In this paper, we present a group communication protocol that achieves total ordering message delivery for mobile computing systems with multiple overlapping groups. Our mechanism is an efficient adaptation of the propagation-tree technique to the mobile computing environments. It takes advantages of the capability of stationary mobile support stations to overcome the deficiencies associated with mobile devices. We construct the propagation tree based on the stationary stations, rather than the mobile hosts. As a result, mobile hosts are relieved of the excessive load of forwarding messages and communications on wireless channels are confined to transmitting messages to destination processes. This is important considering that the bandwidth of the wireless channels is limited. Moreover, the proposed protocol employs a mechanism to synchronize transmissions within a wireless cell. This serves to avoid redundant transmissions of a message in a wireless network in an attempt to achieve better utilization of the network bandwidth. Our mechanism relies on a handoff operation to deal with mobility of mobile devices. The handoff procedure ensures a smooth integration of a mobile host into a new cell, while preserving reliability of communication and the total ordering property of message delivery.

Smart or adaptive antennas promise to provide significant space-time communications against fading in wireless communication systems. In this paper, we propose multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) beamforming for frequency-selective fading channels to maximize the Signal-to-Noise and Interference Ratio (SINR) based on an iterative update algorithm of transmit and receive weight vectors with prior knowledge of the channel state information (CSI) at both the transmitter and receiver. We derive the necessary conditions for an optimum weight vector solution and propose an iterative weight update algorithm for an optimal SINR reception. The Maximum Signal-to-Noise (MSN) method, where noise includes the additive gaussian noise and interference signals, is used as a criterion. The proposed MIMO with M N arrays allows the cancellation of M + N - 2 delayed channels. Computer simulations are presented to verify our analysis. The results show that significant improvements in performance are possible in wireless communication systems.

Ultrahigh-speed all-optical label processing method is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. This processing method dramatically increases the label processing capability. Optical packet switch (OPS) systems and networks based on OPS nodes are applications of optical processing technologies. For the experiment, we constructed the world's first 40 Gbit/s/port OPS prototype with an all-optical label processor, optical switch, optical buffer, and electronic scheduler. Three-hop optical packet routing using OPS nodes was experimentally demonstrated with it, verifying the feasibility of OPS networks.

In a Distributed Computing Systems (DCS) tasks submitted to it, are usually partitioned into different modules and these modules may be allocated to different processing nodes so as to achieve minimum turn around time of the tasks utilizing the maximum resources of the existing system such as CPU speed, memory capacities etc. The problem lies on how to obtain the optimal allocation of these multiple tasks by keeping in mind that no processing node is overloaded due to this allocation. This paper proposes an algorithm A*RS, using well-known A*, which aims to reduce the search space and time for task allocation. It aims at minimization of turn around time of tasks in the way so that processing nodes do not become overloaded due to this allocation. Our experimental results justify the claims with necessary supports by comparing it with the earlier algorithm for multiple tasks allocation.

Data Replication can be used to improve the system availability of distributed systems. In such a system, a mechanism is required to maintain the consistency of the replicated data. The grid structure technique based on quorum is one of the solutions to perform this while providing a high availability of the system. It was shown in the study that, it still requires a bigger number of copies be made available to construct a quorum. So it is not suitable for large systems. In this paper, we propose a technique called the neighbor replication on grid (NRG) technique by considering only neighbors to have the replicated data. In comparison to the grid structure technique, NRG requires a lower communication cost for an operation, while providing a higher system availability, which is preferred for large systems.

An all-optical switch based on a single photonic crystal defect with an air-bridge configuration and two-photon absorption was proposed, fabricated and characterized. In optical measurements, we obtained a sharp defect mode with a quality factor higher than 600 at 1.55 µm. More importantly, we observed its nonlinear response to the excitation of ultrashort pulses by utilizing two-photon absorption. Nonliner refractive index change of about -410-3 was achieved at a pumping power density of 3.6109 W/cm2.

