EventManager: Support forthe Peripheral Awareness of Events
Joe McCarthy
(the firm soon-to-be formerly-known-as)
Presentation Plan
• Active Environments @ CSTaR• PocketWatch, ActiveMap, EventManager
• EventManager• Motivation, architecture, interfaces, future work
• Questions• (and, hopefully, answers)
Background
• Informal Communication• Crucial for success in project/team-oriented work
• Attempts to connect often end in failure
• Awareness Tools• Provide information about who’s where
• Infrared badges, sensors
• Create informal interaction opportunitiesfor non-adjacent colleagues
Active Environment Applications
• PocketWatch: small bits of awareness info• Where Is Eric?
• Who is with Ted?
• Who is in the Videoconference Room?
• ActiveMap: large-scale awareness info• Where is everyone?
• EventManager: asynchronous awareness• Notify me when an event of interest occurs
PocketWatch
ActiveMap
EventManager
Motivation
• Synchronous awareness• What’s happening now?
• PocketWatch, ActiveMap
• Asynchronous awareness• Let me know when X happens
• EventManager
• Irritation-based research methodology• Don’t get mad, define a research project…
ArialView Architecture
© 2000 by Arial Systems Corporation. All rights reserved.
EventManager Architecture
• Active Environment Server• Manages event specifications
• storage, activation, deactivation
• Notifies client of triggered event specs
• EventManager Client• User interfaces for event specs
• definition, editing, activation, deactivation
Main Interface
NameDescriptionPerson(s)Relationship or State (change)Location(s)Action(s)Save, Activate or Cancel
Event Specification Interface
Entering, Leaving,In, Not In, Alone In
Conjunctive Disjunctive
Event Specification Example
Event Notification - Visual
Event Notification - Aural
Speaker InfraredSensor
Future Extensions
• Integration of other “sensors”• keyboard, telephone, motion, calendar, other
location technologies
• Other communication capabilities• NetMeeting, [mobile] phone, pager
• High level event specification language• When <3 people> are in <any meeting room>
For more information
• Joe McCarthy• [email protected]
• Active Environments• http://www.ac.com/services/cstar/Research/ActiveEnvironments.html
• CSTaR• http://www.ac.com/cstar
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