LeMO: A virtual exhibition of 20th century German history

The aim of the LeMO project is to create a multimedia information system on 20th century German history in the Internet. This work is carried out in a joint project by the Fraunhofer Institute for Software and Systems Engineering (ISST), the German Historical Museum in Berlin and the Haus der Geschichte of the Federal Republic of Germany in Bonn. The LeMO system provides various options for accessing its information. With the need in mind to make cultural content attractive to young people, 3D environments have been developed for each period of 20th century history. These presentations constitute a different way of looking at history. Visitors navigate through 3D spaces to the various museum exhibits and can request further multimedia information on historical events (text, images, audio and video material). Access to specific content is also provided via a metadata-based search engine. The architecture of the LeMO system is based on Internet technologies (including VRML, HTML, streaming audio/video). This paper describes the concepts and implementations used within LeMO to structure and present information. By the end of 1998, 31 3D environments and over 4000 multimedia web pages covering various periods, topics, chronicles and biographies from German history had been developed for the virtual exhibition (www.dhm.de/lemo). From 1997–1998 LeMO was a project of DFN-Verein (the Association for the Promotion of a German Research Network) with financial support from Deutsche Telekom Berkom. In the LeMO+ follow-up project funded by DFN-Verein, the LeMO system is to be given additional functionality and tested for use in the classroom.     

An architecture for adaptive multimedia content delivery

In this paper, we propose an architecture for multimedia content delivery considering Quality of Service (QoS), based on both the policy-based network and the best-effort network. The architecture consists of four fundamental elements: multimedia content model, application level QoS policy, QoS adaptation mechanism, and delivery mechanism. Applications based on current architecture loses their meaning by drastically degrading quality when network congestion occurs. Despite of this all-or-nothing architecture, applications based on our adaptive architecture can reduce its quality and then negotiate with the network entity, keeping its quality measure as much as possible even when network congestion occurs. We may consider a quality measure for Web pages, total page transmission time, and transmission order of inline objects as a segregation. We then define a language to specify application level QoS policies for Web pages and implement a delivery mechanism and a QoS adaptation mechanism to fulfill these policies. Kaname Harumoto, Ph.D.: He received the M.E. and Ph.D. (Eng.) degrees from Osaka University, Osaka, Japan, in 1994 and 1998, respectively. From 1994 through 1999, he was with the Department of Information Systems Engineering, Grauuate School of Engineering, Osaka University. Since November 1999, he has been an Assistant Professor in Computation Center (currently, the name has changed to Cybermedia Center), Osaka University. His research interests include database systems, especially in advanced network environments. He is a member of IEEE. Tadashi Nakano: He received the B.E. degree from Osaka University in 1999. Currently, he is a Ph.D. candidate in Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University. His current reeearch interests include multimedia content delivery architecture. Shinji SHIMOJO, Ph.D.: He received the M.E. and a Dr.E. degrees from Osaka University in 1983 and 1986, respectively. From 1986 through 1989, he was an Assistant Professor in the Department of Information and Computer Sciences, Faculty of Engineering Science, Osaka University. From 1989 through 1998, he was an Associate Professor and since 1998, he has been a Professor in Computation Center (currently, the name has changed to Cybermedia Center), Osaka University. He was engaged in the project of object-oriented multimedia presentation system called Harmony. His current interests cover wide diversity of multimedia applications such as News On Demand System, multimedia database and networked virtual reality. He is a member of ACM and IEEE.     

多媒体信息查询和检索系统MIRc

多媒体信息的内容管理是信息化社会的重要基础技术之一,多媒体信息查询和检索系统ＭＩＲｃ是我们设计和实现的一种原型系统。本文首先介绍ＭＩＲｃ系统的体系结构,它能够有效地支持多媒体信息库的建立、操纵和维护;阐述能够描述多媒体内容和时空结构特征,以及信息线索的数据模型;最后介绍用于ＭＩＲｃ的基于内容检索技术及其设计和实现的用户查询接口。     

Developing and Maintaining an Object-Oriented Distributed Multimedia Information System

As object-oriented analysis and design techniques mature, the promises of object-orientation become more realizable. The advent of multimedia hardware and software technology give rise to a need for generalized multimedia data access methods. This paper describes the object-oriented development and subsequent maintenance of ENFORMS, an object-oriented distributed multimedia information system. We discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using object-oriented analysis and design techniques to develop a general client–server architecture for browsing, retrieving, and analyzing distributed multimedia data. We also describe lessons learned from this project, including the impact of a rigorous application of object-oriented analysis and design techniques.     

