Camera Phones: A Snapshot of Research and Applications

Once considered science fiction, mobile phones with digital cameras are now inexpensive, widely available, and very popular. Significantly more camera phones are sold each year than dedicated digital cameras. According to Strategy Analytics, it's likely that over one billion camera phones were sold last year. Surprisingly, the tremendous popularity of camera phones has caused little controversy. A few companies and institutions have banned camera phones owing to security concerns, and there has been some abuse of personal privacy, but for the most part, there has been worldwide acceptance of this new technology. Smart phones with smart cameras have clearly enabled new applications. Even better, the widespread availability of these devices makes it possible to bring these new applications to hundreds of millions of users.     

3D动画自动生成的学习系统

手机3D动画自动生成系统实现了在计算机辅助的条件下短信动画的全自动生成.本文为手机3D动画自动生成系统设计并实现一个学习系统,该学习系统利用随机森林算法生成一个以用户评价为分类结果的学习模型去指导手机3D动画自动生成系统生成更让用户满意的动画,同时学习系统能够随着手机3D动画自动生成系统的运转不断更新学习模型,最终实现“不断学习”的学习能力.     

Design and implementation of MLC NAND flash-based DBMS for mobile devices

Recently, Multi-Level Cell (MLC) NAND flash memory is becoming widely used as storage media for mobile devices such as mobile phones, MP3 players, PDAs and digital cameras. MLC NAND flash memory, however, has some restrictions that hard disk or Single-Level Cell (SLC) NAND flash memory do not have. Since most traditional database techniques assume hard disk, they may not provide the best attainable performance on MLC NAND flash memory. In this paper, we design and implement an MLC NAND flash-based DBMS for mobile devices, called AceDB Flashlight, which fully exploits the unique characteristics of MLC NAND flash memory. Our performance evaluations on an MLC NAND flash-based device show that the proposed DBMS significantly outperforms the existing ones.     

手持设备三维菜单绩效评估

为了使研究人员能够快速、有效对手持设备的三维菜单设计进行评估,基于Fitts’定律和Hick-Hyman定律,提出了一个预测手持设备三维菜单操作绩效的模型,并用实验验证了该模型的有效性。实验分为两个阶段,第一阶段的实验是为了计算模型中的系数a₁,b₁,a₂,b₂的值,并将其用于实验第二阶段的数据分析;第二阶段的实验是为了验证模型的有效性。并结合AIC（Akaike Information Criterion）准则对该模型与其他模型进行了对比分析。实验结果表明,该模型预测得到的用户操作绩效数据与实验测试得到的绩效数据非常接近（二者相关性为0.914 5）,且通过AIC准则分析表明,该模型最优。因此,该模型是有效的。     

A streaming-based solution for remote visualization of 3D graphics on mobile devices

Mobile devices such as personal digital assistants, tablet PCs, and cellular phones have greatly enhanced user capability to connect to remote resources. Although a large set of applications is now available bridging the gap between desktop and mobile devices, visualization of complex 3D models is still a task hard to accomplish without specialized hardware. This paper proposes a system where a cluster of PCs, equipped with accelerated graphics cards managed by the Chromium software, is able to handle remote visualization sessions based on MPEG video streaming involving complex 3D models. The proposed framework allows mobile devices such as smart phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), and tablet PCs to visualize objects consisting of millions of textured polygons and voxels at a frame rate of 30 fps or more depending on hardware resources at the server side and on multimedia capabilities at the client side. The server is able to concurrently manage multiple clients computing a video stream for each one; resolution and quality of each stream is tailored according to screen resolution and bandwidth of the client. The paper investigates in depth issues related to latency time, bit rate and quality of the generated stream, screen resolutions, as well as frames per second displayed     

Prototypes in pervasive computing

In product design, prototypes - approximations of a product along some dimensions - are the essential medium for information, interaction, integration, and collaboration. Information appliances such as mobile phones, digital cameras, and music players are a growing area of ubiquitous computing. Designers currently create two separate sets of prototypes: "looks-like" prototypes that show only the device's form (the atoms) and "works-like" prototypes that use a computer display to demonstrate the interaction (the bits). Because of the required skill and time investment, designers don't build comprehensive prototypes that join form and function until late in development.     

