Semantic Co-Browsing System Based on Contextual Synchronization on Peer-to-Peer Environment

In this paper, we focus on a personalized information retrieval system based on multi-agent platform. Especially, they are capable of sharing information between them, for supporting collaborations between people. Personalization module has to be exploited to be aware of the corresponding user's browsing contexts (e.g., purposes, intention, and goals) at the specific moment. We want to recommend as relevant information to the estimated user context as possible, by analyzing the interaction results (e.g., clickstreams or query results). Thereby, we propose a novel approach to self-organizing agent groups based on contextual synchronization. Synchronization is an important requirement for online collaborations among them. This synchronization method exploits contextual information extracted from a set of personal agents in the same group, for real-time information sharing. Through semantically tracking of the users' information searching behaviors, we model the temporal dynamics of personal and group context. More importantly, in a certain moment, the contextual outliers can be detected, so that the groups can be automatically organized again with the same context. The co-browsing system embedding our proposed method was shown 52.7 % and 11.5 % improvements of communication performance, compared to single browsing system and asynchronous collaborative browsing system, respectively

Collaborative technologies for the financial services industry

2004-2005 > Academic research: not refereed > Publication in policy or professional journalAccepted ManuscriptPublishe

CHORUS Deliverable 2.2: Second report - identification of multi-disciplinary key issues for gap analysis toward EU multimedia search engines roadmap

After addressing the state-of-the-art during the first year of Chorus and establishing the existing landscape in multimedia search engines, we have identified and analyzed gaps within European research effort during our second year. In this period we focused on three directions, notably technological issues, user-centred issues and use-cases and socio- economic and legal aspects. These were assessed by two central studies: firstly, a concerted vision of functional breakdown of generic multimedia search engine, and secondly, a representative use-cases descriptions with the related discussion on requirement for technological challenges. Both studies have been carried out in cooperation and consultation with the community at large through EC concertation meetings (multimedia search engines cluster), several meetings with our Think-Tank, presentations in international conferences, and surveys addressed to EU projects coordinators as well as National initiatives coordinators. Based on the obtained feedback we identified two types of gaps, namely core technological gaps that involve research challenges, and “enablers”, which are not necessarily technical research challenges, but have impact on innovation progress. New socio-economic trends are presented as well as emerging legal challenges

The webinos project.

This poster paper describes the webinos project and presents the architecture and security features developed in webinos. It highlights the main objectives and concepts of the project and describes the architecture derived to achive the objectives

Using Web services choreography to model business process in e-commerce

Web modeling languages like WebML (Web modeling Language), OOHDM (Object Oriented Hypermedia design) are evolved from hypermedia models. And they pay attention only to hypermedia modeling and model business rules as a form of navigation, this is called business process emulation. Our approach is to use web service peer-peer language, such as WS-CDL to model business process in an e-commerce application. In this way we introduce a new layer that models all the business rules using WS-CDL In this approach the hypermedia model models only navigation using WebML and once business process is initiated from simple navigation the process layer defined using WS-CDL will execute the business rules. By constructing a case study to test this hybrid-modeling framework, we hypothesise that this newly released peer-peer collaborative language for web-services can be used to model the concepts of business process. Thus we get a unique approach to model business process along with navigation. This approach is a proposed solution to the issues of business process emulation. Paper copy at Leddy Library: Theses & Major Papers - Basement, West Bldg. / Call Number: Thesis2006 .S86. Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 45-01, page: 0366. Thesis (M.Sc.)--University of Windsor (Canada), 2006

Using Web services choreography to support an extensible and flexible system development process

Systems Engineering (SE) controls a complex environment consisting of various collaborative subsystems. Each subsystem demands different kind of requirements and follows a specific strategy for its development process. Unifying and harmonizing the development process of all collaborative subsystems towards achieving the ultimate integrated system is one of the main challenges of SE. This work introduces a new approach towards having a generic SE unified process applicable to various environments. We suggest a service-oriented framework for SE process implemented using Web Services, and describe the process scenario in a machine-friendly abstract layer over the Development Process. This description layer choreographs collaborative subsystems and is implemented by a Web Services Choreography Description Language (WSCDL). It also covers Interface Management concerns of SE. In such an environment, as long as all services follow a unique framework for the SE process such as the one specified by the International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE), each phase of the process would then be an anonymous service implemented by a different vendor. As the result, an organization could easily customize its own specific development environment by editing this choreography layer according to its specific development policies, and then tailor its own desired development environment by choosing and integrating various services available on the Web. Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 45-01, page: 0351. Thesis (M.Sc.)--University of Windsor (Canada), 2006

Enhancing Social Media Platforms for Educational and Humanitarian Knowledge Sharing:Analytics, Privacy, Discovery, and Delivery Aspects

