A multiple platform approach to building a bus route information system for mobile devices

Abstract

The paper describes a multiple platform-based approach to creating a bus route information system for mobile devices. The system is context aware: users only need to tell the system (in natural language) where they wish to go, and the system takes care of the rest. The users are presented with a list of possible routes they can take to reach their desired destination. The results are also shown on a map that makes finding the bus stops very easy. In order to make the system available to as many users as possible, the architecture is client-server-based and relies on technology standards that are widely accepted and implemented, making it easily adaptable to new platforms. The application can be run on multiple platforms, with a minimal amount of calculations needed on the client side. The amount of data transfer between server and client is also kept to a minimum. The ability to run on multiple different platforms is achieved using technology such as HTML5, PhoneGap and Sencha Touch. The client's functionality includes a search function and a map view, as well as the ability to use bookmarks. The server handles most of the business logic and communicates with external services such as the natural language processing back-end and the server for real-time bus departure information updates.