Abstract
Formal description techniques have been applied successfully to the fields of communications and distributed systems. We argue, however, that the recent emergence of multimedia computing will have a significant impact on this work. In particular, existing formal description techniques do not satisfactorily model the real-time behaviour exhibited by distributed multimedia systems. This paper considers the impact of multimedia on formal description techniques and proposes an approach in which functional behaviour is expressed in the language LOTOS and non-functional quality of service is expressed in a real-time temporal logic. This dual language approach to formal description is demonstrated through a number of multimedia examples, culminating in the specification of a lip-synchronization algorithm.
Keywords
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Alur, R., and T.A. Henzinger. “Logics and Models of Real-Time: A Survey.” REX Workshop. Real-Time: Theory in Practice, Editor: J.W. de Bakker, C. Huizing, W.P. de Roever and G. Rozenberg, Springer-Verlag, pp: 74–106, 1991.
D.P. Anderson, S.Y. Tzou, R. Wahbe, R. Govindan and M. Andrews, “Support for Continuous Media in the DASH System”, Proceedings of the 10th International Conference on Distributed Computing Systems, Paris, May 1990.
P.B. Berra, C.Y.R. Chen, A. Ghafoor, C.C. Lin, T.D.C. Little, and D. Shin. “Architecture for distributed multimedia database systems.” Computer Communications Vol. 13 No. 4, pp 217–231, 1990.
T. Bolognesi and E. Brinksma, “Introduction to the ISO Specification Language LOTOS”, Computer Networks and ISDN Systems, Vol. 14, No. 1, pp 25–59, North-Holland, Amsterdam, 1988.
Bowman, H., G.S. Blair, L. Blair, and A.G. Chetwynd. “Time Versus Abstraction in Formal Description.” FORTE'93, Sixth International Conference on Formal Description Techniques (also, available as Lancaster University Computing Department Report MPG-93-09), October l993.
Bowman, H., L. Blair, G.S. Blair, and A.G. Chetwynd. “Formal Description of Multimedia Systems: An Assessment of Potential Techniques”, Internal Report MPG-93-05, Lancaster University, (also, to appear in Computer Communications), April 1993.
Budkowski, S., and P. Dembinski. “An Introduction to Estelle: A Specification Language for Distributed Systems.” Computer Networks and ISDN Systems Vol. 4, pp: 3–23, 1987.
Campbell, A., G. Coulson, F. Garcia, D. Hutchison, and H. Leopold. “Integrated Quality of Service for Multimedia Communications.” Infocom '93, 1993.
CCITT, “Recommendation Z.100:Specification and Description Language SDL”, AP IX-35, 1988.
Clarke, E.M. and O. Grumberg “Research on Automatic Verification of Finite State Concurrent Systems.” Annual Review of Computer Science, pp: 269–290, 1987.
Coulson, G., G.S. Blair, N. Davies and N. Williams, “Extensions to ANSA for Multimedia Computing”, Internal Report MPG-90-11, available from the Computing Department, Lancaster University, Bailrigg, Lancaster, U.K., June 1992.
L. Drayton, G.S. Blair and A.G. Chetwynd, “An Introduction to LOTOS through a Worked Example”, Computer Communications, Vol. 15, No. 2, Butterworth-Heinemann, March 1992.
H. Ehrig and B. Mahr, “Fundamentals of Algebraic Specification”, Springer-Verlag, 1985.
Fidge, C.J. “Specification and Verification of Real-Time Behaviour Using Z and RTL.” Formal Techniques in Real-time and Fault Tolerant Systems, Editor: J. Vytopil, Springer-Verlag, Pages: 393–410, 1992.
D.B. Hehmann, M.G. Salmony and H.J. Stüttgen, “Transport Services for Multimedia Applications on Broadband Networks”, Computer Communications, Vol 13, No 4, pp 197–203, Butterworth-Heinemann, May 1990.
Henzinger, T.A., Z. Manna, and A. Pnueli. “An Interleaving Model for Real-time.” Fifth Jerusalem Conference on Information Technology, IEEE Computer Society Press, pp 717–730, 1990.
C.A.R. Hoare, “Communicating Sequential Processes”, Prentice-Hall, 1985.
Horn, F., L. Hazard, J.B. Stefani, G. Coulson, and G.S. Blair. “An Integrated Computational Model and Programming Platform for Open Distributed Multimedia Applications.” 3rd International Workshop on Network and Operating System Support for Digital Audio and Video, 1992.
ISO, “Information Processing Systems — Open Systems Interconnection — LOTOS — A Formal Description Technique Based on the Temporal Ordering of Observational Behaviour”, ISO/IEC 8807, Geneva, 1988.
ISO, “Information Processing Systems — Open Systems Interconnection — ESTELLE — A Formal Description-Technique Based on an Extended State Transition Model”, ISO/IEC 9074, Geneva, 1989.
