Toward an integrated framework for geosensor grid

Abstract

Grid computing is deemed as a good solution to the digital earth infrastructure. Various geographically dispersed geospatial resources can be connected and merged into a ‘supercomputer’ by using the grid-computing technology. On the other side, geosensor networks offer a new perspective for collecting physical data dynamically and modeling a real-time virtual world. Integrating geosensor networks and grid computing in geosensor grid can be compared to equipping the geospatial information grid with ‘eyes’ and ‘ears.’ Thus, real-time information in the physical world can be processed, correlated, and modeled to enable complex and advanced geospatial analyses on geosensor grid with capability of high-performance computation. There are several issues and challenges that need to be overcome before geosensor grid comes true. In this paper, we propose an integrated framework, comprising the geosensor network layer, the grid layer and the application layer, to address these design issues. Key technologies of the geosensor grid framework are discussed. And, a geosensor grid testbed is set up to illustrate the proposed framework and improve our geosensor grid design.     

Automatic search of geospatial features for disaster and emergency management

Although the fast development of OGC (Open Geospatial Consortium) WFS (Web Feature Service) technologies has undoubtedly improved the sharing and synchronization of feature-level geospatial information across diverse resources, literature shows that there are still apparent limitations in the current implementation of OGC WFSs. Currently, the implementation of OGC WFSs only emphasizes syntactic data interoperability via standard interfaces and cannot resolve semantic heterogeneity problems in geospatial data sharing. To help emergency responders and disaster managers find new ways of efficiently searching for needed geospatial information at the feature level, this paper aims to propose a framework for automatic search of geospatial features using Geospatial Semantic Web technologies and natural language interfaces. We focus on two major tasks: (1) intelligent geospatial feature retrieval using Geospatial Semantic Web technologies; (2) a natural language interface to a geospatial knowledge base and web feature services over the Semantic Web. Based on the proposed framework we implemented a prototype. Results show that it is practical to directly discover desirable geospatial features from multiple semantically heterogeneous sources using Geospatial Semantic Web technologies and natural language interfaces.     

The framework of a geospatial semantic web-based spatial decision support system for Digital Earth

Abstract

While significant progress has been made to implement the Digital Earth vision, current implementation only makes it easy to integrate and share spatial data from distributed sources and has limited capabilities to integrate data and models for simulating social and physical processes. To achieve effectiveness of decision-making using Digital Earth for understanding the Earth and its systems, new infrastructures that provide capabilities of computational simulation are needed. This paper proposed a framework of geospatial semantic web-based interoperable spatial decision support systems (SDSSs) to expand capabilities of the currently implemented infrastructure of Digital Earth. Main technologies applied in the framework such as heterogeneous ontology integration, ontology-based catalog service, and web service composition were introduced. We proposed a partition-refinement algorithm for ontology matching and integration, and an algorithm for web service discovery and composition. The proposed interoperable SDSS enables decision-makers to reuse and integrate geospatial data and geoprocessing resources from heterogeneous sources across the Internet. Based on the proposed framework, a prototype to assist in protective boundary delimitation for Lunan Stone Forest conservation was implemented to demonstrate how ontology-based web services and the services-oriented architecture can contribute to the development of interoperable SDSSs in support of Digital Earth for decision-making.     

The Roles of Web Feature and Web Map Services in Real-time Geospatial Data Sharing for Time-critical Applications

Many time-critical applications such as emergency response, location-based services, and real time traffic management need instant access to diverse data to make quick decisions and take instantaneous actions. However, two issues block time-critical applications to quickly acquire and integrate spatial data over the web: (1) the heterogeneity of existing GIS systems, and (2) the file-level data sharing systems over the web. This research examines current open standards, protocols, and technologies capable of solving the two issues for real-time spatial data sharing over the web. Focusing on investigating the role of Web Feature Services (WFS) and Web Map Services (WMS), this research has developed a solution for real-time geospatial data sharing at the feature level over the web. A prototype has been implemented to query, extract, create, delete, update, and map geographic features stored in web-accessible OGC (Open Geospatial Consortium) simple feature datastores for transportation emergency applications. The prototype results show that the OGC WFS and WMS play important roles in real-time geospatial data sharing and exchange from heterogeneous sources at the feature level for time-critical applications. The WFS and WMS eliminate time-consuming data translation and facilitate reuse of existing geospatial data over the web. Several issues related to the solution are also discussed in the paper.     

