An open-source web architecture for adaptive location-based services

As the volume of information available online continues to grow, there is an increasing problem with information overload. This issue is also escalating in the spatial domain as the amount of geo-tagged information expands. With such an abundance of geo-information, it is difficult for map users to find content that is relevant to them. The problem is intensified when considering Location-Based Services. These services, which are dependent upon a user’s geographic location, generally operate on portable devices. These devices have a reduced screen size coupled with a limited processing power and so the need to provide personalised content is of paramount importance. Our previous work has focused on examining techniques to determine user interests in order to provide adapted and personalised map content which is suitable to display on portable devices. In this paper, in order to reduce the processing load on the user’s device, a novel client server architecture is employed. The framework is designed using open-source, web-based technologies which monitor user locations and interactions with map content overtime to produce a user profile. This profile is then used to render personalised maps. By utilising the power of web-based technologies in an innovative manner, any operational issues between different mobile devices is alleviated, as the device only requires a web-browser to receive map content. This article describes the techniques, architecture and technologies used to achieve this.