This paper discusses the problems in designing virtual-path (VP) networks and underlying transmission-path (TP) networks using the "self-sizing" capability. Self-sizing implies an autonomous adjustment mechanism for VP bandwidths based on traffic conditions observed in real time. The notion of "bandwidth demand" has been introduced to overcome some of the problems with VP bandwidth sizing, e.g., complex traffic statistics and diverse quality of service requirements. Using the bandwidth demand concept, a VP-bandwidth-sizing procedure is proposed in which real-time estimates of VP bandwidth demand and successive VP bandwidth allocation are jointly utilized. Next, TP bandwidth demand, including extra capacity to cover single-link failures, is defined and used to measure the congestion level of the TP. Finally, a TP provisioning method is proposed that uses TP "lifetime" analysis.

The Virtual Path (VP) concept is one of the versatile features of ATM/B-ISDN. Using the VP concept, a bundle of virtual circuits can be grouped together between any two switching nodes in the network. Further, the VP bandwidth and routing can be dynamic. Building on this idea, a dynamically reconfigurable, dynamic call routing wide area (backbone) broadband network concept is proposed. Specifically, this provides dynamism at two levels: at the VP level and at the connection level. For an incoming connection request, at most two logical virtual path connections (VPCs) are allowed between the origin and the destination; these logical VPCs are defined by setting virtual paths links (VPLs) which are, in turn, physically mapped to the transmission network. Based on the traffic pattern during the day, the bandwidth of such VPCs and their routing, as well as call routing, changes so that the maximum number of connection requests can be granted while maintaining acceptable quality of service (QoS) for various services. Within this framework, we present a mathematical model for network design (dimensioning) taking into account the variation of traffic during the day in a heterogeneous multi-service environment. We present computational results for various cost parameter values to show the effectiveness of such networks compared to static-VP based networks in terms of network cost.

We propose a new network architecture nemed Holonic Network for personalized multimedia communications, which is characterized by distributed cooperative networking based on autonomous management and all-optical transport networks. We than propose autonomous routing method. Moreover, an information searching method and a route generation method with network maps, which are essential for this network, are proposed. Lastly, we evaluate the proposed network performance by theoretical analysis and system emulation.

The use of existing metallic local line facilities is being studied for the provision of high-speed digital transmission services. Local line characteristics have to be modeled in the form of the objective requirements that should be met by DSL for estimating the feasibility of the service provision in the actual network. This paper presents the results of a study that models the metallic media characteristics of NTT's local network. First, the line lenghts determined by the existing local line deployment rule and the cable types used in the networks are introduced. Second, the values of crosstalk characteristics, the most significant factors in limiting DSL range, are given by classifying essential line conditioning states of each cable. The values of crosstalk characteristics are newly computed by taking into account detailed cable pair-binding (cabling) structures, and the worst case values among all possible combinations of multiple inter-pair interfering-interfered relationships within a cable are given though a previous study approximated cable pair-binding structures. The crosstalk characteristics of NTT's and American local networks are also compared. A modified approximate equation of line propagation characteristics is also proposed for representative local lines, and its precision is verified by comparing simulation results to actual measurements in both frequency and time domains.

In recent years, and increasing number of studies have been reported regarding multimedia LANs that integrate voice, data and video communications. The Movable Boundary method has been suggested as a way to integrate circuit and packet switching. However, how this can be practically managed, especially for multimedia LANs, is not clear. Working under the assumption that an optical loop network in used as a multimedia LAN, we propose Hybrid Allocation as a new Movable Boundary method. Hybrid Allocation features traffic prediction for circuit switching calls, and timeslot allocation close to the boundary of circuit and packet switching areas. Evaluations of traffic simulation and network efficiency show it to be a promising architecture for integrating circuit and packet switching on a multimedia LAN.

Partial capture effect for multi-carrier radio packet communication network is evaluated in frequency selective fading channel. In multi-carrier modulation (MCM) network where each terminal uses several sub-carriers for transmission,the terminals have different instantaneous frequency responses because of its location, fading pattern, and other various factors. This generates the difference of received power in frequency domain, then partial capture effect can be considered at each sub-carrier. Moreover these partially captured packets are not damaged by inter symbol interference (ISI) caused by frequency selective fading, which seriously degrades single-carrier modulation (SCM) network. From this point of view we present the partial capture effect for the MCM network in the frequency selective fading environment. The results show that the MCM network with partial capture has more advantages than the MCM network without partial capture in terms of the throughput and the average number of transmissions.

