Data Compression For Multimedia Computing

This is a library based study on data compression for multimedia computing. Multimedia information needs a large storage capacity as they contain vast amount of data. This would mean multimedia information would be out of reach of most computer users as their PCs would not be able to store the enormous amount of data accumulated on such programs. However, it is not necessary to keep these data in its original form as there are techniques that could compressed multimedia data to a more manageable level. Therefore, the main objective of this study is to provide information on the availability of compression techniques that would enable PC users the opportunity to use such programs. The review of related literature reveals that there are two basic compression techniques available - lossless and lossy. Under the lossless technique, the Huffman Coding, Arithmetic Coding and Lempel-Ziv Welch Coding are discussed. On the other hand, the Predictive, Frequency Oriented and Importance Oriented techniques are discussed under the lossy technique. Besides these two main techniques, Hybrid techniques such as the JPEG, MPEG and Px64 are also discussed. In order to bind the discussion between compression and storage media, a description of popular storage media such as magnetic disk storage and optical disc storage are also included. Although the data are of secondary source, the writer uses a formula derived from Howard and Vitter (1992) to measure compression efficiency. Based on the data collection and analysis it is found that different types of data (text, audio, video etc.)should be compressed using different techniques in order to obtain the ideal compression ratio and quality. Although the writer believes that the secondary data obtained is sufficient to show the best compression techniques for the different types of multimedia data, he also believes that real experiment using real data, software application and hardware would give better and more precise results

Multimedia

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Retrieval from an image knowledge base

With advances in computer technology, images and image databases are becoming increasingly important. Retrievals of images in current image database systems have been designed using keyword searches. These carefully designed and handcrafted systems are very efficient given the application domain they are built for. Unfortunately, they are not adaptable to other domains, not expandable for other uses of the existing information and are not very forgiving to their users. The appearance of full-text search provides for a more general search given textual documents. However, pictorial images contain a vast amount of information that is difficult to catalog in a general way. Further this classification needs to be dynamic providing for flexible searching capability. The searching should allow for more than a pre-programmed set of search parameters, as exact searches make the image database quite useless for a search that was not designed into the original database. Further the incorporation of knowledge along with the images is difficult. Development of an image knowledge base along with content-based retrieval techniques is the focus of this thesis. Using an artificial intelligence technique called case-based reasoning, images can be retrieved with a degree of flexibility. Each image would be classified by user entered attributes about the image called descriptors. These descriptors would also have a degree-of-importance parameter. This parameter would indicate the relative importance or certainty of that descriptor. These descriptors are collected as the case for the image and stored in frames Each image can vary as to the amount of attribute information they contain. Retrieval of an image from the knowledge base begins with the entry of new descriptors for the desired image. Along with the descriptors are the degree-of-importance parameter. The degree-of-importance would indicate the requirement for the desired image to match that descriptor. Again, a variable number of descriptors can be entered. After all criteria are entered, the system will search for cases that have any level of matching. The system will use the degree-of-importance both in the knowledge base about the candidate image(s) and the degree-of-importance on the search criteria to order the images. The ordering process will use weighted summations to present a relatively small list of candidate images. To demonstrate and validate the concepts outlined, a prototype of the system has been developed. This prototype includes the primary architectural components of a potentially real product. Architectural areas addressed are: the storage of the knowledge, storage and access to a large number of high-resolution images, means of searching or interrogating the knowledge base, and the actual display of images. The prototype is called the Smart Photo Album It is an electronic filing system for 35mm pictures taken by the average photographer on up to the photo-journalist. It allows for multiple ways of indexing the pictures of any subject matter. Retrieval from the knowledge base provides relative matches to the given search criteria. Although this application is relatively simple, the basis of the system can be easily extended to include a more sophisticated knowledge base and reasoning process as, for example, would be used for a medical diagnostic application in the field of dermatology

Multimedia applications in production information management.

