The three-bit balanced ternary quantum voltage generator was designed and tested. This voltage generator is based on zero-crossing Shapiro steps (ZCSSs) in asymmetric two-junction SQUID. ZCSSs were observed on the current-voltage curves, and maximum and minimum current of ZCSSs were almost same, respectively for the three bits. 27-step quantum voltages from -13Φ0f to +13 Φ0f were observed by combinations of inputs of bit1, bit2 and bit3.

Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA) is a well-known feature extraction method for supervised subspace learning in statistical pattern recognition. In this paper, a novel method of LDA based on a new L1-norm optimization technique and its variances are proposed. The conventional LDA, which is based on L2-norm, is sensitivity to the presence of outliers, since it used the L2-norm to measure the between-class and within-class distances. In addition, the conventional LDA often suffers from the so-called small sample size (3S) problem since the number of samples is always smaller than the dimension of the feature space in many applications, such as face recognition. Based on L1-norm, the proposed methods have several advantages, first they are robust to outliers because they utilize the L1-norm, which is less sensitive to outliers. Second, they have no 3S problem. Third, they are invariant to rotations as well. The proposed methods are capable of reducing the influence of outliers substantially, resulting in a robust classification. Performance assessment in face application shows that the proposed approaches are more effectiveness to address outliers issue than traditional ones.

In this paper, we investigate the impact of different sub-band spreading bandwidth (SSBW) on a direct sequence (DS) multiband (MB) ultra wideband (UWB) system in multipath and narrowband interference over realistic UWB channel models based on actual measurements. As an approach to effectively mitigate multipath and narrowband interference, the DS-MB-UWB system employs multiple sub-bands instead of a wide single band for data transmission. By using spreading chips with different duration settings, the SSBW can be manipulated. As a result, it is observed that increasing SSBW does not always improve system performance. Optimum SSBW values exist and are found to vary in accordance to different operating parameters such as the number of sub-bands and types of propagation channel model. Additionally, we have also found that system performance in the presence of narrowband interference is heavily dependent on the number of employed sub-bands.

This paper proposes an enhanced feature detection method for the OFDM signals of digital TV (DTV) standards, namely Digital Video Broadcasting-Terrestrial (DVB-T) and Integrated Services Digital Broadcasting-Terrestrial (ISDB-T). The proposed method exploits property of time-domain sliding correlation results of DTV signals with the pilots that are inserted into OFDM symbols. Some correlation outputs are much larger than the remaining outputs and are called correlation peaks here, and, the distance between their positions in the correlation output sequence keep constant regardless of the received DTV timings. The proposed method then derives sensing test statistic with improved SNR by aggregating the correlation peaks based on their positions. Performance of the proposed method is evaluated by both computer simulation and hardware implementation. Simulation results for DVB-T detection verify that compared to the optimal conventional sensing method, the proposed method achieves superior sensing performance. It reduces sampling time by about 25% for the same sensing performance while increasing computational complexity by around 0.0001%. Hardware performance further verifies that the proposed method is able to accurately detect ISDB-T at the low SNR of -14.5 dB by employing 8 OFDM symbol durations of samples.

This paper presents a basic investigation of the power imbalance problem with regard to maximum ratio combining (MRC) array antennas for digital TV broadcast reception. First, the relationship between the decrease in the diversity gain and reduction in the received power was investigated using two-element and four-element dipole array antennas by means of a Monte Carlo simulation. The relationship between the decrease in the diversity gain and the number of branches imposed to reduce the received power was also investigated. Then, a simple method of predicting the reduction in the diversity gain under imbalanced power conditions is given using the simulation results. The objective is to determine a criterion associated with the gain reduction that allows us to achieve the required system performance. Finally, the proposed method is confirmed by analysis using a model representing a typical portable digital broadcasting TV set held with both hands that simulates the power imbalance condition.

