Multipath propagation of radio signal introduces frequency selectivity. OFDMA systems greatly suffer from frequency selective fading. It is an important limit factor of performance of OFDMA systems, especially in subband based multiple user access scehems. In this paper, we propose the method of subband selection and handover to improve the system performance over the frequency selective channel. Two subband selection algorithms are presented to accurately select the subband with high channel gain and avoid the channel notch. The random access procedure employing subband selection is presented as an example. The effects of the subband selection are also given. The selection effectively improves the performances of frame synchronization, frequency synchronization, channel estimation, and bit error rate (BER). The investigations show that the proposed scheme is promising to reliable communications over frequency selective fading channel.

This letter considers frame synchronization in non-synchronized sampling discrete multi-tone (DMT) based asymmetric digital subscriber line (ADSL)/very high speed DSL (VDSL) systems in the presence of timing error. We propose a frame synchronization method which is based on the observation that the normalized correlation between two sequences separated by the FFT length is Cauchy random variable. The proposed approach uses less number of correlators, reducing computational complexity as well as demodulation delay than a previous approach. Therefore, ADSL/VDSL modems can be more power efficient and computationally less complex via the proposed frame synchronization method. Simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach, comparing with the previous approach.

Recently, major services provided by mobile communications systems are shifting from voice conversations to data communications over the Internet. There is a strong demand for increasing the data transmission rate. However, an important problem arises; larger peak transmit power is required as transmission rate becomes higher. In this paper, we propose a wireless multi-hop virtual cellular concept to avoid this power problem. The virtual cellular network consists of a central port, which is a gateway to the network, and many distributed wireless ports. Transmit power and frequency efficiencies of the virtual cellular network are evaluated by computer simulation to compare with that of the present cellular networks. In the wireless multi-hop virtual cellular network, routing among wireless ports is an important technical issue. We propose a routing algorithm based on the total uplink transmit power minimization criterion and evaluate the total transmit power by computer simulation.

In this paper, a Dynamic Voltage and Frequency Management (DVFM) scheme introduced in a microprocessor for handheld devices with wideband embedded DRAM is reported. Our DVFM scheme reduces the power consumption effectively by cooperation of the autonomous clock frequency control and the adaptive supply voltage control. The clock frequency is controlled using hardware activity information to determine the minimum value required by the current processor load. This clock frequency control is realized without special power management software. The supply voltage is controlled according to the delay information provided from a delay synthesizer circuit, which consists of three programmable delay components, gate delay, RC delay and a rise/fall delay. The delay synthesizer circuit emulates the critical-path delay within 4% voltage accuracy over the full range of process deviation and voltage. This accurate tracking ability realizes the supply voltage scaling according to the fluctuation of the LSI's characteristic caused by the temperature and process deviation. The DVFM contributes not only the dynamic power reduction, but also the leakage power reduction. This microprocessor, fabricated in 0.18 µm CMOS embedded DRAM technology achieves 82% power reduction in a Personal Information Management scheduler (PIM) application and 40% power reduction in a MPEG4 movie playback application. As process technology shrinks, the DVFM scheme with leakage power compensation effect will become more important realizing in high-performance and low-power mobile consumer applications.

This paper proposes a novel multi-layer approach to fundamental frequency modeling for concatenative speech synthesis based on a statistical learning technique called additive models. We define an additive F0 contour model consisting of long-term, intonational phrase-level, component and short-term, accentual phrase-level, component, along with a least-squares error criterion that includes a regularization term. A backfitting algorithm, that is derived from this error criterion, estimates both components simultaneously by iteratively applying cubic spline smoothers. When this method is applied to a 7,000 utterance Japanese speech corpus, it achieves F0 RMS errors of 28.9 and 29.8 Hz on the training and test data, respectively, with corresponding correlation coefficients of 0.806 and 0.777. The automatically determined intonational and accentual phrase components turn out to behave smoothly, systematically, and intuitively under a variety of prosodic conditions.

Joint frequency-domain equalization (FDE) and antenna diversity combining is applied to the reception of multi-rate DS-CDMA signals to achieve the frequency diversity effect while suppressing inter-path interference (IPI) resulting from the asynchronism of different propagation paths. At a receiver, fast Fourier transform (FFT) is applied for FDE and then inverse FFT (IFFT) is used to obtain a frequency-domain equalized DS-CDMA chip sequence for the succeeding despreading operation. An arbitrary spreading factor SF can be used for the given value of FFT window size; an extreme case is the nonspread SC system with SF=1. This property allows a flexible design of multi-rate DS-CDMA systems. Three types of FDE are considered; minimum mean square error (MMSE) equalization, maximal-ratio combining (MRC) equalization and zero-forcing (ZF) equalization. Matched filter bound analysis for achievable BER performance is presented. The improvement in the BER performance in a frequency-selective Rayleigh fading channel is evaluated by computer simulation. First, we consider the single-user case and compare the BER performances achievable with MMSE, MRC and ZF equalizations. How the fading rate and the spreading factor affect the BER performance is also evaluated. Furthermore, the BER performance comparison between FDE and rake combining is presented for various values of SF and also performance comparison between DS-CDMA and SC signal transmissions, both using FDE, is presented. Finally, we extend our evaluation to the multi-user case. Both downlink and uplink are considered and how the BER performances of downlink and uplink differ is discussed.

