Transmission of compressed video over wireless channels remains a challenging task due to the inherent high bit error rate (BER) and channel quality fluctuation of a typical wireless channel. An improved wireless video transmission scheme is proposed in this paper. First, an enhanced video error propagation model,namely expected number of macro blocks error propagation (ENMEP), is proposed. A new unequal error protection (UEP) scheme which takes into consideration the non-uniformly distributed importance of frames in a group of pictures (GOP) and macro blocks in a video frame is also proposed in this paper. Finally, an efficient forward error correction (FEC) allocation algorithm for our UEP scheme is proposed by making use of our ENMEP video error propagation model. Simulation results show that our proposed UEP scheme using efficient FEC allocation algorithm outperforms the classical equal error protection (EEP) scheme and also the previous UEP scheme.

This paper presents the findings of our subjective evaluations on the integration of gestures in telecommunication. The experimental setup for tracking and imitating the human arm gesture are described. Our research investigates the possibility of transferring this often overlooked communication medium in our daily communication, for its application in telecommunication using robotics. Based on the subjective evaluation, a maximum allowable delay for an imperceptible gesture reconstruction in the lateral setup is suggested.

This article summarizes a panel to be held during the IEEE International Multimedia Symposium 2006. The panel title is "How multimedia can contribute to the change of telecommunication?" The panel intends to review the multimedia or multimodal information transmission in the telecommunication systems and highlight today's problems. The panel would try to indicate R&D directions based on the essential information to be exchanged in terms of multimedia/multimodal. Then, we study necessary requirements for standardization of the next generation networks from the viewpoints of multimedia/multimodal telecommunication systems

ATM network impairments in terms of CER, CLR, CMR, CDV and CTD are applied to an experimental 3D videophone for audio and 3D video signals quality evaluation study. The effects of the impairments on both signals are evaluated by comparison between unimpaired and impaired sequences. A subjective assessment method together with the IT-R five-grade impairment scale is adopted in performing the evaluation. The results show ATM network impairments effects on both signals can maintain scale 4 of the IT-R five-grade scale. Therefore, good quality of audio and 3D video signals transmission can be confirmed for IT-T ATM performance objectives.

This paper highlights the worldwide digital city initiatives and their emerging trends. The focus of this paper is Cyberjaya, Multimedia Super Corridor's first intelligent digital city. Through Cyberjaya, the MSC will be a global test-bed for experimenting with not only multimedia technology, but also new ways of working, living and playing in the information age. Also described in this paper is the Cyberjaya City Command Center, which manages the city functions by the deployment of advanced multimedia and communications technologies and services.

The virtual reality telecommunication system (VRTS) intends to remove today's human to network interface limitations. A new concept of multimedia communication is proposed to advance VRTS research. That is, any media that can be perceived by the five human senses are defined as multimedia. In particular, non-verbal messages in multimedia information are significant to enhance human emotional components in telecommunication. Based on the proposed VRTS interface definition, three implementation models are discussed for further development.

This paper proposes a new virtual reality telecommunication system (VRTS) terminal known as 3D videophone to realize satisfactory face-to-face communication. The 3D effects that can be felt through the system, which are mainly based on the protruding images on the screen are highlighted and evaluated. The preliminary evaluation is to verify that 3D moving images are closer to natural images compared to the conventional technique for image representation in face-to-face communication. The results show that 3D moving images are at least slightly better than the conventional technique. Finally, the design issues for the proposed system towards the future prototype development are discussed.

We present our plan to develop a first prototype for the virtual reality telecommunication system (VRTS) to transmit and reconstruct human arm gestures that are normally present in face-to-face communication. The gestures will be reconstructed using robotics. The first prototype is coupled with a 3D-videophone system thus enabling the transmission of audio, video and gesture information. The importance of incorporating non-verbal messages in telecommunication by use of robotics is emphasized. We discuss the possibility of using a vision based motion tracking system to track the human arm motion as well as the design issues related to the system.

This paper describes loop coverage evaluations of two-wire digital subscriber transmission systems to support the CCITT recommended 1-430 interface. Several range-limiting factors are discussed and a cable utility design for two representative two-wire digital subscriber transmission systems is presented. The two transmission systems are time compression multiplexing (TCM) and echo canceller (EC), utilizing the AMI line code and full cosine rolloff line equalization for both systems. A new impulse noise evaluation is applied to cable utility design, because impulse noise is one of the most stringent range-limiting factors, especially for TCM in utilizing existing subscriber loops. Comparison of TCM with EC is also carried out according to various range-limiting factors. As a result, it is noted that the 320 kbit/s line bit rate TCM is more applicable in NTT's exchange area coverage than the 160 kbit/s EC to achieve the2B + Dbasic interface transmission.

Adopting digital techniques in the local network area will enhance the possibility of extending digital operation capability to the subscriber's equipment. The problem is to convey digital signals at a bit rate of at least 64 kbits/s in both directions over existing two-wire subscriber loops. This paper describes a time-shared two-wire digital subscriber transmission system in which the directional separation of two signals (GO and RETURN) is accomplished by the time division bidirectional transmission method in burst-mode, and also reports results of investigations on the feasibility of an all digital telephone subscriber loop system.