Synchronisation: Retrieving Multimedia Objects, an approach through synchronisation
A Library & Information Commission Funded Project
Synchronisation is a feasibility study designed to lay the groundwork for a multi-modal approach to the retrieval of multimedia information objects in networked environments. The approach being taken in the Study makes use of the SMIL synchronisation standard which is currently used primarily to synchronise multimedia displays on the World Wide Web.
SMIL has been developed to overcome the problem of streaming multimedia objects in a networked environment where bandwidth and other restrictions are unknown and where the delivery of the different media must be synchronised by the client system. The Web is typical of this type of environment. It would seem logical that a by-product of synchronisation for display purposes could be its use for retrieval, using ‘retrieval clues’ of known simultaneity. This would provide a combination of evidence which has some common conceptual features with probabilistic retrieval, but uses clues from each medium - essentially cross-media, synchronised ‘snapshots’. Coupled with this content-based approach could be the use of retrieval based on metadata, so creating an even richer combination of evidence.
The Synchronisation study took place over a six month period from late 1999 to mid 2000.
Final Report:
Synchronised Object Retrieval: a feasibility
study into enhanced information retrieval in multimedia environments using
synchronisation protocols.
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Library and Information Commission Research Report 92 Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language (SMIL): A WWW Bibliography
For further information about Synchronisation, please contact:
CERLIM
The Manchester Metropolitan University
Department of Information and Communications
Geoffrey Manton Building
Rosamond Street West
Off Oxford Road
Manchester M15 6LL
Tel: 0161 247 6142
Email: cerlim@mmu.ac.uk