A Web Service for Managing Spatial Context Dedicated to Serious Games on and for Smartphones

Elodie Edoh-Alove, Frédéric Hubert, Thierry Badard

.
Department of Geomatic Sciences, Laval University, Québec, Canada.

DOI: 10.4236/jgis.2013.52015                

Abstract

The GeoEduc3D project aims to provide educational games for smartphones based on Geomatics and use augmented reality techniques in order to make these games more immersive. To improve the immersive and interactive aspects of those games, we focused on the exploitation of spatial context in this particular application framework (serious games, augmented reality, smart phones, and multi-users environment). Our work has thus led to the design of a solution dedicated to the management of spatial context in a multi-players environment on and for smartphones. Several contributions have been made: modeling spatial context, proposing a service-oriented architecture to manage this context, defining a Web Service Spatial Context (WSCS) and implementation of a WSCS prototype and a mobile client according to an environment exploiting FourSquare, a geo-social application.

Keywords

Spatial Context; Web Service; Mobility; Serious Games; Augmented Reality; Multi-Users

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

References

[1]	O. Ackay and O. Altan, “Ontology for Context-Aware Visualization of Spatial Data in Mobile Devices,” Proceedings of the Joint Workshop Visualization and Exploration of Geospatial Data XXXVI-4/W45, Stuttgart, 2007.
[2]	T. Chaari, F. Laforest and A. Flory, “Adaptation Des Applications au Contexte en Utilisant les Services WEB,” Proceedings of Conference UbiMob’05, Grenoble, 2005, pp. 111-118.
[3]	H. Yang, “Support Spatial-Awareness: Collaborative Navigation in a Virtual Environment,” Dissertation, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, 2003.
[4]	J. Euzenat, J. Pierson and F. Ramparany, “Dynamic Context Management for Pervasive Applications,” The Knowledge Engineering Review, Vol. 23, No. 1, 2008, pp. 21-49.
[5]	M. Van Setten, S. Pokraev and J. Koolwaaij, “Context-Aware Recommendations in the Mobile Tourist Application COMPASS,” Hypermedia and Adaptative Web-Based Systems, Lecture Notes in Computer Science, Vol. 3137, 2004, pp. 515-548.
[6]	A. Hristova, “Conceptualization and Design of a Context-Aware Platform for User-Centric Applications,” Master’s Thesis, Norwegian University of Science and Technology; The Royal Institute of Technology, 2003.
[7]	C. Frank, “An Egocentric Spatial Data Model for Intelligent Mobile Geographic Information Systems,” Master’s Thesis, University of Maine, Orono, 2003.
[8]	A. Hinze and G. Buchanan, “Context-Awareness in Mobile Tourist Information Systems: Challenges for User Interaction,” Proceedings of Workshop on Context in Mobile HCI, Salzburg, 2005.
[9]	S. George and A. S. Lekira, “MeCoCO: A Context-Aware System for Mediated Communications,” International Journal of Interactive Mobile Technologies (IJIM), Vol. 3, No. 3, 2009, pp. 26-33. doi:10.3991/ijim.v3i3.748
[10]	E. M. Tan, S. Foo, D. H. Goh and Y. Theng, “A Model for Classifying and Using Contextual Information for Context-Aware Applications,” Electronic Journal Aslib Proceedings, Vol. 61, No. 6, 2009, pp. 565-586.
[11]	L. Meng, A. Zipf and T. Reichenbacher, “Map-Based Mobile Services,” Theories, Methods and Implementations, Springer Verlag, Heidelberg, 2005. doi:10.1007/b138407
[12]	J. B. Filho and H. Martin, “QACBAC: An Owner-Centric QoC-Aware Context-Based Access Control Model for Pervasive Environments,” Proceedings of the SIGSPA-TIAL ACM GIS 2008, International Workshop on Security and Privacy and LBS, Irvine, 2008, pp. 30-38. doi:10.1145/1503402.1503409
[13]	G. D. Abowd, G. C. Atkeson, J. Hong, S. Long, R. Kooper and M. Pinkerton, “Cyberguide: A Mobile Context-Aware Tour Guide,” Wireless Networks, Vol. 13, No. 5, 1997, pp. 421-433. doi:10. 1023/A:1019194325861
[14]	C. Li and K. Willis, “Modeling Context Aware Interaction for Wayfinding Using Mobile Devices,” Mobile HCI’06, Helsinki, 12-15 September 2006.
[15]	W. Schwinger, C. Grün, B. Prol, J. Rasinger and W. Retschitzegger, “Context-Awareness in Mobile Tourist Guides,” Handbook of Research in Mobile Multimedia, 2nd Edition, IGI Global, 2008.
