Project  MOSAIC
Project number : 45527

MOSAIC Consortium


Survey on the State of the Art



ANNEX II - Technologies and applications useful for MOSAIC:

Telecommunication technologies
Hardware - State of the art
Software - State of the art

Issue : Rev 2.0
WP 1100

 

This document contains:

Telecommunication technologies
   Satellite communication
   Mobile communication
   Comparison of others telecommunication technologies
      ATM
      ADSL Access Network
      NORTEL Broadband communications over electricity power lins
      Internet & Basic Services Evolution
      EURO ISDN
   Cross media technology

Hardware - State of the art
   Data Acquisition, Digitalisation
      Cyberware 3D scanner
      Catco Digital Scanner
      Hyscan 3Dscanner
      Laser Camera (Remote Access and Display of 3D Colour Images)
      VASARI Scanner
      Imation RAPTOR
   Data Storage
      CD-ROMs
      Imation Data Storage Products
      DVDs
   Data Navigation
      Fakespace BOOM
   Data Visualisation
      Fakespace BOOM
      Stereo Video Beams
      CAVE
      IMAX Theater
      Easy Guide

Software - State of art
    Databases
      Oracle
      Ms SQL Server
      X-WORLD
      Jasmine
      ObjectStore
      O2 Fujitsu
   Hypertexts & Hypermedia
      Hypertext Markup Language Today
      Introduction to Dynamic HTML
      Cascading Style Sheets, level 1 (CSS1)
      IEAK
      ActiveX and ASP
      Java
      JavaScript
   Graphics for Internet
      Image Format Standards
      MPEG-2
      Imaging for Internet - Flashpix
      DICOM - Digital Imaging & COMmunications in medicine
      Lightscape
      Macromedia Flash 2
      Macromedia Shockwawe
      VRML
      form·Z : The 3D form synthesizer
      MultiGen Creator Brings Realtime 3D Modeling to Windows NT
      Interactive Virtual Reality
   Interoperability
      Digital Audio Visual Council
      Z39 protocol
      CORBA
      Bibliographic Description Standards
      Archive Description Standards
   Interoperability of Payment and Access Systems
      Interoperability of Payment and Access Systems
      Enabling technologies for the commercial distribution of cultural content
      Secure transaction protocols
      Secure payment methods
      The emerging standard for credit cards: SET
      Transaction Security Systems
   Protection of Intellectual Property



Telecommunication technologies

We individuate various kinds of telecommunication technologies

Satellite communication
Low Earth Orbital (LEO) services are designed to make use of high-power non-geostationary satellites to provide voice and data services which can be sent and received on small, low-cost, portable user terminals. LEO satellites use orbits between 660 and 1200 km above the earth. These orbits enable low-power handsets to be used, but the footprint of the satellite is limited, and so a dozen or more LEO satellites are needed to provide global coverage.
The costs of setting up these services are very substantial, typically between 3 and 6 billion ECU, and all the LEO services are still in the process of developing business plans and financial backing. The aim of all these services is to be able to provide global voice and data services over a single network, in particular being able to provide services to countries and regions of the world that currently have a poor Telecommunications infrastructure. By using modern Frame-Relay-Techniques it is possible to setup meshed satellite networks.

 

Mobile communication
Within the coverage of the cellular network, the vision of information access for everyone, anytime, anywhere has become reality. However, because of lack of the low bandwidth of wireless narrowband wide-area networks (such as the 9.6 Kbit/s of GSM, DCS-1800) and the limited resources of mobile hardware in comparison to stationary systems, the handling of distributed multimedia applications and services faces severe problems.
A step backwards in interactivity would cause a serious acceptance problem. Therefore the overall objective of the ACTS-project MOMENTS is to demonstrate the technical feasibility and business viability of a wireless media highway for the distribution of advanced multimedia products. The results of the user trials carried out within the scope of the project can be very interesting for the establishment of new mobile services within the cultural heritage market.

 

Comparison of others telecommunication technologies
Besides it’s superior geographical and time independent availability, satellite communication is much cheaper compared to terrestrial alternatives. Moreover the expenses are independent of the geographical position of the site, i.e. the client distance from the server. The transferable data rate, i.e. the available bandwidth can be adjusted to the user needs.
It is well known that the current availability of ISDN within the EU is not equally distributed. Consequently the existing European Communication infrastructure will be supplemented by satellite links for easy access from poorly served remote areas. But even in areas where the Telecommunication infrastructure is reasonably well developed, the amount of available bandwidth is often limited and/or can not be easily enhanced. Especially with respect to the need for bandwidth on demand current systems are totally ineffective.
A main reason to use satellite links is the cost aspect: For example the price of the scheduled point to point link from Darmstadt to Coimbra with a transmission rate of 256 kbps is more than 70 % lower based satellites than on the fixed network. With respect to a dial up line the scenario is even more dramatic. In that case 24 hours of operation are as expensive as a full month service via satellite.
Satellite transmission and terrestrial systems are not in competition. Videoconferencing using ISDN or Internet has particular value for discussion and exchange. Asynchronous Email is ideal for building up a discussion on a given topic and tutor support. When any of these systems including the telephone are part of a live transmission a new synergy develops.

Presentation and communication
Cultural heritage information needs to be presented on different kinds of media. The multiple use of information needs to be supported by cross media publishing for the media print, CD-ROM, WWW, digital TV. Two labs are available, one for prepress and new media, the other for multimedia publishing.
Videoconferencing is supported on large projection screens by using the VTel-System and ProShare for application sharing.
Virtual Reality technologies from simple stereo projection, via interactive technologies, like head-mounted display and data glove, as well as a 3-wall cave and in the near future a 5-wall cave are given.
For the dissemination and navigation through virtual museums in regard to home-support the Internet and WWW with its technologies can be used.

Teleconferencing
For teleconferencing three forms of connection among participants ar possible:

Within a teleconferencing system following service can be offered for communication:

WWW and Internet
Concerning Internet and WWW besides the presentation of multimedia information via WWW servers, ZGDV and IGD are developing new tools (Java applets, PlugIns, CGI-scripts, VRML-applications, etc.) and have profound knowledge in the usage of the MBone technology (Vat, Vic, NV), which enables teleconferencing via the Internet.
Mbone permits „IP multitasking". IP multitasking tools allows packets of information to be „broadcast" to anyone who is listening rather to a single specific individual or computer. Video, audio and a shared training whiteboard are the principal applications.

 

Distributed cooperative applications can be defined using different services useful for network communication. Specific context dependent services can be based upon a set of different generic services like: X.400 This is the CCITT recommendation for message handling system proposed in the OSI reference model. In essence X.400 mimics the postal system in that a message consists of an address and a letter. The letter is mailed using the address, or group of
FTP File Transfer Protocol defines how to transfer files from one computer to another
WWW Hypertext based system for finding and accessing Internet resources.
Telnet is a "terminal emulation" protocol that allows you to log in to other computer systems. Telnet is also an application program that allows you to log into another computer system using the telnet protocol.
DNS Domain Name Server is a distributed database system for translating computer names into numeric Internet addresses and vice-versa.
SMTP servers are able to route and to forward email messages
MIME is a standard defined in 1992 that allows any user to employ the communications protocol SMTP to create and read multimedia messages using well known standards for media and with independence of the coding/decoding procedures of the content message Distributed applications use different transport protocols ...: X.25 is the CCITT protocol recommendation for point to point packet switched communications
IP Internet Protocol allows packets to traverse multiple networks on the way to its final destination. ... and physical standards: Integrated digital services network (ISDN) is the provision of an end-to-end digital connection for the support of a wide range of services, such as voice, video, data, facsimile and so on. The primary aim is to provide a uniform set of standards for the transmission of digital information between networks.

ATM Asynchronous Transfer Mode is a fast packet switching service. It can be seen as a low level bearer service upon which higher layers of protocol must be used to support the appropriate services.

Fibre distributed data interface (FDDI) is the emerging standard for the LAN/MAN backbone. It is based upon a 100 Mbps fibre optic contra-rotating Token Ring (IEEE 802.5) system with both synchronous classes of traffic.

Frame relay is a temporary bearer system, based upon the current ISDN standards, which is being used to provide a faster X.25 service. It is used for data rates in the range of 2-45 Mbps and achieves a greater end-to-end throughput because it does not provide an error correction facility (cf. HDLC). Error recovery is left to the higher layer protocols.

 

 ATM
ATM Asynchronous Transfer Mode is a fast packet switching service. It can be seen as a low level bearer service upon which higher layers of protocol must be used to support the appropriate services.

ADSL Access Network

ITALTEL's ADSL approach
The UT-MediaNet system supports DMT (Discrete Multi-Tone) ADSL modems. The technology delivers digital streams up to 8 Mbit/s to the end users. The distance limit between local exchange and customer premises modems, however, is about 6 km with 1.5 Mbit/s channels and 4 km with 5 Mbit/s streams. The highest data rates can be obtained with copper pair distances around 2.5 km.
In the ADSL network architecture, the application data flow, encapsulated via AAL5 or AAL1 into ATM cells, is transported by the broadband switching network. The traffic is routed to the appropriate ADSL line termination port on the basis of the appropriate VPI/VCI contained in the ATM cell headers. The ADSL interface module terminates the ATM and the adaptation layer protocols and sends the user data over the copper wire using CAP or DMT modulation.
At the customer premises, the ADSL unit receives and decodes the application data, providing proper user interfaces towards the customer's PC or Set Top Box. Both ATM Forum 25 Mbit/s and Ethernet 10BaseT user interfaces are currently available, depending on the supported services (SDVB, VoD or fast Internet access).
The 768 kbit/s return channel can be used as a return channel for interactive services or as a separate data path for bidirectional applications.
In the general architecture, user signaling is carried transparently by the access network and it is interpreted by the ATM switch which is in charge of creating and releasing the ATM connections with the service providers.

