A Novel Approach to Ubiquitous Location-Based Service Architectures Using Mobile Communities

5 Summary and Conclusion In this chapter, we have introduced a novel positioning framework approach for providing a distributed, ubiquitous location service. We have shown that community-based approaches can provide a viable enhancement to existing LP solutions and ambitions. We believe that such an approach is currently the only solution capable of capturing the abundance and distributed nature of providing location information from heterogeneous wireless networks and readily available positioning systems for future ubiquitous LBS. Furthermore, a future LP will involve both centralizedand decentralized location service provisioning due to the distributed nature of location information and various LBS requirements. Concerning the user community aspects of such a LP approach, a quantitative analysis of the service usage behavior of a certain number of location community users within a certain area and over a certain period of time was modeled in an idealized computer simulation. The model based on the Location Trader platform takes into account environmental factors such as network cell size and initial number of users as well as individual factors such as frequency of usage, number of requests, number of contributions, each user’s satisfaction level, frustration level and tolerance towards frustration before abandoning the system. By systematically varying certain initial settings of these parameters, their effect on the outcome of the simulation have been analysed. Based on the community principle, an architecture model has been introduced, specifying the requirements for a distributed ubiquitous location service. We have shown how the LACBA system meets these requirements, demonstrating its distributed community-based location service from heterogeneous positioning systems and multiple inter-working LES/GIS entities on a first seamless LBS implementation.