The rapid spread of the Internet has led to the construction of broadband networks and the steady installation of optical fiber to the home. The air blowing cable system makes it possible to construct optical fiber networks efficiently and economically when the service demand is unpredictable. We have installed this system for intra-building applications. In this paper, we report ways of applying the air blowing system to aerial distribution using access networks. We showed that certain problems must be overcome before the system can be used for aerial applications. We describe these problems, which include those related to installation distance and environmental conditions and also the system components. In particular, the characteristics at high temperature were degraded because of a reduction in the flux. However, we were able to improve these characteristics by adopting the flexibility of the optical fiber unit.

The computational performance of cryptographic protocols using an elliptic curve strongly depends on the efficiency of the scalar multiplication. Some elliptic curve based cryptographic protocols, such as signature verification, require computation of multi scalar multiplications of kP+lQ, where P and Q are points on an elliptic curve. An efficient way to compute kP+lQ is to compute two scalar multiplications simultaneously, rather than computing each scalar multiplication separately. We introduce new efficient algorithms for simultaneous scalar multiplication on an elliptic curve. We also give a detailed analysis of the computational efficiency of our proposed algorithms.

It is found that the supercontinuum spectrum is generated from cross-phase modulated soliton pulses which are propagated through a dispersion-flattened/decreasing fiber with low birefringence. The cross-phase modulation is achieved by exciting two orthogonally polarized modes in a birefringent fiber and the effect of input azimuth of linearly polarized pulses is discussed theoretically and numerically.

Bidirected graphs which are generalizations of undirected graphs, have three types of edges: (+,+)-edges, (-,-)-edges and (+,-)-edges. Undirected graphs are regarded as bidirected graphs whose edges are all of type (+,+). The notion of perfection of undirected graphs can be naturally extended to bidirected graphs in terms of polytopes. The fact that a bidirected graph is perfect if and only if the undirected graph obtained by replacing all edges to (+,+) is perfect was independently proved by several researchers. This paper gives a polyhedral proof of the fact and introduces some new knowledge on perfect bidirected graphs.

An 80 Gbit/s conventional and carrier-suppressed return-to-zero optical time-division multiplexing signal transmission over a 208 km standard single-mode fiber was experimentally demonstrated. This was achieved by using mid-span optical phase conjugation based on four-wave mixing in semiconductor optical amplifiers. In addition, it was confirmed that the transmitted carrier-suppressed return-to-zero optical signal's carrier phase-relation was held.

The generation of high repetition-rate optical pulse train using a passively mode-locked figure-8 fiber ring laser is presented. The laser employs a novel configuration incorporating a superstructure fiber Bragg grating. Pulse train with repetition rates up to 100GHz is possible and transform-limited pulses with pulsewidth below 1ps can be achieved with chirp compensation. The output pulses can further be reduced to 83fs with an external pulse compressor.

We propose a new scheme of indoor optical wireless LAN based on a special CMOS image sensor (CIS), which realizes a low-power compact communication module with large uplink capacity due to space division multiple access. In our scheme, all nodes and a hub utilize the CIS as a photoreceiver as well as a position-sensing device for finding the positions of the communication modules, while a single large photodiode is used in the conventional systems. Although conventional image sensors cannot detect modulated signals because they integrate photocurrents, our CIS has a high-speed readout function for receiving optical data from the specific pixels receiving optical signals. The advantages of the proposed scheme are 1) compact embodiment of the communication module due to no need of the bulky mechanical components for searching the other modules, 2) space division multiple access, which leads to 3) large capacity of uplink, and 4) applicability of simple modulation and coding schemes for optical signals. In our scheme, diffusive and narrow beam lights are complementally used for position detection and communication, respectively, which leads to the advantage 5) low power consumption of both light emitter and receiver circuits. To demonstrate two basic functional modes of our CIS: an IS (image sensor) mode and a COM (communication) mode, we fabricate an 88-pixel CIS by use of a 0.8µm BiCMOS technology. In the experiments, the image of a light source is successfully captured in the IS mode for integration time of 29.6msec and optical power of 1.1nW. After the functional mode of the pixel receiving the light is changed to the COM mode, the eye pattern of the modulated light is obtained from the pixel at frequency of 1MHz. We also fabricate a test pixel circuit with in-pixel amplifier, with which operation speed is improved to 100MHz.

