Peningo Systems,
Inc.
Contact: info@peningo.com
PEN20
TECHNCIAL
AREAS:
Human-Center Researcher with 30 years of
post-doctoral experience in the fields of Human-Computer Interaction and 15
years of creative, human-centered work around the theme: "How to make
technology usable for the general consumer.
Computer Science:
15 years of creative, human-centered work around the theme: "How to make technology usable for the general consumer -- not just computer specialists." Skilled in:
- the Consumer
Electronics domain: VCR programming, TV control, electronic program
guides, distance learning, group videoconferencing,
companion devices, smart homes, etc.
- the HCI domain:
task analysis, scenarios, design, prototyping, demos, user observations,
focus groups, usability studies, social impact, competitive
& business analysis, etc.
- project
leadership: project proposal, planning, management, reporting, meetings, etc.
15 years of Computer Science research: Graduate teaching & student supervision, User Interface
Management Systems, Operating Systems, Formula Manipulation, etc.
- Inventor: 8 patents issued; 29 applications filed.
- User Interface related publications: 8 public; 14 proprietary.
- Languages: bi-lingual Dutch-English; French, Spanish.
EDUCATION:
PhD
Theoretical Particle Physics
“Licentiaat” in Physics from
“Aggregaat” in Physics (High school teaching certification) from
Fellow
of the National Foundation for Scientific Research of
Fellow of the Belgian American Educational Foundation (1970)
Laureate of the Belgian competition for travel grants (1971)
Fellow of the Belgian Dutch Cultural Relations Office (1971)
Studied
at:
't Hooft.
EXPERIENCE
PACE UNIVERSITY,
Adjunct Associate Professor in Computer Science department
Developed and taught a Human Computer
Interaction course to graduate students.
IONA COLLEGE, New Rochelle, NY 2002
- present
Visiting Assistant Professor in Mathematics and Computer Science department
Taught (established) calculus and finite math courses to undergraduates. Designed and taught a Human
Computer Interaction course to graduate students.
PHILIPS RESEARCH, PENAC,
Senior
Human-Computer Interaction Researcher in
various groups
1998
- 2001
Led projects in “group videoconferencing”: built in C++ an "automatic cameraman" and an "automatic producer", based on computer vision analysis (people and motion detection) and audio direction detection. They involved several prototypes, heuristics, and observation of actual use; resulted in a CHI2001 conference paper. High interest by product division. 2001
Led project in "ambient
intelligence" (pervasive computing): defined scenarios & practical
applications for Philips demo-house; analyzed possibilities, requirements and
context questions for computer vision in an intelligent house; co-author of a
NIST-ATP proposal “Elderly Care Monitoring” (via computer vision); experimented
with a User Interface for a light spot remote control device.
2000
Led
project in "electronic companions": explored the notion of a TV set
as a companion; proposed devices that would act as companions to elderly. Mock-ups; focus group sessions with elderly; many patent
applications. Studied personality and conversation.
Cultivated relationship with CSLI (Center for Study of
Language and Information,
Wrote position paper on performance analysis for computer vision algorithms. 1995-1997
Member of "remote collaborative
learning" project: focused the project towards realistic, visible and
user-centered deliverables. Responsible for analysis of
student and teacher requirements via experimental setups at the
Member
of global Philips User Interface (UI) steering group aimed at incorporating UI
into research projects and defining a Philips strategy for UI research. Benchmarked UI strategies in Far-East companies and in
Led the development of a
novel on-screen UI style for consumers, based on multimedia. Designed and prototyped various consumer
systems and their UIs; performed task analysis, user tests and market research;
promoted them within Philips (with demos and videotapes); pursued their
commercialization.
The systems are:
An electronic TV guide system and interactive TV services. 3 patents awarded on its usage of an
interest profile of the consumer. Also led the effort of analyzing its business potential and contacting potential partner companies, in particular in the digital cable environment.
A variety of TV control systems (e.g. Picture-in-Picture) while starting up a team working for the
MAGNAVOX product division.
An integrated TV-VCR system, featuring automatic recording and replay of favorite programs, and tape space allocation. Very enthusiastic reaction by focus group participants.
PRIME COMPUTER, INC,
Senior
Technical Consultant
In operating system group, worked on a Virtual Memory File Access system.
