A composite multimedia object (cmo) is comprised of different media components such as text, video, audio and image, with a variety of constraints that must be adhered to. The constraints are 1) rendering constraints that comprise the temporal and spatial constraints between different components, and 2) behavioral constraints that include the security and fidelity constraints on each component. Different users have different 3Cs, which are: capabilities (e.g., monitor size), characteristics (e.g., age) and credentials (e.g., subscription to service). This dissertation studies the modeling of an interactive cmo to achieve universal access, which is to render the cmo on different devices to suit different users 3Cs. A framework that models the different cmo constraints and the user 3Cs in a uniform way is presented, where we automatically identify the potential mismatches between the different constrains and the user 3Cs. Resolution strategies that resolve the identified mismatches are presented. The model enables the substitution of some media components with different modalities to suit the user 3Cs. As a case study, we apply the idea of the adaptive cmo in the Multimedia Digital Library of the Meadowlands Environmental research institute. We also study other application of the interactive cmo modeling, including a decision support system for emergency management for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

Advisors: Nabil Adam and Vijay Atluri