Automatic analysis and integration of architectural drawings

Recognition and integration of 2D architectural drawings provide a sound basis for automatically evaluating building designs, simulating safety, estimating construction cost or planning construction sequences. To accomplish these targets, difficulties come from (1) an architectural project is usually composed of a series of related drawings, (2) 3D information of structural objects may be expressed in 2D drawings, annotations, tables, or the composites of above expressions, and (3) a large number of disturbing graphical primitives in architectural drawings complicate the recognition processes. In this paper, we propose new methods to recognize typical structural objects and architectural symbols. Then the recognized results on the same floor and drawings of different floors will be integrated automatically for accurate 3D reconstruction.     

A DSL for modeling application-specific functionalities of business applications

Models have been widely used in the information system development process. Models are not just means for system analysis and documentation. They may be also transformed into system implementation, primarily program code. Generated program code of screen forms and transaction programs mainly implements generic functionalities that can be expressed by simple retrieval, insertion, update, or deletion operations over database records. Besides the program code of generic functionalities, each application usually includes program code for specific business logic that represents application-specific functionalities, which may include complex calculations, as well as a series of database operations. There is a lack of domain-specific and tool-supported techniques for specification of such application-specific functionalities at the level of platform-independent models (PIMs). In this paper, we propose an approach and a domain-specific language (DSL), named IIS^⁎CFuncLang, aimed at enabling a complete specification of application-specific functionalities at the PIM level. We have developed algorithms for transformation of IIS^⁎CFuncLang specifications into executable program code, such as PL/SQL program code. In order to support specification of application-specific functionalities using IIS^⁎CFuncLang, we have also developed appropriate tree-based and textual editors. The language, editors, and the transformations are embedded into a Model-Driven Software Development tool, named Integrated Information Systems CASE (IIS^⁎Case). IIS^⁎Case supports platform-independent design and automated prototyping of information systems, which allows us to verify and test our approach in practice.     

Architecture of an application-specific processor for real-time implementation of H.264/AVC sub-pixel interpolation

This paper presents an efficient VLSI architecture for fast implementation of sub-pixel interpolation of H.264/AVC. Several optimization techniques at different design levels, such as parallel processing, vector register, pipeline architecture, and in-place computation, are utilized to reduce the number of memory access and accelerate the interpolation computations. The proposed application-specific processor can meet the real-time constraint of the sub-pixel interpolation algorithm for the 16:9 video format (4,690 × 2,304) at 30 frames per second (fps) at 100 MHz clock rate.

User interface guidelines for the control of interactive television systems via smart phone applications

There are a growing number of smart phone applications allowing the user to control their television, set-top box or other entertainment devices. The success of these applications is limited. Based on findings from media studies in Austria and France focusing on how people currently use their TV and iTV systems and associated devices, this article describes recommendations for the design of a smart phone application enabling users to control Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) systems including all connected entertainment devices. Recommendations include the need to allow users to control devices that are related to the IPTV experience (not only the set-top box or television set) and the focus on scenarios of usage like supporting listening to music, enjoying a movie or controlling the connected home. Based on similarities and differences found in the two samples, future smart phone applications for controlling TV will only succeed if they provide meaningful functionalities that satisfy the (varying) user needs, support personalisation and personal usage and respect the limitations of mobile phones with respect to possible parallel activities performed.     

Methods and guidelines for the design and development of domestic ubiquitous computing applications

Bringing ubiquitous computing applications to home environments is a great challenge. In our research we investigate how applications can be conceived, designed and implemented in such a way that they fit into people’s lives. We describe our experiments on how methods of user centred design and participatory design can be appropriated to elicit users’ requirements and design ideas for ubiquitous computing applications for the home. In particular we report on a study on information presentation using display appliances. In a participatory design process enhanced with technology probes, we individually discussed potential solutions for specific homes with 14 people. Each of the resulting solutions is tailored to suit a single person. For each of these individual solutions we specified prototypes that would accommodate the user’s needs but are generic in its applicability at the same time. Based on this we derived a first set of guidelines for the design of display appliances in the home environment.     

