Vidibus: a low-cost, modular bus system for real-time video processing

The advantages of standard bus systems have been appreciated for many years. The ability to connect only those modules required to perform a given task has both technical and commercial advantages over a system with a fixed architecture which cannot be easily expanded or updated. Although such bus standards have proliferated in the microprocessor field, a general purpose low-cost standard for digital video processing has yet to gain acceptance. The paper describes the likely requirements of such a system, and discusses three currently available commercial systems. A new bus specification known as Vidibus, developed to fulfil these requirements, is presented. Results from applications already implemented using this real-time bus system are also given.

Parallel induction of modular classification rules

The Distributed Rule Induction (DRI) project at the University of Portsmouth is concerned with distributed data mining algorithms for automatically generating rules of all kinds. In this paper we present a system architecture and its implementation for inducing modular classification rules in parallel in a local area network using a distributed blackboard system. We present initial results of a prototype implementation based on the Prism algorithm.

Portfolio advertising as an instrument to strengthen the corporate brand in a complex brand architecture

In recent years, the importance of the corporate brand has significantly grown and companies increasingly seek to strengthen their corporate brand. The corporate brand image can be strengthened through portfolio advertising as a technique of impression management. This mechanism works only if important variables are considered, such as the fit between product brands, the number of product brands as well as the processing depth of the consumers. Based on three experiments, the benefits of portfolio advertising for the corporate brand and its product brands are shown and practical implications are discussed.

Cultural value of architecture in homes and neighbourhoods

This paper provides an account of the Cultural Value of Architecture in Homes and Neighbourhoods, (CVoA), a project developed with the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA). The first stage of the project was a critical review of ‘grey literature’ since 2000, industry based research on the value of architecture subdivided into themes: overall value; health and wellbeing; neighbourhood cohesion and heritage and belonging. Findings from the review revealed a marked absence of evidence of the value of architecture and an over preoccupation with the final building, the product of an interdisciplinary team not just Architects, as well as a general confusion about what it is that Architects do. Further consultation has led to the development of a framework for defining and communicating the skillsets of Architects and for developing an evidence base for their value. Our target audience is non-Architects as we are concerned with making the profession more inclusive hence our desire to create simple definitions and terminology.