An optical fiber line testing system is essential for reducing maintenance costs and improving service reliability in optical access networks. NTT has already developed such a system called AURORA (AUtomatic optical fibeR opeRAtions support system). As we already use the 1310 and 1550nm wavelengths for communication, we use the 1650nm wavelength for maintenance testing in accordance with ITU-T recommendation L.41. Recently, a long wavelength band (L-band) that extends to 1625nm has begun to be used for WDM transmission. With a view to monitoring optical fiber cables transmitting L-band communication light, an attractive way of separating the U-band wavelength of the test lights from the L-band wavelength of the communication light is to use a chirped fiber Bragg grating (FBG) filter because of its steep optical spectrum. However, it is difficult to measure fiber characteristics with an optical time-domain reflectometer (OTDR), because multi-reflections appear in the OTDR trace when FBG filters are installed at both ends of an optical fiber line. In this paper, we consider this problem and show that the reflection loss at the port of a test access module (TAM) must be more than 36.6dB. We also describe the system design for an extended optical fiber line testing system using an L/U-band optical coupler, which has two chirped FBGs between two 4-port circulators for L-band WDM transmission. In this system, the reflection loss at a TAM port was 38.1dB, and we confirmed that there was no degradation in the OTDR trace caused by multi-reflections at the optical filters.

Burst switched WDM optical networks are coming up as suitable network architectures for future Optical Internet backbones. However, the lack of optical processing capabilities results in increased burst blocking probability, which in turn lead to very limited network performance. Efficient contention resolution algorithm is therefore necessary. In this paper, we propose a distributed wavelength assignment algorithm named Priority-based Wavelength Assignment (PWA) for such networks. Each node selectively assigns wavelengths based on the wavelength priority information "learned" from its wavelength utilization history in a distributed manner. As the learning process progresses, nodes in the same part of the network tend to assign different wavelengths to avoid contentions. Simulation results show that the PWA can effectively reduce the blocking probability and increase the performance of burst optical networks compared to previous algorithms such as random assignment.

A dual greedy polyhedron is defined by a system of linear inequalities, where the right-hand sides are given by a submodular function and the coefficients matrix is given by the incidence vectors of antichains of a rooted forest. Faigle and Kern introduced this concept and showed that a dual greedy algorithm works for the linear program over dual greedy polyhedra. In this paper, we show that a dual greedy polyhedron is the isomorphic image of an ordinary submodular polyhedron under the Mobius function of the underlying rooted forest. This observation enables us to reduce linear optimization problems over dual greedy polyhedra to those over ordinary submodular polyhedra. We show a new max-min theorem for intersection of two dual greedy polyhedra as well.

In this paper we present reconfigurable computing as a compelling choice of computing platform for real-time, onboard processing for satellite applications. In particular, we discuss the use of reconfigurable computing in the context of a real-time remote sensing system, providing motivation for such a system and describing attributes of reconfigurable computing that support it as the technology of choice. The High Performance Computing (HPC-I) payload, designed and developed for the Australian scientific satellite FedSat, is introduced as a demonstration of onboard processing in space using reconfigurable logic. We present an overview of the real-time remote sensing system architecture, and describe the design and implementation of three remote sensing algorithms in HPC-I for cloud masking, wildfire detection and volcanic plume detection. Finally, results from simulation and testing are presented which show very promising performance in terms of data throughput and detection capabilities.

12 on/off power splitters at λ=0.63µm have been produced in LiNbO3 substrates using strain-induced channel waveguides formed by magnetron deposition of surface metal films and lift-off technology. The static strain resulting from thermal expansion mismatch between the substrate and the metal films induces a localized increase in the refractive index via the strain-optic effect. On/off voltage of about 25V has been demonstrated.

Karger, Motwani and Sudan presented a graph coloring algorithm based on semidefinite programming, which colors any k-colorable graph with maximum degree Δ using (Δ1-2/k) colors. This algorithm leads to an algorithm for k-colorable graph using (n 1-3/(k+1)) colors. This improved Wigderson's algorithm, which uses O(n1-1/(k-1)) colors, containing as a subroutine an algorithm using (Δ+1) colors for graphs with maximum degree Δ. It is easy to imagine that an algorithm which uses less colors in terms of Δ leads to an algorithm which uses less colors in terms of n. In this paper, we consider this influence assuming that we have an algorithm which uses (Δ 1-x/k) colors for 2

We have exploited a high-power-tolerant variable optical attenuator (VOA) based on the fused fiber coupler in the all-fiber structure. A newly designed VOA employs the external modulation by forcing an axial stress in the tapered region of the fused fiber coupler. In the tapered region, the axial stress changes the refractive index of silica glasses resulting in a change in the coupling coefficient of the coupler. In this paper, we explain the principle of the novel device, VOA, and the optimized fabrication of the fused fiber coupler for the attenuation. The changes of the transmission spectrum for the coupler and the optical power spectrum for pump laser diode (LD), whose center wavelength is 1.47µm, versus the axial displacement were verified by experiment. The possibility of the wavelength uniformity less than 1dB over the range of 1460-1500nm was also obtained by another coupler under a different fabrication condition. The polarization-dependent loss (PDL) at 1.47µm wavelength was 0.65dB for a maximum displacement of 150µm. The designed device has an attractive feature of another output port of the coupler available as a monitoring tap. The device showed a high attenuation above 34dB and an insertion loss below 0.15dB. The all-fiber structure can provide less alignment, which in turn provides a high power tolerance. This novel design, moreover, has a simple and cost-effective structure.

