Introduction



A Seminar Report On

Pervasive Computing

By:-

SHISHANK MOUDGIL

B.E. (Computer Science, )

JAMMU UNIVERSITY.

181201.

CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that Mr. Bhandar Amit Dattatraya of B.E. (Computer) has successfully completed his necessary seminar work and prepared a bona fide report on “Pervasive Computing” in satisfactory manner at Pune Institute Of Computer Technology as partial fulfillment of Degree course in Computer Engineering in academic year 2002-03 as prescribed by University Of Pune.

Date :

Place:

Guide Seminar Principal

Coordinator

1.0 INTRODUCTION TO PERVASIVE COMPUTING 5

1.1 Aspects of Pervasive Computing 6

1.2 Human Computer Interface 7

2.0 PERVASIVE COMPUTING CHARACTERISTICS 9

2.1 Proactive and Smart Devices 9

2.2 Context Aware Devices 9

2.3 Invisibility 10

2.4 Information Movement 10

3.0 ARCHITECTURAL FRAMEWORK 13

3.1 Generating Information 13

3.2 Processing Information 13

3.3 Moving Information 14

3.4 Using Information 14

4.0 IMPLEMENTATION PLATFORMS 15

4.1 Palm Development Environments 15

4.2 CE Development Environments 15

4.3 EPOC Development Environments 16

4.4 J2ME technology 16

4.4.1 J2ME Configurations and Profiles 17

4.4.2 Web Content for Mobile Devices 17

4.4.3 Java Application Loading Process 19

5.0 PERVASIVE COMPUTING DEVICES 22

5.1 Ultralights and Subnotebooks 22

5.2 PC Companions 22

5.3 Handheld Computers 22

5.4 Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) 22

5.5 Communication Devices 23

6.0 PERVASIVE COMPUTING MODES 24

6.1 Synchronous Mode 25

6.2 Notification Mode 25

6.3 Asynchronous Mode 25

6.4 Voice Mode 26

7.0 IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES 27

7.1 User Issues 27

7.1.1 Privacy and Security 27

7.1.2 Annoyance 27

7.1.3 Interaction 28

7.2 System Issues 28

7.2.1 Synchronization 28

7.2.2 Scalability 29

7.2.3 Dynamic Loading 29

7.2.4 Approximation 29

8.0 PERVASIVE COMPUTING APPLICATIONS 30

8.1 Pervasive Computing with Bluetooth 30

8.1.1 Home Networking 31

8.1.2 Automobile Network Solutions 32

8.1.3 Mobile e-business 33

9.0 FUTURE WITH PERVASIVE COMPUTING 35

10.0 CONCLUSION 36

BIBLIOGRAPHY 37

1.0 INTRODUCTION TO PERVASIVE COMPUTING

Pervasive computing is the trend towards increasingly ubiquitous (another name is ubiquitous computing), connected computing devices in the environment. It is a trend being brought about by a convergence of advanced electronic - and particularly, wireless - technologies and the Internet. Pervasive computing devices are not personal computers, but very tiny devices. They can either be mobile or embedded in almost any type of object such as cars, tools, appliances and various consumer goods; which are communicating through interconnected networks. Researchers expect that in the future smart devices all around us will maintain current information about their locations, the contexts in which they are being used, and relevant data about the users.

The goal of researchers is to create a system that is pervasively and unobtrusively embedded in the environment, completely connected, intuitive, effortlessly portable, and constantly available. Among the emerging technologies expected to prevail in the pervasive computing environment of the future are wearable computers, smart homes and smart buildings.

Pervasive computing is about enabling people to gain immediate access to information and services anywhere, anytime, without having to scrounge for a phone jack. However, while mobility and wireless technology are a big part of it, it's really about making e-business personal. Thanks to the explosive growth of the Internet, people will soon expect to be able to engage in electronic business effortlessly.

The PC is designed as a general-purpose platform that can run many different kinds of applications. Yet it is found that individuals prefer separate appliances. Many people have a home PC as well as a separate fax machine and a stand-alone answering machine. Of course, in principle, you could use your PC for faxing and answering the phone; it's probably even cheaper. Most people don’t use that because it's not convenient. A product that's tailored to a specific task will always be more convenient than a general-purpose device.

On the software side, Java could play a critical role as an interface standard. And in infrastructure, there's an emerging area of "connectivity services" that require a new class of server. Different classes of devices will have different functions and capabilities, so they will not be able to access the same kind of content. Rather than write separate applications on the server side, the idea is to create an intermediate server that will sit between the network computing content and the devices. It will take content written in HTML or XML, say, and transcode it into a format for a particular device.

These new proxy, or content connectivity, servers also provide other functions, such as persistence in the network. For example, if I drive into a tunnel and lose my connection as I'm making an airline reservation, a proxy server will be able to complete the transaction and then notify me later.

1.1 Aspects of Pervasive Computing

Security is also going to be key and Standards will be critical for pervasive computing.

