In the conventional protocol synthesis, it is generally assumed that primitives in service specifications cannot be executed simultaneously at different Service Access Points (SAPs). Thus if some primitives are executed concurrently, then protocol errors of unspecified receptions occur. In this paper, we try to extend a class of service specifications from which protocol specifications are synthesized by the previous methods. We first introduce priorities into primitives in protocol specification so that it always selects exactly one primitive of the highest priority from a set of primitives that can be executed simultaneously, and executes it. Then, based on this execution ordering, we propose a new protocol synthesis method which can avoid protocol errors due to message collisions, communication competitions and so on. By applying the proposed synthesis method, we can automatically synthesize a protocol specifications from a given service specification which includes an arbitraty number of processes and allows parallel execution of primitives.

We have studied in detail the effect of gas flow rates on the film properties of low-temperature (300) polycrystalline silicon (poly-Si) films prepared by conventional plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (13.56 MHz) with SiF4/SiH4/H2 gases. The effect of SiH4 flow rate on crystallization is shown to be large. A small amount of SiH4 with high SiF4 and H2 flow rates (50[H2]/[SiH4]1200, 20[SiF4]/[SiH4]150, 1[H2]/[SiF4]16) is important to form poly-Si films. The poly-Si films deposited under such optimized conditions had shown preferential 〈110〉-orientation and the crystalline fraction is estimated to be more than 80%. The deposition rates are in the range of 5-30 nm/min. The conductivity is in the range of 10-8-10-6 S/cm. Further, the electrical conduction indicates an activation type, and the activation energy is in the range of 0.5-0.6 eV.

Among the problems that face ITS designers, the problem of measuring the student knowledge state after concept learning in order to initially adapt a skill acquisition session according to a student's own necessities is a hard one. Typical approaches are the use of some sort of test to assess the student knowledge and choose an initial set of parameters for a session, or use, regardless the particular necessities of a student, a pre-defined set of initial parameters. We consider the fromer to be disrupting for learning and the latter too simple to deal with the broad possibilities that are faced. It is known that students show different behaviors during concept learning depending on the experience, background and actual understanding (the way a student is understanding a concept) during concept learning. Our approach here is to classify the different behaviors through fuzzy proposition and link them with a student model through fuzzy rules to use in an expert system, and with it, select the most suitable problem-solving strategy for each particular student in order to clear his misunderstandings and facilitate the learning of problem-solving skills. The use of probabilistic reasoning (i.e. Bayesian statistics) instead of fuzzy logic is not suitable for the present situation because of the rigidity and precision of the rules that do not allow a proper manipulation of the vagueness involved in the student behavior. We apply this idea to a circuit analysis ITS where the concept learning session is carried out on a Hypertext environment and the skill acquisition session on an interactive problem-solving environment. By tracing the student use of the Hypertext environment we can know the student behavior and use it as a premise in the fuzzy inference.

We modified the adaptive fuzzy classification algorithm (AFC), which allows fuzzy clusters to grow to meet the demands of a given task during training. Every fuzzy cluster is defined by a reference vector and a fuzzy cluster radius, and it is represented as a shape of hypersphere in pattern space. Any pattern class is identified by overlapping plural hyperspherical fuzzy clusters so that it is possible to approximate complex decision boundaries among pattern classes. The modified AFC was applied to recognize handwritten digits, and performances were shown compared with other neural networks.

Tomita's parsing method (GLR) is a practical and successful parsing method for natural language. However, one difficulty in the GLR is that interleaved constraint processing of syntax and semantics in parallel is not trivial during parsing, because it uses the precompiled table for a fast real-time parsing. In this paper, we present a method which makes the GLR adaptable to interleaved parsing while making some limitation on its generality. For interleaved parsing, the conflicts of the LR parsing table must be resolved at the parse time. The shift-reduce conflict among the above conflicts is the most serious one for interleaved parsing because of the lack of knowledge for the conflict resolution at the parse time. Therefore, we concentrate on resolving a shift-reduce conflict by introducing a grammar which is called a shift-first LR (k) grammar. Our method for this is that the conflict resolution is delayed by the shift-first strategy which makes an unconditional choice of shift actions in the case of a shift-reduce conflict. Then, a delayed resolution that resolves the conflict, is made. Depending on the decision of the resolution, the pseudo parsing, which parses symbols in the LR parser stack, proceeds. Our experiments showed that our parser is efficient while attaining the interleaved parsing at real time.

Several distances between trees have been proposed. However, most of the reports on distances have dealt with rooted and ordered trees. This paper proposes two distances between unrooted and cyclically ordered trees (CO-trees) and their computing methods. A CO-tree is a tree embedded in a plane. These distances are defined based on Tai's mapping (TM) and a strongly structure preserving mapping (SSPM) between CO-trees. The time complexities to compute the distances between two CO-trees Ta and Tb are OT (N 2aN 2b) for the distance based on a TM and OT(mambNaNb) for that on an SSPM, respectively, where ma(mb) and Na(Nb) are the largest degree of a vertex and the number of vertices of Ta(Tb), respectively. The space complexities of both methods are Os(NaNb). Those distances can be applied to the clustering of CO-trees.

