A conflict resolution methodology for collective ubiquitous context-aware applications

The context-aware computing is a research field that defines systems capable of adapting their behavior according to any relevant information about entities (e.g.,people, places and objects) of interest. The ubiquitous computing is closely related to the use of contexts, since it aims to provide personalized, transparent and on-demand services. Ubiquitous systems are frequently shared among multiple users, once they are designed to be embedded into everyday objects and environments such as houses, cars and offices. In scenarios where more than one user shares the same ubiquitous context-aware application, conflicts may occur during adaptation actions due to individual profiles divergences and/or environment resources incompatibility. In such situations it is interesting to use computer supported collaborative work techniques in order to detect and solve those conflicts, considering what is better for the group but also being fair enough with each individual demand, whenever possible. This work presents the important concepts on the collective ubiquitous context-aware applications field. Furthermore, it proposes a new methodology for conflicts detection and resolution that considers the trade-off between quality of services and resources consumption.