An Ontology-based Conceptual Model for Composing Context-Aware Applications

Ubiquitous computing (UbiComp) applications operate within an extremely dynamic and heterogeneous environment. Thus context definition, representation, management and use become important factors that affect their operation. UbiComp applications have to dynamically adapt to changes in their environment as a result of users' or other actors' activities. To ease the development of such applications it is necessary to decouple application composition from context acquisition and representation, and at the same time provide universal models and mechanisms to manage context. This paper presents experiences with using an ontology to represent context of operation together with decision making for UbiComp applications that result from the composition of functionally independent components. These components were embedded in everyday objects, hence (a) their services were affected by their physical properties, (b) their context of operation was defined by the existence / availability of the objects, and (c) their collective functionality was emerging from a set of interactions among them.

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