Time-Triggered and Message-Triggered Object Architecture for Distributed Real-Time Multimedia Services

Abstract

In this paper, we present a new framework, called MMStream TMO, to effectively support the development of distributed multimedia applications using a real-time object model named the Time-triggered Message-triggered Object (TMO). The time-triggered spontaneous feature of TMO is used as a regulator against the irregular deliveries of media units caused by QoS non-guaranteed systems and communication channels. The message-triggered feature of TMO is used as a vehicle for delivering and broadcasting commands and control messages between MMStream TMOs. The global-time feature of TMO is utilized for facilitating measurement of network delay and delay jitter, and re-synchronization of intra-stream and inter-streams. The experiment preliminarily conducted on a single H.261 video stream showed that our scheme can tolerate and recover the network and end-system delay jitters effectively. This global time based de-jittering capability is expected to contribute to overall enhancement of the inter-stream and lip-synchronization accuracies.