Collaborative business has been increasingly developing with the environment of globalization and advanced information technologies. In a collaboration environment with multiple organizations, participants from different organizations always have different views about modeling the overall business process due to different knowledge and cultural backgrounds. Moreover, flexible support, privacy preservation and process reuse are important issues that should be considered in business process management across organizational boundaries. This paper presents a novel approach of modeling interorganizational business process for collaboration. Our approach allows for modeling loosely coupled interorganizational business process considering different views of organizations. In the proposed model, organizations have their own local process views of modeling business process instead of sharing pre-defined global processes. During process cooperation, local process of an organization can be invisible to other organizations. Further, we propose the coordination mechanisms for different local process views to detect incompatibilities among organizations. We illustrate our proposed approach by a case study of interorganizational software development collaboration.

A workflow may be extended to adapt to market growth, legal reform, and so on. The extended workflow must be logically correct, and inherit the behavior of the existing workflow. Even if the extended workflow inherits the behavior, it may be not logically correct. Can we modify it so that it satisfies not only behavioral inheritance but also logical correctness? This is named behavioral inheritance preserving soundizability problem. There are two kinds of behavioral inheritance: protocol inheritance and projection inheritance. In this paper, we tackled protocol inheritance preserving soundizability problem using a subclass of Petri nets called workflow nets. Limiting our analysis to acyclic free choice workflow nets, we formalized the problem. And we gave a necessary and sufficient condition on the problem, which is the existence of a key structure of free choice workflow nets called TP-handle. Based on this condition, we also constructed a polynomial time procedure to solve the problem.

Estimation of distribution algorithms (EDAs), since they were introduced, have been successfully used to solve discrete optimization problems and hence proven to be an effective methodology for discrete optimization. To enhance the applicability of EDAs, researchers started to integrate EDAs with discretization methods such that the EDAs designed for discrete variables can be made capable of solving continuous optimization problems. In order to further our understandings of the collaboration between EDAs and discretization methods, in this paper, we propose a quality measure of discretization methods for EDAs. We then utilize the proposed quality measure to analyze three discretization methods: fixed-width histogram (FWH), fixed-height histogram (FHH), and greedy random split (GRS). Analytical measurements are obtained for FHH and FWH, and sampling measurements are conducted for FHH, FWH, and GRS. Furthermore, we integrate Bayesian optimization algorithm (BOA), a representative EDA, with the three discretization methods to conduct experiments and to observe the performance difference. A good agreement is reached between the discretization quality measurements and the numerical optimization results. The empirical results show that the proposed quality measure can be considered as an indicator of the suitability for a discretization method to work with EDAs.

A service-oriented architecture builds the entire system using a combination of independent software components. Such an architecture can be applied to a wide variety of computer systems. The problem of synthesizing service implementation models from choreography representing the overall specifications of service interaction is known as the choreography realization problem. In automatic synthesis, software models should be simple enough to be easily understood by software engineers. In this paper, we discuss a semi-formal method for synthesizing hierarchical state machine models for the choreography realization problem. The proposed method is evaluated using metrics for intelligibility.

This paper designs tag antennas to satisfy three key goals: mounting on very small objects, extending the reading range with planar structures, and maintaining stable performance on various materials. First, the size of the tag is reduced up to 17% compared to the half-wavelength dipole without a large reduction in bandwidth and efficiency by introducing an inductively coupled feed structure. Second, the reading range is increased to 1.68 times that of the reference dipole tags while maintaining the planar structure using circular polarization characteristics. Finally, a stable reading range is achieved with a deviation in the reading range of only 30% of that of commercial tags on various objects by employing the capacitively-loaded and T-matching network.

Flexural waves on a thin elastic plate are governed by the fourth-order differential equation, which is attractive not only from a harmonic analysis viewpoint but also useful for an efficient numerical method in the elastdynamics. In this paper, we proposed two novel ideas: (1) use of the tensor bases to describe flexural waves on inhomogeneous elastic plates, (2) weak form discretization to derive the second-order difference equation from the fourth-order differential equation. The discretization method proposed in this study is of preliminary consideration about the recursive transfer method (RTM) to analyse the scattering problem of flexural waves. More importantly, the proposed discretization method can be applied to any system which can be formulated by the weak form theory. The accuracy of the difference equation derived by the proposed discretization method is confirmed by comparing the analytical and numerical solutions of waveguide modes. As a typical problem to confirm the validity of the resultant governing equation, the influence of the spatially modulated elastic constant in waveguide modes is discussed.

