Abstract: The increasing diversity of devices and the heterogeneity of networks pose nowadays a challenge in the delivery and consumption of multimedia content. In this context, the Part 7 of the MPEG-21 standard formally named Digital Item Adaptation (DIA) targets the adaptation of multimedia content based on usage environment, such as network characteristics, terminal capabilities and user characteristics. But, MPEG-21 DIA does not take into account MPEG-7 semantics description tools, which provide means for a conceptual (semantic) description that is close to the human understanding of multimedia content. Therefore, to fill this gap, we proposed and implemented an interactive and user-centric framework called Semantic Adaptation Framework (SAF). The SAF provides facilities for the generation of all the required semantic metadata and enables an MPEG-21 adaptation engine to semantically adapt the multimedia content in order to provide the user with the best possible experience.

Abstract: Access devices of all shapes and forms that can connect to different networks and be used for a myriad of applications are becoming an integral part of our everyday lives. For better or worse, these devices keep us connect at all times to our families, friends, and the office. They allow us to share our experiences and emotions, conduct business, or just say hello. With multimedia, the form of communication is much more powerful. However, we face this serious problem of heterogeneity in our terminals, in our networks and in the people that ultimately consume and interact with the information being presented to them. This chapter describes work developed within the MPEG standardization committee to help alleviate some of the burdens confronting us in connecting a wide range of multimedia content with different terminals, networks and users. Specifically, Part 7 of MPEG-21, Digital Item Adaptation (DIA) [MP21-7], is covered in this chapter.

Abstract: Daten zu Daten werden Metadaten genannt. Sie ermöglichen die effektive Organisation, Administration und Suche nach Daten aller Arten. Demgegenüber erlaufebn Ontologen die Formalisierung der Fakten und die detailgenaue Beschreibung von Domänenwissen. In vielen Anwendungsbereichen haben sich die klassischen Metadatenformate als zu einfach und Ontologien als zu komplex erwiesen, was zu neuen Formaten führte. Hier wird ein gemeinsames Modell für solche Formate vorgestellt, das sich zur Datensuche eignet.

Abstract: In the area of multimedia computing and communication, one of the major objectives currently being pursued is Universal Multimedia Access (UMA), i.e., enabling users to transparently access any kind of content from anywhere, anytime, with any device. In the course of the MPEG-21 (Multimedia Framework) activities, the ISO/IEC MPEG standardization group has created essential building blocks toward this goal, mainly metadata standards. Two of them are worth noting here: (1) the Digital Item Adaptation (DIA) specification, including normative vocabulary and formats to describe the multimedia consumption context (device, network, natural environment characteristics, user preferences) and to steer media adaptation operations required for UMA; (2) the Rights Expression Language (REL) and Rights Data Dictionary (RDD) specifications, providing terms and a language to express permissions on the usage of the media (who, how, what, under which conditions). In this paper, we describe a recent MPEG-21 DIA Amendment in this area, specifying description formats for: (1) multimedia conversion capabilities, which tool or service providers may use to normatively specify the media adaptation (conversion) capabilities of their tools or services, respectively; (2) permissions and conditions for multimedia conversions, which can be utilized by content providers to determine which adaptations (changes) are permitted on their contents under what conditions. The latter description format embeds media adaptation descriptions into rights expressions, filling a gap between DIA and REL/RDD. In the paper, a use case illustrating a complex UMA scenario justifies the need for these descriptions. Exemplary conversions and permissions descriptions that apply to this use case as well as detailed explanations will be given in the main portion of the paper.

Abstract: An adaptive multimedia proxy is presented which provides (1) caching, (2) filtering, and (3) media gateway functionalities. The proxy can perform media adaptation on its own, either relying on layered coding or using transcoding and transrating in the decompressed domain. A cost model is presented which incorporates (1) user requirements, (2) terminal capabilities, and (3) video variations in one formula. Based on this model, the proxy acts as a general broker of different user requirements and of different video variations. This is a first step towards “What You Need is What You Get” (WYNIWYG) video services, which deliver videos to users in exactly that quality they need and are willing to pay for. The MPEG-7 and MPEG-21 standards enable this in an interoperable way. A detailed evaluation based on a series of simulation runs is provided. Based on the simulation results, the algorithms were integrated into our “Quality Based Intelligent Proxy”, the evaluation of which is in progress.