The current phase of pervasive computing, in which computers are already being embedded in many devices, can be thought of in various ways. There are four major aspects of pervasive computing that appeal to the general population:

• Computing is spread throughout the environment

• Users are mobile

• Information appliances are becoming increasingly available

• Communication is made easier--between individuals, between individuals and things, and between things

Computers will not only be increasingly mobile, but information will be accessible from any mobile position. Pervasive computing is all about access to your information, anytime, anywhere, from any device.

Today computing is already embedded in more places than just our desktop computers. Computers make our cars run properly with antilock braking systems and power steering. These examples illustrate what seamless computing should be—it can provide wonderful functionality without requiring that the user understand its inner workings.

Computers will not only be increasingly mobile, but information will be accessible from any mobile position. We should not have to carry around devices containing our information. Rather, devices will recognize who we are and obtain information about us, through “remembrance agents” or adaptive user models, Internet information storage, or other means.

Information appliances have human-computer interfaces. An information appliance should be easy for anyone to use and the interaction with the device should be intuitive. Careful design is critical for an intuitive interaction with the device. Although the desktop computer can do many things, this functionality can be separated into more appropriate devices.

1.2 Human Computer Interface

Some examples of successful popular devices are cellular phones, pagers, televisions, wristwatches, and toasters. Of course, there can be times when these devices become difficult to use, but in their basic form, they meet the criteria for information appliances.

Devices will become more “aware”. A device will be more aware of its user and more aware of its own environment. Devices will not only be able to sense the presence of a user but also be able to sense the user’s needs and goals. Devices will be aware of their position and their surroundings. Biosensing will become prevalent throughout the environment, not only for entertainment and medical reasons, but also to enhance person-to-person communication. When devices become more aware, they can be responsive and seem “smarter.” Computers will have the sensory devices analogous to human senses: sight, sound, speech, touch, and smell. Perhaps the best way for computers to really help humans is for computers to become more a part of the physical, human world.

Maybe it is the nature of humans to create things with an image of them selves in mind.

• When we no longer have to carry anything, pervasive computing will have achieved its full potential.

• When we enter our houses, we will no longer have to search for the keys because the house will know when we arrive and unlock the doors.

• When we are unsure of how to get somewhere, we will be told not only how to get there, but the fastest route given the current traffic and weather conditions.

• When we go to the grocery store, we will never need to bring the grocery list because the list will be displayed on the shopping cart we use.

Pervasive computing will allow any information we need to always be at our fingertips. Before all of this can happen, many fundamental questions need to be answered.

Pervasive computing is changing lives, bringing "anytime, anywhere, any device" access to new and established applications. Bluetooth has the potential to enhance and extend these pervasive applications because it is well suited to pervasive devices and mobile applications.

2.0 PERVASIVE COMPUTING CHARACTERISTICS

Pervasive computing presents a whole new range of problems computer science has not yet dealt with. The following are some major characteristics of pervasive devices.

First, they need to be able to anticipate user needs and act upon this anticipation.

Second, they need to be aware of the context they are being used in. Third, the devices need to be invisible. Pervasive data needs to follow the user who needs it and is in a constant state of motion.

2.1 Proactive and Smart Devices

Unlike conventional computing systems in which computer behavior is mostly composed of responses to user interaction, pervasive computing hopes to achieve the opposite model the devices are, instead, the proactive party in the interaction with the user. For example, if John were driving to meet a business associate in a different city, a traffic jam might occur at any given point in time. The pervasive device needs to be able to detect the traffic jam and notify John of the traffic jam without explicitly being told when to do so. In order to identify an alternative route for John to take, the device needs to know John's driving preferences to make the best decision. The driving preferences are a small part of John's profile. Because John strongly prefers driving on the highway, the device might infer the cost of waiting in the traffic jam is less than the cost of taking a detour if John still has enough time to make the meeting. Pervasive devices need to be active in their roles and use profiles to weigh the consequences of different actions to make the best decision possible.

2.2 Context Aware Devices

A context is the environment the device is being used in. There are two categories of context: social and software. Social contexts include social, time, location, and workflow. For example, while a user may prefer her cell phone to ring and remind her to pick up some tea during a drive home from work, the device must not do the same in the middle of an important meeting with a client. Determining what social context a device is being used in presents a great challenge as social contexts are often defined by rather arbitrary, constantly changing standards. To be able to measure and translate something as abstract as social context into a form understandable by PDAs requires a deep and comprehensive level of awareness on part of the device. Of course there are easily definable social contexts such as work and home, but subdividing these contexts further is where the challenge lies.

Software contexts include available hardware resources in the environment and knowledge of other devices. When a notebook enters a building, the notebook should be able to connect to the building's network and then find the closest available printer.

Software contexts allow for the device to get the most out of its environment. Because pervasive devices are implicitly aware of their software and social context, they are able to behave in appropriate ways to satisfy the user.