We predict that chemical waves can propagate as a guided mode in a reaction-diffusion system that consists of two regions with different wave speeds. In comparison with electromagnetic waveguides, unique features of the guided chemical waves can be seen in their dispersion characteristics. Conditions for supporting lowest-loss guided waves are discussed.

It is desirable to design an ATM switch that is nonblocking at the connection level by using simple connection admission control (CAC) schemes. To accomplish this goal, it is necessary to consider the relationships between CAC, cell-level quality-of-services (QOS), and the structure of multistage switches as well as switch modules. In this paper, we formulate a framework to design a multistage nonblocking ATM switch. We show that if a switch has the property of the Sufficiency of Knowledge of External Loads (SKEL), i.e., the property that its cell-level performance is robust to the distribution of incoming traffic among all inputs, then the switch is also nonblocking at the connection-level by using a simplified CAC that guarantees QOS of a connection by controlling the aggregate loads on outputs. Furthermore, we show that a Clos three-stage network using SKEL switch modules and Multipath Self-Routing (MPSR) also has the SKEL property and is a nonblocking switching network that needs CAC only at its outputs. We also demonstrate a design of multistage nonblocking ATM switches with Knockout switch modules.

Experimental optical gain characteristics of an erbium-doped fiber amplifier have not been explained well by conventional laser schemes in the case of two-channel amplification. Modified simple laser schemes including cross relaxation among degenerate levels were valid for the explanation of the optical gain dependence on input signal power and on the erbium-doped fiber length.

A new self-holding optical switch that consists of an optical matrix board and a precision robot is proposed. Fabrication and evaluation of 33 optical matrix boards confirm the feasibility of large-size optical switching. Suppressing deviations in the groove position will realize lower loss optical matrix boards in the near future. The apparent roughness of the groove walls can be evaluated simply and effectively by measuring return loss with an interferometric optical-time-domain reflectometer.

In this paper, the relationship between contact materials and sticking characteristics, and stability of contact resistance to obtain excellent contacts for telecommunication relays, is studied. The contact switching current for telecommunication relay is low. Moreover, contact force and opening force in these relay are respectively several mN. Nine kinds of contact materials are selected as a experimental factor. They are Ag, Ag-Ni (Ni: 0.03 to 20%), Ag-Cu 10%, Ag-Pd 60% and Pd-Ru 10%, and are overlaid with gold except Pd-Ru 10%. In this study, contact life tests on a commercial ultra-miniature telecommunication relay by mounting above-mentioned contacts are conducted. The sticking and the contact resistance are monitored at each switching operation in the contact life test. After the life test, the contact surfaces are observed, and the depth of crater, the height of pip and projected concave area are measured, then the relationship between the sticking morphologies and the composition of each material are studied. As the result of this study, the contact sticking of telecommunication rely is assumed to be the result of mechanical locking, and the effects of the Ni content in the Ag-Ni contacts is clarified. Moreover, it is confirmed that the effects of opening force on the sticking characteristics are remarkable.

This paper describes a noise resistant algorithm for estimating 3-D rigid motion from optical flow. We first discuss the problem of constructing the objective function to be minimized. If a Gaussian distribution is assumed for the niose, it is well-known that the least-squares minimization becomes the maximum likelihood estimation. However, the use of this objective function makes the minimization procedure more expensive because the program has to go through all the points in the image at each iteration. We therefore introduce an objective function that provides unbiased estimators. Using this function reduces computational costs. Furthermore, since good approximations can be analytically obtained for the function, using them as an initial guess we can apply an iterative minimization method to the function, which is expected to be stable. The effectiveness of this method is demonstrated by computer simulation.

Plating is applied to protect contact surfaces of contact devices such as switch, relay and connector from contaminations of oxidization and sulfuration etc. Furthermore it is known that the contact resistance can be reduced when there exist plated layers on the contact surfaces which have enough thickness and low resistivity compared with substratum materials. In this paper, contact resistance between plated conductors are calculated using three dimensional finite element method. Similariry, current density distribution in a contact spot with various resistivity of plated layers are shown and relative conductance depends on the contact area fraction with thickness of plated layers are presented.