ADSL product line
The ITALTEL equipment which realizes the ADSL access network is based on the Multiservice Peripheral Module (MPM), an advanced multiservice node which can manage ADSL lines as well as Passive Optical Networks. The MPM module can be configured for a broad range of applications, from a small number of ADSL interfaces (up to 100) to the largest configuration, serving several thousands of broadband users. The users can be broadband users only or they can also have POTS or ISDN services. In this latter case, the ADSL modem frame houses the POTS/ISDN splitters necessary to extract the narrowband traffic towards the narrowband switch.
The same MPM module can be equipped with ADSL or with PON interfaces. This gives excellent product flexibility, since the network operator is free to realize mixed PON and ADSL configurations, according to the service requirements and the access network topology in a given serving area. In addition the ADSL modem frame can be located next to the MPM module, or it can be remoted using a fiber link. Thanks to this important feature the ADSL frames can be accurately distributed around the MPM modules in a cost-effective way, as soon as the users require broadband services and without requiring the installation of new MPM modules.
The MPM performs multiplexing and demultiplexing functions of the ATM traffic carried by ADSL links and, on the switching network side, STM-1 ATM interfaces are available to connect ATM networks. The interfaces towards the ATM service node can be configured via the management system as an ETSI standard VB5 interface or as an ATM UNI/NNI interface.
The MPM can perform internal multicast of ATM cells, allowing the network operator to provide distributive services like SDVB (Switched Digital Video Broadcasting) using the ADSL access network.
The entire UT-MediaNet product line, including the ADSL section, is managed by an Element and Subnetwork Management layer, implemented in the ITALTEL product named EM-AN. This is a scalable platform, running in a distributed environment, which can manage a large number of network elements (e.g., MPMs, central office and remote ADSL modems) depending on the hardware and software configuration.
The EM-AN allows the network operator to perform a complete set of operation and maintenance activities, ranging from alarm surveillance and fault management, equipment configuration and testing, to collection of usage data and statistics. EM-AN, fully designed and realized in ITALTEL thanks to our experience in OSSs, provides a standard Q interface towards a network management layer function and can be easily customized according to requirements from the network operators.

NORTEL Broadband communications over electricity power lines.
(To be written after 11 march 98 presentation)

Internet & Basic Services Evolution
A consistent part of MOSAIC project is based on the use of telecommunication networks both the Internet and ATM pilot connections thus it seems to be interesting to track the evolution of such services. Till January 97 a number of about three millions hosts has been found in the European Union countries. More than 1.5 millions of them is located in Germany, UK, the Netherlands and Finland. Non EU Europeans countries owns less than 500.000 hosts. Early in the 90ies (92/93) the overall growth trend in European Internet hosts scored more than 120% growth per year and in some countries scored 200% per year. Now the trend is slightly decreasing due to the saturation of the market compared with the real value added services available. The pure number of hosts seems to be not relevant to score the evolution of internet based services, EU areas served by less hosts seems to have much more contents in terms of number of written html pages than the other one. Under this perspective the host penetration seems therefore not to be the only relevant or main indicator for assessing the "Internet" vitality in one region.
Analyzing one of the internet basic services, Email, we will discover that this service is still growing in the EU countries thanks to deregulation of markets and real value added aspects. Email connection with mobile phones network is another useful application of telecom technology.

EURO ISDN
(To be written)

 

Cross media technology
Publishers more and more ask for methods for cross media publishing. They want to publish a document on a variety of media spending only a little more effort regarding time and money. For example an author may want to publish a document as a paper document, as an interactive PDF document, as a HTML based Web publication and as a CD-ROM based multimedia presentation.
This way, the reader can profit of the media specific advantages: The project MOSAIC is oriented on the needs resulting of cross media publishing. The goal is to build up an open environment for publishing on a variety of media ranging from hi end IVR inside "Cultural Service Centers" to dynamic walkthrough or hypermedia context sensitive information directly delivered at home on PCs.

 

 

Hardware - State of the art

The hardware useful for MOSAIC consist in product for:

 

Data Acquisition, Digitalisation
Concerning the reconstruction and digitalisation phase lot of technology and know how is available. Among others there are 3D-scanners (for small objects), digital camera, video digitisation working place, 3D-reconstruction using photogrammetry techniques, numerous geometric modeling systems, and animation systems are available.

Cyberware 3D scanner
Cyberware 3D scanner can be used for the scanning of 3D objects up to 30 cm. diameter and 30 cm. height. The device is optimized for scanning persons but may be used to scan other 3D objects, too, if they comply to certain criteria concerning reflectivity and colour.
The first 3D digitizer with color capability, Cyberware's Model 3030 delivers industry-leading performance for a variety of applications. In less than a minute, it scans an object at high resolution and shows the resulting 3D image on a graphics workstation - complete with true-to-life color. The availability of color information to 3D digitizing provides nearly all the information a graphics application needs to fully describe an object. In addition to enhancing realism in graphic models, color denotes boundaries that are not obvious from shape alone. Color indicates surface texture and reflectance. And by marking an object's surface before digitizing, you can use color to transfer ideas from the object to the graphic model. In specialized applications, color can reveal characteristics such as skin discoloration, the grain of a piece of wood, or the locations of fasteners. Working in the infrared region, a customized color subsystem can even detect surface temperature.
The 3030 HRC extends the resolution of the color texture map by a factor of sixteen. The texture map contains more than enough detail for nearly any type of rendering, animation or analysis. Details as small as individual hairs and the fine print on packaging are discernable. The color texture map digitized is valuable in anthropometry, animation, and industrial design. The 3030 HRC scans 4 million RGB pixels to produce a 2000 pixel image. A pitch of 165 pixels per inch is realized. This compares with the 250,000 pixels and a 40 pixels per inch pitch of the 3030 RGB scanner.
When the scanner is used in the typical application of scanning the human head a complete scan can be accomplished in under 20 seconds. The geometry map of the surface is essentially identical to that provided by the 3030 RGB Scanners. An invisible infrared laser of 780nm wavelength is used in place of the usual orange-red 632nm laser. The same safety classification is attained. The high geometry resolution of the standard 3030 product line is retained. The color texture map of the 3030 HRC has approximately four pixels for each vertex of the geometry.
A self-contained light source illuminates the surface with cold white light. Cold light has the infrared portion of the spectrum removed with special mirrors. This and a special filter on the geometry camera prevents the white light from interfering with the process of measuring geometry. Likewise the laser is infrared and the color video camera is fitted with a filter that blocks infrared light. This enables both color digitizing and geometry digitizing to occur simultaneously.

Catco Digital Scanner.
Based on new techniques of detection, the Catco Company has developed a complete system to scan the territory, determine the amount of complexity desired, rebuild 3D models to help virtual tools to be built, and to make possible a 3D gallery of the Cultural Heritage. (Someone from the Catco Co., France)

Hyscan 3Dscanner
Hymarc's Hyscan, is a high performance 3D scanning laser digitizer which rapidly acquires XYZ data points from any any complex free-form surface. Based on unique and patented synchronized scanning technology originally developed by the+ National Research Council of Canada., Hyscan systems outperform other 3D digitizing systems in terms of speed, accuracy and flexibility. Hyscan systems map surface information in a continuous high speed non-contact fashion with +/- 0.001" (+/0.025mm) precision accuracy, which satisfy demanding applications such as reverse engineering, design, rapid prototyping, and inspection.
The Hyscan scanning probe is designed to fit to any Coordinate Measuring Machine (CMM), Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC) Machine, or other translation device. The integrated design yields a powerful yet user friendly system which can be quickly and easily interchanged with existing probes or tools.
The Hymarc Colorscan Laser Digitizer is an enhanced version of the Hyscan 45C, which uses a trichromatic laser to measure color as well as distance. The raw RGB components for each digitized point are extracted, providing a realistic color preview during acquisition. To compute true color, a calibration post-process is applied.
All Hyscan products share a common user interface, XHyscan, developed for the X window system. The interface features a three dimensional graphical display of collected data points, with interactive modeling commands controlled by mouse, or optional spaceball, input.

Laser Camera (Remote Access and Display of 3D Colour Images)
The National Research Council of Canada (NRC), in collaboration with the Canadian Conservation Institute (CCI), has developed and patended a laser scanner imaging system for the rapid and high resolution three dimensional digital recording of museum and cultural objects in colour. This technology enables high quality 3D images of museum objects to be recordered and displayed in detail with excellent colour reproduction. The objects can be interactively rotated and viewed from any angle and magnified or reduced in scale. Using stereo viewing equipment, the objects can be examined in stereo with a realistic perception depth. The compact data file size facilitates convenient data trasmission to remote virtual museum and educational sites using standard communications links.
It enables accurate high resolution archival quality digital records of the shape, colour and dimensions of important objects to be made which will be compatible with the higher definition display and communications systems of the future. Consequently, the collections will not have to be re-recorded as these new technologies became available. Once recorded, the image data can be used for a wide variety of museum activities including research, scholarship, conservation, publication, reproduction, insurance and repatriation applications. Museums will be able to generate revenue from royalties for the use of images for display and reproduction. To reduce the increasingly high costs of insurance and shipping associated with loaning objects for exhibitions, museums will be able to prepare "virtual museum exhibitions" to display their collections to much larger audiences. It is also anticipated that this application will result in increased revenues from cultural tourism. Visitors will want to visit the museum to see the actual objects.
A similar application has been developed care of ISPG (Image and Sound Processing Group) of Electronic & Information Department of Politecnico di Milano. One of the first test of this application was the digital 3D reconstruction of the "Teatro Romano" of Aosta.

