A file transmission net N is a directed communication net with vertex set V and arc set B such that each arc e has positive cost ca(e) and each vertex u in V has two parameters of positive cost cv(u) and nonnegative integral demand d(u). Some information to be distributed through N is supposed to have been written in a file and the written file is denoted by J, where the file means an abstract concept of information carrier. In this paper, we define concepts of file transfer, positive demand vertex set U and mother vertex set M, and we consider a problem of distributing d(v) copies of J through a file transfer on N from a vertex v1 to every vertex v in V. As a result, for N such that MU, we propose an O(nm+n2 log n) algorithm, where n=|V| and m=|B|, for synthesizing a file transfer whose total cost of transmitting and making copies of J is minimum on N.

Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) is an information transport technique that well supports Broadband ISDN (B-ISDN). One unsolved problem to the perfection of ATM networks is to provide a testing environment that conforms to some standardized network management scheme. From this point of view, remotely controlled virtual path testing is considered in this paper. Remotely controlled virtual path testing should be executed through the standardized Telecommunications Management Network (TMN) model, which employs the OSI systems management concept as the basis of information exchange. Thus, this paper addresses the two issues that arise when OSI systems management standards are applied to virtual path testing. One issue is to define relevant information models. The other issue is to provide test resources with a concurrency control mechanism that guarantees a consistent test environment without causing deadlocks. To resolve these issues, technical requirements are clarified for the remote control of test resources. Next, alternatives to the concurrency control mechanism are shown and compared through computer simulations. A method of defining information models is then proposed. The proposed method ensures the easy storage and retrieval of intermediate test results as well as permitting the effective provision of concurrency control for test resources. An application scenario is also derived. The scenario shows that tests can be executed by using standardized communication services. These results confirm that virtual path testing can be successfully achieved in conformance with the OSI systems management standards.

Responses in the Nagumo neural circuit to pulse-train stimulation are studied using the time sequence, phase diagram, Poincare section, return map, firing rate, Lyapunov number and bifurcation diagram. For the mono-stable neuron with an equilibrium point deeper than the maximal point of a tunnel diode curve, main responses are periodic or all-or-none and chaotic responses are rarely observed. For the neuron with an equilibrium point located near the maximal point, the response to one input pulse oscillates after the undershoot and responses to pulse-trains make complex bifurcation structure in the threshold diagram. The ranges of periodic responses are stratified in the diagram. There exist broad regions of chaotic responses and chaos is not a special response of the Nagumo circuit, but it often comes out. The results are different from those obtained from Hodgkin-Huxley equations and the BVP model.

Future broadband ATM networks are expected to accommodate various kinds of multi-media services with different traffic characteristics and quality of service (QOS) requirements. However, it is very difficult to control traffic by conventional mechanisms in this complex traffic environment. As an alternative approach, a multilayer perceptron neural network model is proposed as an intelligent control mechanism like "a traffic control policeman" in order to perform ATM connection admission control. This proposed neural control model is analyzed by computer simulations in a homogeneous and heterogeneous traffic environment and the result shows the effectiveness of this intelligent control mechanism, compared with that of an analytical method.

This letter describes a new input and cross-point buffering matrix switching architecture for high-speed ATM switching systems. The proposed switch has input queuing buffers at each input port, and small size buffers for output port arbitration at each cross-point. These two types of buffers share loads using a simple and high-speed retry algorithm. Hardware size is only half that of conventional cross-point buffering switches. In addition, the switch achieves high-throughput at a condition that the switching speed matches the input and output port speed. This switch is expected to enable the development of high-speed ATM switching systems with each port supporting speeds in excess of 1Gbit/s.

This paper proposes a new admission control strategy for ATM networks, which is based on the simulation approach and regression results. Instead of using many traffic descriptors, in our strategy only numbers of connections of different types are needed in performing admission control. The strategy is evaluated from different points of view, real-time, safety, policing and its efficiency which is referred as allowed utilized bandwidth. Since the admission criteria is developed in a form of regression model, the computation of performance for accepting a new connection is quick and easy. Using the confidence region in statistics to represent the admission criteria, a conservative estimation of performance can be achieved. Besides, this strategy is quite independent, thus can be compatible with most policing functions. Finally, its bandwidth utilization is found to be above 0.54. However, the success of this strategy still depends on the reality of input traffic model. Whenever the traffic can be clearly described, the proposed strategy can be easily and precisely applied. Therefore, we also build a traffic model for different type of traffic including constant-bit-rate (CBR), variable-bit-rate (VBR) and bursty traffic. The application of the proposed strategy to different multiplexing schemes, like priority queues and polling system, etc., should be further studied. Considering different level of performance requirement for different type of traffic, which should aid the bandwidth utilization of this strategy, is also an interesting research issue.

