This paper describes a way of implementing a conceptual model for temporal data on a commercial object database system. The implemented version is provided as a class library. The library enables applications to handle temporal data. Any application can employ the library because it does not depend on specific applications. Furthermore, we propose an enhanced version of Time Index. The index efficiently processes event queries in particular. These queries search time intervals in which given events are all valid. We also investigate the effectiveness of the enhanced Time Index.

We investigated a radio interferometer for geodetic use that incorporates commercially available fiber-optic links modulated in the radio-frequency range, and a method for compensating for the delay occurring in the links. With this type of radio interferometer, we can perform baseline analysis without the need for estimating the clock difference between observation stations, which causes a relatively large error in the vertical component of the estimated position of the station. Another advantage of the interferometer is utilization of phase delay, which improves the accuracy of delay determination considerably. By analyzing the interferometer's signal-to-noise ratio, we estimated the practicable cable length to be 58.0 km. The results of preliminary experiments with short optical fiber links show that the differences in the cable delays of the fiber-optic links can be compensated for by calibration signals which make a round trip between the analysis station and the observation sites, and that phase delay can be measured successfully.

We apply some variants of evolutionary computations to the fully-connected neural network model of associative memory. Among others, when we regard it as a parameter optimization problem, we notice that the model has some favorable properties as a test function of evolutionary computations. So far, many functions have been proposed for comparative study. However, as Whitley and his colleagues suggested, many of the existing common test functions have some problems in comparing and evaluating evolutionary computations. In this paper, we focus on the possibilities of using the fully-connected neural network model as a test function of evolutionary computations.

We analyze the security of iterated 2m-bit hash functions with rate 1 whose round functions use a block cipher with an m-bit input (output) and a 2m-bit key. We first show a preimage attack with O(2m) complexity on Yi and Lam's hash function of this type. This means that their claim is wrong and it is less secure than MDC-2. Next, it is shown that a very wide class of such functions is also less secure than MDC-2. More precisely, we prove that there exist a preimage attack and a 2nd preimage attack with O(2m) complexity and a collision attack with O(23m/4) complexity, respectively. Finally, we suggest a class of hash functions with a 2m-bit hashed value which seem to be as secure as MDC-2.

We propose a new method of progressive transmission of continuous tone images using multi-level error diffusion method. Assuming that the pixels are ordered and the error is diffused to later pixels, multi-level error-diffused images are resolved into a multiple number of bit planes. In an image with 8 bits per pixel, the number of the bit planes that we construct is 9, and the 2-level, 3-level, 5-level,, error-diffused images are produced by a successive use of the bit planes. The original image is finally achieved precisely.

In this paper, we present a priority scheduling algorithm at ATM switches with multi-class output buffers in which the service rate of each class buffer is dynamically adjusted. The service rate is computed periodically by a control scheme. We derive the design formulas of the control scheme to ensure that each class buffer occupancy converges to its desired operating point related to QoS requirement. Moreover, through dynamic service rate control in the proposed scheduling algorithm, the available channel capacity can be estimated exactly. It may be used for rate control of ABR traffic and call admission control of the other real-time traffic (CBR, VBR, etc. ).

We present a receiver structure with joint blind equalization, carrier recovery, and timing recovery. The blind equalizer employs a decomposition transversal filtering technique which can reduce the complexity of convolution to about a half. We analyze the performance surface of the equalizer cost function and show that the global minima correspond to perfect equalization. We also derive proper initial tap settings of the equalizer for convergence to the global minima. We describe the timing recovery and the carrier recovery methods employed. And we describe a startup sequence to bring the receiver into full operation. The adaptation algorithms for equalization, carrier recovery, and timing recovery are relatively independent, resulting in good operational stability of the overall receiver. Some simulation results for cable-modem type of transmission are presented.