This paper presents a novel approach to a soft-output equalizer, which makes a symbol-by-symbol soft-decision based on a posteriori probabilities (APP's) criterion in the presence of intersymbol interference. The authors propose a soft-output Viterbi equalizer (SOVE) employing expanded memory length in a trellis of the Viterbi algorithm with small arithmetic complexity. The proposed equalizer gives suboptimum soft-decision closer to that of a equalizer with the maximum a posteriori probabilities (MAP) algorithm than the conventional SOVE.

A novel adder-free architecture for realizing a small-size π/4-shift QPSK signal generator IC is presented. In order to realize an adder function, analog current-mode addition is utilized instead of digital adders. Impulse responses of a roll-off filter are stored in a ROM as a Δ-Σ modulated one-bit data stream. This can greatly reduce the die size to 0.8mm 0.8mm while maintaining high modulation accuracy. The test chip was fabricated by using the standard 0.8µm CMOS technology, and the chip achieved 1.8% vector modulation error with a 2.7V power supply.

We present a new class of trellis-codes for partial-response channel. Our code configuration is based on the coded 1 - D scheme due to Wolf and Ungerboeck. However, no precoder between a convolutional encoder and the partialresponse channel is used. A new lower bound on the minimum free squared Euclidean distance of channel code is shown. The bound is available for any PR channel with a finite response. New codes for 1 - D and (1 - D) (1 + D)2 channels are found by computer code search using the lower bound. Some of the new codes have excellent properties: a significant d2free and a small decoding complexity.

Significant traffic variations occur in telecommunication networks. This paper focuses on hour-to-hour traffic variations during 24 hours and investigates the possibility of using idle periods effectively by introducing non-realtime service at a discount rate. In order to provide non-realtime service, memory is placed at each telecom center. When immediate service is not available, messages of non-realtime calls are stored in the memory and served later when network resources are available. Realtime calls are served with preference. A basic model and a method of dimensioning the memory capacity are presented. The basic model is extended to the network model, and methods of designing a minimum cost network and pricing and profit issues are presented. The results for a basic model are verified by traffic simulation. Numerical examples are given to show the effectiveness of non-realtime service.

A CMOS programmable gain amplifier (PGA) with a swiched capacitor offset compensation circuit is described. The mean compensation error is 130µV at the input, and the standard deviation of the compensation error is 50µV. This PGA is applicable to a baseband amplifier for digital radio communication terminals.

In accordance with the diffusion of applications, such as the Desk Top Publishing system, the Document Formatting system and the Document Editing system, it is easy to make a document by using a computer. However, as for allocating the diagrams (figures and tables), there are few document processing systems able to allocate diagrams on the appropriate places automatically. In a document processing system it is a very important issue to allocate diagrams on the most suitable places. This paper defines the criteria for allocating diagrams on the suitable positions by investigating published papers. These criteria concern 1) the order of diagrams to be allocated, 2) the stability of the diagram allocations, 3) the distance between the diagram and the location of the corresponding first reference in the text, 4) the allocation balance of diagrams in a text, 5) the restricted areas where diagrams shouldn't be allocated, 6) the allocation priorities between diagrams of different width. Moreover, this paper proposes a method for deciding the diagram allocations satisfying the above criteria automatically and fast on document formatting systems. In this case we have limited its application to one type of ducuments, which is papers. Especially, this method can skillfully allocate diagrams of different width on the page by reallocating the diagrams and texts within it, and can allocate diagrams over the document uniformly.

In this paper, two types of improved CMRR CMOS OAs, N type and P type, without common-mode feedback and the cascode current mirrors, are proposed. The CMRR of proposed OAs are enhanced by compensating variations in tail bias current, caused by a common mode input signal, at the differential input stage, by means of feedforward controlled current source. Simulation results show that the CMRR of the proposed OAs are 20dB higher than that of conventional OAs.

A quantitative study is made on performance of neutron penumbral imaging with a toroidal-segment aperture, and it focused on isoplanaticity of aperture point spread function and effect of the non-isoplanaticity on the reconstructed images. The results show that the aperture point spread function is satisfactorily isoplanatic for a small field of view, while for a large field of view the point spread function is not satisfactorily isoplanatic resulting in some distortion in the reconstructed image and reduction of resolution.

