This paper describes a software abstraction method to simplify the programming of a common class of load processing machines in which the machine's actuators cannot usually manipulate a single load independently of other loads. The abstraction allows programmers to program load behavior directly, with an underlying control engine that automatically converts load behavior specifications to actuator controls. Examples from early simulations through to a commercial implementation are discussed, with dramatic savings in programming effort evidenced

This paper describes the methodology and implementation of a data management system for highly distributed systems, which was built to solve the scalability and reliability problems faced in a wide area postal logistics application developed at Siemens. The core of the approach is to borrow from Internet routing protocols, and their proven scalability and robustness, to build a network-embedded dynamic database index, and to augment schema definition to optimize the use of this index. The system was developed with an eye toward future applications in the area of sensor networks.

No abstract available.

The Layered Multimedia Data Model (LMDM) aids in the specification of multimedia compositions by dividing the problem into smaller, more manageable pieces. In this paper we describe the lower two layers of the LMDM, the Data Definition Layer, which allows the specification of multimedia objects in a database, and the Data Manipulation Layer, which allows the specification of temporal structures built from those objects. Several examples demonstrate the advantages of the layered paradigm: simple specifications, and modular, reusable components.