A direction-of-arrival estimation (DoA) scheme that uses a uniform circular array (UCA) is proposed for near-field sources, where multiple pairs-of-subarrays exist with central symmetry. First, multiple generalized ESPRIT (G-ESPRIT) spectrums are obtained by applying the conventional G-ESPRIT algorithm to each of multiple pairs-of-subarrays. Second, a parallel spectrum is found by adding up the reciprocals of these G-ESPRIT spectrums and taking the reciprocal of the total. The locations of peaks in the parallel spectrum give the DoAs being estimated. When a DoA approaches the translation direction of two subarrays, the conventional G-ESPRIT spectrum is broken by a false peak. Since the translation directions of pairs-of-subarrays are different from each other, the false peak, due to the DoA approaching one of translation directions, does not exist simultaneously in all G-ESPRIT spectrums. The parallel concatenation of the spectrums suppresses the false peak and enhances the true DoA peaks. Simulation shows that the proposed scheme reduces the root mean square error of the DoA estimation, compared with the conventional G-ESPRIT algorithm.

We analyze the performance of multiple input single output (MISO) synchronous downlink CDMA system over Rayleigh fading channels. We propose an upper bound on its bit error rate (BER) assuming maximum likelihood (ML) multiuser detection by extending notion of removable error vector to fading channels. From the upper bound, we discuss the optimality of space-time spreading and its extension to non-orthogonal base sequences. We also give some numerical results.

Physical-layer network coding with binary turbo coding in a two-way relay channel is considered. A two-user turbo decoding scheme is proposed with a simplified sum trellis. For two-user iterative decoding at a relay, the component decoder with its simplified sum trellis decodes the superimposed signal to the arithmetic sum of two users' messages. The simplified sum trellis is obtained by removing one of the states in a pair of mutual symmetrical states from a sum trellis. This removal reduces the decoding complexity to half of that with the sum trellis, and does not degrade decoding performance over AWGN channel since two output sequences from the pair of mutual symmetrical states are the same.

In this study, we consider fake message attacks in sparse mobile ad hoc networks, in which nodes are chronically isolated. In these networks, messages are delivered to their destination nodes using store-carry-forward routing, where they are relayed by some nodes. Therefore, when a node has messages in its buffer, it can falsify the messages easily. When malicious nodes exist in the network, they alter messages to create fake messages, and then they launch fake message attacks, that is, the fake messages are spread over the network. To analyze the negative effects of a fake message attack, we model the system dynamics without attack countermeasures using a Markov chain, and then formalize some performance metrics (i.e., the delivery probability, mean delivery delay, and mean number of forwarded messages). This analysis is useful for designing countermeasures. Moreover, we consider a hash-based countermeasure against fake message attacks using a hash of the message. Whenever a node that has a message and its hash encounters another node, it probabilistically forwards only one of them to the encountered node. By doing this, the message and the hash value can be delivered to the destination node via different relay nodes. Therefore, even if the destination node receives a fake message, it can verify the legitimacy of the received message. Through simulation experiments, we evaluate the effectiveness of the hash-based countermeasure.

Reducing power consumption is a crucial factor making industrial designs, such as mobile SoCs, competitive. Voltage scaling (VS) is the classical yet most effective technique that contributes to quadratic power reduction. A recent design technique called activation-aware slack assignment (ASA) enhances the voltage-scaling by allocating the timing margin of critical paths with a stochastic mean-time-to-failure (MTTF) analysis. Meanwhile, such stochastic treatment of timing errors is accepted in limited application domains, such as image processing. This paper proposes a design optimization methodology that achieves a mode-wise voltage-scalable (MWVS) design guaranteeing no timing errors in each mode operation. This work formulates the MWVS design as an optimization problem that minimizes the overall power consumption considering each mode duration, achievable voltage lowering and accompanied circuit overhead explicitly, and explores the solution space with the downhill simplex algorithm that does not require numerical derivation and frequent objective function evaluations. For obtaining a solution, i.e., a design, in the optimization process, we exploit the multi-corner multi-mode design flow in a commercial tool for performing mode-wise ASA with sets of false paths dedicated to individual modes. We applied the proposed design methodology to RISC-V design. Experimental results show that the proposed methodology saves 13% to 20% more power compared to the conventional VS approach and attains 8% to 15% gain from the conventional single-mode ASA. We also found that cycle-by-cycle fine-grained false path identification reduced leakage power by 31% to 42%.