The former experimental results have already shown that it is oxide films formed on contact surface causing the contact resistance to degrade in dc. breaking arcs for Ag and Pd materials. In order to understand the detailed information about it, the experiments are performed to break dc. inductive load at 20 V, 0.5 A and 1.0 A in nitrogen gas with different oxygen concentrations. The contact surface morphology and surface contamination are evaluated by SEM and AES, respectively. The tested results demonstrate that, for Ag contact, the severe oxidation occurs with increasing oxygen concentration, and the critical value of oxygen concentration is found to be about 10% and 5% in 0.5 A and 1.0 A, respectively, above those values the contact resistance degrades due to the oxide films formed on the contact surface, especially on the anode surface. While, for Pd contacts, a remarkable contact resistance degradation is not found even at 1.0 A in oxigen. Evidence shows that the arc duration, in particular the gaseous phase arc duration affects the anode oxidation, which in turn causes the significant fluctuation of contact resistance.

The prediction of a relay contact's life is still very important for support and maintenance of the Crossbar Switching Systems. It was found through surveys and experiments that the protected shower arc is the main reason for switching-relay contact erosion at existing Crossbar Switching Systems, if the contacts were not heavily activated. If the contacts were heavily activated, a long sustained steady arc might occur and severely erode the contacts. This paper proposes an arch energy estimation method for the prediction of contact erosion using object-oriented simulation technology when a steady arc occurs at protected contacts. The arc energy is expressed in a simulation model through analysis, and the model was confirmed through experimentation. The simulation model was used for building block programs of an expert system to predict the life span of switching relays in the existing Crossbar Switching Systems.

ISO and ITU-T have developed the standard concept of the Telecommunications Management Network (TMN). This standard does not, however, specify interface implementation. The user requires an Application Programming Interface (API) that bridges user application and the TMN concept to construct a TMN-based application. This paper proposes an object oriented API (OOAPI) that is suitable for TMN-based operations system implementation. OOAPI is one interface of the Common Management Information Service Element (CMISE), and uses the Common Management Information Protocol (CMIP). OOAPI is composed of two C++ programming language constructs: Data Object and Interface object "M_User". The Data Object makes it easier for the user to access management information. The M_User provides a connection-less CMISE interface because the OOAPI handles CMIP association automatically. The M_User also provides MO location-transparency by using the OSI Directory Service. This paper compares the existing MO location-transparency schemes with the OOAPI method, and clarifies the advantages of OOAPI. This paper also indicates results from OOAPI trials, and confirms that OOAPI has sufficient performance to implement highly effective TMN operations system.

Composite materials of solid lubricants, such as graphite, MoS2, WS2, etc., and metals are being used as the sliding electrical contacts. However, few reports have so far been presented on the detailed characteristics of such composite materials. It is shown in this report that contact resistance and coefficient of friction of the sliding contact of the composite material of Cu-Nb system against Cu were higher than those of the sliding contact of the composite material of Cu-Sn system against Cu. It was, further, found that composite materials of Cu-Sn system were superior to those of Cu-Nb system being both contact resistances and coefficients of friction lowered. At the same time, it was found that performances of composite materials of Cu-Sn alloy base containing exclusively WS2 were superior to those containing both WS2 and MoS2. It was, therefore, suggested that proper samples suitable for the service conditions should be selected from the composite materials of Cu-Sn system which contain exclusively WS2 for the practical applications.

Parallel processing in speech recognition is described, which is carried out at each frame on time axis. We have already proposed a parallel processing algorithm for HMM (Hidden Markov Model)-based speech recognition using Markov Random Fields (MRF). The parallel processing is realized by modeling the hidden state sequence by an MRF and using the Iterated Conditional Modes (ICM) algorithm to estimate the optimal state sequence given an observation sequence and model parameters. However this parallel processing with the ICM algorithm is applicable only to the standard HMM but not to the improved HMM like the linear predictive HMM which takes into account the correlations between nearby observation vectors. In this paper we propose a parallel processing algorithm applicable to the correlation-considered HMM, where a new deterministic relaxation algorithm called the Generalized ICM (GICM) algorithm is used instead of the ICM algorithm for estimation of the optimal state sequence. Speaker independent isolated word recognition experiments show the effectiveness of the proposed parallel processing using the GICM algorithm.

This paper considers algebraic basic processes, a subset of communicating processes in CCS by Milner, and presents a synthesis algorithm to infer a process that satisfies the properties of the process, represented as fomulae in Hennessy-Milner Logic. The validity of the proposed algorithm can be stated that it synthesizes a process in the limit, which cannot be distinguished from the target one with respect to the strong equivalence.

This paper presents a support method for specifying communication systems. Generally, a set of requirements for a target system is partial and ambiguous to construct the whole system, namely it lacks certain necessary descriptions for the target system. To attack this problem, our method enables a designer to obtain such necessary descriptions from specifications stored in a knowledge base, namely by reusing specifications, and helps the designer to specify the target system completely. In our support method, we adopt labelled transition systems (LTSs) which are state transition graphs and are shared as a common notion by most FDTs. Therefore, our method is the common approach to FDTs. We propose a new idea about similarity berween LTSs, and propose an algorithm to suggest similar LTSs to the designer.