VASARI Scanner
VASARI has led to European leadership in the field of very high quality imaging for Museums. Main results can be identified as follows:

Imation Raptor
(To be written)

Data Storage

CD-ROMs
CD-ROMs and wide area networks might be the most important repositories for multimedia data.
CD-ROMs are extremely cheap, especially when produced in great numbers. The CD-ROM readers are continuously dropping in price as well. CD-ROMs can easily be distributed and handled, and one of them can take a substantial amount of data (650 Mbytes). Their main problem is their data rate, which lies between 150 Kbytes/sec and 900 Kbytes/sec, with 300 Kbytes/sec being the standard value today. This is sometimes not enough; e. g., for movies that are to be decoded without special hardware. Many of these problems might fade within the next few years with new CD-ROMs (with more capacity) and new, faster CD-ROM readers being developed.
What makes the use of wide area networks (like the Internet) for information systems so attractive is the possibility to access up-to-date information, but also the special way freely accessible information is managed there in a distributed fashion. The main problems of the Internet are the low bandwidth, the lack of guaranteed bandwidth, and the transmission fee that has to be paid continuously. With new technologies like ATM being implemented, the bandwidth problem might become smaller, but prices will not.
Hard disks are fast enough, but they are more expensive; and, of course, they are no transport medium. However, many of the problems can actually be solved by combining different media. In fact, this is done today when caching CD-ROM or network data on hard disk. Another scenario that could prove useful in many applications is to have bulky data of a certain information system on a CD-ROM with actual data being retrieved directly from the net.
Some reference multimedia titles are available from the following companies: Infobyte, Cryo, Monparnasse Multimedia, Fratelli Carraro, DK Multimedia, Microsoft

 

Imation Data Storage Products
A world-wide leader in the imaging and information industry, Imation is built upon core values of imagination and innovation, it is a combination of products, systems and services to create customer-based solutions for the handling, storage, transmission and use of information to a broad range of customers.
Imation is the world's leading supplier of branded removable data storage media for digital applications. Imation's magnetic and optical data storage media are market leaders in a number of data storage applications, including backup and restore near-line, archival and secondary data storage, data transfer, software distribution and large-file management.
Engineered and manufactured in some of the industry's most advanced laboratories and factories, Imation's data storage products have been recognized for high quality and reliability in numerous user surveys. Among its key assets are co-development relationships with industry leaders .
Optical Media: Strengthening its broad-based CD-ROM business, 3M entered the optical PD market with the launch of its 650 MB PD650 rewritable optical disk in late 1995. In addition to PD disks, PD drives can read 1X, 2X and quad-speed CD-ROM disks. PD is a new optical technology that eliminates the need for separate data storage drives and CD-ROM drives in PCs. Imation expects to play a significant role in the development of dual-layer optical technology, a next-generation CD format with significant market potential for future information storage applications.

SuperDisk Diskettes and Drives.
With LS-120 technology, these products offer a new way to store and transport large files and keep hard drive free. SuperDisk technology offers five important advantages over conventional floppy diskettes and other high-capacity, removable storage solutions.

Each SuperDisk Diskette holds up to 120MB. That's the equivalent of 83 regular floppy diskettes. Plus, SuperDisk Diskettes are available at a lower cost per megabyte than many other high-capacity, removable solutions. SuperDisk is the only high-capacity, removable storage solution that reads and writes SuperDisk Diskettes, as well as standard 3.5" high-density and double-density diskettes. SuperDisk Diskettes look and feel just like the standard floppy diskettes you use today. They're just as reliable, and they work the same way-with drag-and-drop simplicity. No matter what kind of system user has, installation is smooth. Plus, there are no new procedures to learn so user can start taking advantage of SuperDisk immediately.

Installing SuperDisk Accelerator software to improve performance even more, user can achieve speeds comparable to a hard disk drive. SuperDisk LS-120 technology was developed to replace the 1.44MB drive by a group of global manufacturers-(including Compaq, Gateway and NEC) not a single company. So, it can become a long-term solution for immediate needs.

Quality Film Products
With Imation film products, retailers can offer quality at value prices and consumers can choose the exceptional value Imation store brand photo products with confidence. Imation films consistently have been rated among the top films by various photography magazines. Confirming that the quality is comparable to that of nationally advertised brands, a consumer magazine recently said that, among the major color film manufacturers, all films are so similar, consumers might as well buy the best value film.
Imation's Advanced Technology Generation (ATG) films, first introduced in 1992, brought high-efficiency emulsions that increased exposure latitude to a seven-stop range, from -2 to +4. The ATG films also featured enhanced developer inhibitor release (DIR) couplers for more accurate color reproduction. They offered compatibility both with the brand leader and among the various film speeds, thus improving the ease of development and the finished overall quality of prints.
Imation's next generation of color print film, the HP (High Precision) line, was introduced in 1996 in the 400 speed; the 200 speed will be available in spring of 1997. Imation's new HP line offers:

 

DVDs
The DVD looks a lot like its predecessor, the Compact Disk. But the similarity is deceptive. In terms of the possibilities it opens up, the DVD is out on its own. A basic Single Sided Single Layer DVD holds 4.7 GB of data, or as much as 7 CDs. While DVD drives operate at an extremely high data transfer rate. A major force behind the DVD’s development private companies has played a central role in estaglishing the world standard de-facto, unified format and file structure that ensures the mutual compatibility of all DVD disc types for video, audio and computer use. With unrivaled specifications that make it ideal for AV, multimedia and PC data applications, the DVD is uniquely positioned to satisfy the wide-ranging demands of the movie, music and computer industries as well as from publishers, educators, businesses and individuals. And for this reason, the DVD is destined to be the mainstream optical disc of the future.

Art Gallery and Museums Information Systems
Wide-ranging multimedia information on works of art at galleries and museums can be stored on DVD-ROM and accessed via information systems that combine a DVD-ROM charger with one or more information terminals. Likewise library systems consisting of a DVD-R charger and information input terminals allow versatile management of information.
Kiosk Terminal Information Centers
DVD-ROM drive-equipped kiosk terminals are suitable for a wide range of public-use information systems including AV software store information systems, resort area visitors, museums and galleries.
Education
The DVD format is set to revolution school, college and adult education. Students can pursue individual learning via interactive courses that make available vast amounts of information at the touch of a mouse, and the DVD’s multi-language capabilities make it an ideal medium for foreign language study and multi-language education.

 

Data Navigation

Fakespace BOOM
Fakespace developed the first BOOM (Binocular Omni-Orientation Monitor) in 1988 and has created a family of tools designed to optimize the way users interact with data. They are effective tools for interaction with virtual environments or specialized consulting to design new applications for "virtual reality".
Three models of BOOM interactive stereo viewers are available: a monochrome BOOM 2, a two primary color (16-bit color) BOOM 2C, and the full color BOOM 3C. All three models are high-resolution, 1280x1024 stereo displays. The actual resolution depends on the capabilities of the host display driver hardware, which must sequentially drive each primary color. Stereo optics are available in spherical wide-angle and flat medium field focal lengths.
A full-color head-coupled stereoscopic display, the BOOM3C provides high-quality visual displays and tracking integrated with a counterbalanced articulated arm for full six-degree freedom of motion (x, y, z, roll, pitch, yaw).
The Fakespace Simulation System provides the same high-quality display, tracking, and range of motion as the BOOM3C and can be used in either a hand-held or hands-free configuration. The hands-free configuration allows users to incorporate gloves or other interaction devices for controlling the virtual environment.
The MEDVIEW is a custom version for the BOOM optimized for medical applicatons. It provides special viewing optics and a locking structure option. The PUSH desktop display provides the BOOM quality high-resolution color graphics and tracking accuracy in a desktop unit for individual use. Built on a compliant desktop support structure, the PUSH features an easily-mastered, intuitive method for controlling full six-degree of freedom movement in the virtual environment.
The ISV Display (Immersive Stereo Viewer) supports 3D stereo viewing in a low cost static structure for use as a repeat monitor. The ISV Display is available in OEM quantities only. The PINCH glove system provides a reliable and low-cost method of recognizing natural gestures. Recognizable gestures have natrual meaning to the user: a pinching gesture can be used to grab a virtual object, and a finger snap between the middle finger and thumb can be used to initiate an action. The FSConvert family of scan converters drives Fakespace displays from a wide range of input signal types. The MOLLY is a three-degree of freedom motion platform system for telepresence and remote sensing applications. The VLIB (Virtual Interface Library) software is a set of routines that simplify interfacing your favorite applications to Fakespace systems. VLIB software routines are incorporated in many currently available 3rd-party applications used for modeling, simulation, and CAD/CAM.

Custom devices
Custom devices are, till now, used very often to set up specific applications in the field of cultural heritage. This specially happens in IVR simulators as showed by Infobyte and De Pinky experiences.

 

Data Visualisation

BOOM Fake Space
(see above)

Stereo Video Beams
This equipment will be useful for Visio Rooms and 3D theatres.

CAVE
CAVE systems are rooms with three or more rear projection walls. The wallprojection, together with the cover and floorprojection gives the operator a compleate 3D image. This virtual environment will be used in different industries. With an electromagnetic tracking-system the position of the operator will be checked and 3D-picture will be adjusted to the viewing angle of the operator. No metallic material is used for the walls and for the projector-inclinings to eliminate the electromagnetic influences to the tracking system.

IMAX Theater
The Experience IMAX motion picture systems, are the finest motion picture systems in the world. Images of unsurpassed size, clarity and impact, enhanced by a superb specially designed six-channel, multi-speaker sound system, are projected onto giant rectangular screens up to eight stories high, in the case of IMAX, and, in the case of IMAX DOME®, onto domes as large as 88 feet, five inches (27 meters) in diameter.
With IMAX the users are completely surrounded by a 79 foot domed screen. Images are larger than life, the colors more vivid, the sound crisper. In an IMAX theater, they can explore outer space, the Grand Canyon, or the inside of an active volcano without leaving their seat. The IMAX experience is based on the largest film frame in motion picture history, giant screens, superb six-channel digital sound, incredible projectors, and specially designed theaters. The IMAX sound system is scientifically measured and balanced so that each seat receives the highest fidelity sound reproduction. More than 250 film titles are now available in IMAX format, and approximately 150 IMAX theaters are operating or under construction around the world.

The film image is ten times larger than a conventional 35 mm frame. The sheer size, combined with the unique IMAX projection technology, is the key to the extraordinary sharpness and clarity of IMAX films.
IMAX projectors are the most advanced, highest-precision and most powerful projectors ever built. The key to their superior performance and reliability is the unique "Rolling Loop" film movement. The Rolling Loop, adapted and enhanced by IMAX, advances the film horizontally in a smooth, wave-like motion. During projection, each frame is positioned on fixed registration pins, and the film is held firmly against the rear element of the lens by a vacuum. As a result, the picture and focus steadiness are far above normal standards.