In conventional trellis coded modulation (TCM), a bit rate of m/m+1 convolutional encoder is employed for n information bits (mn), where 2n+1 signal points are required. In this paper, we propose a novel TCM system using totally overlapped signal sets (TO-TCM), i.e., each signal point is used twice. Thus, TO-TCM can realize only half signal points (2n) comparing with those of a conventional TCM system (2n+1), and it is possible to implement a coded modulation system without doubling the signal points by an insertion of redundant bits. The cases of the proposed schemes which have a process to extend the minimum free distances between the signal points can achieve a considerable coding gain in comparison to the traditional uncoded systems with 2n signal points. Moreover, as the proposed scheme needs only half signal points (2n) of those of conventional TCM, the average power is lower and it is less sensitive to the carrier phase offset.

In this paper, four simple nonlinear circuits with time-varying resistors are analyzed. These circuits consist of only four elements; a inductor, a capacitor, a diode and a time-varying resistor and are a kind of parametric excitation circuits whose dissipation factors vary with time. In order to analyze chaotic phenomena observed from these circuits a degeneration technique is used, that is, diodes in the circuits are assumed to operate as ideal switches. Thereby the Poincar maps are derived as one-dimensional maps and chaotic phenomena are well explained. Moreover, validity of the analyzing method is confirmed theoretically and experimentally.

We have developed a new functional MOS transistor called Neuron MOSFET (abbreviated as neuMOS or νMOS) which simulates the function of biological neurons. The new transistor is capable of executing a weighted sum calculation of multiple input signals and threshold operation based on the result of weighted summation, all in the voltage mode at a single transistor level. By utilizing its neuron-like very powerful functional capability, various circuits essential for multiple-valued logic operation have been designed using quite simple circuit configurations. The circuit designs for data conversion between the multivalued and binary logic systems and for generating universal literal functions are described and their experimental verifications are presented. One of the most important features of νMOS multivalued lagic circuit is that the circuit operates basically in the voltage mode, thus greatly reducing the power dissipation as compared to the conventional current mode circuitry. This is indeed most essential in implementing multivalued logic systems in ultra large scale integration. Another important feature of νMOS design is in its flexibility of implementing logic functions. The functional form of a universal literal function, for instance, can be arbitrarily altered by external signals without any modifications in its hardware configuration. A circuit representing multiple-valued multithreshold functions is also proposed.

A new method is proposed for automatically evaluating the English pronunciation quality of non-native speakers. It is assumed that pronunciation can be rated using three criteria: the static characteristics of phonetic spectra, the dynamic structure of spectrum sequences, and the prosodic characteristics of utterances. The evaluation uses speech recognition techniques to compare the English words pronounced by a non-native speaker with those pronounced by a native speaker. Three evaluation measures are proposed to rate pronunciation quality. (1) The standard deviation of the mapping vectors, which map the codebook vectors of the non-native speaker onto the vector space of the native speaker, is used to evaluate the static phonetic spectra characteristics. (2) The spectral distance between words pronounced by the non-native speaker and those pronounced by the native speaker obtained by the DTW method is used to evaluate the dynamic characteristics of spectral sequences. (3) The differences in fundamental frequency and speech power between the pronunciation of the native and non-native speaker are used as the criteria for evaluating prosodic characteristics. Evaluation experiments are carried out using 441 words spoken by 10 Japanese speakers and 10 native speakers. One half of the 441 words was used to evaluate static phonetic spectra characteristics, and the other half was used to evaluate the dynamic characteristics of spectral sequences, as well as the prosodic characteristics. Based on the experimental results, the correlation between the evaluation scores and the scores determined by human judgement is found to be 0.90.

This paper discusses a formulation of a basic theory of the information systems, where information is not only transmitted, but is also processed and memorized during the transmission. A deterministic procedure applied by an information system is defined as a logical work, and two measurements with information X, information quantity I(X) and information vitality T(X), are introduced. A system with the ability of transmitting, processing and memorizing information is called an information engine. A system of interconnected information engines is called an information network. The power of an information engine is defined as the maximum capacity of the logical works performed by the engine, and important properties of total power of information network are derived. Response time characteristics and cost minimizing problems of an information network are also discussed.

Two computational-geometric approaches to linear programming are surveyed. One is based on the prune-and-search paradigm and the other utilizes randomization. These two techniques are quite useful to solve geometric problems efficiently, and have many other applications, some of which are also mentioned.

Broadband ISDN based on ATM technologies is expected to offer enhanced and sophisticated services to customers. Since ATM will first be introduced in the business communication world, it will be worth to discuss the future image of desirable ATM customer premises network (CPN). In this paper, we first consider the possible migration scenario of Broadband CPN and some important requirements for the realization of the scenario. Then, we discuss the key issues to be solved for future ATM-CPN, which include network topology, traffic control and connectionless communication services.