Abstract: An adaptive multimedia proxy is presented which provides (1) caching, (2) filtering, and (3) media gateway functionalities. The proxy can perform media adaptation on its own, either relying on layered coding or using transcoding in the decompressed domain. A cost model is presented which incorporates user requirements, terminal capabilities, and video variations in one formula. Based on this model, the proxy acts as a general broker of different user requirements and of different video variations. This is a first step towards What You Need is What You Get (WYNIWYG) video services, which deliver videos to users in exactly the quality they need and are willing to pay for. The MPEG-7 and MPEG-21 standards enable this in an interoperable way. A detailed evaluation based on a series of simulation runs is provided.

Abstract: - Location-Based Services - Ortserkennungstechnologien - Ortserkennungsmiddleware - Integration in mobile Anwendung - Automatisiertes Führungssystem.

Abstract: The seamless access to rich multimedia content on any device and over any network, usually known as Universal Multimedia Access, requires interoperable description tools and adaptation techniques to be developed. To address this, MPEG-21 introduces an adaptation framework, which provides several mechanisms for making adaptation decisions according to usage environment and adapting multimedia contents in a coding format independent way. This paper gives an overview of the European FP6 project DANAE which not only implements and extends the existing MPEG-21 adaptation mechanisms but also kicked off several new standardization activities in the area of dynamic and distributed adaptation and resource conversion. MPEG-21 DIP enables static stream selection which is a first step in a series of adaptations. The existing BSD-based adaptation mechanisms enable the efficient implementation of generic adaptation engines, which can be used for existing and future coding formats. These mechanisms were extended to enable dynamic and distributed adaptation. Alternatively to the BSD-based adaptation, resource conversion was investigated which does not rely on scalable media and allows adaptations at the scene level.

Abstract: In order to enable transparent and convenient use of multimedia content across a wide range of networks and devices, content adaptation is an important issue within multimedia frameworks. The so called Digital Item Adaptation (DIA) standard is one of the core concepts of the MPEG-21 framework that will support the adaptation of multimedia resources according to device capabilities, underlying network characteristics, and user preferences. Most multimedia adaptation engines for providing Universal Multimedia Access (UMA) scale the content with respect to terminal capabilities and resource constraints. This paper focuses on the cross-modal adaptation decision taking process considering the user environment and terminal capabilities as well as resource limitations on the server, network, and client side. This approach represents a step toward increased Universal Multimedia Experience (UME). Based on four different algorithms for solving this optimization process, we present an evaluation of results gained by running their implementations on different test networks.

Abstract: In order to enable transparent and augmented use of multimedia content across a wide range of networks and devices, content adaptation is an important issue within multimedia frameworks. In this paper, we present a prototype application that receives Digital Video Broadcast (DVB) TV streams on a PC, transcodes the streams on the fly according to the individual User requirements and packs the adapted content together with available metadata into a standard compliant MPEG-21 Digital Item (DI). In this form, the framework enables the live Universal Multimedia Access (UMA) scenario where the DVB content can be transparently accessed by clients such as PCs and PDAs, anytime and anywhere.

Abstract: Content adaptation is an important issue of multimedia frameworks in order to achieve Universal Multimedia Access (UMA), that is, to enable consumption of individual multimedia content independently of the given resource limitations, terminal capabilities and user preferences. The Digital Item Adaptation (DIA) standard, one of the core specifications of the MPEG-21 framework, supports content adaptation considering a wide range of networks, devices and user preferences. Most adaptive multimedia frameworks enabling this UMA do not consider utility aspects in their adaptation decisions. This paper focuses on a generic multi-modal utility model for DIA, enabling increased multimedia experience to the client. Our proposed model is able to take the semantic and the perceptual features of the content as well as the clients individual utility aspects into consideration. Based on a detailed analysis of these constraints we will show how the model reacts on individual input data. Finally we will discuss results of the multi-modal decision taking process according to a few use case scenarios as well.

