A high permittivity LSE-NRD guide was applied to a planar antenna at 60 GHz. Emphasis was placed on compatibility between the high permittivity LSE-NRD guide and the conventionally used low permittivity LSM-NRD guide. Performance of the transition between two such types of NRD guides was optimized by using an electromagnetic simulator and the validity was experimentally demonstrated. A simple radiator, consisting of a tapered high permittivity LSE-NRD guide was fabricated and evaluated as to radiation characteristics. Since the radiator has a broad radiation pattern, it was employed in a primary radiator of a two-dimensional parabolic reflector to develop a new type of folded planar antenna at 60 GHz. This planar antenna has a double-layered structure. In the upper layer, a metalized dielectric substrate with a slotted array is excited by a rectangular-shaped oversized waveguide, and in the lower layer, an offset parabolic reflector is fed by the radiator. Measurement showed the half-power beam width of the fabricated antenna to be 2.5 degrees in the E and H planes, respectively, and the gain to be 35.3 dBi, thus indicating that a good pencil beam antenna was successfully developed in this manner.

In this paper, we propose the Synchronized Mobile Multicast (SMM) scheme for the real-time multimedia service to achieve three most important characteristics that the traditional Home Subscription (HS) and Remote Subscription (RS) mobile schemes cannot support. First, the SMM scheme supports the scalable one-to-many and many-to-many synchronized multimedia multicast on mobile IP networks to achieves seamless playback of continuous media streams even when both the mobile sender and receivers handoff simultaneously. Second, it analyzes the minimal buffer requirements of the mobile sender, the core router, the foreign agents and the mobile receivers in the multicast tree and formulates the initial playback delay within a handoff Guarantee Region (GR). Further, combined with the fine granularity scalability (FGS) encoding approach in the MPEG-4 standard, the SMM scheme achieves superior multimedia QoS guarantees and unlimited numbers of handoffs of the mobile sender and receivers only at the cost of degraded video quality for a short period after handoff with minimal extra bandwidth.

This paper proposes a PCB plane model for generic circuit simulators (SPICE). The proposed model reflects two frequency-dependent losses, namely, skin and dielectric losses. Once power/ground plane pair is divided into arrays of unit-cells, each unit-cell is modeled using a transmission line and the loss model. The loss model is composed of a resistor for DC loss, series RL ladder circuit for skin loss and series RC ladder circuit for dielectric loss. To verify the validity of the proposed model, it is compared with SPICE ac analysis using frequency-dependent resistors. Also, we show that the estimation results using the proposed model have a good correlation with that of VNA measurement for the typical PCB stack-up structure of general desktop PCs. With the proposed model, not only ac analysis but also transient analysis can be easily done for circuits including various non-linear/linear devices since the model consists of passive elements only.

Common-mode excitation caused by an imperfect ground plane on a printed circuit board (PCB) has been conventionally explained with the 'current driven' scheme, in which the common-mode current is driven by the ground voltage across the unintentional inductance of the ground plane. We have developed an alternative method for estimating common-mode excitation that is driven by the difference of the common-mode voltages for two connected transmission lines. A parameter called current division factor (CDF) that represents the degree of imbalance of a transmission line explains the common-mode voltage. In this paper, we calculate the CDF with two-dimensional (2-D) static electric field analysis by using the boundary element method (BEM) for asymmetric transmission lines with an arbitrary cross-section. The proposed 2-D method requires less time than three-dimensional simulations. The EMI increase due to a signal line being close to the edge of the ground pattern was evaluated through CDF calculation. The estimated increase agreed well--within 2 dB--with the measured one.

In CC-NUMA multiprocessor systems, it is important to reduce the remote memory access time. Based upon the fact that increasing the size of the LRU second-level (L2) cache more than a certain value does not reduce the cache miss rate significantly, in this paper, we propose two split L2 caches to utilize the surplus of the L2 cache. The split L2 caches are composed of a traditional LRU cache and another cache to reduce the remote memory access time. Both work together to reduce total L2 cache miss time by keeping remote (or long-distance) blocks as well as recently used blocks. For another cache, we propose two alternatives: an L2-RVC (Level 2 - Remote Victim Cache) and an L2-DAVC (Level 2 - Distance-Aware Victim Cache). The proposed split L2 caches reduce total execution time by up to 27%. It is also found that the proposed split L2 caches outperform the traditional single LRU cache of double size.