In many wireless sensor applications, skyline monitoring queries that continuously retrieve the skyline objects as well as the complete set of nodes that reported them play an important role. This paper presents SKYMON, a novel energy-efficient monitoring approach. The basic idea is to prune nodes that cannot yield a skyline result at the sink, as indicated by their (error bounded) prediction values, to suppress unnecessary sensor updates. Every node is associated with a prediction model, which is maintained at both the node and the sink. Sensors check sensed data against model-predicted values and transmit prediction errors to the sink. A data representation scheme is then developed to calculate an approximate view of each node's reading based on prediction errors and prediction values, which facilitates safe node pruning at the sink. We also develop a piecewise linear prediction model to maximize the benefit of making the predictions. Our proposed approach returns the exact results, while deceasing the number of queried nodes and transferred data. Extensive simulation results show that SKYMON substantially outperforms the existing TAG-based approach and MINMAX approach in terms of energy consumption.

Compensation for the nonlinear systems represented by polynomials involves polynomial inverse. In this paper, a new algorithm is proposed that gives the baseband polynomial inverse with a limited order. The algorithm employs orthogonal basis that is predetermined from the distribution of input signal and finds the coefficients of the inverse polynomial to minimize the mean square error. Compared with the well established p-th order inverse method, the proposed method can suppress the distortions better including higher order distortions. It is also extended to obtain memory polynomial inverse through a feedback-configured structure. Both numerical simulations and experimental results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm can provide good performance for compensating the nonlinear systems represented by baseband polynomials.

It is the key concern for service providers that how a web service stands out among functionally similar services. QoS is a distinct and decisive factor in service selection among functionally similar services. Therefore, how to design services to meet customers' QoS requirements is an urgent problem for service providers. This paper proposes an approach using QFD (Quality Function Deployment) which is a quality methodology to transfer services' QoS requirements into services' design attribute characteristics. Fuzzy set is utilized to deal with subjective and vague assessments such as importance of QoS properties. TCI (Technical Competitive Index) is defined to compare the technical competitive capacity of a web service with those of other functionally similar services in the aspect of QoS. Optimization solutions of target values of service design attributes is determined by GA (Genetic Algorithm) in order to make the technical performance of the improved service higher than those of any other rival service products with the lowest improvement efforts. Finally, we evaluate candidate improvement solutions on cost-effectiveness. As the output of QFD process, the optimization targets and order of priority of service design attributes can be used as an important basis for developing and improving service products.

In precoded TDD MIMO systems, precoding is done based on the downlink CSI, which can be predicted according to the outdated uplink CSI. This letter proposes a double-scale channel prediction scheme where frame-scale Kalman filters and pilot-symbol-scale AR predictors jointly predict the needed downlink CSI.

We investigated oxidation time dependence of graphene oxide employing modified Hummer method by dynamic light scattering. Oxidation reaction proceeded rapidly within about 24 hours, and was saturated. It is suggested that graphene oxides were not able to freely fragment. This implies that the oxidation reactions occur at the limited sites.

In order to obtain the uniform film having well-defined lead halide-based layer perovskite structure, we proposed squeezed out method. It is found that the optimized condition with respect to docosylammonium bromide is revealed by employing hexadecylammonium bromide among tetradecylammonium bromide, hexadecylammonium bromide and octadecylammonium bromide.

In this paper, a modified detection approach based on minimum mean-square error (MMSE) sorted QR decomposition (SQRD) for turbo coded multiple-input multiple-output orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (MIMO-OFDM) systems is presented. In conventional MMSE SQRD based detection, a component of the symbol to be detected is still present in the interference term, leading to less efficient log likelihood ratios (LLRs) passed to soft decoder. By moving this symbol component into the signal term, the modified MMSE SQRD based detection can provide more efficient LLRs for soft decoder. Simulation results show that the proposed detection can achieve significant performance gain.