Improving Bluetooth Security: What IT Managers and Mobile Device Users Can Do

Abstract

Bluetooth wireless technology is becoming ubiquitous. According to the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG), Bluetooth weekly shipments passed the 5 million unit mark in the second quarter of 2005, up from 3 million in the third quarter of 2004. Most of this growth has been in the mobile phone and PDA markets; in fact, 20 percent of mobile phones now ship with Bluetooth. In high-end business phones, the penetration rate is even higher, and many business-class phones include Bluetooth.     

Application of Evolutionary Neural Networks on Optimization Design of Mobile Phone Based on User's Emotional Needs

Taking users’ emotional needs into consideration, this research aims to propose a new method to present product design features exactly and completely. On the basis of genetic algorithm integrated with back‐propagation (BP) neural networks, taking the mobile phone as research object, an optimization design algorithm was finally designed. First, the continuous and discrete design variables that describe mobile phones were screened with methods of dimensions, coordinate label, and morphological analysis. Forty three‐dimensional (3D) mobile phone models were designed by using 3D design software PROE. Accordingly, 12 representative mobile phones were selected through multidimensional scaling analysis and cluster analysis. Fourteen pairwise Kansei image words were obtained by collecting, screening, surveys, and statistical analysis method. Second, a BP neural networks model between design variables and user preference along with Kansei image words was established and verified with questionnaire survey data. Finally, the optimization design model for mobile phones was established considering design requirements and users’ emotional needs. A genetic algorithm integrated with BP neural networks was used to optimize mobile phone design. The results show that the optimization scheme is superior to others, and this paper will provide design suggestion for mobile phone designers.     

Advanced IPS technology for mobile applications

Abstract— In‐plane‐switching LCD (IPS‐LCD) technologies originally developed for LCD monitors and TV applications are applied to mobile applications. Advantages of the IPS mode over other optical modes for mobile applications are quantitatively clarified. The panel achieves stable color reproduction and chromaticity in the viewing‐angle range for mobile displays. Superiority of the IPS mode over other optical modes is discussed also from the viewpoints of stability in chromaticity during the brightness change and the driving power consumption. A transflective IPS mode with good performance is accomplished by the use of a proper optical design. A new structure, IPS‐Pro, which enables sunlight readability by increasing the transmittance, i.e., the brightness of the panel, without additional cost and power consumption in contrast to additional fabrication processes required to fabricate the transflective mode is realized. Furthermore, to improve the users' convenience, an automatic luminance control system and a controllable viewing‐angle device are developed. The panels developed fulfill the market requirements of increasing the function and performance variations and will be the most appropriate ones to be applied to mobile appliances, such as cellular phones, digital still cameras, music players, GPS, mobile TV sets, etc.     

Improved flash memory grows in popularity

In the past, two key storage technologies, hard drives and flash chips, each had distinct uses. The bigger-selling hard drive technology was used in machines requiring high storage volumes, such as servers, PCs, laptops, and even digital music players. Flash memory was used in machines that needed less storage capacity, such as digital cameras, cell phones, and embedded controllers. Now, though, this is starting to change. Today's NAND flash memory has more capacity and a lower price tag, making it more suitable for new uses. The popularity of these players has raised NAND flash's profile. In turn, the technology's popularity reflects the extent to which the digital-music industry has pinned its hopes for mass-market appeal on flash-based players.     

Comparative performance evaluation of CAR systems based on mobile phones and feature tracking

Collaborative Augmented Reality (CAR) systems based on mobile phones have experienced a huge expansion last years, since the hardware features of most mobile phones provide excellent multimedia services and wireless network capabilities. In previous works, we improved the performance of large-scale CAR systems based on mobile phones that use fiducial marker tracking. However, CAR systems based on natural feature tracking have just emerged, changing the way in which Augmented Reality applications work. In this paper, we propose the performance evaluation of CAR systems based on feature tracking when using mobile phones, and their comparison with CAR systems based on fiducial marker tracking. The evaluation of the whole CAR system includes the rendering of the virtual environment with Unity3D. The purpose is to provide the reader with a reference about the performance that can be achieved with each kind of CAR system. The evaluation results of client devices show that they work faster with natural feature (commonly denoted as markerless) tracking than with fiducial marker tracking, regardless of the phone model and the operating system considered. The evaluation results of the whole CAR system show that natural feature tracking provides similar performance than fiducial marker tracking when the system reaches saturation. However, the use of natural feature tracking allows better performance for low workloads or when the system approaches saturation, since, it provides similar response times at the cost of increasing the percentage of CPU utilization in the server, instead of dropping messages. These results validate natural feature tracking as the best option for CAR systems based on mobile phones.     