In advanced development group, invented a
novel architecture for application programs with a graphical and responsive
user interface; prototyped the approach and published it. Based
on this, participated in the landmark SEEHEIM User Interface Management Systems
(UIMS) workshop.
In workstation architecture group, designed and prototyped a UI code generator, and an environment that integrates a PRIME PC with a PRIME host computer
CICESE
(Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada),
Computer
Science Researcher / Graduate Teacher
Responsibilities
included research around the software of the newly acquired PRIME computers and
developing / teaching graduate level courses about it (Operating System,
Assembler, Networking, etc.). Supervision of thesis students.
Built up CICESE to one of the leading centers with PRIME
expertise in both
CERN (Centre Européen pour la
Recherche Nucléaire),
Scientific
Programmer
Responsible for all "Formula Manipulation" needs of the local theoretical physicists (incl. 1999 Physics Nobel Laureates Veltman and 't Hooft) via the SCHOONSCHIP system. Also collaborating with them on actual symbolic calculations. Developed algorithms and wrote manuals for SCHOONSCHIP. Converted it (25K lines of CDC 7000 assembler) to IBM using a PL/1-like compiler to obtain a portable macro implementation. Responsible for the worldwide maintenance of SCHOONSCHIP and lectured extensively on its capabilities thus increasing its usage more than tenfold.
PATENTS on which I am a (co)-inventor
Patents
issued:
* 2 patents in the area of videoconferencing. (2000-2002)
o Group Based Control Scheme for Video Compression. 6,104,705. (2000)
o Method and System for Indicating Change of Speaker in a Videoconference Application.
6,473,114 B1 (2002)
* 3 patents in the area of content recommendation. (1993-1996)
o System and Method for Finding a Movie of Interest in a Large Movie Database. 5,483,278.
(1996)
o System and Method for Automatically Correlating User Preferences with Electronic
Shopping Information. 5,469,206. (1995)
o System and Method for Automatically Correlating User Preferences with a TV Program
Information Database. 5,223,924. (1993)
* 3 patents in the area of TV / VCR systems. (1990-1995)
o System for Automatically Activating Picture-in-Picture (PIP) when an Auxiliary Signal is
Detected. 5,432,561. (1995)
o Interface for a TV-VCR System. 5,047,867. (1991)
o Picture-in-Picture Television Receiver Control. 4,959,719. (1990)
Filed applications: (Partial titles are sometimes given to protect Philips Electronics’s confidentiality)
* 7 applications in the area of ambient intelligence. (2001-2002)
o System and method for adapting ... of people in the local environment. (2002)
o Computer vision based elderly care monitoring system (2002)
o System and method of keeping track ... of the inhabitants of a house. (2002)
o Method and apparatus for detecting an event based on ... (2002)
o Automatic system for monitoring independent person requiring occasional assistance.
WO02/075688 (2001)
o Apparatus and method for delivering an audio and/or video message to an individual.
20020125993 A1 (2001)
o Intelligent phone ... (2001)
* 10 applications in the area of group videoconferencing. (1996-2001)
o A system and method for providing ... during a videoconference. (2001)
o Method and apparatus for audio/image speaker detection and locator. 20020140804 A1
(2001)
o Method and apparatus for tracking moving objects using combined video and audio
information in videoconferencing and other applications. WO01/82626. (2000)
o System and method for aiming a device at a sound source. WO02/11438. (2000)
o Method and apparatus for predicting events in video conferencing and other
applications. 20020101505 A1 (2000)
o System to index /summarize audio/video content. WO02/21843. (2000)
o Combined display-camera for an image processing system. WO02/43386 (2000)
o Automatic determination of preset positions corresponding to participants in video-conferences.
WO00/38414. (1999)
o Camera with peripheral vision. WO01/30079. (1999)
o Communication method and terminal. WO99/30495. (1996)
* 7 applications in the area of companion devices. (2000-2001)
o Device cabinet with dynamically controlled appearance. WO02/32123. (2000)
o Virtual creature displayed on a television. WO02/32121. (2000)
o Electronic assistant incorporated in ... (2001)
o Telephone memory aid. 20020136378 A1 (2001)
o Telephone-conversation quality enhancer using ... (2001)
o Calendar software application with personal and historical data. 20020078070 A1 (2001)
o Predictive calendar. (2001)
* 4 applications in the area of conversation simulators (chatterbots). (2000)
o User interface / entertainment device that simulates personal interaction and responds to
user’s mental state and / or personality. WO02/37474. (2000)
o User interface / entertainment device that simulates personal interaction and charges
external database with relevant data. WO02/37472. (2000)
o Environment-responsive user interface / entertainment device that simulates personal
interaction. WO02/37250. (2000)
o Self-updating user interface / entertainment device that simulates personal interaction.