In this paper, we propose a statistical method of time synchronization for computer clocks that have precisely frequency-synchronized oscillators. This method not only improves the accuracy of time synchronization but also prevents degradation in the frequency stability of the precise oscillators when the errors in the measured time offsets between computer clocks caused by network traffic possess a Gaussian distribution. Improved accuracy of time synchronization is achieved by estimating the confidence interval of the measured time offsets between the clocks. Degradation in frequency stability is prevented by eliminating unnecessary time correction for the computer clock, because time correction generally causes changes in the frequency accuracy and stability of the precise oscillators. To eliminate unnecessary time correction, our method uses an extended hypothesis test of the difference between the current mean and the mean at the last time adjustment to determine whether time correction is needed. Evaluation by simulating changes in the time offset of the existing ISDN clock synchronization system showed that this method achieves accurate time and stable frequency synchronization.

In this report we present all-optical switches and modulators based on the intersubband transition in semiconductor quantum wells. The use of InGaAs/AlAsSb coupled double quantum well structures is proposed to facilitate intersubband transitions in the optical-communication band, and to reduce the intersubband absorption recovery time from several picoseconds to a few hundred femtoseconds by utilizing enhanced electron-phonon scattering. Subpicosecond all-optical gating and modulation in coupled double quantum wells are observed using pump-probe experiments at optical-communication wavelengths. The results indicate that the intersubband transition in this structure is very useful for ultrafast all-optical switching devices.

We measured the optical propagation characteristics during rainfall over a 72-m propagation distance at the wavelengths of 0.78, 1.55, and 2.0 µm. In addition to the common attenuations, we observed sudden drops (dips) in the received optical power, which affect communication errors. The temporal interval of most dips is approximately 1 ms.

Using ultrafast nonlinear-optical response of organic dye films, a train of picosecond optical pulses can be converted into a space pattern of a mm scale. As applications of this technique we demonstrate a single-shot multichannel optical switching for 1 Tbit/s pulse trains, and a timing jitter suppression of pulse trains using a control system with femtoseconds time resolution.

A new excitation enhancement technique based on a harmonic model is proposed in this paper to improve the speech quality of low-bit-rate speech coders. This technique is employed only in the decoding process of speech coders and improves high-frequency components of excitation. We develop the procedure of harmonic model parameters estimation and harmonic generation and apply the technique to a current state-of-art low bit rate speech coder. Experiments on spectrum reading and spectrum distortion measurement show that the proposed excitation enhancement technique improves speech quality.

Mobile agent systems are essential in the next generation of electronic commercial applications. However, existing solutions for mobile agents to sign documents without user intervention are problematic because there is no restriction on who can generate the signatures. In this paper, we present a modified version of undetachable signature scheme with which the power to generate digital signatures can be designated to a neutral party. We also give a transaction model to support the scheme. Discussions regarding the security of the signature scheme as well as some attacks on its application in our model are presented too.

High performance scientific and engineering applications running on clusters have different communication requirements. Current cluster configurations typically provide multiple network interfaces per node and multiple interconnections among nodes. However, transport protocols such as TCP do not utilize existing multiple network interfaces to enhance communication performance. This paper introduces a new configurable communication model utilizing multiple interconnections. The model adds mechanisms to manage and enhance the overall communication performance of clusters. These configurations include the use of parallel message transfers, the separation of the transfer channels between small messages and large messages, and load balancing among the channels. The main advantages of the model are: (1) providing a flexible, enhanced network infrastructure, (2) hiding the technical details of the heterogeneous network resources from the applications, and (3) providing an easy and flexible way to extend the network capacities for specific nodes. To illustrate the advantages and performance enhancements of the model, a prototype was implemented to experimentally evaluate the cluster network performance, which showed considerable gains.

Symmetric Mach-Zehnder (SMZ) type all-optical swit-ches are discussed. The SMZ type all-optical switches feature the so-called differential phase modulation scheme to achieve a speed unrestricted by efficient, thus usually slow nonlinearities. In these switches, semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs) are often used to realize low optical power switching. We discussed SOAs from a view point of all-optical switch applications, rather than amplifier applications. Finally, all-optical signal processing experiments are discussed with the SMZ type all-optical switches. These include ultrafast demultiplexing of 336 Gb/s signal pulses and random operations at 42 Gb/s for all-optical logic operation and wavelength conversion.

