Apparatus and method for providing context-aware service

• US 7,937,434 B2
• Filed: 07/26/2005
• Issued: 05/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Cho, Yong-jin
• Primary Examiner(s): Abel-Jalil; Neveen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chbouki; Tarek
• Application Number:
  US11/189,079
• Publication Number:
  US 20060020633A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,107 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/5016 Session
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5027 the resource being a machine, e.g. CPUs, Servers, Terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/04 Inference or reasoning models
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction

Abstract

An apparatus and method for providing a context-aware service are provided. The apparatus includes a context-aware service object (CAS) management module managing information on a CAS and a context defined by the CAS, a sensor management module managing information on a sensor and requesting the sensor to observe knowledge, and a context management module informing the CAS management module of a CAS defining a context provided by the CAS management module when observed knowledge satisfies the context defined by the CAS, wherein upon being informed of the CAS by the context management module, the CAS management module requests the CAS to provide a service.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a memory for providing a context-aware service;

a context-aware service object (CAS) management module which manages CAS information of a CAS and a context which is defined by the CAS;

a sensor management module which manages sensor information of a sensor and requests the sensor to observe knowledge; and

a context management module which is provided changed knowledge from the sensor when there is a change in the knowledge, determines whether the provided knowledge satisfies a context provided by the CAS management module, and informs the CAS management module of a CAS which defines a context which is provided by the CAS management module when the knowledge satisfies the context,

wherein the CAS management module requests the CAS to provide a service if the CAS management module is informed of the CAS by the context management module,

wherein when a new sensor is added, the sensor management module registers sensor information of the new sensor and when a new CAS is added, the CAS management module registers CAS information of the new CAS and a context defined by the new CAS, and

wherein the sensor information is allowed to be deleted in response to a removal request from the sensor, and the CAS information and the context are allowed to be deleted in response to a removal request from the CAS, and

wherein the CAS is a server object while the sensor is a client object, the context being determined based on knowledge provided by a plurality of sensors and information on an operating environment.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the context management module comprises:

a knowledge repository which stores the knowledge;

a query processor which sends a query to the knowledge repository;

an inference engine which determines whether the knowledge satisfies the context; and

a trigger processor which informs the CAS management module of the CAS according to a determination of the inference engine.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the CAS information comprises at least one of an identifier of the CAS, state information of the CAS, and information on a communication method which is used by the CAS.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the CAS information is stored in a CAS repository.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensor information comprises at least one of an identifier of the sensor, state information of the sensor, information on a communication method which is used by the sensor, and information on knowledge to be observed by the sensor.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensor information is stored in a sensor repository.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the context is stored in a context repository.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the service is provided according to changed information in the sensor.

9. A method of providing a context-aware service, the method comprising:

registering CAS information of a context-aware service object (CAS) and a context which is defined by the CAS;

registering sensor information of a sensor;

receiving knowledge which is observed by the sensor based on the sensor information from the sensor, and receiving changed knowledge from the sensor when there is a change in the observed knowledge;

determining whether the knowledge which is received satisfies the context;

informing of the CAS which defines the context when the knowledge which is received satisfies the context; and

requesting the CAS to provide a service,

wherein when a new sensor is added, registering sensor information of the new sensor and when a new CAS is added, registering CAS information of the new CAS and a context defined by the new CAS,

wherein the sensor information is allowed to be deleted in response to a removal request from the sensor, and the CAS information and the context are allowed to be deleted in response to a removal request from the CAS, and

wherein the CAS is a server object while the sensor is a client object, the context being determined based on knowledge provided by a plurality of sensors and information on an operating environment.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the CAS information comprises at least one of an identifier of the CAS, state information of the CAS, and information on a communication method which is used by the CAS.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the sensor information comprises at least one of an identifier of the sensor, state information of the sensor, information on a communication method which is used by the sensor, and information on knowledge to be observed by the sensor.

12. The method according to claim 9, wherein the service is provided according to changed information in the sensor.