by Ip Kin-ting, Joma.Thesis (M.B.A.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1993.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 47-49).ABSTRACT --- p.iiTABLE OF CONTENTS --- p.iiiACKNOWLEDGEMENTS --- p.vChapterChapter I. --- INTRODUCTION --- p.1Background --- p.1Objective --- p.2Report Organization --- p.2Chapter II. --- RESEARCH METHODOLOGY --- p.3Methodology --- p.3Problem Definition --- p.3Information Needs --- p.3Information Collection --- p.4Analysis and Conclusion --- p.4Chapter III. --- MULTIMEDIA TECHNOLOGY - AN OVERVIEW --- p.5Definition --- p.5Benefits --- p.6Major Components of Multimedia systems --- p.6Typical Multimedia Systems --- p.12Multimedia Standards --- p.15Existing Multimedia Applications --- p.16The Trend --- p.18Summary --- p.20Chapter IV. --- PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT - AN OVERVIEW --- p.22Definition --- p.22Major Production Management Activities --- p.22Manufacturing Resource Planning --- p.26Just-in-time Manufacturing --- p.27Computerised Production Information Systems --- p.28The Trend --- p.32Summary --- p.34Chapter V. --- INTERVIEW REPORTS --- p.35Rototech --- p.35Kitty & Kettie Supermarket Limited --- p.36Summary --- p.36Chapter VI. --- MULTIMEDIA TECHNOLOGY IN PRODUCTION INFORMATION MANAGEMENT --- p.37The Role of Multimedia Technology in Production Information Management --- p.37Existing Applications --- p.38The Opportunities --- p.41Summary --- p.43Chapter VII. --- CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS --- p.44BIBLIOGRAPHY --- p.4

A VISUAL DESIGN METHOD AND ITS APPLICATION TO HIGH RELIABILITY HYPERMEDIA SYSTEMS

This work addresses the problem of the production of hypermedia documentation for applications that require high reliability, particularly technical documentation in safety critical industries. One requirement of this application area is for the availability of a task-based organisation, which can guide and monitor such activities as maintenance and repair. In safety critical applications there must be some guarantee that such sequences are correctly presented. Conventional structuring and design methods for hypermedia systems do not allow such guarantees to be made. A formal design method that is based on a process algebra is proposed as a solution to this problem. Design methods of this kind need to be accessible to information designers. This is achieved by use of a technique already familiar to them: the storyboard. By development of a storyboard notation that is syntactically equivalent to a process algebra a bridge is made between information design and computer science, allowing formal analysis and refinement of the specification drafted by information designers. Process algebras produce imperative structures that do not map easily into the declarative formats used for some hypermedia systems, but can be translated into concurrent programs. This translation process, into a language developed by the author, called ClassiC, is illustrated and the properties that make ClassiC a suitable implementation target discussed. Other possible implementation targets are evaluated, and a comparative illustration given of translation into another likely target, Java

Information-rich user embodiment in groupware

Embodiments are virtual personifications of the user in real-time distributed groupware. Many embodiments in groupware are simple abstract 2D representations such as avatars and telepointers. Although current user embodiment techniques can reveal information related to position and orientation, they show far less than what is available in a face-to-face situation, and as a result, collaboration can become more difficult. The problem addressed in this research is that it is difficult for groupware users to recognize and characterize other participants using only their embodiments. The solution explored in this thesis is to provide more information about groupware users by enriching their embodiment. This scheme encodes state and context variables as visual augmentations on the embodiment. Providing information about characteristics such as skill, expertise, and experience can be valuable for collaboration; increasing the information in visual embodiments makes it easier and more natural for collaborators to recognize and characterize others, and thus coordinate activity, simplify communication, and find collaborators. Rich embodiments were tested in three separate experiments. The first experiment showed that users are able to recall a large number of variables displayed on embodiments, and are able to accurately determine the values of those variables. The second study showed that rich embodiments are useful in terms of collaboration and interaction in an actual groupware context – a multiplayer game. The final study further examined information-rich embodiment in a shared drawing task, and further revealed the potential of increasing awareness using embodiment

The annotation of continuous media

In principle, the presentation of continuous media is time-dependent. Examples of con­tinuous media are audio, video and graphics animation. This work is on the support for the annotation of continuous media, or the integration of voice comments with continuous- media documents like music and video clips. This application has strict synchronisation requirements, both with respect to the media involved and to user interaction. The applica­tion involves functions such as storage, management, control of GUIs, and of continuous- medium devices. These are realised by components which can be distributed across a network. New models and architectures have been defined to enable open distributed processing of applications, that is, distributed processing independent of operating systems. Abstractions are provided, which facilitate the development of applications, and these execute supported by platforms that implement such open architectures. These architectures have been based on an object-based client/server model. Our work aims at exploring object-orientation, open distributed processing and some characteristics of continuous media, through the development and use of the proposed application. The application is designed as a set of objects with well-defined functions and which interact between themselves. A distinguishing feature of the application is that it involves reusable components and mechanisms. For example, a mechanism, which enables components to control logical clocks and synchronise them, is incorporated in the application in response to its synchronisation requirements. The implementation is based on ANSAware, a platform that supports open distributed processing and allows distributed objects to bind to each other, to interact with one another, and to exhibit concurrent activities. The performance of the implementation is examined with respect to the application’s response to user requests. Response times of operations such as play, pause, etc., are measured, and the final results are better than a defined maximum tolerance. An analysis of the development approach is made with respect to support for real-time activities in the application, and to software reuse in the model proposed. This thesis concludes by reviewing the suitability of the object-oriented approach for the development of distributed continuous media applications