Software engineering education at universities plays an increasingly important role as software quality is becoming essential in realizing a safe and dependable society. This paper proposes a practical state transition model (Practical-STM) based on the Organizational Expectancy Model for the improvement of software process education based on the Personal Software Process (PSP) from a motivation point of view. The Practical-STM treats an individual trainee of the PSP course as a state machine, and formalizes a motivation process of a trainee using a set of states represented by factors regarding motivation and a set of operations carried out by course instructors. The state transition function of this model represents the features or characteristics of a trainee in terms of motivation. The model allows a formal description of the states of a trainee in terms of motivation and the educational actions of the instructors in the PSP course. The instructors are able to decide effective and efficient actions to take toward the trainees objectively by presuming a state and a state transition function of the trainees formally. Typical patterns of state transitions from an initial state to a final state, which is called a scenario, are useful for inferring possible transitions of a trainee and taking proactive operations from a motivation point of view. Therefore, the model is useful not only for improving the educational effect of the PSP course, but also for the standardization of the course management and the quality management of the instructors.

Seam carving, which preserves semantically important image content during resizing process, has been actively researched in recent years. This paper proposes a novel forensic technique to detect the trace of seam carving. We exploit the energy bias and noise level of images under analysis to reliably unveil the evidence of seam carving. Furthermore, we design a detector investigating the relationship among neighboring pixels to estimate the inserted seams. Experimental results from a large set of test images indicates the superior performance of the proposed methods for both seam carving and seam insertion.

We proposes a new adaptive spectral masking method of algebraic vector quantization (AVQ) for non-sparse signals in the modified discreet cosine transform (MDCT) domain. This paper also proposes switching the adaptive spectral masking on and off depending on whether or not the target signal is non-sparse. The switching decision is based on the results of MDCT-domain sparseness analysis. When the target signal is categorized as non-sparse, the masking level of the target MDCT coefficients is adaptively controlled using spectral envelope information. The performance of the proposed method, as a part of ITU-T G.711.1 Annex D, is evaluated in comparison with conventional AVQ. Subjective listening test results showed that the proposed method improves sound quality by more than 0.1 points on a five-point scale on average for speech, music, and mixed content, which indicates significant improvement.

In this letter, we evaluate the parasitic capacitance of an LCD touch panel, the description and implementation of a differential input sensing circuit, and an algorithm suitable for large LCDs with integrated touch function. When projected capacitive touch sensors are integrated with a liquid crystal display, the sensors have a very large amount of parasitic capacitance with the display elements. A differential input sensing circuit can detect small changes in the mutual capacitance from the touch of a finger. The circuit is realized using discrete components, and for the evaluation of a large-sized LCD touch panel, a printed circuit board touch panel is used.

This letter presents a novel phase synchronization algorithm for a MIMO radar system in order to overcome the limitation of the existing algorithms relying on channel reciprocity, or line-of-sight, assumption between radar elements. The proposed algorithm is capable of synchronizing local oscillator phases among radar elements even if line-of-sight communication links are not available. Furthermore, the proposed algorithm exhibits robust MSE performance in the presence of frequency estimation error. The performance of the proposed algorithm was analyzed theoretically and verified by simulations.

The authors have evaluated a method of expanding the bit depth of image signals called SGRAD, which requires fewer calculations, while degrading the sharpness of images less. Where noise is superimposed on image signals, the conventional method for obtaining high bit depth sometimes incorrectly detects the contours of images, making it unable to sufficiently correct the gradation. Requiring many line memories is also an issue with the conventional method when applying the process to vertical gradation. As a solution to this particular issue, SGRAD improves the method of detecting contours with transiting gradation to effectively correct the gradation of image signals which noise is superimposed on. In addition, the use of a prediction algorithm for detecting gradation reduces the scale of the circuit with less correction of the vertical gradation.

Participatory sensing is an emerging system that allows the increasing number of smartphone users to share effectively the minute statistical information collected by themselves. This system relies on participants' active contribution including intentional input data. However, a number of privacy concerns will hinder the spread of participatory sensing applications. It is difficult for resource-constrained mobile phones to rely on complicated encryption schemes. We should prepare a privacy-preserving participatory sensing scheme with low computation complexity. Moreover, an environment that can reassure participants and encourage their participation in participatory sensing is strongly required because the quality of the statistical data is dependent on the active contribution of general users. In this article, we present MNS-RRT algorithms, which is the combination of negative surveys and randomized response techniques, for preserving privacy in participatory sensing, with high levels of data integrity. By using our method, participatory sensing applications can deal with a data having two selections in a dimension. We evaluated how this scheme can preserve the privacy while ensuring data integrity.

Generalized quasi-cyclic (GQC) codes with arbitrary lengths over the ring $mathbb{F}_{q}+umathbb{F}_{q}$, where u2=0, q=pn, n a positive integer and p a prime number, are investigated. By the Chinese Remainder Theorem, structural properties and the decomposition of GQC codes are given. For 1-generator GQC codes, minimum generating sets and lower bounds on the minimum distance are given.

