多功能個人/群體通訊系統設計(II)

Abstract

目前網際網路與電話網路的個人/群體通訊服務（如電話通訊、簡訊、 即時訊息(Instant message)、VoIP 等）必須明確指定受話/訊方的代碼（如 電話號碼，Skype ID），才能夠通訊。此一限制使得現有通訊服務難以支 援不明確受話方的通訊情境。例如：想打電話給失聯已久的小學同窗好 友，或隨意的讓同一旅行團的成員組成一即時訊息群組。像這一類發話方 不知道或不能明確指出受話方代碼的通訊情境，是本計畫要設計開發的新 服務。 本計畫將延續上年度計畫設計開發一多功能通訊服務系統。此一通訊 服務不但能提供明確用戶代碼（如電話號碼，Skype ID）的個人及群體通 訊，也能支援不明確用戶代碼（不指定受話方代碼，而指定受號方特質， 如受話方屬性或位置）之通訊服務。我們將採用結構化P2P 架構設計此一 通訊服務平台。主要的設計議題包含：1) 保護個人資料之隱密性，2) 有 效率的媒合發訊要求條件與受訊方的屬性，3) 有效率的支援動態屬性（如 位置資料）。本計畫之通訊服務系統功能將包含現今普遍的即時訊息、語 音通話（VoIP）服務。而且不明確受話/訊方代碼的個人/群體通訊將可支 援網路尋人通訊，隨意群組通訊，及基於用戶位置(location-based)之通訊 服務。

The existing personal/group communication services provided on the Internet and PSTN, such as, telephony, instant messages, and VoIP, requires users to specify the identifier of the receiver(s), such as, telephone number and Skype ID. This requirement may limit the applications. For example, it is difficult to contact an old friend without knowing his or her phone number. It is also not easy to set up an ad hoc instant message group for persons in a tour group. Our goal is to develop a communication service platform to support communication scenarios where the specific identifier of the receiver(s) is unknown or non-existing. In the second year of this two-year project, we will continue develop a multi-function personal/group communication service system. The system supports not only communications using specific receiver identifiers, such as telephone number and Skype ID, but also communications using unspecific identifiers. The receivers are specified by their characteristics, such as their attributes and location information. We will use a structured P2P architecture to build this communications platform. The key design issues include 1) the privacy protection of personal information, 2) efficient matching between call requests and receivers’ attributes, and 3) efficient support for location-based communications. The functions of this communication service will include not only the popular instant message, and VoIP, but also looking-for-a-persona on the net, ad hoc group communications, and location-based communications.