TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT

Wireless Communications and Mobile

Computing

Prepared by: Samuel M.

 CHAPTER Two
Mobile Computing

Mobile

Computing
 Chapter Goals 3

1. To give an insight into the technological trends in Mobile

Computing.
2. To elaborate about the basic mobile computing technologies like
GSM and GPRS.
3. To study in detail about wireless media access control which
includes the techniques like frequency management, location
management and MAC.
4. To gain fundamental knowledge about spread spectrums ,CDMA
and different type of coding methods in CDMA.
5. To learn about Mobile IP Network Layer and recent trends in 3G
technologies.

Wireless Communication and Mobile Computing – Computer Engineering 3/24/2023

 Chapter Goals.. 4

6. To study about mobile transport layer and different variations of

traditional TCP.
7. To gain the basic understanding about different flavors of mobile
operating systems.
8. To get into the details of mobile middleware services and its
security problems.
9. To investigate about ADHOC and Sensor networks.
10. To provide application development expertise in cutting-edge
mobile technologies.

Wireless Communication and Mobile Computing – Computer Engineering

 Course Environment 5

Mobile HW
Advantage and challenge
MOS challenges
applications

MSW
Mobile OS
Trend
Mobile
communication

Wireless Communication and Mobile Computing – Computer Engineering

 Definitions – Mobile Computing 7

• What is mobile computing?

Computing that is not obstructed while the location of it
changes

Mobile computing = + ?

• Mobile computing draws from

Wireless communications and networking
• Ability to communicate via wireless links
Ubiquitous and pervasive computing
• Ability to provide computing anywhere and anytime (ubiquitous),
usually in a seamless manner, potentially not perceived (pervasive)

Wireless Communication and Mobile Computing – Computer Engineering

 Definitions – Mobile Computing… 7

• Mobile computing can be defined as a human-computer

interaction that enables transmission of voice, video and data
via a computer or any other wireless enabled device without
having to be connected to a fixed physical link.

• Mobile computing systems are computing systems that may

be easily moved physically and whose computing
capabilities may be used while they are being moved.
Examples are laptops, personal digital assistants (PDAs), and
mobile phones.

Wireless Communication and Mobile Computing – Computer Engineering

 Mobile Computing… 8

Mobile Computing comprises of:

 Mobile Communication,
 Mobile Hardware,
Mobile Software

Wireless Communication and Mobile Computing – Computer Engineering

 Mobile Computing… 9

Mobile Communication,
 The mobile communication in this case, refers to the
infrastructure put in place to ensure that seamless and
reliable communication goes on.

 These would include devices such as protocols, services,

bandwidth, and portals necessary to facilitate and support
the stated services.

 This ensures that there is no

collision with other existing systems
which offer the same service.

Wireless Communication and Mobile Computing – Computer Engineering

 Mobile Computing… 10

 Mobile Hardware,
 Mobile hardware includes mobile devices or device
components that receive or access the service of mobility.
 They range from portable laptops, smartphones, tablet Pc's.
 These devices are configured to
operate in full- duplex, whereby they
are capable of sending & receiving
signals at the same time.

 In most cases, it would be a wireless

network.

Wireless Communication and Mobile Computing – Computer Engineering

 Mobile Computing… 11

Mobile Software
 Mobile software is the actual program that runs on the mobile
hardware.
 It deals with the characteristics and requirements of mobile
applications.
 This is the engine of the mobile device.
 In other terms, it is the operating system of the appliance. It's
the essential component that operates the mobile device.

Wireless Communication and Mobile Computing – Computer Engineering

 Mobile Computing… 12

Mobile Software..
 Mobile software is the actual program that runs on the mobile
hardware.
 It deals with the characteristics and requirements of mobile
applications.
 This is the engine of the mobile device.
 In other terms, it is the operating system of the appliance. It's
the essential component that operates the mobile device.

