Phonetic transcription of text is an indispensable component of text-to-speech (TTS) systems and is used in acoustic modeling for speech recognition and other natural language processing applications. One approach to the transcription of written text into phonetic entities or sounds is to use a set of well-defined context and language-dependent rules. The process of transcribing text into sounds starts by preprocessing the text and representing it by lexical items to which the rules are applicable. The rules can be segregated into phonemic and phonetic rules. Phonemic rules operate on graphemes to convert them into phonemes. Phonetic rules operate on phonemes and convert them into context-dependent phonetic entities with actual sounds. Converting from written text into actual sounds, developing a comprehensive set of rules, and transforming the rules into implementable algorithms for any language cause several problems that have their origins in the relative lack of correspondence between the spelling of the lexical items and their sound contents. For Standard Malay (SM) these problems are not as severe as those for languages of complex spelling systems, such as English and French, but they do exist. In this paper, developing a comprehensive computerized system for processing SM text and transcribing it into phonetic entities and evaluating the performance of this system, irrespective of the application, is discussed. In particular, the following issues are dealt with in this paper: (1) the spelling and other problems of SM writing and their impact on converting graphemes into phonemes, (2) the development of a comprehensive set of grapheme-to-phoneme rules for SM, (3) a description of the phonetic variations of SM or how the phonemes of SM vary in context and the development of a set of phoneme-to-phonetic transcription rules, (4) the formulation of the phonemic and phonetic rules into algorithms that are applicable to the computer-based processing of input SM text, and (5) the evaluation of the performance of the process of converting SM text into actual sounds by the above mentioned methods.

As a representative of the linear discriminant analysis, the Fisher method is most widely used in practice and it is very effective in two-class classification. However, when it is expanded to a multi-class classification problem, the precision of its discrimination may become worse. A main reason is an occurrence of overlapped distributions on the discriminant space built by Fisher criterion. In order to take such overlaps among classes into consideration, our approach builds a new discriminant space by hierarchically classifying the overlapped classes. In this paper, we propose a new hierarchical discriminant analysis for texture classification. We divide the discriminant space into subspaces by recursively grouping the overlapped classes. In the experiment, texture images from many classes are classified based on the proposed method. We show the outstanding result compared with the conventional Fisher method.

The purpose of this paper is to improve a feedback-type adaptive array antenna (AAA) with feedback information quantized by one bit which was presented recently on TDMA system by an author of this paper. The improvement is made by using adaptive, instead of constant, update size of adaptive antenna weights control. Computer simulation results show that the performance of this system is improved to be almost equivalent to the performance of a system without quantization of the feedback information for wide range of fading speed. The results include the effect of control delay time and the maximum Doppler frequency under flat fading and frequency-selective fading.

The lifting scheme is an efficient and flexible method for the construction of linear and nonlinear wavelet transforms. In this paper, a novel lossless image coding technique based on the lifting scheme using discrete-time cellular neural networks (DT-CNNs) is proposed. In our proposed method, the image is interpolated by using the nonlinear interpolative dynamics of DT-CNN, and since the output function of DT-CNN works as a multi-level quantization function, our method composes the integer lifting scheme for lossless image coding. Moreover, the nonlinear interpolative dynamics by A-template is used effectively compared with conventional CNN image coding methods using only B-template. The experimental results show a better coding performance compared with the conventional lifting methods using linear filters.

In 1996, Sipser and Spielman [12] constructed a family of linear-time decodable asymptotically good codes called expander codes. Recently, Barg and Zemor [2] gave a modified construction of expander codes, which greatly improves the code parameters. In this paper we present a new simple algebraic decoding algorithm for the modified expander codes of Barg and Zemor, and give a Justesen-type construction of linear-time decodable asymptotically good binary linear codes that meet the Zyablov bound.

The wireless streaming media communications are fragile to the delay jitter because the conditions and requirements vary frequently with the users' mobility. Buffering is a typical way to reduce the delay jitter of media packets before the playback, however, it will incur a longer end-to-end delay. Our motivation in this paper is to improve the balance between the elimination of delay jitter and the decrease of end-to-end delay. We propose a novel adaptive playback buffer (APB) based on the probing scheme. By utilizing the probing scheme, the instantaneous network situations are collected, and then the delay margin and the delay jitter margin are employed to calculate the step length (sl) which is used to adjust the playback buffer in each time. The adaptive adjustment to the playback buffer in APB enables the continuous and real-time representation of streaming media at the receiver. Unlike the previous studies, the novelty and contributions of the paper are: a) Accuracy: by employing the instantaneous network information, the adjustment to the playback buffer correctly reflects the current network situations and therefore achieves the improved balance between the elimination of delay jitter and the decrease of end-to-end delay; Hence, APB adjustment is accurate in terms of improving such balance; b) Efficiency: by utilizing the simple probing scheme, APB achieves the current network situations without the complex mathematic predictions, which enables the adjustment to be more timely and efficient. Performance data obtained through extensive simulations show that our APB is effective to reduce both delay jitter and playback buffer delay.

