The PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) has been widely used in the industrial world as a controller for manufacturing systems, as a process controller and so on. The conventional PLC has been designed and verified as a pure Discrete Event System (DES) by using an abstract model of a controlled plant. In verifying the PLC, however, it is also important to take into account the physical behavior (e.g. dynamics, shape of objects) of the controlled plant in order to guarantee such important factors as safety. This paper presents a new verification technique for the PLC-based control system, which takes into account these physical behaviors, based on a Hybrid Dynamical System (HDS) framework. The other key idea described in the paper is the introduction of the concept of signed distance which not only measures the distance between two objects but also checks whether two objects interfere with each other. The developed idea is applied to illustrative material handling problems, and its usefulness is demonstrated.

Software agents are knowledgeable, autonomous, situated and interactive software entities. Agents' interactions are of special importance when a group of agents interact with each other to solve a problem that is beyond the capability and knowledge of each individual. Efficiency, performance and overall quality of the multi-agent applications depend mainly on how the agents interact with each other effectively. In this paper, we suggest an agent model by which we can clearly distinguish different agent's interaction scenarios. The model has five attributes: goal, control, interface, identity and knowledge base. Using the model, we analyze and describe possible scenarios; devise the appropriate reasoning and decision making techniques for each scenario; and build a library of reasoning and decision making modules that can be used readily in the design and implementation of multiagent systems.

This paper formulates functions generating four kinds of binary sequence sets of length 2n with zero correlation zone, which have been discussed for approximately synchronized CDMA systems without co-channel interference nor influence of multipath. They are logic functions of a binary vector of order n, expressed by EXOR and AND operations.

In this paper, we discuss the performance of a basic scheme to support network mobility. Network mobility arises when an entire network segment, such as a network inside a vehicle, changes its topological location and thus its access point to the fixed backbone network. Mechanisms to support network mobility are necessary to maintain sessions. The approach followed by the IETF (NEMO Basic Support) and us (B-ORC) is to establish a bi-directional tunnel between the mobile network and the Internet. As we show, this bi-directional tunnel is a performance bottleneck and leads to single points of failure. In order to address the issues of the existing mobile network architecture, we propose enhanced operations of the basic mobile network protocol to achieve reliability and efficiency: (1) multiple bi-directional tunnels between the mobile network and the Internet, and (2) policy-based routing. The proposed operations could be realized by extending the existing architecture and protocol. The performance of various multihoming configurations is evaluated based on the implementation of our own basic scheme. The evaluation criteria are delay, throughput and latency. The results are encouraging and show we can achieve a better throughput.

The new Internet has to provide the Quality of Services to converged multimedia services, in which each one may choose its own requirements. Managing such a dynamic network is not an easy task. A more intelligent and adaptive behavior is required from network management. We argue that agents are able to realize this task by dynamically adapting management mechanisms to the current network conditions. This article presents a Behavioral Multi-Agent-based model for QoS-enabled Internet. Based on this behavioral approach, we analyze network management mechanisms (or "elementary behaviors") in terms of performance and applicability profile. We use simulation to observe services performances when submitted to diverse QoS management elementary behaviors.

This study addresses the problem of computing the reliability of stochastic binary systems. This computational problem is known as the problem of the union of a set of events, where each event is expressed as the product of a set of Boolean variables. It is assumed that each Boolean variable may take on either of two states: operative or failed. Computing the reliability of stochastic binary systems is known to be #P-complete. The computation remains #P-complete, even when all events have a cardinality two, and both elements of each event are selected from two disjoint sets. This study proposes a linear time algorithm to compute the reliability of stochastic binary systems when the events satisfy specific requirements.

Coefficient-based test (CBT) is introduced for detecting parametric faults in analog circuits. The method uses pseudo Monte-Carlo simulation and system identification tools to determine whether a given circuit under test (CUT) is faulty.

As the Internet grows, various types of traffic, such as voice, video and data, are transmitted. Therefore, the Internet should provide the Quality of Service (QoS) required by each type of traffic as well as end-to-end connectivity, and routing decisions should be based on the utilization of links/routers and/or the application types of traffic. This kind of routing is called Traffic Engineering (TE), and its objective is to improve such performance factors as flow loss probability for users and the utilization of links for networks, simultaneously. Some studies claim that the Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) technique can easily implement TE. So far, some experimental results show that TE is effective on a MPLS network; however, its performance has not been theoretically and quantitatively analyzed. Thus, in this paper, we will investigate the basic and preliminary performance of MPLS networks with TE by analyzing flow loss probability and Smoothness index of link utilization in the queueing system.

