Speech-Activated Text Retrieval System for Cellular Phones with Web Browsing Capability

PACLIC 19 / Taipei, taiwan / December 1-3, 200

A model for adaptive multimodal mobile notification

Information is useless unless it is used whilst still applicable. Having a system that notifies the user of important messages using the most appropriate medium and device will benefit users that rely on time critical information. There are several existing systems and models for mobile notification as well as for adaptive mobile notification using context awareness. Current models and systems are typically designed for a specific set of mobile devices, modes and services. Communication however, can take place in many different modes, across many different devices and may originate from many different sources. The aim of this research was to develop a model for adaptive mobile notification using context awareness. An extensive literature study was performed into existing models for adaptive mobile notification systems using context awareness. The literature study identified several potential models but no way to evaluate and compare the models. A set of requirements to evaluate these models was developed and the models were evaluated against these criteria. The model satisfying the most requirements was adapted so as to satisfy the remaining criteria. The proposed model is extensible in terms of the modes, devices and notification sources supported. The proposed model determines the importance of a message, the appropriate device and mode (or modes) of communication based on the user‘s context, and alerts the user of the message using these modes. A prototype was developed as a proof-of-concept of the proposed model and evaluated by conducting an extensive field study. The field study highlighted the fact that most users did not choose the most suitable mode for the context during their initial subscription to the service. The field study also showed that more research needs to be done on an appropriate filtering mechanism for notifications. Users found that the notifications became intrusive and less useful the longer they used them

Multimodal Content Delivery for Geo-services

This thesis describes a body of work carried out over several research projects in the area of multimodal interaction for location-based services. Research in this area has progressed from using simulated mobile environments to demonstrate the visual modality, to the ubiquitous delivery of rich media using multimodal interfaces (geo- services). To effectively deliver these services, research focused on innovative solutions to real-world problems in a number of disciplines including geo-location, mobile spatial interaction, location-based services, rich media interfaces and auditory user interfaces. My original contributions to knowledge are made in the areas of multimodal interaction underpinned by advances in geo-location technology and supported by the proliferation of mobile device technology into modern life. Accurate positioning is a known problem for location-based services, contributions in the area of mobile positioning demonstrate a hybrid positioning technology for mobile devices that uses terrestrial beacons to trilaterate position. Information overload is an active concern for location-based applications that struggle to manage large amounts of data, contributions in the area of egocentric visibility that filter data based on field-of-view demonstrate novel forms of multimodal input. One of the more pertinent characteristics of these applications is the delivery or output modality employed (auditory, visual or tactile). Further contributions in the area of multimodal content delivery are made, where multiple modalities are used to deliver information using graphical user interfaces, tactile interfaces and more notably auditory user interfaces. It is demonstrated how a combination of these interfaces can be used to synergistically deliver context sensitive rich media to users - in a responsive way - based on usage scenarios that consider the affordance of the device, the geographical position and bearing of the device and also the location of the device

Human-Computer Interaction

In this book the reader will find a collection of 31 papers presenting different facets of Human Computer Interaction, the result of research projects and experiments as well as new approaches to design user interfaces. The book is organized according to the following main topics in a sequential order: new interaction paradigms, multimodality, usability studies on several interaction mechanisms, human factors, universal design and development methodologies and tools

Flexible photo retrieval (FlexPhoReS) : a prototype for multimodel personal digital photo retrieval

Digital photo technology is developing rapidly and is motivating more people to have large personal collections of digital photos. However, effective and fast retrieval of digital photos is not always easy, especially when the collections grow into thousands. World Wide Web (WWW) is one of the platforms that allows digital photo users to publish a collection of photos in a centralised and organised way. Users typically find their photos by searching or browsing uSing a keyboard and mouse. Also in development at the moment are alternative user interfaces such as graphical user interfaces with speech (S/GUI) and other multimodal user interfaces which offer more flexibility to users. The aim of this research was to design and evaluate a flexible user interface for a web based personal digital photo retrieval system. A model of a flexible photo retrieval system (FlexPhoReS) was developed based on a review of the literature and a small-scale user study. A prototype, based on the model, was built using MATLAB and WWW technology. FlexPhoReS is a web based personal digital photo retrieval prototype that enables digital photo users to . accomplish photo retrieval tasks (browsing, keyword and visual example searching (CBI)) using either mouse and keyboard input modalities or mouse and speech input modalities. An evaluation with 20 digital photo users was conducted using usability testing methods. The result showed that there was a significant difference in search performance between using mouse and keyboard input modalities and using mouse and speech input modalities. On average, the reduction in search performance time due to using mouse and speech input modalities was 37.31%. Participants were also significantly more satisfied with mouse and speech input modalities than with mouse and keyboard input modalities although they felt that both were complementary. This research demonstrated that the prototype was successful in providing a flexible model of the photo retrieval process by offering alternative input modalities through a multimodal user interface in the World Wide Web environment.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

Multimodal imaging of language perception

This Thesis draws together several lines of research by examining language perception in the same individuals using three neuroimaging methods: magnetoencephalography (MEG), functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), and electroencephalography (EEG). The MEG experiments conducted in this Thesis demonstrated that neural processing of written and spoken words converges to the superior temporal cortex following initial modality-specific analysis. In both reading and speech perception, the superior temporal cortex is involved in processing word meaning at ∼250-450 ms in the left hemisphere and after ∼450 ms bilaterally. The data thus support a view of a largely shared semantic system in auditory and visual language perception, in line with the assumption that reading acquisition makes use of the neural systems originally developed for speech perception during evolution and in individual language development. The MEG experiments on reading morphologically complex words showed that the left superior temporal activation was enhanced for the morphologically complex words at ∼200-700 ms. The results suggest that the majority of inflected words in the highly inflected Finnish language are represented in a decomposed form and that the decomposition process requires additional neural resources. Only very high-frequency inflected words may acquire full-form representations. The MEG results on parafoveal preview in reading indicated that neural processing of written words in the left hemisphere is affected by a preview of words in the right visual field. The underlying neural mechanism may facilitate reading of connected text in natural conditions. In a direct comparison, MEG and fMRI showed diverging activation patterns in a reading task although the same individuals were performing the same task. Based on the similarity of the EEG responses recorded simultaneously with both MEG and fMRI, the participants were performing the task similarly during the two recordings. The divergent MEG and fMRI results cannot be attributed to differences in the experimental procedures or language since these factors were controlled. Rather, they are likely to reflect actual dissimilarities in the way neural activity in a high-level cognitive task is picked up by MEG evoked responses and fMRI signals