Andrew Alexander Tokmakoff

Controlled Disclosure of Context Information across Ubiquitous Computing Domains

One of the challenges in ubiquitous computing is that of mobility, which typically requires interaction between intelligent environments in different domains of administration. We present a highly distributed and collaborative system that enables context-aware applications to obtain context information about mobile entities (users or devices) independent of the domain that produces this information. The added value of the system is that it enriches the amount of available context information about these entities in a way that is transparent for applications. In addition, the system shares context information across domains in a controlled manner by taking privacy policies into account, both of the mobile entity as well as of the domains it visits. We discuss the systems architecture, its implementation, and the way we deployed it.

Sharing Intelligent Services between Homes

The user’s environment is increasingly enriched with computing devices that offer services that aid users in their daily activities. Current use of these services is either public (i.e. unrestricted), or requires explicit registration. In the first case, user control and security are sacrificed whilst in the second ease of use and flexibility is limited. In this paper, we extend the perspective of user-centric computing in offering guests a simple and transparent way to access their home services from a visited intelligent environment. We provide the users with a Personal Access Device (PAD) that facilitates creation of trust between the user’s own home and a visited intelligent environment. This enables seamless access to home services from the visited environment.