Abstract: This paper focuses on an approach for real-time metal extraction of x-ray images taken from modernx-ray machines like C-arms. Such machines are used for vessel diagnostics, surgical interventions, as well as cardiology, neurology and orthopedic examinations. They are very fast in taking images from different angles. For this reason, manual adjustment of contrast is infeasible and automatic adjustment algorithms have been applied to try to select the optimal radiation dose for contrast adjustment. Problems occur when metallic objects, e.g., a prosthesis or a screw, are in the absorption area of interest. In this case, the automatic adjustment mostly fails because the dark, metallic objects lead the algorithm to overdose the x-ray tube. This outshining effect results in overexposed images and bad contrast. To overcome this limitation, metallic objects have to be detected and extracted from images that are taken as input for the adjustment algorithm.In this paper, we present a real-time solution for extracting metallic objects of x-ray images. We will explore the characteristic features of metallic objects in x-ray images and their distinction from bone fragments which form the basis to find a successful way for object segmentation and classification. Subsequently, we will present our edge based real-time approach for successful and fast automatic segmentation and classification of metallic objects. Finally, experimental results on the effectiveness and performance of our approach based on a vast amount of input image data sets will be presented.

Abstract: High level metadata provides a way to manage, organize and retrieve multimedia data based on the actual content using content descriptions. The MPEG-7 Semantic Description Scheme provides tools for storing expressive and interpretable high level metadata. As it is currently impossible for computers to create high level metadata autonomously, users have to create the annotations manually. Generally the manual annotation of multimedia content is understood as laborious and complex task. Within this publication we assess the complexity of the annotation task for the MPEG-7 Semantic Description Scheme within a small user evaluation and the results of the evaluation are discussed.

Abstract: The paper in hand presents an adoption of the suffix tree model for the retrieval of labeled graphs. The suffix tree model encodes path information of graphs in an efficient way and so reduces the size of the data structures compared to path index based approaches, while offering a better runtime performance than subgraph isomorphism based methods. Within a specific use case we evaluate the correlation of the developed method to human judgement and compare the correlation values to other methods. We show that in our use case, which is the retrieval of digital photos annotated with MPEG-7 using the MPEG-7 Semantic Description Scheme, the presented algorithm performs better than other methods.

Abstract: The year 2005 was a successful year for the MPEG and Multimedia Metadata Community. The community was founded within a first workshop in March 2005 in Klagenfurt, Austria, initiated and organized by Harald Kosch. A second workshop, which took place at the I-Know 05, the International Conference for Knowledge Management 2005 in Graz, Austria, was organized by Mathias Lux and Michael Granitzer to enlarge the community and to plan future joint activities. With a third workshop at the RWTH Aachen, Germany, organized by Marc Spaniol and Ralf Klamma, the community grew further, aims of the community were clarified and the schedule for 2006 was developed. Within the three workshops a lot of topics and projects have been discussed. The JUKM special issue on the MPEG and Multimedia Metadata Community Workshop Results 2005 aims to distribute results of community discussions and projects of the community members. The contributions to this issue have been presented by at least one of the authors at one of the above mentioned workshops. The discussion of the community has been integrated and a scientific paper has been generated. The publication has then been peer reviewed by community members. Two different types of contributions have been accepted. Technical notes are smaller in size, but present valuable partial results of ongoing research. Full papers provide more in depth discussion of applications and approaches as well as results and conclusions. From the various presentations of the three workshops in 2005 six topics have been selected for publication, whereas only the last contribution is not a full paper but a technical note.

Abstract: The ISO/IEC Motion Picture Group (MPEG) issued in 2002 a standard, called MPEG-7, which enables the content description of multimedia data in XML. The standard supports applications to exchange, identify and filter multimedia contents based on MPEG-7 descriptions. However, especially mobile applications that deal with MPEG-7 suffer from limited bandwidth, low computational power and limited battery life. In this document we describe an index system that allows filter mechanisms and random access to encoded MPEG-7 streams and which overcome the limitation of the network and the consuming terminal. Encoding is applied in order to reduce the data rate of the XML documents to be transmitted. The indexed parts of the encoded streams can be accessed without the need to deserialize the complete stream. Furthermore, the system is evaluated and results of the experimental evaluation are discussed.

