In December 2018, satellite broadcasting for 4K/8K ultra-high-definition television (UHDTV) will begin in Japan. It will be provided in the 12-GHz (11.7 to 12.75GHz) band with right- and left-hand circular polarizations. BSAT-4a, a satellite used for broadcasting UHDTV, was successfully launched in September 2017. This satellite has not only 12-GHz-band right- and left-hand circular polarization transponders but also a 21-GHz-band experimental transponder. The 21-GHz (21.4 to 22.0GHz) band has been allocated as the downlink for broadcasting satellite service in ITU-R Regions 1 (Europe, Africa) and 3 (Asia Pacific). To receive services provided over these two frequency bands and with dual-polarization, we implement and evaluated a dual-band and dual-circularly polarized parabolic reflector antenna fed by 12- and 21-GHz-band microstrip antenna arrays with a multilayer structure. The antenna is used to receive 12- and 21-GHz-band signals from in-orbit satellites. The measured and experimental results prove that the proposed antenna performs as a dual-polarized antenna in those two frequency bands and has sufficient performance to receive satellite broadcasts.

Currently, visual perceptions generated by visual prosthesis are low resolution with unruly color and restricted grayscale. This severely restricts the ability of prosthetic implant to complete visual tasks in daily scenes. Some studies explore existing image processing techniques to improve the percepts of objects in prosthetic vision. However, most of them extract the moving objects and optimize the visual percepts in general dynamic scenes. The application of visual prosthesis in daily life scenes with high dynamic is greatly limited. Hence, in this study, a novel unsupervised moving object segmentation model is proposed to automatically extract the moving objects in high dynamic scene. In this model, foreground cues with spatiotemporal edge features and background cues with boundary-prior are exploited, the moving object proximity map are generated in dynamic scene according to the manifold ranking function. Moreover, the foreground and background cues are ranked simultaneously, and the moving objects are extracted by the two ranking maps integration. The evaluation experiment indicates that the proposed method can uniformly highlight the moving object and keep good boundaries in high dynamic scene with other methods. Based on this model, two optimization strategies are proposed to improve the perception of moving objects under simulated prosthetic vision. Experimental results demonstrate that the introduction of optimization strategies based on the moving object segmentation model can efficiently segment and enhance moving objects in high dynamic scene, and significantly improve the recognition performance of moving objects for the blind.

Over the past several years, the research of micro-expression recognition (MER) has become an active topic in affective computing and computer vision because of its potential value in many application fields, e.g., lie detection. However, most previous works assumed an ideal scenario that both training and testing samples belong to the same micro-expression database, which is easily broken in practice. In this letter, we hence consider a more challenging scenario that the training and testing samples come from different micro-expression databases and investigated unsupervised cross-database MER in which the source database is labeled while the label information of target database is entirely unseen. To solve this interesting problem, we propose an effective method called target-adapted least-squares regression (TALSR). The basic idea of TALSR is to learn a regression coefficient matrix based on the source samples and their provided label information and also enable this learned regression coefficient matrix to suit the target micro-expression database. We are thus able to use the learned regression coefficient matrix to predict the micro-expression categories of the target micro-expression samples. Extensive experiments on CASME II and SMIC micro-expression databases are conducted to evaluate the proposed TALSR. The experimental results show that our TALSR has better performance than lots of recent well-performing domain adaptation methods in dealing with unsupervised cross-database MER tasks.

Hydrophobic DNA (H-DNA) nano-film was formed as the surface modifier on a thin glass plate working as a slab optical waveguide (SOWF). Cytochrom c (cytc) molecules were immobilized from aqueous solution with direct contacting to the H-DNA nano-film for 30 minutes. From SOWG absorption spectral changes during automated solution exchange (SE) processes, it was found that about 28.1% of cytc molecules was immobilized in the H-DNA nano-film with keeping their reduction functionality by reducing reagent.

