Objective
The aim of the SOMIW project was to build an advanced multimedia workstation for office workers. The project focused on the following topics:
-Communications: the goal was to enable the user to communicate through different types of network, in particular ISDN, with communication protected against intrusion by using a cryptosystem based on public keys.
-Multimedia input/output components: the aim was to integrate different I/O components in the workstation, including classical devices, such as the mouse and the keyboard, and intelligent ones, such as an OCR (Optical Character Recognition) module, a voi ce recognition and synthesis component, an image processor (allowing acquisition and display of animated colour images for transmission or archiving purposes), and a voice processor for coding voice at different rates.
-User Interface Management System (UIMS): UIMS was added to the project to manage the interaction with the user. Separating application development and user interface development allowed the splitting of responsibilities, with a specialist handling the d ifficult task of designing and implementing a dialogue structure (including the command syntax).
-Integrated applications: for preparing and handling documents, a multimedia WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editor, formatter, printer server and a filing and retrieval system were to be developed. The object-oriented operating system and the use r interface management system were designated to facilitate the integration of all the software components (editor, formatter-printer server, filing, retrieval, and screen management).
A workstation design, the Metaviseur, was adopted to permit the integration of the proposed devices, thereby defining a standard reference architecture.
A black and white video camera has been developed with automatic video level command for adjustment to light variations. The camera, the dimensions of which are 50 x 50 x 30 mm, uses a sensor cooling system based on the Peltier effect.
The aim of the project was to build an advanced multimedia workstation for office workers, enabling the user to communicate through different types of network with communication protected against intrusion by a cryptosystem based on public keys. Different input/output components were integrated in the workstation, including classical devices, such as the mouse and the keyboard, and intelligent ones, such as an optical character recognition module, a voice recognition and synthesis component, an image processor and a voice processor for coding voice at different rates. A user interface management system (UIMS) was added to the project to manage the interaction with the user. Separating application development and user interface development allowed the splitting of responsibilities, with a specialist handling the difficult task of designing and implementing a dialogue structure. For preparing and handling documents, a multimedia 'what you see is what you get' editor, formatter, printer server and a filing and retrieval system were developed. The object oriented operating system and the user interface management system were designed to facilitate the integration of all the software components (editor, formatter, printer server, filing, retrieval, and screen management). A workstation design, the Metaviseur, was adopted to permit the integration of the proposed devices, thereby defining a standard reference architecture. For the integration of software an object oriented operating system was adopted and extended for distribution. The system eased the final integration of the different applications and modularized the services offered by the operating system by basing them on a minimal kernel. Window management, screen and screen management, multiplexing of video images and the integration of these different functionalities are available as services from the operating system. The document handling applications were integrated into the common object oriented document arch itecture offered by the filing and retrieval module. For this a common document architecture based on the office document architecture (ODA) standard was adopted. A first nonintegrated version of the different components has been successfully demonstrated.
For the integration of software an object-oriented operating system was adopted and extended for distribution. The SOMIW Operating System (SOS) eased the final integration of the different applications and modularised the services offered by the operatingsystem by basing them on a minimal kernel. SOS is Unix-compatible. Window management, screen and screen management, multiplexing of video images and the integration of these different functionalities are available as services from the operating system.The document-handling applications were integrated into the common object-oriented document architecture offered by the filing and retrieval module. For this a common document architecture based on the ODA standard was adopted. A first non-integrated version of the different SOMIW components has been successfully demonstrated on several occasions, including the Hannover Fair and the ESPRIT Conference Week.
Exploitation
Based on the results of the project, Bull plans to develop its work in 3-D graphics and voice processing; BALZAC, a document editor, and RAPHAEL, a structured graphics editor (both spin-off products from SOMIW) have already been launched. The Metaviseur adopted in the SOMIW project will be used in the design of the DPX 1000, another Bull product. The achievements of the screen hardware subproject (Iselqui) will be used in future projects in Italy. The UIMS know-how acquired (INESC), will be exploited in future developments, and UIMS itself will be used as an application development tool in future ESPRIT projects. The network interface and the audio-video codes (CSELT) will be implemented in future ESPRIT projects. The audio/video multiplexer will be integrated in a VLSI component. The results achieved on the printer server (Sobemap), OCR interface (AEG), and filing and retrieval (Sarin) subprojects will be further developed in either industry or future ESPRIT projects.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences computer and information sciences software software applications system software operating systems
- engineering and technology materials engineering colors
- engineering and technology electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering electronic engineering sensors optical sensors
- engineering and technology mechanical engineering thermodynamic engineering
- natural sciences computer and information sciences computer security cryptography
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Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
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Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
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Coordinator
91343 Massy
France
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.