Wireless communication

Fundamentals and UbiComp

Mulugeta.A

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 Outline
 Introduction to Wireless Communication
 Trends in Computing Technology and Ubiquitous
Computing
 What is Ubiquitous Computing (ubicomp)?
 Ubiquitous, Mobile, and Nomadic Computing
 Computing: Trend, evolution
 Ubiquitous Computing: Vision, definition, environment
 What is mobile computing?, vision,...
 Mobile Computing vs. Ubiquitous/Pervasive Computing
 Ubiquitous Computing: Three main aspects
 Applications of mobile computing
 Challenges in mobile computing

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 Introduction to Wireless Communication
 Wireless Communication System:
 Wireless communications is a type of data communication that is
performed and delivered wirelessly.
 Any electrical communication system that uses a naturally occurring
communication channel, such as air, water, earth.
 Examples:
 Cell phone, Sonar(system for detecting underwater objects)
 Broadcast: (one way)
• Radio, TV, pagers, satellite TV, etc.
 Two Way:
• Walkie-talkie, cell phones, satellite phones, wireless local area
networks, etc.
 Wireless communications is the fastest growing segment of
the communications industry.
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 Con’t

 Wireless systems consist of

 wireless wide-area networks (WWAN)[i.e., cellular systems],
 Wireless local area networks (WLAN),
 Wireless personal area networks (WPAN)
 Wireless metro area networks(WMAN)
 Applications: wireless sensor networks, automated
highways and factories, smart homes, remote telemedicine,
etc.
 The handsets used in all of these systems possess
complex functionality, yet they have become small, low-
power consuming devices that are mass produced at a low
cost, which has in turn accelerated their widespread use.

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 Con’t
 Mobile Computing
• People traveling with their computers
while staying connected to other computers
or the Internet
 Ubiquitous Computing
• Weiser’s idea of one person, many
computers as opposed to the mainframe
technology
•(also known as “pervasive computing”)
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 The Trends in Computing Technology and
Ubiquitous Computing
● Mainframe computing (60’s-70’s)
– massive computers to execute big
data processing applications
– very few computers in the world

● Desktop computing (80’s-90’s)

– one computer at every desk to help in
business related activities
– computers connected in intranets to a
massive global network (internet), all
wired

● Ubiquitous computing (00’s?)

– tens/hundreds of computing devices
in every room/person,
- becoming “invisible” and part of the
environment
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 Computing: Trend

Size

Number
One Computer for Many One Computer for Many Computers for
People One Person One Person
(Mainframe Computing) (PC Computing) (Ubiquitous/Pervasive
Computing)
 Computing: Evolution

Centralized Distributed Mobile Ubiquitious

Computing  Computing
 Computing  Computing

Remote Communication Mobile Networks Context Awareness

Fault Tolerance & availability Mobile Information Access Ad-hoc Networks
Remote Information Access Adaptive Applications Smart Sensors & Devices

Research Problems   

There are different flavors of Computing Evolution

depending on who is looking at it and the viewing
angle.
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 Computing: Evolution
New Forms of Computing

 Wireless Computing
 Nomadic Computing
• Distributed  Mobile Computing
Computing  Ubiquitous Computing
(Client/Server)  Pervasive Computing
 Invisible Computing

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 What is Ubiquitous Computing
(ubicomp)?
 Ubicomp is a post-desktop model of human
computer interaction in which information
processing has been thoroughly integrated into
everyday objects and activities.

 Integrate computers seamlessly into the world

– invisible, everywhere computing.
– Often called pervasive/invisible computing.

 Computers are mostly not invisible, they dominate

interaction with them.

 Ubicomp is about making computers invisible.

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 Ubiquitous computing = mobile computing + intelligent environment.

From technology point of view

 Computers everywhere – embedded into fridges, washing
machines, door locks, cars, furniture.
 Intelligent environment.
 Mobile portable computing devices
 Wireless communication – seamless mobile/fixed.

From users point of view

 Invisible – implicit interaction with your environment.
 Enhancing human abilities in context of tasks

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 Ubiquitous Computing
 Small, mobile, inexpensive computers…..everywhere!
 Fade into the background of everyday life
 Computers everywhere provides potential for data
collection….sensors!
 Temperature
 Light
 Sound
 Motion
 Pressure
 Many others!!!

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 Ubiquitous, Mobile, and Nomadic Computing

 Nomadic computing: “portable”; no mobility while

connected. E.g, Fixed wireless networks (WLAN)

 Mobile computing: “on-the-go”, e.g., while sitting

on a train; possibility of network connections
remaining open. E.g, MANET

 Ubiquitous computing:
computing everywhere… OR
computers everywhere…most of them are
invisible. E.g, Sensor network

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Ubiquitous, Mobile, and Nomadic Computing

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Ubiquitous Computing: Alternative Names

Alternative names:
• Pervasive Computing
• Ambient Computing
• Intelligent Computing
• Invisible Computing
• Proactive computing
• Autonomic computing
• Sentient computing
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 Ubiquitous Computing: Vision
Mark Weiser (1952–1999), XEROX PARC,
Computers in the 21 century, Scientific American, 1991.