This paper describes the fabrication of micro-pipes and their applications to splicing parts and optical switches using single-mode fibers. Micro-pipes having almost the same inner diameter of bare fiber (125 µm) and lengths of around 5 mm are successfully mass-produced by using micromachining technology. We fabricate various kinds of metal pipes such as Au, Cu, Ni, and an FeNi alloy by selecting the appropriate electro-plating bath. We use an Au micro-pipe having a small slitted portion running along its axis (slitted micro-pipe) to splice single-mode fibers. We also use an FeNi alloy micro-pipe to construct a single-mode fiber switch. These new single-mode fiber devices employing micro-pipes show excellent optical and mechanical characteristics. Splicing losses are in the range of 0.2-0.4 dB. The developed 1 2 latching type single-mode fiber switches exhibit a low insertion loss of 0.35 dB, a minimum switching speed of 2 ms with a driving power of 9 mW, and stable operation for more than 108 switchings without damage. A practical application of the developed switch for testing optical devices is also demonstrated.

The valid region for the application of the conventional Improved Circuit Theory (ICT) in the analysis of wire antennas is established. To further extend the application of ICT to the analysis of much longer antennas, Tai's trial function is used to derive new formulas for the impedance matrix. Unlike the conventional ICT trial function, Tai's trial functions lead to input impedances which are finite irrespective of antenna length. Results of the new ICT impedance formulas are comparable in accuracy with the general method of moments. Moreover, since all the elements of the new formula have been expressed in closed-form, the resulting ICT algorithm is still superior in terms of computer running time with lesser storage requirement compared to other conventional methods like method of moments. This would enhance ICT applications in CAD/CAE systems.

The dispersion characteristics of two nonidentical coupled microstrip lines and N identical coupled microstrip lines are analyzed using the coupled-mode theory combined with Galerkin's moment method in spectral domain. In this approach, the solutions to the original coupled microstrips are approximated by a linear combination of eigenmode solutions associated with the isolated single microstrip, and the reciprocity relation is used to derive the coupled-mode equations. The coupling coefficients are given by the simple overlap integrals in spectral domain between the eigenmode fields and currents of the individual microstrips. It is shown that the numerical results are in very good agreement with those obtained by the direct Galerkin's moment method over a broad range of weak to moderately strong coupling.

We propose an nn optical switch that is suitable for flexible and reliable optical access networks and for reconfigurable optical inter-module connections in large-scale processing systems. The switch consists of an intersecting waveguide matrix, matching oil, and microactuators. Switching is based on the movement of oil due to capillary pressure, which is controlled by the microactuator. The necessary switching conditions were calculated and the results showed that both the oil volume and the microactuator position must be controlled. A trial optical switch was fabricated to test the switching principle, and switching and self-holding were both confirmed. These results show the feasibility of a very small self-holding nn optical switch that uses a waveguide matrix and microactuators made by using microfabrication technologies.

A new structure for adaptive AR spectral estimation based on multi-band decomposition of the linear prediction error is introduced and the mathematical background for the soulution of the related adaptive filtering problem is derived. The presented structure gives rise to AR spectral estimates that represent the true underlying spectrum with better fidelity than conventional LS methods by allowing an arbitrary trade-off between variance of spectral estimates and tracking ability of the estimator along the frequency spectrum. The linear prediction error is decomposed through a filter bank and components of each band are analyzed by different window lengths, allowing long windows to track slowly varying signals and short windows to observe fastly varying components. The correlation matrix of the input signal is shown to satisfy both time-update and order-update properties for rectangular windowing functions, and an RLS algorithm based on each property is presented. Adaptive forward and backward relations are used to derive a mathematical framework that serves as a basis for the design of fast RLS alogorithms. Also, computer experiments comparing the performance of conventional and the proposed multi-band methods are depicted and discussed.

Force curves obtained from an elastic contact theory are shown and compared with experimental results. In the elastic contact theory, a pin-on-disk contact is assumed and the following interaction are taken into consideration; (i) elastic deformation, (ii) the specific energy of adhesion in the area of the contact, which is expressed as the difference between the surface energies and the interface energy, (iii) the long-range interaction outside the area of contact, assuming the additivity of the Lennard-Jones type potential, and (iv) another elastic term for the measurement system such as the cantilever stiffness of an atomic force microscope (AFM). In the limit when the stiffness is infinite, the theory conforms to Muller-Yushchenko-Derjaguin (MYD) theory. In the limit when the surface-surface interaction is negligible, the theory conforms to the analytical theory by Takahashi-Mizuno-Onzawa. In the limit when the stiffness is infinite and the long-range interaction outside the area of contact is negligible, the theory conforms to Johnson-Kendall-Roberts (JKR) theory. All parameters and all equations are normalized and the normalized force curve is obtained as the functional of only two parameters; (1) the normalized stiffness of the measurement system, and (2) the normalized distance which is used in the expression of the Lennard-Jones potential. The force-displacement plots are converted into force-penetration plots.