平行系统支撑的林火仿真与协同灭火研究

为了能够为突发的森林火灾提供科学预案与精准决策,本文以时空大数据为基础,提出了以平行系统为骨架,以广域HLA协议为准则,在搭建林火发生、蔓延及灭火等全过程模拟与应急演练模型设计基础上,采用粒子系统和修正的Rothermel模型分别进行林火及其蔓延过程模拟,在对各对象类和交互类设计的基础上,完成了应急模拟与协同演练的原型系统开发,并以漳浦县为例,对该系统进行验证。结果表明,平行系统的引入与时空大数据的耦合可以很好地克服模拟场景与实时场景的关键脱节,实测应急响应模块的导入,能够为实时灭火决策提供高精准信息化服务,使得该协同模拟与应急演练更具实用性与推广性。     

支持地理空间信息服务质量的OWS框架扩展

OWS是实现地理空间信息广泛共享与互操作的必然趋势,但目前尚缺乏对地理空间信息服务质量的支持,降低了其被采用与推广的程度.本文提出了支持地理空间信息服务质量的OWS框架,包含Q-GISD与Q-WRS两个核心部分,提供了描述地理空间信息服务质量与基于服务质量的服务发布、发现与选择的能力,并设计与实现了一个基于ebXML开...     

数字城市共享平台框架的设计与实现(英文)

This paper proposes a theoretical framework of spatial information sharing in a digital city, and analyzes its technical characteristics. According to the service-oriented architecture (SOA) framework, a geospatial information sharing platform is put forward. The spatial information sharing model based on SOA is designed. A prototype platform realizing multiple-source spatial information sharing based on ArcGIS Server is developed. Supported by the National Key Basic Research and Development Program of China (No.2004CB318206), the Basic Research of Survey and Mapping Bureau Project (No.1469990711111).     

Geo‐Social Model: A Conceptual Framework for Real‐time Geocollaboration

Synchronous geocollaboration helps geographically dispersed people to work together in a shared geospatial environment. Its real‐time nature, multiple users' interaction and diversity of work context impose some special social, organizational and technological requirements, making the development of such real‐time geocollaboration systems a challenging task. A conceptual framework is therefore needed to specify and describe what synchronous geocollaboration is, considering its social, spatial and technical aspects. The geo‐social model presented in this article describes a conceptual framework for synchronous geocollaboration systems addressing the above aspects, identifies the core elements of the system and describes how these elements collaborate with each other. This model is presented using application‐level ontology and is then applied to a multi‐agent system based prototype in which multiple users can interact and negotiate in a shared 3D geospatial environment.     

基于多协议的地理信息服务集成

设计了多协议地理信息服务集成框架,探讨解决了其中的关键问题,实现了从不同地理信息服务获取的影像数据、矢量数据和DEM数据的无缝集成。     

空间信息服务在RFID物流管理系统中的应用研究

RFID（射频识别）中间件技术是RFID产业化的关键技术,分布式环境下的信息交换是这项技术的主要研究方向之一。随着企业对空间位置信息的关注需求日益增大,空间信息服务也成为RFID中间件中必不可少的组成部分。本文介绍了RFID中间件和空间信息服务的概念,通过一个RFID物流管理系统应用实例研究了空间信息服务在RFID中间件中提供空间信息操作,处理与交换的应用。     

Spatial cloud computing: how can the geospatial sciences use and help shape cloud computing?

