The document discusses a new model for local area messaging that combines passive Wi-Fi monitoring with cloud messaging to deliver customized notifications to nearby mobile subscribers. It highlights the advantages of anonymous monitoring and the method of detecting users based on their Wi-Fi probe requests without requiring active participation. The proposed approach aims to enhance proximity-based marketing and information delivery in smart cities, emphasizing real-time detection while protecting user privacy.

1. Smart Cities Software:
Customized Messages for
Mobile Subscribers
Manfred Sneps-Sneppe Ventspils University College
manfreds.sneps@gmail.com
Dmitry Namiot Lomonosov Moscow State University
dnamiot@gmail.com
WIFLEX 2013

2. • A new model for local area messaging based on
the network proximity.
• Our mobile mashup combines Wi-Fi proximity
measurements with Cloud Messaging.
• Passive Wi-Fi monitoring can determine the
location of mobile subscribers (mobile phones)
without the active participation of mobile users.
• Cloud Messaging delivers notifications to local
subscribers
About

3. Contents
Introduction
Passive Wi-Fi monitoring
Cloud Messaging
Local area messaging mashup
Conclusion

4. Passive Wi-Fi monitoring
• Wi-Fi probe request
• Client (even not
connected) can send
requests to AP
• AP can analyze
requests
• We can collect MAC-
addresses for clients

5. Advantages and disadvantages
for passive monitoring
• It does not require special mobile applications
• For mobile users it works automatically and
transparently
• It is anonymous monitoring. MAC address is
used for re-identification only. It could be
replaced with some hash-code (privacy)
• It is not 100% reliable. There is no warranty
that Wi-Fi client will send probe request. Our
own experiments and references show 70%-80%
detection rate.

6. Passive monitoring examples
Navizon

7. Passive monitoring examples.
Cisco MSE

8. Cisco Meraki

9. Passive monitoring examples.
Libelium

10. Examples: visits per hour

11. Examples: devices

12. Cloud Messaging
• Cloud infrastructure
from vendor
• Google, Apple,
Microsoft, Nokia –
own cloud based
infrastructures for
notifications
• Google message: 4
Kb payload delivery

13. Google Cloud Messages

14. Key moments for Cloud Messaging
• Application registers with Cloud Messaging
• Application provides a key from Cloud
Messaging server (subscribes) to the particular
application (Sender)
• Sender saves keys and uses them later for
delivering notifications
• Key moment – subscription is activated from the
mobile application on the particular phone.

15. Key moments for mashup
• Let us extend the subscription process
• Mobile application (mobile phone, actually)
will provide a key for notification and MAC-
address for identification
• Sender can compare saved MAC-
addresses with the MAC-addresses,
collected by the passive monitoring
• Key idea: get subscribers who are nearby
at this moment

16. Key moments for mashup - 2
• Sender can deliver notifications to those,
who are nearby only.
• It is real-time detection
• MAC-address is used for the re-
identification only. So, it could be replaced
with some hash-code (privacy)

17. Use cases
• Proximity marketing
• Deliver local area messages in retail
• Hyper-local news delivery in campuses.
Tested in Lomonosov Moscow State
University
• Smart Cities information delivery

18. Proximity <> Location
• Proximity here is the network proximity.
• The location for nodes could be unknown
• The location for Wi-Fi access points could be
changed. E.g., hot spot right on the mobile phone
• Proximity based data could be more precise
(especially for indoor)
• In other words: the proposed approach could not be
replaced one by one with some geo-fence with push
notifications. Proximity is not equal to location.

19. Conclusion
• A new mashup based on passive Wi-Fi monitoring forA new mashup based on passive Wi-Fi monitoring for
mobile devices and cloud based notifications.mobile devices and cloud based notifications.
• Passive monitoring uses probe requests from Wi-FiPassive monitoring uses probe requests from Wi-Fi
specifications for detecting nearby clients.specifications for detecting nearby clients.
• Notification module uses cloud messaging (pushNotification module uses cloud messaging (push
notifications) from mobile operational systems.notifications) from mobile operational systems.
• This application does not publish location info in theThis application does not publish location info in the
social network (it is not a check-in).social network (it is not a check-in).
• Custom messages will target online subscribers inCustom messages will target online subscribers in
the nearby area only.the nearby area only.

20. About us
International team: Russia - LatviaInternational team: Russia - Latvia ((Moscow –Moscow –
Riga – VentspilsRiga – Ventspils).). Big history of developingBig history of developing
innovative telecom and software services,innovative telecom and software services,
international contests awardsinternational contests awards
Research areas are:Research areas are:
open API for telecom,open API for telecom,
web access for telecom data,web access for telecom data,
Smart Cities,Smart Cities,
M2M applications, context-aware computingM2M applications, context-aware computing..