or time-dependent information may comprise a geographic location, which may include a solution of a geographic proximity search, or information for assisting a driver in navigating an automobile. The geocoded data may be generated dynamically in response to the query from the mobile device.

Mobile agents and Java mobile agents toolkits

Abstract: This paper gives an overview of what mobile agents are, what they should do, and how they can be implemented in Java. Why Java? The choice to concentrate on Java is evoked by many existing solutions in Java that handles architectural heterogeneity between communicating machines on the net. It seems to be the best available language for making mobile agents roam through the Internet for the time being.

Mobile Communication for People with Disabilities and Older People: New Opportunities for Autonomous Life

Abstract: The fast diffusion of mobile telephony is opening a vast diversity of new opportunities for people with different levels of physical restrictions, these due to disability or ageing. For this people mobile technology not only allows ubiquity for communications but also anytime access to some services that are vital for their security and autonomy. Together with the numerous advantages, remote services can also mean important social and ethical risks for this group of users making indispensable that these risks are detected, analysed and avoided. Therefore, this paper analyses the novelties that mobile technology has introduced into the lives of users with disabilities and older people, points out some dangers and challenges arising from the use of these technologies and revises some future applications of the present mobile technologies.

Security issues in mobile ecommerce

Abstract: Mobile e-commerce enables the mobile user to buy and pay for things, to pay his bill or to make a bet via his mobile phone when on the move, anywhere and at any time. It will bring conveniency and contribute to improve life quality of the users. However, in order to be successful, security measures must be strong enough to protect the user from illegal abuses and to get confidence from him. Unfortunately, current security measures for mobile phones are not yet sufficient. This paper describes the R&D activities in mobile e-commerce at Ericsson, which aim at making mobile e-commerce applications secure and enabling a full scale development and deployment of them. The paper starts with a definition of mobile e-commerce. Next is a summary of the Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) and its achievements. The Web e-commerce is briefly explained. The problems related to security in mobile e-commerce are then described. Thereafter, the solution to the problems is presented. The paper concludes with a look at the future and discussions on what can be done.

A comparison of mobile agent and client-server paradigms for information retrieval tasks in virtual enterprises

Abstract: In next-generation enterprises it will become increasingly important to retrieve information efficiently and rapidly from widely dispersed sites in a virtual enterprise, and the number of users who wish to do using wireless and portable devices will increase significantly. We consider the use of mobile agent technology rather than traditional client-server computing for information retrieval by mobile and wireless users in a virtual enterprise. We argue that to be successful mobile agent platforms must coexist with, and be presented to the applications programmer side-by-side with, traditional client-server middleware like CORBA and DOOM, and we sketch a middleware architecture for doing so. We then develop an analytical model that examines the claimed performance benefits of mobile agents over client-server computing for a mobile information retrieval scenario. Our evaluation of the model shows that mobile agents are not always better than client-server calls in terms of average response times; they are only beneficial if the space overhead of the mobile agent code is not too large or if the wireless link connecting the mobile user to the fixed servers of the virtual enterprise is error-prone.

Malicious Code Moves to Mobile Devices

Abstract: Computer T he program was called Liberty Crack, and it first popped up on an Internet Relay Chat group. It was a Trojan horse, a program that includes malicious or harmful code in apparently harmless programming or data. Although it did not cause major problems, Liberty Crack proved significant because it targeted handheld devices. Such devices, which have communications and Internet-access capabilities, have become popular only recently and thus have not been significant targets of Trojan horses, viruses, and worms. Now, however, malicious-code writers apparently realize that the relatively new intelligent-mobile technology has security weaknesses. Liberty Crack thus may serve as a wake-up call for the handhelddevice and network-security industries. “It exposed the underlying fact that destructive applications can be built on any platform, and given a lack of security or precautions, harmful results will ensue,” said Kenneth Smiley, a senior analyst with Giga Information Group, a market research firm. He added that the Liberty Crack incident might inspire more Trojan authors to write malicious code for mobile platforms. In fact, a virus and a Trojan horse that affect the PalmOS were recently discovered. Not only could malicious code wipe out and damage data, applications, and operating systems in the future, it could also infect other handheld devices and spread across networks and the Internet to PCs, workstations, and other machines. Currently, a relatively low percentage of handheld devices have communications capabilities. However, market research firm IDC estimates that by mid2001, a majority of cellular and PCS telephones worldwide will be Internetenabled using the Wireless Application Protocol (WAP). IDC also predicts that by 2003, vendors will sell more than 19 million PDAs and 13 million smart phones worldwide and that 61.5 million mobile users will have two-way Internet access. As the figure on the next page shows, mobile-device vendor Ericsson predicts that mobile Internet access will increase much more rapidly than fixed access. According to Ericsson, most Internet access will take place from mobile devices by the second half of 2003. Therefore, vendors and users of handheld devices, such as smart phones and personal digital assistants (PDAs), are beginning to acknowledge the need for protection against malicious code. Several antivirus software companies are already developing products for handheld devices. However, the handheld community is likely to find itself in an arms race with virus writers looking for ways to defeat antivirus systems, as has long been the case with the PC community.