Dynamic Generation of Intelligent Multimedia Presentations through Semantic Inferencing

This paper first proposes a high-level architecture for semi-automatically generating multimedia presentations by combining semantic inferencing with multimedia presentation generation tools. It then describes a system, based on this architecture, which was developed as a service to run over OAI archives - but is applicable to any repositories containing mixed-media resources described using Dublin Core. By applying an iterative sequence of searches across the Dublin Core metadata, published by the OAI data providers, semantic relationships can be inferred between the mixed-media objects which are retrieved. Using predefined mapping rules, these semantic relationships are then mapped to spatial and temporal relationships between the objects. The spatial and temporal relationships are expressed within SMIL files which can be replayed as multimedia presentations. Our underlying hypothesis is that by using automated computer processing of metadata to organize and combine semantically-related objects within multimedia presentations, the system may be able to generate new knowledge by exposing previously unrecognized connections. In addition, the use of multilayered information-rich multimedia to present the results, enables faster and easier information browsing, analysis, interpretation and deduction by the end-user.