Urpo Tuomela

Bio: Urpo Tuomela is an academic researcher from Nokia. The author has contributed to research in topics: Context (language use) & Mobile computing. The author has an hindex of 11, co-authored 15 publications receiving 1062 citations.

Advanced Interaction in Context

Abstract: Mobile information appliances are increasingly used in numerous different situations and locations, setting new requirements to their interaction methods When the user's situation, place or activity changes, the functionality of the device should adapt to these changes In this work we propose a layered real-time architecture for this kind of context-aware adaptation based on redundant collections of low-level sensors Two kinds of sensors are distinguished: physical and logical sensors, which give cues from environment parameters and host information A prototype board that consists of eight sensors was built for experimentation The contexts are derived from cues using real-time recognition software, which was constructed after experiments with Kohonen's Self-Organizing Maps and its variants A personal digital assistant (PDA) and a mobile phone were used with the prototype to demonstrate situational awareness On the PDA font size and backlight were changed depending on the demonstrated contexts while in mobile phone the active user profile was changed The experiments have shown that it is feasible to recognize contexts using sensors and that context information can be used to create new interaction metaphors

Controlling a terminal of a communication system

Abstract: The present invention relates to a terminal for a communication system. The terminal comprises detector means that are arranged to detect if there is a contact between at least one surface of the terminal and the skin of the user of the terminal. The detection means comprise at least two different detector arrangements for detecting a contact between the terminal and the user. The detector arrangements each comprise independently operating sensor means (7, 8, 30). At least one function of the terminal is arranged to be controlled based on a signal generated by the detecting means in response to the detection. The invention relates further to a detector arrangement for a communications terminal and a method for controlling a communications terminal.

Method and apparatus for providing context-based call transfer operation

Abstract: A method is disclosed for use in a wireless communications system for processing an incoming call. The method includes steps of (a) storing a current context of a user; (b) in response to an incoming call to the user, determining if an automatic call answering function is enabled and, if so; (c) transferring information to the caller that is descriptive of the current context of the user, without ringing the user's phone. The current context can be determined by a sensor and/or by input from the user, and may be stored in the user's phone equipment or in a Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) server. The step of transferring information includes a step of transferring a voice message to the caller, or a text message to the caller, or an animation to the caller, or an identification of an animation that is stored in the caller's phone equipment. The step of transferring information can also comprise a step of transferring a page from the Wireless Application Protocol server to the caller. In this case a further step of the method uses the caller's phone equipment to interact with the transferred page for directing further call processing. For example, the further call processing can include one of leaving a message for the user, or causing the call to be put through for ringing the user's phone.

Method and apparatus for using DTMF for controlling context calls, and mutual context information exchange during mobile communication

Abstract: A method for operating a wireless communication system includes steps of setting a context-sensitive facility in one of a mobile station or in a wireless network; informing a caller of the setting; and overriding the setting by sending a signal from the caller to the context-sensitive facility. The context-sensitive facility can be implemented as an answering service, the signal can be a DTMF signal generated in response to an input from the caller, and in this case the step of overriding forces the call through to a called parties' mobile station when the setting is to not allow calls to be made to the called parties' mobile station. A further aspect of these teachings provides a method for operating a wireless communication system using steps of specifying context information at a calling parties' mobile station; transmitting signaling during a call origination phase to selectively exchange context information between the calling party and a called party, the context information being in the form of at least one of graphical icons, text, or information codes specifying graphical icons; and displaying the context information to at least one of the calling party or the called party prior to establishing a voice call. The step of specifying can be performed manually by the calling party or it can be performed at least in part in an automatic fashion based on the outputs of one or more sensors that are responsive to a context of the calling party. The step of transmitting occurs over a control channel, prior to establishment of a voice channel. A graphical icon may be displayed by first accessing a memory of the mobile station to retrieve a prestored icon bit-map, which may have been downloaded from a source of icons, or one previously received from the other party. Additional information can be transmitted during call termination. For a case where the called party does not accept the call or does not answer the call, the method includes further steps of storing the context information, and subsequently displaying the context information in conjunction with a display of missed calls. In general, a single displayable graphical icon of n pixels is specified by transmitting m messages, each conveying up to n/m pixels, where m is equal to or greater than one.

