1st International ICST Conference on Mobile and Ubiquitous Systems

Research Article

Design and implementation of a large-scale context fusion network

  • @INPROCEEDINGS{10.1109/MOBIQ.2004.1331731,
        author={ Guanling  Chen and Ming Li  and D.  Kotz},
        title={Design and implementation of a large-scale context fusion network},
        proceedings={1st International ICST Conference on Mobile and Ubiquitous Systems},
        publisher={IEEE},
        proceedings_a={MOBIQUITOUS},
        year={2004},
        month={9},
        keywords={},
        doi={10.1109/MOBIQ.2004.1331731}
    }
    
  • Guanling Chen
    Ming Li
    D. Kotz
    Year: 2004
    Design and implementation of a large-scale context fusion network
    MOBIQUITOUS
    IEEE
    DOI: 10.1109/MOBIQ.2004.1331731
Guanling Chen1, Ming Li 1, D. Kotz1
  • 1: Dept. of Comput. Sci., Dartmouth Coll., Hanover, NH, USA

Abstract

We motivate a context fusion network (CFN), an infrastructure model that allows context-aware applications to select distributed data sources and compose them with customized data-fusion operators into a directed acyclic information fusion graph. Such a graph represents how an application computes high-level understandings of its execution context from low-level sensory data. Multiple graphs by different applications interconnect with each other to form a global graph. A key advantage of a CFN is reusability, both at code-level and instance-level, facilitated by operator composition. We designed and implemented a distributed CFN system, Solar, which maps the logical operator graph representation onto a set of overlay hosts. In particular, Solar meets the challenges inherent to heterogeneous and volatile ubicomp environments. By abstracting most complexities into the infrastructure, Solar facilitates both the development and deployment of context-aware applications. We present the operator composition model, basic services of the Solar overlay network, and programming support for the developers. We also discuss some applications built with Solar and the lessons we learned from our experience.