2014 – 2020 period: AXIS-CSRM work and collaboration with UNESCO

AXIS-CSRM 

The Titan Nonprofit Association, initially in collaboration with UNESCO [as part of the MEMORIES project], then in collaboration with the IASA-OK [Organizing Knowledge] Taskforce and the EBU / EBU [European Broadcasting Union], to work for a long time on the development of a semantic conceptual reference model first called "AXIS" (Asset eXchange packages for Interoperable Systems) - then "AXIS-CSRM" [Conceptual Semantic Reference Model]. It is characterized by the fact that it organizes the statements of existence of Things and the representations of these Things as semantic networks and that it relies exclusively on open and rights-free norms (in particular those of the Web- 3.0). In this approach, data is expressed as autonomous networks of documents, entities and structures incorporating signified and semantic links.

The conceptual model, which corresponds to the initial objectives, includes open implementations (partial or complete) was developed during the Eureka CelticPlus projects (MediaMap 2008/2011 and MediaMap+ 2012/2014.)

The Titan Association has published the results in several deliverables:

  • AXIS-CSRM ["Autonomous packages eXchange for Interoperable Systems" - "Conceptual Semantic Reference Model"], FR / EN versions during the final review of the MediaMap + project in October 2014.
  • A summary (FR / EN) presenting the concepts of the AXIS-CSRM initiative to define an open, flexible and interoperable pivot format, suitable for the construction of persistent archives and the actual exchange between database systems independent and heterogeneous. This document presented the generic, functional and data models needed to contribute to UNESCO's "Memory of the World" workshop on April 20 and 21, 2015
  • AXIS-CSRM 2019 ["Autonomous packages eXchange for Interoperable Systems" - "Conceptual Semantic Reference Model"], FR / EN versions in spring 2019

Partial validation of the conceptual model via prototype with implementations (partial for some aspects and complete for others) have been developed with the complicity of IG2I Lens students through AXIS-GATE, AXIS-MOM and AXIS -SOW (see below):

AXIS-GATE (General Architecture for Text Engineering)

The setting up of an editorial (logical) object in order to construct the declaration of existence of an audiovisual (virtual) object. The physical data already exist but not the logical data which prevents an organization of the information according to specific categories.

Objective: The goal is to do a thorough study of the logical definition of an editorial object.

"In the field of information, an editorial is an article that reflects the position of the publisher or editor on a current topic. It can also be used to highlight a folder published in the newspaper.The digital edition has forged a new concept called "Editorial Object" which consists of designing, modifying and publishing data in a CMS (Content Management System). "

The objective of this project is to study the "Editorial Structure", one of the 4 ontology entities among: annotations, temporal objects and physical objects described in the following figure:

 Figure 1: The ontological entities of the MediaMap project

The project aims to define an explicit and natively understandable editorial object by the CMS tool in order to be integrated with the other entities of the ontology from a "physical" object of the audiovisual type. The defined editorial object will be integrated into existing solutions (CMS, operations) allowing semantic searches on original physical objects.

Constraints: the solution provided will solve various problems of Identification, Versioning, Interoperability, Usage in an idea box, lists of authority, resolving and Automatic enrichment.

This project has highlighted the capacity of GATE (for General Architecture for Text Engineering), a software toolkit written in Java at the University of Sheffield in the United Kingdom since 1995 for natural language processing in different languages. GATE offers an architecture, an application programming interface (API) and a graphical programming environment.

AXIS-MOM (Museum Object Modelization)

The AXIS-MOM project aimed to:

  • Study the problem of defining the existence of museum objects, their identification, their labeling (QR-codes, RFID ...), their representation and the representation of human interactions with these objects
  • Develop, based on the ontological core provided by TITAN / TiteMaison Production, and comment on the ontology and the knowledge base associated with the management of these museum objects.

Main results:

  • The implementation of the AXIS-CSRM Data Model, designed by the Titan association, and the validation of the elements of the ontology developed for the demo
  • The clear decomposition of the mechanism put in place:​
    • The declaration of existence: with the implementation of the AFP: separation between the declaration of existence of the object (carrier of the declaration information (date, contributor ...) and the object itself, aggregator of documents representing and defining it.
    • The indication of the representation parameters: in general, the logical / physical separation and the fact of considering the instance of an Entity (Work, Person, Place ...) as an aggregating object of the elements logically composing it.
    • Indication of the list and locations of the representation, of the resolving services
    • The connection to social networks
    • Graph display
    • QR Code generation
  • Noticeable: the "moderation" approach of retrieving LOD information, integrated comments as "Documents" at a semantic level.

AXIS-SOW  (Structuring Objects & Wrapper)

The AXIS-SOW project aims to:

  • Model a system for capturing data streams (text, audio, video), giving meaning to these data, forging links between these data and retransmitting them in a format that is personalized and comprehensible to a human (text, audio, video) and especially "processable" and "navigable" by the computer machine. The software serves as a proxy between the asynchronous information input and the synchronous information output.  