“In the 21st century the technology revolution

will move into the everyday, the small and the
invisible…

…The most profound technologies are those that

disappear.
They merge themselves into the fabrics of
everyday life until they are indistinguishable
from it.” 16
Ubiquitous Computing: What is it about
According to Mark Weiser

 Ubiquitous
computing is about the invisible
and everywhere (every time) computing
 Invisible: tiny, embedded, attachable…
 Everywhere: wireless, dynamically configurable,
remote access, adapting, …

 It is about making computers so embedded, so

fitting, so natural that we use them even
without noticing their presence and without
thinking about them.
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 Ubiquitous Computing: Definitions
I. Ubiquitous computing is a paradigm shift where
technology becomes virtually invisible in our lives.
• Instead of having a desk-top or lap-top machine, the
technology we use will be embedded in our
environment.

II. Ubiquitous computing is the trend towards

increasingly connected computing devices in the
environment.
• a trend being brought about by a convergence of
advanced electronics, wireless technologies and the
Internet. ……. 18
 Ubiquitous Computing: Why now?
 Computing devices are becoming very tiny, sometimes
invisible, either mobile or embedded and exist in
almost any type of object imaginable.

 Computing environment is becoming full of the

increasingly ubiquitous and interconnected computing
devices

 Enhanced by a convergence of:

 Advanced electronics (Moor’s low),
 Wireless technologies,
 And the Internet.
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 Ubiquitous Computing...
 Future State of Computing Technology?
 Mobile, many computers
 Small Processors
 Low Power Consumption
 Relatively Low Cost

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Ubiquitous Computing: Environment

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 Ubiquitous Computing: Environment ...
Hospital Driving Office

Meeting Teaching

Devices ….. Services

Smart Phone, Car kits, Phone Call, Email, Message,
Wearable, PDAs, … News alert, …
 The most precious resource in a computer system is no longer its
processor, memory, disk, or network, but what?
 But rather human attention. The aim in Ubiquitous computing is,
therefore:
 minimizing distractions on users’ attention, and 22
 creating environment that adapts to the user’s context and needs.
 Ubiquitous Computing: Environment ...

Pager Smart phone

• voice, data
Laptop
• receive only
• fully functional
• tiny displays • simple graphical displays
• standard applications
• simple text

messages

Sensors, Wearable device PDA

embedded • human wearable • graphical displays
controllers • non standard I/O • character recognition

performance
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Ubiquitous Computing: the future-Internet of things
 Internet (past) when a
user was allowed only to
use content
 Internet (present) a user
is allowed to also create
content (e.g. face book,
twiter, …)
 Internet (future) ?

 IP for “Everything” with IPv6? “Things” will be allowed to create

and use content
 Ability of any social networkable objects to deliver information or
accept input ==>the phenomenon of “Internet of things” 24
 Mobile Computing
 Mobile computing resulted from:
 the appearance of laptop computers and wireless LANs in
early 1990s led to a research for building a distributed
system with mobile clients.
 Mobile computing is characterized by:
 Mobile networking (mobile IP, ad hoc protocols, …)
 Mobile information access(disconnected operation,
bandwidth-adaptive file access, …)
 Adaptive applications ( adaptive resource management, …).
 Energy saving (energy-aware adaptation, variable-speed
processor scheduling, energy-sensitive memory management,
…).
 Location sensitivity (location sensing, location-aware
system, …).
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 Mobile Computing …

Among the basic constraints in mobility are:

 Unpredictable variation in network quality

 Lowered trust and robustness of mobile elements
 Limitations on local resources imposed by weight
and size constraints
 Concern for battery power consumption

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 What is mobile computing?

Mobile computing is to describe technologies that
 enable people to access network services anytime, and
anywhere,
 with portable and wireless computing and communication
devices.
 Aspects of mobility
 User mobility
• Between different geographical locations
• Between different networks
• Between different communication devices
• Between different applications
 Device portability
• Between different geographical locations
• Between different networks
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 Mobile computing: Vision
 Universal connectivity – anywhere, anytime

 Accommodate heterogeneity of networks and

communicators.

 Ubiquitous intelligent environment - embedded

computers everywhere
 Easy user interaction
 Context independent access to services + context
dependent information

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Mobile and Ubiqitous Computing

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Overlap of Mobile and Ubiquitous Computing with other Fields
Mobile Computing vs. Ubiquitous Computing

●Mobile computing:
– Abe owns Mobile phone with web access, voice and short
messaging.
- Remains connected while he drives from Piasa to Bole.

● Ubiquitous computing:
– Abe is leaving home to go and meet his friends.
- While passing the fridge, the fridge sends a message to his
shoe that milk is almost finished.

– When Abe is passing grocery store, shoe sends message to

glasses which displays BUY milk message.

– Abe buys milk, goes home.