2.3 Invisibility

Invisibility creates the appearance that the user is not interacting with a computer, but a "smart environment”. Miniaturization will increasingly allow small processors and advanced displays to be incorporated into objects not normally thought of as computers. Chips, sensors, microphones, and other technology can be embedded in clothes, tables, chairs, pencils, and other everyday objects. The notion of a computer will have to change as more products become increasingly wired and connected to the Internet. In this way, the communicating with any of the devices will seem more natural and less obviously a computer interface.

2.4 Information Movement

In a pervasive computing environment both the devices and the users are constantly moving. Storing one copy of information in a central location and having these moving users and devices access in that one location is impossible. Devices lose connection to the Internet, bandwidth is limited, and the information itself is in constant flux.

Information needs to be thought of as not as residing in one location and time but rather as a continuum that grows and shrinks as it moves through space. Pervasive devices need to respond to the movement by determining the appropriate information to have on hand for the user and other devices.

To be successful in a pervasive environment, components need to exhibit the following characteristics:

Mobility: As a user moves from one environment to another, they will expect their tasks to logically “follow” them around so that they are available when needed. Such mobility requires a refocusing of a software system from large applications to collections of components cooperating to achieve a user’s task Furthermore, a user will expect the computing environment to take advantage of resources in different environments. For example, in an office environment, a user may be able to take advantage of keyboard entry and high-resolution display components; the task may take advantage of speech recognition and synthesis to continue a task while the user is leaving work; while driving home, the user may interact through a heads-up display and speech recognition components. Such mobility needs to be achieved seamlessly and transparently, with little or no intervention from the user.

Adaptability: In a ubiquitous environment, it is highly likely that the resources available to a user in an environment will change as resources and users move in and out of that environment. The tasks and software should adapt to take advantage of these new resources. For example, consider the scenario in which we have a presentation being given to a multi-national audience, some of whom have Portuguese as their native language. The task of listening to the presentation might involve displaying the slides to each user’s personal device. If, partway through the presentation, a user walks in with a wearable computer that contains English to Portuguese translation software, the task should take advantage of this to translate the slides to Portuguese and display them to the Portuguese listeners.

Resource awareness: In order to effectively achieve mobility and adaptability, a ubiquitous environment will need to make optimal use of the available resources to support user tasks. For this to happen, components will need not only to publish their interfaces and protocols for interaction, but also make known their resource requirements (such as required bandwidth, computing power, memory and battery consumption). For example, if the preferred input method for performing tasks in a car environment is speech, the environment used to compose the task will need to know whether the resources available in the car will provide optimal performance. The car may have the ability to execute the requisite component, but it may be too slow to be optimal. In this case, the environment should be able to decide to use voice recording and communication using a cell phone to a server to conduct the recognition, for example. In addition to the environment being able to ascertain components’ resource requirements, components should also be aware of the resources offered them, and adapt their performance accordingly. Components should therefore be able to offer multi-fidelity services.

In the example above, the speech recognition component may be able to offer its services within a car environment with sufficient timeliness, but with a reduced vocabulary.

3.0 ARCHITECTURAL FRAMEWORK

Pervasive computing can be organized within a framework of generating, processing, moving, and using information. Generating information involves measurements and human input. Processing information involves converting data from raw form into some notion of database. Moving information involves finding and creating a good distribution of information across space. Using information involves presenting information to users in a good way.

3.1 Generating Information

Both computer and human input generate information. Computer input includes devices such sensors, cameras, microphones, and satellites and also includes simulated data such as weather forecasting. Computer input creates the majority of information. A weather simulation program can generate many terabytes worth of data within a relatively short period of time. However the utility of the information per byte of information is exceedingly small. The terabytes of weather simulation data might only be used to tell the chance that it might rain tomorrow. On the other hand, human entered data has a large value per byte of information. A newspaper article or a novel contains lot information relevant to the user's desires. Information generation spans a wide range of scales and utilities.

3.2 Processing Information

Processing problems include questions about how to efficiently turn raw data into a form that can be stored in a database. The immense volume of data generated raises many questions about how to go about storing data in a database and even the definition of a database. In pervasive computing, the value of information varies with time. A traffic report will have high value if received within five minutes of generation but has no value two hours later. The data processor needs to make decisions about the likelihood of information being accessed, determine how much to compress information, whether to discard information, and where to store information.

The database administrators of pervasive databases will be software agents, not highly trained professionals. Making decisions about the schemas for the database, appropriate keys, and high-level organization will have to be made within software. In addition, the highly changing nature of pervasive information implies the core design of the database may need to be constantly changing. Recognizing when the database architecture needs to be changed and finding a reasonable way of restructuring the database are important questions in data processing.

