SMIL is a markup language which enables us to describe multimedia contents. This paper proposes a design model of SMIL browser functionality for mobile phones whose resources are limited. We introduce SMIL Component, which is based on attachable software architecture to a pre-installed generic web browser and an event-based SMIL scheduler, which is a part of SMIL Component, to provide the multimedia presentation scheduling functionality. These lead to reducing the memory amount that SMIL Component consumes and brings high portabilty of SMIL Component for various web browsers. We implement SMIL Component and evaluate RAM sizes and presentation delays. As a result, we conclude that SMIL Component is practical for MMS presentations on a mobile phone.

In wireless ad hoc networks, various medium access control (MAC) protocols have been developed to avoid data packet collision and improve channel utilization in the presence of hidden terminals. For distributed MAC protocols, exchange of messages (handshake), are usually required before data transmission. Based on the initiator of the handshake, MAC protocols can be categorized as sender-initiated or receiver-initiated protocols. Theoretically, the latter outperforms the former since less control overhead is required. However, fundamental assumptions made in the receiver-initiated protocols are very vulnerable. In this paper, we propose a new MAC protocol known as multiple access with reduced handshake (MARCH). MARCH utilizes the broadcast characteristics of an omni-directional antenna to reduce the number of handshakes required to initiate a data transmission. Simulation results demonstrate that this low-overhead MAC protocol results in a 65% increase in network throughput.

A cache replacement policy which takes the transcoding time into account in making replacement decisions, for the emerging transcoding proxy servers is proposed. Simulation results show the proposed policy outperforms the conventional LRU in both the cache hit rate and the average object transcoding time.

This paper presents measurement and analysis of various networks and applications using a high-speed IP meter. The authors have developed a high-speed IP meter with a GPS timestamp component, which enables precise measurement of packet delay and jitter in various networks. Measurement of the following networks was performed, 1) Measurement of traffic in a commercial IPv6 access service on ADSL, as a typical broadband access service network. 2) Measurement of traffic in the 54th IETF meeting in Yokohama, as a typical high-speed Internet backbone network. This paper reports the characteristics identified in these networks, e.g. asymmetricities of one-way packet delay over an ADSL access network and the difference in TCP/UDP packet delay over a high-speed backbone network. It also presents the analysis results of some multimedia applications in the Internet, and discusses the quality of service on Internet access service networks.

Reinforcement Learning (RL) is an efficient learning method for solving problems that learning agents have no knowledge about the environment a priori. Ant Colony System (ACS) provides an indirect communication method among cooperating agents, which is an efficient method for solving combinatorial optimization problems. Based on the cooperating method of the indirect communication in ACS and the update policy of reinforcement values in RL, this paper proposes the Q-ACS multiagent cooperating learning method that can be applied to both Markov Decision Processes (MDPs) and combinatorial optimization problems. The advantage of the Q-ACS method is for the learning agents to share episodes beneficial to the exploitation of the accumulated knowledge and utilize the learned reinforcement values efficiently. Further, taking the visited times into account, this paper proposes the T-ACS multiagent learning method. The merit of the T-ACS method is that the learning agents share better policies beneficial to the exploration during agent's learning processes. Meanwhile, considering the Q-ACS and the T-ACS as homogeneous multiagent learning methods, in the light of indirect media communication among heterogeneous multiagent, this paper presents a heterogeneous multiagent RL method, the D-ACS that composites the learning policy of the Q-ACS and the T-ACS, and takes different updating policies of reinforcement values. The agents in our methods are given a simply cooperating way exchanging information in the form of reinforcement values updated in the common model of all agents. Owning the advantages of exploring the unknown environment actively and exploiting learned knowledge effectively, the proposed methods are able to solve both problems with MDPs and combinatorial optimization problems effectively. The results of experiments on hunter game and traveling salesman problem demonstrate that our methods perform competitively with representative methods on each domain respectively.

This paper presents the performance modeling application of SIP-T (Session Initiation Protocol for Telephones) signaling system based on two-class priority queueing process in carrier class VoIP (Voice over IP) network. The SIP-T signaling system defined in IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force) is a mechanism that uses SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) to facilitate the interconnection of existing PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network) with carrier class VoIP network. One of the greatest challenges in the migration from PSTN toward NGN (Next Generation Networks) is to build a carrier class VoIP network that preserves the ubiquity, quality, and reliability of PSTN services while allowing the greatest flexibility for use of new VoIP technology. Based on IETF, the SIP-T signaling system not only promises scalability, flexibility, and interoperability with PSTN but also provides call control function of MGC (Media Gateway Controller) to set up, tear down, and manage VoIP calls in carrier class VoIP network. This paper presents the two class priority queueing model, performance analysis, and simulation of SIP-T signaling system in carrier class VoIP network focused on toll by-pass or tandem by-pass of PSTN. In this paper, we analyze the average queueing length, the mean of queueing delay, and the variance of queueing delay of SIP-T signaling system that are the major performance evaluation parameters for improving QoS (Quality of Service) and system performance of MGC in carrier class VoIP network. A mathematical model of the M/G/1 queue with two-class non-preemptive priority assignment is proposed to represent SIP-T signaling system. Then, the formulae of average queueing length, queueing delay, and delay variation for the non-preemptive priority queue are expressed respectively. Several significant numerical examples of average queueing length, queueing delay, and delay variation are presented as well. Finally, the two-class priority queueing model and performance analysis of SIP-T signaling system are shown the accuracy and robustness after the comparison between theoretical estimates and simulation results.

