E-Services for Mobile Users

Transcription

1 E-Services for Mobile Users Using Agent Technology Pavlos MORAITIS University René Descartes

2 Outline Scope Requirements Why use agent technology Engineering the MAS Industrial Projects Image IT Service Networks Ambient Intelligence ASK-IT Servicing mobility impaired people - emergence Challenges

3 Scope Requirements Use cases Environment

4 Requirements Support different types of users Be able to adapt the service according to user s habitual patterns (nevertheless, system initiated actions will always be subjected to user s permission, to avoid user frustration or surprise) Receive the user request and suggest optimal transportation solutions, tourist events and nearby attractions Monitor the users route and automatically provide related events (traffic or leisure) during the journey

5 Requirements (cont.) Support the user while he is roaming between countries, allow him to use local, real-time services that are accurate and quick to download Support the user while he changes the modality of travel, e.g. allow for audio messages while he/she is in the car real-time information about next stop while he/she is in the train information about the street name for the next turn while walking

6 Requirements (cont.) Provide transport solutions and tourist services from a various set of distributed and heterogeneous providers Allow for flexible value flows between different business players in the domain Synthesize different basic services in order to achieve more complex ones that provide an added value

7 Sample Use cases A user can request a map with his position on it and, possibly other points of interest (POIs) around him that can belong to different types (e.g. banks, restaurants, etc) A user can request for a map with few or even no parameters A user can request a route from a specific place to another specific place, specifying the means of travel (e.g. public transport, car, on foot) and, possibly, the desired optimization type (e.g. shortest, fastest, cheapest route).

8 Sample Use cases (cont.) He can select among a variety of routes that are produced by the Geographical Information System (GIS) A user can request for a route with limited or even no parameters The MAS maintains a user profile so that it can filter the POIs or routes produced by the GIS and send to the user those that most suit his interests The profiling is based on criteria regarding the preferred transport type (private car, public transport, bicycle, on foot) and the preferred transport characteristics (shortest route, fastest route, cheapest route, etc).

9 Sample Use cases (cont.) The system exhibits self-learning ability in order to learn the user s preferences by monitoring his behaviour and adapting the service to his needs The system keeps track on selected user routes aiming to receive traffic events (closed roads) and check whether they affect the user s route (if that is the case then inform the user)

10 Environment Most of the available services are accessible through the internet The web services paradigm is widely used by legacy systems in the domain Mobile computing allows for the deployment of software on nomad devices (mobile phones, PDAs, etc) The acquiring of local services (through WLAN, Bluetooth, etc)

11 Why use agent technology Timely and geographical distribution of users and services Heterogeneity of services, devices and networks are provided by different sources Personalization and coordination of elementary services in order to provide the user with a complex service The above requirements invoke characteristics as autonomy pro-activeness intelligence cooperation

12 Engineering the MAS Agent Oriented Software Engineering (AOSE) Methodologies Gaia (Zambonelli et al. 2003) MaSE (Wood and DeLoach, 2000) Tropos (Bresciani et al., 2003) Frameworks JADE (Bellifemine et al, 2003) FIPA-OS (Emorphia Ltd, 2003) Complete solutions (methodology plus agents development environment) Zeus (Collis and Ndumu, 1999) AgentTool with MaSE (DeLoach and Wood, 2001)

13 Engineering the MAS (cont.) Use the Gaia2JADE process for developing real-world multi-agent systems (MASs) that are analyzed and designed using the Gaia methodology implemented with the JADE framework The Gaia2JADE process is described using the Software Process Engineering Metamodel (SPEM) proposed by the Object Management Group (2002) The FIPA Methodology Technical Committee has used it in order to describe the Gaia modelling process (Garro et al, 2004) We enhanced the latter, by adding the JADE development phase

14 The Gaia Methodology The Gaia methodology defines a complete and general methodology for the analysis and design of MASs Gaia supports both the levels of the individual agent structure and the agent society in the MAS development process MASs, are viewed as being composed of a number of autonomous interactive agents that live in an organized society in which each agent plays one or more specific roles It is a three phases process and at each phase the modelling of the MAS is further refined. These phases are the analysis phase, the architectural design phase the detailed design phase