3.3 Moving Information

Moving information involves determining the best way to distribute information in the system given the bandwidth, transmission speeds, and storage limitations. Bob, A business traveler, might want to synchronize the contact list on his PDA with the one on his computer. But Bob's contact list includes hundreds of people while he only has the available storage on his PDA for fifty. A pervasive device needs to be able to make the smart decision about which contacts to put on Bob's PDA when he tries to synchronize. Awareness of the user's profile and context are necessary to make the best decisions. In addition to user level moving, there are also large-scale movement problems such as distributing detailed information to rescue workers during a disaster. Data movement provides the link between the user and the origin of data.

3.4 Using Information

Pervasive computing devices must be able to understand and use information effectively. For example, it is not enough that an alarm clock knows that the user wants to wake up at 6:00 am it needs to actually sound the alarm for it be effective.

Similarly, pervasive computing devices must be able to process information and to behave appropriately. Accordingly, they must also know how to disseminate the information concisely in a human understandable form for it to be useful.

4.0 IMPLEMENTATION PLATFORMS

Certain standard platforms such as the Windows CE, Palm, and Symbian EPOC computing platforms, along with the Java 2 Micro Edition (J2ME) specification, are used to build business applications where the end-user client is some type of handheld, intelligent device. Platform solutions are not limited to devices supporting corporate computing.

4.1 Palm Development Environments

Development support for the Palm platform is strong. Palm itself offers the Palm OS Emulator for the Mac and Windows platforms, as well as the Palm OS SDK, including headers files, documentation, libraries, and samples (a separate build environment is required, however). The leading 3GL developments for Palm are Metrowerks' (Motorola) CodeWarrior and Feras Information Technology's CASL, both project-based IDEs.

Forms-based toolsets, which are perhaps more suitable for general corporate development, are provided by Puma Technologies and Pendragon Software (Satellite Forms and Pendragon Forms, respectively).

4.2 CE Development Environments

Windows CE was designed to support computing devices ranging from corporate handheld computers to TV set-top boxes to smart cards. CE development tools support all types of CE development, including platform development (building customized CE configurations for specific hardware), driver development, and most importantly for corporate sites, application development. The leading IDE for CE is Microsoft's Visual Basic and Visual C++, although other forms-based tools such as Syware's Visual CE are also available.

4.3 EPOC Development Environments

Symbian is a vendor association consisting of communication heavyweights Nokia, Ericsson, Motorola, and Psion. It is working to make the EPOC32 operating system, developed by U.K.-based Psion PLC, the de facto standard for wireless information devices, such as smart phones and communicators. At this time there are no EPOC development tools that work at a high level of abstraction (forms-based). C++ and Java SDKs, libraries, and emulators are available, but they require a separate IDE such as Microsoft's Visual C++.

4.4 J2ME technology

While the J2ME framework was specifically designed to meet the needs for corporate small devices with sophisticated displays. The specification contains profiles representing a variety of consumer device types. The profiles map to a set of APIs that support that device type, along with a specification for a Java Virtual Machine (JVM) supporting those APIs.

J2ME consists of the Java virtual machine specification and API specifications. In other words, J2ME defines an appropriate set of class libraries and virtual machine technology for a particular class of product.

J2ME technologies are based on configurations and profiles.

• A configuration defines the minimum set of class libraries available for a range of devices. For example, wireless (mobile) devices use a different configuration from wired (stationary) devices.

• A profile defines the set of APIs available for a particular family of devices. Each family of devices has its own profile that represents a particular vertical market within a given configuration. For example, the profile for the cell phone vertical market is separate from the profile for the personal organizer vertical market, but both profiles work with the same mobile device configuration.

4.4.1 J2ME Configurations and Profiles

This section provides a brief description of the J2ME configurations and profiles currently available or under development.

• J2ME Connected Limited Device Configuration (CLDC)

• K Virtual Machine

• J2ME Mobile Information Device Profile (MIDP)

• J2ME PDA Profile

• J2ME Connected Device Configuration (CDC)

• J2ME Personal Profile

• J2ME Foundation Profile

• J2ME RMI Profile

4.4.2 Web Content for Mobile Devices

There are three options for getting static (markup) content to a mobile phone today. CHTML (Compact Hypertext Markup Language) — a subset of HTML used by

NTT DoCoMo for its i-mode service in Japan. This has been deployed since

February 1999, and has over twenty six million subscribers (and growing) as of late summer 2001.

WML (Wireless Markup Language) - emerging as the standard for delivering content in most of the world, although North America is still predominantly HDML (Handheld Device Markup Language, the proprietary precursor to WML). Part of the Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) stack defined by the WAP Forum.

HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) — Many devices will still use HTML, or some subset of it. For example, there are quite a few HTML browsers that run on the Palm OS. There may be some massaging of the HTML before it gets to the device, but generally they just do their best to render it.

[pic]

Figure 4.1 Working of Wireless World

In Figure 4.1, at the top left you have content that comes out of simple, static files. Dynamic content is also generated in application servers and Web servers, largely based upon information extracted from a database and being modified dynamically using Java Servlets, Enterprise JavaBeans (EJBs), or other server-side technologies. Increasingly, we see Java applications that sit on a Web server and move through the network to mobile devices. A Web server and/or WAP gateway system will distribute this content out onto the mobile phone or other device.