This system integrates: 

  • A definition of structures (internal, external, ...)
  • A representation of structured documents
  • A representation of unstructured documents
  • A domain ontology defined within TITAN (by Guillaume Rachez)

​​

  • Produce a Proof of Concept through the example of the "March for Freedom and Jobs" where the Reverend Martin Luther King delivered his famous "I have a dream" speech.

​Example(formats are not specified):

  • A news article describing Selma's black North American voting campaign has entered the software
  • a biography of Martin Luther King is entered in the software
  • a biography of Lyndon B Johnson entered the software
  • a technical sheet of the film "Selma" is entered in the software

 

  • Develop a human interface to visualize and navigate the structured Proof of Concept.
  • Ensure the design and development of an OAIS ISO-compliant Dissemination Information Package (AV) (AV) container carried by an Editorial Object (or Document) representing the instance of a Event (since the simple declaration that the event took place on a particular day from such time to time ... to the detailed representation of what happened up to the memorization of the "vectors" of state "and the chaining of the" Workflow "branches that were traversed in the instance of the represented EVENT). It is also possible to encapsulate the representations of the contexts of the EVENT, the prescription that triggered it, and the results that the EVENT generated. 

​Given the importance of this project in the history, this project is the subject of a particular development under the tab AXIS-CSRM.

AXIS-OK (Organizing Knowledge)

The Titan Nonprofit Association, initially in collaboration with UNESCO [as part of the MEMORIES project], then in collaboration with the IASA-Strategic Taskforce [Organizing Knowledge] and the EBU [European Broadcasting Union] has conducted a 8 years of conceptual and prototyping research on a conceptual model coping with the evolution of the place of the archives in the digital semantic era; coping with the incorporation of the old analog archives and coping with the Internet of Things.

The research started in 2006 by collaboration with the UNESCO in the MEMORIES project consortium, one of whose objectives was to achieve such a conceptual model that could meet the real needs of the Memory of the World program. For many reasons, especially at this time pending for a set of semantic technologies standards (especially the Semantic Web), this conceptual model could not be completed as part of this project. Today, these semantic standards are available as open and internationally recognized standards and as implemented open source software.

In 2015, IASA and TITAN with support of the UER/EBU have made a draft proposal of collaboration with the UNESCO MoW in the “Organizing Knowledge” named AXIS-OK 

This proposal describes a way of organizing the UNESCO’s Registers as multilevel semantic networks and linking to networkable ‘Event Driven’ semantic objects. The MoW program encourages States or Regions to conduct similar programs at their level for covering ‘documentary heritage’ of local value and to establish a network of these registers. Further, the MoW makes recommendations for ensuring that the content of these documents mentioned on the registers will be accessible and understandable (cultural interoperability) at world level, independently of the moments, places, local languages ….

This model includes guidelines for the location and management of archives in a mixed analogue and digital world where the existence, representation and contextualisation of the documentary heritage can be properly ensured. This documentary heritage concerns not only the usual physical documents (books, codices and other artefacts), but also the "signified" that is expressed there and the documentary heritage collections available in the libraries. The model includes the pragmatic empowerment of the ISO / OAIS model through judicious use of semantic technologies, refurbishment and generalization of the FRBR standard, and the integration of PREMIS with integrated rights management and rights contracts expressed in semantics.

This could be seen as an implementation of a ‘Proof of Concept’ which could be used for illustrating practical recommendations to ensure ‘cultural interoperability’. The proposed approach is to use the semantic technologies for constructing & linking the registers and for representing each ‘documentary heritage’ as an ‘event-driven’ network of Registers, Structures, Documents and Configuration management data. The key associated concepts such as the clean semantic cutting, the clean semantic gluing, the Linked open Data; the embedding the Rights and the resolving of resources and objects will also be introduced.

Project presented at PASIG (Preservation and Archiving Special Interest Group) - New York - MoMA [Museum of Modern Art] 26 to 28 October 2016

AXIS-OK Project is supported by the Belgian French- and German-speaking Subcommittee of UNESCO.

 IPG4You

IPG4U is taking in account the main standards approved for improving the multimedia and multilingual chain of AV content production and the interactive consumer domestic environment (Connected Tv, integrated CAM [Conditionnal Access Module], HBB, Second screen, Digital Living Network Association ...).

The current EPG (Electronic Program Guide) is an electronic program guide designed around the concept of Teletext. It consists of detailed data, downloaded 15 days in advance and is accessible via a menu with a simplified interaction (via remote control). The implementation in a digital decoder is not a sinecure, and especially it offers little information compared to a press release! Today its main use is the recording function of a program on a fixed basis!

The problem of the citizen lambda in front of his TV wanting to watch what interests him (either in real-time broadcast, or Podcasting as a regular favorite [periodical broadcast], or as a series of episodes or chapters, or Podcasting in immediate selection , either ...) cannot be satisfied with a rustic EPG designed in the early 90s (before the appearance of the Internet)!

IPG4You proposes to put an end to the use of a digital decoder and base the solution on a television equipped with an Internet browser ... a generic service that connects in real time to the website of the broadcaster! If the interactivity remains limited (the remote control), it is the intuitive character, the simplicity of the navigation, the access to which will make the success of such a project!