Petros Belimpasakis

Remote Access to Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) Devices Utilizing the Atom Publishing Protocol

The universal plug and play (UPnP) Forum has specified protocols which enable consumer electronics devices, computers and smart appliances to discover and use each others services. This is possible when devices are connected to the same network, usually that being a home network. Currently, UPnP does not specify any method for remotely accessing the services of home devices, from devices that are connected on another, external, network. In this paper we propose a solution that utilizes web syndication protocols, such as the IETF Atom, for enabling remote usage of UPnP devices, without major modifications to the end-user UPnP applications.

Experience Explorer: A Life-Logging Platform Based on Mobile Context Collection

As mobile smart phones are being equipped with multiple radio interfaces and sensors, they are becoming capable of continuously collecting context information related to the users and the environment. This information can be utilized in different applications and services for providing rich, context-aware experiences. In this paper, we present a client-server platform that enables life logging, via mobile context collection, and processes the data so that meaningful higher-level context can be derived. This can then be mashed-up with 3rd party Internet services, for providing richer social networking and content associations, keeping privacy and security in mind. We present our core use cases, the proposed end-to-end architecture and current implementation, as well as an explorer user interface that visualizes users’ life experience.

XMPP-based wireless sensor network and its integration into the extended home environment

Wireless sensor networks have significant potential in the home environment. Home application scenarios include monitoring and interaction from several remote or local devices such as mobile phones, televisions or computers. In this paper we propose an architecture for a network based on IP-enabled wireless sensors. The communication system is based on the XMPP-protocol which is shown to be highly suitable for the sensor networks. XMPP provides a push based notification functionality that is especially appropriate for the event-driven paradigm of sensors and also provides the authentication and encryption required for data protection. We also use Atom feeds together with XMPP to enable remote web service-like access to the wireless sensor network. Integration of this XMPP-based wireless sensor network with the standard UPnP media-oriented network is done using a XMPP to UPnP gateway. In this paper, home applications and services are first introduced and different technologies supporting them are described. Next, the benefits of XMPP/IP architecture compared to non-IP sensor networks and to the UPnP based sensor network are discussed. We then present our XMPPbased wireless sensor network, with web-service like access, using XMPP and Atom feeds, also interfacing with UPnP. These solutions have been implemented on internet tablet devices allowing a flexible, highly functional and open system for integrating sensor network with the media environment.

Enabling Rapid Creation of Content for Consumption in Mobile Augmented Reality

As smart phones are getting powerful multimedia devices, with a plethora of sensors, they are the perfect enablers for Augmented Reality, allowing users to see the real world through a magic lens. Augmented Reality applications and services have been typically utilized in a limited number of domains, while adding new content is typically a privilege of developers, as programming skills are required for linking to existing clients or systems. In this paper we study how power users and small businesses can bring their content, advertizing and general data to an Augmented Reality view, with minimal effort. We present three prototyped approaches based on the Image Space mirror world service.

A combined mixed reality and networked home approach to improving user interaction with consumer electronics

User interaction in a modern networked home can be unintuitive when utilizing a smartphone for control. Different layers of menus and the lack of a tangible real-world interaction metaphor complicates the everyday usage of those devices in a smartphone. We propose a solution focusing on mixed reality interaction, by combining computer vision and ubiquitous computing techniques, to allow the user to simply point to the device of interest, to be controlled, via the smartphone camera. This adds value to the consumer electronics ecosystem by improving networked home user interaction experiences.

Bringing user-generated content from Internet services to mobile augmented reality clients

In this paper we describe a system for bringing usergenerated content to mobile augmented reality clients, taking in consideration the metadata required for visualizing it, at a sensor based tracking solution. Our proposal assumes that content is stored in multiple external Internet services, simply treated as a “cloud”, thus making the mobile client service agnostic. A prototype implementation was created for the Image Space service and the learnings of integrating with the popular Flickr service are discussed.

Home media atomizer: remote sharing of home content - without semi-trusted proxies

This paper proposes a solution that allows home hosted content, located on home PCs or UPnP media servers, to be offered to remote clients, for consumption. The system is based on a proxy residing on the home network that exports the multimedia content to a Web syndication feed following the Atom protocol, which is then accessed from compatible remote clients. A prototype of the system was built, with the proxy functionality implemented on a home PC and the remote clients running on mobile phones. Special attention has been paid to the social aspects of content sharing, for allowing the home owner to also invite other external users to remotely access specific, home-based media containers, with very simple and secure device configuration.

Mixed reality web service platform

This paper presents a RESTful Web service platform for applications for both Web browsers and mobile clients. Having a common service backend makes creating applications fast, simple, and open to third parties. The paper presents two mixed reality applications that have been built on the platform. It summarizes requirements for a mixed reality platform and defines a mixed reality domain model that the platform and applications share. In addition, it describes how the clients can use the REST interface to perform operations on user-generated content, as well as access real-life commercial geo-content such as street-view panoramas and building models.

Experiences in building a RESTful mixed reality web service platform

This paper reports the development of a RESTful Web service platform at Nokia Research Center for building Mixed Reality services. The platform serves geo-spatially oriented multimedia content, geo-data like streetview panoramas, building outlines, 3D objects and point cloud models. It further provides support for identity management and social networks, as well as for aggregating content from third party content repositories. The implemented system is evaluated on architecture qualities like support for evolution and mobile clients. The paper outlines our approach for developing RESTful Web services from requirements to an implemented service, and presents the experiences and insights gained during the platform development, including the benefits and challenges identified from adhering to the Resource Oriented Architecture style.

Sharing with people: a system for user-centric content sharing

In this paper, we present the existing content sharing paradigms along with some advanced sharing use cases that are not feasible with the existing technologies. For satisfying these use cases, we propose a new system that allows content sharing in a totally user-centric manner, meaning that users can select the people they want to share their content with and just let the system handle all the lower level device, network bearer and content transfer technologies, which best fit each sharing occasion. The system feasibility is proved in two dimensions, firstly by a technical prototype implementation in a laboratory environment, and secondly via usability studies with non-expert users, for gathering their input and feedback on the interface and preferred interaction with such a system.