{"id":{"repo_id":"mit","oai_identifier":"oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/33202"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/mit/oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/33202","repository":{"repo_id":"mit","name":"MIT","base_url":"https://dspace.mit.edu/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Reducing complexity of consumer electronics interfaces using commonsense reasoning","abstract":"User interfaces to consumer electronics devices - Video recorders, phones, cameras, washing machines, microwave ovens, etc. - are getting too complicated to be easily used by ordinary consumers. We believe that what is responsible for such complication is a design philosophy which simply maps functions the device can perform to controls like buttons and menu items. That leaves the users with the difficult cognitive task of mapping their goals onto the devices' capabilities - a frustrating and error-prone process. Our hypothesis is that we can provide better assistance to the user using Commonsense Reasoning leading to shorter interactions with the devices. Commonsense can infer the users' likely goals from watching their actions, and anticipate what capabilities of the device can fulfill the users' needs. As devices gain networking capabilities and interact with other devices, Commonsense can also help devices cooperate in support of the users' goals.","abstract_html":"User interfaces to consumer electronics devices - Video recorders, phones, cameras, washing machines, microwave ovens, etc. - are getting too complicated to be easily used by ordinary consumers. We believe that what is responsible for such complication is a design philosophy which simply maps functions the device can perform to controls like buttons and menu items. That leaves the users with the difficult cognitive task of mapping their goals onto the devices' capabilities - a frustrating and error-prone process. Our hypothesis is that we can provide better assistance to the user using Commonsense Reasoning leading to shorter interactions with the devices. Commonsense can infer the users' likely goals from watching their actions, and anticipate what capabilities of the device can fulfill the users' needs. As devices gain networking capabilities and interact with other devices, Commonsense can also help devices cooperate in support of the users' goals.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Espinosa Christlieb, José Humberto"],"institution":"Massachusetts Institute of Technology","degree_name":null,"degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":"Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Architecture. Program In Media Arts and Sciences","school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":["Henry Lieberman."],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2005,"date_issued":"2005","date_published":"2005","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:21:57Z","subjects":["Architecture. Program In Media Arts and Sciences"],"languages":["eng"],"rights":["M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission."],"rights_urls":["http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582"],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/33202","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.advisor","label":"Advisor","values":["Henry Lieberman."]},{"key":"dc:contributor.department","label":"Department","values":["Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Architecture. Program In Media Arts and Sciences"]},{"key":"dc:contributor.other","label":"Dc Contributor Other","values":["Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Architecture. Program In Media Arts and Sciences"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Espinosa Christlieb, José Humberto"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2006-06-20T12:55:59Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2006-06-20T12:55:59Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2005"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Massachusetts Institute of Technology"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Architecture. Program In Media Arts and Sciences"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language.iso","label":"Language (ISO)","values":["eng"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission."]},{"key":"dc:rights.uri","label":"Rights URI","values":["http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/33202"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description","label":"Description","values":["Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, School of Architecture and Planning, Program in Media Arts and Sciences, 2005.","This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections.","Includes bibliographical references (leaves 94-100)."]},{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["User interfaces to consumer electronics devices - Video recorders, phones, cameras, washing machines, microwave ovens, etc. - are getting too complicated to be easily used by ordinary consumers. We believe that what is responsible for such complication is a design philosophy which simply maps functions the device can perform to controls like buttons and menu items. That leaves the users with the difficult cognitive task of mapping their goals onto the devices' capabilities - a frustrating and error-prone process. Our hypothesis is that we can provide better assistance to the user using Commonsense Reasoning leading to shorter interactions with the devices. Commonsense can infer the users' likely goals from watching their actions, and anticipate what capabilities of the device can fulfill the users' needs. As devices gain networking capabilities and interact with other devices, Commonsense can also help devices cooperate in support of the users' goals."]},{"key":"dc:description.degree","label":"Dc Description Degree","values":["S.M."]},{"key":"dc:format.mimetype","label":"Dc Format Mimetype","values":["application/pdf"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Reducing complexity of consumer electronics interfaces using commonsense reasoning"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.advisor":["Henry Lieberman."],"dc:contributor.department":["Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Architecture. Program In Media Arts and Sciences"],"dc:contributor.other":["Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Architecture. Program In Media Arts and Sciences"],"dc:creator":["Espinosa Christlieb, José Humberto"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2006-06-20T12:55:59Z"],"dc:date.available":["2006-06-20T12:55:59Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2005"],"dc:description":["Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, School of Architecture and Planning, Program in Media Arts and Sciences, 2005.","This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections.","Includes bibliographical references (leaves 94-100)."],"dc:description.abstract":["User interfaces to consumer electronics devices - Video recorders, phones, cameras, washing machines, microwave ovens, etc. - are getting too complicated to be easily used by ordinary consumers. We believe that what is responsible for such complication is a design philosophy which simply maps functions the device can perform to controls like buttons and menu items. That leaves the users with the difficult cognitive task of mapping their goals onto the devices' capabilities - a frustrating and error-prone process. Our hypothesis is that we can provide better assistance to the user using Commonsense Reasoning leading to shorter interactions with the devices. Commonsense can infer the users' likely goals from watching their actions, and anticipate what capabilities of the device can fulfill the users' needs. As devices gain networking capabilities and interact with other devices, Commonsense can also help devices cooperate in support of the users' goals."],"dc:description.degree":["S.M."],"dc:format.mimetype":["application/pdf"],"dc:identifier.uri":["http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/33202"],"dc:language.iso":["eng"],"dc:publisher":["Massachusetts Institute of Technology"],"dc:rights":["M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission."],"dc:rights.uri":["http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582"],"dc:subject":["Architecture. Program In Media Arts and Sciences"],"dc:title":["Reducing complexity of consumer electronics interfaces using commonsense reasoning"],"dc:type":["Thesis"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:21:57Z"}