Designing an extensible architecture for Personalized Ambient Information

Ambient displays provide us with information in the background of our awareness. However, as each user has individual wishes and needs of how, which and when information is presented, the acceptance of ambient displays is low.In this paper we introduce an extensible architecture for personalized ambient information.We employ a notification system to extend the capability of a fixture to display more than one variable. Multiple variables can be updated by multiple information providers. Thereby, our architecture covers a broader spectrum of notifications from alarms to ambient information.We evaluate our concept within a dual-task experiment in comparison to preset notifications. The results show a level of self-interruption which is significantly lower than using preset notifications. Therefore our approach outperforms preset notifications and moves ambient displays closer to secondary displays in human–computer interaction.     

A survey of RFID privacy approaches

A bewildering number of proposals have offered solutions to the privacy problems inherent in RFID communication. This article tries to give an overview of the currently discussed approaches and their attributes.

Wide band resonant ultrasound spectroscopy of spheroidal modes for high accuracy estimation of Poisson coefficient of balls

An original inversion method specifically adapted to the estimation of Poisson coefficient of balls by using their resonance spectra is described. From the study of their elastic vibrations, it is possible to accurately characterize the balls. The proposed methodology can create both spheroidal modes in the balls and detect such vibrations over a large frequency range. Experimentally, by using both an ultrasonic probe for the emission (piezoelectric transducer) and a heterodyne optic probe for the reception (interferometer), it was possible to take spectroscopic measurements of spheroidal vibrations over a large frequency range (100 kHz-45 MHz) in a continuous regime. This method, which uses ratios between wave resonance frequencies, allows the Poisson coefficient to be determined independently of Young's modulus and the ball's radius and density. This has the advantage of providing highly accurate estimations of Poisson coefficient (+/-4.3 x 10(-4)) over a wide frequency range.     

Network management integrating SNMP/CMIP protocol implementations

In this paper, a new approach to integratingSNMP andCMIP protocols in a network management system is introduced. It is based on the use of proxy systems allowing to integrate SNMP network management agents in a general network management framework based onCMIP. The system architecture for marrying the protocols is first presented. Then the key features of a new protocol gateway implementing the proxy function are described, with emphasis on the explanation of theSNMP/CMIP mapping algorithm and the threshold/event reporting functions.     

Licence de brevet et partage du risque: Résultats de simulation

Annals of Telecommunications - Le partage du risque est une des raisons les plus souvent avancées pour expliquer les clauses financières des contrats de licence. Pour autant, aucune...     

State of the Art of Molecular Visualization in Immersive Virtual Environments

Visualization plays a crucial role in molecular and structural biology. It has been successfully applied to a variety of tasks, including structural analysis and interactive drug design. While some of the challenges in this area can be overcome with more advanced visualization and interaction techniques, others are challenging primarily due to the limitations of the hardware devices used to interact with the visualized content. Consequently, visualization researchers are increasingly trying to take advantage of new technologies to facilitate the work of domain scientists. Some typical problems associated with classic 2D interfaces, such as regular desktop computers, are a lack of natural spatial understanding and interaction, and a limited field of view. These problems could be solved by immersive virtual environments and corresponding hardware, such as virtual reality head-mounted displays. Thus, researchers are investigating the potential of immersive virtual environments in the field of molecular visualization. There is already a body of work ranging from educational approaches to protein visualization to applications for collaborative drug design. This review focuses on molecular visualization in immersive virtual environments as a whole, aiming to cover this area comprehensively. We divide the existing papers into different groups based on their application areas, and types of tasks performed. Furthermore, we also include a list of available software tools. We conclude the report with a discussion of potential future research on molecular visualization in immersive environments.     

Using I2P (Invisible Internet Protocol) Encrypted Virtual Tunnels for a Secure and Anonymous Communication in VANets: I2P Vehicular Protocol (IVP)

Wireless Personal Communications - The Invisible Internet Project (I2P) as a secure protocol uses robust mechanisms and strong algorithms to reinforce the security and the anonymity of the...     

Comparison of the identification performance of conventional FEM updating and integrated DIC

Full‐field identification methods are increasingly used to adequately identify constitutive parameters to describe the mechanical behavior of materials. This paper investigates the more recently introduced one‐step method of integrated digital image correlation (IDIC) with respect to the most commonly used two‐step method of finite element model updating (FEMU), which uses a subset‐based DIC algorithm. To make the comparison as objective as possible, both methods are implemented in the most equivalent manner and use the same FE model. Various virtual test cases are studied to assess the performance of both methods when subjected to different error sources: (1) systematic errors, (2) poor initial guesses for the constitutive parameters, (3) image noise, (4) constitutive model errors, and (5) experimental errors. Results show that, despite the mathematical similarity of both methods, IDIC produces less erroneous and more reliable results than FEMU, particularly for more challenging test cases exhibiting small displacements, complex kinematics, misalignment of the specimen, and image noise. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Noncontact Sonic NDE and Defect Imaging Via Local Defect Resonance

A selective acoustic activation of defects based on the concept of local defect resonance enables to enhance considerably the intensity of defect vibrations and makes it possible to reduce the input acoustic powers to the levels permissible for noncontact nondestructive inspection. Since for cm-size defects in composite materials, the LDR frequencies lie in the low kHz-range, the resonant noncontact activation shifts to an audible frequency range and can be provided by conventional sonic equipment. In this paper, the feasibility of the resonant noncontact inspection is validated for the most “problematic” methodologies of nonlinear, thermosonic and shearosonic NDE that usually require an elevated acoustic power and, therefore, a reliable contact between the specimen and the transducer. In contrast, the noncontact versions developed employ commercial loudspeakers which can simultaneously insonify large areas and be applied for a contactless sonic inspection of different materials and various scale components.     

Magnetic Properties of Thermal Sprayed Tungsten Carbide–Cobalt Coatings

In the information age, the storage and accessibility of data is of vital importance. There are several possibilities to fulfill this task. Magnetic storage of data is a well‐established method and the range of materials used is continuously extended. In this study, the magnetic remanence of thermally sprayed tungsten carbide–cobalt (WCCo)‐coatings in dependence of their thickness is examined. Two magnetic fields differing in value and geometry are imprinted into the coatings and the resulting remanence field is measured. It is found that there are two effects, which in combination determine the effective value of the magnetic remanence usable for magnetic data storage.