Contextual proactivity for media sharing scenarios in proximity networks

Our mobile computing devices connect with other devices over proximity networks on a daily basis. Due to the availability of protocols like DLNA, applications in connected devices can enable media sharing experiences where content flows among devices in the proximity space. Despite the pervasiveness of DLNA and other similar implementations, average users perceive these connections to be intrinsically complex. This perception is not limited to media sharing and affects other types of N-device experiences. In this paper we propose to avoid the inherent complexity problem with the design of intelligent contextual systems that respond proactively to user intent. Users should be capable of expressing intent, and connected devices should gain the intelligence necessary to proactively satisfy user intent. We introduce a software service with an inference engine to determine when the contextual conditions are such that user intent can be satisfied. Media sharing connections, content, and protocols are proactively configured based on contextual inference in anticipation of user needs. The system has been designed as an Android service so that any media-sharing application that uses the service becomes contextually proactive.