Classification and modeling of the quality of contextual information

Pervasive and autonomic environments make extensive use of contextual information to guide adaptations to changing external demands and circumstances. Context takes many forms, and some form of categorisation of information from different viewpoints can assist designers in deciding how information should affect behaviour, and inform the handling of uncertain or conflicting information. We discuss the various approaches to context modeling, and derive an initial methodology for including contextual information in adaptive applications.