A rate splitting algorithm is presented for a multiple video transmission system to transfer the aggregation (or statical multiplexing) of multiple video streams to multiple clients so that each client can receive the requested video stream with the reliable fidelity. Computer simulations for transmission of a set of 128 MPEG compressed video streams show that the proposed algorithm alleviates the variability of the aggregate video transmission comparing with a scheme to smooth individually each of videos using the traditional online smoothing algorithm. Besides, the proposed is 2 time faster than the traditional one.

The most obvious architectural solution for high-speed fuzzy inference is to exploit temporal parallelism and spatial parallelism inherited in a fuzzy inference execution. However, in fact, the active rules in each fuzzy inference execution are often only a small part of the total rules. In this paper, we present a new architecture that uses less hardware resources by discarding non-active rules in the earlier pipeline stage. Compared with previous work, implementation data show that the proposed architecture achieves very good results in terms of the inference speed and the chip area.

This paper proposes a novel PN (Pseudo Noise) synchronization system using Cycle-and-Add property of M-sequence featuring fast acquisition in DS-CDMA (direct sequence-code division multiple access). Fast acquisition is carried out by generating a PN sequence in a simple multiplicative action of a received signal with its delayed one. This multiplicative action is similar to differentially coherent detection and realizes an anti-fading property. Easy implementation is materialized by the fact that the system is mostly composed of baseband devices. The principle, performance evaluation and the detection probability of synchronization for the proposed method are shown. Furthermore, detection probability of synchronization in a fast Rayleigh fading channel is shown for the performance evaluation.

To develop human interfaces such as home information equipment, highly capable word learning ability is required. In particular, in order to realize user-customized and situation-dependent interaction using language, a function is needed that can build new categories online in response to presented objects for an advanced human interface. However, at present, there are few basic studies focusing on the purpose of language acquisition with category formation. In this study, taking hints from an analogy between machine learning and infant developmental word acquisition, we propose a taxonomy-based word-learning model using a neural network. Through computer simulations, we show that our model can build categories and find the name of an object based on categorization.

Currently, the automatic image inpainting methods emphasize the inpainting techniques either globally or locally. They didn't consider the merits of global and local techniques to compensate each other. On the contrary, the artists fixed an image in global view firstly, and then focus on the local features of it, when they repaired it. This paper proposes a progressive processing of image inpainting method based on multi-resolution analysis. In damaged and defective area, we imitate the artistic techniques to approach the effectiveness of image inpainting in human vision. First, we use the multi-resolution characteristics of wavelet transform, from the lowest spatial-frequency layer to the higher one, to analyze the image from global-area to local-area progressively. Then, we utilize the variance of the energy of wavelet coefficients within each image block, to decide the priority of inpainting blocks. Finally, we extract the multi-resolution features of each block. We take account of the correlation among horizontal, vertical and diagonal directions, to determine the inpainting strategy for filling image pixels and approximate a high-quality image inpainting to human vision. In our experiments, the performance of the proposed method is superior to the existing methods.

In this paper, we address how to efficiently support differentiated services with the optimized bandwidth reservation in a polling-based generalized TDMA network like E-PON (Ethernet Passive Optical Network). In E-PON, performances of service differentiation for QoS (Quality of Service) guaranteed multiples services are directly affected by the bandwidth reservation algorithm of ONU (Optical Network Unit) in addition to the priority-based packet scheduling. Our proposed Service Quality Pre-engagement (SQP) algorithm reduces the system buffer size, the light-load penalty problem and the service interference among classes effectively by partially introducing the dynamic forward recurrence reservation scheme for QoS guaranteed classes. We also introduce the FRC(Forward Reservation Class) Selection algorithm that preserves the optimized reservation bandwidth to minimize the unnecessary reservation contentions. These algorithms do not mandate the basic concept of DBA and request the similar amount of REPORT bandwidth. The analytic and simulation results are performed to evaluate the performances of the proposed algorithms.

