Instructions for preparing proposal Part b for Integrated Projects in the ist priority

Task 2.1: Media Fragments (EURECOM)

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  Provide URI-based mechanism for identifying the media objects detected in WP1
  
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  Link to the W3C Media Fragments WG
  

Task 2.2: Lightweight Metadata models for hypervideo (UEP)

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  Develop COMM Lite.
  
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  Metadata interoperability and exploit W3C Media Annotations WG
  

Task 2.3: Web content mining and processing (UEP)

This task deals with using Web content mining in order to complement multimedia content analysis. This approach has been first experimented within the FP6 EU projects K-Space and Boemie. Current approaches typically focus either on web documents with pre-defined structure (e.g. online web reports for football matches) or perform simple web search for entire relevant documents (without fine-grained analysis provided by information extraction methods). There has also been little research on web mining with respect to hypervideo links.

In contrast, in ConnectME we aim at mining the web using a combination of information retrieval and information extraction methods, and assume resources with heterogeneous structure with information spread over multiple locations. In connection with concepts and entities extracted from the low-level audio-visual analysis (with central role of hypervideo links), new information can be collected and filtered, and the user can be presented information relevant to the current storyline of a shot, scene or the whole broadcast, according to the selected granularity.

The work in T2.3 will extend the automatic annotation effort from WP1 by considering external and potentially unstructured web resources. Since there is a limited number of different broadcasts genres and assuming that the viewers are likely to have different preferences and requirements for each of the genre, there is a need for creating genre-specific information gathering templates. The goal here is to collect coherent pieces of information of appropriate length and granularity relevant to the broadcast, which can be further processed by multimedia presentation tools developed in WP3. ConnectME work in this field will be divided into two main streams: one focusing on filling given templates with information found on the Web, and the other gathering diverse information related to the broadcast or the programme. Novel mining techniques will allow to create knowledge bases for the given topic area and to decide on the fly among different (push or pull) information delivery models based on the nature of the broadcast.

Work package 3: ConnectME interface and presentation

The work will be carried out in close cooperation with WP1 and WP2 on the underlying knowledge being made available, with the personalization and contextualization work in WP4, and with the front-end being developed in WP5 and the implementation of the scenarios in WP6.

The workpackage will construct hypervideo interaction interfaces for supporting information browsing, organization and presentation, and higher level tasks such as information gathering. It is based on the tasks implicit in the 3 scenarios and will generalize results to identify design patterns and guidelines.

The interface design will strive to hide the complexity of the ConnectME system operating in the background.  For example, the user should be unaware of the connection between the video pixels and the concept describing them, the relation between this and a thesaurus, and how these are enriched with other web-based information. At the same time, the user should be allowed access to the underlying information resources to enable them to check information sources when needed.  A metric for success for the ConnectME interfaces is that the user should not even notice “the interface”, but that they should be able to carry out their tasks with a minimum of effort.

Task 3.1 User requirements analysis based on the 3 scenarios.

A list of information tasks related to hypervideo will be developed in the initial stages of the project. These will be selected from tasks that occur in more than one of the scenarios, such as, e.g., highly visual information browsing (e.g. for children’s edutainment interfaces and cultural heritage), or information gathering for professional information users (e.g. environmental issues and cultural heritage).  From the list of identified tasks, a small number (3 or 4) will be selected for design, implementation and evaluation within the project.

The task will also collect requirements for the interfaces to be developed. Examples of such requirements are:

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  Users engaged in audiovisual content should not be overly distracted.
  
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  The role of the social context of the user should be taken into account.
  
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  The role of the personal interests of the user must not be neglected.
  

The tasks will relate directly to the three use cases and take into account the information sources being made available in WP1 & WP2. A number of tasks will be selected (in collaboration with content partners) for which innovative interfaces will be created in Task 3.2.

Task 3.2 User-centred design of hypervideo information interfaces

Per selected task a user-centred approach will be taken to creating at least two, preferably more, different designs of each interface.  These will be discussed with potential users, and content providers in the project. Out of this process a final interface will be selected for development and inclusion in the ConnectME platform.  

Examples of potential interfaces to be developed are:

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  a visual navigation interface allowing the browsing of related images/video thumbnails while not having to type;
  
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  an information gathering interface while allowing a user to continue browsing;an interface for information professionals to allow them to compare pieces of information for making decisions.
  

Throughout, (forward) compatibility with the technologies being developed in WP1, WP2, WP4 and WP5 will be ensured. Integration of the interface in the ConnectME platform will be carried out in WP5.