To get your content onto that web server you may have to go through a "transcoding" process. (This process may be referred to by other names, such as “transforming” or “translating”, but is essentially the same operation: Content in format A goes into the transcoder, which works on the content and emits roughly equivalent markup content in format B out.) Effectively, there is a service available that will take your database, or XML, or HTML, and turn it into WML, or CHTML, or whatever formats you need. In addition, if you are using standard Internet protocols, then you can use a web server to push it out over the wire. If it's a WAP connection, then you'll be going through a WAP server and gateway, and the gateway and transcoder will probably all be bundled together in one package.

Once the content (whether WML, CHTML, or some other markup format) is served out to the mobile device, it is rendered in a micro browser.

Again, increasingly we see Java applications moving out across the network, and there is an issue of distribution — how do the Java applications actually move through the network to the phone, how will operators and providers bill for applications and services, etc.? A number of companies are involved with defining these distribution technologies and business models, and defining the services that should be available.

4.4.3 Java Application Loading Process

Once the application is ready to be distributed, it needs a mechanism to physically load it into the phone. The term Java Application Manager (JAM) is used here for this mechanism. The MIDP spec loosely specifies that the manufacturer of the given compliant device must provide an application manager built into the phone that knows how to load the code over the wireless connection, where it should be stored, and how the user would launch the application. MIDP specification clearly describes what is required of a device and a manufacturer in this situation, and where they have flexibility. The flexibility is in how they implement this mechanism; the MIDP specification tells them that they have to have one.

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Figure 4.2 Working of Java Application Manager

Figure 4.2 shows a schematic of how a JAM might work. The JAM would be smart so the consumer interested in buying (or downloading for free) your application doesn’t waste their money or time.

In this scenario, a consumer goes to a Web page (or WAP page). The page lists your application as one possible choice for download.

If the consumer wants to buy your application, they select it from the Web page using their mobile handset. Selecting the application automatically downloads a descriptor file (on the order of hundreds of bytes) over the network and into their handset.

Since the descriptor file is very small, it loads relatively quickly and cheaply across the wireless connection.

The descriptor file tells the consumer (and their phone) some basic things about the application. It can tell the phone what version this application is: If the consumer already has the same version of the application on their phone, they can be alerted to this fact so they don't buy it again. The descriptor can also include the size of the actual application, so that if the user only has 2K of space left and the application is 6K, it can pop up a window saying that the user doesn't have enough room to download and store this application. This is good for the consumer because they don't waste time or expense on their wireless connection downloading an application for which they don't have enough memory (they can of course delete something already on the phone to free up space, then download the new application).

Once the consumer is ready to download the application and the JAM has confirmed that there is enough space, the JAM downloads the application. The JAM will save the application in the device and then present it as a selection so that the user can launch and use the application.

5.0 PERVASIVE COMPUTING DEVICES

5.1 Ultralights and Subnotebooks

Programmatically, this device is virtually equal to Windows desktops and laptops products such as Sharp Actiusa and Sony's VAIO. They are used primarily to run personal productivity, scheduling, and contact management applications (Office), besides e-mail and Internet access. These products run full-blown Windows as the operating system and therefore traditional corporate development tools are perfectly applicable for developing for them. While some products in this class do employ touch screens, most use a traditional mouse and keyboard approach to user interaction.

5.2 PC Companions

These products are typically used as adjuncts to desktop systems and even traditional laptops, and are used for travel and portability only E.g. HP Jordana 850 and IBM WorkPad z50. These products almost exclusively run on Windows CE Professional Edition. Developers, therefore, are limited to CE development environments.

5.3 Handheld Computers

The Handheld Computers run Windows CE. E.g. HP Jornada 680 and Sharp Mobilon HG4600. They are primarily used for scheduling and contact management, as well as e-mail and Internet access, Personal productivity applications are limited to Pocket Office/Outlook or the equivalent. Handheld computers support both pen and keyboard input.

5.4 Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs)

PDAs - represented by products such as Palm Computing's Palm VII, Philips' Nino, and the HP Jornada. Originally these devices were exclusively used for scheduling and contact management, but lately e-mail and Web access functionality have become available via third-party add-ons. These products mostly run under Win CE and Palm OS and employ a pen interface.

5.5 Communication Devices

Feature phones (i.e., the Qualcomm pdQ), combine traditional cell phone with contact management functionality. In addition to wireless communication, smart phones provide scheduling, contact management, e-mail, and Internet access using pen input, keyboards (sometimes), and micro browsers.

6.0 PERVASIVE COMPUTING MODES

These technical variables influence how a pervasive computing solution is categorized:

1. Device

2. Communications network

3. Protocols

Table 6.1 considers some general modes of pervasive computing.