WO02/37249. (2000)
* 1 application in the area of remote controls. (2001)
o Remote control system and method for a television receiver. (2001)
PUBLICATIONS (external)
* UI for a Videoconference Camera. (Strubbe and Lee). Proc. CHI2001 conf.: "Human
Factors in Computing Systems". ACM Press (2001) p333.
* A Techno-Pedagogical Approach to Collaborative Distance Learning. (Caviedes et al.)
International Conference on the Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education
(1997).
* The Unhappy Couch Potato.
Talk at
* Interfaces for consumer products: "How to camouflage the computer?". (Brouwer-Janse et
al.) Proc. CHI'92 conf.: "Human Factors in Computing Systems". Addison-Wesley (1992)
p287.
* Fast digital data channels enable new cable services. (Wendorf and Strubbe) Proc.
CABLE92 Show, NCTA,
* Report on Role, Model, Structure and Construction of a UIMS. Proc. Workshop on User
Interface Management, Seeheim. Springer-Verlag (1983) p3.
* Components of interactive applications. Proc. Workshop on User Interface Management,
Seeheim. Springer-Verlag (1983) p49.
* Kernel for a responsive and graphical user interface. Software-Practice and Experience 13
(1983) p1033.
* Development of the SCHOONSCHIP program. Comp. Phys. Comm. 18 (1979) p1.
* Inverse Bremsstrahlung process transition probability. (Barbieri et al.) Phys. Lett. 61B
(1976) p196.
* Analytical computations and
the SCHOONSCHIP program. Proc. ECODU 20,
(1975) p215.
* Solution to SIGSAM problem No. 5 using SCHOONSCHIP. (Rochon and Strubbe).
SIGSAM bull. Of ACM. 9 (1975) p30.
* Anomalous dimensions in background field gauges. (Sarkar and Strubbe). Nucl. Phys. B90
(1975) p45.
* Presentation of the
SCHOONSCHIP program. Proc. EUROSAM,
bull. of ACM 8 (1974) p55.
* Manual for SCHOONSCHIP. A CDC 6000/7000 program for symbolic evaluation of
algebraic expressions. Comp. Phys. Comm. 8 (1974) p1.
* Calculations with SCHOONSCHIP. Proc of 3rd Int. Coll. on adv. computing methods in
theoretical physics, Marseille. (1973).
* Goldberger - Treiman relation in the renormalized sigma model. (Based on Ph.D thesis).
Nucl. Phys. B28 (1972) p299.
* Relativistic corrections to the ft-values of mirror nuclei and of 12B and 12N. (Strubbe and
Callebaut). Nucl. Phys. A143 (1970) p537.
Major
Internal Philips PUBLICATIONS (proprietary)
* Ambient Intelligence via Computer Vision. TR-2001-033.
* What makes a companion? With J. Milanski. TR-2001-004.
* Personality of a companion device. TR-2001-003.
* Conversation simulators as companions. With L. Eshelman. TR-2000-025.
* Combined Audio/Video tracking for an automatic camera. With Belt, Janse and Lee. TR-
1999-027.
* Performance analysis of computer vision algorithms. With Cohen-Solal. TR-1998-004.
* Benchmarking of User Interface Activities in R&D Labs: A visit to Far East CE
Companies.
With Van Heerden and de Vet. NatLab Visit Report 607/1998.
* User Interface Research In Industry: A visit to Silicon Valley Companies. J. de Vet (editor).
Instituut voor Perceptie Onderzoek (IPO) report # 1143/1997.
* Videoconferencing setups for groups. With Caviedes, Ismail and Wu. TR-1997-038.
* Interactive Television Concepts: Focus Group Conclusions. TR-1994-036.
* VideoGuide, a TV Guide Service for Digital TV. TR-1994-035.
* TV metaphor applied to a TV-VCR system. TR-1989-055.
* The VideoCombi: An Interface for a TV-VCR System. With Gentner. TR-1988-061.