Multiple User Interfaces: Cross-Platform Applications and Context-Aware Interfaces

Ahmed Seffah, Homa Javahery9780470854440, 0470854448

Multiple User Interfaces allow people using mobile phones, lap tops, desk tops, palm tops or PDAs to access and read information from their central server or the internet in a coherent and consistent way and to communicate effectively with other users who may be using different devices. MUIs provide multiple views of the information according to the device used and co-ordinate communication between the users.Multiple User Interfaces: Engineering and Applications Frameworks is the first work to describe user interface design for mobile and hand-held devices such as mobile phones. Given the proliferation of books on web site design in the late ’90s, this promises to be the forerunner in a new wave of books dealing with the issues specific to small screens, limited memory and wireless transmission. It also deals with problems relating to multi-user functionality and sharing the same application over various platforms. * Offers a comprehensive account of state-of-the-art research * Combines human and technical aspects including social interaction, workflow, HCI, & system architectures. * Provides practical toolkits, guidelines and experience reports * Includes contributions from leading experts at all the key institutions – Virginia Tech, Concordia University, Lancaster University, Ericsson & Intel With such a unique and cutting-edge approach researchers and developers working on user interface design in companies manufacturing handsets and other portable devices, university HCI groups and companies providing web-based information services for delivery to hand-held devices will find this indispensable.

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Table of contents :
Team-kB……Page 1
Contents……Page 8
Acknowledgements……Page 18
About the Editors……Page 20
Contributors……Page 22
PART I BASIC TERMINOLOGY, CONCEPTS, AND CHALLENGES……Page 28
1.1 Motivation……Page 30
1.2 A Few Definitions……Page 31
1.4 Specific Objectives……Page 32
1.6 Overview……Page 33
References……Page 36
2.1 MUI: Characterization and Evolution……Page 38
2.1.1 Interaction Styles……Page 40
2.1.2 Fundamental Characteristics……Page 42
2.1.4 Related Work……Page 43
2.2.1 Context-Aware Development……Page 45
2.2.2 Model-Based Development……Page 47
2.2.3 Pattern-Driven Development……Page 49
2.2.4 Device-Independent Development……Page 50
2.3 Concluding Remarks……Page 51
References……Page 52
PART II ADAPTATION AND CONTEXT-AWARE USER INTERFACES……Page 54
3.1 Introduction……Page 56
3.2.1 Context of Use and Target……Page 57
3.2.2 Multi-Target User Interfaces and Plastic User Interfaces……Page 58
3.3 The Plastic UI Snowflake?……Page 59
3.3.2 Classes of Software Tools……Page 60
3.3.3 Actors in Charge of Adaptation……Page 61
3.3.5 User Interface Software Components……Page 62
3.4 The Process Reference Framework for Multi-Target and Plastic UIs……Page 64
3.4.1 General Description……Page 65
3.4.2 The Process Reference Framework in the Design Phase……Page 66
3.4.3 Instantiations of the Process Reference Framework……Page 68
3.5.2 ARTStudio……Page 70
References……Page 76
4.1 Introduction……Page 80
4.2.1 Fitts?Law and the Control:Display Ratio……Page 82
4.2.3 Support for Task Switching on Platforms……Page 83
4.3 Modelling Temporal Contexts……Page 84
4.3.1 Action Selection Pattern……Page 85
4.3.2 Progress Monitoring Pattern……Page 86
4.3.3 Task Management Pattern……Page 88
4.3.4 Platform Interaction Pattern……Page 89