A novel effective method for detection and removal impulse noise in highly corrupted color images is proposed. This detection-estimation method consists of two steps. Outliers are first detected using spatial relations between the color components. Then the detected noise pixels are replaced with the output of the vector median filter over a local spatially connected area excluding the outliers. Simulation results in a test color image show a superior performance of the proposed filtering algorithm comparing to the conventional vector median filter. The comparisons are made using a mean square error and a mean absolute error criteria.

The demand for highly available software systems has increased dramatically over the past several years. Such systems must be developed using a discipline that supports unanticipated runtime evolution. We characterize the desiderata of a programming model that provides such support, and describe the design and implementation of an architecture satisfying these criteria. The Dynamic Reconfiguration Subsystem (DRSS) is an interceptor-based open container architecture that supports the development of highly available systems by enabling the scalable, dynamic deployment of cross-cutting software modifications. We have implemented a prototype of DRSS using Microsoft's .NET Framework.

In this paper, a high-performance pipelining architecture for 2-D inverse discrete wavelet transform (IDWT) is proposed. We use a tree-block pipeline-scheduling scheme to increase computation performance and reduce temporary buffers. The scheme divides the input subbands into several wavelet blocks and processes these blocks one by one, so the size of buffers for storing temporal subbands is greatly reduced. After scheduling the data flow, we fold the computations of all wavelet blocks into the same low-pass and high-pass filters to achieve higher hardware utilization and minimize hardware cost, and pipeline these two filters efficiently to reach higher throughput rate. For the computations of N N-sample 2-D IDWT with filter length of size K, our architecture takes at most (2/3)N2 cycles and requires 2N(K-2) registers. In addition, each filter is designed regularly and modularly, so it is easily scalable for different filter lengths and different levels. Because of its small storage, regularity, and high performance, the architecture can be applied to time-critical image decompression.

This paper assesses the media synchronization quality of recovery control schemes from asynchrony, which are referred to as reactive control schemes here, in terms of objective and subjective measures. We deal with four reactive control techniques: skipping, discarding, shortening and extension of output duration, and virtual-time contraction and expansion. We have carried out subjective and objective assessment of the media synchronization quality of nine schemes which consist of combinations of the four techniques. The paper makes a comparison of media synchronization quality among the schemes. It also clarifies the relations between the two kinds of quality measures.

Based on the dimensionality reduction technique and the solution for proximate points problem, we achieve the optimality of the three-dimensional Euclidean distance transform (3D_EDT) computation. For an N N N binary image, our algorithms for both 3D_EDT and its applications can be performed in O (log log N) time using CRCW processors or in O (log N) time using EREW processors. To the best of our knowledge, all results described above are the best known. As for the n-dimensional Euclidean distance transform (nD_EDT) and its applications of a binary image of size Nn, all of them can be computed in O (nlog log N) time using CRCW processors or in O (nlog N) time using EREW processors.

A reactive sputtering method using an Electron-Cyclotron-Resonance (ECR) microwave plasma was used to deposit Ni-Zn ferrite thin-films for a soft magnetic backlayer of Co-containing spinel ferrite thin-film perpendicular magnetic recording (PMR) media. The Ni-Zn spinel ferrite thin-films with a preferential orientation of (100) and a relatively low coercivity of 15 Oe were obtained at a high deposition rate of 14 nm/min and at a temperature below 200 degrees C. Although post-annealing treatment in air at 200 degrees C was effective to decrease the coercivity of the Ni-Zn ferrite thin-films, the saturation magnetization and initial permeability decreased and the surface smoothness was deteriorated simultaneously. The Ni-Zn ferrite thin-films prepared by ECR sputtering are promising as the backlayer of the perpendicular magnetic recording medium, but further improvement is required in terms of the soft magnetic properties, the grain size and the surface roughness.

Co-containing ferrite thin-film/Mn-Zn ferrite thin-film double-layered perpendicular media were prepared using reactive ECR sputtering and magnetron sputtering methods, and their magnetic and structural properties and recording characteristics were studied. The Mn-Zn ferrite thin-film backlayer had saturation magnetization of 3.5 kG and coercivity of 60 Oe. Reproduced voltage for the Co-containing ferrite thin-film/Mn-Zn ferrite thin-film double-layered medium was about twice of that for the Co-containing ferrite single-layer medium.