Wireless Communication and Mobile Computing – Computer Engineering

 Mobile Software 13

Mobile Operating System

 A mobile operating system allows the user to run other different
application software on the mobile, tablets, etc.
Types of Popular Mobile Operating System
1. Android OS:
 The most common, open and free source
operating system among the mobile OS.
 This OS is based on the Linux kernel.
 The name for every new version of update
is based on ‘desserts’.
 The first Android device was launched
in 2008.

Wireless Communication and Mobile Computing – Computer Engineering

 Mobile Software 14

Types of Popular Mobile Operating System…

2. Bada: Samsung is the launcher of this OS started from 2010.
Moreover, it includes features like 3-D graphics, application installation,
multipoint touch etc.
3. BlackBerry OS: It is a mobile operating system developed
by Research In Motion (RIM).
This operating system was designed specifically for BlackBerry
handheld devices.
This operating system is beneficial for the corporate users because it
provides synchronization

Wireless Communication and Mobile Computing – Computer Engineering

 Mobile Software 15

Types of Popular Mobile Operating System…

2. Bada:
 Samsung is the launcher of this OS started from 2010.
 It includes features like 3-D graphics, application installation, multipoint touch etc.

3. BlackBerry OS:
 It is a mobile operating system developed by Research In Motion (RIM).
 This operating system was designed specifically for BlackBerry handheld devices.
 This OS is beneficial for the corporate users because it provides synchronization

4. iPhone OS / iOS: 4.
 The iOS was developed by the Apple inc. for the use on its device.
 The iOS operating system is the most popular operating system today.
 It is a very secure operating system and is not available for any other mobiles.

Assignment: list and describe mobile OS

Wireless Communication and Mobile Computing – Computer Engineering
 Why Mobile Computing ? 17

• People are mobile

Wireless Communication and Mobile Computing – Computer Engineering

 Why Mobile Computing ? 18

• Devices are mobile

Wireless Communication and Mobile Computing – Computer Engineering

 What is Mobility? 19

• A person who moves

 Between different geographical locations
 Between different networks
 Between different communication devices
 Between different applications

Wireless Communication and Mobile Computing – Computer Engineering

 What is mobility? 20

• Mobile computing is about both physical

and logical computing entities that move
 Physical entities
 computers change locations
 Logical entities
 a running user application or a mobile agent migrating over
internet

Wireless Communication and Mobile Computing – Computer Engineering

 New Forms of Computing 21

• Wireless Computing
• Nomadic Computing
• Distributed • Mobile Computing
Computing • Ubiquitous Computing
(Client/Server) • Pervasive Computing
• Invisible Computing

Wireless Communication and Mobile Computing – Computer Engineering

 Nomadic -Mobile- Ubiquitous 22

Nomadic computing
– refers to limited migration
– migration is within a building at a pedestrian
speed
– interleaved pattern of user relocation and indoor
connections
– users carrying laptop with wireless access are
engaged in nomadic computing

Wireless Communication and Mobile Computing – Computer Engineering

 Nomadic-Mobile-Ubiquitous 23

• Mobile computing
– Requires wireless h/w to support outdoor mobility and
handoff from one h/w to the next at a pedestrian or
vehicular speed
– Traveler in car using laptop / smart phone / mobile
device connected with a GSM/WCDMA/HSPA/LTE/5G
phone engaged in mobile computing
• Ubiquitous computing or pervasive computing
– refers to access to computer network all the time at any
location by any person
– can not be realized unless mobile computing matures

Wireless Communication and Mobile Computing – Computer Engineering

 Nomadic, Mobile & Ubiquitous 24

Fixed Wireless Wireless

No Fixed
Wireless Network Network
Network Network
Network (A) (B)