Sound is critical to this experience. The IMAX six-channel, high-fidelity motion picture sound system, with sub-bass, provides the audio complement for the strong visual effects of IMAX 3D films.
The Sonics Proportional Point Source Loudspeaker system, specifically designed for IMAX theaters, eliminates variations in volume and sound quality over the theater seating area. This allows all members of the audience to experience superb sound quality regardless of where they may be seated.

Easy Guide
The EASY GUIDE System, an interactive audio guide system that achieves the long-desired marriage between art and advanced technology, was developed by ColourArt in Rome, Italy, a company that for more than ten years has been involved in the development of technology for creative communication.
EASY GUIDE is the first completely interactive audio guide: the answer for the request of information in museum from person all over the world. It provides users with the ability to obtain information in virtually any language.
It is virtually indestructible, totally portable, has no moving parts, and is as easy to use as the channel "clicker" on a television set, moving with the user, going wherever he or she wishes, and makes a record of the user’s interests and attention level.
EASY GUIDE has a virtually unlimited memory, so that it can manage information on an infinite number of objects in any language, and communicate with all users simultaneously.
The system operator can add new information in a matter of second, without disturbing the information already available and does not require any specialized expertise, either by users or the operator, the system itself is extremely user-friendly. Setup and maintenance are quick, easy, and inexpensive. Operator has the ability to monitor the security system in real time
EASY GUIDE uses state-of-the-art infrared transmission technology to send information from a computer hard disk to the remote hand units. Four minutes of audio can be transmitted in few seconds. Since most museum audio last about one minute, the transmission time for most user requests is only one second.
An EG Rent used to manage the rental of the remote handsets, oversees and manages the peripheral points that contain the information for the users.This information is sent by infrared transmission to the user’s handset.
The entire system is normally linked together by cable, but a cable-free system can be set up.
The user has complete control, and requests information by aiming his handset at a "EG Point" and entering the number of the object he wants to know about.
The "EG Point" then tells the central system which language the user speaks, and relays the information back to the user in a second or two.
Once the user has downloaded the information, the handset acts as if it had a tape inside. The audio information can be fast forwarded, rewound, played, paused, etc.

Contact
http://www.italianmuseum.com
colourart@italianmuseum.com

 

Software - State of art

 

Databases
Products for prototype and distributed data entry: MS ACCESS, for pilot implementation: SQL SERVER - ORACLE. Other interesting applications are object database software.

Oracle
Oracle Server Technologies offers unparalleled flexibility to support all the data. By delivering integrated support for both relational and multimedia information, they also open up opportunities for a new generation of applications that combine many different types of data, including video, audio, text, and spatial, as well as structured data. And Oracle's universal data servers can integrate and deliver all this data to all users, and do so faster and more cost-effective than ever before.
As a key component of Network Computing Architecture, Oracle8 is designed to support all of a customer's users and data, providing a high-speed and cost-effective system for running business applications.
The success of the information technology industry is based upon growth and open standards. The age of Network Computing needs a product architecture that incorporates the best of the old and the best of the new, and provides a platform for easy product integration. Network Computing Architecture, Based on CORBA, IIOP, HTTP, and HTML, provides just that, and puts the power of choice into the hands of those building the system.
There is an Oracle's strategy for supporting Java in this innovative architecture. Though barely a year old, Java has captured more attention and resources within the development community in a shorter period of time than any other programming language. Java is the emerging standard for object-oriented programming in the Internet/intranet arena. Network Computing Architecture is widely accepted as the industry's first open, extensible, and safe framework for network computing. Network Computing Architecture offers customers a unifying framework that combines the rich functionality of client/server, the ease of deployment of the Internet, and the flexibility of object software. Oracle's strategy is to expand support for mission-critical Java applications across all three tiers of Network Computing Architecture, as well as provide essential management tools and development tools.

Ms SQL Server

Microsoft SQL Server 6.5 is a scalable, reliable, flexible and high-performance relational database management system for Microsoft Windows NT Server-based systems. Designed to meet the requirements of Enterprise client/server computing and the Internet, it is tightly integrated with the Microsoft BackOffice family of servers to enable organizations to improve decision making and streamline business processes. Its built-in data replication, powerful management tools, Internet integration, and open system architecture provide a superior platform for delivering cost-effective information solutions.
As businesses streamline processes and decentralize decision-making, they increasingly depend on technology to bring users and information together. To that end, organizations are turning to distributed computing as the bridge between data and informed business decisions.
Building on the success of Microsoft SQL Server 6.0, the first relational database management system (RDBMS) designed specifically for distributed client/server computing, Microsoft SQL Server 6.5 extends this tradition of superior performance, reliability, and scalability into new realms that satisfy today's business challenges.
A comprehensive distributed management framework lets administrators centrally manage all the database servers in the organization. With advanced graphical-based management tools and powerful server-based job scheduling, you have visual control over multiple servers and can automate remote operations for "lights-out" command of your distributed environment.
Enhanced, built-in data replication provides a powerful and reliable way to disseminate accurate information throughout your enterprise, not only across Microsoft SQL Server databases, but across ORACLE, IBM DB2, SYBASE, and other databases as well.
Designed with the Internet and intranet in mind, Microsoft SQL Server also provides high-performance access to information on your company's Web page. The new Web Assistant enables you to populate your Web server with SQL data through a variety of methods, allowing distribution of your company's data on a private intranet or worldwide on the Web.
Also new to SQL Server 6.5, the Distributed Transaction Coordinator makes distributed applications easier to create by automating the management of transactions across multiple servers, saving valuable time previously spent individually coding client applications. And now, locking is configurable between row-level and page-level, with automatic deadlock resolution. SQL Server 6.5 also meets the most demanding requirements for reliability, data integrity, and security by complying with industry standards such as ANSI, FIPS, and NIST. Many of these performance and reliability gains are achieved through close integration with the Microsoft Windows NT Server platform. And, as part of the Microsoft BackOffice family, Microsoft SQL Server 6.5 works with other BackOffice server applications for superior, integrated client/server solutions.

X-WORLD
X-WORLD is a complete innovation in the sector of data banks. It is a package which combines an object-oriented data bank with integrated system tools. X-WORLD opens new horizons in processing large quantities of data, offering the user revolutionary methods to quickly and economically create complex structures! The basis of X-WORLD is an empty data bank. But that's just the start; the program integrates a series of functions that enable the gradual evolution of the data bank according to the specific requirements of its user, and any form of data needed may be included to transform the data bank into a comprehensive information system.
It is exactly this feature that distinguishes X-WORLD from other data management systems offering similar solutions, because conventional information systems are based on relational data banks, in which all data is structured in tables.
In a rational data bank, data structures are pre-defined by programmers, and the data base can only be further expanded along pre-defined lines. The outcome can be nothing more than a static and rigid data structure. The smallest modification to the data base structure requires considerable programming abilities, and an expert in data bank structures. Meaning a great waste of time and money! For this reason conventional systems are only suited to represent static structures.
In the dynamics of the "real world", the content, nature and structure of information within a company changes continually along with new developments. Innovative and flexible tools are required to manage this data, tools which at all times are able to update the data structure according to new needs, minimizing time and costs involved. X-WORLD, at any time and in any situation, gives the user direct access and flexibility to transform the data structure. This enables the immediate modification to any specific requirement, and the possibility to restructure the data base according to the evolution of the data being processed. Large quantities and different types of data, from a vast range of application types can be handled with the object-oriented system. Any pre-existing files may be included in the structure of X-WORLD using relative import/export interfaces. Relationships between data can be created, thanks to simple links, and these relationships may be modified at any time. Thanks to freely-defined search functions, access to all data is possible at any time. And the integrated interfaces enable an exchange of information between X-WORLD and other systems (data banks).
X-WORLD is based on a object-oriented data bank, ObjectStore, and presents data to the user in such a way as to enable immediate use of the product without the need of specialist knowledge of data banks or, specific programming languages. Using the Windows graphic interface, which all users are familiar with, X-WORLD offers a series of data-entry windows and standard Windows commands, to recreate the "real world" in the X-WORLD data bank.
The concept is, above all, flexibility. The structure of X-WORLD is primarily oriented towards the information that it is analysing, and secondly the requirements that arise during the evolution of the project. Modification, integration, or entry of new information may be carried out organically, at any time and place.
X-WORLD crosses the traditional boundaries set by relational systems, and completely revolutionises the world of data bank organisation. The unique structure of X-WORLD meets the fundamental need to represent the "real world" in the most rapid and economic way possible. This is why X-WORLD can be applied to all sectors.
X-WORLD enables the fast and practical creation of one or more applications in an object-oriented environment on the basis of the object-oriented data bank, Object Store.

X-WORLD is a standard object-oriented system. This characteristic is evident in the programming of the main core of X-WORLD with C++, in Object Store, the data bank which constitutes its base, and in the data organization and structure of the specific "user shell". The core of X-WORLD is made up of objects, the containers of all information. Objects represent the real or abstract aspects of the real world, for example an event, procedure, object, person etc., and can be further defined by the user by assigning graphical or alphanumerically information.
The elements which may be used in X-WORLD for storage of information are units, sub-units, areas, people, single objects and links. Using as a base these elements, the user may build a personal structure and describe their own "world", from the most generalized aspects down to the smallest details. Similar object types can be grouped into classes or sub-classes and given a hierarchical structure. The user may adopt particular object-oriented system facilities, such as the heredity mechanism, to enable the passage of specific characteristics from classes to their sub-classes. the relationships between objects can be defined as required.

Although X-WORLD features all the power and complexity of an object-oriented data bank, it is as simple and as user-friendly as any standard Windows software. The Windows user will immediately feel at ease with the practical windows, clearly defined toolbar icons and the pull-down menus. It can be integrated into any pre-existing EDP set-up with the utmost of ease, because of its capacity to operate in conjunction with all the common Windows applications such as Excel, Winword, PowerPoint etc. In X-WORLD the user can assign Windows files to an object and thus make links without any data redundancy. If the computer is installed with the relative application, files may be displayed and modified if required. In addition to the graphic user interface, X-WORLD offers other typical advantages of Windows: the Drag & Drop capabilities, which can be used between all data bank views, from the object data bank to the internal system guide, and OLE (Object linking and embedding), a function which will be incorporated in the system in the near future.


