An Embedded Ubiquitous Control Architecture for Low Power Systems

Improvements in microprocessor technology over the past decade have led to a proliferation of hand-held microprocessor-controlled consumer electronics. Commodity electronic devices which have traditionally used custom embedded chips to function can now be built using low-end general purpose processors. Application areas where micro-chip technology would once have been too expensive or power-hungry are now possible, leading to an ever-expanding range of consumer electronics. As the complexity and number of devices a user carries increases, it becomes increasingly important that those devices cooperate in some way, to avoid the task of maintaining them outweighing their benefits. Wireless networking technologies such as infra-red and short-range radio have also benefited from improvements in chip technologies, making it possible to embed rudimentary communications capabilities into even the tiniest of devices. Such technologies go some way toward reducing the burden of using several mobile devices, but fall short of providing a complete solution, due to issues of compatibility, efficiency and ease of use. This dissertation presents a novel architecture named Eucalyptus, designed to allow low power, wireless devices to interoperate on a peer-to-peer basis. The architecture is based around an object-oriented middleware platform tailored to low power environments and to context-aware applications. The argument of this dissertation is that currently available wireless communications systems are designed for specific target applications and environments and that no one system can be used to allow arbitrary devices to communicate. By contrast, Eucalyptus may be implemented for even extremely trivial devices, allowing them to communicate as peers and become part of any desired application. This dissertation describes both the Eucalyptus architecture and its component technologies, as well as infrastructural services that extend the useful range of devices. Many of the techniques discussed could equally well be applied to other adverse communication environments.