Social media (SM) platforms have demonstrated their ability to facilitate knowledge sharing on the global scale. They are increasingly often employed in educational and humanitarian domains where, despite their general benefits, they expose challenges peculiar to these domains. Specifically, the research context of this thesis is directed by my participation in the Go-Lab European project and my collaboration with Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) where SM platforms were used extensively. In this thesis, we address four challenges regarding analytics, privacy, discovery, and delivery, aiming to answer corresponding four research questions. How to provide user-oriented analytics in knowledge sharing systems to support awareness and reflection? What privacy management interfaces and mechanisms are suitable for knowledge analytics and learning analytics? How to enable discovery of knowledge relevant to user interests? How to facilitate knowledge delivery into settings where Internet connectivity is limited or absent? Henceforward, we provide an overview of our results. Analytics. To enable awareness and reflection for an SM platform users, we propose the embedded contextual analytics model where the analytics is embedded into the interaction context and presents information relevant to that particular context. Also, we propose two general architectures materializing this model respectfully based on real-time analytical applications and a scalable analytic back-end. Using these architectures, we provided analytics services to the SM platform users. We conducted an evaluation with the users demonstrating that embedded contextual analytics was useful to support their awareness and reflection. Privacy. To address the privacy concerns associated with the recording, storage, and analysis of user interaction traces, we propose a novel agent-based privacy management model. Our proposal uses a metaphor of physical presence of a tracking agent in an interaction context making the platform user aware of the tracking and allows to manage the tracking policy in a way similar to the physical world. We have implemented the proposed privacy interface in an SM platform and obtained positive evaluation results with the users. Discovery. Due to a large number of content items stored in SM platforms, it can be challenging for the users to find relevant knowledge. Addressing this challenge, we propose an interactive recommender system based on user interests enabling discovery of relevant content and people. We have implemented the proposed recommender in an SM platform and conducted two evaluations with platform users. The evaluations demonstrated the ability of the approach to identify relevant user interests and to recommend relevant content. Delivery. At the moment of writing in 2016, near half of the world's population still does not have reliable Internet access. Often, the places where humanitarian action is needed have limited Internet connection. We propose a novel knowledge delivery model that relies on a peer-to-peer middleware and uses low-cost computers for local knowledge replication. We have developed a system implementing the model and evaluated it during eight deployments in MSF missions. The evaluation demonstrated its knowledge delivery abilities and its usefulness for the field staff

CHORUS Deliverable 2.1: State of the Art on Multimedia Search Engines

Based on the information provided by European projects and national initiatives related to multimedia search as well as domains experts that participated in the CHORUS Think-thanks and workshops, this document reports on the state of the art related to multimedia content search from, a technical, and socio-economic perspective. The technical perspective includes an up to date view on content based indexing and retrieval technologies, multimedia search in the context of mobile devices and peer-to-peer networks, and an overview of current evaluation and benchmark inititiatives to measure the performance of multimedia search engines. From a socio-economic perspective we inventorize the impact and legal consequences of these technical advances and point out future directions of research

PlayRightNow - Designing a media player experience for PlayNow arena

This paper discusses the process of designing a media player tailored for PlayNowTM arena with the purpose of enhancing the user experience of this media portal. The design process is divided into two main stages, the first consisting on gathering information to inform the design of a media player and the second stage involving a low-fidelity prototype of a media player. In the first stage, three main activities are carried out to inform the design of the interface: a literary review of relevant research and studies related to the way people use digital media and its effect on society; an evaluation of the interfaces and features offered by some of the existing popular media players in the market today from an interaction design point of view; and user observations and interviews on people’s relation to digital media. Based on the information and data collected from the first stage, an iterative process of design of interfaces was adapted, whereby potential users and design experts were consulted with their opinions and suggestions that influenced the sketching of various possible interfaces. Finally, a design of a media player for PlayNowTM arena is proposed, which is believed to have the potential of providing its users with a better experience in relation to digital content, as well as attracting new customers and increasing the revenue of this media portal

MediaSync: Handbook on Multimedia Synchronization

This book provides an approachable overview of the most recent advances in the fascinating field of media synchronization (mediasync), gathering contributions from the most representative and influential experts. Understanding the challenges of this field in the current multi-sensory, multi-device, and multi-protocol world is not an easy task. The book revisits the foundations of mediasync, including theoretical frameworks and models, highlights ongoing research efforts, like hybrid broadband broadcast (HBB) delivery and users' perception modeling (i.e., Quality of Experience or QoE), and paves the way for the future (e.g., towards the deployment of multi-sensory and ultra-realistic experiences). Although many advances around mediasync have been devised and deployed, this area of research is getting renewed attention to overcome remaining challenges in the next-generation (heterogeneous and ubiquitous) media ecosystem. Given the significant advances in this research area, its current relevance and the multiple disciplines it involves, the availability of a reference book on mediasync becomes necessary. This book fills the gap in this context. In particular, it addresses key aspects and reviews the most relevant contributions within the mediasync research space, from different perspectives. Mediasync: Handbook on Multimedia Synchronization is the perfect companion for scholars and practitioners that want to acquire strong knowledge about this research area, and also approach the challenges behind ensuring the best mediated experiences, by providing the adequate synchronization between the media elements that constitute these experiences