Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Remote management of devices. For AAL solutions that are too complex to be
managed by the user remote management of devices is needed. OSGi is one of the
possible solutions tackle the remote management for software upgrades and installing
new software. However this is not the only case, since some devices might need (re-
)calibration and checking whether they are still operating correctly. This kind of
features should be build into the product.
Upgradeability and extendibility. During the use of AAL solutions the applications
and services will evolve. As a consequence existing software components should be
able to be replaced and new components added. AAL solutions have also to evolve
with the needs of the user, since the users' impairments and abilities which will change
during his live. This will require upgradeability and extendibility of the installed
solutions at the users' end as well at caregivers' site. Dynamic configuration of systems
and services is an approach to this, but has also a close connection to remote
management of devices. OSGi is one of the possible solution tackle the remote
management for software upgrades and installing new software.
Ultimately, each object can be abstracted as a service provider that can be accessed by
others. In this context, service-oriented architecture technologies enabling standardized
ways of modelling, discovering and negotiating - for example the exchange formats,
reserving and composing services - are essential. They need to involve appropriate
levels of semantics to enable automated service composition; there is for example the
objective of semantic-web technologies for networked services.
In the area of PAN and LAN networks, the dynamic configuration of systems is
important because people are moving through a home or even outdoors, so not all
systems might be within reach all the time. This requires interoperable implementations
for auto-configuration, registration and discovery. Choices have to be made here with
respect to which technologies to use. Within CONTINUA version 1 specification, for
example, the choice for UPnP has been made. In projects like PERSONA, other
choices have demonstrated.
In the area of Web-based services and service construction a lot of interoperable
solutions exist; however, choices have to be made (AALIANCE, 2009).
Security and privacy. Because AAL solutions will capture and manage a lot of
sensitive personal data security, confidentiality and privacy are important issues and
should lead to dependable and trusted solutions. Challenges in this area are:
identification of users when they use a device, especially in multi users
contexts;
protection of unauthorized access, requiring identification and authorization
not only for people but also for devices and services;
certificate handling for devices to ensure the identity, and the related quality
aspects, of a device to other devices and services;
protection of privacy: anonymity, pseudonymity, unobservability and
unlinkability - technologies such as cryptography and steganography, for
example trusted third-party services;
safe buying and selling on the Internet - technologies such as electronic
identification for applications such as electronic trading;
creating easy, reliable and secure personal identification - technologies such as
electronic signatures;
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