Department of Computer Science

Peter Brown In my academic work I am interested in both teaching and research. This is the research page. I have two major research interests. The first is context-aware mobile computer applications. Hardware developments are making such applications increasingly viable: mobile phones and PDAs are becoming cheaper, as are sensors that can detect various elements of the user's context such as location, temperature, orientation, etc. Moreover wireless communications are making it increasingly practical for these devices to talk to one another. I am most excited by context-aware applications that work in completely new ways, rather than just being augmented versions of existing applications. I have developed a technology called stick-e notes, which is designed to make it easier for authors to create context-aware information, for example to be used by a maintenance application for an oil-rig where information automatically popped up on the engineer's PDA screen as they moved around the rig. Recently my interest has focussed on context-aware retrieval: if we are going to retrieve information pro-actively to relate to the user's present context we need to use sophisticated retrieval techniques. This can be done partly by bringing together existing techniques from Information Retrieval and Information Filtering, and partly by introducing new methods based on properties germane to context-aware applications, for example that the user's context may be changing gradually and semi-predictably. Further details of research into context-aware applications. My second major research interest is in document engineering. I have previously been involved in creating hypertext systems, especially the Guide system. This won the British Computer Society award for Best Technical Achievement. I have now become interested in looking at the fundamentals of document-processing software. Why has there always been a fundamental separation between (a) software designed for reading documents, e.g. browsers, and (b) software designed for writing documents, e.g. formatters and word processors? In everyday use document reading and writing are closely integrated, especially when we annotate -- on paper or electronically. Current methods of electronic annotation can be generalised in several ways, e.g. by allowing them to be produced pro-actively, by allowing them to effect general edits, and by combining the two similar concepts of annotation and hypertext linking into a single super-concept. With this generalisation, annotation becomes a prime mechanism for integrating reading and writing. Further details of research into integrating document reading with document writing. This work is partly inspired as a result of past and present work at: Southampton University, where I have a post as Visiting Professor. Xerox European Research Laboratory in Cambridge (now Grenoble), where I worked for two one-year sabbatical periods. Stanford University, where I worked with Don Knuth as Visiting Professor for six months. As a result of papers in the above and in other areas, CiteSeer consistently names me among the world's 250 most cited authors in Computer Science; however, an advantage of having a common name is that you get assistance from namesakes. My research has been partly supported by a grant from the Leverhulme Trust, to whom I am most grateful. Outside interests Walking, birdwatching, playing golf, looking after our Dartmoor garden. Winner Harvey Cup for best vegetable exhibit, Lustleigh Horticultural Society Spring Show, 2005 -- and winner of first prizes for peas, courgettes, rhubarb and biggest potato, Autumn Show, 2005. Winner Mapstone Cup for best flowers Spring Show, 2006; first prize for fruit (plums), Autumn Show, 2006. Occasional music reviewer for Mid Devon Advertiser. [ Research and Professional Activities ] [ Seminars and Publications ] [ Teaching ] [ Contact ] [ Personal Homepage ] [ DCS Home ]