Lane Detection With Moving Vehicles in the Traffic Scenes

A lane-detection method aimed at handling moving vehicles in the traffic scenes is proposed in this brief. First, lane marks are extracted based on color information. The extraction of lane-mark colors is designed in a way that is not affected by illumination changes and the proportion of space that vehicles on the road occupy. Next, for vehicles that have the same colors as the lane marks, we utilize size, shape, and motion information to distinguish them from the real lane marks. The mechanism effectively eliminates the influence of passing vehicles when performing lane detection. Finally, pixels in the extracted lane-mark mask are accumulated to find the boundary lines of the lane. The proposed algorithm is able to robustly find the left and right boundary lines of the lane and is not affected by the passing traffic. Experimental results show that the proposed method works well on marked roads in various lighting conditions     

4.9-GHz low-phase-noise transformer-based superharmonic-coupled GaInP/GaAs HBT QVCO

The low-phase-noise GaInP/GaAs heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT) quadrature voltage controlled oscillator (QVCO) using transformer-based superharmonic coupling topology is demonstrated for the first time. The fully integrated QVCO at 4.87GHz has phase noise of -131dBc/Hz at 1-MHz offset frequency, output power of -4dBm and the figure of merit (FOM) -198dBc/Hz. The state-of-the-art phase noise FOM is attributed to the superior GaInP/GaAs HBT low-frequency device noise and the high quality transformer formed on the GaAs semi-insulating substrate.     

Using Transmission Laser Bonding Technique for Line Bonding in Microsystem Packaging

The transmission laser bonding (TLB) technique has been developed for the formation of continuous line bonds for microsystem packaging applications. Line bonds are generated by overlapping single bonding spots, in which the degree of overlapping is achieved by varying the scanning speed of the laser as it irradiates the bonding wafers. An analytical model has been developed to guide the TLB process, attaining a uniform laser intensity that produces uniform bonds, satisfying the bonding requirements. Guided by this model, experiments have been conducted to bond Pyrex glass-to-Si wafers at various bonding conditions. To demonstrate the reliability of the technique and the model developed, the strength of the resulting bonded pairs has been evaluated by a micro tensile tester. At contact pressures higher than 1 MPa, the strength of bonded lines can reach a stable value of 9.2 MPa, which is comparable to those obtained by other major bonding processes. To further understand the associated bonding mechanism, the bonded interface has also been analyzed using auger electron spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, quantifying the drifting or diffusion of atoms that occurs between glass and Si wafers during the bonding process     

A better technique using multisegment modeling and analysis of high-density and high-speed connectors

A useful and rather new simulation technique for connectors up to 6.25 GHz is presented and discussed in this paper. The proposed model extracts electrical parameters of a connector using time-domain reflectometry (TDR) measurements. A new technique was developed to obtain accurate impedance profiles using TDR and a multisegment approach that is effectively a distributed coupled model. The parameter extraction and characterization of connectors are discussed. The performance of the proposed segmented transmission line model is verified by simulation of the model in SPICE and by experimental measurement. The results show that the proposed model can simulate the electrical characteristics, including crosstalk and impedance, of high-density and high-speed connectors with satisfactory accuracy. Based on the proposed modeling and CAD simulators, the design and analysis of complicated high-density and high-speed connectors can be executed accurately and effectively. Compared with other previous models, the proposed model can significantly improve the accuracy of simulation.     

Synthesis of BaTi4O9 ceramics by reaction-sintering process

Synthesis of BaTi₄O₉ ceramics by a reaction-sintering process was investigated. The mixture of raw materials for stoichiometric BaTi₄O₉ were pressed and sintered into ceramics without any calcination stage involved. Pure BaTi₄O₉ phases were obtained at 1150-1280 °C. High-sintered density, 98.2-99.5% of theoretical value (4.533 g/cm³), can be obtained for pellets sintered at 1200-1280 °C for 2-6 h. Some rod-shaped grains 3-7 μm in the longitudinal axis appear in pellets sintered at 1230 °C. Both the size and the amount of these rod-shaped grains increase at higher sintering temperature.     

New initial position detection technique for three-phase brushless DC motor without position and current sensors

This paper presents a new detection technique of initial position for a three-phase brushless DC motor which does not require any current and position sensors, and thereby significantly reduces the cost. The fundamental principle of the technique is to determine the initial position of the permanent magnet by the time periods of discharge of stator windings, which are excited before discharge. As compared to previous approaches, the presented technique does not cause any rotation during detection, and it is therefore very promising for particular kinds of applications, which do not allow the motor to rotate potentially in the wrong direction during initial position detection, e.g., electrical vehicles. As compared to earlier techniques, the presented technique dramatically simplifies the detection procedures and cost. Experimental results derived from a field-programmable gate-array-based control system are presented to demonstrate the feasibility of the presented technique.     

Diverse reasoning in automated model formulation

Diverse reasoning supports a dynamic integration of various reasoning methods in a computerized system. This paper describes a control blackboard approach to simulate the control features observed in the expert's model formulation protocols. The diverse reasoning concept is incorporated so that the model formulation process is dynamically in a plan-directed, action-directed, or data-directed fashion. The diverse reasoning concept facilitates the control features simulation. By analyzing the diverse reasoning behavior in the proposed system, this paper contributes to a better understanding of and support to the modeling process for the design of intelligent decision support systems. The usefulness of the prototype system is also evaluated using an empirical experiment.     

Product family modeling for mass customization

With growing reliance on modeling in product development, it is imperative to describe product families in a cohesive way. In particular, mass customization calls for a close integration of product life cycle from customer recognition to delivery and services. This paper proposes a triple-view scheme for modeling product families. Technical challenges are discussed by comparing product family modeling with modeling single products. Individual modeling formalisms for different views are discussed. An example of product family modeling in power supply design is presented to illustrate the feasibility and potential of the proposed approach.     

Modeling and Simulation of Porous Elastoviscoplastic Material

Many materials exhibit elasto–visco–plastic behavior when subjected to loadings with certain strain rate. Examples include natural materials such as metals, clays, and soils and manmade materials such as some biomimic materials. Some voids may exist or be introduced in these materials. The effects of the voids on the material response are important in predicting the strength, reliability, and service life of structural systems containing these materials. This paper presents the results of applying a statistical micromechanical approach to describe the macroscopic behavior of elasto–visco–plastic materials containing many randomly dispersed spherical voids. Most existing micromechanics based models are only applicable to monotonic proportional loadings. The limitation is removed by integrating the material model into the framework of continuum plasticity. With the discrete integration algorithm and local return mapping algorithm, the proposed computation method is applicable to any loading and unloading histories and is ready for implementing into finite element analysis.