In this paper, we propose a preemptive test scheduling technique (a test can be interrupted and later resumed) for core-based systems with the objective to minimize the test application time. We make use of reconfigurable core test wrappers in order to increase the flexibility in the scheduling process. The advantage with such a wrapper is that it is not limited to a single TAM (test access mechanism) bandwidth (wrapper chain configuration) at each core. We model the scheduling problem as a Bin-packing problem, and we discuss the transformation: number of TAM wires (wrapper-chains) versus test time in combination with preemption, as well as the possibilities and the limitations to achieve an optimal solution in respect to test application time. We have implemented the proposed preemptive test scheduling algorithm, and we have through experiments demonstrated its efficiency.

To realize the hardware object which facilitates the application development in the reconfigurable computing system, a hardware module (HwModule) is proposed and implemented. To access the circuit in the HwModule from the standard PC without detailed knowledge of the hardware, an object manager (ObjectManager) is also implemented. With the help of the ObjectManager, the programmers can use the hardware objects like the usual software objects. The HwModule is applied to the image matching, and the easiness of the application development for the HwModule is confirmed.

There exists a class of nonlinear systems which fail to have a well-defined relative degree but have a robust relative degree. We have removed the full relative degree assumption which the previous results required, and have provided a local state observer for nonlinear systems that have robust relative degree γ n and have detectability property in some sense. The proposed observer utilizes the coordinate change which transforms the system into an approximate normal form. Using the proposed method, we constructed an observer for the ball and beam system on a vibrating frame. Simulation results reveal that substantial improvement in the performance is achieved compared with other local observers.

We discuss photonic crystals (PhCs) with advanced micro/nano-structres which are semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) and micro electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) for the purpose of realizing novel classes of PhC devices in future photonic network system. After brief introduction on advantages to implement QDs and MEMS with PhCs, we discuss optical characterization of PhC microcavity containing self-assembled InAs QDs. Modification of emission spectrum of a QD ensemble due to the resonant cavity modes is demonstrated. We also point out the feasibility of low-threshold PhC lasers with QD active media in numerical analysis. A very low threshold current of 10 µA is numerically obtained for lasing action in the multi dimensional distributed feedback mode by using realistic material parameters. Then, the basic concept for MEMS-controlled PhC slab devices is described. We show numerical results that demonstrate some of interesting functions such as the intensity modulation and the tuning of resonant frequency of cavity mode. Finally, a preliminary experiment of MEMS-based switching operation in a PhC line-defect waveguide is demonstrated.

Autonomous Decentralized Community Information System (ADCS) is a proposition made to meet the rapidly changing users' requirements and cope with the extreme dynamism in current information services. ADCS is a decentralized architecture that forms a community of individual end-users (community members) having the same interests and demands in specified time and location. It allows those members to mutually cooperate and share information without loading up any single node excessively. In this paper, an autonomous decentralized community communication technology is proposed to assure a productive cooperation, a flexible and timely communication among the community members. The main ideas behind this communication technology are: content-code communication (service-based) for flexibility and multilateral communication for timely and productive cooperation among members. All members communicate productively for the satisfaction of all the community members. The scalability of the system's response time regardless of the number of the community members is shown through simulation. Thus, the autonomous decentralized community communication technology reveals significant results when the total number of members in the community increases sharply.

In recent years, there has been a rapid and widespread proliferation of non-traditional embedded computing platforms such as digital camcorders, cellular phones, and portable medical devices. As applications become increasingly sophisticated and processing power increases, the application designer has to rely on the services provided by the real-time operating systems (RTOSs). These RTOSs must not only provide predictable services but must also be efficient and small in size. Kernel services should also be deterministic by specifying how long each service call will take to execute. Having this information allows the application designers to better plan their real-time application software so as not to miss the deadline of each task. In this paper, we propose a generalized deterministic scheduling algorithm that makes the task scheduling time constant irrespective of the number of tasks created in an application. The proposed algorithm eliminates the restriction on the maximum number of task priorities imposed on the existing ones, without additional memory overhead.

