ARL-TN-0696 ● SEP 2015

US Army Research Laboratory

Smartphone Application Enabling Global 

Graph Exploitation and Proactive 

Dissemination Service (DSPro) Integration

(Revised Fiscal Year 2015)

by Mark R Mittrick

Computational and Information Sciences Directorate, ARL

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.
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ARL-TN-0696 ● SEP 2015

US Army Research Laboratory

Smartphone Application Enabling Global 

Graph Exploitation and Proactive 

Dissemination Service (DSPro) Integration

(Revised Fiscal Year 2015)

by Mark R Mittrick

Computational and Information Sciences Directorate, ARL

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.
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4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE

Smartphone Application Enabling Global Graph Exploitation and Proactive 

Dissemination Service (DSPro) Integration (Revised Fiscal Year 2015)

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6. AUTHOR(S)

Mark R Mittrick

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US Army Research Laboratory

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Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD 21005-5067

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ARL-TN-0696

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Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.

13. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES

14. ABSTRACT

A new tool being developed is changing combat as we know it: the smartphone. Smartphone applications have revolutionized 

information-sharing around the globe for military and civilians alike. The US Army Research Laboratory (ARL) is developing

a smartphone application that will promote rapid sharing of tactical information between Soldiers in the field and militaryintelligence analysts in a Company Intelligence Support Team. This application allows a Soldier to enter tactical information 

into the Distributed Common Ground System–Army Global Graph to enable near-real-time analysis using the ARL 

heterogeneous data proximity tool. Fiscal year 2015 update: integrated Proactive Dissemination Service along with an updated 

graphical user interface.

15. SUBJECT TERMS

smartphone, HDPT, global graph, DSPro, ozone widget framework, distributed common ground system, web service

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Mark R Mittrick

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410-278-4148

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iii

Contents

List of Figures iv

List of Tables iv

1. Introduction 1

2. HDPT Report Application 1

2.1 Create Person 1

2.2 Modify Person 2

2.3 Settings 3

2.4 Value of Information 4

3. DSPro Integration 4

4. Conclusions 9

Notes 10

References 11

List of Symbols, Abbreviations, and Acronyms 12

Distribution List 13
iv

List of Figures

Fig. 1 HDPT report application: <Create Person>............................................ 2

Fig. 2 HDPT report application: <Modify Person> with example drop-down

box ............................................................................................................. 3

Fig. 3 HDPT report application: <Settings>...................................................... 3

Fig. 4 HDPT report application: <VOI>............................................................ 4

List of Tables

Table Revised data elements and possible values............................................. 2
1

1. Introduction

A new tool being developed is changing combat as we know it. Smartphone applications have

revolutionized information-sharing around the globe for military and civilians alike. The US Army

Research Laboratory (ARL) is developing a smartphone application that will promote rapid 

sharing of tactical information between Soldiers in the field and military-intelligence analysts in a

Company Intelligence Support Team (COIST).

This application allows a Soldier to enter tactical information into the Distributed Common 

Ground System–Army (DCGS-A) Global Graph (Mittrick et al. 2013) to enable near-real-time 

analysis using the ARL heterogeneous data proximity tool (HDPT) (Hanratty et al. 2014).

This report focuses on ARL’s HDPT smartphone application and its interaction with the 

DCGS-A Global Graph and HDPT at the Fiscal Year 2013 (FY13) On the Move (OTM) exercise. 

The OTM exercise, which focuses on cutting-edge technologies for the future force, is held 

annually at Fort Dix, New Jersey; for ARL, it represents the culmination months of work to 

integrate new technologies into tactical networks.

This document updates previous documents(Mittrick 2013, 2014) with FY15 changes that include

integration of Proactive Dissemination Service (DSPro) along with an updated graphical user 

interface (GUI).

2. HDPT Report Application

The HDPT report application has 3 main tabs: <Create Person>, <Modify Person>, and <Settings>.

These tabs allow the Soldier to collect intelligence information from the field and perform various 

tasks such as inputting new information, updating old information, or removing inaccurate

information. Once the information is entered, the Soldier is presented with a Value of Information 

(VoI) screen that allows the Soldier to grade the information based on content and reliability before 

submitting the information to HDPT.

2.1 Create Person

When the HDPT report application is initiated, the user is presented with the <Create Person> tab

(see Fig. 1), which allows a Soldier to create a new “person of interest” (who might be suspected 

of being an enemy supporter or combatant). The Soldier then enters all of the information from 

the field into the text and drop-down boxes and submits it via the <Send Report> button to the 

DCGS-A Global Graph for analysis by HDPT.
2

Fig. 1 HDPT report application: <Create Person>

The following Table shows the possible elements and values when creating a new person for use 

in this exercise. Not all elements need to be answered for the information to be submitted for

analysis.