This article proposes a prosody correction method based on partial model adaptation for Chinese-accented Japanese hidden Markov model (HMM)-based text-to-speech synthesis. Although text-to-speech synthesis built from non-native speech accurately reproduces the speaker's individuality in synthetic speech, the naturalness of the synthetic speech is strongly degraded. In the proposed model, to improve the naturalness while preserving the speaker individuality of Chinese-accented Japanese text-to-speech synthesis, we partially utilize HMM parameters of native Japanese speech to synthesize prosody-corrected synthetic speech. Results of an experimental evaluation demonstrate that duration and F0 correction are significantly effective for improving naturalness.

Inter-channel crosstalk is one of the crucial issues in multichannel optical systems. Conventional studies assume that the crosstalk and the main signals have identical format. The present study, in contrast, considers different signal formats for the main and crosstalk lights, and shows that bit error degradation is different depending on the modulation format. Statistical properties of the crosstalk are also investigated. The result quantitatively confirms that a crosstalk light whose signal distribution is closer to a Gaussian profile causes larger degradation.

This paper presents a theoretical analysis and experimental confirmation of a tunable ring resonator that can independently change its resonant frequency and bandwidth. The tunable ring resonator comprises a ring resonator, three tunable capacitors, and switches. The resonant frequency changes according to the capacitance of tunable capacitors, and the bandwidth varies by changing the state of the switches. The unique feature of the resonator is that the resonant frequency remains steady when the bandwidth is changed. The fundamental characteristics are shown based on linear circuit simulation and electromagnetic simulation results. The resonator is fabricated using GaAs FET single-pole single-throw switches. The fabricated resonator changes the resonant frequency from 1.5 GHz to 2.0 GHz and the fractional bandwidth from 5% to 30%.

In order to realize intelligent robot system, it is required to process large amount of data input from complex and different kinds of sensors in a short time. FPGA is expected to improve process performance of robots due to better performance per power consumption than high performance CPU, but it has lower development productivity than software. In this paper, we discuss automatic generation of FPGA components for robots. A design tool, developed for easy integration of FPGA into robots, is proposed. The tool named cReComp can automatically convert circuit written in Verilog HDL into a software component compliant to a robot software framework ROS (Robot Operation System), which is the standard in robot development. To evaluate its productivity, we conducted a subject experiment. As a result, we confirmed that the automatic generation is effective to ease the development of FPGA components for robots.

Ethernet has become an indispensable technology for communications, and has come into use for many applications. At the IEEE, high-speed standardization has been discussed and has seen the adoption of new technologies such as multi-level modulation formats, high baud rate modulation and dense wave length division multiplexing. The MSA transceiver form factor has also been discussed following IEEE standardization. Optical devices such as TOSA and ROSA have been required to become more compact and higher-speed, because each transceiver form factor has to be miniaturized for high-density construction. We introduce the technologies for realizing 100GbE and those applicable to 400GbE. We also discuss future packages for optical devices. There are many similarities between optical device packages and electrical device packages, and we predict that optical device packages will follow the trends seen in electrical devices. But there are also differences between optical and electrical devices. It is necessary to utilize new technology for specific optical issues to employ advanced electrical packaging and catch up the trends.

Smartphone users often want to customize the positions and functions of physical buttons to accommodate their own usage patterns; however, this is unfeasible for electronic mobile devices based on COTS (Commercial Off-The-Shelf) due to high production costs and hardware design constraints. In this letter, we present the design and implementation of customized virtual buttons that are localized using only common built-in sensors of electronic mobile devices. We develop sophisticated strategies firstly to detect when a user taps one of the virtual buttons, and secondly to locate the position of the tapped virtual button. The virtual-button scheme is implemented and demonstrated in a COTS-based smartphone. The feasibility study shows that, with up to nine virtual buttons on five different sides of the smartphone, the proposed virtual buttons can operate with greater than 90% accuracy.