There has recently been much research on content-based image retrieval (CBIR) that uses image features including color, shape, and texture. In CBIR, feature extraction is important because the retrieval result depends on the image feature. Query-by-sketch image retrieval is one of CBIR and query-by-sketch image retrieval is efficient because users simply have to draw a sketch to retrieve the desired images. In this type of retrieval, selecting the optimum feature extraction method is important because the retrieval result depends on the image feature. We have developed a query-by-sketch image retrieval method that uses an edge relation histogram (ERH) as a global and local feature intended for binary line images. This histogram is based on the patterns of distribution of other line pixels centered on each line pixel that have been obtained by global and local processing. ERH, which is a shift- and scale-invariant feature, focuses on the relation among the edge pixels. It is fairly simple to describe rotation- and symmetry-invariant features, and query-by-sketch image retrieval using ERH makes it possible to perform retrievals that are not affected by position, size, rotation, or mirroring. We applied the proposed method to 20,000 images in the Corel Photo Gallery. Experimental results showed that it was an effective means of retrieving images.

We study the role of energy conversion in phase regulation of frequency entrainment. For an open dynamical system that interacts with its environment, energy conversion in the system is the key to a wide variety of nonlinear phenomena including frequency entrainment. In this paper, using the standard notion of energy, we study the phenomena of frequency entrainment by periodic forces in two different types of oscillations: libration and rotation. Theoretical analysis shows a relationship between phase regulation and energy conversion in the entrainment phenomena. Both of them are explained as a common phase regulation. On the other hand, no common relationship between transient behaviors and energy conversion is identified for the two different types of oscillations. For libration, the development of frequency entrainment does not depend on the energy conversion. The energy input to the oscillator affects the amplitude of libration. For the rotation, the development of frequency entrainment is governed by the amount of energy conversion. The energy input to the system directly regulates the phase of rotation, in other words, controls the entrainment phenomenon. These results suggest a different dynamical and control origin behind the two types of entrainment phenomena as the energy conversion in the systems.

This paper deals with two types of capacity allocation schemes, i.e., static and adaptive, for uplink and downlink burst durations in the IEEE 802.16 BE (Best Effort) service. We study QoE (Quality of Experience) enhancement of audio-video IP transmission over the uplink channel with the two capacity allocation schemes. We introduce a piggyback request mechanism for uplink bandwidth requests from subscriber stations to the base station in addition to a random access-based request mechanism. We assess QoE of audio-video streams for four schemes obtained from the combination of the capacity allocation schemes and the bandwidth request mechanisms. We also employ two types of audio-video contents. From the assessment result, we notice that the adaptive allocation scheme is effective for QoE enhancement particularly under heavily loaded conditions because of its efficient usage of OFDM symbols. In addition, the piggyback request mechanism can enhance QoE of audio-video transmission. We also find that the effects of capacity allocation schemes and piggyback request mechanism on QoE change according to the content types.

Information affects almost all aspects of life, and thus the Quality of Information (IQ) plays a critical role in businesses and societies; It can have significant positive and negative impacts on the quality of life of citizens, employees and organizations. Over many years aspects and challenges of IQ have been studied within various contexts. As a result, the general approach to the study of IQ has offered numerous management and measurement approaches, IQ frameworks and list of IQ criteria. As the volume of data and information increases, IQ problems become pervasive. Whereas earlier studies investigated specific aspects of IQ, the next phase of IQ research will need to examine IQ in a wider context, thus its impact on the quality of life and societies. In this paper we apply an IQ oriented framework to two cases, cloud computing and lifelogging, illustrating the impact of IQ on the quality of life. The paper demonstrates the value of the framework, the impact IQ can have on the quality of life and in summary provides a foundation for further research.

This paper proposes a new BIST (Built-In Self-Test) method for static testing of an ADC (Analog-to-Digital Converter) with transition detection method. The proposed BIST uses a triangle-wave as an input test stimulus and calculates the ADC's static parameters. Simulation results show that the proposed BIST can test both rising and falling transitions with minimal hardware overhead.

Recent studies have shown that the traffic load is often distributed unevenly among the access points. Such load imbalance results in an ineffective bandwidth utilization. The load imbalance and the consequent ineffective bandwidth utilization could be alleviated via intelligently selecting user-AP associations. In this paper, the diversity in users' utilities is sufficiently taken into account, and a Stackelberg leader-follower game is formulated to obtain the optimal user-AP association. The effectiveness of the proposed algorithm on improving the degree of load balance is evaluated via simulations. Simulation results show that the performance of the proposed algorithm is superior to or at least comparable with the best existing algorithms.