You are here : 
Reconfigurability Cluster. Meeting 20/21 June
Cluster Status Update
Reconfigurability
Markus Dillinger (MD) of Siemens presented the report. The main areas of progress were:
- Intention to establish a relationship with clusters relating to Smart Antennas, Systems beyond 3G, (see below);
- Results were expected later this year, in particular the vision report. A draft is available, and still to be updated. Contributions had been received from SUITED and input was expected from MOBIVAS;
- Contribution to standards had been wide ranging, including:
- spectrum sharing,
- mode monitoring,
- identification and switching,
- security and configuration management,
- download channel, including a contribution to ITU-R 8F on spectrum-sharing, therefore controversial and consensus was not reached;
The next regular meeting will take place in December, with a possible meeting at Mobile Summit.
Concerning dissemination, MD had presented a tutorial at IEEE 3G 2001, focusing on complexity of software download. Availability would be confirmed with the IEEE which now owns the copyright.
Missing topics had been identified for future study, e.g.: combine IP based networks with software radio; and QoS for software download. The latter is a blackhole - e.g. resource allocation, management and performance metrics for mass updates.
Systems Beyond 3G
A large number of projects (>17) has joined this cluster. There was a strong affirmation of support for an IPv6 cluster (to be formed as a separate entity). Vertical reporting from projects was now evolving towards horizontal reporting from common identified interests.
A meeting had been held on 18th and 19th June, yielding emerging common understandings, including: AAA from IETF, a consensus on IPv6, the need for QoS protocols (but not yet which). Architectures that were presented used different assumptions, constraints, and scenarios. A focus on mobility management had raised key questions: admin domains, mobile IP/SIP mobility, local mobility for fast handover, and vertical handover. These questions would provide useful for orientation for new projects. A paper discussing related issues will be presented at the IST Mobile Summit.
Plans for a possible session at the IST Mobile Summit can be found on the cluster Web page.
MOBYDICK will do IPv6 work in parallel on mobility in this cluster leading to a workshop on QoS protocols with the objective of defining what QoS means: resource management, how to request it, which protocols to use (diffserv, intserv)? These are questions that are common to all projects.
The work of the cluster may lead to a contribution to IETF in an appropriate working group. This could be triggered by WWRF, based on an IST Mobile Summit paper.
Adaptive Antennas
Existing project members (SATURN, METRA, ASILUM) had been joined by 2 new projects (OBANET, ESCORT). An initial report was released in December 2000 with missing material on algorithms to be added this year.
Areas of cooperation had been identified: propagation measurements, algorithms, and test scenarios.
It might be possible to have a cluster session at IST Mobile Summit.
Location Based Services
This (LBS) cluster was formed at the last Concertation Meeting. There is a lot of interest in industry where a forum exists already (Location Industry Forum - LIF), discussing positioning using satellite, hybridised solutions, homogeneous performance (indoor, outdoor, etc.). Techniques based on IP are favoured. It is considering also location aware applications and interfaces.
6 projects participated in the recent (Paris) meeting (SATURN, EMILY, GAUSS, LOCUS, and others).
Proposed activities include: encouragement of rapid deployment, enhanced indoor techniques, and location services beyond 3G. Specific challenges in these areas are:
- Deployment: user requirements, open issues (legal, technical, operators/service provider relationships, interoperability, roaming, standards, access rights, privacy.
- Indoor: great challenge, not being tackled in 3GPP. Try to identify techniques and their impact on signalling, infrastructure, cost.
- Beyond 3G: based on WINEGLASS open platform (on their web site) demonstrating benefits.
More information about the EMILY can be found at in the EMILY project web pages.