Personal Interfaces in Ubiquitous Environments

1
Personal Interfaces in Ubiquitous Environments
Jeffrey Nichols - Brad A. Myers - Rob
Miller Carnegie Mellon University

• Building the Ubiquitous Computing Experience
  Workshop
• CHI2001 Seattle, WA

2
Introduction

• Pebbles Project
• Exploring how handhelds can be used when they are
  in direct communication with desktop PCs
• Slideshow Commander
• Handicapped Usage
• Personal Universal Controller
• People will use their handhelds to control the
  devices around them
• Lights, VCR, copy machine, alarm clock, etc
• Devices will send the handheld a description of
  their functions and the handheld will generate a
  high quality control panel
• Taking into account form factor, user
  preferences, etc

3
Personal Universal Controller

• We believe the controller can solve some of the
  difficult problems inherent in ubiquitous
  computing
• User-centric service discovery
• Interface consistency for functionally-equivalent
  devices
• Interface personalization
• Centralized and situational control of devices

4
Service Discovery

• How does a user in a foreign environment discover
  services that may be invisible?
• A personal controller gives the user means to
  discover what is available around them
• Convenient location to display a map of available
  services and controllable devices

5
Interface Consistency

• Many manufacturers sell functionally similar
  devices
• User interface has become a distinguishing
  attribute of products
• The interface becomes a product of the personal
  universal controller
• Manufacturer only provides a functional
  description of their product
• Controller generates an interface that is similar
  to others that the user has seen so far
• Alarm clock example

6
Interface Personalization

• The soft nature of the personal controllers
  interfaces allows for easy user editing
• Direct-manipulation and rule-based tools will be
  provided to allow easy editing
• Controls for multiple devices could be combined
  onto a single panel
• Panels could be shared by users, as with digital
  remote controls today from Philips and others

7
Situational Control

• What if a user is listening to the stereo when
  the phone rings?
• The controller could present the user with a
  stereo volume control along with the standard
  phone controls
• Keeps the user in control rather than simply
  adjusting the stereo automatically

8
Finís

• Questions?
• http//www.cs.cmu.edu/pebbles/