Link-level and node-level blocking in photonic networks has been intensively investigated for several decades and the C/D/C approach to OXCs/ROADMs is often emphasized. However, this understanding will have to change in the future large traffic environment. We herein elucidate that exploiting node-level blocking can yield cost-effective large-capacity wavelength routing networks in the near future. We analyze the impact of link-level and node-level blocking in terms of traffic demand and assess the fiber utilization and the amount of hardware needed to develop OXCs/ROADMs, where the necessary number of link fibers and that of WSSs are used as metrics. We clarify that the careful introduction of node-level blocking is the more effective direction in creating future cost effective networks; compared to C/D/C OXCs/ROADMs, it offers a more than 70% reduction in the number of WSSs while the fiber increment is less than ~2%.

The gap states of tetratetracontane (C44H90; TTC), which is a model oligomer of polyethylene, was examined by using high-sensitivity UV photoemission spectroscopy (HS-UPS). The high sensitivity enabled us to directly observe the weak gap states distributed in the HOMO-LUMO gap from the valence band top to 3.0 eV below the vacuum level. On the basis of the density-of-states derived from UPS results, the tribocharging nature of polyethylene was discussed in comparison with our previous result for nylon-6,6 film.

Let d=2pm-1 be the Niho decimation over $mathbb{F}_{p^{2m}}$ satisfying $gcd(d,p^{2m}-1)=3$, where m is an odd positive integer and p is a prime with p ≡ 2(mod 3). The cross-correlation function between the p-ary m-sequence of period p2m-1 and its every d-decimation sequence with short period $rac{p^{2m}-1}{3}$ is investigated. It is proved that for each d-decimation sequence, the cross-correlation function takes four values and the corresponding correlation distribution is completely determined. This extends the results of Niho and Helleseth for the case gcd(d, p2m-1)=1.

Hydrophobic DNA (H-DNA) nano-film was formed on a thin glass plate of 50μm thick working as a slab optical waveguide. Bromothymol blue (BTB) molecules were immobilized from aqueous solution with direct contacting to the H-DNA nano-film for 20 minutes. From changes in absorption spectra observed with slab optical wave guide (SOWG) during automated solution exchange (SE) processes for 100 times, it was found that about 95% of bromothymol blue (BTB) molecules was immobilized in the H-DNA nano-film with keeping their functionality of color change responsible to pH change in the solution.

This paper presents a wideband inductorless noise-cancelling balun LNA with two gain modes, low NF, and high-linearity for LTE and intermediate-frequency-band (eg. 3.3-3.6GHz, 4.8-5GHz) 5G applications fabricated in 65nm CMOS. The proposed LNA is bonding tested and exhibits a minimum NF of 2.2dB and maximum IIP3 of -3.5dBm. Taking advantage of an off-chip bias inductor in CG stage and a cross-coupled buffer, the LNA occupies high operation frequency up to 5GHz with remarkable linearity and NF as well as compact area.

We propose waveguide to microstrip line transitions for automotive millimeter wave radar modules. The transitions perpendicularly connect one waveguide and one or two microstrip lines. The configuration is simple because it consists of a waveguide and a dielectric substrate with copper foils. Additionally the transitions do not need via holes on the substrate. It leads to lower costs and improved reliability. We have already proposed a via-less transition by using multi-stage impedance transformers. The impedance transformers are used for suppressing undesirable radiation from the transition as well as impedance matching. In this paper, we propose a new transition with the microstrip lines on the long axis of the waveguide while most transitions place the microstrip lines on the minor axis (electric field direction) of the waveguide. Though our transition uses bend structures of microstrip lines, which basically cause radiation, our optimized configuration can keep small radiation. We also design a transition with a single microstrip line. The proposed transition with 2 microstrip lines can be modified to the 1 microstrip line version with minimum radiation loss. Electromagnetic simulations confirm the small radiation levels expected. Additionally we fabricate the transitions with back to back structure and determine the transmission and radiation performance. We also fabricates the transition for a patch array antenna. We confirm that the undesirable radiation from the proposed transition is small and the radiation pattern of the array antenna is not worsen by the transition.

