Min-O-Mee: A Proximity Based Network Application Leveraging The AllJoyn Framework

Abstract

Close proximity of mobile devices can be utilized to create ad hoc and dynamic networks. These mobile Proximity Based Networks (PBNs) are Opportunistic Networks that enable devices to identify and communicate with each other without relying on any communication infrastructure. In addition, these networks are self organizing, highly dynamic and facilitate effective real-time communication. These characteristics render them very useful in a wide variety of complex scenarios such as vehicular communication, e-health, disaster networks, mobile social networks etc. In this work we employ the AllJoyn framework from Qualcomm which facilitates smooth discovery, attachment and data sharing between devices in close proximity. We develop \textit{Min-O-Mee}, a Minutes-of-Meeting app prototype in the Android platform, utilizing the AllJoyn framework. Min-O-Mee allows one of the participants to create a minutes-of-meeting document which can be shared with and edited by the other participants in the meeting. The app harnesses the spatial proximity of participants in a meeting and enables seamless data exchange between them. This characteristic allows Min-O-Mee to share not just minutes-of-meeting, but any data that needs to be exchanged among the participants, making it a versatile app. Further, we extend the basic AllJoyn framework to enable multi-hop communication among the devices in the PBN. We devise a novel routing mechanism that is suited to a proximity centric wireless network as it facilitates data routing and delivery over several hops to devices that are at the fringe of the PBN.