A key challenge in developing energy-efficient sensor networks is to extend network lifetime in resource-limited environments. As sensors are often densely distributed, they can be scheduled on alternative duty cycles to conserve energy while satisfying the system requirements. Directional sensor networks composed of a large number of directional sensors equipped with a limited battery and with a limited angle of sensing have recently attracted attention. Many types of directional sensors can rotate to face a given direction. Maximizing network lifetime while covering all of the targets in a given area and forwarding sensor data to the sink is a challenge in developing such rotatable directional sensor networks. In this paper, we address the maximum directional cover tree (MDCT) problem of organizing directional sensors into a group of non-disjoint subsets to extend network lifetime. One subset, in which the directional sensors cover all of the targets and forward the data to the sink, is activated at a time, while the others sleep to conserve energy. For the MDCT problem, we first present an energy-consumption model that mainly takes into account the energy expenditure for sensor rotation as well as for the sensing and relaying of data. We also develop a heuristic scheduling algorithm called directional coverage and connectivity (DCC)-greedy to solve the MDCT problem. To verify and evaluate the algorithm, we conduct extensive simulations and show that it extends network lifetime to a reasonable degree.

Test coverage is an important indicator of whether software has been sufficiently tested. However, there are several problems with the existing measurement tools for test coverage, such as their cost of development and maintenance, inconsistency, and inflexibility in measurement. We propose a consistent and flexible measurement framework for test coverage that we call the Open Code Coverage Framework (OCCF). It supports multiple programming languages by extracting the commonalities from multiple programming languages using an abstract syntax tree to help in the development of the measurement tools for the test coverage of new programming languages. OCCF allows users to add programming language support independently of the test-coverage-criteria and also to add test-coverage-criteria support independently of programming languages in order to take consistent measurements in each programming language. Moreover, OCCF provides two methods for changin the measurement range and elements using XPath and adding user code in order to make more flexible measurements. We implemented a sample tool for C, Java, and Python using OCCF. OCCF can measure four test-coverage-criteria. We also confirmed that OCCF can support C#, Ruby, JavaScript, and Lua. Moreover, we reduced the lines of code (LOCs) required to implement measurement tools for test coverage by approximately 90% and the time to implement a new test-coverage-criterion by over 80% in an experiment that compared OCCF with the conventional non-framework-based tools.

Target Q coverage is needed to secure the stability of data collection in WSN. The targets may have different level of importance then the multiple-target coverage scheme must schedule sensors according to each target's weight to increase the network lifetime. The schedule scheme previously proposed for weighted coverage uses an iterative solution to solve the problem but it has long computation time. We propose a heuristic greedy-TQC algorithm to use the residual energy of sensors to generate multiple scheduling cover sets. A simulation shows a dramatic reduction in computation time. The greedy-TQC algorithm is suitable for the frequently topology-changing WSN and for the often changing targets' weights in WSN.

This paper addresses an application of the potential game theory to a power-aware mobile sensor coverage problem where each sensor tries to maximize a probability of target detection in a convex mission space. The probability of target detection depends on a sensing voltage of each mobile sensor as well as its current position. While a higher sensing voltage improves the target detection probability, this requires more power consumption. In this paper, we assume that mobile sensors have different sensing capabilities of detecting a target and they can adaptively change sensing areas by adjusting their sensing voltages. We consider an objective function to evaluate a trade-off between improving the target detection probability and reducing total power consumption of all sensors. We represent a sensing voltage and a position of each mobile sensor using a barycentric coordinate over an extended strategy space. Then, the sensor coverage problem can be formulated as a potential game where the power-aware objective function and the barycentric coordinates correspond to a potential function and players' mixed strategies, respectively. It is known that all local maximizers of a potential function in a potential game are equilibria of replicator dynamics. Based on this property of potential games, we propose decentralized control for the power-aware sensor coverage problem such that each mobile sensor finds a locally optimal position and sensing voltage by updating its barycentric coordinate using replicator dynamics.

