This paper proposes a novel speech synthesis method to generate human-like natural speech. The conventional unit-selection-based synthesis method selects speech units from a large database, and concatenates them with or without modifying the prosody to generate synthetic speech. This method features highly human-like voice quality. The method, however, has a problem that a suitable speech unit is not necessarily selected. Since the unsuitable speech unit selection causes discontinuity between the consecutive speech units, the synthesized speech quality deteriorates. It might be considered that the conventional method can attain higher speech quality if the database size increases. However, preparation of a larger database requires a longer recording time. The narrator's voice quality does not remain constant throughout the recording period. This fact deteriorates the database quality, and still leaves the problem of unsuitable selection. We propose the plural unit selection and fusion method which avoids this problem. This method integrates the unit fusion used in the unit-training-based method with the conventional unit-selection-based method. The proposed method selects plural speech units for each segment, fuses the selected speech units for each segment, modifies the prosody of the fused speech units, and concatenates them to generate synthetic speech. This unit fusion creates speech units which are connected to one another with much less voice discontinuity, and realizes high quality speech. A subjective evaluation test showed that the proposed method greatly improves the speech quality compared with the conventional method. Also, it showed that the speech quality of the proposed method is kept high regardless of the database size, from small (10 minutes) to large (40 minutes). The proposed method is a new framework in the sense that it is a hybrid method between the unit-selection-based method and the unit-training-based method. In the framework, the algorithms of the unit selection and the unit fusion are exchangeable for more efficient techniques. Thus, the framework is expected to lead to new synthesis methods.

Information processing with only locally connected networks such as cellular neural networks is advantageous for integrated circuit implementations. Adding long range connections can often enhance considerably their performance. It is sufficient to activate these connections randomly from time to time (blinking connections). This can be realized by sending packets on a communication network underlying the information processing network that is needed anyway for bringing information in and out of the locally connected network. We prove for the case of multi-stable networks that if the long-range connections are switched on and off sufficiently fast, the behavior of the blinking network is with high probability the same as the behavior of the time-averaged network. In the averaged network the blinking connections are replaced by fixed connections with low (average) coupling strength.

We propose a system that enables us to gather hundreds of images related to one set of keywords provided by a user from the World Wide Web. The system is called Image Collector II. The Image Collector, which we proposed previously, can gather only one or two hundreds of images. We propose the two following improvements on our previous system in terms of the number of gathered images and their precision: (1) We extract some words appearing with high frequency from all HTML files in which output images are embedded in an initial image gathering, and using them as keywords, we carry out a second image gathering. Through this process, we can obtain hundreds of images for one set of keywords. (2) The more images we gather, the more the precision of gathered images decreases. To improve the precision, we introduce word vectors of HTML files embedding images into the image selecting process in addition to image feature vectors.

Multi-swing trajectories, which refer to those trajectories which oscillate several cycles and then become unbounded, has been a nuisance in general simulation programs for power system stability study since the corresponding transient stability is very difficult to access accurately. In this letter, two possible models are developed to explain possible scenarios of such multi-swing behaviors. Theoretical investigation has strongly indicated a close relationship between multi-swing instability problems and chaotic behaviors of the power system.

The authors propose a system for searching the shape of human hands and fingers in real time and with high accuracy, without using any special peripheral equipment such as range sensor, PC cluster, etc., by a method of retrieving similar image quickly with high accuracy from a large volume of image database containing the complicated shapes and self-occlusions. In designing the system, we constructed a database in a way to be adaptable even to differences among individuals, and searched CG images of hand similar to unknown hand image, through extraction of characteristics using high-order local autocorrelational patterns, reduction of the amount of characteristics centering on principal component analysis, and prior rearrangement of data corresponding to the amount of characteristics. As a result of experiments, our system performed high-accuracy estimation of human hand shape where mean error was 7 degrees in finger joint angles, with the processing speed of 30 fps or over.

An infrared (IR) transcutaneous remote control was designed for use in the totally implantable middle ear system. Considering the IR reflection, absorption and scattering effect of the skin, the required IR radiant intensity is calculated. After we have implemented the designed control, the transcutaneous operation experiment was carried out using a porcine skin.

This paper proposes two power-constrained test synthesis schemes and scheduling algorithms, under non-scan BIST, for RTL data paths. The first scheme uses boundary non-scan BIST, and can achieve low hardware overheads. The second scheme uses generic non-scan BIST, and can offer some tradeoffs between hardware overhead, test application time and power dissipation. A designer can easily select an appropriate design parameter based on the desired tradeoff. Experimental results confirm the good performance and practicality of our new approaches.

