Development of an Android-based Smartphone-to-PC SMS Syncing System

via Wireless LAN

CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study
Short Message Service (SMS) is a service for sending text messages over a cellular
telephone network. It has been an integral feature of every cellular phone since its conception.
SMS has seen wide usage particularly in the Philippines. At one stage, the Philippines accounted
for more than ten percent of global SMS and at its peak, two billion SMS messages were being
sent everyday (Philippines - Mobile Communications, Forecasts and Broadcasting Market,
2014). Filipinos are also more inclined to send SMS messages. They use their mobile phones for
SMS nearly twice as frequently as they use it for calling (Jana Research Technology, 2013).
Smartphones have seen an increase of its share in the Philippine market. International Data
Corp. Asia Pacific market analyst for mobile phone and tablet research, Ryan Lai said, "The trend
is the same in ASEAN region but the Philippines is the fastest growing mobile market in the region
and smartphone growth is going faster than overall, which in this case grew by 75 percent in 2013
(as cited in Rivera, 2014, Shipments Data section, para. 4). Compared to feature phones,
smartphones possess more computing power and functionalities. With these attributes, smartphone
users in Southeast Asia spend on average more than three hours on their smartphones (Nielsen,
2014).
Android is the most widely used mobile OS with 83.6% market share as of the third quarter
of 2014 (Page, 2014). Neil Mawston, executive director at Strategy Analytics, said: "Android's
leadership of the global smartphone market looks unbeatable at the moment. Its low-cost services

and user-friendly software remain attractive to hardware makers, operators and consumers
worldwide." (As cited in Page, para. 6, 2014). Google Play, the digital distribution platform
operated by Google has more than a million applications, both free and proprietary, stored in its
repository (Google Play: number of available apps 2009-2014, 2014). Over 25 billion
applications has been downloaded cumulatively from the app store between August 2010 to July
2013 (Google Play: number of Android app downloads as of July 2013, 2014).
It is now commonplace in the Philippines for a user to have multiple SIM cards and to even
own multiple mobile handsets (Jana Research Technology, 2013). Many cell owners who consider
their phones as an essential utility check them frequently, keep them close at all times, and would
even have trouble functioning without. Sixty-seven percent of cell owners often check their phones
for messages and alerts even when they dont notice their phone ringing or vibrating (Smith, 2012).
Smith (2012) cited that 39% of cell owners say that people they know complained when they dont
respond promptly to phone calls or text messages, while 33% of cell owners claimed that people
they know complained when they dont check their phones often enough. And when it comes to
focusing on a single task, 7% of cell owners say that their phone makes it harder to avoid
distraction.
Ergonomics, or human factors, is the study of the relation between workers and their
environments. The primary emphasis of ergonomics is to ensure that designs complement the
strengths and abilities of people and minimize the effects of their limitations, rather than forcing
them to adapt (Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors, 2014). This branch of engineering
science focuses on designing and modifying environmental factors that may directly change the
productivity of a person for positive effects.

The proponents of this study aim to provide a system which could increase a persons
productivity. By delegating the SMS functions of the smartphone to a personal computer,
unnecessary movements that would be expended by the user could be eliminated and may lead to
more productive time. And since the system would be interconnecting its components via wireless
local network (WLAN), the smartphone can be placed at a convenient location inside the vicinity
of the WLAN. This way, the phone could be used even when charged at an outlet or connected to
a speaker system, and many other possibilities.
1.2 Objectives of the Study
This study aims to implement an SMS syncing system with a smartphone and personal
computer as its components, over a wireless local network. Specifically, the proponents aim to:

Develop an Android application which would act as a server for the system. The
application, when run, will listen for SMS messages received by the smartphone and relay
these messages to a program running concurrently on a PC. It will also handle the sending
of SMS messages composed and passed to it by the PC program. Other notifications such
as battery life, incoming calls, missed calls, etc. will also be handled.

Develop a Java program which would run on a PC. This system component would act as a
client and will rely on the Android application to indirectly receive SMS messages. It also
has the capabilities to compose SMS messages and pass it onto the smartphone for sending.
This system component is where the user will mostly interact with.

