Raman K. Sarin

Fast, flexible filtering with phlat

Systems for fast search of personal information are rapidly becoming ubiquitous. Such systems promise to dramatically improve personal information management, yet most are modeled on Web search in which users know very little about the content that they are searching. We describe the design and deployment of a system called Phlat that optimizes search for personal information with an intuitive interface that merges search and browsing through a variety of associative and contextual cues. In addition, Phlat supports a unified tagging (labeling) scheme for organizing personal content across storage systems (files, email, etc.). The system has been deployed to hundreds of employees within our organization. We report on both quantitative and qualitative aspects of system use. Phlat is available as a free download at http://research.microsoft.com/adapt/phlat.

BlueTable: connecting wireless mobile devices on interactive surfaces using vision-based handshaking

Associating and connecting mobile devices for the wireless transfer of data is often a cumbersome process. We present a technique of associating a mobile device to an interactive surface using a combination of computer vision and Bluetooth technologies. Users establish the connection of a mobile device to the system by simply placing the device on a table surface. When the computer vision process detects a phone-like object on the surface, the system follows a handshaking procedure using Bluetooth and vision techniques to establish that the phone on the surface and the wirelessly connected phone are the same device. The connection is broken simply by removing the device. Furthermore, the vision-based handshaking procedure determines the precise position of the device on the interactive surface, thus permitting a variety of interactive scenarios which rely on the presentation of graphics co-located with the device. As an example, we present a prototype interactive system which allows the exchange of automatically downloaded photos by selecting and dragging photos from one cameraphone device to another.

Implicit queries (IQ) for contextualized search

The Implicit Query (IQ) prototype is a system which automatically generates context-sensitive searches based on a users current computing activities. In the demo, we show IQ running when users are reading or composing email. Queries are automatically generated by analyzing the email message, and results are presented in a small pane adjacent to the current window to provide peripheral awareness of related information.

Bayesphone: precomputation of context-sensitive policies for inquiry and action in mobile devices

Inference and decision making with probabilistic user models may be infeasible on portable devices such as cell phones. We highlight the opportunity for storing and using precomputed inferences about ideal actions for future situations, based on offline learning and reasoning with the user models. As a motivating example, we focus on the use precomputation of call-handling policies for cell phones. The methods hinge on the learning of Bayesian user models for predicting whether users will attend meetings on their calendar and the cost of being interrupted by incoming calls should a meeting be attended.

InkSeine: In Situ search for active note taking

Using a notebook to sketch designs, reflect on a topic, or capture and extend creative ideas are examples of active note taking tasks. Optimal experience for such tasks demands concentration without interruption. Yet active note taking may also require reference documents or emails from team members. InkSeine is a Tablet PC application that supports active note taking by coupling a pen-and-ink interface with an in situ search facility that flows directly from a users ink notes (Fig. 1). InkSeine integrates four key concepts: it leverages preexisting ink to initiate a search; it provides tight coupling of search queries with application content; it persists search queries as first class objects that can be commingled with ink notes; and it enables a quick and flexible workflow where the user may freely interleave inking, searching, and gathering content. InkSeine offers these capabilities in an interface that is tailored to the unique demands of pen input, and that maintains the primacy of inking above all other tasks.