Meta-Data and Media Management in a Multimedia Interactive Telelearning System

This paper describes the system design and the components of a web-based multimedia interactive Telelearning system (MITS) with emphasis on metadata and media content management mechanisms. Metadata model is defined and exploited in designing the overall architecture to support courseware creating, management, delivery, and learner performance evaluation. Multimedia document architecture is used to describe the media contents which represent the course material. Metadata and media contents are generated, stored, and utilized to facilitate the search and on-demand presentation of learning objects. Learner preference, performance and progress information is maintained by profile database to make courseware presentation adaptable and more interactive. The system provides a multimedia interactive learning environment with easy-to-search and highly reusable learning objects.     

Integrating multimedia archives: the architecture and the content layer

In the last few years, numerous multimedia archives have made extensive use of digitized storage and annotation technologies. Still, the development of single points of access, providing common and uniform access to their data, despite the efforts and accomplishments of standardization organizations, has remained an open issue as it involves the integration of various large-scale heterogeneous and heterolingual systems. This paper describes a mediator system that achieves architectural integration through an extended three-tier architecture and content integration through semantic modeling. The described system has successfully integrated five multimedia archives, quite different in nature and content from each other, while also providing easy and scalable inclusion of more archives in the future.     

Multiple worlds: an approach to multimedia resource management using truth maintenance

Resource management in a multimedia presentation system is discussed with reference to the PROMISE multimedia presentation system. Because of the complex nature of environments such as process control, designers need to be able to examine the alternative possibilities which arise from their design decisions. The paper describes an approach to this problem using truth maintenance. A tool is described which allows multiple views of competing presentation worlds.     

Hourglass multimedia content and service composition framework for smart room environments

Pervasive environments with their ubiquitous multimedia devices such as video-enabled cell-phones, laptops, PC tablets, digital cameras, HDTV plasma displays are becoming integral part of our workplaces and homes. Furthermore, these digital multimedia devices make it easier and easier to create and view volumes of content that can be stored throughout the Internet. The big challenge is to organize the distributed content, get the distributed multimedia content composed, produced and distributed to users in customized fashion according to users’ preference, and their resource availabilities in pervasive environments. Basically, the challenge is to create Internet Interactive Television where the user/interest group, residing in a pervasive environment, corresponds to the TV program director who decides and/or influences what content(s) will be viewed, how it will be composed, presented and delivered. In this paper, we present a vision how this challenge can be solved. We propose a novel hourglass-based system that delivers composite multimedia content to users in pervasive environments, which considers both users’ interest in the content and the presentation capabilities of various display devices. This hourglass-based system relies on our content and service composition framework that allows for customized production, distribution and presentation of multimedia content for pervasive environments. We present the hourglass design, possible solutions for some content composition scenarios and validate the solutions via selected experiments.     

基于内容的多媒体信息检索与MPEG7标准

本文描述了基于内容的多媒体信息检索的基本概念、特点、系统结构以及正在制定的相关国际标准MPEG7,并列举了MPEG7工具将支持的若干应用。     

一种元数据处理的多媒体联邦数据库

当前基于联邦数据库方向的多媒体联邦数据库系统已经取得较大发展。然而，在大多数项目研究中．很少有项目将重点放在元模型的研究上。反过采说，标准数据库系统（关系，对象关系，面向对象）没有定义了一种多媒体和联邦特点的元数据模型。在这篇文章中，提出了一种多媒体联邦数据库的元数据结构的规范。这种规范的鲒构是基于一种新的面向对象的元模型。而这种元模型是支持多媒体类型和联邦元数据的。通过使用这种元模型，联邦多媒体的管理者和用户能够准确的确定出数据是如何构成的．以及操作类型是如何允许实现的。     

一种类ODA的多媒体文档结构模型

ＩＳＯ的办公文档结构ＯＤＡ较好地解决了传统的文档结构定义问题，但是多媒体文档还必须增加一项新需求。文中给出一种描述多媒体文档结构的类ＯＤＡ模型，并着理讨论逻辑结构和样式结构的表示方法。     

Annotation based personalized adaptation and presentation of videos for mobile applications

Personalized multimedia content which suits user preferences and the usage environment, and as a result improves the user experience, gains more importance. In this paper, we describe an architecture for personalized video adaptation and presentation for mobile applications which is guided by automatically generated annotations. By including this annotation information, more intelligent adaptation techniques can be realized which primarily reduce the quality of unimportant regions in case a bit rate reduction is necessary. Furthermore, a presentation layer is added to enable advanced multimedia viewers to adequately present the interesting parts of a video in case the user wants to zoom in. This architecture is the result of collaborative research done in the EU FP6 IST INTERMEDIA project.     