A preliminary evaluation of devices with particular affinity to these modes is shown, but these devices are not the only possible options. Both convergence and specialization of devices will occur, and a more specific association between device and the identified modes is currently perilous at best.

Table 6.1 The modes of pervasive computing and their relationship to emerging pervasive technologies

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6.1 Synchronous Mode

The synchronous mode has attracted the most attention from developers and the

Public. This is because the wireless Web extends the reach of e-business applications to mobile devices.

The following assumptions have been made in the case of the synchronous mode:

1. The mode of computing is synchronous.

2. The pervasive device user experience is focused on a thin client model where the application design is server-centric.

6.2 Notification Mode

The notification mode of pervasive computing enables e-business features such as real-time message alerts on a very small portable device. Additional examples include other services such as:

1. Instant messages on the NTT DoCoMo cellular network

2. SMS messages on a GSM cellular network

3. RIM Blackberry device interface to messages over a paging network

6.3 Asynchronous Mode

The asynchronous mode of operation is highly prevalent with the current generation of Personal Digital Assistants, whether they have occasional network connectivity or only connect to a PC for synchronization in the office or base location.

The range of content that can be considered under this mode includes:

1. Personal productivity data: calendar, to-do lists, memos, e-mail and documents

2. Web content

3. Database forms input

4. Application messaging (MOM)

6.4 Voice Mode

With the limited keypad space and screen size of pervasive devices, voice technology promises enhanced input and output functionality for Pervasive Computing.

Technologies that enable voice interaction with applications can be used intelligently by application designers; both for command input and for system response.

The voice mode of interaction with an application requires:

1. Speech recognition

2. Speech generation

In principle, either of these transforms can occur on either a client or a server.

7.0 IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES

7.1 User Issues

The user is the center of a pervasive application and many user related issues exist. Privacy and security will be largely influential in the consumer acceptance of pervasive computing. The annoyance levels of applications will help increase use among pervasive devices. Robust interaction will increase the available uses of devices.

7.1.1 Privacy and Security

Pervasive applications put a large amount of personal information in publicly accessible places, and the threat of hackers or telemarketers stealing the information poses a scary scenario. But many of these same objections were raised and overcome with the introduction of such modern utilities as credit cards. The new and unanswered range of privacy issues opened by revolves around presence. Currently, in instant messaging applications, the user has presence when he logs onto the system.

Buddies are aware of when he logged on, how long he has been idle, and his availability. This allows for someone's actions to be remotely monitored by a distant observer albeit in a crude way. However, as presence becomes a larger part of pervasive computing, the ease with which a person can be tracked will decrease significantly. Privacy concerns mark one of the stalling points in pervasive devices becoming truly pervasive.

7.1.2 Annoyance

While pervasive computing hopes to make the computing aspect "disappear" from the interaction, it could be possible that the opposite occurs, and that the user may spend more time maintaining and programming the pervasive applications. If badly programmed, it may be possible for a cell phone to ring every twenty seconds to alert a user to refill on gas while the user is driving past an area full of gas stations. Furthermore, because much information is required for an array of devices to function in accordance with user preferences, the amount of user investment in configuration and setting up may be undesirable.

7.1.3 Interaction

The ways in which users interact with data needs to be solved elegantly. The small screen on a cellular phone is ill equipped to display a complicated web page designed with JavaScript and Flash. When developing the applications, thinking about the context and device the user will be using the applications will lead towards means of interaction that are most appropriate. If the user cannot interact conveniently with a device to satisfy a particular task, pervasive computing will not gain broad consumer acceptance.

7.2 System Issues

As in many new proposed systems or technologies there are many system level issues that need to be considered. Among these are synchronization of information, abstraction of resources, organization of information, scalability, application dynamism, and the issue of approximation vs. precision.

7.2.1 Synchronization

Pervasive devices need to automatically synchronize multiple copies of data. In contrast to traditional database management systems, there may be neither a central server that controls the flow and management of information nor any limitations on where, when, or in what context the data will be synchronized. As a result, protocols used in traditional database management systems such as the TwoPhaseCommit will be insufficient for many pervasive computing synchronization applications. The concept of synchronization needs to be relaxed. Having multiple copies of the same value might be permissible for certain applications where precision is not of most importance. In addition when bandwidth and storage are scarce, decisions need to be made as to which data will be synchronized and what order the synchronization will occur. These issues greatly change the traditional conception synchronization.

7.2.2 Scalability

The growth of pervasive computing will most likely be exponential in nature. While protocols and infrastructure designed to support a small number of users will be sufficient at the beginning of the growth, there is bound to be a time when the growth reaches a critical mass and expands enormously in a short period of time. The infrastructure in place today will be strained to deal with and expand to the loads of tomorrow. The infrastructure should be designed to deal gracefully and continue functioning when the resources are not present to handle the incoming data. Solutions such as load shedding or combining related data will be needed to avoid failure.

