An Application Layer Framework for Location- based Service Discovery and Provisioning for Mobile Devices

There has been a tremendous rise in the use of Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) services for cellular telephones. Such services include electronic mail, printing, fax delivery, and weather reports. But, current services are limited both in type and nature. Today, mobile telephone users need access to more dynamic, location-based, distributed services that include both hardware resources, like printers and computers, and software services, like application software. Problems due to mobility include clients disconnecting from the network, services leaving the network, and communication problems.

This research proposes and demonstrates the feasibility of a framework for a system to meet such a need. More specifically, this work develops and demonstrates a distributed environment where mobile telephone users have access to services dynamically as they enter and leave different service areas. It also provides a framework to support mobility in the application layer context.

This work utilizes Sun Microsystem's JINI connection technology to provide distributed services to mobile telephones over WAP. It provides a prototype system to provide Java based software services to mobile telephones. The work also provides several optimizations with respect to client communication by harnessing key features of WAP. This provides a robust, dynamic environment for service provisioning.