A near-me area network is a logical grouping of communication devices that are in close physical proximity to each other, but not necessarily connected to the same
communication network
A telecommunications network is a group of Node (networking), nodes interconnected by telecommunications links that are used to exchange messages between the nodes. The links may use a variety of technologies based on the methodologies of circuit ...
infrastructure. Thus, two smartphones connected via different mobile carriers may form a near-me area network.
Near-me area network applications focus on communications among devices within a certain proximity to each other, but don't generally concern themselves with the devices' exact locations.
Background
The
Internet
The Internet (or internet) is the global system of interconnected computer networks that uses the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to communicate between networks and devices. It is a '' network of networks'' that consists of private, pub ...
consists of different types of communication networks. Common types include
local area network
A local area network (LAN) is a computer network that interconnects computers within a limited area such as a residence, school, laboratory, university campus or office building. By contrast, a wide area network (WAN) not only covers a larger ...
s (LAN),
metropolitan area network
A metropolitan area network (MAN) is a computer network that interconnects users with computer resources in a geographic region of the size of a metropolitan area. The term MAN is applied to the interconnection of local area networks (LANs) in ...
s (MAN), and
wide area network
A wide area network (WAN) is a telecommunications network that extends over a large geographic area. Wide area networks are often established with leased telecommunication circuits.
Businesses, as well as schools and government entities, u ...
s (WAN). Local area networks have the coverage of a small geographic area, such as a school, residence, building, or company.
Metropolitan area networks cover a larger area, such as a city or state. Wide area networks provide communication in a broad geographic area covering national and international locations.
Personal area network
A personal area network (PAN) is a computer network for interconnecting electronic devices within an individual person's workspace. A PAN provides data transmission among devices such as computers, smartphones, tablets and personal digital ass ...
s (PANs) are wireless LANs with a very short range (up to a few meters), enabling computer devices (such as PDAs and printers) to communicate with other nearby devices and computers.
The concept of near-me area networks has become relevant based on the increasing popularity of location-sensitive (
GPS
The Global Positioning System (GPS), originally Navstar GPS, is a satellite-based radionavigation system owned by the United States government and operated by the United States Space Force. It is one of the global navigation satellite sy ...
-enabled) mobile devices, including
iPhone and
Android smartphones,
Some services are meaningful only to a group of people in close proximity.
Examples
* Ben is going to the ABC supermarket to buy three bottles of red wine. The supermarket offers a 30 percent discount on the purchase of six bottles, so he sends a message to other customers to see if they would like to buy the other three bottles of wine.
* Susan bought a movie ticket 15 minutes ago, but she now feels dizzy and can't watch the film. She sends out messages to people around the cinema to see if anyone will purchase her ticket at 40 percent off.
* In a theme park, guests would like to know each ride's queue status to manage their waiting time. So, they take a photo of the queue they are in and share it with other guests through a network application.
* Ann works at Causeway Bay and would like to find someone to have lunch with. She checks her friend list to see who is closest to her at this moment and invites that friend to join her.
* Carol just lost her son in the street, so she sends out his picture, which is stored in her mobile device, to passers-by to see if they can find him.
See also
*
Location-based service
A location-based service (LBS) is a general term denoting software services which use geographic data and information to provide services or information to users. LBS can be used in a variety of contexts, such as health, indoor object search, en ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Near-Me Area Network
Computer networks by scale