In this paper, we propose a self-nonself recognition algorithm based on positive and negative selection used in the developing process of T cells. The anomaly detection algorithm based on negative selection is a representative model among self-recognition method and it has been applied to computer immune systems in recent years. In biological immune systems, T cells are produced through both positive and negative selection. Positive selection is the process used to determine a MHC receptor that recognizes self-molecules. Negative selection is the process used to determine an antigen receptor that recognizes antigens, or nonself cells. In this paper, we propose a self-recognition algorithm based on the positive selection and also propose a fusion algorithm based on both positive and negative selection. To verify the effectiveness of the proposed system, we show simulation results for detecting some infected data obtained from cell changes and string changes in the self-file.

Marginal reliability importance (MRI) of a component in a system is defined as the rate at which the system reliability changes over changes of the component reliability. MRI helps network designers to construct a reliable network layout. We consider a problem to compute MRI of all components in a network system considering all-terminal reliability in order to rank the components with respect to MRI. The problem is time-consuming since computing network reliability is #P-complete. This paper improves the traditional approach for the problem to proposes an efficient algorithm. The algorithm applies some network transformations, three network reductions and one network decomposition. We have proved lemmas with respect to the relationship between the transformations and MRI, which compute MRI for an original network by using MRI and reliability for transformed networks. Additionally, we have derived a deformed formula to compute MRI, which can also reduce computational task. Numerical experiments revealed that the proposed algorithm reduced computational time considerably compared to the traditional approach.

A mathematical theory is proposed based on the concept of functional analysis, suitable for operation of network systems extraordinarily complicated and diversified on large scales, through connected-block structures. Fundamental conditions for existence and evaluation of system behaviors of such network systems are obtained in a form of fixed point theorem for system of nonlinear mappings.

In this paper, we propose a new content delivery platform on the ITS (Intelligent Transport Systems) road-vehicle communication system on the basis of ROF (Radio over Fiber). The platform is strongly motivated by the ROF communication system capabilities of (1) broadband access, (2) integrated multiple service transmission interface, and (3) simultaneous use of a single and downsized vehicle terminal shared among multiple services based on a multi-mode software radio system. Content is delivered on per reservation basis, as is carefully envisaged as a primary service which is subjected to immaturity of early ITS road-vehicle communication systems, and is provided in limited service areas such as parking on main highways. After the reservation, requested content is stored in a cache connected to a ROF local station via optical fiber. At the designated time, the content is delivered from the cache to a target terminal by way of the ROF local station at high-speed. It can also be done by moving the content from the cache to another cache depending on the target terminal location in a flexible and reliable manner, even if the target terminal could not reach the place at the time designated in the reservation. Such flexibility and reliability are required for consequent practical application, and are provided using information given in the reservations. We implement a preliminary system to evaluate the proposed platform from the viewpoints of (1) processing time from logging into the system for a reservation to delivering content to the target terminal and (2) amount of control traffic required for the delivery. The results show that the proposed platform in which content is delivered from a cache connected with a ROF local station distributed geographically is effective. We also evaluate content delivery throughput using the system connected with an actual ROF local station, and show that the effective throughput is 40 Mbps and the proposed platform is a promising ITS service platform. The paper concludes by discussing future study toward realizing a more promising and practical system.

The accuracy of channel estimation significantly affects the performance of coherent receiver in a DS-CDMA system. The receiver performance can be improved if an appropriate channel estimation filter is used according to the channel condition. In this paper, we consider the design of channel estimation filters for pilot channel based DS-CDMA systems. When a moving average (MA) FIR filter is used as the channel estimation filter (CEF), the tap size is optimized by minimizing the mean squared error of the estimated channel impulse response. Finally, the analytic design is verified by computer simulation. Numerical results show that the optimum MA FIR CEF provides near optimum performance, i.e., quite similar to that with the use of Wiener filter.

G.Huet (1980) showed that a left-linear term-rewriting system (TRS) is Church-Rosser (CR) if P Q for every critical pair where P Q is a parallel reduction from P to Q. But, it remains open whether it is CR when Q P for every critical pair . In this paper, we give a partial solution to this problem, that is, a left-linear TRS is CR if Q P for every critical pair where Q P is a parallel reduction with the set W of redex occurrences satisfying that if the critical pair is generated from two rules overlapping at an occurrence u, then the length |w| |u| for every w W. We also show that a left-linear TRS is CR if Q P for every critical pair generated from two rules overlapping at an occurrence u. Here, Q P is either Q = P or a reduction whose redex occurrence is not greater than u. This condition is incomparable with the previous one and a partial solution to the open problem of ascertaining whether it is CR when Q P for every critical pair .