Middleware for Positioning in Cellular Networks

Middleware is defined in (Mahmoud, 2004) as, “a distributed software layer that sits above the network operating system and below the application layer and abstracts the heterogeneity of the underlying environment”. According to this definition, the purpose of a middleware is to isolate technology. This task requires that a new layer responsible for handling data between two systems be defined, so that the technology used in each system is transparent to the other system. This situation is illustrated in Fig. 1, in which a middleware is used for communication between the two systems (i.e., A and B). Accordingly, two interfaces are defined, one for the data exchange between system A and the middleware and another for the link between the middleware and system B. Every time a system begins a communication, the middleware handles the data, so that they are adapted to the technology available in each system.