7.2.3 Dynamic Loading

When a device constantly moves, the environment the applications are run in varies greatly. Dynamic loading is needed to allow applications to configure themselves to work optimally for the environment they are located in. They need to be able to discover whether a resource such as a printer or a telephone has suddenly become available, or whether a previously available resource has suddenly become unavailable.

The device will also need to be able to change the application's functionality on the fly. If a newly found and unknown resource comes within the devices range, the device should discover how to use the resource and reconfigure the application to work with the resource. Dynamic loading will allow applications to be maximally robust.

7.2.4 Approximation

Many pervasive applications only need approximate data. Engines that evaluate queries need to be restructured from discovering the best way to search through all data to return the true answer. To do this query languages will need to incorporate approximation criteria within queries. For instance instead of asking for the average amount of traffic during rush hour, users will ask for a ninety percent confidence interval of traffic times.

Approximations will be a key feature in helping to reduce the burden on the infrastructure of pervasive computing.

8.0 PERVASIVE COMPUTING APPLICATIONS

Pervasive Computing will be accomplished through multi-faceted technology developments in the areas of:

• Information access

• Text retrieval

• Multimedia document retrieval

• Automatic indexing

• Pervasive devices

• Palm top computers

• Smart badges

• Electronic books

• User sensitive devices

• Mobility and networking

• Device discovery

• Wireless protocols

• Security

• Voice and video over IP

• Perceptive interfaces

• Biometric person ID

• Speech recognition

• Gesture recognition

8.1 Pervasive Computing with Bluetooth

Note that the objectives and technology elements of Bluetooth and pervasive computing have much in common: both aim to make computing and communications easier, more convenient and more personal and both enable the use of a myriad of devices, especially small mobile devices, to accomplish these objectives. Thus it appears evident that Bluetooth can be an excellent match with and a key element of pervasive computing

Specifically, Bluetooth has applications in at least three important pervasive computing domains: home networking, automobile network solutions and mobile e-business.

8.1.1 Home Networking

Not only are home appliances (such as entertainment systems, refrigerators, washers, dryers, security systems, and control systems) being networked, but mobile pervasive devices (such as smart phones, PDAs, notebook computers, and automobiles) are also being brought into home environments, where they interact with the fixed home network. Bluetooth technology has the potential to allow all of these devices to communicate wirelessly. This scenario is particularly interesting when it comes to mobile devices and the home network. Mobile devices could join the home network via Bluetooth links, allowing applications such as seamless roaming for both voice and data with devices such as notebook computers, PDAs, and smart phones.

• The universal remote: As Bluetooth technology becomes prevalent on more devices found in the home, any personal Bluetooth device such as a PDA or a smart phone could be used to query and control the other devices. Thus when consumer electronics, home security systems, and "smart white goods" include Bluetooth interfaces (and companies from these industries have signed on as Bluetooth adopters), we'll have dryers that alert us when our clothes are dry, and the ability to start the dishwasher, arm the security system, change channels on the television, and route the television's audio to the stereo system, all from a single personal device. Even in the absence of direct Bluetooth links on all of these devices, this could still be accomplished via a Bluetooth home gateway that uses other physical interfaces to communicate with the home devices.

8.1.2 Automobile Network Solutions

One of the fastest growing and most visible areas for pervasive computing is automobile network solution. The use of pervasive devices for in-vehicle and off-vehicle communications could enable applications for car status and diagnostics, entertainment, navigation, and access to personal and business data from within the automobile. Bluetooth wireless communication is particularly well suited to constructing the in-vehicle network because it does not require a wiring infrastructure in the car. In addition, the technology enables personal Bluetooth devices such as smart phones and PDAs to easily become participants in the automotive network, thus increasing the usefulness of these devices. The Bluetooth SIG, with participation from IBM, has developed an Automotive Profile that describes how Bluetooth technology could be used in automobile network solutions.

The Bluetooth SIG has developed detailed use cases for Bluetooth technology in automotive environments. Three scenarios show great promise for the future:

• The car office: An in-vehicle Bluetooth network combined with personal Bluetooth devices brought into the car could enable access to personal and corporate data from the car. Using a mobile phone as the wide-area network connection, the user could connect to the Internet or corporate intranet to retrieve information such as e-mail. With voice recognition and synthesis technology in the automobile network, the phone audio could be routed through the vehicle's audio system, and the e-mail or other data could be read to the user audibly. The user could then use voice commands to respond to e-mail or make a voice call.

• The car docking station: At some proximity to the home, the Bluetooth car could connect to the home network using Bluetooth links. Once bridged to the home network, information could be exchanged between the home and the automobile. The car might, for example, inform the home network of its current diagnostic and maintenance data, or obtain new entertainment features (such as music or movies) from the home network. For commercial vehicles, the current day's vehicle usage and tracking information could be uploaded and the next day's schedule and route maps could be downloaded from the office network. Additional "virtual docking" scenarios could be accomplished anywhere a car might park. For example, at the mall or a parking garage a "car finder" service could be deployed to assist the owner in locating his or her car, or at a gas station or store the owner could be notified of special offers or discounts available at that time.