TECNOPLAN SOFTWARE SYSTEM 
GmbH & Co KG 
  
Gibitzenhof Str. 58Tel. ++49 911 4249536
90443 NÜRNBERGFax ++49 911 411835
Germany 
  
Kreitmayrstr. 13aTel. ++49 89 5429001
80335 MÜNCHENFax ++49 89 54290011
GermanyE-mail: tecnoplan@ t-online.de


Jasmine
Object Technology is the foundation for all aspects of Jasmine. Its pure object database houses the entire spectrum of corporate data by assembling pictures and multimedia data alongside standard textual data.
Only a true object database can quickly store and retrieve today's complex datatypes efficiently. Hybrid systems that combine object and relational technologies sacrifice the underlying understanding of new complex datatypes like multimedia. This is because the hybrid systems were designed to handle straightforward textual data and cannot intelligently work with object-based data. And, because the initial design is object-oriented, good performance is just the beginning. It means easy integration with object programming languages like Java and C++. Additionally, Jasmine data can be accessed through C, and from any ActiveX application.
Class Libraries
Object class libraries (collections of precoded, pretested, error-free objects, and classes) are the building blocks for Jasmine applications. Once developed, these class libraries provide a reusable infrastructure that can be easily implemented and easily modified to meet the needs of the ever-changing business world. Class libraries can be developed in C, C++, the Jasmine object query language, or Java.
JADS —Jasmine Application Development System.
JADS inspires the same enthusiasm and creativity in developers that most writers felt at the introduction of the word processor. With drag-and-drop application development, JADS streamlines the creation of content-rich applications with interactive multimedia. Not only will applications assembled in JADS run in standalone and client/server environments, but they can be easily deployed on the Internet or corporate intranets or extranets. JADS' web plug-ins enable JADS applications to run without any coding changes through standard web browsers like Microsoft Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator.
JADS operates on a Windows workstation and provides easy-to-use tools for browsing and editing the classes and objects in the database, as well as creating and editing multimedia applications.
Computer Associates International Solutions.
Computer Associates International's information management strategy provides more than just a point solution. It integrates enterprise data that can be located at any corner of the globe, makes the data easy to manage, and makes it highly available.
By using the best gateway technology in the industry, this system leverages existing investments and adds harmony to the normally chaotic heterogeneous data sources within an enterprise. Moreover, bidirectional replication means that data will be where you need it, when you need it, and in the format you need it.
Computer Associates International provides the foundation classes for development from within Jasmine including class libraries for SQL access to relational systems, multimedia, and spatial data. Additional class libraries are provided by third-party developers.
The Jasmine Developer Edition allows clients, vendors, and service providers to quickly and easily integrate their own technology within the system. It includes all the tools needed to develop class libraries and full-blown Jasmine applications.


ObjectStore
ObjectStore is a high performance ODBMS designed for ease of use in development of sophisticated applications using object-oriented development techniques. It offers a tightly-integrated language interface to a complete set of traditional DBMS features including persistence, transaction management (concurrency control and recovery), distributed access, associative queries over large amounts of data, and database administration utilities.
ObjectStore's data management facilities combined with popular development tools create a high productivity development environment for implementing object-oriented applications.

Key Features:
-  Transparent interface designed for popular C and C++ programming environments.
-  Concurrent access to large amounts of persistent data.
-  Distribution of objects over networks using a variety of popular network protocols.
-  Access to persistent data at the same speed as transient data.
-  Extensible data modeling capabilities for applications requiring complex data structures.
-  Easy migration path for existing C and C++ applications.
-  Class libraries for version and configuration management.
-  Class libraries for managing collections of objects.
-  A fully distributed (multi-server/multi-database) ad hoc query capability.
-  An interactive Browser to inspect objects and object descriptions.
-  Interoperable with ObjectStore servers running on other operating systems and hardware environments.
-  Complete schema evolution for an application's metadata and existing object instances.
-  Full online backup for continuous processing environments.
-  Meta object protocol with programmatic access to schema information.
-  Dynamic Type creation for extending existing class definitions during program execution.

System View
ObjectStore supports cooperative access through its flexible client/server software architecture, which allows users to make the take advantage of the computational power that exists on the desktop. ObjectStore's client/server implementation allows one server to support many client workstations, each workstation to simultaneously access multiple databases on many servers, and a server to be resident on the same machine as a client. ObjectStore's distributed architecture supports several network environments for interoperability among popular workstations and PC's and includes support for TCP/IP, Novell IPX/SPX, other popular network protocols.

Application Interface
Access to ObjectStore is provided through a library based application interface compatible with popular C and C++ compilers and programming environments. The ObjectStore application interface provides support for C++ compilers -- such as those from workstation suppliers -- and development environments from independent software vendors such as Visual C++ from Microsoft, ObjectCenter from CenterLine Software, Inc.and Energize from Lucid, Inc. The application interface provides powerful high-level function calls which enable the programmer to create multi-user application which share large amounts of data.These functions include:
-  Relationship Management
-  Version Management
-  Collection Management
-  Storage Management
-  Associative Queries
-  Object Iteration
-  Transaction Management
-  Index Management
-  Clustering
Applications developed using ObjectStore library calls are source-level compatible with ObjectStore applications developed for other operating systems on other hardware platforms.

ObjectStore is available on the following major platforms:
The Company
Object Design, Inc.
25 Mall Road Tel:(617) 674-5179 / (617) 674-5000
Burlington, MA 01803 Fax:(617) 674-5010
U.S.A. Email: info@odi.com
   
Web: http://www.odi.com Ftp: ftp.odi.com


O2 Fujitsu
(To be written)



Hypertexts & Hypermedia
Client-server and modular database architectures have provided diverse opportunities for the development of interfaces and data presentation software., especially the exploitation of open solutions for terminal-side processing, notably Java applets and scripts compliant to the ECMA-262 industry standard (ECMAScript). Recent improvement on dynamic presentations offered by the new specifications of HTML 4.0, CSS2 (style sheets) and VRML 2.0, have assisted in the evolution of an open multimedia presentation platform which is fully competitive with respect to proprietary solutions in terms of functionality and content quality. The delivery of real-time (streamed) audio-visual content, of great relevance and potential for museums applications, is also being experimented with on the Web, thanks to new W3C/IETF specifications such as SMIL (Synchronised Multimedia Integration Language).

For structured multimedia documents the usage of the international standards ISO 8879 Standard (SGML -Structured Generalized Markup Language), ISO 10744 Standard (HyTime - Hypermedia and Time based Structuring Language), ISO 10179 (DSSSL) for formatting specifications and different standards for graphical, video and audio data should be taken into account. Using these standards it is possible to separate structure, contents, layout and linking of document parts, which improves the development of a cultural heritage net in Europe. With SGML a structured way for supporting and developing the multilingual aspect can be given. HyTime can support the linking between different multimedia data formats and data base systems. Using SGML-based documents enables the usage of multiple presentation styles and different viewings onto the contents of a multimedia document. As an example the presentation style can differ for children, novices, or teachers, and the viewing and linking schema can be separated for beginners or advanced and expert users.

Regarding the WWW HTML as a special SGML-DTD is used for presenting information, GIF and JPEG are supported for presenting images. In the last time new efforts has been undertaken for separating format, structures and contents by developing a light version of DSSSL named DSSSL-O and XML (eXtensible Markup Language) which can manipulate parts of documents with or without DTD, enables the definition of multiple hyperlink types, supporting international languages (UNICODE) and simplifying parsing of instances. XML is based on SGML, Unicode (ISO 10646) - Standard 2.0 and the Uniform Resource Locators.

Client-server and modular database architectures have provided diverse opportunities for the development of interfaces and data presentation software., especially the exploitation of open solutions for terminal-side processing, notably Java applets and scripts compliant to the ECMA-262 industry standard (ECMAScript). Recent improvement on dynamic presentations offered by the new specifications of HTML 4.0, CSS2 (style sheets) and VRML 2.0, have assisted in the evolution of an open multimedia presentation platform which is fully competitive with respect to proprietary solutions in terms of functionality and content quality. The delivery of real-time (streamed) audio-visual content, of great relevance and potential for museums applications, is also being experimented with on the Web, thanks to new W3C/IETF specifications such as SMIL (Synchronised Multimedia Integration Language).

Web Sites:
 "HTTP - Hypertext Transfer Protocol", J. Gettys and H. F. Nielsen, W3C http://www.w3.org/pub/WWW/Protocols/
"HTML 3.2 Reference Specification", W3C Recommendation 14-Jan-1997, http://www.w3.org/pub/WWW/TR/
"HTML 4.0 Reference Specification", W3C Proposed Recommendation 14-November 1997, http://www.w3.org/pub/WWW/TR/
"The Common Gateway Interface", NCSA, RFC 1945
"Hypertext Transfer Protocol - HTTP/1.0", May 1996, http://hoohoo.ncsa.uiuc.edu/cgi/
"The WWW Common Gateway Interface Version 1.1", D.R.T. Robinson, University of Cambridge, Feb. 1996
"The building and maintenance of robot based internet search services: a review of current indexing and data collection methods", Koch, Ard, Brmmer, Lundberg, http://www.ub2.lu.se/desire/radar/reports/D3.11V0.3/index.html

 

Hypertext Markup Language Today
Hypertext markup language (HTML), the underlying language for creating Web pages, is a standard for delivering document-oriented content across the Internet. It is used by browsers and authoring tools on numerous operating systems.
But as a tool for delivering rich, interactive applications, HTML is limited. Even the most interactive and polished Web pages look dull, tame and functionally challenged compared to any of today’s top education or entertainment CD-ROM titles. Users notice the difference immediately. HTML does not allow developers to create equally appealing and interactive applications because it is essentially static. Any interactive feature of a page that, when activated, results in a significant change to the page’s appearance requires new HTML code from the server, that is, another round trip over the Internet. This repetitive server contact makes pages less responsive and taxes Web server resources.
HTML’s inability to accommodate large, dynamic changes to a page’s appearance limits it as a tool for creating front ends to business applications. A task as seemingly simple as creating a master detail order form is very difficult with static HTML. Such tasks are dramatically simpler with today’s client/server application development tools such as Delphi, Powerbuilder and the Visual Basic® programming system. HTML has another limitation: While it can express textual content, it can’t express multimedia capabilities such as positional control (moving objects in two dimensions), sprite effects, built-in visual transitions, audio mixing or inclusion of real-time interactive multimedia.

