A low-power, lightweight unit to provide ubiquitous information access application and network support for InfoPad

Some of the most important trends in computer systems are the emerging use of multimedia Internet services, the popularity of portable computing, and the development of wireless data communications. The primary goal of the InfoPad project is to combine these trends to create a system that provides ubiquitous information access. The system is built around a low-power, lightweight wireless multimedia terminal that operates in indoor environments and supports a high density of users. The InfoPad system uses a number of innovative techniques to provide the high-bandwidth connectivity, portability, and user interface needed for this environment. The article describes the design, implementation, and evaluation of the software network and application services that support the InfoPad terminal. Special applications, type servers, and recognizers are developed for the InfoPad system. This software is designed to take advantage of the multimedia capabilities of the portable terminal and the additional computational resources available on the servers. The InfoNet system provides low-latency, high bandwidth connectivity between the computation and the portable terminal. It also provides the routing and handoff support that allows users to roam freely. The performance measurements of the system show that this design is a viable alternative, especially in the indoor environment.