Content addressable memory (CAM) is one of the functional memories which realize word-parallel equivalence search. Since a CAM unit is generally used in a particular application program, we consider that appropriate design for CAM units is required depending on the requirements for the application program. This paper proposes a hardware/software cosynthesis system for CAM processors. The input of the system is an application program written in C including CAM functions and a constraint for execution time (or CAM processor area). Its output is hardware descriptions of a synthesized processor and a binary code executed on it. Based on the branch-and-bound method, the system determines which CAM function is realized by a hardware and which CAM function is realized by a software with meeting the given timing constraint (or area constraint) and minimizing the CAM processor area (or execution time of the application program). We expect that we can realize optimal CAM processor design for an application program. Experimental results for several application programs show that we can obtain a CAM processor whose area is minimum with meeting the given timing constraint.

A Fair Queueing Algorithm is proposed for data services in an integrated voice/data CDMA system. We introduce short-term and long-term fairness concepts to allocate data users fairly. Using these concepts, we propose a Weighted Fair Queueing with Status Control (WFQS) in the consideration of a Generalized Processor Sharing (GPS) fluid-flow model. This proposed scheme allocates resources using channel status information. The throughput and delay of data users could be improved when this scheme is applied to wireless channels.

We designed an FPGA-based parallel machine called "RASH"(Reconfigurable Architecture based on Scalable Hardware) for high speed and flexible signal/data processing. Cryptanalysis is one of the killer applications for FPGA-based machines because huge amounts of logical and/or simple arithmetic operations are required and FPGA is suitable for this. One of the well-known activities in cryptanalysis is the DES (Data Encryption Standard) cracking contest conducted by RSA Data Security. TMTO (Time-Memory Trade-Off) Cryptanalysis is a practical method to dramatically shorten the time for key search when plaintext is given in advance. A string of ASCII characters is used as the key much like a password. The ASCII character is 7-bit character and is changed to 96 kinds of value. The 56-bit DES key is given with a string of 8 ASCII characters. Although the DES key has 64 trillion(=256) possibilities, the key that is given with a string has only 6.4 trillion(=968) possibilities. Therefore, we improve TMTO cryptanalysis so that we search only the limited key by ASCII characters and reduce the quantity of computation. In this paper, we demonstrate how TMTO cryptanalysis for limited key is well suited to our FPGA-based RASH machine. By limiting the key to a string, DES key will be found at 80% probability within 45 minutes after ciphertext is given on 10 units of RASH. The precomputation before starting key search takes 3 weeks on the same RASH configuration.

We propose a method for camera calibration based on image registration. This method registers two images; one is a real image captured by a camera with a calibration object with known shape and texture, and the other is a synthetic image containing the object. The proposed method estimates the parameters of the rotation and translation of the object by using the depth information of the synthetic image. The Gauss-Newton method is used to minimize the residuals of intensities of the two images. The proposed method does not depend on initial values of the minimization, and is applicable to images with much noise. Experimental results using real images demonstrate the robustness against initial state and noise on the image.

This paper proposes a low power consumption Analog Matched Filter (AMF) that utilizes capacitor multiply-and-accumulate operations. A high-speed, high-precision Analog-to-Digital (A/D) converter is unnecessary because the proposed circuit directly samples received analog signals. A code-shifting MF structure is used to prevent errors from accumulating. A 15-tap AMF circuit was fabricated using 0.35 µm CMOS technology. Power consumption for the 128-tap circuit is estimated to be 22.3 mW at 25 MHz and 3.3 V, and the area is estimated to be 0.33 mm2. The proposed circuit will thus be a useful LSI for mobile terminals.

The label placement problem is one of the most important problems in geographic information systems, cartography, graph drawing and graphical interface design. In this paper, we consider the problem of labeling points and curves in maps drawn from digital data. In digital maps, a curve is represented as a set of points and consists of many small segments. The label for each curve must be placed alongside the corresponding curve. We define a continuous labeling space for points and curves, and present an algorithm using this space for positioning labels. Computational results for subway and JR train maps in Tokyo are presented.