15 The Leap extension allows for deployment of agents on hand-held devices like PDAs or mobile phones that support limited Java language environments The JADE Framework JADE is a FIPA compliant software development framework fully implemented in Java language JADE offers to the developer a number of features in order to simplify the development process: Distributed agent platform. The agent platform can be distributed on several hosts, each of which executes one Java Virtual Machine. FIPA-Compliant agent platform, which includes the Agent Management System, the Directory Facilitator and the Agent Communication Channel (FIPA TC Agent Management, 2002). Efficient transport of agent communication language (ACL) messages between agents (FIPA TC Communication, 2002)

16 The Gaia2JADE process Using SPEM notation Gaia2JADE Requirements Capture Analysis Requirements Capture Analysis Design Design JADE Implementation JADE Implementation

17 The JADE implementation phase Gaia Models Environmental Model Interactions Model Roles Model Agent Model Services Model Define communication protocols Define activities refinement table Define JADE behaviours Define JADE agents Domain ontology ACL messages Application Data class diagram Activities refinement table Behaviours repository Agents Java code

18 Industrial Projects Image (IST-FP ) , status: finished IT (IST-FP ) , status: implementation phase ASK-IT(IST-FP ) , status: analysis phase

19 Image-Partners Hellenic Institute of Transport (GR) University of Newcastle (UK) Centro Studi Sui Sistemi Transporto S.P.A. (I) Mizar Mediaservice (I) Intrasoft S.A. (GR) Unicom Consulting Ministry of Transport and Communication (FIN) Mobisoft (FIN) Tampere City Transport (FIN)

20 Image: Requirements Support different types of users Adapt the service to user s habitual patterns Suggest optimal transportation solutions, tourist events and nearby attractions Monitor the users route and automatically provide related events Provide transport solutions and tourist services from a various set of distributed and heterogeneous providers Synthesize different basic services in order to achieve more complex ones that provide an added value

21 Image: The concept Service Provider Middleware Provider Content Provider Electronic services Electronic services Electronic services & Content Information Image System IM Module DM Module Electronic services Service Provider Electronic services Middleware Provider Electronic services & Content Content Provider Information Remote Image System UI Module Electronic services End User Electronic services Network Operator Electronic services Electronic services End User Network Operator

22 Image: System Architecture IMAGE AGENT IMAGE Intelligent Module (IM) GS Module DM Module 5 Personal Assistant Agents Travel Guide Agent Interface Agent Educator Agent UI Module Services Agent Assistant Agent Events Handler Agent 4 DM Module

23 Role: PersonalAssistant (PA) Description: It acts on behalf of a profiled user. Provides the user with personalized routing and mapping services. These routes are presented to the user. Moreover, it can adapt (i.e. using learning capabilities) to a user s habits by learning from user selections. Finally, it receives information on traffic events, it checks whether such events affect its user s route and in such a case it informs the user. Protocols and Activities: InitUserProfile, DecideOrigin, DecidePOITypes, DecidePOIs, DecideDestination, LearnByUserSelection, CheckApplicability, PresentEvent, UserRequest, RespondToUser, InformForNewEvents, FindRoutes, ProximitySearch, CreateMap, GetPOIInfo Permissions: create, read, update user profile data class, read acquaintances data class. Responsibilities: Liveness: PersonalAssistant = InitUserProfile. ((ServeUser) ω (ReceiveNewEvents) ω ) ReceiveNewEvents = InformForNewEvents. CheckApplicability. [PresentEvent] ServeUser = UserRequest. (PlanATrip WhereAmI). LearnByUserSelection WhereAMI = DecideOrigin. [GetPOIsInfo] [DecidePOITypes. [ProximitySearch. DecidePOIs. [GetPOIsInfo. GeocodeRequest]] CreateMap] RespondToUser PlanATrip = DecideOrigin. [GetPOIsInfo] [DecideDestination. [ProximitySearch. [DecidePOIs. GetPOIsInfo. GeocodeRequest]]] [FindRoutes. DecideRoutes. [CreateMap]] RespondToUser Safety: true