We present a design and implementation of a QoS control mechanism in an Adaptive Multimedia Communication System (AMCS) using multiagent-based computing technology. In this paper, we first define functional requirements for AMCS. Subsequently we describe the design and implementation of AMCS with a knowledge-based multiagent framework to fulfill the functional requirements. Moreover we evaluate the adaptability of the prototype systems of AMCS with the operational situations observed in its experiments. From the result of the experiments, we conclude that the multiagent-based design and implementation is reasonable for construction of AMCS.

So far, a lot of analyses have been performed on the edge-guide mode isolator with one short edge. However, the detailed characteristics such as the influence of shape of a metal strip and the thickness of a ferrite substrate have not been revealed. This paper clarifies the influence of the structure on the frequency response both experimentally and numerically. The numerical analysis is performed by the FDTD method. The numerical results indicate that the frequency response does not depend on the thickness of ferrite substrate but does on the shape of the metal strip. Furthermore, based on the numerical results, the experiment is carried out on the prototype isolator. All the results provide a theory of the optimum design on the isolator.

In this letter, we take advantage of both types of Interactive and Batch services by considering a hybrid multimedia-on-demand (MOD) system which provides both services. Also, we propose two serving methods with an incentive charging scheme to optimize the coexistence of both services. Numerical results show that the proposed hybrid system outperforms both individual systems. In particular, the system provider receives more revenue by serving more users concurrently, while the users have a better viewing experience due to higher availability of contents.

Recently, diverse multimedia applications with stringent multiple Quality of Service (QoS) requirements have been increasing. In particular, multicast communication has become more popular because of its availability and for efficient use of network resources. Most multicasts are point-to-multipoint, in which a source delivers data to multiple designated recipients, such as for video or audio distribution. In the near future, multipoint-to-multipoint communication services, including multimedia collaborations such as video conferencing and distant-learning, will be developed. However, when a conventional multicast routing algorithm is applied to a multipoint-to-multipoint communication service, it might result in excessive traffic concentration on some links. Therefore, we propose a new multipoint-to-multipoint routing method. It utilizes the Fallback+ algorithm to perform multicast routing for the purpose of satisfying multiple QoS requirements and alleviating traffic concentrations. Simulation experiments show that our method improves traffic load balance and achieves efficient use of network resources.

This letter presents the implementation results of an application-level cache file system, MCFS, which is specifically designed to provide efficient caching and transmission mechanisms for streaming media. The file system is built on a virtual file disk which is constructed as a single large file on a general-purpose file system. MCFS suits the access requirement of continuous media caching and provides an efficient I/O mechanism for cache servers. The experimental results show that MCFS outperforms the comparison model and provides a consistent I/O bandwidth.

To support UDP-based real-time multimedia applications over the Internet, it is necessary to provide a certain amount of bandwidth within the network so that the performance of the applications will not be seriously affected during periods of congestion. Since the flow rates of some of these applications do not back off during periods of congestion, it is also necessary to protect flow-controlled TCP flows from unresponsive or aggressive UDP flows. To achieve these goals, we propose a simple queue policy to support multimedia applications, called threshold-based queue management (TBQM). TBQM isolates UDP flows efficiently from TCP flows to protect TCP flows while supporting bandwidth requirements of UDP applications that require QoS. In addition, TBQM supports drop fairness between flows without maintaining per-flow state. We also present some experimental results to show that the proposed queue policy works well.

Resource-demanding services such as Multi-media-on-Demand (MOD) become possible as Internet and broadband connections are getting more popular. However, as the sizes of multimedia files grow rapidly, storage of such large files becomes a problem. Since multimedia contents will generally become less popular with time, it is desirable to design a prediction algorithm so that the multimedia content can be unloaded from the server if it is no longer popular. This can relieve the storage problem in an MOD system, and hence spare more space for new multimedia files. In this paper, we analyse the MOD viewing trend in order to understand the viewing behaviour of users and predict the viewing trend of a particular category of multimedia based on the knowledge obtained from its trend analysis. In trend analysis, two additive regression models, exponential-exponential-sum (EES) and exponential-power-sum (EPS), are proposed to improve the fitness of the trend. The most suitable model will then be used for trend prediction based on four proposed approaches, namely Fixed Regression Selection (FRS), Continuous Regression Updating (CRU), Historical Updating (HU) and Continuous Regression with Historical Updating (CRHU). From the numerical results, it is found that CRHU, which is constructed by considering historical trend and new incoming data of viewing requests, is in general the best method in forecasting the request trend of a particular category of multimedia clips.