Context-Aware Communication Bill N. Schilit (Intel Corporation) David M. Hilbert (FX Palo Alto Lab.) Jonathan Trevor (FX Palo Alto Lab.) presented by Metin Tekkalmaz

2 Outline Introduction Dimensions of C-A Communication C-A Communication Conclusion

3 Introduction Applying knowledge of poeople’s context to reduce communication barriers What is context in communication? Location, Environment, Social situation... Relation with C-A computing Historical perspective CSCW, HCI, WYSIWIS

4 Dimensions of C-A Communication (1/2) Context acquisition Manual entry of context Autonomous sensing Communication actions Manual control Automatic routing of a voice call Maximizing autonomy in both dimensions?

5 Dimensions of C-A Communication (2/2)

6 Context-Aware Communication Routing Addressing Messaging Providing Context Awareness Screening

7 Routing Routing a message or a call to an appropriate nearby communication device Two very early examples: Etherphone 1 at Xerox PARC Receptionist Assistant 1 at Olivetti Research Labs

8 Routing Etherphone 1 Automatic route of calls Manual entry of a person’s location (to the Etherphones) Receptionist Assistant 1 Automatic person location (via infrared badges) Manual phone routing

9 Routing (Receptionist Assistant)

10 Routing - UMD UMD: Ubiquitous Message Delivery UMD delivers text messages at the soonest acceptable time via the most appropriate terminal Terminals and other people around the destined person are considered User’s situation is also checked before message delivery

11 Addressing Determining (addressing) which people should be included in a communication based on context Concern in routing was finding appropriate physical endpoints Here the concern is finding the contextually appropriate people

12 Addressing Context-Aware Mailing List at Georgia Institude of Technology PARCTAB Virtual Whiteboard Both appications are somewhere between manual and autonomous in the sense of communication

13 Messaging Getting the right message from the right person at the right time Contextual Reminder Messages in comMotion CybreMinder MIT’s Active Messenger

14 Providing Awareness Sample applications: AwareNex Audio Aura Roomotes

15 Screening Concerns establishing communication under appropriate conditions. e.g. Who the person is with What the person is doing Where the person is

16 Screening Sample applications: Context-Call Calls.Calm

17 Conclusion Autonomous context acquisition and need for 3rd parties privacy reduction in “common sense” As the 3 rd parties disappear the burden of managing rules shifts to recipients

18 Conclusion – Related Issues Improving relevance Minimizing disruption Improving awareness Reducing overload Selecting channel