This paper proposes a multiple open-loop frequency estimation scheme based on differential detection for M-ary phase shift keying (MPSK), which accomplishes fast initial acquisition, precise frequency estimation and wide frequency coverage at the same time. The proposed scheme, which has a good trade-off between complexity and performance, operates as follows: 1) it consists of several frequency error detectors (FEDs) based on differential detection with different delays; 2) it precisely estimates frequency in a wide range (the same range of one symbol differential detection) by open-loop according to frequency errors detected by the FEDs. For real-time symbol-by-symbol operation in order to track fast time-varying frequency, it has a smaller complexity than the other frequency estimation schemes. It is confirmed by analysis, numerical calculation and computer simulation that the frequency estimation error of the proposed scheme is close to the Cramer-Rao lower bound (CRLB) (asymptotic degradation of the proposed scheme from the CRLB is about 0. 5 dB) while keeping a wide frequency coverage and this scheme can track fast time-varying frequency.

We consider an algorithm for finding all solutions in order to clarify all the stable equilibrium points of a hysteresis neural network. The algorithm includes sign test, linear programming test and a novel subroutine that divides the solution domain efficiently. Using the hysteresis network, we synthesize an associative memory whose cross connection parameters are trinalized. Applying the algorithm to the case where 10 desired memories are stored into 77 cells network, we have clarified all the solutions. Especially, we have confirmed that no spurious memory exists as the trinalization is suitable.

This paper proposes the first provably secure multi-signature schemes under the random oracle model. The security of our schemes can be proven in the sense of concrete security in Ref. [13]. The proposed schemes are efficient if the random oracle is replaced by practical hash functions. The essential techniques in our proof of security are the optimal reduction from breaking the corresponding identification to breaking signatures (ID Reduction Technique), and the hierarchical heavy row lemmas used in the concrete reduction from solving the primitive problem to breaking the identification scheme.

Informally, private information retrieval for k 1 databases (k-PIR) is an interactive scheme that enables a user to make access to (separated) k replicated copies of a database and privately retrieve any single bit out of the n bits of data stored in the database. In this model, "privacy" implies that the user retrieves the bit he is interested in but releases to each database nothing about which bit he really tries to get. Chor et. al. proposed 2-PIR with communication complexity 12 n1/32 that is based on the covering codes. Then Ambainis recursively extended the scheme by Chor et. al. and showed that for each k 2, there exists k-PIR with communication complexity at most ckn1/(2k-1) some constant ck > 0. In this paper, we relax the condition for the covering codes and present time-efficient 2-PIR with communication complexity 12 n1/3. In addition, we generally formulate the recursive scheme by Ambainis and show that for each k 4, there exists k-PIR with communication complexity at most ck' n1/(2k-1) for some constant ck' << ck.

In this paper, we propose two methods of digital watermark for image signals based on the wavelet transform. We classify wavelet coefficients as insignificant or significant by using zerotree which is defined in the embedded zerotree wavelet (EZW) algorithm . In the first method, information data are embedded as watermark in the location of insignificant coefficients. In the second method, information data can be embedded by thresholding and modifying significant coefficients at the coarser scales in perceptually important spectral components of image signals. Information data are detected by using the position of zerotree's root and the threshold value after the wavelet decomposition of an image in which data hide. It is shown from the numerical experiments that the proposed methods can extract the watermark from images that have degraded through several common signal and geometric processing procedures.

This paper studies the problem of testing concurrent systems considered as blackboxes and specified using asynchronous Communicating Finite State Machines. We present an approach to derive test cases for concurrent systems in a succinct and formal way. The approach addresses the state space explosion problem by introducing a causality relation model and the concept of logical time to express true concurrency and describe timing constraints on events. The conformance relation between test cases and trace observed from the real system is defined, and a new test architecture as well as a test case application is presented according to the conformance relation defined. To improve verdict capability of test cases, the approach is enhanced by relaxing the unit-time assumption to any natural number. And a computationally efficient algorithm for the enhanced approach is presented and the algorithm is evaluated in terms of computational efficiency and verdict capability. Finally the approach is generalized to describe timing constraints by any real numbers.