4.4 The Temporal Constraint Engine……Page 90
4.5 Discussion……Page 91
References……Page 92
A. The PUAN Notation……Page 93
5.1 Introduction……Page 96
5.2.1 Overview……Page 98
5.2.2 The PALIO Adaptation Infrastructure……Page 102
5.3 PALIO as an Adaptive Hypermedia System……Page 103
5.3.1 Adaptation Determinants……Page 104
5.3.2 Decisions on the Basis of Adaptation Determinants……Page 105
5.3.3 Adaptation Actions……Page 107
5.4.1 PALIO as a Web UI……Page 110
5.4.2 A Brief Example……Page 115
5.5 Summary and On-Going Work……Page 116
References……Page 117
Footnotes……Page 118
PART III DEVELOPMENT TECHNOLOGY AND LANGUAGES……Page 120
6.1 Introduction……Page 122
6.2 Terminology……Page 124
6.3 Related Work……Page 125
6.4 UIML……Page 127
6.4.2 The Component……Page 128
6.4.4 A Sample UI……Page 129
6.5 A Framework for Multi-Platform UI Development……Page 131
6.5.1 Task Model……Page 132
6.5.2 Generic Description of Device Families……Page 133
6.5.3 Abstract to Concrete Transformations……Page 136
6.6 Transformation-Based UI Development Environment……Page 138
6.6.2 Goals for TIDE 2……Page 139
6.7 Conclusions……Page 142
References……Page 143
7.1 Introduction……Page 146
7.1.1 Special Challenges for MUI Solutions for Industry……Page 147
7.2 The XIML Representation Framework……Page 148
7.2.1 Target Computing Model……Page 149
7.2.2 XIML Requirements……Page 150
7.2.3 Structure and Organization of XIML……Page 151
7.2.4 Validation Exercises……Page 154
7.3 An XIML Pilot Application……Page 160
7.3.1 MANNA: The Map Annotation Assistant……Page 161
7.3.2 The MANNA Abstract XIML Components……Page 163
7.3.3 XIML-Based Middleware for MANNA……Page 166
7.4.1 The XIML Roadmap……Page 171
7.4.2 Related Work……Page 172
References……Page 173
8.1 Introduction……Page 176
8.2 Case Study: A Collaborative Job Management System……Page 178
8.3 Related Work……Page 179
8.4 Our Approach……Page 181
8.5 Design and Implementation……Page 183
8.6 Job Management System Examples……Page 188
8.7 Experiences……Page 191
References……Page 193
PART IV MODEL-BASED DEVELOPMENT……Page 196
9.1 Introduction……Page 198
9.2.2 Task Modelling……Page 199
9.2.3 New Challenges for Modelling……Page 202
9.3 Adaptive Specification Techniques……Page 203
9.3.1 Adapted Task Models……Page 204
9.3.2 Specification of Device Features by XML……Page 206
9.4.1 The Task Model of E-Shopping……Page 208
9.4.2 The Generation of Specific User Interfaces……Page 210
References……Page 218
10.1 Introduction……Page 220
10.2 Related Work……Page 221
10.3 Definition of Model……Page 222
10.4.1 Definition……Page 225
10.4.2 Case Study……Page 226
10.5.1 Definition……Page 228
10.5.2 Case Study……Page 229
10.6.2 Case Study……Page 232
10.7 Summary of the Development Process……Page 237
10.8 Conclusion……Page 240
Acknowledgements……Page 241
References……Page 242
11.1 Introduction……Page 244
11.2 An Illustrative Scenario……Page 246
11.3 General Description of the Approach……Page 248
11.4 Role of the Task Model in Design……Page 250
11.4.1 From the Task Model to the Abstract User Interface……Page 252
11.4.2 The Language for Abstract User Interfaces……Page 253
11.5 Relations between Task Model and User Model……Page 255
11.6 The User Model……Page 256
11.7.1 Navigation as a Function of Task Frequency……Page 259
11.7.2 Navigation as a Function of Task Performance……Page 261
11.7.4 Modification of Content Presentation……Page 262
Acknowledgements……Page 264
References……Page 265
PART V ARCHITECTURES, PATTERNS, AND DEVELOPMENT TOOLKITS……Page 266
12.1 Introduction……Page 268
12.2 A Brief Overview of HCI Patterns……Page 270
12.3.1 The Effect of Screen Size on Redesign……Page 272
