Mobile user device

PPSW96 Andreas Pfitzmann, Birgit Pfitzmann, Matthias Schunter, Michael Waidner Mobile User Devices and Security Modules Design for Trustworthiness IBM Research Report RZ 2784 ( 89262) 02/05/96, IBM Research Division, Zurich, Feb. 1996. 

Assistive devices can be viewed as artificial systems that either completely or partially bridge a gap between a given human (with his or her unique profile of performance capacities, i.e., available performance resources) and a particular task or class of tasks (e.g., communication, mobility, etc.). It is thus possible to consider the aspects of the device that constitute the user-device interface and those aspects which constitute, more generally, the device-task interface. In general, measurements supporting assessment of the user-device interface can be viewed to consist of (1) those which characterize the human and (2) those which characterize tasks (i.e., operating the assistive device). Each of these was described earlier. Measurements that characterize the device-task interface are often carried out in the context of the complete system, that is, the human-assistive device-task combination (see next subsection). 

The wireless trend for medical information systems (ISs) and ITs has also moved beyond just mobile phones. For example, ambulances in Sweden have been equipped with mobile computing, wireless networks, and GPS. While in transit, patient vitals and the ambulance s GPS coordinates can be sent to the hospital, providing real-time status updates. Finland has set up a network where patient records, health consulting, and prescriptions can all be accessed by authorized individuals wirelessly on connected devices (Wu et al. 2007). While these advances are a net benefit for healthcare, there still exist hurdles that need to be considered, including how to best design and implement the mobile user applications interfaces. 

Autonomy in energy is still a main handicap of the majority of mobile electronic devices. Many wireless device users have no doubt dreamt of never having to reload their mobile phone. Even if the electronic circuits require less and less energy, new possibilities appear and create an additional need for energy (a larger screen size implies a more significant power consumption). 

Providing non-visual information to mobile users is an important area of research. We spend a great deal of our lives using mobile devices. Whether it is in a bag or we are at a noisy party, we still want to be able to interact with our device. In these situations, visual feedback is not always appropriate. However, although a user s eyes may be busy focusing on their primary task, many activities do not otherwise restrict users from attending to information using their other senses. 

Now that we have a complete set of 3 dimensional crossmodal icons we intend to address several research questions. What types of applications would benefit from crossmodal icons Can crossmodal feedback aid users in mobile touchscreen interaction, navigation and collaborative tasks What methods can be used to teach users to understand crossmodal alerts What habits do mobile users develop If users are given a choice of modalities, which combination do they choose to use, in what applications and in what situations In order to answer these questions our research will involve integrating and evaluating crossmodal icons in several mobile applications which allow for the varying physical and social environments within which such devices are used. 

Automated Multiple Development System (AMD2) is a handy device that automatically develops the plates, dries them, and holds the plate in a clean environment for the analyst to document the findings. Several mobile phases can be mixed and preconditioning programs exist to expose the plate to specified solvents prior to development. Upon completion of the development of the plate, the solvent is evacuated and the plate is dried for the predetermined amount of time. The advantage to this system is the user can tend to other tasks without watching the plates develop. The disadvantage is that sample application still needs to occur separate from this unit. An example of this device is shown in Fig. 13.14. 

By its very nature, a hospital should be an accessible building. Most patients cannot be discharged except from a sitting position in a wheelchair. The building s design, however, does not necessarily assist persons with mobility impairments in all circumstances. If the generators fail in a multistory hospital, wheelchair users, together with those who rely on canes, walkers, and similar devices, cannot be evacuated by elevator. They can leave only via the stairs, and then only in specialized evacuation devices. 

Several companies make products to assist evacuation by wheelchair users or others with severe mobility impairments. Note, the needs for the use of any such device might be as a result of a disability (mobility, respiratory, or cardio), a pregnancy, or an injury as a result of the event triggering the evacuation at hand, to point out but a few examples. The most widely known are lightweight chairs used to carry a person down a stairway. A man with quadriplegia safely evacuated the World Trade Center on 9/11 using a comparable piece of equipment. In his case, he and his coworkers trained on this equipment procured for him after the 1993 bombing. 

Power wheelchairs are often used in conjunction with a number of other adaptive devices. For people with severe mobility impairments, power wheelchairs may be used with communication devices, computer access devices, respirators, and reclining seating systems. The integration of the users multiple needs must also be considered when designing or prescribing a power wheelchair. 

---