Mobile Virtual Enterprise Communication Reference Model

The Proceedings of the 9th International Conference of Concurrent Enterprising, Espoo, Finland, 16-18 June 2003

Mobile Virtual Enterprise Communication Reference Model Petri Pulli, Xiaosong Zheng, Peter Antoniac, Seamus Hickey and Tony Manninen University of Oulu, Department of Information Processing Science, POBox 3000, 90014 Oulu, Finland, [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] Abstract The latest development in mobile communication has provided the architects of Virtual Enterprises with new tools and platforms. The studies of the new field, often referred to as Mobile Virtual Enterprise, are concerned with the abilities to have access and operate the VE infrastructure from anywhere, anytime. The emphasis of this paper is on how to provide the future research in this field with an established reference model concerning communication. An introduction of the term Cyberworld is discussed and series of definitions and technologies to support the “Mobile Virtual Enterprise” fundaments are included. Conclusion and future developments are presented at the end of the paper, along with a roadmap of the technologies for the next ten years in the wireless communication field. Keywords: Virtual Enterprise, mobility, concurrent engineering, mobile services, mobile engineering, and wireless.

1 Introduction This paper describes a reference model of the Cyberworld building block, which contributes towards the evolution of the general reference model for the Mobile Virtual Enterprise. Five important components are identified: Presence, Identity, Interaction, Applica tion and Cyberhost respectively. On top of the user there are two value functions, namely Values and Capabilities, that have key importance in user-centred mobile scenario design and analysis. The Cyberworld structure and a vivid reference model are demonstrated in this paper, including detailed description and definition for each component presented in the pictures describing the reference model. At the end of this paper, a few Cyberworld technologies are listed describing a technology roadmap. This should provide the reader with some clues on the future technologies and research within Mobile Virtual Enterprise field.

2 Proposed Theories and Techniques 2.1

Cyberworld definition

Originally the word “cybernetics” is associated with the study of control and communication in living and artificial made systems. The word itself comes from Greek's kubernan, to govern. In the latest developments there are separated disciplines like artificial intelligence, neural networks, systems theory, and chaos theory, but the boundaries between those and cybernetics has not yet been properly defined. In this paper, the word “cyber” is associated with the world of intra-communication and networked devices, a world of advanced technology used for a better human interaction and information. Cyberworld can be defined as a virtual world, a parallel world created and sustained by the computers’ world, wearable communication terminals and deviceless interfaces. In the Cyberworld we can stay in touch with our agents, knowledge databases, communities, and use electronic services and transactions.


2.2

Cyberworld and Mobile Virtual Enterprise

The Cyberworld , as defined within the reference model provided by the Wireless Strategic Initiative project (WSI) [Arbanowski 2002, Mößner 2002, Pabst 2002, WWI 2003], deals with the integration of application functionality in real and virtual environments. It can be classified by five well-defined components, namely: Presence, Identity, Interaction, Application and Cyberhost. Each of the components is detailed further so that it will have predominant features and/or subcomponents. The WSI general reference model, Cyberworld structure and reference model are demonstrated in Figure 1, Figure 2 and Figure 3 respectively. Ubiquity

