Generic Framework for Context-Aware Communication Services in Visitor’s Guides

Tsvi Kuflik, Pnina Soffer, Iris Reinhartz-Berger, Sadek Jbara, Oliviero Stock

.

DOI: 10.4236/jsea.2011.44030                

Abstract

Ubiquitous computing plays an increasing role in our lives. Typically, applications in ubiquitous computing environ-ments are context aware, namely, they react to the situations of their users at a given moment in time. One example for such environment is visitor’s guides in cultural heritage sites, supporting visits of individuals or small groups, such as families or friends. In such environments, it is well known that interaction among visitors enhances the overall visit experience. Recently, some research prototypes of visitor’s guides have started supporting such interaction through textual communication services embedded in them. However, these applications have so far been developed separately in an ad-hoc manner, despite common features and infrastructures they share. The research described here generalizes communication services offered by different visitor’s guides and suggests a systematic and generic framework for developing context-aware communication services for visitor’s guides. The specific communication services are abstracted into a domain model, later used in practice for adapting and tailoring the different concepts to the specific requirements of the applications. The framework is demonstrated in the specific setting of a multi-agent museum visitor’s guide system. We also show that the suggested framework is not limited to the specific museum visitor’s guide system but may facilitate the development of context-aware communication applications in general.

Keywords

Communication Services, Context Aware Communication, Visitor’s Guides, Domain Analysis