Performance of the minimum mean square error (MMSE) detection is far below that of the maximum likelihood (ML) detection in a multiuser environment and decreases significantly as the number of co-channel users increases. In this paper, we propose a combined MMSE and ML multiuser detection scheme for space-time block coded (STBC) orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (STBC-OFDM) which has improved performance but with low complexity. In particular, we propose a reduced complexity ML post-detection (ML-PDP) scheme which can correct erroneously estimated bits from the outputs of MMSE multiuser detection. The proposed ML-PDP scheme performs sequential search to detect a predefined number of bits with higher probability of error and then uses ML detection to correct them. Upon controlling the number of corrected bits it is possible to balance the system performance with complexity associated with the ML-PDP. We show that significant improvement can be achieved at the cost of only small additional complexity compared with the MMSE multiuser detection.

In the future network, optical technology will play a stronger role not only for transmission but also for switching. Optical burst switching (OBS) emerged as a promising switching paradigm. It brings together the complementary strengths of optics and electronics. This paper presents the design and implementation of an overlay mode burst-switched photonic network testbed, including its architecture, protocols, algorithms and experiments. We propose a flexible "transceiver + forwarding" OBS node architecture to perform both electronic burst assembly/disassembly and optical burst forwarding. It has been designed to provide class of service (CoS), wavelength selection for local bursts, and transparency to cut-through bursts. The functional modules of OBS control plane and its key design issues are presented, including signaling, routing, and a novel scheduling mechanism with combined contention resolution in space and wavelength domains. Finally, we report the experimental results on functional verification, performance analysis and service demonstration.

The letter presents an analysis of bit error probability for trellis coded 8-ary phase shift keying moduation with 2-state soft decision Viterbi decoding. It is shown that exact numerical error performance can be obtained for low singal-to-noise power ratio where bounds are useless.

This paper presents properties of role-based access control which were obtained through a development of a prototype of a teaching management system. These properties are related to assignment of temporal constraints and access control procedure in terms of the corresponding flow of user's view and considered to be suitable to other information systems.

In this paper, we propose a broadband 3-dB rat-race ring coupler that uses tightly coupled lines. An aperture compensation technique that can simplify the fabrication of tightly coupled lines, is also discussed here. The effective bandwidth of the proposed rat-race coupler with a return loss better than -20 dB can be increased by 14.3%, in comparison with that of March's. Its isolation is always below -20 dB and the phase shift errors less than 6.

A transition between an NRD guide, suitable for construction of high performance millimeter-wave integrated circuits, and a microstrip line, being used to mount semiconductor devices such as HEMT, HBT, and MMIC, was developed at 60 GHz. The main emphasis was placed on the manner of field matching between the NRD guide and the microstrip line. We propose adoption of this a new transition structure employing a vertical strip line, which can be easily coupled to the NRD guide, and a coaxial line connected to the microstrip line. Moreover, we applied a packaging structure with a choke circuit for the microstrip line to prevent undesired leakage between the NRD guide and the microstrip line. The insertion loss of the fabricated transition was measured to be less than 0.5 dB in the bandwidth of 3 GHz at a center frequency of 60.5 GHz. The transition was applied to MMIC amplifier integration in the NRD guide at 60 GHz. The forward and reverse gains were measured to be 15 dB and -20 dB, respectively, at 60 GHz.

In this study, we present a way to choose route selection metric while discovering a new route in ad hoc mobile networks. We have used link expiration time and busy rate to calculate the route cost. The route cost is compared to a threshold value to decide whether the traffic of the route is high or low. If it is high then the system chooses busy rate as a route selection metric to avoid traffic congestion and if it is low the link expiration time is used to select the longlasting route. We have examined the characteristics of the routing protocol by computer simulation and found that it over performs the conventional protocols.

The enormous capacity potential of multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) is based on some unrealistic assumptions, such as the complete channel state information (CCSI) at the receiver and Gaussian distributed data. In this paper, in frequency-flat Rayleigh fading environment, we investigate the ergodic capacity of MIMO systems with M-ary phase-shift keying (MPSK) modulation and superimposed pilots for channel estimation. With linear minimum mean square error (LMMSE) channel estimation, the optimal pilots design is presented. For the mathematical tractability, we also derive an easy-computing closed-form lower bound of the channel capacity. Furthermore, the optimal power allocation between the data and pilots is investigated by numerical optimization. It is shown that more power should be devoted to the data in low SNR environments and to the pilots in high SNR environments.