24 The PersonalAssistant agent type class public class PersonalAssistantAgent extends Agent { //declare agent level data classes protected Acquaintances contacts = null; protected void setup( ){ //get arguments user profile Object [ ] args = this.getarguments(); UserProfile userprofile = (UserProfile)args[0]; //initialize agent data classes contacts = new Acquaintances(); //activate SocialType and PersonalAssistant behaviours addbehaviour(new SocialTypeBehaviour(this,contacts, //find agent types: TravelGuide and add them to contacts new String[ ]{Acquaintances.TRAVEL_GUIDE}, //Introduce agent as of type PersonalAssistant to agent types: EventsHandler new String[ ]{Acquaintances.EVENTS_HANDLER}, Acquaintances.PERSONAL_ASSISTANT)); addbehaviour(new PersonalAssistantBehaviour(this, contacts, userprofile)); } }

25 The PersonalAssistant role/behaviour public class PersonalAssistantBehaviour extends SimpleBehaviour { public PersonalAssistantBehaviour(Agent ag, Acquaintances contacts, UserProfile userprofile){ //activate ServeUser and ReceiveNewEvents sub-behaviours addbehaviour(new ServeUserBehaviour (this.myagent(), contacts, userprofile)); addbehaviour(new ReceiveNewEventsBehaviour(this.myAgent(), contacts, userprofile)); } }

26 If POI types are not present then use Profile POI types. If one or more specific POI types are requested then add them to history. possibly get user coordinates through GPS. Infer best POIs for user based on history meta-data and POIs availability [Local request] REQUEST_REMOTE_AGENTS_INFO_STATE [Remote request] RESPOND_REMOTE_AGENTS_INFO_STATE [Got remote contacts info] [Origin is POI ID] CHECK_ORIGIN_REQUEST_GEOCODING_STATE [Origin is in coordinates format] [Origin is in coordinates format] REQUEST_POIS_STATE [POI types included in request] REQUEST_POIS_INFO_STATE [Requested for selected POIs info] RESPOND_POIS_INFO_STATE [No POI types included in request] [POIs selected] RESPOND_POIS_AND_SELECT_POIS_STATE [No remote contacts found] [No POIs found] [No origin specified] [Selected POIs info returned] REQUEST_LOCATION_MAP_STATE [Selected POIs info returned for Geocoding] GEOCODE_POIS_INFO_STATE [A map is requested] [No map was requested] RESPOND_LOCATION_MAP_STATE [Unsuccessful Geocoding] [Unsuccessful Geocoding] [Unsuccessful Geocoding] RESPOND_WHERE_AM_I_STATE WhereAmI behaviour

27 The Gaia s roles activities refinement table Role Activities PA DecidePOITypes user profile user request Data Classes Read Update Description - if UserRequest.POITypes.length>0 Then ProximitySearch(UserRequest.POITypes) else if UserProfile.POITypes.length>0 then ProximitySearch(UserProfile.POITypes) else CreateMap endif Endif

28 Mapping Gaia role model liveness formulas to JADE behaviours FSMBehaviour SimpleBehaviour SERVEUSER = UserRequest. (PlanATrip WhereAmI). LearnByUserSelection Upper level behaviour Lower level behaviours

29 The transformation of liveness formulas to JADE behaviours Role description Top behaviour Role: Role1 Description: Protocols and Activities: Permissions:... Responsibilities: Liveness: R OLE1= Activity1. (Activity2) ω A CTIVITY1 = Activity3. [Protocol1] A CTIVITY2 = Protocol2. Activity4 Complex behaviours Liveness formula Safety: Upper level behaviour of 2 nd formula Lower level behaviours of 2 nd formula Simple behaviours

30 Image: Achievements One click service (user friendliness) Seamless to the user MAS operation User device independent (mobile phone, PDA, PC) service Effective user profiling Learning user habits Interoperability (between different cities) Flexible Business Models Advanced infomobility services

31 Image: Where Am I I service

32 Image: JADE snapshot Where Am I service: Zoom in the MAS! REQUEST_REMOTE_AGENTS_INFO_STATE No remote request needed query is for local city CHECK_ORIGIN_REQUEST_GEOCODING_STATE Get user position through GPS (DM web service invocation) Login request WAI request REQUEST_POIS_STATE Request nearby POIs according to profile RESPOND_POIS_AND_SELECT_POIS_STATE Filter-rank found POIs according to history meta-data REQUEST_POIS_INFO_STATE Request detailed information about selected POIs RESPOND_POIS_INFO_STATE Accept detailed information about selected POIs REQUEST_LOCATION_MAP_STATE Request a Map showing the selected POIs RESPOND_LOCATION_MAP_STATE Get Map showing the selected POIs RESPOND_TO_USER_STATE Present the package with map and POIs information to the UI

