The personal node (PN)
Gregory G. Finn, Joe D. Touch · 1999
A Personal Node (PN) is a small, wallet-sized device that integrates people into the Internet. A PN incorporates wireless communication, limited user I/O, and local environmental telemetry to catalyze the coordination of other smart space (SS) and network devices for the user's benefit. By themselves SSs are not aware of the people in them and people are not be aware of what is in a SS. The PN allows the SS to interact continuously with a person, and a person to interact continuously with the space, mediating the interaction with the help of other devices throughout the system. A PN is an individual's networking focal point. As the user roams about, a PN persistently maintains user presence on the internetwork. This represents the final and missing link in SSs, bringing the user in as a system resource and participant.