Multi-user uniquely decodable (UD) k-ary coding for the multiple-access adder channel is investigated. It is shown that a Tf+g+1-user UD k-ary affine code with code length f+g+1 can be obtained from two Tf-user and Tg-user UD k-ary affine codes. This leads to construct recursively a Tn-user UD k-ary affine code with arbitrary code length n. The total rate of the code tends to be higher than those of all the multi-user UD k-ary codes reported previously as the number of users increases.

A recursive construction of (k+1)-ary error-correcting signature code is proposed to identify users for MAAC, even in the presence of channel noise. The recursion is originally from a trivial signature code. In the (j-1)-th recursion, from a signature code with minimum distance of 2j-2, a longer and larger signature code with minimum distance of 2j-1 is obtained. The decoding procedure of signature code is given, which consists of error correction and user identification.

A T-user uniquely decodable (UD) code {C1,C2,,CT} over an integer set {0,1,,k} with arbitrary code length is developed for a multiple-access adder channel (MAAC). Each of the T users is equipped with two codewords, one of which is zero vector. The T-user UD code is used to identify users through the MAAC. It is shown that a T(f+g+1)-user UD code with code length f+g+1 can be arranged from two given T(f)-user and T(g)-user UD codes. This idea makes it possible to construct recursively a T-user UD code for an arbitrary code length n and a positive integer k. The T-user UD code includes the Jevticode.

In this letter, a new rapid and accurate synchronization scheme based on PMF-FFT for high dynamic GPS receiver is proposed, with a fine Doppler frequency estimation inserted between the acquisition and tracking modules. Fine Doppler estimation is firstly achieved through a simple interpolation of the PMF-FFT outputs in terms of LSE criterion. Then a high dynamic tracking loop based on UKF is designed to verify the synchronization speed and accuracy. Numerical results show that the fine frequency estimation can closely approach the CRB, and the high dynamic receiver can obtain fine synchronization rapidly just through a very narrow bandwidth. The simplicity and low complexity give the proposed scheme a strong and practical-oriented ability, even for weak GPS signals.

In this letter, a new and accurate frequency estimation method of complex exponential signals is proposed. The proposed method divides the signal samples into several identical segments and sums up the samples belonging to the same segment respectively. Then it utilizes fast Fourier transform (FFT) algorithm with zero-padding to obtain a coarse estimation, and exploits three Fourier coefficients to interpolate a fine estimation based on least square error (LSE) criterion. Numerical results show that the proposed method can closely approach the Cramer-Rao bound (CRB) at low signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) with different estimation ranges. Furthermore, the computational complexity of the proposed method is proportional to the estimation range, showing its practical-oriented ability. The proposed method can be useful in several applications involving carrier frequency offset (CFO) estimation for burst-mode satellite communications.

Software watermarking is a digital technique used to protect software by embedding some secret information as identification in order to discourage software piracy and unauthorized modification. Watermarking is still a relatively new field and has good potential in protecting software from privacy threats. However, there appears to be a security vulnerability in the watermark trigger behaviour, and has been frequently attacked. By tracing the watermark trigger behaviour, attackers can easily intrude into the software and locate and expose the watermark for modification. In order to address this problem, we propose an algorithm that obscures the watermark trigger behaviour by utilizing buffer overflow. The code of the watermark trigger behaviour is removed from the software product itself, making it more difficult for attackers to trace the software. Experiments show that the new algorithm has promising performance in terms of the imperceptibility of software watermark.

An empirical formula of resonant frequency of bow-tie microstrip antennas is presented, which is based on the cavity model of microstrip patch antennas. A procedure to design a bow-tie antenna using genetic algorithm (GA) in which we take the formula as a fitness function is also given. An optimized bow-tie antenna by genetic algorithm was constructed and measured. Numerical and experimental results are used to validate the formula and GA. The results are in good agreement.

This paper concerned the research on a memristive chaotic system and the generated random sequence; by constructing a piecewise-linear memristor model, a kind of chaotic system is constructed, and corresponding numerical simulation and dynamical analysis are carried out to show the dynamics of the new memristive chaotic system. Finally the proposed memristive chaotic system is used to generate random sequence for the possible application in encryption field.

Time performance optimization and resource conflict resolution are two important challenges in multiple project management contexts. Compared with traditional project management, multi-project management usually suffers limited and insufficient resources, and a tight and urgent deadline to finish all concurrent projects. In this case, time performance optimization of the global project management is badly needed. To our best knowledge, existing work seldom pays attention to the formal modeling and analyzing of multi-project management in an effort to eliminate resource conflicts and optimizing the project execution time. This work proposes such a method based on PRT-Net, which is a Petri net-based formulism tailored for a kind of project constrained by resource and time. The detailed modeling approaches based on PRT-Net are first presented. Then, resource conflict detection method with corresponding algorithm is proposed. Next, the priority criteria including a key-activity priority strategy and a waiting-short priority strategy are presented to resolve resource conflicts. Finally, we show how to construct a conflict-free PRT-Net by designing resource conflict resolution controllers. By experiments, we prove that our proposed priority strategy can ensure the execution time of global multiple projects much shorter than those without using any strategies.