33 Image: Plan A Trip service

34 Image: Interoperability Turin IMAGE AGENT Turin IMAGE IM Module Tampere IMAGE AGENT Tampere IMAGE IM Module Interface Agent Get Travel Guide List Interface Agent Want Travel Travel Guide Guide List for Tampere City Route List Get Route List Travel Guide Agent Personal Assistant Agents Personal Assistant Agents

35 Image: Transfer Profile Turin IMAGE AGENT Turin IMAGE IM Module Tampere IMAGE AGENT Tampere IMAGE IM Module Interface Agent Get Free Personalized Assistant Assistant Interface Agent Want Personalized Personalized Assistant Assistant for Tampere City Travel Guide Agent Personal Assistant Agents Request Confirm Make Got Send Return Profile Reservation Profile Personal Assistant Agents

36 Image: User Evaluation No 28% Do you associate Image with a quality product? Are you willing to pay for Image service? No 13% Difficult 17% Was the system easy to use? Very difficult 2% Very easy 8% Yes 72% Was the information provided accurate? Very inaccurate 2% Inaccurate 8% I don't know 9% Very accurate 6% Yes 87% Easy 73% Accurate 75% Source: D6.3 Results and Findings of the IMAGE Validation (Turin test-bed)

37 Image: Findings Provided innovative, advanced, personalized infomobility services MAS development using an original Gaia 2 JADE process Proved that agent technology use is practical for such applications

38 Image: Comparison with similar systems 9 different criteria were used 2 regarding flexibility/openness of the system 5 regarding user needs 2 regarding the underlying technology Characteristic\System Image Crumpet PTA Maporama Kivera Independent of GIS (mapping-geocoding service) Independent of service provider (routing, traffic information, content) map with POIs User profiling Adaptive to user habits Bookmarking On hand-held device Agent on the device Distributed system

39 IT-Partners PTV Planning Transport Verkehr AG (D) PORSCHE Engineering Services GmbH (D) HaCon Ingenieurgesellschaft mbh (D) Daimler-Chrysler AG (D) Athens International Airport S.A. (GR) Institute of Communications and Computer Systems (GR) TransEuropean Consulting Unit of Thessaloniki S.A. (GR) 3C Systems Oy (FIN) Ministry of Transport and Communications of Finland (FIN) MMI Tietoverkot OY (FIN) TOPOLISZ Terinformatikai Studio Kft. (HU) 5T S.c.r.l. (I) MIZAR MEDIASERVICE S.R.L. (I) CRF Societa Consortile per Azioni (I) Motorola Electronics S.p.A. (I)

40 IT: Requirements Image, plus: Support the user while he is roaming between countries. Always allow him to use local, real-time services that are accurate and quick to download Support the user while he changes the modality of travel. Allow for audio messages while he/she is in the car, real-time information about next stop while he/she is in the train and information about the street name for the next turn while walking Allow for flexible value flows between different business players in the domain

41 IT: The concept The business players form a value flow downwards All these players are distributed around Europe End User B2C Operator Service Integrator Service Provider Content Provider Value flow

42 IT: Architecture JAVA In-vehicle services Site services JAVA Personal Assistant Agent Transport Mode Agent Mobile User Interface Agent Complex Services Agent Middle Agent Events Handler Agent Provider Agents Web Services, SOAP, XML Mapping Services, Routing Services, Touristic Information Services, Traffic Information Services, Reservation Services

43 IT: Architecture Mobile User (UI) Service Integrator Role End User Role (PDA, Mobile phone) Java Personal Assistant Agent Transport Mode Agent B2C Operator Role Services Access Point WLAN, GPRS, ACL-SL Interface Agent Middle Agent Events Handler Agent Complex Services Agent Provider Agents Mapping Services, Routing Services, Touristic Information Services, Traffic Information Services, Reservation Services Web Services, SOAP, XML Java Service Integrator Role Middle Agent In-vehicle services Site services Service Provider Role Provider Agents Complex Services Agent Events Handler Agent Complex Services Agent Provider Agents