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

References

[1]	P. Marti, A. Rizzo, L. Petroni, G. Tozzi and M. Diligenti, “Adapting the Museum: a Non-Intrusive User Modeling Approach,” Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on User Modeling, Banff, 20-24 June 1999. pp. 311-313.
[2]	R. Oppermann and M. Specht, “A Context-Sensitive Nomadic Exhibition Guide,” Proceedings of the 2nd Symposium on Handheld and Ubiquitous Computing, Bristol, 25-27 September 2000, pp. 31-54.
[3]	A. Bright, J. Kay, D. Ler, K. Ngo, W. Niu and A. Nuguid, “Adaptively Recommending Museum Tours,” Proceedings of Workshop on Smart Environments and Their Applications to Cultural Heritage, Tokyo, 11 September 2005, pp. 29-32.
[4]	D. Petrelli and E. Not, “User-Centred Design of Flexible Hypermedia for a Mobile Guide: Reflections on the HyperAudio Experience,” User Modeling and User-Adapted Interaction, Vol. 15, No. 3-4, 2005, pp. 303-338. doi:10.1007/s11257-005-8816-1
[5]	L. Aroyo, N. Stash, Y. Wang, P. Gorgels and L. Rutledge, “Chip Demonstrator: Semantics-Driven Recommendations and Museum Tour Generation,” Proceedings of the 6th International Semantic Web Conference, Busan, 11-15 November 2007, pp. 879-886.
[6]	R. Damiano, C. Gena, V. Lombardo, F. Nunnari and A. Pizzo, “A Stroll with Carletto: Adaptation in Drama- Based Tours with Virtual Characters,” User Modeling and User-Adapted Interaction, Vol. 18, No. 5, 2008, pp. 417- 453. doi:10.1007/s11257-008-9053-1
[7]	M. Rantanen, A. Oulasvirta, J. Blom, S. Tiitta and M. M?ntyl?, “InfoRadar: Group and Public Messaging in the Mobile Context,” Proceedings of the 3rd Nordic Conference on Human-Computer Interaction, Tampere, 23-24 October 2004, pp. 131-140.
[8]	G. Leinhardt and K. Knutson, “Listening in on Museum Conversations,” AltaMira Press, Walnut Creek, 2004.
[9]	J. Falk and L. Dierking, “The Museum Experience,” Whalesback Books, Washington, 1992.
[10]	S. Bitgood, “Environmental Psychology in Museums, Zoos, and Other Exhibition Centers,” In: R. Bechtel and A. Churchman Eds., Handbook of Environmental Psychology, John Wiley & Sons, New York, 2002, pp. 461- 480.
[11]	B. Gammon and A. Burch, “Designing Mobile Digital Experiences,” In: L. Tallon and K. Walker Eds., Digital Technologies and the Museum Experience Handheld Guides and Other Media, AltaMira Press, Lanham, 2007, pp. 35-60.
[12]	O. Stock and M. Zancanaro, “PEACH: Intelligent Interfaces for Museum Visits,” Cognitive Technologies Series, Springer, Heidelberg, 2007.
[13]	T. Kuflik, O. Stock, M. Zancanaro, A. Gorfinkel, S. Jbara, J. Sheidin and N. Kashtan, “A Visitor’s Guide in an Active Museum: Presentations, Communications, and Reflection,” Association for Computing Machinery: Journal of Computers and Cultural Heritage, Vol. 3, No. 3, 2011.
[14]	A. K. Dey, G. D. Abowd, “Towards a Better Understanding of Context and Context-Awareness,” Proceedings of the 1st International Symposium on Handheld and Ubiquitous Computing, Karlsruhe, 27-29 September 1999, pp. 304-307
[15]	L. Roffia, “Context Related Information Sharing and Retrieval in Mobile Cultural Heritage Applications,” Ph. D. Thesis, University of Bologna, Italy, 2004.
[16]	R. Want, A. Hopper, V. Falcao and J. Gibbons, “The Active Badge location system,” Association for Computing Machinery: Transactions on Information System, Vol. 10, No. 1, 1992, pp. 91-102. doi:10.1145/128756.128759
[17]	N. Davies, K. Cheverst, K. Mitchell and A. Efrat, “Using and Determining Location in a Context-Sensitive Tour Guide,” Computer, Vol. 34, No. 8, 2001, pp. 35-41. doi:10.1109/2.940011
[18]	J. Healey and R. W. Picard, “StartleCam: A Cybernetic Wearable Camera,” Proceedings of the 2nd IEEE International Symposium on Wearable Computers, Pittsburgh, 19-20 October 1998, pp. 42-49.
[19]	K. Henricksen, J. Indulska and A. Rakotonirainy, “Modelling Context Information Pervasive Computing Systems,” Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Pervasive Computing, Zurich, 26-28 August 2002, pp. 167-180.
[20]	F. Siegemund, “A Context-Aware Communication Platform for Smart Objects,” Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Pervasive Computing, Linz, 18-23 April 2004, pp. 69-86.
[21]	C. Anagnostopoulos, A. Tsounis, and S. Hadjiefthymiades, “Context Awareness in Mobile Computing Environments: A Survey,” Wireless Personal Communications, Vol. 42, No. 3, 2008, pp. 445-464.
[22]	X. Zhang, J. Liao and J. Liu, “Open Middleware-Based Infrastructure for Context-Aware in Pervasive Computing,” Proceedings of the 1st International Symposium on Computational and Information Science, Shanghai, 16-18 December 2004, pp. 85-92.