A scalable architecture for 3D map navigation on mobile devices

Mobile devices such as smart phones or tablets are rapidly increasing their graphics and networking capabilities. However, real-time visualization of 3D maps is still a challenging task to accomplish on such limited devices. In this paper, we describe the principles involved in the design and development of a scalable client–server architecture for delivering 3D maps over wireless networks to mobile devices. We have developed a hybrid adaptive streaming and rendering method that distributes the 3D map rendering task between the mobile clients and a remote server. This architecture provides support for efficient delivery of 3D contents to mobile clients according to their capabilities. As a proof of concept, we have implemented a prototype and carried out exhaustive experiments considering different scenarios and hundreds of concurrent connected clients. The analysis of the server workload and the mobile clients performance show that our architecture achieves a great scalability and performance even when using low-end hardware.     

Effect of SAM hand phantom on TRP of EN‐DC 5G terminal

5G terminal is more susceptible to environmental impacts because of its more sophisticated and complex design. To investigate the effect of human hands on 5G terminal, we construct the measurement system and test the transmission performance of 5G mobile phone in the free space and human hand model, respectively. The combination of B3 (4G) and N77 (5G) TRP is tested and analyzed since 5G mobile phones need to be connected to both 4G and 5G networks under NSA network. It is obtained that the TRP tested in SAM hand phantom is lower than that of measurements in free space. Moreover, the measured results show that left hand and right hand have different impact on the performance of the mobile phone, which is closely related to the layout of the mobile phone. Therefore, we cannot only use the level of EIRP to evaluate the transmitting performance of DUT, but also need to introduce abnormal rate to evaluate. The abnormal rates of N77 are higher than that of B3 when the DUT is fixed in SAM hand phantom. The test results can help researchers to optimize the layout of mobile phones.     

Radon CLF: A Novel Approach for Skew Detection Using Radon Transform

In the digital world, a wide range of handwritten and printed documents should be converted to digital format using a variety of tools, including mobile phones and scanners. Unfortunately, this is not an optimal procedure, and the entire document image might be degraded. Imperfect conversion effects due to noise, motion blur, and skew distortion can lead to significant impact on the accuracy and effectiveness of document image segmentation and analysis in Optical Character Recognition (OCR) systems. In Document Image Analysis Systems (DIAS), skew estimation of images is a crucial step. In this paper, a novel, fast, and reliable skew detection algorithm based on the Radon Transform and Curve Length Fitness Function (CLF), so-called Radon CLF, was proposed. The Radon CLF model aims to take advantage of the properties of Radon spaces. The Radon CLF explores the dominating angle more effectively for a 1D signal than it does for a 2D input image due to an innovative fitness function formulation for a projected signal of the Radon space. Several significant performance indicators, including Mean Square Error (MSE), Mean Absolute Error (MAE), Peak Signal-to-Noise Ratio (PSNR), Structural Similarity Measure (SSIM), Accuracy, and run-time, were taken into consideration when assessing the performance of our model. In addition, a new dataset named DSI5000 was constructed to assess the accuracy of the CLF model. Both two- dimensional image signal and the Radon space have been used in our simulations to compare the noise effect. Obtained results show that the proposed method is more effective than other approaches already in use, with an accuracy of roughly 99.87% and a run-time of 0.048 (s). The introduced model is far more accurate and time-efficient than current approaches in detecting image skew.     

The influence of design aesthetics in usability testing: Effects on user performance and perceived usability

This article examined the effects of product aesthetics on several outcome variables in usability tests. Employing a computer simulation of a mobile phone, 60 adolescents (14-17 yrs) were asked to complete a number of typical tasks of mobile phone users. Two functionally identical mobile phones were manipulated with regard to their visual appearance (highly appealing vs not appealing) to determine the influence of appearance on perceived usability, performance measures and perceived attractiveness. The results showed that participants using the highly appealing phone rated their appliance as being more usable than participants operating the unappealing model. Furthermore, the visual appearance of the phone had a positive effect on performance, leading to reduced task completion times for the attractive model. The study discusses the implications for the use of adolescents in ergonomic research.     

