MINOS is an object-oriented multimedia information system that provides integrated facilities for creating and managing complex multimedia objects. In this paper the model for multimedia documents supported by MINOS and its implementation is described. Described in particular are functions provided in MINOS that exploit the capabilities of a modern workstation equipped with image and voice input-output devices to accomplish an active multimedia document presentation and browsing within documents. These functions are powerful enough to support a variety of office applications. Also described are functions provided for the extraction of information from multimedia documents that exist in a large repository of information (multimedia document archiver) and functions that select and transform this information. Facilities for information sharing among objects of the archiver are described; an interactive multimedia editor that is used for the extraction and interactive creation of new information is outlined; finally, a multimedia document formatter that is used to synthesize a new multimedia document from extracted and interactively generated information is presented. This prototype system runs on a SUN-3 workstation running UNIX'". An Instavox, directly addressable, analog device is used to store voice segments.

Large multimedia data bases become feasible due to recent advances in hardware technology. A very important component of multimedia data base management systems will be the presentation manager which will be responsible for effective multimedia presentation and browsing on the screen of workstations. In this paper we present the functions provided for multimedia presentation and browsing in MINOS, a multimedia information system. The presentation and browsing capabilities provided make effective use of the capabilities of a modern workstation to increase the man-machine communication bandwidth. We regard voice as an important means of communication. Symmetric capabilities for text and voice browsing are provided.

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Tractability versus expressiveness is a problem underlying the current generation of problem solvers. It is desirable to specify the problem, along with knowledge required for its solution, in the most expressive means possible. However, from the perspective of the solver, the most efficient representation is the least expressive one. One solution to this problem is to devise a means of transforming an expressive problem description into an efficient problem solver. Knowledge compilation is the process of transforming a domain theory into a form specialized for the solution of a given problem set. This paper will present OPCOMP, a system devised to compile a first order quantifier free predicate calculus domain theory into a problem reduction solver.