In this paper, we study the decentralized coverage control problem for an environment using a group of autonomous mobile robots with nonholonomic kinematic and dynamic constraints. In comparison with standard coverage control procedures, we develop a combined controller for Voronoi-based coverage approach in which kinematic and dynamic constraints of the actual mobile sensing robots are incorporated into the controller design. Furthermore, a collision avoidance component is added in the kinematic controller in order to guarantee a collision free coverage of the area. The convergence of the network to the optimal sensing configuration is proven with a Lyapunov-type analysis. Numerical simulations are provided approving the effectiveness of the proposed method through several experimental scenarios.

In practical settings of wireless sensor networks, it is often feasible to consider heterogeneous deployments of devices with different capabilities. Under prescribed cost constraints, we analyze such heterogenous deployments and present how they impact the coverage of a sensor network including spatial correlation effect. We derive expressions for the heterogeneous mixture of devices that maximizes the lifetime coverage in both single-hop direct and multi-hop communication models. Our results show that using an optimal mixture of many inexpensive low-capability devices and some expensive high-capability devices can significantly extend the duration of a network's sensing performance, especially in a network with low spatial correlation.

Collecting environmental sound by utilizing high-end mobile phones provides us opportunities to capture rich contextual information in real world. The gathered information can be used for various purposes, ranging from academic research to livelihood support. Furthermore, mobility of mobile phones opens a door for easily forming a dynamic sensing infrastructure, in order to gather fine-grained, but still large-scale data from both spatial and temporal perspectives. However, collecting, analyzing, storing, and sharing of sound data usually involve large energy consumption than scalar data, and like any battery-operated device, mobile phones also face the reality of energy constraints. Because people's first priorities are naturally to use mobile phones for their own purposes, there are occasions when people will not be inclined to allow their mobile phones to be used as sensing devices fearing that they will run out of batteries. Therefore, our research focuses on energy-efficient sensing, to reduce average energy consumption and to extend overall system lifetime. In this paper, we propose a node scheduling scheme for mobile nodes. By applying this scheme, optimized sensing schedules (ACTIVE/SLEEP duty cycles) will be periodically generated at each node. Following the provided schedule during sensing, energy-efficiency can be realized while original Quality of Service (i.e. coverage rate) is retained. Unlike most previous works which were based on ideal binary disk coverage model, our proposal is designed under a probabilistic disk coverage model which takes the characteristic of sound propagation into consideration. Furthermore, this is the first scheme that is adaptable to large-scale mobile sensor networks where topology dynamically changes. An accurate energy consumption model is adopted for evaluating the proposed scheme. Simulation results show that our scheme can reduce up to 48% energy consumption in an ideal environment and up to 31% energy consumption in a realistic environment. The robustness of our scheme is also verified against different type of sensing terrains and communication environments.

To tackle the increasing testing power during built-in self-test (BIST) operations, this paper proposes a new test pattern generator (TPG). With the proposed reconfigurable LFSR, the reconfigurable Johnson counter, the decompressor and the XOR gate network, the introduced TPG can produce the single input change (SIC) sequences with few repeated vectors. The proposed SIC sequences minimize switching activities of the circuit under test (CUT). Simulation results on ISCAS benchmarks demonstrate that the proposed method can effectively save test power, and does not impose high impact on test length and hardware for the scan based design.

Since scan testing is not based on the function of the circuit, but rather the structure, it is considered to be both a form of over testing and under testing. Moreover, it is important to test VLSIs using the given function. Since the functional specifications are described explicitly in the FSMs, high test quality is expected by performing logical fault testing and timing fault testing. This paper proposes a fault-dependent test generation method to detect specified fault models completely and to increase defect coverage as much as possible under the test length constraint. We present experimental results for MCNC'91 benchmark circuits to evaluate bridging fault coverage, transition fault coverage, and statistical delay quality level and to show the effectiveness of the proposed test generation method compared with a stuck-at fault-dependent test generation method.