Towards the architecture of an instructional multimedia database

Abstract  The applicability of multimedia databases in education may be extended if they can serve multiple target groups, leading to affordable costs per unit for the user. In this contribution, an approach is described to build generic multimedia databases to serve that purpose. This approach is elaborated within the ODB Project ('Instructional Design of an Optical DataBase'); the term optical refers to the use of optical storage media to hold the audiovisual components. The project aims at developing a database in which a hypermedia encyclopedia is combined with instructional multimedia applications for different target groups at different educational levels. The architecture of the Optical Database will allow for switching between application types while working (for instance from tutorial instruction via the encyclopedia to a simulation and back). For instruction, the content of the database is thereby organized around so-called standard instruction routes: one route per target group. In the project, the teacher is regarded as the manager of instruction.
From that perspective, the database is primarily organized as a teaching facility. Central to the research is the condition that the architecture of the Optical Database has to enable teachers to select and tailor instruction routes to their needs in a way that is perceived as logical and easy to use.     

基于OGSA的多媒体内容分发系统研究与设计

从分析目前多媒体分发技术遇到的问题和挑战出发，提出了一种新型的基于OGSA服务网格的多媒体内容分发体系架构，首先阐述了新型的基于OGSA的多媒体分发Intergrid系统架构，虚拟组织关系架构和基于OGSA GT3的Intragrid系统软件架构，而后提出了多媒体分发网格的系统实现架构，主要阐述了一个使用OGSA GT3实现的新型VOD Intergrid系统．进一步介绍了在该领域开展的原型系统的实验与并对实验，结果进行了对比分析．阐述了该领域未来需要重点突破的研究方向．     

用于区分服务的MPEG-4多媒体内容分类机制

描述了一种用于区分服务的MPEG-4多媒体内容分类机制。它通过向MPEG-4系统结构中加入一个新的媒体QoS分类层,把具有相近QoS性能需求的MPEG-4 AVO分为一类并映射到区分服务中。新的媒体QoS分类层采用一种对于应用层和网络层均透明的分类算法对MPEG-4 AVO进行分类。给出了该算法的结构和设计原则。     

一种可支持多种多媒体业务的基于IMS的IPTV架构

IP多媒体子系统用于实现端到端的IP多媒体通信,具有接入无关性、对各种接入技术广适性的特点,因此,下一代网络采用IP多媒体子系统作为核心架构.提出一个基于IP多媒体子系统的IP电视架构,在IP多媒体子系统核心模块的基础上,以一组互相独立的基于会话初始化协议的功能模块构成应用服务器,并设计了能够支持和提供不同IM S业务的客户端与内容提供商端,使该IPTV框架可以在下一代网络上支持基于IP多媒体子系统的包括IPTV业务在内的多种多媒体业务.     

Developing a collaborative learning environment using a web-based design

Abstract Today, technology is being used to support teachers in designing interesting and stimulating learning environments for students. In this paper, a web-based design project is used to create a collaborative learning environment with the aim of inculcating collaborative skills into the learners and increasing their problem-solving and critical thinking skills. The design project was created using multimedia tools such as Dreamweaver and Adobe-Photoshop. Students worked in groups and were actively responsible for their own learning processes. Results showed that students engaged in collaborative learning enhanced their problem-solving and critical thinking skills, learned to work in a team and became more autonomous learners.     

SMIL同步媒体合成技术在计算机辅助教学中的应用研究

网络视频教学逐渐成为计算机辅助教学的重要途径.就多媒体的同步控制问题,本文分析了SMIL语言的特点、基本结构、利用SMIL设置媒体信息,并在分析中给出实例.     

WWW环境下超媒体协同创作系统的设计

1 引言大型文献的创作是一种涉及到总编、美术、策划以及多个作者之间的协作活动,超媒体技术的出现为大型文献创作者提供了一种新的创作方式,能够很好地支持这种协作活动。常规文献是连续的线性结构,文献在组织结构上没有划分手段,因此协同写作时难以进行分工。超媒体文献的离散化节点和超链组织有利于多人协作时任务的划分,多成员可在分布环境下分担完成文献中的不同部分,通过超链可将各部分链接起来,保持整个文献的完整性。对于读者,超文本技术允许有选择地阅读其中感兴趣的部分,而忽略其他部