Neuro-fuzzy approach for development of new neuron model

The training time of ANN depends on size of ANN (i.e. number of hidden layers and number of neurons in each layer), size of training data, their normalization range and type of mapping of training patterns (like X–Y, X–Y, X–Y and X–Y), error functions and learning algorithms. The efforts have been done in past to reduce training time of ANN by selection of an optimal network and modification in learning algorithms. In this paper, an attempt has been made to develop a new neuron model using neuro-fuzzy approach to overcome the problems of ANN incorporating the features of fuzzy systems at a neuron level. Fuzzifying the neuron structure, which incorporates the features of simple neuron as well as high order neuron, has used this synergetic approach.     

A survey of search methodologies and automated system development for examination timetabling

Examination timetabling is one of the most important administrative activities that takes place in all academic institutions. In this paper, we present a critical discussion of the research on exam timetabling which has taken place in the last decade or so. This last ten years has seen a significantly increased level of research attention for this important area. There has been a range of insightful contributions to the scientific literature both in terms of theoretical issues and practical aspects. The main aim of this survey is to highlight the new trends and key research achievements that have been carried out in the last decade. We also aim to outline a range of relevant important research issues and challenges that have been generated by this body of work. We first define the problem and discuss previous survey papers. Within our presentation of the state-of-the-art methodologies, we highlight recent research trends including hybridisations of search methodologies and the development of techniques which are motivated by raising the level of generality at which search methodologies can operate. Summarising tables are presented to provide an overall view of these techniques. We also present and discuss some important issues which have come to light concerning the public benchmark exam timetabling data. Different versions of problem datasets with the same name have been circulating in the scientific community for the last ten years and this has generated a significant amount of confusion. We clarify the situation and present a re-naming of the widely studied datasets to avoid future confusion. We also highlight which research papers have dealt with which dataset. Finally, we draw upon our discussion of the literature to present a (non-exhaustive) range of potential future research directions and open issues in exam timetabling research.     

Enhancing middleware support for architecture-based development through compositional weaving of styles

Architecture-based software development has been shown as an effective approach for managing the implementation complexity of large-scale software systems. Architecture-based development is often achieved with the help of a middleware, which provides implementation-level counterparts for the architectural modeling constructs. Such a middleware automatically ensures that implemented system accurately embodies the properties encoded in its architectural models. However, existing middlewares do not provide sufficient support for architectural styles. This is due to the crosscutting structure of styles that impacts the behavior of every other architectural construct, and hence the corresponding middleware facilities. We present an aspect-oriented approach that alleviates this problem by weaving the stylistic concerns with the rest of the middleware. The approach decouples stylistic concerns from other middleware facilities, which in turn improves the middleware's understandability and flexibility, and enables rapid composition of hybrid styles. We evaluate the approach and describe our experiences by providing support for several well-known styles using two open-source middleware platforms.     

Context analysis to support development of virtual reality applications

To develop a usable Virtual Reality system, the prospective context of use of such a system may need to be considered in order to make sure it meets the requirements and restrictions of that context. In this paper, a contextual analysis is described for a virtual reality system to aid medical diagnosis and treatment planning of vascular disorders. Semi-structured interviews were coupled with observations in an ethnographic approach to requirements gathering in the daily work environment of (interventional) radiologists and vascular surgeons. The identified potential usability problems of a fully immersive prototype, coupled with the needs, requirements and real-life environment of the end-users lead to guidelines for the development of a VR application on a semi-immersive desktop environment. The findings lead us to believe that contextual analysis can be a powerful way to inform the design of a VR application by offering an understanding of the context of use and to inform developers of the most appropriate degree of immersiveness of the VR environment.     

IEEE1451标准智能传感器中网络应用处理器的实现

IEEE1451智能传感器接口标准为网络化传感器的互操作性与互换性提供了解决方案,在该协议的基础上,研制了系列IEEE1451标准网络化智能传感器,关键模块包括网络应用处理器(NCAP)和智能传感器模块(STIM)。详细介绍NCAP的实现方法;重点讨论关键技术的实现及其注意事项,最后,给出测试结果。通过实际测试,NCAP符合IEEE1451国际标准,传输速率达到8Mb it/s以上,能够应用于大型分布式测控领域。     

