Masahito Hirakawa

An iconic programming system, HI-VISUAL

A framework for icon management which is quite object-oriented is proposed, and an iconic programming system named HI-VISUAL is presented on the basis of the framework. In the framework, icons represent real objects or concepts already established in a target application environment, whereas icons representing functions are not provided. A function is represented by a combination of two different icons. Each icon can take an active or a passive role against the other. The role sharing is determined dynamically, depending on the environment in which the icons are activated. Programming in HI-VISUAL and implementation issues of the system prototype, now in operation in a laboratory environment, are extensively discussed. >

Knowledge-assisted content based retrieval for multimedia databases

Unlike conventional databases, which manage only text and numerical data, multimedia databases must evaluate audio and visual properties of data. We propose a system of querying and content-based retrieval that considers audio or visual properties of multimedia data.<<ETX>>

IconicBrowser: an iconic retrieval system for object-oriented databases

The IconicBrowser, which allows the user to retrieve objects in a database by means of icons, is described. Icons represent classes and objects in the database. Queries are specified by overlapping one icon over another. The system then interprets them into database operations, depending on their combination. At the same time, the system generates predicate-based (text-base) queries which can be used in other applications of the database.<<ETX>>

Interactive visualization of spatiotemporal patterns using spirals on a geographical map

Timelines are used as the basis for representing events over time. When they are combined with a geographical map, they show the spatiotemporal pattern of those events. This spatiotemporal line depicts temporal pattern of events with respect to their spatial attributes. To help users observe patterns with respect to different spatial viewpoints and periodical constraints, we propose an interactive visualization approach using a spirals-based technique. A spiral has a geometric shape that could help to reveal periodical patterns and the timeline is the best source for it. When the user wants to observe patterns with respect to different spatial viewpoints on the map and periodical constraints, the spatiotemporal line can be decomposed according to specified locations to browse patterns.

A framework for construction of icon systems

The authors propose a framework for the construction of icon systems. An icon system is composed of icons and rules. Icons represent real objects such as sales books, folders, calculators, etc. Functions associated with an object are associated with an object are specified in the icon representing the object. Icons therefore have both data and function properties. Icons may in fact have several functions. The behavior of an icon is not fixed but is determined at the time of programming by being combined with another icon. Rules are provided to make flexible interpretation of icons feasible depending on the application, the status of the system, and so on. The behavior of the system can be changed by replacing icons and/or rules with new ones. Implementational issues are also described. A system prototype is now in an actual operation on a workstation in laboratory environment.<<ETX>>

VIOLONE: Video Retrieval by Motion Example

Abstract Recent progress in hardware and operating system technologies has made it possible to manage multimedia data consisting of text, static images, sound and/or video. Video data is considered to be the most informative of these types of data. It presents a scene consisting of objects and the motion of objects conveying particular meaning of the scene. Thus, the inherent feature of video data lies in the motion of objects. In this paper, we present a system that retrieves video data by means of the motion of objects observed in the video data in the database. The system accepts a query for a video database, which is specified by drawing an example trajectory of an object, and retrieves video data by extracting a moving object observed in the video data. The proposed way of specifying a query condition is superior to other ways of representing a condition, e.g. by text, in the sense that it is suitable for representing the difference of motion.

IconicBrowser: An iconic retrieval system for object-oriented databases

From the point of view of the ability to manage complex data, object-oriented database systems are superior to conventional database systems. Query languages for object-oriented databases, however, tend to be overly complicated for the casual user unfamiliar with sophisticated database manipulation. This paper describes an IconicBrowser which allows the user to retrieve objects in a database by means of icons. Icons represent classes and objects in the database. Queries are specified by overlapping one icon over another. The system then interprets them into the database operations depending on their combination, and at the same time generates predicate-based (text-base) queries which can be used in other applications of the database.

MORE: an object-oriented data model with a facility for changing object structures

An object-oriented data model, MORE, in which the database specification facilities have been extended so that users can specify an object with various structures is presented. The structure of an object is changed by passing messages. MORE also provides a classtype, a user-defined type for classes with similar structures, in order to simplify the specification of class descriptions. The system generates operations useful for the classes by referring to a corresponding classtype. A prototype system and an example application are described. >

Augmented Album: situation-dependent system for a personal digital video/image collection

Augmented Album is an application developed to demonstrate how user situations can be used to provide an easy-to-use and easy-to-remember interface for the management and retrieval of digital pictures that consist of both digital video clips and still images. In this system, contextual information such as the location, time, and user events, are captured when a picture is taken. It represents the meaning of the picture as well as its content information to some extent, and thus benefits us to retrieve image/video clips. At the same time, the contextual information could be used to achieve a more realistic organization of those pictures on a computer system.

A collaborative augmented reality system using transparent display

Augmented reality is a technique to integrate the virtual (i.e., computer-generated) information with objects in the real world. Real world objects can thus be augmented in their properties and functions with the help of a computer. One of the authors has proposed an augmented reality system in which a transparent display is used as a means of integration of the real world and the virtual world. This paper discusses an extension of the system so that it can be used in a collaborative working environment. Capturing the gesture as a means of user interaction is realized by a single camera, aiming at simplifying the system setup and image analysis. We propose an idea of utilizing statistical data of human body and humans perceptional characteristics, as well as vision techniques. Two applications are presented to explain the usefulness of the system: one is a game-like application, which we call mind-to-mind communication, and the other a messenger object.