Architectural abstractions for spaces-based communication in Smart Environments

Issue title: A software engineering perspective on smart applications for AmI

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Bernini, Diego | Fiamberti, Francesco | Micucci, Daniela | Tisato, Francesco

Affiliations: Department of Informatics, Systems and Communication, University of Milano – Bicocca, Viale Sarca 336/U14, 20126 Milan, Italy

Note: [] Corresponding author. Email: [email protected].

Abstract: People often behave in Smart Environments by relying on spatial metaphors that deserve to turn into architectural abstractions. The paper presents a set of space-aware communication primitives that support the seamless integration of application components in an open-ended Smart Environment. Environment spaces provide subjective views of the environment according to specific spatial models, be they physical or logical. Software components communicate in a publish/subscribe style by contextualizing information in the spaces they are aware of. Space mappings allow components to interact even if they rely on different spatial models. The paper introduces a formal definition of basic spatial models and describes the spaces-based architectural abstractions through a reference example. Then it presents SIS (Space Integration Services), a concrete framework that reifies the abstractions, together with some performance measurements. Finally, it shows a concrete implementation of the reference scenario and compares the proposed approach with related work.

Keywords: Spaces-based communication, publish-subscribe, software architecture, Smart Environments

DOI: 10.3233/AIS-2012-0146

Journal: Journal of Ambient Intelligence and Smart Environments, vol. 4, no. 3, pp. 253-277, 2012