2006 Digital Symposium Collection

MOBI-DIC: MOBIle DIscovery of loCal Resources in Peer-to-Peer Wireless Network

Hu Cao, Ouri Wolfson, Bo Xu, and Huabei Yin
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Return to September 2005, Database Issues for Location Data Management, Volume 28, Number 3

Abstract

In this paper we examine management of databases distributed among moving objects. The objects are interconnected by a Mobile Ad Hoc Network. Several inherent characteristics of this environment, including the dynamic and unpredictable network topology, the limited peer-to-peer communication bandwidth, and the need for incentive for peer-to-peer cooperation, impose challenges to data management. In this paper we discuss these challenges in the context of a database that represents resource information. The information is disseminated and queried by the moving objects in search of resources. We are currently building such a resource discovery engine called MOBI-DIC: MOBIle DIscovery of LoCal Resources. MOBI-DIC will enable quick building of matchmaking or resource discovery services in many application domains, including social networks, transportation, mobile electronic commerce, emergency response, and homeland security. For example, in a large professional, political, or social gathering, the technology is useful to automatically facilitate a face-to-face meeting based on matching profiles. In transportation, MOBI-DIC incorporated in navigational devices can be used to disseminate to other similarly-equipped vehicles information about relevant resources such as free parking slots, traffic jams and slowdowns, available taxicabs, and ride sharing. In mobile electronic commerce, MOBI-DIC is useful to match buyers and sellers in a mall, or to disseminate information about a marketed product. In emergency response, MOBI-DIC can be used by first responders to support rescue efforts (locate victims, and match responder capability with needs) even when the fixed infrastructure is inoperative. In homeland security, sensors mounted on neighboring containers can communicate and transitively relay alerts to remote check-points.