Location-Based Device Ensemble Architecture for a Spatial Reality Enhancement of Distributed Multimedia Presentation

Abstract

Usual multimedia contents are represented as scenarios with markup language such as SMIL, and then delivered to be played back in terminal machines, e.g., PC or STB(Set-Top Box). However, these multimedia presentations are likely limited within single machine presentation where only the speakers and display devices attached to same computer system are used, so that the spatial reality is necessarily degraded consequently. In order to enhance even audio scenario presentation with such spatial reality, each audio clip for each audio actor, dubbing artist or background music should be assigned a separate speaker mostly close to the location where the author intended. In this paper, we propose a new architecture called L-DEAR(Location-based Device Ensemble Architecture) to support the spatial reality using location information of each node in a network environment. The core of the L-DEAR is IBEE(Immediate-But-Ephemeral device Ensemble) which is a set of nodes called out for playing back at least one assigned clip at a given time during the whole presentation. We will present the functional modules of L-DEAR and procedures for building IBEE, as well as functional requirements for L-DEAR such as extending the SMIL and using a global clock.