The Group Context Framework

Abstract

In this paper, we present the Group Context Framework (GCF), a general-purpose toolkit that allows mobile devices to opportunistically share contextual information. GCF provides a standardized way for developers to request contextual data for their applications. The framework then intelligently groups with other devices to satisfy these requirements. Through two prototypes, we demonstrate how GCF can be used to support a broad range of collaborative and cooperative tasks. We then show how our framework's architecture allows devices to opportunistically detect and collaborate with one another, even when running different applications. Finally, we present two real-world domains that show how GCF's ability to form groups increases users' access to relevant and timely information, and discuss possible incentives and safeguards to context sharing from a user standpoint.