Table Revised data elements and possible values

Data Element Name Possible Values

Name Suspect’s name

Nationality Muslim, Afghan

Tribal affiliation Pashtu, Baloch, Hazara, Tajik

Criminal record Has record, no record

Education High, medium, low

Employment Cleric, laborer, professional, retired, unemployed

Religion High, medium, low

Address

Times Square Village, Viet Nam Village, Vertol

Village, Hanover Village, Cook Corner Village, 

Gredge Town, Utes Village, Horizon Village

2.2 Modify Person

The <Modify Person> tab is very similar to the <Create Person> tab. When new information 

becomes available in the field, the Soldier might need to update the Global Graph. To do so, the 

Soldier must first locate the suspect in question from a list of suspects in the Global Graph

(see Fig. 2). The Soldier can then modify the suspect’s characteristics, as described in Section 2.1.
3

Fig. 2 HDPT report application: <Modify Person> with example drop-down box

2.3 Settings

The <Settings> tab is used to select a DCGS-A Global Graph server, as shown in Fig. 3. This 

allows the Soldier to quickly and easily change servers as necessary. (The FY13 OTM exercise at 

Fort Dix used one operational server and a backup in case the main server was not functioning

properly, ensuring that the smartphone application would always be available.)

Fig. 3 HDPT report application: <Settings>

 
4

2.4 Value of Information

The VOI screen is used determine the value of information (see Fig. 4). This allows the Soldier to 

quickly and easily grade information—“information content” and “reliability”—being entered into 

the Global Graph.

Fig. 4 HDPT report application: <VOI>

3. DSPro Integration

DSPro is a technology being developed by the Institute for Human and Machine Cognition 

(IHMC)1 that efficiently and proactively disseminates information to the edge nodes by means of 

replication and forwarding policies. The proactive behavior is the result of the integration of 

policies and a distributed-learning algorithm that takes into account the history of previously 

requested information, along with the characteristics of the target nodes and the mission. As new 

information becomes available, DSPro matches it against the mission profile and pushes relevant 

information to the edge nodes. Information that is selected to be pushed is sorted based on the 

predicted time to use as well as the confidence value of the prediction.2

In FY15, the US Army Research Laboratory’s Tactical Information Fusion and Battlefield 

Information Processing groups collaborated with the IHMC in order to expand and enhance DSPro. 

As part of that project, DSPro was integrated with the HDPT Report App. This new functionality 
5

not only allows information to be entered into the DCGS-A Global Graph for analysis using the 

ARL HDPT, but also allows tactical information from the field to be quickly entered and 

disseminated via DSPro in near-real time.

Below is the HDPT Report App Java code which, in conjunction with the DSPro Smartphone App,

takes the information gathered from the Soldier in the field and sends it to the DSPro database for 

dissemination:

/**

* DSPro Code Start

*/

 

byte[] jsonByteArray = jsonString.getBytes();

 

DSProProxy dsProProxy1 = new DSProProxy();

if (0 != dsProProxy1.init()) {

// Error occurred in connecting to DSPro service - check that the 

service is running

return;

}

String[] metaDataAttributes = new String[14]; String[] metaDataValues = new 

String [14];

String latString = Double.toString(lat);

String lonString = Double.toString(lon); 

metaDataAttributes[0] = "Data_Format";

metaDataValues[0] = "application/json";

metaDataAttributes[1] = "Data_Content";

metaDataValues[1] = "Checkpoint_Report";

metaDataAttributes[2] = "Left_Upper_Latitude";

metaDataValues[2] = latString;

metaDataAttributes[3] = "Left_Upper_Longitude";

metaDataValues[3] = lonString;

metaDataAttributes[4] = "Right_Lower_Latitude";

metaDataValues[4] = latString;

metaDataAttributes[5] = "Right_Lower_Longitude";

metaDataValues[5] = lonString;

metaDataAttributes[6] = "Source_Reliability";

metaDataValues[6] = value_reliability_String;

metaDataAttributes[7] = "Information_Content";

metaDataValues[7] = value_information_String;

metaDataAttributes[8] = "Importance";

metaDataValues[8] = voiString;

metaDataAttributes[9] = "Location";

metaDataValues[9] = address;

metaDataAttributes[10] = "Description";

metaDataValues[10] = "HDPT Report App";

metaDataAttributes[11] = "Classification";
6

metaDataValues[11] = "Unclassified";s

metaDataAttributes[12] = "Name";

metaDataValues[12] = name;

metaDataAttributes[13] = "Application_Metadata";

metaDataValues[13] = DSJsonString;

try {

dsProProxy1.addMessage ("CheckpointReports", "APG", 

java.util.UUID.randomUUID().toString(), metaDataAttributes, metaDataValues, 

jsonByteArray, 0);

} catch (CommException e2) {

// TODO Auto-generated catch block

e2.printStackTrace();

}

/**

* DSPro Code End

*/

Below is an example output (XML format) from DSPro after it receives a message from the HDPT 

Report App. The information is now available for dissemination to edge nodes. 

