13 May, 2000Handy Andy Rapid Prototyping of Computer Systems Carnegie Mellon University IBM CMU...

3 May, 2000Handy Andy 1

Rapid Prototyping ofComputer Systems

Carnegie Mellon University

IBM

CMU Computing Services


Handy Andy Overview

• Goals– Rapidly develop an integrated set of applications

and services that use the Wireless Andrew network– Design software that allows people to find and

share the information they need as quickly as possible

• Solution– Handy Andy: A suite of software designed with the

wireless user in mind


Handy Andy

• OverviewI. Introduction

II. Infrastructure & Tools

III. Database

IV. Location (Stalker)

V. Portable Help Desk (PhD)

VI. Audio-centric (Waldo)

VII. Information Exchange (Idealink)


Infrastructour & Tules

• Presenter– Bryan Meyer

• Group Members– Yue Cathy Chang– Brian Frankel– Kevin Lin– Seth Matthews– Lisa Nelson


Proposed IBM Architecture

Services

User Proxies

Device Proxies

Devices


Final Architecture

InfrastructureLogin/Logout

Waldo PhD Idealink Stalker

User Proxy

Device Proxy

Itsy Jornada Other Devices

SpeechEncode/Decode

Database

Service

Infrastructure

Device

Device Proxy Device Proxy


What Did We Implement?

• Device– Login/Logout program– Send/Receive wrapper functions for services

• Network– Buffer plug-in– Authentication service

• Service Layer– Plug-in to communicate with services


Device

• Login/Logout Program• Send/Receive wrapper functions for services

– Send (data, device#)– Recv (data)


Network

• Buffer Plug-in– Device proxy plug-in– Buffers information sent

from service to device– Useful if temporarily

disconnected

• Authentication Service– Connects to database– Authenticated user gets

access to all services

InfrastructureLogin/Logout

UP

DP

SpeechEncode/Decode


Database

• Presenter– Bryan Meyer

• Group Members– Ming Hsu– Frank Lai– Jeremy Shaffer


Database Overview

• Responsibilities– Setup, configure, and maintain database and web

server– Help other groups link to the content they need

• Resources Used– Microsoft SQL Server 7.0– Active Server Pages (ASP)– Borland C++ stored procedure calls via ODBC


What We Do

• Database– Stored procedures

sp_CreateUser

sp_GetUserInfo

sp_ChangeUserInfo

– Tables– Permissions

UserInfo Table

Field Name Type Size

User-Id char 30

Password char 30

Picture char 10

PhoneNumber

char 50


Responsibilities

• Accessing the Database– Use ASP web pages to access tables– C++ function calls to database


Stalker

• Presenter– Michael Kolb

• Group Members– Nate Drees– Ben Ernest-Jones– Sripal Mehta– Chirag Shah


Stalker Overview

• Goal: Create a service to provide basic location information to the campus– Use Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP)

to query wireless network access points– Provide hardware address and corresponding

access point information to database for location resolution


Information Query Access


Statistics

• Entire Network– Total number of access points: 280– Total query time (real-time): 13 min. 25 sec.– Total query CPU time: 43 sec.– Time for each query: 2.875 sec.– Memory usage: 6,892 KB


Statistics Continued

• Demonstration– Total number of access points: 37– Total query time (real-time): 55 sec.– Total query CPU time: 3 sec.– Time for each query: 1.486 sec.– Memory usage: 7,104 KB


Plans for the Future

• Make it Multi-threaded– Currently, to poll all access points, it takes 13

minutes 25 seconds

• Use Signal Strength Information– We could get greater precision because we would

have information from multiple access points– CMU would almost have a miniature, local Global

Positioning System

• Greater Need for Security– Our service, while potentially very helpful, could

also be dangerous


Portable Help Desk (PhD)

• Presenter– Darrin Filer

• Group Members– Michael Fortson– Chris Lin– Spencer Moy– Dan Yocum


The Portable Help Desk (PhD)

• Functionality– Similar to conventional help desk– Maps– Directories (rooms and people)– Information

• Motivation– Utilize wireless, handheld devices to remedy

shortcomings of conventional help desks– Out of date information– Fixed format– Stationary


The Portable Help Desk (PhD)

• Remedy– User-configurable web pages– Real-time maps and information display– Customizable map formats– Information available in multiple formats


User Interface Design

• Design Constraints– Web browser limitations– Bandwidth– Target audience

Early Prototype



• UI Design Process– Brainstorm– Paper prototypes– Think-aloud user studies

Early Prototype



• User Study Results– Group list confusion– Screen layout improvement– Quick-search

Revised Prototype


PhD Features and InteractionUser’s List:• Items can be added,moved, and removed• Only “checked” items appear on the map

Description:• Information on the currently selected item • Dynamic information automatically updated

Map:• Dynamic information automatically updated

Map Controls: Zoom & Pan


System Requirements

• PhD Client– Hardware: Jornadas, wireless

laptops, desktop PCs– Software: Very thin—web browser

• Bandwidth• Server-side

– Hardware: Desktop PC– Software: Windows NT, Microsoft SQL

Server 7.0, web server with ASP


The PhD Server

• Active Server Pages (ASP)– Permits thin client strategy– Supports multiple clients– Upgrades and new versions

• SQL Database– Shared among multiple services, proxies, and

applications

• Stored Procedures– Sole method of database interaction– Programmatic access from ASP pages


The Role of Proxies

• Device Proxy– Functionality similar to role of web

browser– Could be used in conjunction with

User Proxy

Database

Web Browser

Device Proxy

User Proxy

Stored Procedures

SQL Tables

Other Services

ASP Pages


The Role of Proxies

• User Proxy– Subset of database stored

procedures– Forwards HTTP requests– Appends user-specific information

Database

Web Browser

Device Proxy

User Proxy

Stored Procedures

SQL Tables

Other Services

ASP Pages


The Role of Proxies

• PhD Services– Accessed solely through stored

procedures– Database tables are shared– Never accessed through direct

queries

Database

Web Browser

Device Proxy

User Proxy

Stored Procedures

SQL Tables

Other Services

ASP Pages


Waldo

• Presenter– Sreekar Gadde

• Group Members– Joshua Anhalt– Kevin Auyoung– Meredith Beveridge– Barry Schneider


Waldo Overview

• Goal: Voice interface for Handheld Andrew– User speaks to the system naturally– System responds verbally– Provide user-requested services

Where is Bob?