 

Introduction to Dynamic HTML
Dynamic HTML adds richer, more engaging user interfaces to the HTML presentation language, while also greatly reducing the workload of networks and servers. The object model provided by Dynamic HTML gives Web developers the ability to dynamically update the content, style and structure of Web-based content, while providing them with detailed control over the appearance, interactivity and multimedia elements required for a polished and exciting application. Developed in collaboration with the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), Dynamic HTML is a feature of Microsoft® Internet Explorer version 4.0.

Dynamic HTML extends HTML with an object model allowing scripts or programs to change styles and attributes of page elements (or objects) , or even to replace existing elements (or objects) with new ones. Other additions include multimedia and database features. Developed by Microsoft Corp. in collaboration with the W3C, Dynamic HTML adds the interactivity, database manipulation and extensibility needed for creating business applications, as well as the snap and polish needed for consumer-oriented applications.
Dynamic HTML allows developers and Web page designers to bring more creativity, control and sophistication to their Web sites. It increases the usefulness, attractiveness and enjoyment of the Web within current bandwidth limits, without requiring developers to abandon their current tools. Developers can use the HTML editors they use today and control the dynamic behavior of pages through the languages that they use today, such as JavaScript, Java™ and Visual Basic, Scripting Edition.
Developers have other options for adding dynamic behavior to their pages (such as writing custom embedded objects in Java, Visual Basic or C++). But these isolated regions of the page cannot take advantage of the rich layout, open formats and easy editing provided by Dynamic HTML. With Dynamic HTML, interactive behavior is fully integrated with the expressive power of HTML, and integrated directly into the browser’s page display. If custom embedded objects are necessary, they can be simpler because they leverage the power of Dynamic HTML. Many tasks that formerly required custom embedded objects can now be done with scripts.

Dynamic HTML is fully compatible with the W3C Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) Specification, making it compatible with current browsers and existing HTML pages.

 

Key Features
  • Dynamic HTML
 This exciting new technology enables the creation of totally interactive multimedia applications and allows better Web page manipulation and control via HTML and scripting. Dynamic HTML redefines the Web experience for developers and users because all HTML page elements are now exposed via an object model. This allows content authors to create rich Web pages that dynamically change the page display or content entirely on the client machine, without requiring a server resources. The specification for Dynamic HTML is currently in draft format with the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C).

These combined features enable page authors to dynamically change the style and attributes of elements, as well as insert, delete, or modify elements and their text even after a page has been loaded. Internet Explorer 4.0 automatically updates the page to reflect these changes, including reformatting it where necessary. Some of these features can be used without scripting, while others are exposed via an object model that can be accessed from scripts and other components within a page (for example., ActiveX controls, Java applets). The object model is a superset of, and is therefore backward compatible with, the JavaScript object model in Netscape Navigator 3.

 

Dynamic HTML and Standards
Dynamic HTML is a standards-based technology, enabling easy use in conjunction with today’s software, tools, browsers and other Internet components. Unlike other approaches, Dynamic HTML builds on and is completely consistent with the Cascading Style Sheets Specification recently ratified by the W3C consortium. Microsoft has submitted its object specification for HTML programming to the W3C for adoption as an open standard. Microsoft has been working closely with the W3C and will enhance future versions of Dynamic HTML and other Active Client technologies to conform to specifications recommended by the W3C.
Dynamic HTML pages can be extended by incorporating Java Applets or ActiveX™ Controls in Web pages, and can be scripted using VBScript, JavaScript or any other language that supports the ActiveX Scripting interface. Because of the open extensibility and the flexibility it provides, Microsoft is adopting Dynamic HTML across all of its tools and applications as its standard user-interface engine.

Dynamic Styles
Using Dynamic HTML, HTML authors can dynamically change the style of every HTML element in a document. Styles are specified as element attributes or via cascading stylesheets. The Dynamic HTML object model exposes every HTML element in the document, including its attributes and CSS properties. Using simple scripts, HTML authors can dynamically read and change the values of these attributes and CSS properties. For example, dynamic styles can be used to:

Dynamic HTML can dynamically change the style and content of a page at any time, even after it has been loaded. Internet Explorer 4.0 supports intelligent recalculation to only re-render the sections of the page that changed, including re-flowing text paragraphs as needed. For example, if list items are shown or hidden, Internet Explorer 4.0 dynamically adjusts the other related items, including renumbering them where appropriate.

Positioning
Dynamic HTML supports x-, y- and z-order positioning of HTML elements, as specified in the W3C Working Draft on Positioning HTML with Cascading Style Sheets. This capability allows Web page designers to place elements such as images, controls or text precisely on the page. By placing objects in different z-planes, Web page designers can also cause the objects to overlap, specifying which element should be on top of which.

With Dynamic HTML, not only can you continue to have text wrapping around images as you do today, but now when elements on a page are repositioned, the text will dynamically flow around those images naturally. Also, to create the look and feel that you want for the graphics on your pages, it's easy to layer images on top of each other. Instead of creating one big image file, Dynamic HTML enables authors to place multiple images wherever they want, including on top of one another.

By manipulating these coordinates and other dynamic styles using scripts, authors can move these elements around a page, thus animating the page. The combination of dynamic styles, positioning, transparent ActiveX controls, and transparent images present authors with a rich set of animation options.

Two-dimensional style layout functionality was first available from Microsoft using the HTML layout control in Internet Explorer 3.0. The syntax used by the layout control was previously submitted to the W3C. Since then, we have been actively working with the W3C to turn the syntax into an open proposal. This positioning functionality represents the evolution of that 2D functionality, the key difference being that Internet Explorer 4.0 uses native HTML and W3C proposed syntax.

Dynamic Content
In addition to changing the styles on a page, authors can also dynamically change the content of an HTML page. This capability can be used to insert or hide elements in a page, as well as to modify the text of individual elements. In essence, scripts can construct and alter the contents of a document at run time. For example, a script can scan the elements of a page and, using dynamic content, insert a table of contents at the beginning of the page. Furthermore, the table of contents can be made live, using links to bookmarks.

Unlike other browsers that restrict content changes to download time only, these changes can be made at any time, even after the entire document has been downloaded.

Filter, Transition, and Animation Controls
Dynamic HTML includes animation and multimedia controls that can be used to apply visual effects to elements in a page or to the entire page without scripting. These controls support filters, animation, and transitions. Transitions can be used for elements in a page or for transitions between pages.

Furthermore, these controls can take advantage of new multimedia and animation services delivered with Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0. ActiveX Control and Java developers can take advantage of these services to implement additional multimedia or animation effects.

Data Awareness
Many HTML pages are based on data, regardless of whether that data is stored in databases or files. Internet Explorer 4.0 incorporates several features to integrate data with native HTML elements. These features make HTML a better environment for displaying and collecting data. The data awareness features in Internet Explorer 4.0 include:

Dynamic HTML data awareness is implemented using an open architecture; within each data aware page is a data source object. A data source object is an invisible ActiveX control that knows how to communicate with a data source (such as a databaseDynamic HTML intrinsically understands how to bind HTML elements to fields in the data source control. Dynamic HTML will include three data source controls to access comma-delimited data in files, SQL data in Microsoft SQL Server™ and other open database connectivity (ODBC) sources, and Java database connectivity (JDBC) data sources. ActiveX Control and Java Applet developers can implement additional data source controls to communicate with other data sources

Dynamic HTML’s data awareness functionality provides a rich set of options for authors to use native HTML to enable users to manipulate and input data efficiently with minimal load on the server. The result is faster, richer, and more interactive pages.

Benefits of Dynamic HTML

Examples of Dynamic HTML Use
Dynamic HTML can be used in browsers, business productivity applications, "edutainment" titles and more. Examples include the following:
Business applications. Dynamic HTML makes the Internet a more powerful tool for business use. Dynamic forms (e.g., master detail order entry, sales tracking and analysis, and employee benefits) can respond to user input, recalculate on the fly, and obtain additional information in the background. With these new capabilities, Dynamic HTML becomes a viable application development language for creating client/server front ends for business applications.
Interactive documents. While the hyperlinking built into the HTML model aids user navigation of Web documents, documents delivered over the Internet and intranets are essentially confined to a page-by-page design metaphor. Dynamic HTML changes that by making it possible to create a more interactive document that responds instantly to user actions. Following are some examples of how interactive documents can be built using Dynamic HTML:
Dynamic expansion. When users conduct a typical Internet search, they receive a summary page that lists target Web sites. Obtaining additional information requires clicking on a listing and going back over the Internet in search of the Web page. With Dynamic HTML, search results pages can be programmed with scripts that provide a detailed synopsis of any listing when the mouse is passed over it, eliminating redundant fetches from the server.
Text effects. Hyperlinks or other text elements can change style based on mouse or keyboard actions. For example, to get the user to click a specific hyperlink, the designer could cause its font to grow (and an audio theme to grow louder) as the mouse pointer moves closer.
Table manipulation. Tabular data such as price lists and search results can be sorted, filtered and viewed using the built-in local database engine. This provides a more "live" experience of the document than conventional HTML.
Entertainment and education. Interactive entertainment and education Web sites can include animated characters that respond to user input by moving anywhere in a 2-D plane; they can also, through z-positioning and scalable graphics, appear to move in 3-D space. Audio, such as music or voice-overs, can fade in and out to correspond with the characters’ movements.