Nomadic Computing Mobile Computing

Ubiquitous Computing

Wireless Communication and Mobile Computing – Computer Engineering

 Advantages of Mobile Computing 24

1 - Increase in Productivity - Mobile devices can be used out

in the field of various companies, therefore reducing the time
and cost for clients and themselves.
2 - Entertainment - Mobile devices can be used for
entertainment purposes.
3- Portability - This would be one of the main advantages of
mobile computing, you are not restricted to one location in
order for you to get jobs done or even access on the go.
4 - Cloud Computing - This service is available for saving
documents on a online server and being able to access them
anytime and anywhere when you have a connection to the
internet and can access these files on several mobile devices

Wireless Communication and Mobile Computing – Computer Engineering

 Disadvantages of Mobile Computing 25

1- Quality of connectivity - mobile devices will need either

WiFi connectivity or mobile network connectivity like 4G or
5G connectivity because if you are not near any of these
connections your access to the internet is very limited.

2- Security concerns - Mobile VPNs are unsafe to connect to,

and also syncing devices might also lead to security concerns.

3- Power Consumption - due to the use of batteries in these

devices, these do not tend to last long, if in a situation where
there is no source of power for charging then that will
certainly be a let down.

Wireless Communication and Mobile Computing – Computer Engineering

 Mobile Computing Applications 26

• Enable the business initiatives by supporting mobility of

– Customers
– Suppliers and Businesses
– Employees
• Two views:
– Mobile applications are fundamentally new applications.
– Mobility is another dimension of the existing
applications
• Research in every aspect

Wireless Communication and Mobile Computing – Computer Engineering

Mobile Computing Applications 27

• Mobile computing applications

– Wireless messaging (e.g., SMS)
– Mobile ecommerce (M-Commerce) and its variants
• Positional commerce (p-commerce) .
• Voice commerce (v-commerce).
• Television commerce (T-Commerce)
– Mobile ebusiness applications (MEBAs), e.g., M-CRM,
M-portal, N-SCM
– Specialized applications – Many areas of research
• Location sensitive apps (E911)
• Wireless sensor network apps
• Mobile agent apps

Wireless Communication and Mobile Computing – Computer Engineering

 Challenges in Mobile Computing 29
 Limited asymmetric bandwidth and high latency
 Wireless channels are of limited bandwidth and asymmetric.
 Perhaps of speed of grade of modems.
 Weak connectivity and low reliability
 Disconnection to channels can easily occur (planned/unplanned) & can be
prolonged.
 Messages may be lost with much higher probability.
 Low processing power and energy
 Battery is expensive and limited.
 Screen or display is small.
 Mobility of devices
 Need to track location of devices and to provide proper services.
 Invalidation to data upon change of location.
 Low physical security
 Mobile devices are easily lost, broken or stolen.
 High degree of heterogeneity
 Devices are very different in nature, e.g., Palm and Pocket PC are
programmed differently, worse for embedded systems and devices.
Wireless Communication and Mobile Computing – Computer Engineering
 Mobility Constraints 30

 CPU
 Power
 Variable Bandwidth
 Delay tolerance, but unreliable
 Physical size
 Constraints on peripherals and GUIs
 Frequent Location changes
 Security
 Heterogeneity
 Expensive
 Frequent disconnections but predictable

Wireless Communication and Mobile Computing – Computer Engineering

 Mobile/Phone Manufacturer (Smartphones) 31
Cellular Phones (Smartphones) Manufacturers:
 Apple’s iPhone OS,

 Google's Android OS,

 Microsoft Windows Mobile OS,

 Research In Motion(RIM)'s Blackberry OS

 Nokia's Symbian OS,

 Samsung's Bada OS and

 Embedded Linux Distributions such as Maemo and MeeGo

Wireless Communication and Mobile Computing – Computer Engineering

Mobile Computing - Classification 32

 Not only is mobile computing limited to mobile phones.

 They are commonly categorized into the following categories.
Personal Digital Assistant (PDA)
 The PDA is an extension of the PC, not a replacement.
 The aim of this device is to serve as a compact, easy-to-use
electronic planner, capable of sharing info. with computer systems
 Using infrared and Bluetooth interfaces allows synchronization of
these devices at all times.
Smartphones
 This kind of phone blends the features of a mobile phone or
camera phone with those of a PDA. It has a superior edge over
mobile phones of other kinds.

