An End System Software Architecture to Support Multimedia Multiuser Applications

The multimedia multiuser applications such as computer supported cooperative working and desk-top multimedia conferencing are composed of multiple individually-controlled service elements which require complex communication services from underlying communication systems. In this paper, we present an end system software architecture to support multi-media multiuser applications in high-speed networks. The proposed end system architecture consists of three layers; the MMCP(Multimedia Multiuser Communication Platform) layer, the CASE(Common Application Service Elements) layer, and the target application layer. The MMCP provides structured and dynamically-conngured communication services to the individual applications of CASE, and the CASE layer supports various types of basic application service elements which can be exibly conngured and integrated for the development of target multimedia multiuser applications. The proposed end system architecure will help to develop various and general multimedia multiuser applications exibly.