Polychannel Systems for Mass Digital Communication

Abstract

We describe a new type of distributed computer system that looks beyond workstation and local area network assumptions towards the time when computers will be used by everyone at both home and the office. This new system is designed to provide sophisticated information services to an entire metropolitan area. We have combined digital broadcast channels and duplex communication channels in a polychannel system that uses predicate based database content labels to automatically route queries. Our thesis is that a polychannel system produces substantial cost and system scaling advantages while retaining the flexibility of client-server style duplex communication. Experimental data from a two year test of the Boson Community Information System system with hundreds of users supports this thesis. Keywords: Design; Experimentation; Human factors polychannel system; Digital broadcast; Content label; Query routing; Update routing; Active medium.

Open PDF

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jul 01, 1988
Accession Number
ADA200988

Entities

People

  • David K. Gifford

Organizations

  • Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Materials and Manufacturing Processes
  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Abstracts
  • Communication Channels
  • Communication Systems
  • Computer Science
  • Computers
  • Databases
  • Digital Communications
  • Electronic Mail
  • Experimental Data
  • Information Processing
  • Information Systems
  • Local Area Networks
  • Networks
  • New York
  • Operating Systems
  • Personal Computers
  • User Interface

Fields of Study

  • Computer science
  • Engineering

Readers

  • Asian Economic Studies
  • Computer Science/Computer Engineering/Data Science/Digital Signal Processing.
  • Radio communications and signal processing.