Bob is currently on the Fourth Floor of Wean


Requirements

• Get User Input– Record what the user said– Transfer this recording to a

place where we canprocess it

• Translate the Input– Turn the audio input into

text– Determine what the user is

asking for

• Respond to the User’s Query– Get the information to answer the query– Relay this information to the user


Architecture

• Input to System– <Where is Joshua>

• Speech to Text– Sphinx– “Where is Joshua”

• Grammar Parser– Phoenix– ActionFrame: [Location]

(WHERE IS)– ObjectFrame: [Person]

([FIRSTNAME] (JOSHUA))

User’s Speech

Audio Digitizer

Speech to Text

GrammarParser


Architecture

• Action Processor– [Location] (Hamburg Hall 2224)

• Response Formatter– “Joshua Anhalt is located in Hamburg Hall 2224”

• Text to Speech– Festival– <Joshua Anhalt is located in Hamburg Hall 2224>


Input to the System

• Choice Motivated by User Studies– Visibility

• Plantronics– Decent audio quality– Volume and quality are generally

consistent over time


Action Processor

• Plug-in Architecture– Each plug-in gets

same input– Expandable– Very easy to

understand

Action Processor

Errorplug-in

Contactplug-in

Locationplug-in

Response Formatter



• Fully Functional Audio Assistant– Appointments with campus-wide Andrew Calendar– Location based to-do list– Sound Bite News


Idealink

• Presenter– Cori Swinehart

• Group Members– Tridib Chakravarty– Kavin Du– Nathan Los– John Meier– Minh Tran


Idealink Overview

• Idealink Is– A digital shared whiteboard– A tool for communicating graphical ideas

• The Target Audience Includes– CMU students and faculty– Handheld Andrew users


Conceptual Design Phase

• Researched Physical Whiteboards– Several people can draw simultaneously– Encourage flow of creative ideas– Easy to display both text and images– People build off of each other’s work


Limitations and Solutions

• Limitations of Physical Whiteboards– Drawing area is too small– Ideas lost when board is erased– All users must be in the same location

• Digital Solutions– Infinite space and storage– Remote collaboration is possible


Detailed Design Phase

• Design Constraints– Relatively small screen size– Synchronization is critical

• User Interface Design Process– Guiding principle: minimal intrusion– Analyzed videos of brainstorming sessions– Interviewed potential users


Interface Features

• Powerful Menu Commands– Session management

– Geometric tools

– Expandable plug-ins


Interface Features

• Easy-to-Access Toolbar– Pen colors

– Line thicknesses

– Eraser


Interface Features

• Large Drawing Region– Multiple people can draw simultaneously

– Users can join a session while in progress

– All users’ drawings are automatically synchronized


Architecture Overview

Service broadcasts received coordinates to all clients

Client sends a user’s drawing to the service as a series of coordinates

Clients draw received

coordinates on screen; all

clients are synchronized


System Requirements

• Wireless Client– Handheld PC running Windows CE– WaveLAN card and network connectivity

• Service– Desktop PC running Windows 9x/NT– Network connection with devices



• Session Archival Features– Service would automatically save session– Thought process would be preserved

• Additional Drawing Capabilities• More Communication Among Users

– Text-based chat– Post-It Note modifications


Credits

• ActorsDaphne Yue Cathy ChangBert Minh TranProfessor Stuart Frank LaiNarrator Michael KolbBryan Bryan Meyer

• Behind the ScenesJohn MeierKavin DuChirag ShahJeremy Shaffer


Credits

• Demonstration MastersJoshua AnhaltBrian FrankelNathan Los

• Script and PresentationMeredith BeveridgeMichael KolbLisa NelsonCorinne SwinehartDan Yocum


Credits

Database

Frank Lai

Ming HsuJeremy Shaffer

Stalker

Nate Drees

Ben Ernest-Jones

Michael Kolb

Sripal Mehta

Chirag Shah

Waldo

Joshua Anhalt

Kevin AuYoung

Meredith Beveridge

Sreekar Gadde

Barry Schneider

PhD

Darrin Filer

Michael Fortson

Chris Lin

Spencer Moy

Dan Yocum

Idealink

Tridib Chakravarty

Kavin Du

Nathan Los

John Meier

Cori Swinehart

Minh Tran

Infrastructure

Yue Cathy Chang

Brian Frankel

Kevin Lin

Seth Matthews

Bryan Meyer

Lisa Nelson


Special Thanks

• Professors and TAsDaniel SiewiorekAsim SmailagicJane SiegelJohn DorseyFrancine GemperleStavros Polyviou


Special Thanks

• Support and AssistanceIBMComputing Services and Handheld AndrewKevin MillerAlex RudnickyKevin LenzoJason Small

13 May, 2000Handy Andy Rapid Prototyping of Computer Systems Carnegie Mellon University IBM CMU...

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