Geo-Enabling Spatially Relevant Data for Mobile Information Use and Visualisation

This paper addresses the methodological issues of developing and visualising added value geo-enabled content for mobile information systems. The research was carried out under the framework of WebPark, an EC-IST R&D project that developed a location aware application for nature/protected areas. The evaluation of existing information sources – tourism information, research data, and multimedia content – revealed that the tourism information and multimedia content analysed did not have an active geographic component and the geographic research data (e.g. animal counts/observations) had a clear mismatch as regards the visitors' information needs. Therefore, different types of data processing were developed and performed in order to render existing information sources useful for location-based services. Data preparation also included building hierarchical data structures (quadtrees and hierarchical stream ordering). The paper shows how these data structures are exploited to facilitate real-time generalisation in order to efficiently present thematic point data on portable devices. Finally, three key lessons for geo-enabling location-based services are presented.

[1]  Alistair J. Edwardes,et al.  Information Flows in Nature Areas- Information Needs and Data Supply for Location-based services in Nature Areas , 2005 .

[2]  Pragya Agarwal,et al.  Ontological considerations in GIScience , 2005, Int. J. Geogr. Inf. Sci..

[3]  Stuart J. Barnes,et al.  The mobile commerce value chain: analysis and future developments , 2002, Int. J. Inf. Manag..

[4]  A. MacEachren,et al.  Some Truth With Maps: A Primer on Symbolization and Design , 2011 .

[5]  Jason Dykes,et al.  A framework for evaluating geographical information , 2002, J. Inf. Sci..

[6]  Hanan Samet,et al.  Applications of spatial data structures , 1989 .

[7]  Prosenjit Bose,et al.  On simplifying dot maps , 2004, Comput. Geom..

[8]  Panos Vassiliadis,et al.  Conceptual modeling for ETL processes , 2002, DOLAP '02.

[9]  Hanan Samet,et al.  Applications of spatial data structures - computer graphics, image processing, and GIS , 1990 .

[10]  Eduardo Dias,et al.  Effects of Mobile Information Sharing in Natural Parks , 2004, EnviroInfo.

[11]  Haibo Hu,et al.  Semantic location modeling for location navigation in mobile environment , 2004, IEEE International Conference on Mobile Data Management, 2004. Proceedings. 2004.

[12]  Dfl Dorling,et al.  Geographic Information Research: Bridging the Atlantic , 1996 .

[13]  Michael Beigl,et al.  LOCATION MODELING FOR UBIQUITOUS COMPUTING , 2001 .

[14]  Robert Weibel,et al.  Generalization of Spatial Data: Principles and Selected Algorithms , 1996, Algorithmic Foundations of Geographic Information Systems.

[15]  Marc van Kreveld,et al.  Algorithmic Foundations of Geographic Information Systems , 1997, Lecture Notes in Computer Science.

[16]  Keith Cheverst,et al.  Experiences of developing and deploying a context-aware tourist guide: the GUIDE project , 2000, MobiCom '00.

[17]  Ian D. Howarth,et al.  Towards a better understanding , 2003 .

[18]  Rui José,et al.  The AROUND Architecture for Dynamic Location-Based Services , 2003, Mob. Networks Appl..

[19]  P. Burrough,et al.  Principles of geographical information systems , 1998 .

[20]  Paul Dourish,et al.  What we talk about when we talk about context , 2004, Personal and Ubiquitous Computing.

[21]  D. Burghardt,et al.  WEBPARK LOCATION BASED SERVICES FOR SPECIES SEARCH IN RECRATION AREA , 2003 .

[22]  David Salesin,et al.  Multiresolution painting and compositing , 1994, SIGGRAPH.

[23]  Gregory D. Abowd,et al.  Towards a Better Understanding of Context and Context-Awareness , 1999, HUC.

[24]  Martin Galanda,et al.  Adaptive Zooming in Web Cartography , 2002, Comput. Graph. Forum.

[25]  David O'Sullivan,et al.  Geographic Information Analysis , 2002 .

[26]  Sabine Timpf,et al.  Cartographic objects in a multi-scale data structure , 1997 .