• The highway helper: This is a collection of applications that could leverage a Bluetooth in-vehicle network along with wide-area network connectivity, such as via a mobile phone. One application is that of providing a user interface for the car's control and monitoring systems. In this scenario, when the car's sensors detected a problem, the user could be notified using the Bluetooth in-vehicle network; in addition, depending upon the nature of the problem, an e-mail service reminder might be sent, the nearest service center could be located and notified, or a call for roadside help could be initiated. A second application is for vehicle navigation. In this scenario, current car location information (perhaps through a global positioning system or cellular triangulation) could be combined with map information to suggest driving routes and directions or locate the nearest restaurant or parking garage. Combined with an off-vehicle network connection, the user could even place a food order with the restaurant or make a reservation at the parking garage.

8.1.3 Mobile e-business

Even with the recent dot-com slowdown, the growth of e-business has surpassed all but the most optimistic of projections. Mobile e-business appears poised to follow a similar curve, and it seems to be expanding into the pervasive computing arena. There are many e-business applications where Bluetooth wireless communication could be used. Bluetooth technology could transform e-business by allowing for local "anytime, anywhere, from any device" transactions. This mobile e-business could take the form of almost any sort of e-business transaction. Two example applications are given below.

• Information kiosks: Walk-up kiosks could provide local information in many venues such as shopping malls (maps, coupons, special offers, and so on), airports (maps, flights, parking, and so on), and large events (maps, team or exhibitor data, contest entries, and so on). Bluetooth kiosks, unlike today's standalone information kiosks, could allow multiple users to access the kiosk simultaneously. Bluetooth kiosks also would enable mobility, in that the information could be transferred to a personal device and would thus be available even when the user was not near a kiosk.

• Mobile e-commerce: Peer-to-peer networking, particularly that utilizes Bluetooth wireless communication, enables local e-commerce transactions while doing away with the necessity of standing in line. The types of operations under consideration include purchase of goods and services, discounts, authorization, and other transactions that could be conducted wirelessly at the point of presence. Concrete examples include electronic purchases at any point of sale, such as at a store or cafeteria, perhaps with coupon or customer-loyalty discounts applied; purchasing tickets for the theater, entertainment, or sporting events; boarding a plane or renting a car via electronic boarding pass/rental agreement, and so on.

9.0 FUTURE WITH PERVASIVE COMPUTING

A number of leading technological organizations are exploring pervasive computing. Xerox's Palo Alto Research Center (PARC), for example, has been working on pervasive computing applications since the 1980s. Although new technologies are emerging, the most crucial objective is not, necessarily, to develop new technologies. IBM's project Planet Blue, for example, is largely focused on finding ways to integrate existing technologies with a wireless infrastructure. Carnegie Mellon University's Human Computer Interaction Institute (HCII) is working on similar research in their Project Aura, whose stated goal is "to provide each user with an invisible halo of computing and information services that persists regardless of location." The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has a project called Oxygen. MIT named their project after that substance because they envision a future of ubiquitous computing devices as freely available and easily accessible as oxygen is today.

10.0 CONCLUSION

Pervasive computing is presented as a technology to reduce the need to carry anything. Characterization of the architecture of pervasive systems as generating, processing, moving, and using information has been discussed. Also user level issues such as privacy and interaction and presented system level issues such as scalability and approximation are discussed.

Because pervasive computing as a field is still in its infancy, many ideas of the ideas presented are still mainly speculative. There are many technical, social, security, usability, and privacy issues that need to be considered very deeply and carefully before pervasive applications can be implemented. Because several branches of technology are evolving at an amazing rate, pervasive computing can be considered a technology in search for a use. Currently it is clear that pervasive applications can make everyday tasks more convenient. However, in the future, pervasive computing may be suitable for tasks completely unrelated to those currently imagined. The potential for pervasive computing is vast and data management issues will be central in the technology achieving success.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

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• Pervasive Computing and the Patterns for e-business by Leo Marland published on January 15, 2001

• General Issues in Pervasive Computing by Phil Stone and Robin Yan published on February 7, 2002

• Developing Wireless Applications using the Java 2 Platform, Micro Edition by Bill Day

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

It gives me proud privilege to complete this seminar work on “Pervasive Computing “ under valuable guidance of

Mr. at Pune Institute of Computer Technology, Pune.

I am also extremely grateful to Mr. C. V. K. Rao (H.O.D. Computer Dept.) and Mr. G. P. Potdar (Seminar Coordinator) for providing all facilities and help for smooth progress of seminar work.

I would also like to thank all staff members of Computer Dept. for timely help and encouragement for fulfillment of seminar work. At last I would like to thank all colleagues for providing help.

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