Benefits of Dynamic HTML
Dynamic HTML provides the following benefits:

More creative options using objects. Developers have more options for programming their pages creatively. The entire contents of the Web page are exposed as a collection of open, extensible, scriptable objects, regardless of the language used to program them. Dynamic HTML can capture and respond immediately to a user’s actions. Web page designers can make the page act as they need, with fewer limits imposed by HTML.
Rich multimedia and layout. Web site designers can use rich effects such as moving sprites, animated washes of color and texture across text fonts, dynamic multichannel audio mixing, font and screen transition effects (e.g., swipes and fades), vector graphics for scalable, low-bandwidth images, and x-, y- and z-order positioning. This last capability allows objects to move in a two-dimensional plane, as well as in front of or behind other objects ("2.5-D"), without going back across the Internet to the server for instructions.
Lower server load. Using Dynamic HTML, developers have the choice of creating dynamic content on the client or on the server, to optimize for the best user experience. When processing occurs on the client, no round trips need to occur, eliminating additional network traffic, latency and server load.
More snap. Users can interact with a Web page as though it were an application, without having to communicate with the Web server for each specific user interaction. Dynamic HTML content can modify itself on the fly in response to user actions, dynamically altering the appearance or content of the Web page. Data manipulation can occur locally, not on the server, resulting in less waiting for users.
Built-in database support. Using built-in data binding, Web designers can provide pages that organize data on the fly, interactively, on the client system and without requiring a round trip to the server. For example, a user can dynamically sort a list of stock quotations by price or by price/earnings ratio, without requiring complex Java programming or abandoning the display richness of HTML.
Open, cross-platform support. Dynamic HTML will be included in Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 and packaged as a no-cost component for all platforms supported by Active Client, including Windows®-, Macintosh- and UNIX-based systems. In addition, vendors of other applications, browsers or tools can incorporate Dynamic HTML technology seamlessly and royalty-free into their products and even extend the functionality to meet their specific needs.

 

Cascading Style Sheets, level 1 (CSS1)
On the Web, content providers do not have the control they have in print media over color, text indentation, positioning, and other aspects of style. A style sheet language offers a powerful and manageable way for authors, designers and typographers to create the rich visual effects. Also, readers may have special presentational needs that can be expressed in style sheets.

A style sheet language for the Web must:

Also, it must be possible to separate formatting properties from the language itself. This allows other applications to modify the presentation of a document through the document object model.

Today CSS-enhanced browsers have been developed by several Member companies, including Microsoft, Netscape and Silicon Graphics. It is now possible to write interoperable style sheets for the Web, but one will have carefully avoid unimplemented and partially implemented features. We expect this situation to improve rapidly throughout 1997.

Style sheets describe how documents are presented on screens, in print, or perhaps how they are pronounced. Style sheets are soon coming to a browser near you, and this page and its links will tell you all there is to know about style sheets.
By attaching style sheets to structured documents on the Web (e.g. HTML), authors and readers can influence the presentation of documents without sacrificing device-independence or adding new HTML tags.
Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) is a style sheet mechanism that has been specifically developed to meet the needs of Web designers and users. A CSS style sheet can set fonts, colors, white space and other presentational aspects of a document.

 

IEAK
Internet Explorer Administration Kit (IEAK) 4.0, has made it possible for companies to customize the functionality of IE 4.0, and administer its deployment throughout their organizations. IEAK 4.0 allows them to manage the deployment and use of Internet components on user desktops.
Companies that want to control how Internet Explorer 4.0 is implemented by their users will find that the Internet Explorer Administration Kit not only lets them control browser settings but also makes it very easy to distribute the application.

MOSAIC can benefit greatly by using Microsoft Internet Explorer Administration Kit (IEAK) 4.0 to customize, deploy, and maintain Internet Explorer 4.0 from a central location:

Using the IEAK, MOSAIC developers can create a version of Internet Explorer 4.0 that includes a custom dial-up experience, plus they can bundle their own custom software with the browser suite. The IEAK also enables them to easily brand the browser and dialer software if that's part of the offering. Integration of the Internet Connection Manager in the IEAK 4.0 enables to import a custom profile built with the Connection Manager Administration Kit.
Here are some of the ways a developer can customize Internet Explorer 4.0 and the Outlook Express e-mail client: Flexible Deployment of Internet Explorer 4.0: The IEAK provides the broadest range of deployment and distribution options possible. Using the IEAK Customization Wizard, MOSAIC can choose to deploy Internet Explorer 4.0 over the following media:
Online distribution via the Internet or an intranet
CD-ROM
E-mail
Microsoft Systems Management Server
Floppy disk: The single floppy disk option provides a cost-effective means of distributing a customized setup engine that initiates the Active Setup process and points to the appropriate download software server.
The IEAK Wizard simplifies the process A wizard included in the IEAK produces self-installing files that can be placed on floppy disks, CD-ROMs, or available over a network. The CD-ROM version also includes the popular Microsoft Office Internet Assistants, Viewers, and the VRML add-on.
Internet Sign-up Server helps you add new customers The Internet Sign-up Server (ISS) is a Hypertext Transfer Protocol server that automates the task of adding new customers to customer database. The ISS uses an HTML interface to collect information from each new customer and adds that information to a defined database, then sending a configuration packet back to the customer's PC. The configuration packet contains information about configuration and branding, as well as a defined dial-up phone number. This information is used to configure the customer's Internet browser for subsequent connection to MOSAIC services.


ActiveX and ASP
ASP technology provides an open, compilation-free environment in which are combined HTML, scripts, and ActiveX Server Components to create dynamic Web pages. ActiveX Server Components can be developed in almost any language, including Java and Microsoft Visual Basic. Furthermore, using ASP is possible to create powerful Web pages by simply adding on-line scripting to any HTML page. Scripts and components included in ASP files are processed completely on the server. The page delivered to client is standard HTML format file. ASP uses ActiveX server components running on a local server to access database and applications, and to process information. Internet Information Server (IIS) 3.0 ships with a core set of components, including the Active Data Object (ADO), which provides easy access to any OLE/DB or ODBC-compatible data source. ASP provides the access to all HTTP server variables, including browser type and referring page, in order to develop pages that are customised for each user.


Java
Java was developed as a response to problems programming in C++. It is intended to be a programming language.
Although it can be used to write stand-alone applications, the concept of "applets," or little programs, which could be included with HTML documents and distributed over the Internet caught on, and led to the development of HotJava, Java-capable browsers as Netscape Navigator and Microsoft Internet Explorer.
Java-capable browser, once it sees any of these APP tags, will download the code for the program described therein, and attempt to compile and run it on the client's machine.



JavaScript
JavaScript is a compact, object-based scripting language for developing client and server Internet applications. The browser interprets JavaScript statements embedded in an HTML page, and LiveWire enables to create server-based applications similar to Common Gateway Interface (CGI) programs.
JavaScript and Java are similar in some ways but fundamentally different in others. The JavaScript language resembles Java but does not have Java's static typing and strong type checking. JavaScript supports most Java expression syntax and basic control-flow constructs. In contrast to Java's compile-time system of classes built by declarations, JavaScript supports a runtime system based on a small number of data types representing numeric, Boolean, and string values. JavaScript has a simple, instance-based object model that still provides significant capabilities. JavaScript also supports functions without any special declarative requirements. Functions can be properties of objects, executing as loosely typed methods. Java is an object-oriented programming language designed for fast execution and type safety. Type safety means, for instance, that you can't cast a Java integer into an object reference or access private memory by corrupting Java bytecodes. Java's object-oriented model means that programs consist exclusively of classes and their methods. Java's class inheritance and strong typing generally require tightly coupled object hierarchies. These requirements make Java programming more complex than JavaScript authoring.
In contrast, JavaScript descends in spirit from a line of smaller, dynamically typed languages like HyperTalk and dBASE. These scripting languages offer programming tools to a much wider audience because of their easier syntax, specialized built-in functionality, and minimal requirements for object creation.

JavaScriptJava
Interpreted (not compiled) by client.Compiled bytecodes downloaded from server, executed on client.
Object-based. Uses built-in, extensible objects, but no classes or inheritance.Object-oriented. Applets consist of object classes with inheritance.
Code integrated with, and embedded in, HTML.Applets distinct from HTML (accessed from HTML pages).
Variable data types not declared (loose typing).Variable data types must be declared (strong typing).
Dynamic binding. Object references checked at runtime.Static binding. Object references must exist at compile-time.
Cannot automatically write to hard disk.Cannot automatically write to hard disk.

Graphics for Internet

Image Format Standards

Image format standards define ways of capturing, storing and compressing digital images. There are a large number of formats available for carrying out each of these functions. The following formal standards are available for bitmapped images:

Levels of resolution and compression used in specific applications tends to be application-specific; also hard- and software developments are enabling the creation, use and storage of ever higher quality images. This means that it is not advisable to recommend resolution and compression levels in this context.

 

MPEG-2

At a meeting hosted in New York by Columbia University, the Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) completed definition of MPEG-2 Video, MPEG-2 Audio, and MPEG-2 Systems.
MPEG-1 was optimized for CD-ROM or applications at about 1.5 Mbit/sec. Video was strictly non-interlaced (i.e. progressive). The international co-operation had executed so well for MPEG-1, that the committee began to address applications at broadcast TV sample rates using the CCIR-601 recommendation (720 samples/line by 480 lines per frame by 30 frames per second... or about 15.2 million samples/sec including chroma) as the reference.
Unfortunately, today's TV scanning pattern is interlaced. This introduces a duality in block coding: do local redundancy areas (blocks) exist exclusively in a field or a frame... (or a particle or wave) ? The answer of course is that some blocks are one or the other at different times, depending on motion activity.
The additional man years of experimentation and implementation between MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 improved the method of block-based transform coding.
MPEG is developing the MPEG-2 Video Standard, which specifies the coded bit stream for high-quality digital video. As a compatible extension, MPEG-2 Video builds on the completed MPEG-1 Video Standard (ISO/IEC IS 11172-2), by supporting interlaced video formats and a number of other advanced features, including features to support HDTV.
As a generic International Standard, MPEG-2 Video is being defined in terms of extensible profiles, each of which will support the features needed by an important class of applications. At the March MPEG meeting in Sydney, the MPEG-2 Main Profile was defined to support digital video transmission in the range of about 2 to 15 Mbits/sec over cable, satellite, and other broadcast channels, as well as for Digital Storage Media (DSM) and other communications applications. Building on this success at the New York meeting, MPEG experts from participating countries in Asia, Australia, Europe, and North America further defined parameters of the Main Profile and Simple Profile suitable for supporting HDTV formats.
MPEG experts also extended the features of the Main Profile by defining a hierarchical/scalable profile. This profile aims to support applications such as compatible terrestrial TV/HDTV, packet-network video systems, backward-compatibility with existing standards (MPEG-1 and H.261), and other applications for which multi-level coding is required. For example, such a system could give the consumer the option of using either a small portable receiver to decode standard definition TV, or a larger fixed receiver to decode HDTV from the same broadcast signal.
The technical definition of MPEG-2 Video has been completed. This was a critical milestone, and shows that MPEG-2 Video is on schedule for a Committee Draft in November 1993.