Test the system after each major components have been integrated within a network.
Ensure a good system response and performance throughout testing and implementation.

1.3 Significance of the Study

The social group that could greatly benefit from the system being described in this paper
are those who own multiple mobile electronic devices. The system could aid the users in
consolidating the SMS messages they receive from multiple sources. In effect, the system could
provide the users a degree of comfort and a boost in work effectivity by automatically handling
their messages in a centralized application.
In the proponents perspective, the pursuit of this study has provided them valuable
knowledge and skills in Java and Android mobile systems programming. The proponents also
developed an acquaintance with modern wireless networks standards and how they can be used in
establishing communications between mobile devices on a software level.
This study will create a system that could serve as a platform for future research regarding
synchronizing mobile devices with a centralized computer application. Functionalities which are
not offered by this study could be added such as, relaying of phone calls, processing of emails, and
others. Another direction that could be taken by others who wish to further this study is to allow
the sharing of a single smartphone by multiple PC clients.

1.4 Scope and Delimitation of the Study

The SMS syncing system will be implemented over a wireless local network with the server
and client applications running concurrently. The system will only utilize the cellular network to
which the smartphone is connected to, in order to send an SMS message. No internet connection
is required for the system to be fully functional. The system is limited to relaying only SMS
messages. However, notifications such as battery life, incoming calls, and others may be processed
and sent to the user. This study will be focused on establishing a connection between a single
smartphone and PC. Adjoining a secondary, or multiple, smartphone devices within the system
would be of lesser priority. Logging of SMS messages and notifications by the PC application for
long term records will not be a priority of this study.

CHAPTER 2
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

In this literature review, we analyze studies conducted about Short Message Service
(SMS), and applications developed utilizing SMS. One of these was the study conducted by
Oludare Olaleye, Ayodele Olaniyan, Olalekan Eboda, and Adeleke Awolere entitled SMS-Based
Notification System. Their objectives were: to design and develop an enterprise class mass SMS
mailing system that support multiple users as well as multiple SMS gateways, providing a unified
interface and common set of features across many SMS gateways which prevent lock-in as users
can choose among multiple SMS vendor gateways, which they successfully did. This project has
a three-tier architecture namely: the Client tier, the Application tier, and the Back-end Tier. The
Client tier is the front-end of the system it is where the user will interact with the system. The
Application tier is the middleware side of the system using JSP, which will be processed by a web
server and the back-end tier is where all the data and records are kept. (Olaleye, O., Olaniyan, A.,
Eboda, O., & Awolere, A. (2013) Journal of Information Engineering and Applications, Vol.3
No.10.)
Another study was proposed and implemented by Gayzel P. Dolor and Jamie Joyce C.
Servias entitled Development of an Emergency Assistance System with Location-based Services.
Their objectives were: to develop a touch-only, Emergency 911 Android phone application and a
server application to receive and display alert messages containing the personal information of the
user, emergency case and link to see the location in map. The android application was developed
using Eclipse IDE as development tools and the server application using MySQL for the database.
(Dolor & Servias, 2013)

This study hasnt only related studies but also since an android and server application will
be developed, applications utilizing SMS services are considered. One of these is the application
named MightyText, which is an android application that allows the user to text from the
computer or tablet, by MightyText, a group of Silicon Valley folks based out of the Bay Area of
California. It has the following features: allows SMS & MMS picture message texting; provides
instant notifications on computer/tablet when SMS text messages hit phone; see whos calling your
phone on your computer; get WhatsApp & Snapchat notifications on your computer; send picture
messages (MMS messaging) from PC and group texting. Its server application is web-based and
requires internet to acquire their services. It is last updated on the 17th of November, 2014 and
currently have over 5 million to 10 million downloads up to date. (Retrieved November 27, 2014,
from http://mightytext.net/)
Another application is AirDroid by Sand Studio, a product team from Tongbu Networks,
which started in 2011. This android application allows the user to manage your Android device
from a web browser, all over the air. With AirDroid, you can remotely access your phone or tablets
files, notifications, messages, camera, location and many other things on a computer, from
anywhere. . (Retrieved November 27, 2014, from http://www.airdroid.com/)
The studies and applications introduced lead the researchers to develop a client-server
system that serves as a mobile platform that could manage SMS through the computer without the
need of internet connection. It intended to send and pull information from the android application
to the computer server and vice-versa through Personal Area Network (PAN). The information
being transferred contained the message, contact detail and notifications. The Android application
were developed using Eclipse IDE with Android SDK as the development tools while the server
application were developed using Netbeans IDE.