In this paper, we propose a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) beamforming scheme for a multiuser system in frequency-selective fading channels. The maximum signal-to-noise and interference ratio (MSINR) is adopted as a criterion to determine the transmit and receive weight vectors. In order to maximize the output SINR over all users, two algorithms for base station are considered: the first algorithm is based on the receive weight vector optimization and the second algorithm is based on an iterative update of both transmit and receive weight vectors. Based on the result of single user MIMO beamforming, we analyze the interference channels cancellation ability of multiuser MIMO system. The first algorithm is a simple method and the second algorithm is a performative solution. Through computer simulations, it is shown that multiuser communication system is achievable using the proposed methods in frequency-selective fading condition.

In the design of cascode CMOS low-noise amplifiers, the gate-drain capacitance is generally neglected because it is thought to be small enough compared to gate-source capacitance. However, a careful examination will reveal the fact that the drain impedance of the input transistor significantly affects the input impedance through the gate-drain capacitance, especially as the CMOS technology getting more and more advanced. Moreover, the substrate coupling network of the input transistor also comes into play when the drain impedance of the input transistor is high enough compared to the substrate coupling network. In order to make input matching easier, it is desirable to know the details of the substrate coupling network. Unfortunately, designers generally do not have enough information about the technology they have used, not to mention knowing the details concerning the substrate coupling network. As a matter of fact, designers generally do have foundry provided component models that contain information about the substrate coupling network. This gives us the chance to minimize its effect and predict the input impedance of a low noise amplifier more accurately. In this paper, we show that the effect of the substrate coupling network can be ignored by keeping the drain impedance of the input transistor low enough and a proper drain impedance can then be chosen to achieve input matching without the need of iteration steps. Simulation results of a 2.4 GHz CMOS low noise amplifier using foundry provided component models are also presented to demonstrate the validation of the proposed input matching method.

We propose a new diversity scheme for orthogonal frequency division multiplexing/multi-input multi-output (OFDM/MIMO) systems. The proposed scheme, named turbo layered space-frequency coded OFDM (TLSFC-OFDM), exploits the turbo principle with space hopping (SH). The TLSFC-OFDM system with SH provides a spatial coding so that we can obtain the transmit diversity. We also introduce a successive interference cancellation (SIC) algorithm that requires no ordering and fewer iterations to converge. As a result, this scheme reduces computational complexity. Computer simulation results show that the unordered SIC-based TLSFC-OFDM system outperforms the OFDM/H-BLAST system. It is also shown that the proposed system can operate even with fewer receive antennas than transmit antennas.

This study was designed to evaluate localized muscular fatigue induced during mouse operation in a VDT task. Ten male undergraduates from 19 to 23 years old participated in the experiment. The subject performed a pointing task with a PC mouse for about 4 hours. The EMG measurements and psychological rating of fatigue were conducted before the experimental task and after each 30-minutes block during the experimental task. The changes in the Mean Power Frequency (MPF) and Percentage Maximum Voluntary Contraction (%MVC)-shift for the constant cumulative probability in the Amplitude Probability Distribution Function (APDF) with time were explored. The correspondence between the index (MPF or APDF) and the subjective rating of localized muscular fatigue was also examined. The performance was nearly constant across all blocks. The psychological rating of fatigue tended to increase with time. The MPF tended to increase with time, although the main effect of block (time) was not statistically significant. The %MVC-shift tended to increase with time. The correspondence with the perceived sensation of localized muscular fatigue was higher when using the %MVC-shift than when using the MPF. Based on the results, the effectiveness of the indexes used for evaluating localized muscular fatigue was discussed. The %MVC-shift obtained from the APDF was found to be a sensitive index of localized muscular fatigue and corresponded well with the subjective rating of localized muscular fatigue.

In downlink MC-CDMA, orthogonal variable spreading factor (OVSF) codes can be used to allow multirate communications while maintaining the orthogonality among the users with different data rates. In this paper, we point out that simple selection of the OVSF codes results in degraded performance. We show that this happens because simple code selection results in power concentration over certain consecutive subcarriers; severe power loss in the received signal occurs when these subcarriers experience a deep fade in a frequency selective fading channel. In addition, we show two effective techniques to avoid the performance degradation: random code selection and frequency interleaving; which technique provides a better performance depends on modulation level, code multiplexing order, and presence of channel coding.

A frequency selection algorithm leveraging the capability of a handset to autonomously select idle channels of a public communication system for use in a private communication system was previously proposed, and its effectiveness was verified through experiments conducted in a metropolitan area. This paper describes the results of an experiment verifying the algorithm's effectiveness in rural areas with relatively low public communication system traffic.

A new data-aided carrier frequency offset (CFO) estimation technique is presented for correlative coded OFDM systems in the presence of strong multipath. Different from traditional data-aided estimation techniques, the technique estimates CFO by detecting amplitude of pilots rather than their phase shift and removes effects on CFO estimation due to intercarrier interference by an iterative compensation method. A theoretical analysis of its performance has been derived and simulation results comparing the new technique with a traditional data-aided estimation technique are presented.

