ITR: Collaborative Research: Context-Aware Computing with Applications to Public Health Management

移动计算和无线网络极大地改变了分布式系统的通信模式以及人们访问和处理信息的方式。因此，现在人们普遍认识到，在许多应用程序领域，特别是帮助管理紧急情况的应用程序中，对上下文感知计算的强烈需求。这些应用程序将根据个人用户配置文件、用户位置、本地环境和正在执行的任务进行动态调整。该项目的重点是情景感知计算及其在公共卫生管理中的应用。将调查与情景感知计算相关的数据管理的核心研究问题。此外，还将开发支持具有动态变化数据的上下文感知应用程序的系统架构。将研究数据集成工具和本体论，然后将其应用于实际的源数据和用户配置文件。这项活动将使用根据位置跟踪构建时空上下文的技术来增强。将制定方法以确保系统的可伸缩性，包括使用请求聚合和数据立方体来缓存用户简档和检索的数据。安全问题将通过研究基于分布式信任框架的时空上下文认证模型来解决。该架构还将包含一个服务仲裁组件，该组件可以在竞争环境中管理按需资源分配。该项目的成功完成将显著提高使用情景感知计算的服务的质量、响应速度和交付准确性。无论是在常规情况下还是在危机情况下(如恐怖袭击、自然灾害)，对保健服务的重视都有可能有助于改善全国公共卫生部门的技术基础设施。

Mobile computing and wireless networks have dramatically changed both the distributed systems communication paradigm and the ways that people access and manipulate information. Consequently, there is now widespread recognition of a strong need for context-aware computing in numerous application domains, particularly applications that assist in the management of emergency situations. Such applications will dynamically adjust to individual user profiles, user locations, the local environment, and the task being performed. This project focuses on context-aware computing with applications to public health management. Core research issues in data management that are relevant to context-aware computing will be investigated. Also, the architecture of a system that supports context-aware applications with dynamically evolving data will be developed. Data integration tools and ontologies will be studied and then applied to actual source data and user profiles. This activity will be augmented with techniques for building spatio-temporal context from location traces. Methodologies will be developed to ensure the scalability of the system, including the use of request aggregation and of data cubes for caching user profiles and retrieved data. Security issues will be addressed by investigating an authentication model for spatio-temporal context based on a distributed trust framework. The architecture will also incorporate a component for the arbitration of services that can manage on-demand resource allocation in a competitive environment.The successful completion of this project will significantly improve the quality, responsiveness, and delivery accuracy of services using context-aware computing. The focus on health care services, both in routine and in crisis situations (e.g., terrorist attacks, natural disasters) has the potential to contribute to an improved technology infrastructure for the public health sector nationwide.