Network-aware video streaming for future media Internet

272 p

Formulation, implementation considerations, and first performance evaluation of algorithmic solutions - D4.1

Deliverable D4.1 del projecte Europeu OneFIT (ICT-2009-257385)This deliverable contains a first version of the algorithmic solutions for enabling opportunistic networks. The presented algorithms cover the full range of identified management tasks: suitability, creation, QoS control, reconfiguration and forced terminations. Preliminary evaluations complement the proposed algorithms. Implementation considerations towards the practicality of the considered algorithms are also included.Preprin

Performance evaluation of synergic operation of algorithms enabling opportunistic networks - D4.3

Deliverable D4.3 del projecte OneFITPreprin

Quality of Service optimisation framework for Next Generation Networks

Within recent years, the concept of Next Generation Networks (NGN) has become widely accepted within the telecommunication area, in parallel with the migration of telecommunication networks from traditional circuit-switched technologies such as ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) towards packet-switched NGN. In this context, SIP (Session Initiation Protocol), originally developed for Internet use only, has emerged as the major signalling protocol for multimedia sessions in IP (Internet Protocol) based NGN. One of the traditional limitations of IP when faced with the challenges of real-time communications is the lack of quality support at the network layer. In line with NGN specification work, international standardisation bodies have defined a sophisticated QoS (Quality of Service) architecture for NGN, controlling IP transport resources and conventional IP QoS mechanisms through centralised higher layer network elements via cross-layer signalling. Being able to centrally control QoS conditions for any media session in NGN without the imperative of a cross-layer approach would result in a feasible and less complex NGN architecture. Especially the demand for additional network elements would be decreased, resulting in the reduction of system and operational costs in both, service and transport infrastructure. This thesis proposes a novel framework for QoS optimisation for media sessions in SIP-based NGN without the need for cross-layer signalling. One key contribution of the framework is the approach to identify and logically group media sessions that encounter similar QoS conditions, which is performed by applying pattern recognition and clustering techniques. Based on this novel methodology, the framework provides functions and mechanisms for comprehensive resource-saving QoS estimation, adaptation of QoS conditions, and support of Call Admission Control. The framework can be integrated with any arbitrary SIP-IP-based real-time communication infrastructure, since it does not require access to any particular QoS control or monitoring functionalities provided within the IP transport network. The proposed framework concept has been deployed and validated in a prototypical simulation environment. Simulation results show MOS (Mean Opinion Score) improvement rates between 53 and 66 percent without any active control of transport network resources. Overall, the proposed framework comes as an effective concept for central controlled QoS optimisation in NGN without the need for cross-layer signalling. As such, by either being run stand-alone or combined with conventional QoS control mechanisms, the framework provides a comprehensive basis for both the reduction of complexity and mitigation of issues coming along with QoS provision in NGN

Quality of Service Controlled Multimedia Transport Protocol

PhDThis research looks at the design of an open transport protocol that supports a range of services including multimedia over low data-rate networks. Low data-rate multimedia applications require a system that provides quality of service (QoS) assurance and flexibility. One promising field is the area of content-based coding. Content-based systems use an array of protocols to select the optimum set of coding algorithms. A content-based transport protocol integrates a content-based application to a transmission network. General transport protocols form a bottleneck in low data-rate multimedia communicationbsy limiting throughpuot r by not maintainingt iming requirementsT. his work presents an original model of a transport protocol that eliminates the bottleneck by introducing a flexible yet efficient algorithm that uses an open approach to flexibility and holistic architectureto promoteQ oS.T he flexibility andt ransparenccyo mesi n the form of a fixed syntaxt hat providesa seto f transportp rotocols emanticsT. he mediaQ oSi s maintained by defining a generic descriptor. Overall, the structure of the protocol is based on a single adaptablea lgorithm that supportsa pplication independencen, etwork independencea nd quality of service. The transportp rotocol was evaluatedth rougha set of assessmentos:f f-line; off-line for a specific application; and on-line for a specific application. Application contexts used MPEG-4 test material where the on-line assessmenuts eda modified MPEG-4 pl; yer. The performanceo f the QoSc ontrolledt ransportp rotocoli s often bettert hano thers chemews hen appropriateQ oS controlledm anagemenatl gorithmsa re selectedT. his is shownf irst for an off-line assessmenwt here the performancei s compared between the QoS controlled multiplexer,a n emulatedM PEG-4F lexMux multiplexers chemea, ndt he targetr equirements. The performanceis also shownt o be better in a real environmentw hen the QoS controlled multiplexeri s comparedw ith the real MPEG-4F lexMux scheme

GIFT: Gesture-Based Interaction by Fingers Tracking, an Interaction Technique for Virtual Environment

Three Dimensional (3D) interaction is the plausible human interaction inside a Virtual Environment (VE). The rise of the Virtual Reality (VR) applications in various domains demands for a feasible 3D interface. Ensuring immersivity in a virtual space, this paper presents an interaction technique where manipulation is performed by the perceptive gestures of the two dominant fingers; thumb and index. The two fingertip-thimbles made of paper are used to trace states and positions of the fingers by an ordinary camera. Based on the positions of the fingers, the basic interaction tasks; selection, scaling, rotation, translation and navigation are performed by intuitive gestures of the fingers. Without keeping a gestural database, the features-free detection of the fingers guarantees speedier interactions. Moreover, the system is user-independent and depends neither on the size nor on the color of the users’ hand. With a case-study project; Interactions by the Gestures of Fingers (IGF) the technique is implemented for evaluation. The IGF application traces gestures of the fingers using the libraries of OpenCV at the back-end. At the front-end, the objects of the VE are rendered accordingly using the Open Graphics Library; OpenGL. The system is assessed in a moderate lighting condition by a group of 15 users. Furthermore, usability of the technique is investigated in games. Outcomes of the evaluations revealed that the approach is suitable for VR applications both in terms of cost and accuracy