SBIR-STTR Award

We propose an innovative approach to meet the Air Force's objective of seamlessly delivering information and alerts to the warfighter that accommodates multiple devices, connections, formats, and protocols. In particular, we propose to develop a system that can securely deliver and manage critical information flow to multiple devices utilizing different connections and protocols. We will demonstrate the feasibility of our approach by building a proof-of-principle publish and subscribe system utilizing a commercial agent-based messaging platform called AgentLogic as its foundation. VSTI will extend the core capabilities of the messaging platform and integrate FIPA-based ontologies and standards to provide a system that is extensible, secure, easily managed, and domain independent. The resulting system will be able to process data from multiple current and legacy systems, both push and pull information and alerts to users, and automatically modify this information to accommodate device limitations.

Keywords:
Information Delivery Multiple Devices Automatic Alerting Ontology

The objective of this proposal is to enhance the proof-of-principle system that was developed in Phase I to manage information delivery to multiple devices. In Phase I, a proof-of-concept prototype was created utilizing several ontologies for devices, data, and communication service providers. As part of this system in Phase II, Vision Systems & Technology, Inc. (VSTI) will enhance the algorithms and software necessary to seamlessly deliver critical information and alerts to the warfighter. Although more information than ever before is available to support the warfighter, the vast proliferation of types of data, devices and protocols makes it increasingly difficult to ensure that the right information is received by the right people at the right time. Warfighters can rapidly shift between information overload and information scarcity depending upon their location and available equipment. The focus for Phase II is to incorporate the ability to handle different security levels. In order to handle many different security levels in an open environment, considering almost all mobile devices communicate on a non-secure network, VSTI will research and implement a secure one-way transfer capability. This will allow messages to be sent from a “high-security” network to a “low-security” network, and vice versa. In addition to the focus on security, there will be many enhancements added to the Phase I prototype, including: a. Providing an emergency capability that will disseminate information to all devices regardless of the user preference b. A subscription capability so that the user can subscribe to data that is related to certain topics c. Allow the prototype to handle more service providers, devices and data types d. Allow the prototype to send and receive messages from a secure mobile device, such as: 1. the Sectera Edge Secure Mobile Environment – Portable Electronic Device (SME-PED) being developed by General Dynamics 2. the Guardian SME-PED being developed by L3-Communications 3. STU-III Cell Phones e. Research conversion and compression algorithms to analyze whether they will add any benefit to the system The result will be a system that can provide the right information to the right people at the right time efficiently, automatically and reliably regardless of their location or equipment.

Keywords:
Information Dissemination, Data Delivery, Device, Communication, Device, Ontology, Data Security, Notification