Personalized Mobile Applications for Remote Monitoring

The development of mobile applications is a challenging activity. The main problems are the limits of the mobile devices (in memory size, processing power, battery duration, etc.) and the diversity of target platforms, display sizes, or input modes (keypads or tactile screens). For these reasons, the software product line (SPL) development paradigm can improve the process of designing and implementing mobile systems. The authors’ approach to SPL development uses the package merge relationship of the standard UML to represent the variability in all the SPL design and implementation models. The combination of this technique and conventional CASE and IDE tools (Eclipse or MS Visual Studio) makes the developments of SPLs for mobile applications easier as it removes the need for specialized tools and personnel. This article presents a SPL that makes possible the remote monitoring of dependent people to facilitate their autonomy. The SPL generic architecture uses Bluetooth wireless sensors connected to mobile devices. These devices are remotely connected to a central system, which could be used in hospitals or aged person’s residences. Moderate cost sensors allow health parameters such as heart rate or oxygen saturation level to be controlled. Risk situations can also be detected using a range of predefined values or specific sensors. The diversity of individual situations and the resource limitations favor the use of the SPL paradigm, as only the required features are incorporated in each concrete product.