Ambient Awareness

Personalization

Adaptation

Consistency

App

App

App

Cyberworld

Open Service Platform

Interconnectivity Mobility

Reconfiguration Support

Accounting & Charging

Service / Access Discovery

Media Routing & Delivery

Security & Authentication

Addressing & Identification

Environment Monitoring

Service Handling

…

Access Figure 1: WSI General Reference Model for Wireless World

Figure 2: Cyberworld Structure for Wireless World


Figure 3: Cyberworld Reference Model for Wireless World

In the following, a more detailed discussion of the above figures is available. 2.2.1 Presence The WSI reference model establishes three spheres i.e. personal, local and global spheres. The Presence component in Cyberworld describes the sphere of information that is presented or available to user. It refines the three generic spheres into five dynamic sub-spheres: Personal, Ambient, Partners, Periphery and Outside. Personal is the zone containing all personal information and tools that can be reached or accessed by the user. The Ambient is about the environment containing the personal area. Partners are people or machines that are interacting or exchanging information with the user. Periphery is defined as the area that the user is aware and that is not part of the previous spheres. Outside is everything else that the user is not acknowledged. Outside and periphery are corresponding to the global sphere. Partners and ambient are within local sphere and personal is the personal sphere. 2.2.2 Identity The mobile services and applications are expected to run within a secure environment. The function of Identity is to provide the security and privacy while supporting a tailored interaction based on user needs. The Identity function includes User identity, Trusted partner identity , Avatar, Pseudonym and Alias that are used to complete the identity and security requirements in mobile service execution. For example family members can use a Trusted partner identity . Avatar is a digital character. Pseudonym looks like a normal user identity, but it is in reality a second and unofficial identity. Alias is seen as a second or unofficial identity. 2.2.3 Interaction By its very nature Interaction contains the issues of Modality, Positioning, Orientation and Timing. The Modality is about interaction classification that could be defined according to different criteria, like level of interaction and amount of interaction etc. Positioning and Orientation are key functions for successful Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality applications. Timing is used for tracking the movements and also needed for logging, tracking etc.


2.2.4 Application The Application, as in mobile services, can be classified as: Stand-alone, Client, Server, Persistent, Resident and Remote. Various existing mobile applications can be fit into these categories. Persistent is when the application is running from ROM. Resident is when located an run in permanent memory, while Remote is when located and run from remote address. 2.2.5 Cyberhost The Cyberhost provides a standardized local execution environment for mobile services and application. The Capability negotiation and Security framework are the most important generic Cyberhost requirements. It should also support the negotiation of capabilities with other Cyberhost’s servers and underlying service platforms and it should offer a security framework for the execution of various applications. 2.2.6 Values The Values are defined as important function concerning the user-centred mobile services and application development. All the mobile services should be driven by user needs. Research in this area includes studies to find the key characteristics of mobile users that will enable the development of services needed and easily accepted by the mass consumer. Mobile users can be modelled relying on the analysis of cognitive cultural schemes, emphasizing transfer, social group factors and motivation. Quality Function Deployment (QFD) [Akao 1990, Day 1993] is a powering method to collect, prioritise and balance user needs for developing a better usercentred mobile services. 2.2.7 Capability The Capability of Mobile service application reflects the internal and external mobile service requirements and characteristics. It consists of the following six functions: Consistency, Personalization, Ubiquity , Natural interaction, Ambient Awareness and Adaptation. These application Capabilities represent implementation requirements and characteristics of mobile service applications. They address the values of the service system or network beyond the user needs and act as a linkage between user values and mobile service development. 2.2.8 Cyberworld Reference Model Implementation The reference model implementation is defined as five phases: reference model, formalized model, simulation model, prototype implementation and integrated prototype implementation. Reference model phase is to build a general and abstract model for Cyberworld. Formalized model is a model with detailed definitions and structures built on a specific service case. By using Simulation model we can run animated simulation to get a better understanding of the general reference model. Prototype implementation phase is used for laboratory tests of the theories (i.e. to separate components, real-time execution capability etc.). Integrated prototype implementation is the last phase and it is the first real test of the whole system.

3 Technology Roadmap The technology roadmap is drawn in Figure 4. Seven important components are listed at the left side of the roadmap and each of them contains a cluster of technologies with the exception of the Cyberworld Reference Implementation component, which is divided into five individual implementation phases. Three timeframes i.e. 2003-2005, 2006-2008 and 2009-2012 are defined to host the enabling technologies with some of the technologies span between two or all three timeframes. New technologies are to be identified and developed to meet the increasing demands from the challenging mobile field.