Wireless Communication and Mobile Computing – Computer Engineering

Mobile Computing - Classification 33

Tablet PC and iPads

 This mobile device is larger and integrates into a touch screen
than a mobile phone or a PDA and is controlled by touch-sensitive
motions on the screen or by a pen or the touch of a finger.
 Typically, they are in slate form and are light in weight. Examples
include ipads, Blackberry Playbooks, Galaxy Tabs, etc.

Wireless Communication and Mobile Computing – Computer Engineering

Mobile Computing - Current Trends 34

 Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX)

 Increased mobile payments
 Artificial Intelligent (AI)
 Location-based technology
 Long Term Evolution (LTE)
 Motion and Location Sensing
 Biometrics Advancements
 Internet of Things
 Mobile Cloud
 Hybrid apps

Wireless Communication and Mobile Computing – Computer Engineering

Mobile Computing - Current Trends 35

1. Artificial intelligence (AI): Artificial intelligence has penetrated our

mobile world.
 There are advancements in mobile AI like: Alexa, Siri, Cortana, Google
Assistant
 All of these are examples of AI that may even be installed on your
mobile devices right now.
2. Location-based technology: the smartphones & tablets are tracking
your location. They need your exact location to connect you with a driver
3. Motion and Location Sensing: mobile phone’s location sensor
capabilities which use multiple positioning methods to provide different
granularities of location data.
Knowing an individual’s location to within a few meters is useful for
providing highly relevant contextual information and services.
Motion sensing apps are used in security, anti-theft, power-saving & games.

Wireless Communication and Mobile Computing – Computer Engineering

Mobile Computing - Current Trends 36

4. Increased mobile payments: As mobile security improves and global

app revenue rises, we’ll see an increase in mobile payments as well.
Some of them are:
 Bank apps  Google Pay
 PayPal  Samsung Pay
 Venmo  Apple Pay

 5. Hybrid apps: mobile app development can be expensive.

 Business owners have weighed the pros and cons of native and hybrid
app development.
 Native apps can be built only for one platform at a time and expensive
in development.
 Hybrid apps give people the opportunity to launch their apps on the
Google Play & Apple App Store simultaneously for a fraction of the
cost
Wireless Communication and Mobile Computing – Computer Engineering
Mobile Computing - Current Trends 37

6. Biometrics advancements: Biometrics are used to enhance

security for mobile devices.
Examples of biometrics include:
 voice recognition  Signature recognition
 facial recognition  Fingerprint recognition
7. Mobile Cloud: The mobile computing has met cloud computing
which has centrally coordinated applications and can be shared and
delivered to a number of devices which will continue to grow horizontally
as well as vertically in its span of spread.
The upcoming trend will make cloud transform the basic idea of
computing i.e. to access data to “cloud/client computing “
8. Internet of Things: The expansion of Internet of things (IOT) is the
best example of shift in computing model.

Wireless Communication and Mobile Computing – Computer Engineering

Mobile Computing - Current Trends 38

8. Internet of Things: The expansion of Internet of things (IOT) is the

best example of shift in computing model.
 Provide customers to challenge their increasing need for interacting with
organizations.
 Now the consumer market is leading in utilizing the mobile computing.
9. Long Term Evolution (LTE): standard for wireless communication
of high-speed data for mobile phones and data terminals.
 It is based on the GSM/EDGE and UMTS/HSPA network technologies,
increasing the capacity and speed using new modulation techniques.
 It is related with the implementation 4G technology.
10. WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access) is part of
4G wireless communications standard designed to provide 30 to 40 Mbps
data rates, with the latest update give up to 1Gbps for fixed stations.
Assignment: describe the current and future trends of mobile computing
Wireless Communication and Mobile Computing – Computer Engineering
Wireless Communication and Mobile Computing – Computer Engineering