A large-scale packet-switch architecture for a tera bit/s system--which uses a combined-packet-distribution (CPD) method for a crossbar packet switch--was developed. This method eliminates the restriction on scheduling processing time by extending a switching data unit. The data unit is called a combined packet that consists of plural variable-length packets or their fragments. The combined packets are sequentially distributed among multiple crossbar switch planes and their sequence integrity is preserved. Distributive targets among the switch planes are selectable. As a result, when one or more switch planes are damaged, redundancy of the switch fabric is easily attained in a so-called "graceful degradation" manner. Moreover, this switch uses a novel algorithm called hierarchical priority scheduling. This algorithm enables fairness of scheduling by taking account of queuing state. The repetition required for priority scheduling is reduced by a novel hierarchical approach. The simulated performance of this algorithm shows that it performs better than the simple maximal matching method under both uniform and non-uniform traffic.

We developed a new millimeter-wave plastic chip size package (CSP) to operate up to 100 GHz by using a thin-film substrate. It has a flip-chip distributed amplifier with inverted microstrip lines and the amplifier has a bandwidth of beyond 110 GHz. The transmission line on the substrate consists of grounded coplanar waveguides that yield low insertion loss and high isolation characteristics in coupled lines even in mold resin in comparison with conventional microstrip lines. The CSP amplifier achieved a gain of 7.8 dB, a 3-dB bandwidth of 97 GHz, and operated up to 100 GHz. To the best of our knowledge, this value is the highest operating frequency reported to date for a distributed amplifier sealed in a plastic CSP. We also investigated the transmission characteristics of lead-free solder bumps through experiments by assemblying CSPs on printed circuit boards and modeling them so that we could design the packages accurately.

A new inter-client synchronization framework employing a server-client coordinated adaptive playout and error control toward one-to-many (i.e., multicast) media streaming is discussed in this paper. The proposed adaptive playout mechanism controls the playout speed of audio and video by adopting the time-scale modification of audio. Based on the overall synchronization status as well as the buffer occupancy level, the playout speed of each client is manipulated within a perceptually tolerable range. By coordinating the playout speed of each client, the inter-client synchronization with respect to the target presentation time is smoothly achieved. Furthermore, RTCP-compatible signaling between the server and group-clients is performed to achieve the inter-client synchronization and error recovery, where the exchange of controlling message is restricted. Simulation results show the performance of the proposed multicast media streaming framework.

We have developed a V-band monolithic HEMT amplifier with single positive power supply. The amplifier used two types of RF grounds for coplanar waveguides (CPW) as transmission lines. One RF ground has a voltage of 0 V at DC, and the other RF ground has a voltage of more than 0 V at DC. A prototype of the monolithic amplifier was fabricated. The amplifier had a gain of 21.0 dB, a Rollett stability factor K of 2.35, an input VSWR of 1.82, and an output VSWR of 2.14 at 59.5 GHz.

There has recently been considerable interest in research on wearable non-grounded force display. However, there have been no developments for the communication of nonverbal information (ex. tennis and golf swing). We propose a small and lightweight wearable force display to present motion timing and direction. The display outputs a torque using rotational moment and mechanical brakes. We explain the principle of this device, and describe an actual measurement of the torque and torque sensitivity experiments.

A post-wall waveguide-fed parallel plate slotted array is an attractive candidate for high efficiency and mass producible planar array antennas for millimeter wave applications. For the slot design of this large sized array, a periodic boundary wall model based on the assumption of infinite array size and a parallel waveguide is used. In fact, the aperture is large but still finite (10-40 wavelength) and the TEM-like wave is perturbed due to the narrow walls at the periphery of the aperture as well as the slot coupling; antenna efficiency is affected by the size and the aspect ratio of the aperture. All these observations imply the unique defects of oversized waveguide arrays. In this paper, the aperture efficiency of post-wall waveguide arrays is assessed as a function of size and aspect ratio of the aperture for the first time, both in theory and measurement. An effective field analysis for an electrically large oversized waveguide array, developed by the author, is utilized for determining the slot excitation coefficients and aperture illumination. It is predicted that the oversized waveguide array has a potential efficiency of 80-90% if the aperture is larger than 18 wavelength on a side and the gain is more than 30 dBi. A transversely wide aperture generally provides higher efficiency than a longitudinally long aperture, provided a perfectly uniform TEM wave would be launched from the feed waveguide.

This paper presents a new high-speed and area-efficient dual-rail PLA. The proposed circuit includes three schemes: 1) a divided column scheme (DCS), 2) a programmable sense-amplifier activation scheme (PSAS), and 3) an interdigitated column scheme (ICS). In the DCS, a column circuit of a PLA is divided and each circuit operates in parallel. This enhances the performance of the PLA, and this scheme becomes more effective as input data bandwidth increases. The PSAS is used to generate an activation pulse for sense amplifiers in the PLA. In this scheme, the proposed delay generators enable to minimize a timing margin depending on process variations and operating conditions. The ICS is used to enhance the area-efficiency of the PLA, where a method of physical compaction is employed. This scheme is effective for circuits which have the regularity in logic function such as arithmetic circuits. As applications of the proposed PLA, a comparator, a priority encoder, and an incrementor for 128-bit data processing were designed. The proposed circuit design schemes achieved a 22.2% delay reduction and a 37.5% area reduction on average over the conventional high-speed and low-power PLA in a 0.13-µm CMOS technology with a supply voltage of 1.2 V.

