Challenges and solutions of ubiquitous user modeling

Ubiquitous display environments are public places with various situated public displays. These displays are intended to provide relevant information to people in their vicinity, where this may include the regular inhabitants of the space as well as visitors. For this latter group, it is particularly challenging to provide relevant information. This is because personalization relies on the availability of information about the individual (or group). Ubiquitous user modeling research tries to address this challenge. This chapter provides a brief introduction to user modeling and user modeling techniques and then elaborates on ubiquitous user modeling, its challenges, and the state-of-the-art research. It aims to provide a broad introduction to key approaches to user modeling and personalization as a starting point for the reader who wants to appreciate the challenges of personalization for ubiquitous display environments.