44 IT: Service network B2C Layer: Personal Assistant Agents (Requesters) Interface Agents (Network Operator delegates) Brokering Layer Middle Agents Service Provider Layer Service provider agents Wrappers Added value services Legacy Systems Layer Web services, etc B2C Network Operator German/Hungary Service Providers German PTV WS Hungary Topo WS Service Network B2C Portal Greek Providers Intellect WS B2C Layer Service Brokering Layer Semantic Service Providers Web Services/ Legacy Systems

45 IT: Service protocols Abstract Protocols Value Flow Personal Assistant Agent Request for Service Middle Agent Request for Service Register, acquire transactions ID Interface Agent Personal Assistant Agent Interface Agent Middle Agent Provider Agents Value flow Provider Agents

46 IT: Connect a legacy system to the service network Three step process: 1. Get service specification Web service : WSDL document Corba, RMI, etc: remote function signatures and parameter types 2. Determine semantics Map to the IM@GINE IT ontology 3. Implement the Provider agent All steps can be outsourced Legacy System RPC FIPA-ACL, SL, IM@GINE IT ontology, RDF encoding WSDL or RPC signature Service Provider Agent

47 IT: Connect a provider agent to the service network Four step process: (must be FIPA compliant) (must advertise the service) 1. Determine semantics Map SP ontology to the IM@GINE IT ontology 2. Associate the semantics Create the relevant OWL file 3. Add the OWL file to broker agent resources 4. Add the OWL file to SP agent resources Steps 1, 2 can be outsourced, while 3, 4 can be automated FIPA-ACL, SL, RDF encoding FIPA-ACL, SL, LEAP encoding Service Provider Agent Broker Agent Same process for connecting requester agents Personal Assistant Agent

48 IT: Service provisioning protocol request request Requester Agent Broker Agent Provider Agent inform request inform inform request Broker Agent Provider Agent inform

49 IT: Service Network Advantages Any service can be described and added The requester doesn t care where/who the service provider is (anonymity, optional broker feature) Through any entrance point (broker) all the services are available Policies can change with minimum effort (broker feature) Added Value Services can emerge

50 IT: Provider Agent advantages Dynamic agent behaviour Can report when it is out of service Can enact a company policy depending on the network s allowed protocols Using semantic web tools it can easily offer the service to other FIPA-compliant networks Can use other agents capabilities in order to offer an added value service

51 IT: Deployment The PA agent can be on a car electronic system besides on nomad devices Service provider agents can be hosted at the service integrator platform or be independent Geographical Area B PAAgent Service Integrator & Provider for Geographical Area B Broker Agent Nomad Device Service Integrator for Geographical Area A Interface Agent B2C Operator Broker & Service Provider Agents B2C Operator PAAgent Nomad Device Interface Agent Service Provider Nomad Device Service Provider Agents PAAgent Geographical Area A

52 IT: Deployment (cont) Am UI 1 Personal Assistance JADE-LEAP UI 2 Network Provider JADE-LEAP Legend (Gray items refer to optional components) Personal Assistance : Personal Assistant, Transport Mode agents. 0..* instances Network Provider Service Platform : Interface, Personal Assistant agents. 0..* instances : Broker, Complex and Simple Service Provider, Events Handler agents. 1..* instances DM GIS Service Provider JADE Service Platform JADE DM GIS Service Provider UI 1 UI 2 : Complex and Simple Service Provider, Events Handler agents. 0..* instances : Java applet interface on the device : Web services interface between platform and car device (DM cars) DM GIS GIS : Web services DM : Web services Bold lines in the drawing characterize components that have at least one instance

53 IT: Challenges Agent technology research Agent Oriented Software Engineering Middle agents: Services directory and facilitation New application fields of Agent Technology Trends on application domain Offering advanced infomobility services Enabling new forms of business

54 Ask-IT: Partners The total number of partners is 45 and among them are: Siemens S.A. (Spain) Nokia Mobile Phones (USA) Sun Microsystems Ltd (UK) ALCATEL SEL AG (Germany) Lucent Technologies Network Systems GmbH (Germany) Motorola Ltd (UK) Groupe des Ecoles des Telecommunications - Institut National des Telecommunications (France) Royal National Institute of the Blind (UK) Europaeisches Microsoft Innovations Centre GmbH (Germany) Vodafone Espana S.A (Spain) Centre for Research and Technology Hellas (CERTH) / Hellenic Institute of Transport (GR)

