A Context Framework for Ambient Intelligence

Context servers Motivation interoperable Machine processable Security & privacy

Ambient Intelligence  Ubiquitous computing  Ubiquitous communication  Intelligent User Friendly Interfaces Better integration of technology into our environment, so that people can freely and interactively use it Seamless (and secure) delivery of services and applications

Characteristics of AmI  Awareness ability of the system to locate and recognize objects and people, their locations, and their needs  Intelligence allows the system to analyze the context, adapt to people that live in it, learn from their behavior, and eventually to recognize as well as show emotion  Adaptable learn about the environment and the people within it in order to optimize their own behavior

User Context  Any information that can be used to characterize the user and her situation Coming from sensors  Temporal and spatial location  Environmental attributes  Resources nearby  Physiological measurements User preferences and profile  Schedule, agenda  Social context

An Example Scenario (from ISTAG)  Maria lands to an airport in a Far Eastern Country  The immigration officer replaced by a device Through its sensors, detects identities, performs visa and passport control (using Maria’s P-Com)  A rented car waiting for her at the exit  Her Hotel has been reserved by her personal software agent

Issues to be considered  Privacy Access should be limited to authorized entities The user should be able to state how much information to disclose and to whom Immigration device  Location, visa, passport information Role or personal identity based privacy mechanisms

Issues to be considered  The context servers needs to recognize the device type  It should be possible to exploit context to discover and compose Web Services

Ubiquitous Computing

Simple examples Automatic Outdoor Lantern: - If somebody comes close and it is dark light switches on Two sensors: Light and PIR to acquire context Simple electronic circuit detects the situation of interest Anticipation: person wants light when moving towards place

Examples Continued The user drives into driveway with her car The car communicates with garage (Challenge & response authentication Protocol) If car has permission door opens

Examples Continued Heating/air condition control system of office has access diaries of people working Office rooms not heated/cooled when people work offsite or are away Meeting rooms are heated/cooled in advance of scheduled meetings

Tough example Reading light & TV:When user sitting reading a book reading light should be on When he shifts attention towards TV, TV should be switched on When user takes again a book or news paper and goes back to reading TV should be switched off and reading light on

Confusion The user watches TV and turns to TV-guide magazine. How should the system react? How transitions are made and how long situations have to last before they are taken into account? Important to build user interface where behavior of system understandable and predictable by user even if details hidden

Examples

Biometrics

Biometrics for Ambient intelligence

An example scenario ebXML Registry Service Ontology defined in class hierarchies through OWL Checks her Calendar Starts arranging her trip Checks her Profile Understand s she doesn’t have a valid visa Queries for the visa service of the Country Finds the service and its WSDL link Retrieves WSDL desc. invokes

An example scenario ebXML Registry Service Ontology defined in class hierarchies through OWL Travel Service Transportatio n Service Accommodatio n Service Entertainmen t Service Air TransferLand Transfer Sea Transfer Passport Service Visa Service consults Domain expert Checks her Preferences Prefers air transfer, collects mileage from THY Finds the service and its WSDL link Queries for the THY reservation service Retrieves WSDL desc. invokes Checks her Profile