A full-scale semantic content-based model for interactive multimedia information systems.

Issues of syntax have dominated research in multimedia information systems (MMISs), with video developing as a technology of images and audio as one of signals. But when we use video and audio, we do so for their content. This is a semantic issue. Current research in multimedia on semantic content-based models has adopted a structure-oriented approach, where video and audio content is described on a frame-by-frame or segment-by-segment basis (where a segment is an arbitrary set of contiguous frames). This approach has failed to cater for semantic aspects, and thus has not been fully effective when used within an MMIS. The research undertaken for this thesis reveals seven semantic aspects of video and audio: (1) explicit media structure; (2) objects; (3) spatial relationships between objects; (4) events and actions involving objects; (5) temporal relationships between events and actions; (6) integration of syntactic and semantic information; and (7) direct user-media interaction. This thesis develops a full-scale semantic content-based model that caters for the above seven semantic aspects of video and audio. To achieve this, it uses an entities of interest approach, instead of a structure-oriented one, where the MMIS integrates relevant semantic content-based information about video and audio with information about the entities of interest to the system, e.g. mountains, vehicles, employees. A method for developing an interactive MMIS that encompasses the model is also described. Both the method and the model are used in the development of ARISTOTLE, an interactive instructional MMIS for teaching young children about zoology, in order to demonstrate their operation

Daffodil: Strategic Support during the Information Search Process in Digital Libraries

Sowohl die rechnergestützte Informationssuche in einer realen Bibliothek als auch die in einer digitalen Bibliothek stellen heute immer noch ein zeitaufwändiges und damit teures Unterfangen dar. Als wesentliche Gründe können drei Problembereiche identifiziert werden. Zum Ersten existieren zahlreiche Zugangspunkte mit jeweils unterschiedlichen Formularen, Anfragesprachen und unterschiedlicher inhaltlicher Qualität. Zum Zweiten fehlt eine dringend benötigte anbieterübergreifende Integration der Informationen und Dienste. Zum Dritten schließlich wird der Benutzer durch die unbefriedigende Funktionalität nicht ausreichend in seinem Informationssuchprozess unterstützt. Alle diese Punkte führen letztendlich zu langwierigen und damit teuren Suchprozessen. Diese Dissertation stellt sich der Aufgabe, den oben genannten Problembereichen in geeigneter Weise zu begegnen und eine adäquate Lösung zu erarbeiten. Dazu erhält der Benutzer durch "strategische Unterstützung" in Form von verschiedenen integrierten Diensten von einem aktiven System eine Hilfestellung, um so sein Informationsbedürfnis effektiv und effizient befriedigen zu können. Die Ergebnisse dieser Arbeit, die durch eine ausführliche Evaluation belegt worden sind, bieten sowohl theoretische als auch praktische Lösungen zur Entwicklung und zur Nutzung von digitalen Bibliotheken: * Der theoretische Teil zeigt ein Modell für verteilte Bibliotheksdienste auf, strukturiert diese und stellt sie in einen Gesamtzusammenhang. Dadurch wird die Modellierung neuer Dienste erleichtert und ein positiver Nutzen kann schon im Vorfeld diskutiert werden. * Der praktische Teil basiert auf dem entwickelten Modell und ermöglicht * den Benutzern, effektiv und effizient einer umfassenden Literatursuche nachzugehen und diese auch nachhaltig zu verwalten. * den Entwicklern von digitalen Bibliotheken durch Zugriff auf eine Vielzahl von Basisdiensten darüber hinausgehende Dienste zu entwickeln. Insgesamt kann das DAFFODIL-System als Basisarchitektur für die Entwicklung und Evaluation von digitalen Bibliotheken verwendet werden und trägt somit zur wissenschaftlichen Forschung in diesem Bereich bei