The conventional complete discrete wavelet transform (DWT) is shift-sensitive, so that the analysis often becomes unstable. In this paper, we define a measure of shift-sensitivity, based on which we propose a new DWT less sensitive than the complete DWT. The measure is derived from the normalized variation of the output waveform for a shifted signal. The measure indicates that a narrow-band high-pass filter is desirable for shift-insensitivity. Then we propose a new DWT which makes use of a complex filter with half bandwidth of a high-pass filter of an ordinary DWT. In two dimensions, the proposed DWT can decompose an image into either four or six directional components which include two separate diagonals, while the complete DWT decomposes the image into three directional components. We show the effectiveness of our method by evaluating the shift-sensitivity of our DWT and other DWTs. By our DWT a smooth continuing edge of an image can be detected, but by the complete DWT a discontinuous edge is produced.

The electromagnetic field (EMF) distributions created inside a train carriage by the cellular radios of the passengers are analyzed and the impact their electromagnetic interference (EMI) on the implantable cardiac pacemakers is evaluated based upon the analysis results. Both computer simulations and experiments using 800 MHz and 2 GHz transmitters in an actual train carriage confirm that excessively high EMF, high enough to affect the normal functions of the pacemaker, does not occur inside the carriage provided the safe distance of 22 cm specified for pacemaker users is kept. A simplified histogram estimation method for electric field strength is newly developed to deal with the complicated EMF distributions. It allows the EMI risk to pacemakers by cellular radio transmission to be quantitatively evaluated. Methodologies are described first. Typical results of FDTD analysis and actual measurement data are then shown. Finally, considerations and conclusions are made.

Resilient Packet Ring (RPR) is a new technology currently being standardized in the IEEE 802.17 working group. The existed bandwidth allocation algorithms for RPR networks are not able to provide satisfactory solutions to meet the performance requirements. In this paper we propose one fair bandwidth allocation algorithm, termed PID-RPR, which satisfies the performance goals of RPR networks, such as fairness, high utilization and maximal spatial reuse. The algorithm is operated at each RPR node in a distributive way; the proportional, integral and differential (PID) controller is used to allocate bandwidth on the outgoing link of the node for the flows over the link in a weighted manner. To achieve the global coordination, one control packet containing every node's message runs around the ring in order to update the relevant message for all nodes on the ring. When the packet reaches one node, this node adjusts its own rate according to its own message in the control packet; in the meantime it updates other nodes' control message in the control packet. As the control packet propagates around the ring, each node can eventually adjust its sending rate to reach its fair share according to the fairness criterion, and the buffer occupancy at each node is kept within the target value. Our algorithm is of distributed nature in the sense that upstream ring nodes inject traffic at a rate according to congestion and fairness criteria downstream. The simulation results demonstrate that satisfactory performance of RPR networks can be achieved under the proposed bandwidth allocation scheme.

We propose a method to estimate fault efficiency of test patterns for path delay faults. In path delay fault testing, fault coverage of test patterns is usually very low, because circuits have not only a lot of paths but also a lot of untestable paths. Although fault efficiency would be better metric to evaluate test patterns rather than fault coverage, it is too difficult to compute it exactly, if we do not compute the total number of untestable paths exactly. The proposed method samples a part of paths after untestable path analysis, and estimate fault efficiency based on the percentage of untestable paths in the sample paths. Through our experimental results, we show that the proposed method can accurately estimate fault efficiency of test patterns in a reasonable time. Also, since the accuracy of fault efficiency estimated with the proposed method depends on how to sample the paths, we look into the influence of path sampling methods to the accuracy in the experiments.

When video data are transmitted via the network, the quality of video data must be carefully chosen to be best under the condition that the transmission is not influenced by other internet services. They often use the simulcast type, which uses independent streams that are stored and transmitted for the quality, considering implementation, when they select the video quality. On the other hand, we had already proposed the scalable structure, which consists of base and enhancement data, but when they require the high quality video, these data are combined using the transcoding methods. In this paper, we propose the video contents delivery methods with scalable transcoding, in which users can update the quality of video data even after the transmission by base data and differential data. In order to reduce the total time of not only users' access time, but also watching time, we compare simulcast method with proposed methods in the total content utilization time using a video contents access model, and evaluate required transcoding time to reduce the waiting time of users.