55 Ask-IT: Requirements To provide infomobility services for mobility impaired people To personalise the service depending on a person s type of impairment To enable the PAN (personal area network) and BAN (body area network) ambient intelligence

56 Ask-IT: Concept Internet - Ambient space LAN - Immediate Ambient PAN - Personal Space Local Services Legend Inter-personal assistant agent Transactions E&D E&D Adaptable User Interface Sensors Effectors ASK-IT Personal Wearable Intelligent Device Agent(s) - PEDA, AmI service agents Local Service Agents Transaction (from the agent/interface that provides the service to the service requestor agent) Service Localization and Transaction Web Services - Tools for All Provider Agents Middle Agents Profile Databases Adverise service to middle agent (from any agent to middle agent) - Service localization (from middle agent to any agent) Human-agents interaction Infomobility Services User Interface - Agents interaction Data Management - Content for All Interface External to agents API, module or interface Infomobility Services Provider Agents ASK-IT E&D Assistant Agents - EDA

57 Ask-IT: Methodology Define the simple services with the ontology terms Define services meta-data Define the new ASK IT services Select an agent communication language (e.g. FIPA-SL) Use Gaia in order to model the MAS/protocols Use JADE/Leap in order to implement the MAS Perform laboratory tests Accept user comments and debug optimize system performance

58 Ask-IT: Challenges Agent technology research A group of agents that exhibit emerging behaviour. To develop a family of dedicated expert agent types that can each serve a user with a specific type of impairment and whose combinations can serve a user with any combination of impairments (exhibit emerging behaviour) New application field of Agent Technology Trends on application domain Middle agents: Services directory and facilitation for mobility impaired people Offering advanced infomobility services for mobility impaired people Automated control of a user s environment based on habitual patterns and profile Enabling new forms of business

59 Challenges Introduce more complex reasoning capabilities based on argumentation Use argumentation-based agent communication allowing advanced atomic and embedded interagent dialogues Use argumentation-based inter-agent negotiation in the e-services buying/selling process

60 References (www) Agents W3C RDF OWL Semantic Web FIPA, ACL JADE, Leap FIPA-OS Java, MIDP Protégé 2000 Jena Apache Axis, SOAP OMG

61 References (literature) Bresciani, P., Giorgini, P., Giunchiglia, F., Mylopoulos, J. and Perini, A.: TROPOS: An Agent-Oriented Software Development Methodology. Journal of Autonomous Agents and Multi-Agent Systems (JAAMAS), Vol. 8, No. 3, May 2004 Collis, J. and Ndumu, D.: Zeus Methodology Documentation Part I: The Role Modelling Guide. Intelligent Systems Research Group. BT labs, British Telecommunications, 1999 DeLoach S. and Wood, M.: Developing Multiagent Systems with agenttool. In: Castelfranchi, C., Lesperance Y. (Eds.): Intelligent Agents VII. Agent Theories Architectures and Languages, 7th International Workshop (ATAL 2000, Boston, MA, USA, July 7-9, 2000),. Lecture Notes in Computer Science 1986, Springer Verlag, 2001 Garro, A., Turci, P., Huget, M.P.: Meta-Model Sources: Gaia. FIPA Methodology Technical Committee, Foundation for Intelligent Physical Agents, Moraitis, P., Spanoudakis N., "The Gaia2JADE Process for Multi-Agent Systems Development", Applied Artificial Intelligence (to appear) Moraitis, P., Petraki, E. and Spanoudakis, N., "Providing Advanced, Personalised Infomobility Services Using Agent Technology", Proc. 23rd SGAI International Conference on Innovative Techniques and Applications of AI (AI'2003), Cambridge, UK, 2003 Wood, M.F. and DeLoach, S.A.: An Overview of the Multiagent Systems Engineering Methodology. In the 1st Int. Workshop on Agent Oriented Software Engineering (AOSE-2000). Limerick, Ireland, 2000 Zambonelli, F., Jennings, N. R. and Wooldridge, M.: Developing multiagent systems: the Gaia Methodology. ACM Transactions on Software Engineering and Methodology 12 (3), pp , 2003