CHAPTER 3
METHODOLOGY
The supposed outcomes of this study are an Android application and a PC Java application.
The Android application would run on a smartphone connected to a cellular network while the
Java application would communicate with the smartphone via wireless local network.
The design stages of this study is primarily composed of three parts: planning, design, and
testing. A project timeline is also provided at the end of this chapter to indicate the progress of the
proponents in completing this study.
3.1 System Components

WLAN
Android phone

Figure 3.1 System Hardware Setup

Computer

The main physical components of the system are a smartphone and a personal computer.
Each of the devices will run an instance of an application that would facilitate communication
between them over a wireless network. The smartphone would also be connected to the cellular
telephone network and provided with sufficient credits to enable itself to send out SMS messages.
The Use Case Diagram depicted below shows the core functions of the system and the
interaction of the devices with each of the functions.

Receive SMS

Relay Notifications

User

Personal Computer

Turn on/off

Listen for notifications

Read SMS

Open SMS
Relay SMS
Accept SMS

Compose SMS

Send SMS

Figure 3.2 Use Case Diagram

Smartphone

3.2 Action Flowchart

Start

Planning

Design
Android
Application
Devel opment

PC Application
Development

Integration of
components

Testing

Is the system
working?

No

Account for
Errors

Yes

End

3.2.1 Planning
This stage in the research involves the acquirement of the basic knowledge and skills in
Java and Android programming by the proponents. Additional insight and advice were also
gathered from reputable persons to propel the study in its supposed direction. Design
considerations were discussed by the proponents regarding with the core functionalities and
specifications that the system must achieve by the end of the study.
3.2.2 Design
The actual design stage is set to produce two major outcomes: an Android server
application and a PC Java client program. These applications would come together, after each of

their development, over a wireless local network. The Android server application would run on a
smartphone and the Java client program on a laptop computer.
3.2.3 Android Application
The Android server application would be developed with the use of the Eclipse Integrated
Development Environment (IDE) bundled with the Android Development Tools (ADT). Android
applications are commonly coded in Java and Extensive Markup Language (XML).
The actual application would have minimal user interfaces since it would primarily act as
a server. Its main function is to listen for incoming SMS messages and relay it to the PC application
and send out any messages passed to it by the PC application.
The application would have few activities or interfaces. It would have a welcome screen
which would have activate and deactivate buttons. It would also have a settings interface, so the
user can customize the way the application behaves.
3.2.4 Java Application
The client program would be developed in Java with the use of the NetBeans IDE. It would
run on a laptop computer concurrent with the Android application. It would consist of several
graphical user interfaces (GUIs) with which the user can interact in order to begin receiving and
sending SMS messages.
The two applications would be integrated over a wireless local network. They would
communicate using the IEEE 802.11 (Wi Fi) protocol. This would ensure a wider range of
connection for the devices. 802.11 can also offer a greater bandwidth to support the transfer of
additional data between devices.

3.2.5 Testing
The system would be tested by receiving and sending SMS messages. The proponents shall
account for the devices responsiveness and functionality in the testing of the prototype.
The Android application would be installed on a smartphone and the Java program installed
on a laptop computer. The devices would connect to a wireless network. The Android application
would be launched and activated in order to start relaying SMS messages to the client application.
The client application should receive SMS messages from the smartphone and also be able to
compose reply messages.
Several trials would be conducted to discern an average response of the system and check
the integrity of the systems functionalities.
3.3 Project Timeline
The Gantt chart below depicts the time allocated by the proponents in each of the
development stage of the study. The development of the Android application and the PC
application will be done in parallel until both components can be integrated and tested.