Abstract

The geospatial sciences face grand information technology (IT) challenges in the twenty-first century: data intensity, computing intensity, concurrent access intensity and spatiotemporal intensity. These challenges require the readiness of a computing infrastructure that can: (1) better support discovery, access and utilization of data and data processing so as to relieve scientists and engineers of IT tasks and focus on scientific discoveries; (2) provide real-time IT resources to enable real-time applications, such as emergency response; (3) deal with access spikes; and (4) provide more reliable and scalable service for massive numbers of concurrent users to advance public knowledge. The emergence of cloud computing provides a potential solution with an elastic, on-demand computing platform to integrate – observation systems, parameter extracting algorithms, phenomena simulations, analytical visualization and decision support, and to provide social impact and user feedback – the essential elements of the geospatial sciences. We discuss the utilization of cloud computing to support the intensities of geospatial sciences by reporting from our investigations on how cloud computing could enable the geospatial sciences and how spatiotemporal principles, the kernel of the geospatial sciences, could be utilized to ensure the benefits of cloud computing. Four research examples are presented to analyze how to: (1) search, access and utilize geospatial data; (2) configure computing infrastructure to enable the computability of intensive simulation models; (3) disseminate and utilize research results for massive numbers of concurrent users; and (4) adopt spatiotemporal principles to support spatiotemporal intensive applications. The paper concludes with a discussion of opportunities and challenges for spatial cloud computing (SCC).     

面向三维空间信息应用的网格框架体系及应用研究

针对三维空间信息应用领域的具体内容和特点，提出了一种适合三维空间信息应用的网格框架体系。围绕该体系讨论了三维空间信息的具体应用及涉及的关键技术，给出了三维空间信息应用网格的系统原型（GridVRMap）。     

数字乡镇地理空间框架的研建

简要概括了数字乡镇地理空间框架的建设背景,介绍了数字乡镇地理空间框架的建设现状,并依托＂数字薛店＂项目从基础地理信息数据库、专题数据采集、公共平台、示范应用系统等建设内容上进行了详细论述,为数字乡镇地理空间框架建设提供相关指导。     

Fundamental aspects of access control for geospatial data

Abstract

In recent years, geographical information systems have been employed in a wide variety of application domains, and as a result many research efforts are being devoted to those upcoming problems. Geospatial data security, especially access control, has attracted increased research interests within the academic community. The tendency towards sharing and interoperability of geospatial data and applications makes it common to acquire and integrate geospatial data from multiple organisations to accomplish a complex task. Meanwhile, many organisations have the requirement for securing access to possessed sensitive or proprietary geospatial data. In this heterogeneous and distributed environment, consistent access control functionality is crucial to promote controlled accessibility. As an extension of general access control mechanisms in the IT domain, the mechanism for geospatial data access control has its own requirements and characteristics of granularity and geospatial logic. In this paper, we address several fundamental aspects concerning the design and implementation of an access control system for geospatial data, including the classification, requirements, authorisation models, storage structures and management approaches for authorisation rules, matching and decision-making algorithms between authorisation rules and access requests, and its policy enforcement mechanisms. This paper also presents a system framework for realising access control functionality for geospatial data, and explain access control procedures in detail.     

Improving geospatial query performance of an interoperable geographic situation‐awareness system for disaster response

Disaster response operations require fast and coordinated actions based on real‐time disaster situation information. Although crowdsourced geospatial data applications have been demonstrated to be valuable tools for gathering real‐time disaster situation information, they only provide limited utility for disaster response coordination because of the lack of semantic compatibility and interoperability. To help overcome the semantic incompatibility and heterogeneity problems, we use Geospatial Semantic Web (GSW) technologies. We then combine GSW technologies with Web Feature Service requests to access multiple servers. However, a GSW‐based geographic information system often has poor performance due to the complex geometric computations required. The objective of this research is to explore how to use optimization techniques to improve the performance of an interoperable geographic situation‐awareness system (IGSAS) based on GSW technologies for disaster response. We conducted experiments to evaluate various client‐side optimization techniques for improving the performance of an IGSAS prototype for flood disaster response in New Haven, Connecticut. Our experimental results show that the developed prototype can greatly reduce the runtime costs of geospatial semantic queries through on‐the‐fly spatial indexing, tile‐based rendering, efficient algorithms for spatial join, and caching, especially for those spatial‐join geospatial queries that involve a large number of spatial features and heavy geometric computation.     