We review our recent achievements in monolithic 3D-ICs and flexible electronics based on single-grain Si TFTs that are fabricated inside a single-grain with a low-temperature process. Based on pulsed-laser crystallization and submicron sized cavities made in the substrate, amorphous-Si precursor film was converted into poly-Si having grains that are formed on predetermined positions. Using the method called µ-Czochralski process and LPCVD a-Si precursor film, two layers of the SG Si TFT layers with the grains having a diameter of 6µm were vertically stacked with a maximum process temperature of 550°C. Mobility for electrons and holes were 600cm2/Vs and 200cm2/Vs, respectively. As a demonstration of monolithic 3D-ICs, the two SG-TFT layers were successfully implemented into CMOS inverter, 3D 6T-SRAM and single-grain lateral PIN photo-diode with in-pixel amplifier. The SG Si TFTs were applied to flexible electronics. In this case, the a-Si precursor was prepared by doctor-blade coating of liquid-Si based on pure cyclopentasilane (CPS) on a polyimide (PI) substrate with maximum process temperature of 350°C. The µ-Czochralski process provided location-controlled Si grains with a diameter of 3µm and mobilities of 460 and 121cm2/Vs for electrons and holes, respectively, were obtained. The devices on PI were transferred to a plastic foil which can operate with a bending diameter of 6mm. Those results indicate that the SG TFTs are attractive for their use in both monolithic 3D-ICs and flexible electronics.

In this paper, a new technique is proposed to reduce the frequency of cell search by user equipment (UE) in the presence of femtocells. A new common signal (CS) and a separate set of primary synchronization signals (PSSs) are employed to facilitate efficient cell search in a next-geration LTE-based system. The velocity of the UE is also utilized to determine cell search mode. A slow UE recognizes the presence of femtocells using the CS, so that it can make separate searches for macrocells and femtocells. A fast UE will not search for femtocells since the coverage of femtocells is restricted to a small region. The fast UE detects the macrocell boundary using the PSSs transmitted from neighboring macrocells, so that it can search for macrocells only at the macrocell boundary. The effects of CS and UE velocity on the number of cell searches are analyzed. The performance of the proposed technique is evaluated by computer simulations.

This paper proposes a visualization system for supporting the task of monitoring bug update information. Recent growth of the Web has brought us various kinds of text stream data, such as bulletin board systems (BBS), blogs, and social networking services (SNS). Bug update information managed by bug tracking systems (BTS) is also a kind of text stream data. As such text stream data continuously generates new data, it is difficult for users to watch it all the time. Therefore, the task of monitoring text stream data inevitably involves breaks of monitoring, which would cause users to lose the context of monitoring. In order to support such a monitoring task involving breaks, the proposed system employs several visualization techniques. The dynamic relationship between bugs is visualized with animation, and a function of highlighting updated bugs as well as that of replaying a part of the last monitoring time is also proposed in order to help a user grasping the context of monitoring. The result of experiment with test participants shows that highlighting and replay functions can reduce frequency of checking data and monitoring time.

Mobility load balancing (MLB) is a key technology for self-organization networks (SONs). In this paper, we explore the mobility load balancing problem and propose a unified cell specific offset adjusting algorithm (UCSOA) which more accurately adjusts the largely uneven load between neighboring cells and is easily implemented in practice with low computing complexity and signal overhead. Moreover, we evaluate the UCSOA algorithm in two different traffic conditions and prove that the UCSOA algorithm can get the lower call blocking rates and handover failure rates. Furthermore, the interdependency of the proposed UCSOA algorithm's performance and that of the inter-cell interference coordination (ICIC) algorithm is explored. A self-organization soft frequency reuse scheme is proposed. It demonstrates UCSOA algorithm and ICIC algorithm can obtain a positive effect for each other and improve the network performance in LTE system.

This paper discusses Mixed Signal LSI technology with embedded power transistors. Trends in Mixed Signal LSI technology are explained at first. Mixed signal LSI technology has proceeded with the help of fine fabrication technology and SOI technology. The BEOL transistor is a new development, which uses InGaZnO (IGZO) as its TFT channel material. The BEOL transistor is one future device which enables 3D IC and chip shrinking technology.

The objective of our research is to develop a support system for creating presentation speech, especially speech that explains relations between two slides (complementary speech). Complementary speech is required between slides whose relations are difficult to understand from their contents, such as texts, figures, and tables. If presenters could notice relations between created slides that are recognized by audiences, they would prepare appropriate complementary speech at the right places. To make presenters notice slides where complementary speech is needed, our system analyzes relations between slides based on their texts and visualizes them. Four slide relations are defined and the method for detecting these relations from the slide texts is proposed. Then, analyzed relations are arranged in two-dimensional spaces that represent sequential relation and inclusive relation of their topics. The experimental results showed that most detected slide relations were the same as what examinees understood, and visualization of slide relations was useful in creating complementary speech, especially for less-experienced presenter.