Managing synchronization and time factors in multimedia presentation

Abstract

We propose a simple and efficient way to synchronize multimedia presentation. First, we introduce a conceptual multimedia system architecture in which synchronization actions are performed globally by a Global Synchronization Manager (GSM) which is part of the Multimedia Database Management System, and locally by Media Specific Synchronizers. Next, we propose a presentation scenario convention that is easy to create and manipulate. We assume that synchronization is driven by real time and not by synchronization events, and that coordination of scenario entries with Global Time (GT) is managed by the GSM. User interaction with the presentation creates entries in the GSM log of special events which in coordination with the relationship matrix will adjust the actual time included in the scenario entries. Entries in the presentation scenario contain presentation actions that are fired (activated) when the time field of that entry rendezvous with the GT.