Enabling Spatially Aware Mobile Applications

Recently, increasing numbers of mobile phones are appearing on the market that feature advanced navigation capabilities: embedded GPS receivers for global positioning, integrated digital compasses for detecting the heading of the device, or accelerometer‐based tilt sensors will potentially enable upcoming and future mobile phones to measure their location and orientation in 3D space. In this paper, we present an application framework for building spatially aware mobile applications – applications that visualize, process or exchange geospatial information – on mobile phones equipped with such features. The core component of the framework is a novel, platform‐independent XML data exchange format for the interface between application server and mobile device that describes the geographic vicinity of the user. The format enables a variety of new mobile interaction styles and user interface types – from traditional text‐based local search and information interfaces to innovative real‐time user interfaces like Geo‐Wands and Smart Compasses.     

基于云计算的三维地理空间信息服务的表达

当前云计算的发展已能支持高性能的地理空间服务,比如在数字城市和电子商务等行业。Apache基金支持下的开源软件框架Hadoop,可以用来构建一个云环境的集群用来存储和处理高性能的地理空间数据。开放地理空间联盟(OGC)的Web三维服务(W3DS)就是这样一个很好的三维的地理空间数据服务标准。在标准的云计算环境下将是一个更好的应用示范。基于此,本文研究了OGC的W3DS服务在云计算环境下的实验结果。实验采用Apache的Hadoop框架作为三维地理空间信息服务实验展示的基础。实验结果对展示高性能的三维地理空间信息提供了有价值的参考。     

Designing the Next Generation of Distributed,Geocollaborative Tools

Geocollaboration is a new field of research that investigates how technology can support human–human collaboration with geospatial information. This paper considers the design issues inherent in distributed geospatial software. It looks at providing a non-spatial communication channel, supporting real-time synchronous awareness, designing interaction techniques, establishing common ground, and using floor control and attention techniques. Using examples from existing geocollaboration tools and realistic geocollaboration scenarios, it demonstrates some of the design alternatives for geocollaboration. The paper concludes with a future research agenda describing the complexities in supporting longer-term geocollaboration activities.     

FedIDS: a federated cloud storage architecture and satellite image delivery service for building dependable geospatial platforms

Earth observation satellites produce large amounts of images/data that not only must be processed and preserved in reliable geospatial platforms but also efficiently disseminated among partners/researchers for creating derivative products through collaborative workflows. Organizations can face up this challenge in a cost-effective manner by using cloud services. However, outages and violations of integrity/confidentiality associated to this technology could arise. This article presents FedIDS, a suite of cloud-based components for building dependable geospatial platforms. The Fed component enables organizations to build shared geospatial data infrastructure through federation of independent cloud resources to withstand outages, whereas IDS avoids violations of integrity/confidentiality of images/data in sharing information and collaboration workflows. A FedIDS prototype, deployed in Spain and Mexico, was evaluated through a study case based on a satellite imagery captured by a Mexican antenna and another based on a satellite imagery of a European observation mission. The acquisition, storage and sharing of images among users of the federation, the exchange of images between Mexican and Spanish sites and outage scenarios were evaluated. The evaluation revealed the feasibility, reliability and efficiency of FedIDS, in comparison with available solutions, in terms of performance, storage consume and integrity/confidentiality when sharing images/data in collaborative scenarios.     

Enhancing the OGC WPS interface with GeoPipes support for real-time geoprocessing

ABSTRACT

Real-time geospatial information is used in various applications such as risk management or alerting services. Especially, the rise of new sensing technologies also increases the demand for processing the data in real time. Today’s spatial data infrastructures, however, do not meet the requirements for real-time geoprocessing. The OpenGIS^® Web Processing Service (WPS) is not designed to process real-time workflows. It has some major drawbacks in asynchronous processing and cannot handle (geo) data streams out of the box. In previous papers, we introduced the GeoPipes approach to share spatiotemporal data in real time. We implemented the concept extending the Message Queue and Telemetry Transport (MQTT) protocol by a spatial and temporal dimension, which we call GeoMQTT. In this paper, we demonstrate the integration of the GeoPipes idea in the WPS interface to expose standardized real-time geoprocessing services. The proof of the concept is illustrated in some exemplary real-time geo processes.