Design patterns for ubiquitous computing

Design patterns offer a solution to the difficult problem of reusing prior design knowledge. We propose that such patterns also offer an effective way to communicate solutions to ubiquitous computing design problems. Some of the ubicomp design patterns include context-sensitive I/O, physical-virtual associations, global data, proxies for devices, follow-me display, appropriate levels of attention, and anticipation. Design patterns range in scale from a city to a room and, together, form a pattern language that designers can adapt to a project's particular level of complexity or detail.