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==Hardware requirements of the Consumerium project== | ==Hardware requirements of the Consumerium project== | ||
Hardware requirements are divided into three parts: | Hardware requirements are divided into three parts: | ||
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#Requirements of the Consumerium-information system | #Requirements of the Consumerium-information system | ||
We'll describe each case in detail. | We'll describe each case in detail. | ||
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===1. Consumer's terminal=== | ===1. Consumer's terminal=== | ||
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The mobile phone has an programming enviroment that is open to developers, so that Consumerium's Consumer Agent or one component of it can be installed on the phone. The J2ME-enviroment seem very suitable at the first glance and it seems that Java is gaining a broad support among phone manufacturers. | The mobile phone has an programming enviroment that is open to developers, so that Consumerium's Consumer Agent or one component of it can be installed on the phone. The J2ME-enviroment seem very suitable at the first glance and it seems that Java is gaining a broad support among phone manufacturers. | ||
The two features described above are the only features that are necessary | The two features described above are the only features that are necessary for the consumers terminal. In the following I describe a few additional hardware features, which would enhance the usability of the system. | ||
The phone could have a built-in digital camera. I've just tried out the new Nokia 7650 (tm) model, which is Nokia's first phone with a fitted camera. The focusing and resolution properties of 7650 were maybe just a little bit too poor that one could use the pictures to OCR the numerical representation of EAN-codes. But it came very close, so hopes are high that OCRing the code will be possible in the near future. | The phone could have a built-in digital camera. I've just tried out the new Nokia 7650 (tm) model, which is Nokia's first phone with a fitted camera. The focusing and resolution properties of 7650 were maybe just a little bit too poor that one could use the pictures to OCR the numerical representation of EAN-codes. But it came very close, so hopes are high that OCRing the code will be possible in the near future. | ||
The phone could have a bar-code scanner. This would be a perfect hardware feature for Consumerium usability. It would boost the speed and precision of using Consumerium, but unfortunatelly it doesn't seem one of the likeliest gadgets to be integrated into a mobile phone. I've been in contact with Nokia about this feature and I got information that Nokia and other phone-manufacturers have researched the feasibility of integrating a bar-code scanner. At the moment I don't have knowledge of anything concretic happening in this area, | The phone could have a bar-code scanner. This would be a perfect hardware feature for Consumerium usability. It would boost the speed and precision of using Consumerium, but unfortunatelly it doesn't seem one of the likeliest gadgets to be integrated into a mobile phone. I've been in contact with Nokia about this feature and I got information that Nokia and other phone-manufacturers have researched the feasibility of integrating a bar-code scanner. At the moment I don't have knowledge of anything concretic happening in this area, but hey, who knows? | ||
===2. Store's infrastructure's requirements=== | ===2. Store's infrastructure's requirements=== | ||
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Wireless network (Bluetooth), so that consumers can connect to the system with their terminals. | Wireless network (Bluetooth), so that consumers can connect to the system with their terminals. | ||
Internet access, so that information can be fetched from outside of the store's own datasystem and to deliever the consumer's feedback to the producers. | Internet access, so that information can be fetched from outside of the store's own datasystem and to deliever the consumer's feedback to the producers. | ||
Servers that contain the data about products sold in the store. To save costs it makes sense that retail chains place the data about products that are sold in all stores on it's central servers and then cache the data onto the store servers whenever it's requested. | Servers that contain the data about products sold in the store. To save costs it makes sense that retail chains place the data about products that are sold in all stores on it's central servers and then cache the data onto the store servers whenever it's requested. | ||
One possibility for providing the needed core-servers for the system, is to require in the software-licence that the retail chains that wish to provide Consumerium-service to their clients must provide a certain amount of server and network capasity (to store, process and transfer information that is not in the store's servers) This capasity could be bound to eg. the amount of floor space, parking lots or customers in the store. | One possibility for providing the needed core-servers for the system, is to require in the software-licence that the retail chains that wish to provide Consumerium-service to their clients must provide a certain amount of server and network capasity (to store, process and transfer information that is not in the store's servers) This capasity could be bound to eg. the amount of floor space, parking lots or customers in the store. | ||
===3. Requirements of the Consumerium-information system=== | ===3. Requirements of the Consumerium-information system=== | ||
Servers that contain the data inserted into the system and references to documents (external docoments) outside of databases, scattered around the Internet and of course network connections for the servers. | Servers that contain the data inserted into the system and references to documents (external docoments) outside of databases, scattered around the Internet and of course network connections for the servers. | ||
Software for the servers will be assembled from other opensource projects. What doesn't exist already will be coded by the project-team. | Software for the servers will be assembled from other opensource projects. What doesn't exist already will be coded by the project-team. | ||
At this early stage it is unclear how we will arrange the needed servers. Network connections and servers cost money, so sources of financing are needed, but describing this is not the goal of this document. | At this early stage it is unclear how we will arrange the needed servers. Network connections and servers cost money, so sources of financing are needed, but describing this is not the goal of this document. | ||