Femto cell systems have been the one of the key technologies for ubiquitous networks, and some of them are already serviced by manufacturers. Femto base stations are deployed randomly and without pre-planning, so the femto system has a wider variation in topology than cellular networks. Therefore, a specialized resource assignment algorithm is essential for efficient performance of the femto cell. In this paper, we propose a realtime channel assignment algorithm for adapting to the varying environments, including new cell deployment or power switch off. Our algorithm is a form of a sequential graph coloring problem which outperforms other fixed allocation algorithms. Simulation results show realtime assignment has better performance than the fixed allocation when the wireless environment changes faster than the tracking operation time.

Shorts and opens are two major kind of defects that are most likely to occur in Very Large Scale Integrated Circuits. In modern Integrated Circuit devices these defects must be considered not only at gate-level but also at transistor level. In this paper, we propose a method for generating test vectors that targets both transistor shorts (tr-shorts) and transistor opens (tr-opens). Since two consecutive test vectors need to be applied in order to detect tr-opens, we assume launch on capture (LOC) test application mechanism. This makes it possible to detect delay type defects. Further, the proposed method employs existing stuck-at test generation tools thus requiring no change in the design and development flow and development of no new tools is needed. Experimental results for benchmark circuits demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method by providing 100% fault efficiency while the test set size is still moderate.

This paper presents the optimum physical random access channel (PRACH) structure in terms of the number of control signaling bits accommodated and the transmission bandwidth based on the link budget in order to satisfy the coverage requirement for the single-carrier (SC)-FDMA based E-UTRA uplink. First, we present the design concept of the PRACH structure considering the purposes of the random access procedure in the E-UTRA. Simulation evaluations including a system-level simulation show that a PRACH comprising a 0.5-msec preamble sequence can convey a 6-bit control signal at the cell edge when the inter-site distance (ISD) is 500 m under full channel load conditions with one-cell frequency reuse. It is also shown, however, that a PRACH longer than one-sub-frame, e.g., 1.0 msec, is necessary to support the ISD of 1732 m assuming the same conditions. We also show that the best transmission bandwidth for the PRACH is approximately 1.08-4.5 MHz from the viewpoint of the misdetection probability, and a 1.08-MHz transmission bandwidth is suitable considering other aspects such as flexible resource assignment in the time domain and a small number of options in the transmission bandwidth.

Randomly distributed wireless sensors used to monitor and detect a moving object were investigated, and performance measures such as the expected time/space detection ratio were theoretically analyzed. In particular, the insensitivities (robustness) of the performance measures to the conditions of the distributed wireless sensors and the target object were analyzed. Robust explicit equations for these performance measures were derived, and these equations can be used to calculate them without knowing the sensing area shape or the target object trajectory. These equations were applied to the following two applications. (1) They were used to estimate the impact of active/sleeping state schedule algorithms of sensors on the expected ratio of the time that the sensors detect the target object during its movement. The results were used to identify the active state schedule that increases the expected time ratio. (2) They were also applied to a sensor density design method that uses a test object. This method can be used to ensure that the expected time ratio that at least one sensor can detect the target satisfies the target value without knowing the sensing area size or the movement of the target object.

Physical defects that are not covered by stuck-at fault or bridging fault model are increasing in LSI circuits designed and manufactured in modern Deep Sub-Micron (DSM) technologies. Therefore, it is necessary to target non-stuck-at and non-bridging faults. A stuck-open is one such fault model that captures transistor level defects. This paper presents two methods for maximizing stuck-open fault coverage using stuck-at test vectors. In this paper we assume that a test set to detect stuck-at faults is given and we consider two formulations for maximizing stuck-open coverage using the given test set as follows. The first problem is to form a test sequence by using each test vector multiple times, if needed, as long as the stuck-open coverage is increased. In this case the target is to make the resultant test sequence as short as possible under the constraint that the maximum stuck-open coverage is achieved using the given test set. The second problem is to form a test sequence by using each test vector exactly once only. Thus in this case the length of the test sequence is maintained as the number of given test vectors. In both formulations the stuck-at fault coverage does not change. The effectiveness of the proposed methods is established by experimental results for benchmark circuits.

