Goal-oriented analysis and use case analysis are well known requirements analysis methods and are putting into practice. Roughly speaking, goal-oriented methods are suitable for eliciting constraints to a system and use case analysis methods elicit concrete system behavior. Thus these methods are complementary and their integration into a new method allows us to get a more powerful requirements elicitation method. This paper proposes a new method where both of the methods are amalgamated. In our method, constraints to the system are refined by goal-oriented style, while system behavior are described with hierarchical use cases. Since a use case is made relate to goals during our elicitation processes, the decomposition of goals and use cases are complementally supported. Furthermore we applied our method to a couple of development projects and assessed its effectiveness.

Color histograms are effective for representing color visual features. However, the high dimensionality of feature vectors results in high computational cost. Several transformations, including singular value decomposition (SVD) and principal component analysis (PCA), have been proposed to reduce the dimensionality. In PCA, the dimensionality reduction is achieved by projecting the data to a subspace which contains most of the variance. As a common observation, the PCA basis function with the lowest frquency accounts for the highest variance. Therefore, the PCA subspace may not be the optimal one to represent the intrinsic features of data. In this paper, we apply independent component analysis (ICA) to extract the features in color histograms. PCA is applied to reduce the dimensionality and then ICA is performed on the low-dimensional PCA subspace. The experimental results show that the proposed method (1) significantly reduces the feature dimensions compared with the original color histograms and (2) outperforms other dimension reduction techniques, namely the method based on SVD of quadratic matrix and PCA, in terms of retrieval accuracy.

The paper presents a novel stroke decomposition approach based on a directional filtering technique for recognizing Chinese characters. The proposed filtering technique uses a set of the second-order Gaussian derivative (SOGD) filters to decompose a character into a number of stroke segments. Moreover, a new Gaussian function is proposed to overcome the general limitation in extracting stroke segments along some fixed and given orientations. The Gaussian function is designed to model the relationship between the orientation and power response of the stroke segment in the filter output. Then, an optimal orientation of the stroke segment can be estimated by finding the maximal power response of the stroke segment. Finally, the effects of decomposition process are analyzed using some simple structural and statistical features extracted from the stroke segments. Experimental results indicate that the proposed SOGD filtering-based approach is very efficient to decompose noisy and degraded character images into a number of stroke segments along an arbitrary orientation. Furthermore, the recognition performance from the application of decomposition process can be improved about 17.31% in test character set.

Refactoring is one of the promising techniques for improving software design by means of behavior-preserving structural transformation, and is widely taken into practice. In particular, it is frequently applied to design models represented with UML such as class diagrams. However, since UML design models includes multiple diagrams which are closely related from various views, to get behavior-preserving property, we should get the other types of design information and should handle with the propagation of the change on a diagram to the other diagrams. For example, to refactor a class diagram, we need behavioral information of methods included in the class and should also refactor diagrams which represent the behavior, such as state diagrams, activity diagrams. In this paper, we introduce refactoring on design models as transformations of a graph described by UML class diagram and action semantics. First, we define basic transformations of design models that preserve the behavior of designed software, and compose them into refactoring operations. We use Object Constraint Language (OCL) to specify when we can apply a refactoring operation. Furthermore we implement our technique on a graph transformation system AGG to support the automation of refactoring, together with evaluation mechanism of OCL expressions. Some illustrations are presented to show its effectiveness. The work is the first step to handle with refactoring on UML design models in integrated way.

A number of on-line and off-line algorithms for load balancing on multiple paths for MPLS (MultiProtocol Label Switching) traffic engineering have now been proposed, in which it is always assumed that sets of LSPs (Label Switched Path) have already been established between node pairs. While how to choose these paths is an important issue in traffic engineering, it has not been well studied yet. In this paper, we attempt to fill in this gap. As the shortest paths are always preferred in routing problems, we evaluate several k shortest path algorithms from the viewpoint of bandwidth use efficiency and the number of the found paths. Extensive simulations have been performed in different kinds of topologies to factor out effects of network characteristics on these algorithms' path calculation performances. It is found out that the performances of the evaluated algorithms are limited in some cases and the design of new algorithms for the path calculation problem is worth studying in the future.

