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Context-aware systems, such as intelligent home-care systems or mobile communication devices that are aware of the channel environment, need reasoning ability with numerous rules to manage the current context. Reasoning techniques based on rule-based systems can be used for the efficient reasoning method of these numerous rules. The RETE algorithm has been used for the matching of reasoning rules in rule-based systems. However, the characteristics of the RETE algorithm cause it to have poor performance in Von Neumann computer systems. In this paper, we propose a novel architecture for the RETE network hardware accelerator, which provides efficient reasoning processing performance. Using the parallel RETE network hardware architecture, this accelerator can overcome the architectural constraints imposed by Von Neumann computer systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A rule-based system can be a solution for context reasoning in context-aware computing systems. In this paper we propose new flexible SoC (System-on-a-Chip) architecture for real-time rule-based system. The proposed architecture can match up values and variables of the left-hand sides of ‘if-then rules' (rule's LHS) in parallel. Compared to previous hardware rule-based system, we reduce the number of constraints on rule representations and combinations of condition terms in rule's LHS by using a modified contents addressable memory and a crossbar switch network (CSN). The modified contents addressable memory (CAM), in which the match operation of the system is processed in parallel, stores the rule-base of the system. The crossbar switch network is located between the input buffer that stores external raw input data and the working memory, and can freely configure condition operation of rule's LHS and working memory with stored data within the input buffer. The proposed SoC systems architecture has been designed and verified in a SoC development platform called SystemC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A chording input device for text input was developed in a Glove-typed interface using all the joints of the four fingers and thumbs of both hands. The glove-based device works for input of Korean characters as well as Roman- alphabet, Braille characters, and numbers using mode conversion among the respective keymaps. To minimize finger force and fatigue from repeated finger motions, input switch was made of conductible silicon ink, which is easy to apply to any type of surface, light, and enduring. The chording gloves showed comparable performances in Korean text input tasks with input keypads of mobile phones, but proved to be inferior to conventional keyboards. Subjects' performance showed that the chording gloves can input approximately 108 characters per minute in Korean, but needs further ergonomic consideration to reduce keying errors. The chording gloves developed in the study can be used with common computing devices such as PCs and PDAs in mobile environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]