The scalable modes of MPEG-2
Scalable video is permitted only in the Main+ and Next profiles. Currently, there are four scalable modes in the MPEG-2 toolkit. These modes break MPEG-2 video into different layers (base, middle, and high layers) mostly for purposes of prioritizing video data. For example, the high priority channel (bitstream) can be coded with a combination of extra error correction information and decreased bit error (i.e. higher Carrier-to-Noise ratio or signal strength) than the lower priority channel.
Another purpose of scalability is complexity division. For example, in HDTV, the high priority bitstream (720 x 480) can be decoded under noise conditions were the lower priority (1440 x 960) cannot. This is "graceful" degradation. By the same division however, a standard TV set need only decode the 720 x 480 channel, thus requiring a less expensive decoder than a TV set wishing to display 1440 x 960. This is simulcasting.
A brief summary of the MPEG-2 video scalability modes:

Useful in simulcasting, and for feasible software decoding of the lower resolution, base layer. This spatial domain method codes a base layer at lower sampling dimensions (i.e. "resolution") than the upper layers. The upsampled reconstructed lower (base) layers are then used as prediction for the higher layers. Similar to JPEG's frequency progressive mode, only the slice layer indicates the maximum number of block transform coefficients contained in the particular bitstream (known as the "priority break point"). Data partitioning is a frequency domain method that breaks the block of 64 quantized transform coefficients into two bitstreams. The first, higher priority bitstream contains the more critical lower frequency coefficients and side informations (such as DC values, motion vectors). The second, lower priority bitstream carries higher frequency AC data. Similar to the point transform in JPEG, SNR scalability is a spatial domain method where channels are coded at identical sample rates, but with differing picture quality (through quantization step sizes). The higher priority bitstream contains base layer data that can be added to a lower priority refinement layer to construct a higher quality picture. A temporal domain method useful in, e.g., stereoscopic video. The first, higher priority bitstreams codes video at a lower frame rate, and the intermediate frames can be coded in a second bitstream using the first bitstream reconstruction as prediction. In stereoscopic vision, for example, the left video channel can be prediction from the right channel.
Other scalability modes were experimented with in MPEG-2 video (such as Frequency Scalability), but were eventually dropped in favor of methods that demonstrated similar quality and greater simplicity.

MPEG-2 AUDIO
MPEG is developing the MPEG-2 Audio Standard for low bitrate coding of multichannel audio. MPEG-2 Audio coding will supply up to five full bandwidth channels (left, right, center, and two surround channels), plus an additional low frequency enhancement channel, and/or up to seven commentary/multilingual channels. The MPEG-2 Audio Standard will also extend the stereo and mono coding of the MPEG-1 Audio Standard (ISO/IEC IS 11172-3) to half sampling-rates (16 kHz, 22.05 kHz, and 24 kHz), for improved quality for bitrates at or below 64 kbits/s, per channel.
MPEG produced an updated version of the MPEG-2 Audio Working Draft, and is on track for achieving a Committee Draft specification by the November MPEG meeting.
The MPEG-2 Audio multichannel coding Standard will provide backward-compatibility with the existing MPEG-1 Audio Standard (ISO/IEC IS 11172-3). Together with ITU-RS, MPEG is organizing formal subjective testing of the proposed MPEG-2 multichannel audio codecs and up to three non-backward-compatible (NBC) codecs. The NBC codecs are included in order to determine whether an NBC mode should be introduced as an addendum to the standard. If the results show clear evidence that an NBC mode improves the performance, a formal call for NBC proposals will be issued by MPEG, with a view to incorporate these features in the audio syntax.
MPEG-2 audio attempts to maintain as much compatibility with MPEG-1 audio syntax as possible, while adding discrete surround-sound channels to the original MPEG-1 limit of 2 channels (Left, Right or matrix center and difference). The main channels (Left, Right) in MPEG-2 audio will remain backwards compatible, whereas new coding methods and syntax will be used for the surround channels.
A total of 5.1 channels are included that consist of the two main channels (L,R), two side/rear, center, and a 100 Hz special effects channel (hence the ".1" in "5.1").
At this time, non-backwards compatible (NBC) schemes are being considered as an ammedment to the MPEG-2 audio standard. One such popular system is Dolby AC-3.

MPEG-2 SYSTEMS
MPEG is developing the MPEG-2 Systems Standard to specify coding formats for multiplexing audio, video, and other data into a form suitable for transmission or storage. There are two data stream formats defined: the Transport Stream, which can carry multiple programs simultaneously, and which is optimized for use in applications where data loss may be likely, and the Program stream, which is optimized for multimedia applications, for performing systems processing in software, and for MPEG-1 compatibility.
Both streams are designed to support a large number of known and anticipated applications, and they retain a significant amount of flexibility such as may be required for such applications, while providing interoperability between different device implementations. The Transport Stream is well suited for transmission of digital television and video telephony over fiber, satellite, cable, ISDN, ATM, and other networks, and also for storage on digital video tape and other devices. It is expected to find widespread use for such applications in the very near future.
The Program Stream is similar to the MPEG-1 Systems standard (ISO/IEC 11172-1). It includes extensions to support new and future applications. Both the Transport Stream and Program Stream are built on a common Packetized Elementary Stream packet structure, facilitating common video and audio decoder implementations and stream type conversions. This is well-suited for use over a wide variety of networks with ATM/AAL and alternative transports. In New York, MPEG completed definitions of the features, syntax, and semantics of the Transport and Program Streams, enabling product designers to proceed. Among other items, the Transport Stream packet length was fixed at 188 bytes, including the 4-byte header. This length is suited for use with ATM networks, as well as a wide variety of other transmission and storage systems.

Imaging for Internet - Flashpix
Imaging for Internet introduces a revolutionary way to work with photo-quality images on the World Wide Web (WWW). The Imaging for Internet plug-in for Web browsers works with the new FlashPix™ digital image file format, which stores multiple resolutions of a single image in one file. Using the Imaging for Internet plug-in, the developer can quickly and easily view, manipulate, and print high-quality, high-resolution images directly from Web pages. He can also save images to hard drive in other popular image file formats. Using the Gallery, a companion application, he can create an unlimited number of albums that contain thumbnail images of FlashPix and other popular formats.
The Imaging for Internet plug-in works with Netscape Navigator 2.0.2 or greater, and Microsoft® Internet Explorer 3.01 or greater. It also works with other popular Internet browsers that support the Netscape Plug-in Interface. Live Picture, Inc. and Hewlett-Packard Co. joined forces to develop the Imaging for Internet plug-in.

One of the problems facing users today is that images, when printed, look grainy or blurry. This is caused by the low resolutions used in today's standard formats such as GIF and JPEG. The Imaging for Internet solution takes a leap forward in enabling great viewing and printing from the Internet.
The Imaging for Internet solution was co-developed by the Hewlett-Packard Company and LivePicture Inc. to provide an open system that will meet the need for printing, viewing, sharing, and distributing high resolution images across the Internet. A few of its principal objectives are:

FlashPix is a hierarchical digital image file format that provides an ideal way to view and print high-quality, high-resolution images from the WWW. A FlashPix file consists of multiple versions of an image at various resolution levels. You can view the image at one resolution on your computer screen, and download a different resolution for printing. This capability greatly speeds up your viewing and printing process times, and outputs high-quality images.

The FlashPix format is defined in a specification and test suite developed and published by Kodak in collaboration with Microsoft, Hewlett-Packard, and Live Picture. Only products that meet the specification and pass the test suite may use the FlashPix file format name. The FlashPix format supports JPEG compression and Object Linking and Embedding (OLE) Structured Storage files.
Imaging for Internet solves the problem of access to high-resolution images on the WWW. Using the Imaging for Internet plug-in, you can quickly and easily view images from Web pages at your monitor resolution, and achieve high-resolution printouts of the same image. Because multiple image resolutions are available in one FlashPix file, the Imaging for Internet plug-in automatically selects the proper resolution for viewing. When you print the FlashPix image, you can choose from several print-quality settings, according to your printer capability.
Using the Imaging for Internet plug-in, you can:

 

DICOM - Digital Imaging & COMmunications in medicine
The DICOM standard forms an integral part of the MEDICOM standard. DICOM version 3 specifies a range of image modalities. The intention is to build upon DICOM V3.0 and progressively integrate with the IPI Image Interchange Facility (IPI-IIF).

DICOM is designed to meet some of the major requirements for medical image communication, including all interfaces between modalities, imaging workstations and PACS systems. It deals with two basic types of data:

Until recently DICOM only covered on-line communication, i.e. peer-to-peer communication over a communications network. Standards have now been specified for off-line communication or simple image file transfer.

DICOM was designed to cope with the problems generated by the heterogeneous environment in which it was intended to be used. In summary these are:

In contrast, most healthcare communications standards assume that each type of equipment operates in the same way. This makes the standards much simpler. Since DICOM must assume that each type of equipment may operate in a different way, this makes