Temporal and Spatial Coherence Verification in SMIL Documents with Hoare Logic and Disjunctive Constraints: A Hybrid Formal Method

Abstract

The challenging problem of formal verification of SMIL (Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language Specification) documents is considered in this paper, where we propose a hybrid formal method that automatically detects and corrects the temporal and spatial conflicts. The proposed solution is based on a related work that uses Hoare logic for temporal conflict detection in SMIL documents. The use of Hoare logic is borrowed by that solution but with many improvements and extensions. New rules are added to enable modeling of more SMIL elements. We also deal with spatial conflicts and propose a spatio-temporal inconsistencies verification algorithm, called Spatio-temporal Inconsistencies Verification Algorithm (SIVA), that checks the spatial incoherence of SMIL documents. The disjunctive constraints of Marriott are used to correct the spatial inconsistencies. Furthermore, we propose a new tool that helps the author to validate the temporal and spatial constraints in SMIL documents. If any temporal or spatial conflicts are detected, the system returns a help message to report the error and help the author to correct the conflict. Finally, our contribution has been compared with two recent related works, and the results show that the proposed solution allow to check more attributes.

A Brief of Review: Multimedia Authoring Tool Attributes

“…As shown in Figure 5a, a Messages Zone in user interfaces in the multimedia authoring tool for service diagnosis [23]. As shown in Figure 5b, an Error Zone Message in a user interface in the multimedia authoring tool for service diagnosis [37].…”

“…In 2016, Fatma Zohra Mekalia, Abdelghani Ghomari, Samy Yazid, and Djamel Djenouri conducted a study entitled "Temporal and Spatial Coherence Verification in SMIL Documents with Hoare Logic and Disjunctive Constraints: A Hybrid Formal Method" [37]. The study discusses the problem of conducting formal verification on a SMIL document.…”

“…Hoare Logic is a formal system for verifying a computer program using logic rules [35]. Hoare Logic Rules Enrichment is a modification of Hoare Logic that aims to verify temporal inconsistencies in SMIL documents [37]. Hoare Logic uses mathematical equations to perform the theorem verification process on a system in multimedia authoring tools.…”

Auto-correction of multiple spatial conflicts in multimedia authoring tools

“…The information provided is as detailed as possible, the information is given in several tabs. This can make it easier for an author to improve multimedia presentations [25]. The spatial representation referred to in the study entitled "Adaptation Spatio-temporal et hypermedia de documents multimedia" has eight conditions, as shown in Figure 2.…”

A Gals Approach for Pogramming Distributed Interactive Multimedia Applications

“…The language has constructs to specify that multiple objects should have exactly the same start time and also has attributes for specifying the maximum tolerable dyssynchrony among objects. However, its synchronization model allows the programming of inconsistencies that may be difficult to detect statically [70,71,72]. Furthermore, SMIL also admits an implementation-dependent propagation delay between the generation of an event and its processing, which may lead to different behaviors in different players [14].…”