A Virtual Communication Interface Called E-Mask

P. Gonçalves^[1], G. D. Putnik^[2]

pgoncalves@ipca.pt, putnikgd@dps.uminho.pt

(recebido em 11 de Abril de 2008; aceite em 12 de Maio de 2008)

 

 

Resumo. Este artigo apresenta um novo Interface de Comunicação Virtual (ICV), baseado em agentes, denominado E-Mask, que esconde a verdadeira aparência dos seus interlocutores. Depois de contextualizar a technologia subjacente aos Agentes da Microsoft, abordamos a implementação da virtualidade no BM_Virtual Enterprise Architecture Reference Model (BM-VEARM) com personagens “humanas”. São, também, apresentadas outras aplicações de agentes bem como do ICV. O E-Mask pode ser um potenciador na reconfiguração dinâmica de redes de Empresas Virtuais uma vez que, com este interface o tempo de comunicação entre utilizadores é mais curto.

Palavras-chave: Interface, comunicação virtual, reconfiguação dinâmica.

 

 

Abstract. This paper presents a new agent-based Virtual Communication Interface (VCI), called E-Mask, which hides the real appearance of its interlocutors. After a contextualization of Microsoft Software Agent technology, we focus on the implementation of virtuality in the BM_Virtual Enterprise Architecture Reference Model (BM-VEARM) with human-like characters. Other applications of agent software as well as the VCI are also covered. We find that the E-Mask interface may be a dynamic reconfiguration enabler in Virtual Enterprise (VE) Networks since the communication time between end-users is shortened.

Keywords: Interface, virtual comunication, dynamic reconfiguration.

 

 

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Full text only available in PDF format.

 

 

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^[1] Polytechnic Institute of Cávado and Ave, Higher School of Technology, Barcelos, Portugal

^[2] University of Minho, School of Engineering, Dept. of Production and Systems Engineering, Guimarães, Portugal