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IST Call 4
These Action Lines are now closed! - Deadline 11 October 2000
Excerpt from the IST Work Programme 2000
III.4 Information access, filtering, analysis and handling (IAF)
The overall objective of IAF as set out in the IST specific programme is to develop advanced and generic tools and techniques for the management of multimedia content to empower the user. The main focus of research is to improve the "middleware" representation, management and delivery functions of multimedia systems, for seamless content delivery, provision and access for different applications and across different media. IAF does not concern computer network or hardware development per se. IAF further focuses on audiovisual content which today is streamed over the Web, CD or DVD, but which will also be available in the next years over interactive TV, multimedia home platforms and wireless multimedia networks. The lead-time for RTD in this area can range from medium-term (2-4 years) to longer term for more generic issues (5-8 years).
The work-programme 2000 will focus on: Rich descriptive models of digital information content covering all media types especially for emerging wireless and domestic systems, and on radically new cognitive relations between the system and users via individualised metaphors and visualisation techniques, as well as related information categorisation and filtering in two Action Lines:
- content-processing for domestic and mobile multimedia platforms, especially DVB-based platforms for the home and W3C wireless access protocol-based services on the mobile side;
- information visualisation addresses information presentation, representation and intelligent filtering and agents.
III.4.1 Content-processing for domestic and mobile multimedia platforms
- Objectives
- To allow content and technology providers to adapt multimedia content - especially streamed audiovisual media and meta-services to the domestic and mobile multimedia platforms which are fast emerging in Europe. To allow the user in normal domestic or mobile environments and living conditions to filter multimedia content and mobile unified messaging through seamless interfaces between wireless, TV, Web and other networks.
- Focus
- The research focus is geared toward new notions of human-computer interfaces to multimedia content brought about by ambient domestic and mobile systems. Specific research topics will include advances in scaling multimedia content for multi-bandwidth content delivery as well as the user interface for search and retrieval tools, information filtering and agent technologies both for "positive" information searching and for protection from illegal and harmful content. Specific sub-areas are:
- Content scalability, in particular for adapting Web content applications and presentation formats for delivery and retrieval across wireless access protocols, reviewing mark-up and display languages suited to both environments, e.g. HTML, XML extensions for wireless content delivery, graphics standards (Scaleable Vector Graphics), Document Object Models etc.
- Intelligent and user-friendly content-based retrieval methods (for digital video, images, sound, 3D & animation) for example over DVB- and DAVIC-compliant multimedia home platforms, concentrating on the media content and content-guidance services;
- Cross-media intelligent consumer interfaces and support for information filtering, browsing using personal profiles, group profiles, adaptive agents that predict user's next interests, collaborative filtering, federating mobile agents and information agents, mobile unified messaging (multimedia enhanced e-mail, voice mail, fax, video-based communications) etc.
- Type of Actions addressed
- RTD
- Links with WP99
- New Action Line, focused on mobile and domestic platforms.
III.4.2 Information visualisation
- Objectives
- To allow users to navigate and search "naturally" both through unfamiliar information landscapes and to manage large-scale and complex multimedia data sets.
- Focus
- Integration and demonstration of visualisation and management tools (including within geographic information systems) based on new "maps" and "metaphors" of virtual spaces, 3D and 4D (moving) data presentation, immersive virtual reality interfaces, sound localisation, and direct interaction and manipulation of virtual objects. Work will range from the "limited-domain" visualisation of hard data of science and engineering, to the more abstract "open-ended" domains like business, textual and pictorial data types, especially for database access and knowledge discovery.
Specific areas to be addressed are:- dynamic 3-D / multi-dimensional presentation and graphic representation of information landscapes and complex data sets in real time, especially for Web navigation, database access, access to new interactive TV services, etc
- interactive and highly intuitive visual tools for direct manipulation of static and animated content objects and sequences,
- Advanced storage and management techniques for multimedia content in higher orders of volume than widely available (terabyte volumes and beyond),
- Type of Actions addressed
- RTD
- Links with WP99
- New Action Line, with emphasis on information presentation, representation and intelligent filtering and agents. Replaces 1999-IV.3.4 (information management).
III.4.3 Trials and best practice in information access, filtering, analysis and handling
- Objectives
- To promote the study, realisation, adoption and introduction of state-of-the-art information access tools at end users sites. Research proposals must include significant trials and best practices.
- Focus
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- Innovative use and integration of soft computing, statistical, simulation and optimisation methodologies and related solutions and technologies.
- Trials and best practice to encourage further development and use of emerging media and metadata standards in this area,where at present there are relatively few standards, particularly of European origin.
- Type of Actions addressed
- Trials and Best practise
- Links with WP99
- New Action Line.