Investigation in the development of
Standalone Location Based Services
FINAL PROJECT PRESENTATIONS
Nkululeko Gojela
Supervisor: Dr Hannah Thinyane
Presentation Outline
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Introduction
Problem Statement
Project Objectives
Implementation
Reporte on Findings
Conclusion
Future Work
Questions?
Introduction
• Location Based Services (LBS) depend of location
information of subjects.
• Mobile devices are a suitable platform for hosting
LBS.
• LBS implementations:
– LBS with a supporting aggregation infrastructure.
– Standalone LBS
Standalone vs Aggregator Based Services
Location
Content
Provider
Location
Information
Server
(Aggregator)
Project Objectives
• Examine the methods used for locating devices and:
– How information available divides the types of
services that can be developed.
• Explore the extent of portability of LBS services given
current technologies.
• Develop a service that can used test for the above
mentioned.
Adopted Approach
• Developed service to be run on two layers of mobiles
devices:
– SIM Card Layer: would guarantee PORTABILITY
– Application Layer: Access to devices capabilities, GPS unit,
lesser memories restrictions, etc.
LoxionSys Application – Java Card
• Initial idea to develop the service as a
Java Card Applet:
– Java Card provides commands that are
used to interaction with the SIM card.
– Card performs instructions and returns
result.
• PROVIDE LOCAL INFORMATION pro-cmd
command
– Card is “proactive” – initiates the
commands by itself.
LoxionSys Application – Java Card
PROVIDE LOCAL INFORMATION pro-cmd command
private void MyLocalInfo() throws ToolkitException {
ProactiveHandler ph = ProactiveHandler.getTheHandler();
ph.init(PRO_CMD_PROVIDE_LOCAL_INFORMATION, (byte)0x00,
DEV_ID_ME);
ph.send();
}
Command qualifiers:
'00' = Location Information according to current NAA;
'01' = IMEI of the terminal;
'02' = Network Measurement results according to current NAA;
'03' = Date, time and time zone;
• This means that we are able get the
current CELLID from the network.
LoxionSys Application – Java Card
• Issue with this approach:
– Operator SIM Cards encrypted and locked
down.
• No way to test unless operator buy in.
– Complication with Development
environment led to inability to continue
with development.
• But given the CELLID from the network,
we are able to approximate the
location of the device.
• By knowing the CELLID and knowing
the CELL position.
• Open source projects such as
OpenCellID we can find the location of
the GSM cell.
LoxionSys Application – Java ME
• Reminder services developed in Java
ME.
• Java ME because of wide support by
mobile device manufacturers.
– Greater chances of portability than other
languages.
– Support Location Based Services: JSR-179
Location API for J2ME Specification and it’s
implementation.
LoxionSys cont…
• Services allow users to:
– Current location information (Coordinates)
– View position on Google Maps Static
Images.
– Set Landmarks are current locations.
– Trigger Events (Vibrate, Alert Messages,
SMS Message) on proximity to landmarks.
LoxionSys cont…
• Java ME defines the Location API with
the features needs for the developed
of LBS:
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Discovery of Current location
Landmark
Proximity listeners
Location listeners
Address data associates with landmarks. s.
LoxionSys cont…
LoxionSys cont…
• However not all mobile devices have
GPS support and therefore implement
the Location API.
• Alternative method is Network
Positioning.
• However position information is only
available to network operators.
• By making use of system properties,
we can find the CellID the devices is
connected to.
LoxionSys cont…
• Because there is no implementation
where there is no GPS unit, Landmark
storage is provided through the Java ME
RMS.
• This allows us similar functionality
provided by the Location API.
• Other functions include:
– View location on Google Static MAPS
– Select desired reminder type [Vibrate
devices, Send SMS, Flash Backlight]
– Possibly looking at ability to send new
CellIDs and coordinates to OpenCellID
Database.
Findings
• Portability is not completely possible due to different
manufacturers implementation of Java
Specifications.
• Even though the GPS unit enables short range
services:
– Some of the challenges with accuracy as different response
was received with different GPS equipped devices.
– Non-GPS equipped device get excluded from these
services, but no evidence of no portability between GPS
equipped devices.
Findings
• Using CellID would enable for LBS where area
covered is larger. e.g. Weather Services.
– Whoever some challenge around some manufacturer
specific implementations limit portability:
• System.getProperty("CellID"); //Retrieve CellID form network
• System.getProperty("com.nokia.mid.cellid"); //For Nokia
Project Objectives
• Examine the methods used for locating devices and:
– How information available divides the types of
services that can be developed.
• Explore the extent of portability of LBS services given
current technologies.
• Develop a service that can used test for the above
mentioned.
Conclusion
• The adoption of Java by mobile device manufacturers
provide a step towards portability.
• Evidence of completely portability not a available.
• Type location information available divides the types
of services that can be developed.
Future Work
• Future explore the development of LBS on the Java
Card.
– Whether some of the challenges on the application layer
are eliminated on the SIM Card layer.
• Security related issue with standalone LBS and
proposed solution for them.
Questions