Gertjan Van Montfoort

• Name: Gertjan van montfoort
• Email: gertjan@montfoortit.nl
• Company URL: http://www.montfoortit.nl
• Location: IJsselstein
• Country: Netherlands
• Age: 24
• Study: Master Software technology

Study plan

Thesis project Starting probably at the first period of 2004-2005.

description (not yet final)
Analysis of XHTML for interactive CE applications

Department:
The User Interface Architectures cluster within the Information Processing Architectures Department of Philips Research studies ways of improving the efficiency of user interface software development, how to achieve high-quality user interfaces for applications residing inside a network, and how to give user interfaces an adaptable and sophisticated look on resource-constrained platforms.

Context:
With the advent of in-home networking, all kinds of interactive applications will emerge that do not just run on a single consumer electronics (CE) device, but can be run on/from different devices in the network, such as TVs, PDAs, advanced remote controls. At Philips Research, we are currently investigating remote user interface solutions, so that the same application can be accessed from any other device in the network. We are also working towards standardization (within the UPnP? consortium) of remote user interfaces that are interoperable between devices of various companies.

One of the possible candidates within the industry to standardize on is XHTML. Although XHTML is not immediately aimed at providing rich interactive user interfaces for applications inside an in-home network, Samsung, for example, has proposed to use it for this purpose.

Assigment:
The student’s task is to check the feasibility of using XHTML as a remote user interface solution for interactive CE applications inside an in-home network, and compare this against some other remote UI solutions. This is important input for us in the discussions with for example Samsung around standardizing a remote user interface protocol. Also, as part of this study, the role of XForms could be investigated in relation to XHTML, as a means to provide adaptation of the UI to different target devices, such as mobile phones, TVs and advanced remote controls. The applications and devices to consider and the protocols to compare to will be agreed upon between Philips, the University and the student during the initial phase of the project.

Job Requirements:
User Interfaces, XHTML, XForms, UPnP? , SOAP, Java, (Semantic web).

Special Requirements:
Some level of confidentiality of the results is required (for example, no widespread publication for a period of two years).

Interests in other classes

• Database architecture: Find it very interesting, especially OLAP-cubes but I already got 2 courses that are required in that period :(. Three are too much to handle.
• Advanced functional programming: Also very interesting but could not follow it in the first period because I first had to do functional programming

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