<?xml version="1.0"?>

<Metadata>

 <Field>

 <FieldName>Message_ID</FieldName>

 <FieldValue></FieldValue>

 </Field>

 <Field>

 <FieldName>Receiver_Time_Stamp</FieldName>

 <FieldValue></FieldValue>

 </Field>

 <Field>

 <FieldName>Referred_Data_Object_Id</FieldName>

<FieldValue>APG</FieldValue>

 </Field>

 <Field>

 <FieldName>Referred_Data_Instance_Id</FieldName>

<FieldValue>777d51ff-cd79-446e-9395-f426a7a8a3d6</FieldValue>

 </Field>

 <Field>

 <FieldName>Pedigree</FieldName>

<FieldValue></FieldValue>

 </Field>

 <Field>

 <FieldName>Refers_To</FieldName>

 <FieldValue>DSPro.CheckpointReports:SAMSUNGSM-N900A:68</FieldValue>

 </Field>

 <Field>

 <FieldName>Prev_Msg_ID</FieldName>

<FieldValue>77c6e072-40f6-11e5-869cf4295155ca13,DSPro.CheckpointReports:SAMSUNG-SMN900A:67</FieldValue>
7

 </Field>

 <Field>

 <FieldName>Source</FieldName>

<FieldValue>SAMSUNG-SM-N900A</FieldValue>

 </Field>

 <Field>

 <FieldName>Source_Time_Stamp</FieldName>

<FieldValue>1439386146149</FieldValue>

 </Field>

 <Field>

 <FieldName>Expiration_Time</FieldName>

<FieldValue>0</FieldValue>

 </Field>

 <Field>

 <FieldName>Relevant_Missions</FieldName>

<FieldValue></FieldValue>

 </Field>

 <Field>

 <FieldName>Left_Upper_Latitude</FieldName>

 <FieldValue>40.015560</FieldValue>

 </Field>

 <Field>

 <FieldName>Left_Upper_Longitude</FieldName>

 <FieldValue>-74.552498</FieldValue>

 </Field>

 <Field>

 <FieldName>Right_Lower_Latitude</FieldName>

 <FieldValue>40.015560</FieldValue>

 </Field>

 <Field>

 <FieldName>Right_Lower_Longitude</FieldName>

 <FieldValue>-74.552498</FieldValue>

 </Field>

 <Field>

 <FieldName>Location</FieldName>

<FieldValue>CCV</FieldValue>

 </Field>

 <Field>

 <FieldName>Importance</FieldName>

<FieldValue>0.933000</FieldValue>

 </Field>

 <Field>

 <FieldName>Source_Reliability</FieldName>

<FieldValue>1.000000</FieldValue>

 </Field>

 <Field>

 <FieldName>Information_Content</FieldName>

 <FieldValue>1.000000</FieldValue>

 </Field>

 <Field>

 <FieldName>Data_Content</FieldName>

 <FieldValue>Checkpoint_Report</FieldValue>

 </Field>

 <Field>

 <FieldName>Data_Format</FieldName>

 <FieldValue>application/json</FieldValue>

 </Field>
8

 <Field>

 <FieldName>Target_ID</FieldName>

 <FieldValue></FieldValue>

 </Field>

 <Field>

 <FieldName>Target_Role</FieldName>

 <FieldValue></FieldValue>

 </Field>

 <Field>

 <FieldName>Target_Team</FieldName>

 <FieldValue></FieldValue>

 </Field>

 <Field>

 <FieldName>Classification</FieldName>

 <FieldValue>Unclassified</FieldValue>

 </Field>

 <Field>

 <FieldName>Description</FieldName>

 <FieldValue>HDPT Report App</FieldValue>

 </Field>

 <Field>

 <FieldName>Node_Type</FieldName>

<FieldValue></FieldValue>

 </Field>

 <Field>

 <FieldName>Track_ID</FieldName>

<FieldValue></FieldValue>

 </Field>

 <Field>

 <FieldName>Application_Metadata</FieldName>

<FieldValue>{"Name":"Hashim Ahmad",

"Nationality":"Afghan",

"Tribal Affiliation":"Baloch",

"Age":45,

"Criminal Record":"No Record",

"Education":"Medium",

"Employment":"Cleric",

"Religon":"Low"}</FieldValue>

 </Field>

</Metadata>

Below is an example XML Schema for processing the JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) Data in 

the “Application Metadata” field once the message is received.

