Defining services for mobile terminals using remote user interfaces

CE devices are increasingly extended with network support, such that the devices can be monitored or controlled remotely. At the same time, mobile phones are extended with additional network technologies, such that they can connect directly to the other devices. The use of a mobile phone as a generic remote control is investigated with a focus on the user interface (UI). Existing technologies are limited in their capabilities and user interaction models, that is, (one- way) page-based or form-based interaction. The UI fragments protocol, described in this article, has the advantages that it allows for better interaction between the user and the device (due to incremental updates, and two-way communication), and that it is an independent device (due to the use of abstract UI descriptions, in conjunction with hierarchical style sheets).