In this paper, two techniques are proposed for accelerating and stabilizing the Levenberg-Marquardt (LM) method where its conventional stabilizer matrix (identity matrix) is superseded by (1) a diagonal matrix whose elements are column norms of Jacobian matrix J, or (2) a non-diagonal square root matrix of J TJ. Geometrically, these techniques make constraint conditions of the LM method fitted better to relevant cost function than conventional one. Results of numerical simulations show that proposed techniques are effective when both column norm ratio of J and mutual interactions between arguments of the cost function are large. Especially, the technique (2) introduces a new LM method of damped Gauss-Newton (GN) type which satisfies both properties of global convergence and quadratic convergence by controlling Marquardt factor and can stabilize convergence numerically. Performance of the LMM techniques are compared also with a damped GN method with line search procedure.

In this letter, we consider a problem of global exponential stabilization of a class of approximately feedback linearized systems. With a newly proposed LMI-condition, we propose a controller design method which is shown to be improved over the existing methods in several aspects.

Various types of radars have been developed and used until now--such as Pulse, FM-CW, and Spread Spectrum. Additionally, we have proposed another type of radar which measures distances by using standing wave. We have named it as "Standing Wave Radar." It has a shorter minimum detectable range and higher accuracy compared to other types. However, the radar can not measure distances down to zero meters like other types of radars. Minimum detectable range of the standing wave radar depends on a usable frequency range. A wider frequency range is required if we need to measure shorter distances. Consequently, we propose a new method for measuring distances down to zero meters without expanding the frequency range. We use an analytic signal, which is a complex sinusoidal signal. The signal is obtained by observing the standing wave with multiple detectors. We calculate distances by Fourier transform of the analytic signal. Moreover, we verify the validity of our method by simulations based on numerical calculation. The results show that it is possible to measure distances down to zero meters. In our method, measurement errors are caused by deviations of position and gain of the detectors. They are around 10cm at the largest if the gain deviations are up to 1% and the position deviations are up to 6% of the spacing between the detectors. Prevalent radars still have a common defect that they can not measure distances from zero to several meters. We expect that the defect will be eliminated by putting our method into practical use.

We present a method of stabilizing a class of nonlinear systems which are not necessarily feedback linearizable. First, we show a new way of constructing a diffeomorphism to transform a class of nonlinear systems to the feedback linearized form with perturbation. Then, we propose a semi-globally stabilizing control law for nonlinear systems that are connected by a chain of integrator perturbed by arbitrary nonlinear terms. In our approach, we have flexibility in choosing a diffeomorphism where the system is not restricted to involutivity and this leads to reduction in computational burden and flexibility in controller design.

Numerical Stability of the Finite Element/Finite Difference Time Domain Hybrid algorithm is dependent on the hybridization mechanism adopted. A framework is developed to analyze the numerical stability of the hybrid time marching algorithm. First, the global iteration matrix representing the hybrid algorithm following different hybridization schemes is constructed. An analysis of the eigenvalues of this iteration matrix reveals the stability performance of the algorithm. Thus conclusions on the performance with respect to numerical stability of the different schemes can be arrived at. Further, numerical experiments are carried out to verify the conclusions based on the stability analysis.

The recent sight system requires high stabilization functions for the longer range of observation and the higher kill probability. To this end, it is necessary to compensate rotational disturbances which are not stabilized with the conventional 2-axes stabilization system. This paper proposes a simple method on the rotational motion estimation for the stabilization of the sight system.

This paper presents an analysis of the cavity length modulation of a Z-cut quartz etalon equipped with a weight for Laser Diode (LD) wavelength lockers. The electro-optic effect, piezoelectric effect and photo-elastic effect are considered, and the mechanical movement of the etalon with a weight is analyzed by using a mechanical circuit. Approximate equations that clearly explain the mechanical force, mechanical resonance frequency, and Q factor of the mechanical resonance are obtained. The mechanism for improving the modulation efficiency by placing a weight is clarified. We also compare the analysis with experimental results, and show that most of the experimental values are in accord with the calculated values.

Self-stabilization is a theoretical framework of non-masking fault-tolerant distributed algorithms. In this paper, we investigate a self-stabilizing distributed approximation for the minimum k-dominating set (KDS) problem in general networks. The minimum KDS problem is a generalization of the well-known dominating set problem in graph theory. For a graph G = (V,E), a set Dk V is a KDS of G if and only if each vertex not in Dk is adjacent to at least k vertices in Dk. The approximation ratio of our algorithm is , where Δ is the maximum degree of G, in the networks of which the minimum degree is more than or equal to k.