This study presents a method that can be used to manage individual pieces of information in large scale distributed geographic information systems (GIS). In a distributed GIS, ordinary users usually cannot alter any of the contents on the server. The method in this study can be used to alter the content or add individual datums onto these types of non-write-permitted data sets. The authors have called it a 'Geographic Differential Script File' (GDSF). A client creates a GDSF, which contains private information that is to be added onto the served data. The client keeps this file on a local disk. When the user employs the data, he applies the differential script sequence onto the downloaded data in order to retrieve the information. GDSF is a collection of graphic operation commands which insert and delete objects as well as modify operations. GDSF also contains modifications of the attribute information of geographic entities. This method can also be used to revise information that is published on ROM media, e. g. CD-ROM or DVD-ROM, as well as in a distributed environment. In this paper, the method and results of applying it are presented.

The static fatigue parameters of plastic sleeves are determined by dynamic fatigue and destructive tests. The failure probability and lifetime of the plastic sleeve are estimated by using these parameters. No failure is expected for 20 years if the plastic sleeve is used in a normal atmosphere (23, 60%RH) and hot water (50).

A packet-based leaky-bucket algorithm functions like the early packet discard (EPD), and accepts a newly arriving packet if the probability that all the cells of the packet are accepted is high. We derive some performance characteristics of the cell and packet arrival processes that are accepted by the leaky-bucket algorithm. From these analyses, a method to determine the values of the parameters of the leaky-bucket algorithm and certain relations between this leaky-bucket algorithm and the generic cell rate algorithm (GCRA) are obtained.

This paper proposes a new framework of managing virtual spaces based on spatial databases as an extension of VRML-based systems. The framework is suitable for treating continuous virtual spaces and for managing the quality of service (QoS) of the virtual spaces depending on user's operations and situations of computer resources. Levels of detail (LoD) of 3D objects is the most important rule for rendering scenes dynamically while managing the QoS. This paper describes a method of managing the QoS depending on the LoD in the form of spatial queries. An advantage of the framework is that spatial databases can incrementally construct virtual spaces in clients using differential descriptions based on VRML, that is, DVRML, proposed in this paper. Dynamic spatial data such as avatar's movement and real-time multimedia data such as videos should be shared by all participants in a virtual space in real time. Our framework can also handle dynamic spatial data by means of real-time updating of some spatial objects in spatial databases as well as static spatial data. We developed some experimental applications based on the framework in order to prove that it is feasible for networked virtual spaces with video components.

This paper introduces a material management system for newspapers that was developed for The Yomiuri Shimbun. Material transferred to the system is stored in a material database and sent to terminals located in the related sections. The material can be processed effectively just by checking information on the terminals. Special requirements for this system will be discussed first in the paper, then problem-solving will be explored.

This paper describes key technologies for establishing a large-scale public switching node system architecture for handling voice and telephony over ATM (VTOA). VTOA is one of the most promising ATM applications, which allows network operating companies to provide a less-expensive but relatively high quality telephone service, by employing voice-data compression and the efficient transmission capabilities of AAL2. We discuss several technical aspects of VTOA handling system architecture, such as the optimum basis for the node, i. e. , STM versus ATM, the appropriate network structure, and suitable signalling. These key points are evaluated from the standpoints of economy, ease of implementation, and extensibility. Our proposed methods should provide the basis for constructing an efficient and cost-effective VTOA handling network.

Connector contact resistance may become unstable if fretting occurs. Such motions result in the formation of insulating oxides on the surface of base metal contacts or organic polymers on contacts made of platinum group metals. These degradations are termed fretting corrosion and frictional polymerization, respectively. Motion may be caused by external vibration or fluctuating temperature. The lower the frequency of movement, the fewer the number of cycles to contact failure. Increasing the contact normal load or reducing the amplitude of movement may stabilize the connection. Tin and palladium and many of their alloys are especially prone to fretting failure. Tin mated to gold is worse than all-tin contacts. Gold and high gold-silver alloys that are softer when mated to palladium stabilize contact resistance since these metals transfer to the palladium during fretting; but flash gold coatings on palladium and palladium nickel offer marginal improvement for the gold often quickly wears out. Dissimilar metal contact pairs show behaviors like that of the metal which predominates on the surface by transfer. Contact lubricants can often prevent fretting failures and may even restore unlubricated failed contacts to satisfactory service.