A K-user parallel concatenated code (PCC) is proposed for a Gaussian multiple-access channel with symbol synchronization, equal-power, and equal-rate users. In this code, each user employs a PCC with M+1 component codes, where the first component code is a rate-1/q repetition code and the other M component codes are the same rate-1 recursive convolutional (RC) codes. By designing the repetition coding rate and the RC component code, the K-user PCC achieve reliable transmission for a given number of users and noise level. Two decoding schemes are considered: low-density parity-check (LDPC)-like decoding and Turbo-like decoding. For each decoding scheme, a fixed point analysis is given to optimize the parameters: the rate of repetition component code 1/q, the number of RC component codes M, or the RC component codes themselves. The analysis shows that an accumulate code is the optimal RC component code for a K-user PCC, in the sense of achieving the maximum sum rate. The K-user PCC with an accumulate component code achieves a larger sum rate in the high rate region than the conventional scheme of an error correction code serially concatenated with spreading under similar encoding and decoding complexity.

Conventional adaptive array antenna processing must access signals on all of the array antenna elements. However, because the low-cost electronically steerable passive array radiator (ESPAR) antenna only has a single-port output, all of the signals on the antenna elements cannot be observed. In this paper, a technique for adaptively controlling the loaded reactances on the passive radiators, thus forming both beam and nulls, is presented for the ESPAR antenna. The adaptive algorithm is based on the steepest gradient theory, where the reactances are sequentially perturbed to determine the gradient vector. Simulations show that the ESPAR antenna can be adaptive. The statistical performance of the output SIR of the ESPAR antenna is also given.

The electronically steerable passive array radiator (ESPAR) antenna is one kind of the parasitic elements based single-port output antennas with several variable reactances. It performs analog aerial beamforming and none of the signals on its passive elements can be observed. This fact and one that is more important--the nonlinear dependence of the output of the antenna from adjustable reactances--makes the problem substantially new and not resolvable by means of conventional adaptive array beamforming techniques. A novel approach based on stochastic approximation theory is proposed for the adaptive beamforming of the ESPAR antenna as a nonlinear spatial filter by variable parameters, thus forming both beam and nulls. Two learning rate schedule were examined about output SINR, stability, convergence, misadjustment, noise effect, bias term, etc., and the optimal one was proposed. Further development was traced. Our theoretic study, simulation results and performance analysis show that the ESPAR antenna can be controlled effectively, has strong potential for use in mobile terminals and seems to be very perspective.

In lowlight conditions, images taken by phone cameras usually have too much noise, while images taken using a flash have a high signal-noise ratio (SNR) and look unnatural. This paper proposes a novel imaging method using flash/no-flash image pairs. Through transferring the natural tone of the former to the latter, the resulting image has a high SNR and maintains a natural appearance. For realtime implementation, we use two preview images, which are taken with and without flash, to estimate the transformation function in advance. Then we use this function to adjust the tone of the image captured with flash in real time. Thus, the method does not require a frame memory and it is suitable for cell phone cameras.

In this letter, we investigate the problem of feedforward timing estimation for burst-mode satellite communications. By analyzing the correlation property of frame header (FH) acquisition in the presence of sampling offset, a novel data-aided feedforward timing estimator that utilizes the correlation peaks for interpolating the fractional timing offset is proposed. Numerical results show that even under low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and small rolloff factor conditions, the proposed estimator can approach the modified Cramer-Rao bound (MCRB) closely. Furthermore, this estimator only requires two samples per symbol and can be implemented with low complexity with respect to conventional data-aided estimators.

In the user identification (UI) scheme for a multiple-access fading channel based on a randomly generated (0, 1, -1)-signature code, previous studies used the signature code over a noisy multiple-access adder channel, and only the user state information (USI) was decoded by the signature decoder. However, by considering the communication model as a compressed sensing process, it is possible to estimate the channel coefficients while identifying users. In this study, to improve the efficiency of the decoding process, we propose an iterative deep neural network (DNN)-based decoder. Simulation results show that for the randomly generated (0, 1, -1)-signature code, the proposed DNN-based decoder requires less computing time than the classical signal recovery algorithm used in compressed sensing while achieving higher UI and channel estimation (CE) accuracies.