Microelectronics in mobile communications: a key enabler

Mobile communications have grown beyond expectations since the beginning of the 1990s, mostly due to the introduction of second-generation (2G) digital solutions for mobile systems. Since the introduction of the first digital cellular networks in 1992, more than 250 million terminals have been sold. Europe has taken a leading position with products based on the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), which represent more than 60% of the 2G cellular equipment market. Of the top five GSM manufacturers, four are European companies: Nokia (Finland), Ericsson (Sweden), Alcatel (France), and Siemens (Germany). Massive manufacturer investments have resulted in low-cost solutions and the success of GSM. This article traces the evolution of 2G cellular terminals and discusses the GSM terminal architectures and technologies, showing the key role of microelectronics. We also discuss the challenges facing microelectronics in 3G systems such as the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) and wideband code division multiple access (CDMA), both to be introduced early in the next century. The European Community has consistently supported initiatives in the telecommunications domain. In particular, several ongoing MEDEA projects are associated with new developments in mobile communications     

手机变形动画自动生成

全过程动画自动生成技术是将受限的自然语言自动生成一段相应的3D动画. 我们把这个技术运用到手机动画自动生成中, 变形系统作为手机动画自动生成系统中的一个重要组成部分, 可以通过对动画中的物体进行形状改变使得原来的动画更加生动. 它由定性和定量两部分组成, 这两部分在文中将详细阐述.     

Understanding the diffusion of mobile digital content: a growth curve modelling approach

While the sales of mobile digital content have been growing exponentially, the understanding of its diffusion remains limited in the literature. In this study, we set out to enrich this understanding using a growth curve modelling approach. We applied four widely used growth curve models of innovation diffusion and compared their performance in explaining the diffusion of mobile digital content empirically. Analysis based on the data collected on a product adopted by nearly 30 million mobile phone users over a 149-week period in 31 regions in China revealed that the Gompertz model was the most effective model in depicting the diffusion process, with more than 99 % of the variance explained. Moreover, we found that population, urbanization, education level, and mobile technology usage were significant determinants of various parameters such as the diffusion rate and inflection point of the diffusion process, respectively. Implications for both researchers and practitioners are discussed.     

UbiqLog: a generic mobile phone-based life-log framework

Smartphones are conquering the mobile phone market; they are not just phones; they also act as media players, gaming consoles, personal calendars, storage, etc. They are portable computers with fewer computing capabilities than personal computers. However, unlike personal computers, users can carry their smartphone with them at all times. The ubiquity of mobile phones and their computing capabilities provide an opportunity of using them as a life-logging device. Life-logs (personal e-memories) are used to record users’ daily life events and assist them in memory augmentation. In a more technical sense, life-logs sense and store users’ contextual information from their environment through sensors, which are core components of life-logs. Spatio-temporal aggregation of sensor information can be mapped to users’ life events. We propose UbiqLog, a lightweight, configurable, and extendable life-log framework, which uses mobile phone as a device for life logging. The proposed framework extends previous research in this field, which investigated mobile phones as life-log tool through continuous sensing. Its openness in terms of sensor configuration allows developers to create flexible, multipurpose life-log tools. In addition to that, this framework contains a data model and an architecture, which can be used as reference model for further life-log development, including its extension to other devices, such as ebook readers, T.V.s, etc.     

Teacher perceptions of using mobile phones in the classroom: Age matters!

This study examined the digital native–digital immigrant dichotomy based on the results of a study involving 1095 teachers from two states in the southeastern United States. The study focused on age as it relates to the relationship between the type of mobile phone they owned, their support for the use of mobile phones in the classroom, their perceptions of the benefits of specific mobile features for school-related work, and their perceptions of instructional barriers. The results indicated that the age of the teacher matters, however, not as suggested by Prensky (2001). There were no significant differences in the findings for the teachers who were less than 32 and the ones who were 33–49; however, they both significantly differed from those over 50 in mobile phone ownership and support for the use of mobile phones in the classroom as well as in their perceptions regarding the useful mobile features for school-related work and instructional barriers. In each instance, the older teachers were less likely to own smartphones, were less supportive on all items, were less enthusiastic about the features, and found the barriers to be more problematic.