Sensor signal data set for exploring context recognition of mobile devices

Abstract: This position paper describes a motivation for a sensor signal data set for exploring context recognition of mobile devices. Test scenarios, collection and pre-processing of data are briefly described. The data set has already been used in various studies on context sharing, rule based context inference for context-aware user interfaces, and pattern recognition. A list of related literature is given.

A conceptual framework and a toolkit for supporting the rapid prototyping of context-aware applications

Abstract: Computing devices and applications are now used beyond the desktop, in diverse environments, and this trend toward ubiquitous computing is accelerating. One challenge that remains in this emerging research field is the ability to enhance the behavior of any application by informing it of the context of its use. By context, we refer to any information that characterizes a situation related to the interaction between humans, applications, and the surrounding environment. Context-aware applications promise richer and easier interaction, but the current state of research in this field is still far removed from that vision. This is due to 3 main problems: (a) the notion of context is still ill defined, (b) there is a lack of conceptual models and methods to help drive the design of context-aware applications, and (c) no tools are available to jump-start the development of context-aware applications. In this anchor article, we address these 3 problems in turn. We first define context, identify categories of contextual information, and characterize context-aware application behavior. Though the full impact of context-aware computing requires understanding very subtle and high-level notions of context, we are focusing our efforts on the pieces of context that can be inferred automatically from sensors in a physical environment. We then present a conceptual framework that separates the acquisition and representation of context from the delivery and reaction to context by a context-aware application. We have built a toolkit, the Context Toolkit, that instantiates this conceptual framework and supports the rapid development of a rich space of context-aware applications. We illustrate the usefulness of the conceptual framework by describing a number of context-aware applications that have been prototyped using the Context Toolkit. We also demonstrate how such a framework can support the investigation of important research challenges in the area of context-aware computing.

Reality mining: sensing complex social systems

Abstract: We introduce a system for sensing complex social systems with data collected from 100 mobile phones over the course of 9 months. We demonstrate the ability to use standard Bluetooth-enabled mobile telephones to measure information access and use in different contexts, recognize social patterns in daily user activity, infer relationships, identify socially significant locations, and model organizational rhythms.

A survey of mobile phone sensing

Abstract: Mobile phones or smartphones are rapidly becoming the central computer and communication device in people's lives. Application delivery channels such as the Apple AppStore are transforming mobile phones into App Phones, capable of downloading a myriad of applications in an instant. Importantly, today's smartphones are programmable and come with a growing set of cheap powerful embedded sensors, such as an accelerometer, digital compass, gyroscope, GPS, microphone, and camera, which are enabling the emergence of personal, group, and communityscale sensing applications. We believe that sensor-equipped mobile phones will revolutionize many sectors of our economy, including business, healthcare, social networks, environmental monitoring, and transportation. In this article we survey existing mobile phone sensing algorithms, applications, and systems. We discuss the emerging sensing paradigms, and formulate an architectural framework for discussing a number of the open issues and challenges emerging in the new area of mobile phone sensing research.

A Survey of Context-Aware Mobile Computing Research

Abstract: Context-aware computing is a mobile computing paradigm in which applications can discover and take advantage of contextual information (such as user location, time of day, nearby people and devices, and user activity) Since it was proposed about a decade ago, many researchers have studied this topic and built several context-aware applications to demonstrate the usefulness of this new technology Context-aware applications (or the system infrastructure to support them), however, have never been widely available to everyday users In this survey of research on context-aware systems and applications, we looked in depth at the types of context used and models of context information, at systems that support collecting and disseminating context, and at applications that adapt to the changing context Through this survey, it is clear that context-aware research is an old but rich area for research The difficulties and possible solutions we outline serve as guidance for researchers hoping to make context-aware computing a reality

Proximity detector in handheld device

Abstract: Proximity based systems and methods that are implemented on an electronic device are disclosed. The method includes sensing an object spaced away and in close proximity to the electronic device. The method also includes performing an action in the electronic device when an object is sensed.