1. Context-Aware Content-Centric
Collaborative Workflow Management
for Mobile Devices
COLLA 2012
Authors: Anna Kocurova, Samia Oussena, Peter Komisarczuk, Tony Clark
University of West London, UK

2. Agenda
 Introduction
 Use Case Scenario
 Context-Aware Workflow Management
 Research Problem & Aim
 Adapted Workflow

3. Overview
 Geographically distributed people
 Work out of office by using mobile
devices
 Collaborate and share content such as
pictures and videos
 Repeating collaborative work patterns

4. Mobile Collaboration
Sequence of activities:
1. Take a picture
2. Add own rating to the picture.
3. Send the picture for review to fellow co-workers
who can also add comments.
4. Obtain reviews and comments.
5. Reassess the picture.
6. If the idea is good, send the picture for approval to
client.
7. Add approved picture is added to completed work.

5. Workflow Technology
Collaborators expect to have tools to collaborate, share and publish content anywhere
and at any given time (Erickson et al. 2009)
Described by a
workflow language
Interpreted by a
workflow management
system
Running workflow instances managed
and executed by the system

6. Context
• ‘any information that can be used to characterize the situation of an entity’ (Dey, 2001)
User-centric:
User preference
Device-centric: Current task
Bluetooth on/off
Battery level
Context
Social:
Work context
Environmental:
of fellow collaborators
Location
Surrounding devices
• Context changes can influence the behaviour of mobile systems
• Mobile workflows capabilities can be enhanced by making mobile workflows context-aware
• Context is related: context driven workflow execution and context-aware content

7. Context Driven Workflow Execution
 Centralised workflow management system
 Easier workflow management
 Decisions made by servers
 Peer-to-peer workflow management system
 Device workflow centric process
 Devices can make decisions based on local context information
 Better context integration and adaptation to collaborators’ needs
 No single device has a complete view of the global workflow state
 Used in this work

8. Collaboration Context
I can review
the picture! I don’t work
I want to share the picture only today!
if I added rating greater than 2. I can review
Optimally, obtain two reviews the picture!
would be great!
I can review
the picture!
I have a break!
? I can review
the picture!
I can review
the picture! Oh, busy day!

9. Context-Aware Content
• Mobile content such as a picture, document, or audio/video file is usually user-
generated or adapted for use on mobile devices.
• Mobile content is context-aware, semantically enriched by context.
Location
Time
• Basic content lifecycle: creating, processing and disposition
• Can flow through a more complex management process
Initial Reviewed Assessed Approved Final

10. Research Aim
• Investigate the adaptation of the workflow technology for mobile peer-to-
peer collaboration by considering context
• Integrate a context-aware content lifecycle into workflow management
• Provide tools for workflow designers and developers
o Workflow Language (metamodel, XML schema)
o Workflow Management System (logical and run-time architecture, execution semantics)

11. Adapted Workflow

12. Workflow Language

13. Context Aggregation
• Context acquisition and aggregation independent from workflow execution
• Two types of context information:
o Case independent (Connectivity)
o Case dependent with a priori knowledge (Availability)

14. Context Definition
• Context Engine to monitor, acquire, aggregate and disseminate
context information developed on the Android platform

15. Context Aware Content Lifecycle
 Context Driven Condition  Context Aware Condition
 Query context  Setup a listener
If (obtainedContextValue = expectedContextValue) then Do { listen;
do (something) onReceive(obtain Context Value)
else do (something else) } while(obtainedContextValue = expectedContextValue)

16. Cooperation Overview
dependency
Adapted Query content manager
Content Manager
Workflow Content
Engine Content
State
Notify: Provider
Machine
content state change
Query Query
context engine context engine
dependency dependency
Notify: Notify:
context change context change
Context Engine

17. Workflow Management

18. Practical use
Design own context-aware content-centric workflow
(XML document conforming to the XML schema)
Mobile Application
Deploy definition
CONTEXT-AWARE CONTENT-CENTRIC WORKFLOW MANAGEMENT
- XML document
Distributed Workflow Context
Management System Engine
Workflow definition interpreted,
workflow instances Communication Middleware
managed and executed by
Mobile Operating System

19. Summary
• Investigation how to adapt the workflow technology in order to
enhance mobile peer-to-peer collaboration
• Workflow Model to define, manage and execute the context-
aware content-centric workflows
• Prototypes of the Context Engine and the Distributed Workflow
Management System on the Android platform
• Benefits for designers and developers of certain classes of mobile
collaborative applications

20. References
• Dey, A.K., Abowd, G.D., Salber, D.: A Conceptual Framework and A Toolkit For Supporting the Rapid
Prototyping of Context-Aware Applications. Hum.-Comput. Interact. 16 (2), pp. 97-166 (2001)
• Erickson, J. et al. (2009) Content-Centered Collaboration Spaces in the Cloud. IEEE Internet Computing,
pp. 34-42, September/October, 2009.

21. Thank you