Free choice nets are a class of Petri nets, which can represent the substantial features of systems by modeling both choice and concurrency. And in the modelling and design of a large number of concurrent systems, live and safe free choice nets (LSFC nets) have been explored their structural characteristics. On the other hand, state machine decomposable nets (SMD nets) are a class of Petri nets which can be decomposed by a set of strongly connected state machines (S-decomposition). State machine allocatable nets (SMA nets) are a well-behaved class of SMD nets. Of particular interest is the relation between free choice nets and SMA nets such that a free choice net has a live and safe marking if and only if the net is an SMA net. That is, the structure of an LSFC net is an SMA net. Recently, the structure of SMA net has been completely characterized by the authors based on an S-decomposition. In other words, a necessary and sufficient condition for a net to be an SMA net is obtained in terms of the net structure where synchronization between strongly connected state machine components (S-components) has been clarified. Unfortunately, it requires tremendous amount of time and spaces to decide a given net to be an SMA net by applying the condition directly. Moreover, there exist no efficient algorithm to decide the liveness and safeness of a given SMA net that lessens the usefulness of decomposition techniques. In this paper, we consider efficient polynomial order algorithms to decide whether a given net is a live and safe SHA net.

An optimal algorithm for decomposing a special type of the Hasse diagram into a minimum set of disjoint paths is described. It is useful for testing the consistency of functional dependencies.

The inverted slot line (ISL) has been propoaed for millimeter-wave LiNbO3 optical modulator. It is simple in structure, and capable of achieving the perfect velocity matching between carrier and modulating waves. The excellent performance of the ISL optical modulator has been demonstrated at 100 GHz, and the extension into the 50 GHz range is being expected. This paper addresses the analysis of the ISL based on the spectral domain approach. The major results obtained here are the demonstration of the perfect velocity matching not only at 10 GHz but also at 50 GHz, and the characterization of the ISL in terms of effective refractive index, characteristic impedance, overlap integral factor and transmission loss. The depth of optical phase modulation is also estimated at 50 GHz to show a promising performance in the millimeter-wave frequency range. The effective refractive index and the characteristic impedance are found to be theoretically predictable, but the field profile, the overlap integral factor and the transmission loss are not necessarily in good agreement with measurements. As a result of analysis, it can be concluded that the Y-cut substrate is superior to the Z-cut substrate in the following respects: 1. Coupling with the surface wave mode hardly occurs near the operating frequency range. 2. The perfect velocity matching can be attained with a larger spacing between the electrode and the ground plane. 3. The transmission loss is smaller. 4. The field intensity and the voerlap integral factor do not seem to be much deteriorated in the actual ISL.

This paper mainly concentrates on recent studies on land mobile propagation, considering new trends of the progress of digital and personal land mobile communications. High speed digital transmission for millimeter-wave indoor communication is of another current interest. Microcellular propagation in urban areas and indoor propagation are major research targets at present days. Multipath propagation characteristics such as delay-profiles becomes more and more important measuring items, and some signal processing methods like MUSIC method have been widely introduced to improve the time resolution against the limit of available radio bandwidth. Path-loss characteristics in mobile propagation are extended to the path-loss prediction and are going to be applied to cellular system design in connection with the design of directional base-station antennas. Another recent topic is an extension of target frequency bands for mobile propagation studies, which are spreading from VHP, UHF and SHF to EHF bands.

A high frequency MOSFET model is presented. This model takes into account the electron mobility reduction due to the normal and parallel fields. By using a frequency power series, an analytic second order expression for the intrinsic admittance parameters is obtained. This intrinsic admittance model is first simplified and then completed by the external elements, measured, or calculated in the case of the high frequency lateral type structure. The proposed model shows that the two-field-dependent mobility effect reduces the unilateral power gain by maximum 2 dB compared to the one-field-dependent mobility and constant mobility models. The proposed model gives a good prediction of the scattering parameters measured from 50 to 200 MHz. The average deviation of the calculated unilateral power gain from the measured values is 1.86 dB.

Reactive gases such air pollution agents as H2S or SO2 usually corrode the electrical contact surfaces. Since corrosion products formed on the surface increase contact resistance, they harmfully degrades contact reliability. To prevent the corrosion of the surface, oil coating on it may be effective. The oil film acts basically as a barrier for reaction between the corrosive gas and the surface. For thin film coating, the corrosion inhibition can not be expected. However, effect of film thickness on the corrosion property has not been clarified. In the present study, in order to clarify the corrosion inhibition of the oil coating for the contacts, the stearic acid coating on Ag (silver) contact surface was studied from view-point of the relationship between the thickness of the coating film and the contact resistance. As results, the effect of the stearic acid coating on corrosion inhibition in the atmosphere contained with H2S 3 ppm was found. However, the corrosion of the surface coated with thin stearic acid film occurred at microscopically scattered thin patiches in the specific pattern of the film. Existing of the optimum thickness of the stearic acid coating which gives both minimum contact resistance and effective corrosion inhibition was found. In the intermediate film thickness, this optimum thickness was induced by the increased contact resistance due to corrosion of the thin film region and insulation property of the stearic acid in the thick film region. Moreovr,it was found that this optimum thickness was affected by corrosion time. At the early stage of corrosion, the optimum thickness was about 200 . However, the corrosion time becomes longer as 700 min, this optimum thickness changed to thick as 1000 . With this increase in the thickness, the contact resistance in the optimum thickness rised to high level. Furthermore, the contact resistance in the optimum thickness decreased with increase in the contact load. However, dependence of the contact load on the optimum thickness was not recognized under a certain corrosion time.