[16]	P. Repo and J. Riekki, “Middleware Support for Implementing Context-Aware Multimodal User Interfaces,” MUM 2004, 27-29 October 2004, College Park.
[17]	G. Cai and Y. Xue, “Activity-oriented Context-Aware Adaptation Assisting Mobile Geo-Spatial Activities,” Proceedings of the 11th International Conference on Intelligent User Interfaces, Sydney, 2006, pp. 354-356.
[18]	K. Cheverst, “Developing a Context-Aware Electronic Tourist Guide: Some Issues and Experiences,” In: Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, CHI’00, ACM Press, The Hague, 2000.
[19]	C. Lopez-Velasco, A. Carrillo Ramos, M. Villanova-Oliver, J. Gensel and H. Martin, “Sélection de services Web Adaptés au Contexte d’Utilisation,” 24 Congrès INFOR-SID 2006, 31 Mai-3 Juin 2006, Hammamet, Tunisie.
[20]	A. Nivala and T. Sarjakoski, “Need for Context-Aware Topographic Maps in mobile Devices,” In: ScanGIS’2003 Proceedings of the 9th Scandinavian Research Conference on Geographical Information Science, 4-6 June 2003, Espoo.
[21]	M. Baldauf, S. Dustdar and F. Rosenberg, “A Survey on Context-Aware Systems,” International Journal of Ad Hoc and Ubiquitous Computing, Vol. 2, No. 4, 2007, pp. 263-277. doi:10.1504/IJAHUC.2007.014070
[22]	E. Edoh-Alove, F. Hubert and T. Badard, “Vers la Conception d’un Service Web de Contexte Spatial Dédié aux Téléphones Intelligents Dans le Cadre de Jeux éducatifs Interactifs,” Actes électroniques SAGEO 2010, Outils, Méthodes et Modèles en Géomatique Pour la Production de Connaissances sur les Territoires et le Paysage, Toulouse, 17-19 Novembre 2010, pp. 290-303.
[23]	B. Schilit and M. Theimer, “Disseminating Active Map Information to Mobile Hosts,” IEEE Network, Vol. 8, No. 5, 1994, pp. 22-32. doi:10.1109/65.313011
[24]	P. P. Brown, J. D. Bovey and X. Chen, “Context-Aware Applications: From the Laboratory to the Marketplace,” IEEE Personal Communications, Vol. 4, No. 5, 1997, pp. 58-64. doi:10.1109/98.626984
[25]	J. Pascoe, N. S. Ryan and D. R. Morse, “Human-Computer-Giraffe Interaction-HCI in the Field,” Proceedings of the Workshop on Human Computer Interaction with Mobile Devices, Glasgow, Scotland, 1998.
[26]	A. K. Dey, “Context-Aware Computing: The Cyber Desk Project,” Proceedings of the AAAI 1998 Spring Symposium on Intelligent Environments, AAAI Press, Menlo Park, 1998, pp. 51-54.
[27]	A. Ward, A. Jones and A. Hopper, “A New Location Technique for the Active Office,” IEEE Personal Communications, Vol. 4, No. 5, 1997, pp. 42-47. doi:10.1109/98.626982
[28]	N. Ryan, J. Pascoe and D. Morse, “Enhanced Reality Fieldwork: The Context-Aware Archaeological Assistant,” Proceedings of the 25th Anniversary Computer Applications in Archaeology, 1997.
[29]	T. Rodden, K. Cheverst, K. Davies and A. Dix, “Exploiting Context in HCI Design for Mobile Systems,” Proceedings of the Workshop on Human Computer Interaction with Mobile Devices, Glasgow, 21-23 May, 1998.
[30]	R. Hull, P. Neaves and J. Bedford-Roberts, “Towards Situated Computing,” Proceedings of the First International Symposium on Wearable Computers (ISWC’97), Cambridge, 1997, pp. 146-153.
[31]	T. Hofer, W. Schwinger, M. Pichler, G. Leonhartsberger and J. Altmann, “Context-Awareness on Mobile Devices the Hydrogen Approach,” Proceedings of the 36th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences, 2003, pp. 292-302.
[32]	A. K. Dey, “Providing Architectural Support for Building Context-Aware Applications,” Ph.D. Thesis, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2000.
[33]	M. Petit, “Approche Spatial Pour la Caractérisation du Contexte d’Exécution d’un Système d’Information Ubiquitaire,” Thèse de Doctorat, école Nationale Supérieure d’Arts et Métiers, 2010.
[34]	K. Li, “Ubiquitous GIS,” Notes de Cours, Pusan National University, Yangsan, 2007. http://stem.cs.pusan.ac.kr/UBGIS/UBGIS.html
[35]	A. K. Dey and G. D. Abowd, “A Conceptual Framework and a Toolkit for Supporting the Rapid Prototyping of Context-Aware Applications,” Human-Computer Interaction, Vol. 16, No. 2-4, 2001, pp. 97-166. doi:10.1207/S15327051HCI16234_02
[36]	Y. Benazzouz, P. Beaune, F. Ramaparany and O. Boissier, “Modeling and Storage of Context Data for Service Adaptation,” In: Enabling Context-Aware Web Services: Methods, Architectures, and Technologies, 2010, pp. 469-493. doi:10.1201/EBK1439809853-c17