Several types of capacitive crosstalk avoidance codes have been devised in order to prevent capacitive crosstalk in on-chip buses. These codes are designed to prohibit transition patterns prone to capacitive crosstalk from any two consecutive words transmitted to on-chip buses. The present paper provides a rigorous analysis of the asymptotic rate for (p,q)-transition free word sequences under the assumption that coding is based on a stateful encoder and a stateless decoder. Here, p and q represent k-bit transition patterns that should not appear in any two consecutive words at the same adjacent k-bit positions. The maximum rate for the sequences is proven to be equal to the subgraph domatic number of the (p,q)-transition free graph. Based on the theoretical results for the subgraph domatic partition problem, lower and upper bounds on the asymptotic rate are derived. We also show that the asymptotic rate 0.8325 is achievable for p=01 and q=10 transition free word sequences.

The paper presents the analysis, design and performance of PCB (Printed Circuit Board)-based cross-coupled differential VCOs using a novel LC-tank. As compared with the conventional LC-tank, a novel LC-tank is comprised of only chip inductors and thus has an advantage in providing a higher cutoff frequency. This feature attributes to the use of the parasitic elements of the chip inductors and capacitors. The cutoff frequencies were compared for both LC-tanks by calculation, simulation and measurement. Then the traditional cross-coupled differential oscillators having both LC-tanks were designed, fabricated and performed by using 0.35µm SiGe HBTs and 1005-type chip devices. The implemented oscillator using a novel LC-tank has shown a 0.12GHz higher oscillation frequency, while phase noise characteristics were almost the same. In addition, the cross-coupled differential oscillator utilizes a series RL circuit in order to suppress the concurrent oscillations. The implemented cross-coupled differential VCO employing Si varactor diodes with a capacitance ratio of 2.5 to 1 has achieved a tuning frequency of 0.92 to 1.28GHz, an output power greater than -13.5dBm, a consumed power less than 8.7mW and a phase noise at 100kHz offset in a range from -104 to -100dBc/Hz.

The authors have proposed a new type of flexible and printable 12GHz-band phase shifter using polymer actuator for the first time. Polymer bending actuator was used as a termination device of a reflection-type 3-dB, 90° hybrid coupler as the phase-shift control unit which controls the electrical length of the waveguide for microwave signals by the applied bias voltage. The microstrip line circuit of the device has been fabricated using low-cost screen printing method. Polymer bending actuator having three-layer stacking structure, in which an ionic liquid electrolyte layer is sandwiched with two conductive network composite layers, was formed by wet processes. The authors have confirmed that the phase shift could be controlled in analog by low driving voltages of 2-7 V for the actuator with a insertion loss of 2.73 dB. This phase shifter can be integrated with flexible patch antenna and the current flexible polymer electronics devices such as transistors.

IEEE 802.11ah is a specification being developed for sub-1GHz license-exempt operation and is intended to provide Low Power Wide Area (LPWA) communication services and support Internet of Things (IoT) features such as large-scale networks and extended transmission range. However, these features also make the 802.11ah networks highly susceptible to channel contention and hidden node problem (HNP). To address the problems, the 11ah Task Group proposed a Restricted Access Window (RAW) mechanism. It shows outstanding performance in alleviating channel contention, but its effect on solving HNP is unsatisfactory. In this paper, we propose a simple and effective hidden node grouping algorithm (HNGA) based on IEEE 802.11ah RAW. The algorithm collects hidden node information by taking advantage of the 802.11 association process and then performs two-stage uniform grouping to prevent hidden node collisions (HNCs). Performance of the proposed algorithm is evaluated in comparison with other existing schemes in a hidden node situation. The results show that our proposed algorithm eliminates most of hidden node pairs inside a RAW group with low overhead penalty, thereby improving the performance of the network. Moreover, the algorithm is immune to HNCs caused by cross slot boundary transmissions.