[23]	A. Dey, T. Sohn, S. Streng and J. Kodama, “iCAP: Interactive Prototyping of Context-Aware Applications,” Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Pervasive Computing, Dublin, 7-10 May 2006, pp. 254-271.
[24]	Q.-S. He and S.-L. Tu, “A Lightweight Architecture to Support Context-Aware Ubiquitous Agent System,” Proceedings of 9th Pacific Rim International Work- shop on Multi-Agents, Guilin, 7-8 August 2006, pp. 696-701.
[25]	O. Stock, M. Zancanaro, P. Busetta, C. Callaway, A. Krüger, M. Kruppa, T. Kuflik, E. Not and C. Rocchi, “Adaptive, Intelligent Presentation of Information for the Museum Visitor in PEACH,” User Modeling and User- Adapted Interaction, Vol. 17, No. 3, 2007, pp. 257-304. doi:10.1007/s11257-007-9029-6
[26]	Z. Y. Yu, X. S. Zhou, Z. W. Yu, J. H. Park and J. H. Ma, “Imuseum: A Scalable Context-Aware Intelligent Museum System,” Computer Communications, Vol. 31, No. 18, 2008, pp. 4376-4382. doi:10.1016/j.comcom.2008.05.004
[27]	A. Grasso, M. Koch and D. Snowdon, “Campiello—New User Interface Approaches for Community Networks,” Association for Computing Machinery: SIGGROUP Bulletin, Vol. 20, No. 2, 1999, pp. 15-17.
[28]	A. Agostini, G. De Michelis, M. Divitini, M. A. Grasso and D. Snowdon, “Design and Deployment of Community Systems: Reflections on the Campiello Experience,” Interacting with Computers, Vol. 14, No. 6, 2002, pp. 689-712. doi:10.1016/S0953-5438(02)00016-4
[29]	J. Yang, W. Yang, M. Denecke and A. Waibel, “Smart Sight: A Tourist Assistant System,” Proceedings of the 3rd International Symposium on Wearable Computers, San Francisco, 18-19 October 1999, pp. 73-78.
[30]	K. Cheverst, N. Davies, K. Mitchell and P. Smith, ”Providing Tailored (Context-Aware) Information to City Visitors,” Proceedings of the International Conference on Adaptive Hypermedia and Adaptive Web-based Systems, Trento, 28-30 August 2000, pp. 73-85.
[31]	M. Umlauft, G. Pospischil, G. Niklfeld and E. Michlmayr, “LoL@, A Mobile Tourist Guide for UMTS,” Journal of Information Technology and Tourism, Vol. 5, No. 3, 2003, pp. 151-164. doi:10.3727/109830503108751108
[32]	S. Long, R. Kooper, G. D. Abowd and C. G. Atkeson, “Rapid Prototyping of Mobile Context-Aware Applications: the Cyberguide Case Study,” Proceedings of the 2nd Annual International Conference on Mobile Computing and Networking, New York, 10-12 November 1996, pp. 97-107.
[33]	R. Oppermann and M. Specht. “A Nomadic Information System for Adaptive Exhibition Guidance,” Archives and Museum Informatics, 1999, pp. 127-138. doi:10.1023/A:1016619506241
[34]	G. Benelli, A. Bianchi, P. Marti, E. Not and D. Sennari, “HIPS: Hyper-Interaction within the Physical Space,” Proceedings of IEEE International Conference on Multimedia Computing and Systems, Firenze, Vol. 2, 7-11 June 1999, pp. 1077-1078.
[35]	M. Fleck, M. Frid, T. Kindberg, E. O’Brien-Strain, R. Rajani and M. Spasojevic, “From Informing to Remembering: Ubiquitous Systems in Interactive Museums,” Pervasive Computing, Vol. 1, No. 2, 2002, pp. 13-21.
[36]	F. Garzotto, T. Cinotti and M. Pigozzi, “Designing Multi- Channel Web Frameworks for Cultural Tourism Applications: The MUSE Case Study,” Archives and Museums Informatics, Toronto, 2003, pp. 239-354.
[37]	E. Farella, D. Brunelli, L. Benini , B. Ricco and M. E. Bonfigli, “Pervasive Computing for Interactive Virtual Heritage,” IEEE MultiMedia, Vol. 12, No. 3, 2005, pp. 46-58. doi:10.1109/MMUL.2005.54
[38]	J. Jaén, J. Mocholí, J. Esteve, V. Bosch and J. Canós, “MoMo: Enabling Social Multimedia Experiences in Hybrid Museums,” Proceedings of International Workshop of Re-Thinking Technology in Museums: Towards a New Understanding of People’s Experience in Museums, Limerick, 29-30 June 2005, pp. 245-251.
[39]	P. Busetta, A. Doná, and M. Nori, “Channeled Multicast for Group Communications,” Proceedings of the 1st International Joint Conference on Autonomous Agents and Multi-Agent Systems, Bologna, 15-19 July 2002, pp. 1280-1287.
[40]	P. Busetta, T. Kuflik, M. Merzi and S. Rossi, “Service Delivery in Smart Environments by Implicit Organizations,” Proceedings of the 1st Annual International Conference on Mobile and Ubiquitous Systems: Networking and Services, Boston, 22-26 August 2004, pp. 356-363.
[41]	A. R. Hevner, S. T. March and J. Park, “Design Science in Information Systems Research,” MIS Quarterly, Vol. 28, No. 1, 2004, pp. 75-105.
[42]	G. Chen and D. Kotz, “A Survey of Context-Aware Mobile Computing Research,” Technical Report TR2000-381, Department of Computer Science, Dartmouth College, Hanover, 2000.