We compared two edge-blending methods for multi-projection displays, elliptic and rectangular blending, by simulating three common situations: (1) an inaccurately estimated calibration parameter, (2) a worn projector lamp, and (3) a shifted viewpoint. We used a two-level-of-detail display including a high-gain rear-projection screen in the simulation to demonstrate an extreme case. The comparisons showed how strongly inaccurate elements affect a composite besides affecting the appearance itself. A subjective assessment was also carried out to obtain the evaluations of actual users. The simulation results showed that in many cases elliptic blending is more effective than rectangular blending.

In this paper, a new method for displaying a surface deformation is proposed to provide sufficient realism in virtual environment. The approach selected in this paper is based on the fuzzy model and it is sufficient that only one additional rule be added to the fuzzy model to display a surface deformation. Furthermore, designers can easily determine which parameters should be used and how much they should be changed in order to alter shapes as required. The proposed method, thus, is a simple, but effective technique that can also be applied to real time operation and makes it possible to act on several surface points simultaneously. The results of the computer simulation are also given to demonstrate the validity of the proposed algorithm.

This paper addresses the problem of arranging fewest possible probes to detect a hidden object in a specified region and presents a reasonable scheme for the purpose. Of special interest is the case where an object is a double-sided conic cylinder which represents the shape of the energy distribution of laser light used in the optical network. The performance of our scheme is evaluated by comparing the number of probes to that of an existing scheme, and our scheme shows a potential for reducing the number of probes. In other words, the time for detection is significantly reduced from a realistic point of view.

The artifacts of low-bit rate quantization in images cannot be removed satisfactorily by known methods. We propose decomposition of images as HSI and LSI (higher- and lower- significance images), followed by subsampling and reconstruction methods for LSI. Experiments show significant improvement in image quality, as compared to other methods.

A differential electromagnetic transducer (DET) was implemented using micro electro mechanical system (MEMS) technology for use in an implantable middle ear (IME) system. The DET is designed to have good vibration efficiency and structure that can't be interfered by the external environmental magnetic field. In order to preserve the uniform vibration performance, the MEMS technology was introduced to manufacture the elastic membrane using polyimide that is softer than silicon. Using the finite element analysis (FEA), vibration characteristics are simulated and designed so that the resonance frequency of the membrane is closed to that of the middle ear. The results of the vibration experiments of the developed DET showed excellent results. We implemented the IME system using a DET and implanted it into a dog. This showed the IME system performed well in a living body.

In recent years, not only functionality but also usability have come to be required in software. In order to develop a highly usable GUI (Graphical User Interface) application, it is effective that end users evaluate their GUI and the results of the evaluation are reflected on the original GUI. In these cases, it is necessary to replace a widget with another widget, and to reconnect the new GUI part with the original body part. When widgets are replaced, the operations are usually changed, but the roles of the GUI are seldom changed. In this research, we propose a development method for GUI applications with easy operations and also a method of automatic reconnection between GUI parts and new body parts. This reconnection is realized by classifying widgets according to their roles and by replacing methods of widgets with abstract methods categorized by common roles.

The demand for multi-application smart card platform has been increasing in various business sectors recently. When it comes to the actual implementation of the platform, however, network-based dynamic downloading in a Card Issuer-Service Provider separated environment has not made much progress. This paper introduces the smart card information sharing platform that uses licensing/policy/profile management and PKI-based technologies to enable multiple CIs and multiple SPs to reflect their own business policy flexibly via network. It makes the paradigm shift from card-oriented scheme to service-oriented scheme. By through world's first implementation of the scheme and some experiments including deployment, we confirmed that this technology is well-accepted and applicable to various business sectors and it can be of practical use.

This paper describes the design concept and implementation of a software platform for realization of symbiotic robots that interact intelligently with human in symbiosis manner. Such robots require proper combination of various technologies on a common platform that allows them to work co-operatively. "SPAK" has been developed to serve this purpose. It is a Java-based software platform to support knowledge processing and co-ordination of tasks among several software modules and agents representing the robotic hardware connected on a network. SPAK features frame-based knowledge system, a GUI knowledge building tool, forward and backward chaining engines, networking support, and class libraries for building software agent components. Beside the robotic applications, SPAK can be used as a general-purpose frame system as well. An experimental application of SPAK in human-robot interaction is also given.