Intelligent Agent: Single dynamic

Stand-alone

Presence

Multithreading agents with dynamic control

Presence Service: Mobile and virtual telepresence

Static telepresence

Mobile and multi-location telepresence Shielding Technology

Smart Avatars

Scalable Telepresence Mobile Augmented Reality: high-presicion and real-time services

Communication Sphere Def. Service concept demonstration CSIM (Cyberworld Identity)

Personal Identity Technologies: Secure identity equipment

Identity Basic service (operator)

Service Identification Technologies: Extended service (value-added service provider)

Global service (user)

Advanced SIP Ubiquitous Interaction Multiple Synchronized Sessions

Interaction

Audio-visual interfaces

Multimodal Interfaces: Avatar appearance

Haptic interfaces

New Ways of Human -Computer Interaction: Rich interaction technologies Universal Interaction Language

Terminal customization

Application

Customized Services: Customization by service provider Customization at application level New Toolkits for Service Creation

Open Service Programming Interfaces and Libraries

Integrated Development Environment for Mobile App.

Integrated Prototypes

IP-Based Quality of Service

Cyberhost

Terminal Equipment Resource Management Capability Negotiation

Advanced Security Framework Wireless Infrastructures for Networked Virtual Reality Cyberhost Runtime Environment

QFD framework and examples

Value Deployment

Quality Function Deployment (QFD): QFD data collection QFD in new service design User Segment Studies

Examples, case studies

Business Modeling: Modeling guidelines

Reusable library

Scenario-Based Design Methodology Domain Meta Models

Cyberworld SimulaReference Ref. Formalized tion Mod. Model Implementation Model

2002

2003

2004

2005

Integrated Prototype Implementation

Prototype Implementation

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

Figure 4: Cyberworld Technology Roadmap

4 Conclusion and future In this paper we introduce a possible reference model for future Mobile Virtual Enterprise. The model describes the interactions and relationships among the essential components. The value functions are emphasised and placed on top of the reference model. The reference model implementation is then briefly described with special care at each stage. At the end of the paper a few Mobile Virtual Enterprise technologies/technology enablers are identified and clustered to form a technology roadmap. Future research in wireless world modelling includes refining or sub-modelling of some other building blocks from the reference model. The present reference model will be applied on some typical mobile scenarios to demonstrate and get a better understanding of pros and cons of the


applications in the field of Mobile Virtual Enterprise. Respective technologies also need to be examined in a 10-year time span framework. Further study is needed on topics like Values and Capabilities. Questions like what is needed to support Virtual Enterprise lower communication layers will require an answer. Moreover, insertions of more values specific to the field are to be considered (i.e. workspace). New capabilities like brokerage or knowledge sharing are also closely examined to be included in future reference models.

5 Acknowledgements The authors wish to thank the Department of Information Processing Science from University of Oulu for research support. The authors also thank their international research partners of WWRF, WSI, WWI and WWRI for their invaluable comments and feedbacks.

6 References Y. oji Akao (1990): Quality function deployment : integrating customer requirements into product design, Productivity Press, Cambridge, Mass. Stefan Arbanowski, Ralf Pabst, Klaus Mößner, Petri Pulli, Xiaosong Zheng, Kimmo Raatikainen, Mikko Uusitalo, Michael Lipka, Karl Ott and Andreas Schieder (2002): The WSI Reference Model. WWRF, pp. 45. R. G. Day (1993): Quality Function Deployment: Linking a Company with Its Customers, ASQ Quality Press. Klaus Mößner, Stefan Arbanowski, Ralf Pabst, Petri Pulli, Xiaosong Zheng, Andreas Schieder and Michael Lipka (2002): Timeline and Roadmap for the coming of the Wireless World. WWRF, pp. 51. Ralf Pabst, Stefan Arbanowski, Klaus Mößner, Petri Pulli and Xiaosong Zheng (2002): Important technological principles and system options for the elements of the WSI Reference Model. WWRF, pp. 81. WWI: Wireless World Initiative. WWW page. http://www.wwip.org/, accessed 14/1/2003