Sensor network deployment is very challenging due to the hostile and unpredictable nature of environments. The field coverage of wireless sensor networks (WSNs) can be enhanced and consequently network lifetime can be prolonged by optimizing the sensor deployment with a finite number of mobile sensors. In this paper, we introduce a comprehensive taxonomy for WSN self-deployment in which three sensor relocation algorithms are proposed to match the mobility degree of sensor nodes, particle swarm optimization based algorithm (PSOA), relay shift based algorithm (RSBA) and energy efficient fuzzy optimization algorithm (EFOA). PSOA regards the sensors in the network as a swarm, and reorganizes the sensors by the particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm, in the full sensor mobility case. RSBA and EFOA assume relatively limited sensor mobility, i.e., the movement distance is bounded by a threshold, to further reduce energy consumption. In the zero mobility case, static topology control or scheduling schemes can be used such as optimal cluster formation. Simulation results show that our approaches greatly improve the network coverage as well as energy efficiency compared with related works.

Multilink MIMO technique is a promising technology for cellular networks with a guaranteed quality-of-service. It will provide high capacity and wide coverage. We evaluated the downlink performance of the multilink MIMO system from the perspective of quality-of-service. The presence of Rayleigh fading, shadowing, and path loss was assumed. To evaluate the proposed system, we developed a performance measure for MIMO cellular system. The measure is ergodic capacity taking into account area coverage. Our numerical results show that the area coverage of proposed multilink MIMO system is greatly improved compared with that of the conventional singlelink MIMO system. Using the proposed measure, we also found that the multilink MIMO system could achieve high capacity with guaranteed QoS for a wide coverage.

Lack of complete formal specification is one of the major obstacles to the deployment of model checking. Coverage estimation addresses this issue by revealing the unverified part of the design according to the specified properties. In this paper we propose a new transition-based coverage metric to evaluate the completeness of properties for symbolic model checking. Our coverage metric pinpoints the transitions through which the values of signals are checked. An efficient symbolic algorithm is presented for computing the transition coverage for a subset of ACTL. Our coverage estimator has been applied to the model checking of a cache coherence protocol. We uncovered several coverage holes including one that eventually led to the discovery of a design bug.

Outdoor wireless services quality is greatly tarnished by the existence of coverage blind spots or any areas of inadequate reception. It is thus of interest to eliminate or fill in the blind spots in order to boost the receiving signal strength which ultimately leads to better service quality. The authors propose the use of a simple flat metallic reflector as a device to divert some energy in the service coverage towards the blind spots or any existing areas of inadequate reception. The method of moment is employed in analysing the effectiveness of the authors' proposed technique. Experiments have been carried out to verify calculation results as well as to find out on the proposed technique's viability. It is found that the elimination of blind spots by using a reflector is a viable approach. The received power at the blind spot locations are increased by about 3 dB to 5 dB when the reflector is present.

In [1] the impact of BIST on the chip defect level after test has been addressed. It was assumed in [1] that no measures are taken to ensure that the BIST circuitry is fault-free before launching the functional test. In this paper we assume that a BIST pretest is first conducted in order to get rid of all chips that fail it. Only chips whose BIST circuitry has passed the pretest are kept, while the rest are discarded. The BIST pretest, however, is assumed to have only a limited coverage against its own faults. This paper studies the product quality improvements as induced by the BIST pretest, and provides some insight as to when it may be worthwhile to perform it.

In 3G CDMA mobile communication systems, high data rate services are essential for many key applications. When an MS approaches the cell border, link performance is degraded and more power should be allocated to maintain the link performance. Since the maximum available signal power is limited, the link adaptation mechanism may diminish the data rate to maintain link performance. This implies that the valid coverage shrinks when the data rate increases. The shrinking of valid coverage under a predetermined data rate will strongly impact on the reliability of high data rate services. In this work, the encoded bit error probabilities of 3G CDMA mobile communication systems, over large-scale and large-small-scale fading channels, were analyzed based on SGA and SIGA methods. Analytic methods were also proposed to investigate the issues of coverage shrinking and service data rate variations. Furthermore, the outage probability, cell coverage percentage and the staying probabilities of available data rates were well examined. The proposed analytic methods can be applied, as a preliminary research, to the design of cellular-system-related techniques, such as QoS control, available data rate prediction, power reservation, and service adaptation.