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Job Fair Pervasive Computing SystemDesign ReportProject Team: Dec0912http://seniord.ece.iastate.edu/dec0912/

Client: Iowa State University

Faculty Adviser: Daji Qiao PhDCourse Coordinator: Jason Boyd

Team Members: Adam LeeKartik SubbuNicholas OakmanGabriel Semonis

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Problem/NeedProblem

◦Career fair management becomes complex given the large number of students and employers involved.

◦Long queues at certain employers lead to inefficient use of time.

Need◦System to automate the selection process of

which employer to visit next based on student and employer criteria and line lengths.

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Proposed SolutionCreate a system where students can

“check in” at employer booths to inform centralized server (database) that he/she is waiting in that booth’s respective queue.

Provide students information such as in which order they should visit employer booths if they want to save time using a matching algorithm.

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Operating Environment Indoors (65-75˚F)2000 students and 300 employers at any pointWindows Laptops

◦ Pentium III◦ Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox Web Browser◦ 802.11b/g, or combo Ethernet cards◦ Free and usable USB Slot

AC Power Available◦ 120 Volts 60 Hz

Wireless Internet Available◦ Speed 11 Mbps to 54 Mbps

http://policy.iastate.edu/policy/it/wireless/

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Deliverables

Functional Prototype System (small-scale)

Developer-friendly and Reusable Code and Schematic

User Manual

Overall System Design

Actual System Layout

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Physical System ComponentsTouchatag RFID readers

Touchatag RFID tags

Server◦PHP script support◦MySQL database

Terminal Computers (USB compatibility)

Employer Station Laptops

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Touchatag RFID Reader

Interface◦ USB connection◦ Online applications

launched

Compatibility◦ Microsoft Windows◦ Mozilla Firefox◦ Internet Explorer

Constraints◦ Must have active

internet connection◦ Must be logged in

to a Touchatag account

Frequency & Detection Range◦ 13.56MHz & < 4 cm

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Touchatag RFID StickerProximity card standard (High

Frequency RFID (ISO 14443) used.

Tags only store their unique ID so all associations must be done on a higher level

Have adhesive on the back so can be easily attached to business cards. Temporarily could be appended to ISU card.

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System DesignStudent Registration

Employer Registration

Main Entrance Check-In

Employer Booths

Terminals

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Student and Employer RegistrationPrior to the career fair, a few things need

to be done:1. Tags must be associated with a unique

ID independent of student who will obtain it later.

2. Students must input their information online to associate their username with their major, year, and interest (full-time or co-op)

3. Information of employers must be input based on what majors they accept, school year classification(e.g. junior, senior) they take, and type of position they offer (full-time or co-op)

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Registration and AssoctiationStudent Pre-

Registration◦ Student associates email

address with his information including: major, year, full-time/co-op selection

Student Tag Association◦ Student can, after

entering the career fair, obtain a tag and associate it with their username using a password

Employer Registration◦ Associate employer ID

with their job opportunities based on major, year, full-time/co-op offerings

Employer IP/Scanner Association◦ Associate Employers to

IP addresses of laptops provided or their unique scanners

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Students Adding Information Students will go to the website athttp://dec0912.ece.iastate.edu/jobfairsystem/student-registration.html

Here they are able to create an account based on their ISU username f.e “john doe” and then securely submit their major, year, and desired position to obtain a password used for entry through the main entrance check-in.

They can also add their cell phone number to receive text messages during the fair.

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Student Registration Screenshot

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Employer InformationWe will be able to input this

information based on what information is already available from these employers.

This data will be added to the database before the fair starts.

Employer name

Majors Grades Opportunities

Apple Computer

Computer EngineeringComputer ScienceSoftware Engineering

JuniorSenior

Full TimeCo- Op

Employer Registration Screenshot

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Main Entrance Check-inThe main entrance check-in is a term used to

describe arriving at the career fair and associating your tag with your username and password.

Authentication performed pertaining to the username and password that was obtained by registering earlier.

Since each tag is already associated with an ID, we can check the ID for a username association. If none, then we can simply prompt for a username and password. F.e. http://www.isucareerfair.com/checkin.php?id=12b23lg

Print out of list of most-suited employers to go to based on matching algorithm handed out

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Associating ID with TagThis procedure can be done using

Touchatag’s easy to use interface on their “control panel”. We will configure each tag to be associated with a certain URL with an ID.

For example: http://dec0912.ece.iastate.edu/jobfairsystem/index.php?id=1337

This data will be used later throughout the career fair in associating the user with that tag.

20Control Panel to associate tags to URL’s

Associating ID with Tag

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Employer

Touchatag Reader

Wireless Internet

Student

Tag

Employer Station CheckinThis is the most important feature of

our system. It is when a student swipes his RFID card to indicate that he is in a queue for an employer(updates database)

Functionality:

1. Check Into Employer Queue2. Indirectly Check out of Other Employer

Queue

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Employer Station CheckoutAfter a student is done visiting a

employer, there are 3 ways he can checkout:

1. Manually swipe the tag again, which will check whether he is currently in a queue and remove him from it.

2. Swipe into another booth, which will lower the number of students in the previous booth and enter him into the new booth

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Employer Station Dataflow

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Matching AlgorithmThe Matching

Algorithm is used in three components of the system:

1. Main Entrance Check-In

2. Terminals3. Text-Messaging

System

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TerminalsTerminals are several desktop

computers with Touchatag readers positioned all across the career fair.

They query the database using the Touchatag reader to get employer list which can be printed.

Functionality:

1. Query for Next Visit List2. Print Out Next Visit List3. Indirect Checkout

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Terminal Computer Touchatag Server Server Script Server Database

Touchatag card id sent

Terminal Query

Connect to Server

Return connection Status

Connect to Database

Return DB Connection status

Query Database for info.

Return Status Info

List Appears on Screen

Request sent to server script

Connect to Server

Return connection Status

Connect to Database

Return DB Connection status

Query Database for info.

Return Status Info

SMPT Server

Request to send text message via email

Close connection after time out or user logs out

Text sent to uer

User initiates printing

User requests text

Initiate time out counter

User logs in

Parameter returned

Connect to server with parameters from Touchatag server

Terminals Dataflow

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Alternative to Terminals

If student status in the database shows “checked out” of all employer queues text message passively sent to student using SMTP server.

Text message contains list of next best-suited employers based on the algorithm.

Students decide whether to use this system when they enter their phone number during registration.

Text Messaging System

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Test PlanTouchatag Testing

◦Using multiple units

Code Unit Testing◦Testing boundary cases, invalid

inputs, etc.

Server Stress Testing◦Rapid and multiple requests to

server simulations

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CostResource Requirements

Item Number of Items Cost Explanation

Touchatag Readers 3 $120

Employer Station Laptops

free Borrowing, Checking out

Terminal Computers

free Borrowing, Checking out

Server Computer 1 free CSG is letting us use one

Totals $120

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Conclusion

Using RFID technology, PHP scripts and a MySQL database the system will help students visit more prospective employers by keeping track of how many people are in the various employer’s lines and sending students to the shortest line based on a set criteria.