Circuit partition, retiming and state reordering techniques are effective in reducing power consumption of circuits. In this paper, we propose a partition architecture and a methodology to reduce power consumption when designing low power IP, named PRC (Partition and Reordering Circuit). The circuit reordering synthesis flow consists of three phases: first, evenly partition the circuit based on the Shannon expansion; secondly encode the output vectors of each partition to build an equivalent functional logic. Finally, apply reordering algorithm to reorganize the logic function to reduce power consumption and decrease area cost. The validity of our architecture is proven by applying it to MCNC benchmark with simulation environment.

In texture mapping, anisotropic filtering methods, which require more texels, have been proposed for high-quality images. Memory bandwidth, however, is still limited by a bottleneck in the texture-filtering hardware. In this paper, we propose anisotropic texture filtering based on edge function. In generating the weight that plays a key role in filtering texels loaded from memory, the edge function gives accurate contribution of texels to the pixel intensity. The quality of images is superior to other methods. For images of the same quality, our method requires less than half the texels of other methods. In other words, the improvement in performance is more than twice that of other methods.

Flexible Resource Allocation (FRA) strategies selectively control the transmission rates of users allowing them to specify maximum and minimum bandwidth requirements for the service type requested ensuring a minimum quality of service (QoS) is met. Complete, Partial, and Non Resource Sharing are the three types of resource sharing policies that can be used in systems with integrated services (voice, video and data) with different QoS and elasticities requirements. In this paper, an FRA strategy with Partial Resource Sharing, called Primary Unavailable Secondary Minimum (PUSMin), is presented. An analytical method is developed to assess its performance in an environment where several service types (with different bandwidth and elasticities requirements) exist. Results show that PUSMin decreases the resource reassignment rate as the offered traffic increases. This decreases the signalling overhead and computational complexity in the Base Station Controller (BSC) or Base Transceiver Station (BTS).

A sequentially and linearly constrained minimum variance beamformer (SLCMV), based on a split polarity transformation (SPT) and, called an SPT-SLCMV beamformer, is proposed to minimize the degree of freedom loss, steering error, and a desired signal elimination phenomenon under coherent interferences. The SPT-SLCMV beamformer reduces the degree of freedom loss, which is inevitable in the conventional SPT-LCMV beamformer, by successively applying sub-constraint matrices. Sub-constraint matrices are derived from a complete constraint matrix to remove the correlation between the desired signal and interferences. In addition, the SPT-SLCMV beamformer is combined with the iterative steering error correction method to reduce the steering error between the look direction of the beamformer and the incident angle of the desired signal. As a result, the proposed beamformer reduces the number of array elements while maintaining the performance of an exactly steered SPT-LCMV beamformer having sufficient array elements under coherent interferences.

The classification time required by conventional multi-class SVMs greatly increases as the number of pattern classes increases. This is due to the fact that the needed set of binary class SVMs gets quite large. In this paper, we propose a method to reduce the number of classes by using nearest neighbor rule (NNR) in the principle component analysis and linear discriminant analysis (PCA+LDA) feature subspace. The proposed method reduces the number of face classes by selecting a few classes closest to the test data projected in the PCA+LDA feature subspace. Results of experiment show that our proposed method has a lower error rate than nearest neighbor classification (NNC) method. Though our error rate is comparable to the conventional multi-class SVMs, the classification process of our method is much faster.

The alternating variant of the shrinking two-pushdown automaton of Buntrock and Otto (1998) is introduced. It is shown that the class of languages accepted by these automata is contained in the class of deterministic context-sensitive languages, and that it contains a PSPACE-complete language. Hence, the closure of this class of languages under log-space reductions coincides with the complexity class PSPACE.

We demonstrate a simple BER monitoring method for WDM signals. Newly developed 32-channel wavelength selector based on thermo-optic switch and AWG is used. The BER of each channel is estimated from opened eye-diagrams obtained by asynchronous sampling. Good BER monitoring performance is confirmed.

This paper presents an algorithm for fingerprint matching using the Phase-Only Correlation (POC) function. One of the most difficult problems in human identification by fingerprints has been that the matching performance is significantly influenced by fingertip surface condition, which may vary depending on environmental or personal causes. This paper proposes a new fingerprint matching algorithm using phase spectra of fingerprint images. The proposed algorithm is highly robust against fingerprint image degradation due to inadequate fingertip conditions. A set of experiments is carried out using fingerprint images captured by a pressure sensitive fingerprint sensor. The proposed algorithm exhibits efficient identification performance even for difficult fingerprint images that could not be identified by the conventional matching algorithms.