12.3.2 Pattern-based Redesign: A Case Study with Navigation Patterns……Page 274
12.3.3 Architecture Size as an Added Variable in Redesign……Page 275
12.4 Research Directions for the Use of Patterns in Reengineering User Interfaces……Page 281
12.4.1 Pattern-Assisted Reengineering……Page 282
12.4.2 Comparing Reengineering to Redesign……Page 283
12.5 Conclusion and Future Investigations……Page 284
References……Page 286
13.1 Introduction……Page 288
13.2.1 Separation of Concerns……Page 291
13.2.3 Transparent, Distributed Communications……Page 292
13.2.6 Resource Discovery……Page 293
13.3 Basic Component-Based Architecture and the Conference Assistant Application……Page 294
13.3.2 Context Aggregators……Page 295
13.3.4 Services……Page 296
13.3.6 Conference Assistant Application……Page 297
13.4 Situation Support and the CybreMinder Application……Page 303
13.4.1 Implementation of the Situation Abstraction……Page 304
13.4.2 CybreMinder: A Complex Example that Uses the Situation Abstraction……Page 305
13.4.3 Summary……Page 310
13.5 Fusion Support and the In/Out Board Application……Page 311
13.5.1 The Architecture of the Location Service……Page 312
13.5.2 Representing Location……Page 313
13.5.3 Details on Positioning Systems……Page 314
13.5.5 Accessing, Interpreting and Handling Location Data Within an Application……Page 316
13.5.6 Sample Application Development……Page 318
13.5.7 Summary……Page 319
13.6 Conclusions……Page 320
References……Page 321
14.1 Introduction……Page 324
14.2 MUI Interaction Scenario……Page 325
14.3 Requirements for Infrastructure……Page 326
14.4 Existing Approaches……Page 328
14.5 Design of Infrastructure and Development Framework……Page 330
14.5.1 Design of Interaction Metaphor……Page 332
14.5.2 Bubble Glosses……Page 334
14.6 Implementation of Infrastructure and Development Framework……Page 337
14.7.2 Dynamic Device Service Selection……Page 338
14.7.3 Application Service Linkage……Page 339
14.7.4 Bubble Synchronisation……Page 340
14.8 Infrastructure Utilisation……Page 341
14.9 Application Usage Scenarios……Page 343
14.10 Discussion……Page 347
14.11 Conclusions……Page 348
References……Page 349
PART VI EVALUATION AND SOCIAL IMPACTS……Page 352
15.1 Introduction……Page 354
15.2 Multiple User Interfaces: Multiple Contexts of Use……Page 355
15.3.1 Portability……Page 357
15.3.2 Attentiveness……Page 358
15.3.3 Manageability……Page 360
15.3.4 Learnability……Page 361
15.3.5 Indexical Factors of Usability for Different Contexts of Use……Page 362
15.4 Assessing Usability of Mobile Interfaces……Page 363
15.4.1 Mobile Input Interfaces……Page 364
15.4.2 Mobile Output Interfaces……Page 368
15.5 Discussion……Page 373
15.6 Conclusions……Page 374
References……Page 375
16.1 Introduction……Page 378
16.2 Design Solutions to Complex Software……Page 380
16.3.1 Methodology……Page 382
16.3.2 Selected Results……Page 383
16.4 Pilot Study……Page 386
16.4.1 Implementation……Page 387
16.4.2 Objectives and Methodology……Page 388
16.4.3 Selected Results……Page 389
16.5 Study Two……Page 390
16.5.1 Methodology……Page 392
16.5.2 Selected Results……Page 393
16.6 Summary and Conclusions……Page 396
References……Page 398
Footnotes……Page 399
17.1 Introduction……Page 400
17.2.1 Principal Processes Involved in Transitions between Devices……Page 401
17.2.2 Requirements for Knowledge Continuity……Page 403
17.2.3 Requirements for Task Continuity……Page 406
17.3 Design Principles for Inter-Usability……Page 407
17.3.1 Inter-Device Consistency……Page 408
17.3.2 Transparency……Page 409
17.3.3 Adaptability……Page 410
References……Page 411
Subject Index……Page 414