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 Ubiquitous Computing

 Characterized by:
Context Awareness
Invisibility
Ad-hoc Networks
Smart Spaces and Devices (sensor networks)

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 Ubiquitous Computing: Three main aspects
good context
sensors

Context awareness
Smart devises

Ad- hoc networking

Particularly
from mobility:
Location
information
Temporary
network 32
 Ubiquitous Computing …
Context Awareness
 Context-aware computing is an environment in which
applications can discover and take advantage of users’
contextual information.

 Users’ context consisting of attributes:

 such as physical location,
 physiological state (such as body temperature and heart
rate),
 emotional state (such as angry, distressed, or calm),
personal history, daily behavioral patterns, and so on.
 Aims to achieve a distraction-free ubiquitous
computing environment. 33
 Context-Aware Computing
Context-awareness in ubiquitous environment
“A Traditional Office”
“A Pervasive Office”
Person engaged in a
Crowded with varieties
regular duty
of ubiquitous devices
(Person Busy)
surrounding the person
(Person Super Busy)

“Problem”
Devices that are meant to improve user’s “Solution”
working and living condition may Context-aware services that make
users less aware of the gadgets but
interfere with regular duties to the extent
benefits from their existence
that they become destructive
(Person Productive, happy …)
(Person Frustrated) 34
 Context-Aware Computing
What is context-awareness?

“The ability of a computer system to adapt

according to:
the location of use,
the collection of nearby people and objects,
the accessible devices, as well as
changes to those objects over time ….

A system with these capabilities surveys the

environment
and reacts to changes to that environment.” Schilit 35
 Context-Aware Computing
What is context-awareness…

The ability of computer systems to:

 Acquire contextual knowledge
 Process and reason about the context
 Perform dynamic adaptation to the
changing context
 Act in a proactive manner

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 Context-Aware Computing
Context-awareness in ubiquitous computing

Pervasiveness makes it more complex due

to:
 Frequent change of context
 Heterogeneity of devices
 High mobility and dynamism
 Anytime-anywhere paradigm
 Lack of centralized service/control
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 Context-Aware Computing
Context-awareness in PvC: Requirements
Sensing
• Context Capturing: Gather context information
Thinking
• Context Modelling: Organize context into the appropriate
format
• Aggregation/Interpretation: Combine context information
to generate a higher meaningful context
• Reasoning: Draw new knowledge and perform decisions
Action: Take proactive/reactive actions
Collaboration: Make the context information accessible to the
neighborhood
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 Context-Aware Computing
Context-Aware Applications: Some Examples
(1) Augmented Reality
User’s view of the real world is augmented with additional
information
Scenario 1: you wear sun-glasses with a display and
headphones and walk in downtown Addis
As you move around, the glasses can tell you your location
As you look at Anbesa Gibi you get information about it
Scenario 2: special operations squad infiltrating an enemy
complex wearing gizmos
In addition to information in scenario 1, the glasses
change to night vision if lighting is not sufficient

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 Context-Aware Computing
Context-Aware Applications: Some Examples
(2) Adaptive PDA/Phone
PDA: notepad application changes its
characteristics depending on user activity
Large font when walking, small font when stationary
Change the intensity level depending on the lighting
conditions
Phone: decide ring volume or vibration
depending on situation
In hand, in a suitcase, on a table, in a
classroom/conference
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 Ubiquitous Computing …
Ad-hoc Networks

A self-configuring (wireless) network of (mobile)

nodes without the presence of static
infrastructure.
 MANET (Mobile ad-hoc network) and WSN (Wireless
sensor network) are areas of interest.
 Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Jini, TCP, Routing are among the
potential protocols and tools.

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 Applications of mobile and ubiquitous
computing
 Vehicles
 transmission of news, road condition, weather,
 personal communication using GSM
 position via GPS
 local ad-hoc network with vehicles close-by to prevent accidents,
guidance system, redundancy
 vehicle data (e.g., from busses, high-speed trains) can be
transmitted in advance for maintenance
 Medical
 Nurses/Doctors in Medical offices are now using Wireless Tablet
PCs/WLAN to collect and share patient information.
 Sales
 Sales representatives are using Tablet PCs with Smart phones for
presentation, transmitting/access information among office,
hotel, and customer location.
 Emergencies
 Early transmission of patient data to the hospital, current status, first
diagnosis
 Provide mobile infrastructure in dealing with Natural Disaster
(earthquake, hurricane, fire), terrorist attacks, war, ...

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 Challenges in mobile and ubiquitous
computing
 Mobility of devices
 Hardware
 Lighter, smaller, energy management, user interface
 Low bandwidth, high bandwidth variability
 Kbit/s to Mbit/s, bandwidth fluctuation
 Security risk
 Devices more vulnerable, endpoint authentication harder
 Heterogeneous network
 Different devices, interfaces and protocols
 Location awareness
 Locality adaptation
 Higher loss-rates, higher delays, more jitter
 Connection setup time, hand-off
 Restrictive regulations of frequencies
 Frequencies have to be coordinated
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