OFDM, MC-CDMA and DS-CDMA are being researched vigorously as the prospective signaling technique for the next generation mobile communications systems, which will be characterized by the broadband packet technology. With packet transmissions, hybrid ARQ (HARQ) will be inevitable for error control. HARQ with rate compatible punctured turbo (RCPT) codes is one of the promising techniques. Data rate equivalent to the OFDM system can be attained with MC-CDMA and DS-CDMA by assigning all the available codes to the same user resulting in what is commonly referred to as multicode MC-CDMA and multicode DS-CDMA. A rake receiver is used for receiving the DS-CDMA signals. However, recently minimum mean square error frequency-domain equalization (MMSE-FDE) has been proposed for the reception of DS-CDMA signals. In this paper, we introduce RCPT HARQ to DS-CDMA with MMSE-FDE and compare its throughput performance with OFDM, multicode MC-CDMA and multicode DS-CDMA with rake combining. MMSE weight for packet combining is introduced and the soft value generation for turbo coding in MC-CDMA and DS-CDMA with MMSE-FDE is presented. The throughput is theoretically evaluated for the uncoded case. For RCPT-HARQ, the comparison is done by computer simulations. It is found that the throughput of HARQ using DS-CDMA with MMSE-FDE is the same as or better than using MC-CDMA. However, with higher level modulation, type I HARQ using OFDM is better than using either MC-CDMA or DS-CDMA; for type II HARQ without redundancy in the first transmission, however, MC-CDMA and DS-CDMA gives a higher throughput.

In this Letter, a frequency-domain pre-rake transmission is presented for a direct sequence spread spectrum with time division duplex (DSSS/TDD) system under a frequency-selective fading channel. The mathematical relationship between frequency-domain and time-domain pre-rake transmissions is discussed. It is confirmed by the computer simulation that, similar to the time-domain pre-rake transmission, frequency-domain pre-rake transmission can improve the bit error rate (BER) performance. The frequency-domain pre-rake transmission shows only slight performance degradation compared to the frequency-domain rake reception for large SF.

While CDMA systems are proven to be excellent solutions for cellular communications, they suffer from severe multi-path interferences and are hard to support high-data-rate transmissions over frequency-selective fading channels. This letter introduces a novel downlink transmission method for next generation mobile communication systems. The proposed method can provide significantly improved performance in a hot-spot area while maintaining the backward compatibility with the 3rd generation CDMA systems.

Recently, multi-carrier code division multiple access (MC-CDMA) has been attracting much attention for the broadband wireless access in the next generation mobile communications systems. In the case of uplink transmissions, the orthogonality among users' signals is lost since each user's signal goes through different fading channel and hence, multi-access interference (MAI) is produced, thereby significantly degrading the transmission performance compared to the downlink case. The use of frequency-domain equalization at the receiver cannot sufficiently suppress the MAI. In this paper, we propose frequency-domain pre-equalization transmit diversity (FPTD), which employs pre-equalization using multiple transmit antennas with transmit power constraint, in order to transform a frequency-selective channel seen at a receiver close to the frequency-nonselective channel. We theoretically analyze the bit error rate (BER) performance achievable with the proposed FPTD and the analysis is confirmed by computer simulation.

In the Multi Carrier (MC)-CDMA system, the frequency diversity gain is obtained by its being spread in the frequency domain. The frequency interleaving technique can improve the frequency diversity gain. In this paper, the bit error rate (BER) performance in the MC-CDMA system which adopts the frequency interleaving scheme in the frequency selective fading channel is evaluated by computer simulation. In this simulation, orthogonal restoration combining (ORC) and minimum mean square error combining (MMSEC) are considered as frequency equalization combining techniques. This paper shows that BER performance with the frequency interleaver is better than without it in various environments.

Multi-carrier code division multiplexing (MC-CDM) is one of promising multiplexing techniques for fourth-generation mobile downlink communications systems, where high data rate services should be provided even for high speed-cruising mobiles. For MC-CDM-based packet communication, a frequency scheduling method, which adaptively assigns different sub-carriers to different users, is proposed. This paper proposes a frequency scheduling method, which utilizes pre-assignmented subcarriers in the frequency domain for the MC-CDM scheme. Furthermore, the performance of the proposed system in frequency selective fading channels is compared with that of a no-scheduled MC-CDM scheme by computer simulation in both single- and multi-cell environments. From the results, it is found that the proposed system achieves better bit error rate performance than the no-scheduled MC-CDM scheme and can control quality of service (QoS) for active users.

Unloaded Q of a dielectric image resonator is discussed based on the electromagnetic field distribution. It is shown that a partial air gap and a dielectric sheet with low permittivity between the dielectric resonator and the shield case reduce both the dielectric loss and the conductor loss. Especially, reduction of the conductor loss is significant, since the magnetic field distribution moves from the conductor to the upper part of resonator. A half-cut image resonator with an air gap and dielectric spacer is simulated and measured. The unloaded Q of the dielectric resonator with low dielectric loss is improved by about two times from that of original image resonator.