{

 "$schema": "http://json-schema.org/draft-04/schema#",

 "title": "VoI Person",

 "description": "Attributes Gathered by HDPT VoI Mobile App",

 "type": "object",

 "properties": {

 "Name": {

 "description": "Name of the person",

 "type": "string"

 },

"Nationality": {

 "description": "Nationality of the person",
9

 "type": "string"

 },

"Tribal Affiliation": {

 "description": "Tribe of the person",

 "type": "string"

 },

"Age": {

 "description": "Age of the person",

 "type": "integer"

 },

"Criminal Record": {

 "description": "Criminal Record of the person",

 "type": "string"

 },

"Education": {

 "description": "Education Level of the person",

 "type": "string"

 },

"Employment": {

 "description": "Job of the person",

 "type": "string"

 },

"Religion": {

 "description": "Religion of the person",

 "type": "string"

 }

 },

 "required": ["Name"]

}

Below is the corresponding example JSON data that will be parsed by the XML Schema detailed 

above.

{"Name":"Hashim Ahmad",

"Nationality":"Afghan",

"Ethnicity":"Baloch",

"Age":45,

"Criminal Record":"No Record",

"Education":"Medium",

"Employment":"Cleric",

"Religon":"Low"}

4. Conclusions

ARL’s HDPT smartphone application allows Soldiers to enter tactical information from the field 

into the DCGS-A Global Graph as well as into DSPro for dissemination to edge nodes for nearreal-time analysis. ARL was able to take the lessons learned from previous field exercises 

and new collaborations and successfully build upon them. This is the first step in promoting 

the rapid sharing of information between tactical-maneuver Soldiers and military-intelligence

analysts in the COIST. In the future, additional features and refinements will be added to further

enhance ARL’s smartphone technology.
10

Notes

1. The Institute for Human and Machine Cognition is a not-for-profit institute of the Florida 

University System that frequently collaborates with ARL. http://www.ihmc.us/.

2. Getting Started with DisServicePro, Giacomo Benincasa/Niranjan Suri, 2015.
11

References

Hanratty T, Heilman E, Richardson J, Mittrick M. Concept evaluation of the heterogeneous data 

proximity tool at the C4ISR network modernization event FY12. Aberdeen Proving Ground 

(MD): Army Research Laboratory (US); 2014 Jan. Report No.: ARL-TR-6783. Also available 

at https://www.arl.army.mil/www/default.cfm?technical_report=7027.

Mittrick M. Smartphone application enabling global graph exploitation and research. Aberdeen 

Proving Ground (MD): Army Research Laboratory (US); 2013 May. Report No.: ARL-TR6439.

Mittrick M. Smartphone application enabling global graph exploitation and research (revised 

fiscal year 2014). Aberdeen Proving Ground (MD): Army Research Laboratory (US); 2014

Sep. Report No.: ARL-TN-0628. Also available at 

https://www.arl.army.mil/www/default.cfm?technical_report=7211.

Mittrick M, Richardson J, Lee M. Lessons learned with a global graph and ozone widget 

framework (OWF) testbed. Aberdeen Proving Ground (MD): Army Research Laboratory 

(US); 2013 May. Report No: ARL-TR-6440. Also available at

https://www.arl.army.mil/www/default.cfm?technical_report=6793.
12

List of Symbols, Abbreviations, and Acronyms

ARL US Army Research Laboratory

COIST Company Intelligence Support Team

DCGS-A Distributed Common Ground System–Army

DSPro Proactive Dissemination Service

FY fiscal year

GUI graphical user interface

HDPT heterogeneous data proximity tool

IHMC Institute for Human and Machine Cognition

JSON JavaScript Object Notation

OTM On the Move 

VoI Value of Information
13

1 DEFENSE TECHNICAL

(PDF) INFORMATION CTR

DTIC OCA

2 DIRECTOR

(PDF) US ARMY RESEARCH LAB

RDRL CIO LL

IMAL HRA MAIL & RECORDS

MGMT

1 GOVT PRINTG OFC

(PDF) A MALHOTRA

3 DIR USARL

(1 PDF, RDRL CII C

2 HC) M MITTRICK (1 PDF, 2 HC)
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