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Chapter 14
Multimedia Expert Systems

James M. Ragusa


CONTENTS

1. Introduction
2. Background
2.1. Media Technologies Overview
2.1.1. Multimedia
    2.1.2. Hypermedia
    2.1.3. Intellimedia
2.2. Integration Advantages
3. Integration Models
3.1. Software Architectures
3.1.1. Stand-Alone
    3.1.2. Translational
    3.1.3. Loose Coupling
    3.1.4. Tight Coupling
    3.1.5. Full Integration
3.2. Integration Orientations
3.2.1. ES Supported by MM
    3.2.2. MM Supported by ES
    3.2.3. Complementary Integration (Joint-Venture)
3.3. An Evolution of System Integration Models
3.3.1. Separate Systems (Phase 1)
    3.3.2. MM Integration (Phase 2)
    3.3.3. HM Integration (Phase 3)
    3.3.4. IM Integration (Phase 4)
4. Application Domains and Emerging Integrated Applications
4.1. Application Domains
4.2. A Survey of Emerging Integrated Applications
5. Research Issues
6. Future Trends and Summary
Acknowledgments
General References
Application References

1. INTRODUCTION

"Information overload," predicted by Toffer (1970) over 2 decades ago in Future Shock, has become a reality; and many of us seem to be drowning in a sea of multiple-media information. There is no reason to believe that the future will be any better. In fact, numerous surveys and predictions indicate that there will be a significant expansion in the volume and type of information we constantly receive in print, during broadcasts, and on our computer screens via programs and the Internet.

This explosion has stimulated the need for more object-oriented systems, paradigms, and databases for information storage and the use of hypertext, hypermedia, and intelligent (and personal) agents for improved information location, filtering, and retrieval. Through the use of software agents, real-world applications are occurring in human resource management, banking, retail sales, manufacturing, transportation, and telecommunications (Blanchard, 1996).

The future holds even more information challenges and opportunities as we move from two-dimensional to more virtual technologies and immersion environments using virtual reality and other 3-D views (Chinnock, 1996; Machover, 1996). According to Hayashi and Varney (1996), information technology advances in the areas of holographic data storage, terabit-per-second fiber optic communications, and other focused research will radically change our lives in the 21st century.

Many of our present and future applications will necessitate technology integration because of the various information forms that users will require in their work, recreation, and entertainment worlds. Within the domain of microcomputer technology (the focus of this chapter), information media exist in various multimedia (MM) forms, including text, data, graphics, still images, animation, motion video, and audio. Various MM integrated platforms, which make microcomputer-based MM information presentations possible, include various media hardware and software systems. Because of the volume and diversity of these media and platforms, a number of information management problems are now coming to light. They include issues of (1) classification and storage of the complex myriad of available information; (2) interactive access, retrieval, and display of what is needed; and (3) assimilation and learning from this profusion of information and accumulated knowledge. While these issues are being investigated by a variety of specialists, more needs to be done.

Increasingly, information in various forms is being stored electronically, optically, and digitally. Magnetic and laser-mediated optical devices have the potential to help solve the MM storage problem. These MM devices include laserdiscs, Compact Disc-Read Only Memory (CD-ROM), rewritable magneto-optical (MO), erasable re-writable optical discs (EROD), write-once-read-many times (WORM), and, more recently, recordable CD-ROM, and photo compact disc (Photo CD) systems. Network-connected computers and digital online information systems (which will dominate future data storage) greatly facilitate access and display needs.

It is the opinion of the author and others that integrated expert systems (ES) and MM have the potential to address many unresolved issues by providing new synergies, "intelligent" user interfaces, additional informational dimensions, and interesting, beneficial application solutions. These applications are made intelligent by the embedding of reasoning capabilities provided by an ES through knowledge-based representation and inferencing features. As a result, intelligent MM systems enable a wide range of users to interact in a nonlinear, seamless, context-sensitive manner with varying types of complex applications, including information classification, retrieval, assimilation, and learning.

With the issues of intelligent information management in mind, this chapter explores models and applications of interactive ES and MM, hypermedia (HM), and intellimedia (IM) -- the latter being an advanced intelligent media concept identified by the author. A background of media technologies and integration advantages is first presented, followed by a description of software architectures, integration orientations, and an evolving framework of system integration models. Representative application domains and 30 integrated applications are identified to provide examples for future application developers. Finally, some research issues are identified and discussed, followed by a projection of future trends and a chapter summary.


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