Jahanian, F., and A.K. Mok. “Safety Analysis of Timing Properties in Real-time Systems.” IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering 1986, pp: 890–904.
Keshav, S. “Report on the Workshop on Quality of Service in High Speed Networks.” Computer Communications Review 1993, pp: 74–85.
Linington, P. “Introduction to the ODP Reference Model.” International IFIP Workshop on Open Distributed Processing, Editor: J. de Meer, V. Heymer and R. Roth, North-Holland, Pages: 3–13, 1991.
J.A. Mañs, “Getting to use LITE”, Proceedings of the Third LOTOSPHERE Workshop, Edited by T. Bolognesi, E. Brinksma, C.A. Vissers, Pisa, Italy, 1992.
Z. Manna, and A. Pneuli. The Temporal Logic of Reactive and Concurrent Systems. Springer-Verlag. New York. 1992.
C. Miguel, A. Fernandez, and L. Vidaller. “Extending LOTOS towards performance evaluation.” FORTE' 92: 5th International Conference on Formal Description Techniques, Editor: M. Diaz and R. Groz, 1992.
R. Milner, “Communication and Concurrency”, Prentice-Hall, ISBN 0-13115007-3, 1989.
Nicolaou, C., “Architecture for Real-Time Multimedia Communication Systems”, IEEE Journal on Selected Areas in Communication, Vol. 8, No. 3, pp 391–401, 1990.
Nicollin, X., and J. Sifakis. “An Overview and Synthesis on Timed Process Algebras.” REX Workshop. Real-Time: Theory in Practice, Editor: J.W. de Bakker, C. Huizing, W.P. de Roever and G. Rozenberg, Springer-Verlag, pp: 74–106, 1991.
J.S. Ostroff, “Temporal Logic for Real-TimeSystems”, Research Studies Press Ltd, ISBN 0-86380-086-6, 1989.
Ostroff, J.S. “Verification of Safety Critical Systems Using TTM/RTTL.” REX Workshop. Real-Time: Theory in Practice, Editor: J.W. de Bakker, C. Huizing, W.P. de Roever and G. Rozenberg, Springer-Verlag, pp: 74–106, 1991.
Ostroff, J.S. “StateTime — a Diagrammatic Toolset for the Design and Verification of Real-time Systems”, Technical Report CS-92-07, Department of Computer Science, York University, Ontario, Canada. July 1992.
Pnueli, A. “The Temporal Logic of Programs.” Foundations of Computer Science 18, pp: 46–57, 1977.
Regan, T. “Multimedia in Temporal LOTOS: A Lip Synchronisation Algorithm.” To appear at PSTV XIII, Protocol Specification, Testing and Verification, Liege, Belgium, May, 1993.
Reisig, W. Petri Nets. Springer-Verlag. 1985.
Schneider, S., J. Davies, D.M. Jackson, G.M. Reed, J.N. Reed, and A.W. Roscoe. “Timed CSP: Theory and Practice.” Real-Time: Theory in Practice, Editor: J.W. de Bakker, C. Huizing, W.P. de Roever and G. Rozenberg, Springer Verlag, Pages: 640–675, 1991.
Scholefield, D.J., and H.S.M. Zedan. “TAM: A Formal Framework for the Development of Distributed Real-Time Systems.” Formal Techniques in Real-Time and Fault-Tolerant Systems, Editor: J. Vytopil, Springer-Verlay, pp: 411–428, 1992.
J. Schot, “The Role of Architectural Semantics in the Formal Approach of Distributed Systems Design”, ISBN 90-9004877-4, 1992.
Sinderen, M.v., and J. Schot. “An Engineering Approach to ODP Design.” International IFIP Workshop on Open Distributed Processing, Editor: Jan de Meer and Volker Heymer, 1991.
J-B. Stefani, L. Hazard and F. Horn, “Computational Model for Distributed Multimedia Applications based on a Synchronous Programming Language”, Computer Communications (Special Issue on FDTs), Vol 15, Number 2, March 1992.
B. Walter, “Timed Petri Nets for Modelling and Analyzing Protocols with Real-Time Characteristics”, In H. Rudin (ed), Protocol Specification, Testing and Verification III, pp 149–159, North-Holland, 1983.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1994 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
About this paper
Cite this paper
Bowman, H., Blair, L., Blair, G.S., Chetwynd, A.G. (1994). A formal description technique supporting expression of quality of service and media synchronization. In: Hutchison, D., Danthine, A., Leopold, H., Coulson, G. (eds) Multimedia Transport and Teleservices. COST237 1994. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 882. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-58759-4_33
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-58759-4_33
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-540-58759-0
Online ISBN: 978-3-540-49065-4
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive