Class ServerBeacon

java.lang.Object
  ServerBeacon

public class ServerBeacon

extends java.lang.Object

ServerBeacon is a stand-alone class that acts as a broadcasting station for use in an ultrasound/802.11 indoor positioning system. It is meant to run on a stationary computer with speakers and 802.11 broadcast capabilities. This class instantiates a Broadcaster thread with its host computer's room information. The Broadcaster thread periodically sends out concurrent 802.11 room information-bearing broadcasts and ultrasound pulses. By listening for these broadcasts, mobile clients should be able to identify their room location within a building.

The room information that is wirelessly broadcasted is read from a configuration file in the same directory as this class. This file, called 'beacon.conf' should have a "MESSAGE=" identifier that defines a unique room-identifying string. For example, the following beacon.conf could be used on a computer in a 5th-floor office of building "CompSci": MESSAGE=CompSci Room 534. The format of the message string should match the format required by whatever location-dependent application is running on the mobile clients.

Field Summary

static java.lang.String	CONFIG_FILE
static char	EOF

Constructor Summary

ServerBeacon()

Method Summary

static int	getNextChar(java.io.FileReader theFile) Simple method for reading the next character from a file encapsulates the catching of an IOException.
static int	getStdIn() Simple method for reading the next character from the command line.
static void	main(java.lang.String[] args) Can be given two parameters which are the MIN and MAX times to wait between transmissions.

Methods inherited from class java.lang.Object

clone, equals, finalize, getClass, hashCode, notify, notifyAll, toString, wait, wait, wait

Field Detail

CONFIG_FILE

public static final java.lang.String CONFIG_FILE

See Also:

Constant Field Values

EOF

public static final char EOF

See Also:

Constant Field Values

Constructor Detail

ServerBeacon

public ServerBeacon()

Method Detail

getNextChar

public static int getNextChar(java.io.FileReader theFile)

Simple method for reading the next character from a file encapsulates the catching of an IOException.

Parameters:

theFile - the FileReader object from which to read

Returns:

the next character (as an int) in the file

getStdIn

public static int getStdIn()

Simple method for reading the next character from the command line. It is meant to encapsulate the catching of an IOException.

Returns:

the next character from standard input

main

public static void main(java.lang.String[] args)

Can be given two parameters which are the MIN and MAX times to wait between transmissions.