We present master-slave pulse-coupled bifurcating neurons having refractoriness. The system can exhibit various phenomena, e. g. , periodic and chaotic in-phase synchronizations, and periodic out-of-phase synchronization. We clarify local stabilities of the phenomena and a sufficient condition for the in-phase synchronization. It is suggested that bifurcations of the synchronization phenomena may relate to detection of a master parameter, and the refractoriness may relate to control of the detection accuracy. Using a simple test circuit, typical phenomena are verified in the laboratory.

Using the Proportional Integral Derivative (PID) principle of classical feedback control theory, this paper develops two general congestion control algorithms for routers implementing Active Queue Management (AQM) while supporting TCP/IP traffic flows. The general designs of non-interacting (N-PID) and interacting (I-PID) congestion control algorithms are tailored for practical network scenarios using the Ziegler-Nichols guidelines for tuning such controllers. Discrete event simulations using ns are performed to evaluate the performance of an existing F-PID and new N-PID and I-PID algorithms. The performance of N-PID and I-PID is compared mutually as well as with the F-PID algorithm. It reveals that N-PID and I-PID have higher speed of response but lower stability margins than F-PID. In general the accurate following of the target queue size by the PID principle congestion control algorithms, while providing high link utilization, low loss rate and low queuing delays, is also demonstrated.

As the Internet grows, various types of traffic, such as voice, video and data, are transmitted. Therefore, the Internet should provide the Quality of Service (QoS) required by each type of traffic as well as end-to-end connectivity, and routing decisions should be based on the utilization of links/routers and/or the application types of traffic. This kind of routing is called Traffic Engineering (TE), and its objective is to improve such performance factors as flow loss probability for users and the utilization of links for networks, simultaneously. Some studies claim that the Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) technique can easily implement TE. So far, some experimental results show that TE is effective on a MPLS network; however, its performance has not been theoretically and quantitatively analyzed. Thus, in this paper, we will investigate the basic and preliminary performance of MPLS networks with TE by analyzing flow loss probability and Smoothness index of link utilization in the queueing system.

In this paper we study a classical firing squad synchronization problem on a model of fault-tolerant cellular automata that have possibly some defective cells. Several fault-tolerant time-efficient synchronization algorithms are developed based on a simple freezing-thawing technique. It is shown that, under some constraints on the distribution of defective cells, any cellular array of length n with p defective cell segments can be synchronized in 2n - 2 + p steps.

Photocatalytic TiO2 films were prepared by reactive gas flow sputtering (GFS), which enables sputter-deposition at a high pressure of about 100 Pa. A pure Ti tube was used as the target, and the O2 gas was supplied in front of the substrate, resulting in a very stable discharge and a high deposition rate of 80 nm/min. The crystal structure and morphology of TiO2 films were found to strongly depend on the flow rate of O2 gas during sputtering. Polycrystalline films composed of rutile and anatase crystallites were deposited at a low O2 flow rate of less than 2 sccm when Ar flow rate was set at 300 sccm, and amorphous films were deposited at higher O2 flow rates. Polycrystalline films composed of very small crystallites showed high levels of photocatalytic activity, while amorphous films showed no activity.

The deposition conditions of Y0.9Ba1.9La0.2Cu3Oy (La-YBCO) and (LaAlO3)0.3-(SrAl0.5Ta0.5O3)0.7 (LSAT) thin films were studied with the aim of fabricating ramp-edge Josephson junctions on a superconducting ground plane. These films were deposited by a magnetron sputtering method and utilized as a base electrode and an insulating layer under the electrode, respectively. YBa2Cu3Oy thick films grown by liquid phase epitaxy (LPE-YBCO) were used for a ground plane. Insertion of a SrTiO3 buffer layer between LSAT and LPE-YBCO significantly improved the flatness of the film surface. La-YBCO films with a flat surface and Tc (zero) of 87K were reproducibly obtained by DC sputtering. We have fabricated ramp-edge Josephson junctions using these films. Resistively and capacitively shunted junction (RCSJ)-like characteristics were observed in them. An Ic spread of 10.2% (at 4.2K, average Ic = 0.5 mA) was obtained for a 1000-junction series-array.

Simply-typed term rewriting systems (STRSs) are an extension of term rewriting systems. STRSs can be naturally handle higher order functions, which are widely used in existing functional programming languages. In this paper we design recursive and lexicographic path orders, which can efficiently prove the termination of STRSs. Moreover we discuss an application to the dependency pair and the argument filtering methods, which are very effective and efficient support methods for proving termination.