Automatic context detection of a mobile user

Abstract

Mobile devices have obtained a significant role in our life providing a large variety of useful functionalities and features. It is desirable to have an automated adaptation of the behavior of a mobile device depending on a change of user context to fulfill expectations towards practical usefulness. To enable mobile devices to adapt their behavior automatically there is a need to determine the mobile user's context. In this paper we introduce an integrated approach for the automatic detection of a user's context. Therefore, we summarize and discuss existing approaches and technologies and describe a service architecture that takes into account information from the interaction of the mobile device with communication networks and positioning systems, from integrated sensors, and planned behavior of the user from e.g his calendar or activity list. Additionally it considers the social network of the user to derive further information about his context and finally it takes into account his customs through a behavior model.