Abstract: The adaptation of multimedia resources is a common method to enable the transport and consumption of audio-visual content in constrained environments. An important aspect in this field is adaptation decision-taking, which aims to find adaptation parameters that maximize the quality for the consumer while considering the constraints of the networks and terminals involved. In this paper we focus on improving the adaptation of audio-visual content by maximizing the perceived quality. This can be realized by using a multimedia quality model and content-related metadata. We present an approach to derive this content-related metadata from subjective tests and use it for adaptation decision-taking within the MPEG-21 multimedia framework.

Abstract: The MPEG-21 standard defines a framework for the delivery and consumption of multimedia content. Within this framework the adaptation of content plays a vital role in order to support a variety of terminals and to overcome the limitations of the heterogeneous delivery networks. In most cases the multimedia content can be adapted by applying different adaptation operations that result in certain properties of the content. Therefore, an instance within the framework has to decide which adaptation operations have to be performed to achieve a satisfactory result. This process is known as adaptation decision taking and makes extensively use of metadata describing the possible adaptation operations, the usage environment of the consumer, and constraints concerning the adaptation. Based on this metadata a mathematical optimization problem can be formulated and its solution yields the optimal parameters for the adaptation operations. However, this generic approach enables a very generic class of optimization problems that are difficult to solve. Furthermore, the metadata is represented in XML resulting in a very verbose and ineffcient encoding. In this thesis an architecture for an Adaptation Decision Taking Engine (ADTE) is introduced. The ADTE operates both on XML metadata and on metadata encoded with the Binary Format for Metadata (BiM) enabling an effcient metadata processing. Concerning the solving of the optimization problem three different algorithms, ranging from a simple generate and test approach to the sophisticated Mesh Adaptive Direct Search, were implemented and evaluated.

Abstract: Abstract Personalized delivery of multimedia content over the Internet opens new business perspectives for future multimedia applications and thus plays an important role in the ongoing MPEG-7 and MPEG-21 multimedia standardization efforts. Based on these standards, next-generation multimedia services will be able to automatically prepare the digital content before delivery according to the client’s device capabilities, the network conditions, or even the user’s content preferences. However, these services will have to deal with a variety of different end user devices, media formats, as well as with additional metadata when adapting the original media resources. In parallel, an increasing number of commercial or open-source media transformation tools will be available, capable of exploiting such descriptive metadata or dealing with new media formats; thus it is not realistic that a single tool will support all possible transformations. In this paper, we present a novel, fully knowledge-based approach for building such multimedia adaptation services, addressing the above mentioned issues of openness, extensibility, and concordance with existing and upcoming standards. In our approach, the original media is transformed in multiple adaptation steps performed by an extensible set of external tools, where the construction of adequate adaptation sequences is solved in an Artificial Intelligence planning process. The interoperability issue is addressed by exploiting standardized Semantic Web Services technology. This technology allows us to express tool capabilities and execution semantics in a declarative and well-defined form. In this context, existing multimedia standards serve as a shared domain ontology. The presented approach was implemented and successfully evaluated in an official ISO/IEC MPEG (Moving Picture Experts Group) Core Experiment and is currently under further evaluation by the standardization body.

Abstract: The delivery and adaptation of multimedia content in dis tributed and heterogeneous environments requires flexible control and management mechanisms in terminals and in control entities inside the network. In the near future, it is important to reach interoperability between the IETF ap proaches on multimedia session establishment and control and the MPEG-21 efforts for multimedia streaming and adaptation to bring advanced multimedia service provi sioning and adaptation services towards the customer. MPEG-21 Digital Item Adaptation (DIA) provides norma tive descriptions for supporting adaptation of multimedia content, but does not define interactions with transport and control mechanisms. On the other hand, the IETF standardization efforts on multimedia session control pro vide the necessary transport (e.g. RTP) and control mechanisms (SDP/SDPng). We thus bridge the gap be tween those approaches by creating a converged XML model that enables the integration of session management and negotiation protocols (e.g. SIP or Megaco) inspired by the XML formats of MPEG-21 DIA and SDPng. We also present preliminary implementation results of the con verged model along with concepts and implementation of network-based content adaptation mechanisms through media gateways that enable flexible multimedia manage ment for heterogeneous consumer terminals.