Interconnection networks play a crucial role in the performance of massively parallel computers. Hierarchical interconnection networks provide high performance at low cost by exploring the locality that exists in the communication patterns of massively parallel computers. A Hierarchical Torus Network (HTN) is a 2D-torus network of multiple basic modules, in which the basic modules are 3D-torus networks that are hierarchically interconnected for higher level networks. The static network performance of the HTN has already been studied and has been shown to be good. Dynamic communication performance has been evaluated under uniform traffic pattern but not under non-uniform traffic patterns. In this paper, we present a deadlock-free routing algorithm for the HTN using 3 virtual channels and evaluate the network's dynamic communication performance under three non-uniform traffic patterns, using the proposed routing algorithm. We evaluate the dynamic communication performance of HTN, H3D-mesh, H3D-torus, TESH, and mesh networks by computer simulation. We find that the dynamic communication performance of HTN is better than that of the H3D-mesh, H3D-torus, TESH, and mesh networks.

This letter introduces a pre-rejection technique for wireless channel distorted speech with application to automatic speech recognition (ASR). Based on analysis of distorted speech signals over a wireless communication channel, we propose a method to reject the channel distorted speech with a small computational load. From a number of simulation results, we can discover that the pre-rejection algorithm enhances the robustness of speech recognition operation.

This paper proposes a new configuration of the Doherty amplifier by introducing digital signal processing that realizes a high efficiency over a wide range of output power. The configuration includes two branches; one branch has a class AB amplifier as the carrier amplifier and the other has two class B amplifiers in cascade as the peak amplifier. Each branch is directly controlled by the digital signal processing unit. The unit controls input power allocation to each branch by a method derived from equations characterizing the carrier and the peak constituent amplifiers. The method includes the compensation of the amplifier for degradation due to nonlinearities. The output power of each constituent amplifier is adjusted by drain DC biases. Calculated characteristics agree well with those obtained by the measurement of a fabricated proposed amplifier, whose efficiency is higher than that of the conventional class AB power amplifiers. Furthermore, a simulation for the OFDM signal specified by the radio LAN shows that the amplifier has sufficient linearity, and that the efficiency exceeds 20% at the output of 20 dBm.

We have been developing new cycling environments by using knowledge sharing and speech communication. We have offered multimodal knowledge contents to share knowledge on safe and exciting cycling. We accumulated 140 contents, focused on issues such as riding techniques, trouble shootings, and preparations on cycling. We have also offered a new way of speech communication using an ad-hoc wireless LAN technology for safe cycling. Group cycling requires frequent communication to lead the group safely. Speech communication achieves spontaneous communication between group members without looking around or speaking loudly. Experimental result through actual cycling has shown the effectiveness of sharing multimodal knowledge contents and speech communication. Our new developed environment has an advantage of increasing multimodal knowledge through the accumulation of personal experiences of actual cycling.

We propose a neural-sensing LSI with a bi-directional wireless interface, which is capable of detecting 5-channel neural signals in a living animal. The proposed sensing LSI consists of a multiplexer with 5-channels selectable from 10 channels, a chopper amplifier using a new direct-chopper-input scheme, a programmable multi-mode analog-to-digital converter (ADC), and a wireless-transmitter/receiver with BPSK modulation signals. The test-chip was implemented by mixed-signal 0.35-µm CMOS technology. We measured the test chip and confirmed basic operations of these blocks. The chopper-amplifier achieved 66-dB DC gain, bandwidth of 400 kHz, and 4-µV noise with power dissipation of 6-mW with a 3-V supply. We observed real nerve signals in a living cricket using the proposed chopper amplifier. ADC achieved 52-ksps operation with power dissipation of 0.43-mW at 3-V supply. The wireless transmitter achieved 1-Mbps data transmission at a distance of 1-m with 1.5-mW power dissipation at 3-V supply.

Connectedness oriented communication denotes a mode of communication in which the activities of communication are more important than the contents of communication. It is targeted at maintaining and enhancing human social relationships. As our lifestyles and societies are shifting along with the progress of Information Technology, communication media that are connectedness oriented will play an important role. In this paper we propose a media called FaintPop, which is an example of such new media that are suitable for connectedness oriented communication. It is a communication media designed for a community, with which the sense of connectedness can be shared among members. Furthermore, it provides a general overview of the communication activities occurring in the community. We discuss several principles and points in designing the media, especially about the interaction of the users. Results and findings from the experiment using the media are reported.