The analysis of architectural languages for the needs of practitioners

Architectural languages (ALs) have attracted much attention as the modeling notations for specifying and reasoning about important design decisions. In this study, 124 different existing ALs have been analyzed for a set of requirements that are crucial for practitioners. These requirements are concerned with language definition, language features, and tool support. Some of the important findings obtained from the analysis are as follows: (1) performance is the top popular nonfunctional requirement supported by ALs; (2) no ALs offer both textual and visual notation sets, one of which could be used independently; (3) process algebras are the top preferred formal method by formal ALs; (4) the physical, deployment, and operational viewpoints are rarely supported by ALs; (5) the top preferred extension mechanism of the extensible ALs is XML for syntax extension; (6) Java is the top preferred programming language in generating software code; (7) the exhaustive model checking is the top preferred automated analysis method; (8) the logic‐based formal techniques are so popular in specifying system requirements; (9) among the analysis properties considered, consistency is the top supported property for the automated checking; and (10) most ALs do not provide any discussion platform (eg, forums). Hence, these findings can be used by the new AL developers in addressing the needs of practitioners and bridging the gaps in the field. Practitioners can also use the findings to find out about the existing ALs and compare them to choose the one(s) that suits their needs best.     

Affinity-based microarrays for proteomic analysis of cancer tissues

Based on about a decade of technical developments in analysing the human proteome with antibody microarrays and experience in performing such analyses, now there are the means at hand for detailed and simultaneously global investigations of this kind. Many technical aspects have been dealt with of both the microarray format itself – such as overcoming kinetic and mass transport limitations and thus achieving accurate measurements – and ancillary processes – such as extraction procedures that provide good protein solubilisation, produce reproducible yields and preserve the native protein conformation as much as possible. The overall analysis process is robust and reproducible, highly sensitive down to the level of single-molecule detection and permits an analysis of several parameters on many molecules at a time. While the study of body liquids is widely applied, analyses of tissue proteomes are still scarce. However, conditions do exist to perform the latter at a quality level that meets the standards for clinical applications. This review highlights methodological aspects relevant for a biomedically useful analysis of cellular samples and discusses the potential of such studies, in particular, in view of personalised medicine approaches.     

Study and development of morphological analysis guidelines for point cloud management: The “decisional cube”

When talking about reverse engineering, it is necessary to focus on the management of point clouds. Generally speaking, every 3D scanner device codifies simple and complex geometries providing different point cloud densities as an output. Point cloud density is usually more correlated with the technical specifications of the device employed rather than with the morphology of the object acquired. This situation is due to the frequent use of structured grids by a large quantity of devices. In order to solve this problem, we therefore need to integrate the classical structured grid acquisition with a smart selective one, which is able to identify different point cloud densities in accordance with the morphological complexity of the object regions acquired.Currently, we can reach the destination in many different ways. Each of them is able to provide different performances depending on the object morphology and the performances of 3D scanner devices. Unfortunately, there does not yet exist one universal approach able to be employed in all cases. For this reason, the present paper aims to propose a first analysis of the available methodologies and parameters, in order to provide final users with some guidelines for supporting their decisions according to the specific application they are facing. Moreover, the developed guidelines have been illustrated and validated by a series of case studies of the proposed method.     

Quantitative lifecycle risk analysis of the development of a just-in-time transportation network system

The automotive manufacturing industry is under financial pressure due to massive cost structure, relatively small scale operation and strong global competition. In order to improve their operational cost efficiency, companies have adopt lean principles in all their manufacturing activities, in particular, just-in-time supply chain. However, a consequence of this policy makes the transportation network from the local supply chain time critical. This paper uses an enterprise system model integrated with a quantitative method to study a manufacturing company’s logistics system re-development project. The quantitative risk analysis examines the project’s systems engineering management plan to see if it is sufficiently to mitigate risks in design, monitoring and validation of the project’s lifecycle processes. The computed risk profile shows a trend of decreasing risk and suggests areas of improvement in the systems engineering plan to ensure greater probability of success. The research assumes a single risk profile for the supply chain. Research is continuing in expanding to more accurate risk profile of the project when partners of the supply chain have individual profiles.     

TiGEMS二次开发接口的设计与实现

分析了CAD/CAM软件二次开发平台的基本设计理论和设计原则。针对典型的商业三维几何造型系统——TiGEMS提出了采用动态链接库技术的二次开发接口设计方法和实现过程。解决了TiGEMS二次开发接口的难点和问题。