Linear space-time multiuser detection for multipath CDMA channels

We consider the problem of detecting synchronous code division multiple access (CDMA) signals in multipath channels that result in multiple access interference (MAI). It is well known that such challenging conditions may create severe near-far situations in which the standard techniques of combined power control and temporal single-user RAKE receivers provide poor performance. To address the shortcomings of the RAKE receiver, multiple antenna receivers combining space-time processing with multiuser detection have been proposed in the literature. Specifically, a space-time detector based on minimizing the mean-squared output between the data stream and the linear combiner output has shown great potential in achieving good near-far performance with much less complexity than the optimum space-time multiuser detector. Moreover, this space-time minimum mean-squared error (ST-MMSE) multiuser detector has the additional advantage of being well suited for adaptive implementation. We propose novel trained and blind adaptive algorithms based on stochastic gradient techniques, which are shown to approximate the ST-MMSE solution without requiring knowledge of the channel. We show that these linear space-time detectors can potentially provide significant capacity enhancements (up to one order of magnitude) over the conventional temporal single-user RAKE receiver     

Top-k spatial joins

Given two spatial data sets A and B, a top-k spatial join retrieves the k objects from A or B that intersect the largest number of objects from the other data set. Depending on the application requirements, there exist several variations of the problem. For instance, B may be a point data set, and the goal may be to retrieve the regions of A that contain the maximum number of points. The processing of such queries with conventional spatial join algorithms is expensive. However, several improvements are possible based on the fact that we only require a small subset of the result (instead of all intersection/containments pairs). In this paper, we propose output-sensitive algorithms for top-k spatial joins that utilize a variety of optimizations for reducing the overhead.     

Power System Stabilization via Parameter Optimization - Application to the Hellenic Interconnected System

Dynamic stability problems are usually overcome through the application of Power System Stabilizers. This paper presents an alternative approach for power system stabilization based upon the tuning of the existing generator controllers, both governors and A.V.R.'s. The sensitivities of the eigenvalues to the controller parameters are evaluated and an optimization technique is developed to maximize the dynamic stability. Application of the parameter optimization method on a realistic model of the Hellenic Interconnected System has proved an efficient way to stabilize a number of unstable oscillatory modes by relatively small parameter variations. The results are tested with a nonlinear simulation program and the achieved stabilization, as shown by the rotor angle swings, is found to be significant.     

Range aggregate processing in spatial databases

A range aggregate query returns summarized information about the points falling in a hyper-rectangle (e.g., the total number of these points instead of their concrete ids). This paper studies spatial indexes that solve such queries efficiently and proposes the aggregate Point-tree (aP-tree), which achieves logarithmic cost to the data set cardinality (independently of the query size) for two-dimensional data. The aP-tree requires only small modifications to the popular multiversion structural framework and, thus, can be implemented and applied easily in practice. We also present models that accurately predict the space consumption and query cost of the aP-tree and are therefore suitable for query optimization. Extensive experiments confirm that the proposed methods are efficient and practical.     

Fast retrieval of similar configurations

Configuration similarity is a special form of content-based image retrieval that considers relative object locations. It can be used as a standalone method, or to complement retrieval based on visual or semantic features. The corresponding queries ask for sets of objects that satisfy some spatio-temporal constraints, e.g., "find all triplets of objects (v/sub 1/, v/sub 2/, v/sub 3/), such that v/sub 1/ is northeast of v/sub 2/, which is inside v/sub 3/." Exhaustive processing (i.e., retrieval of the best solutions) of configuration similarity queries, in general, has exponential complexity and fast search for sub-optimal solutions is the only way to deal with the vast amounts of multimedia information in several real-time applications. In this paper we first discuss the utilization of nonsystematic search heuristics, based on genetic algorithms, simulated annealing and hill climbing approaches. An extensive experimentation with real and synthetic datasets reveals that hill climbing techniques are the best for the current problem; therefore, as a subsequent step we study the search space, and develop improved variations of hill climbing that take advantage of the special structure of the problem to enhance speed. The proposed heuristic methods significantly outperform systematic search when there is only limited time for query processing.     

The educational role of personal computers in power systemlaboratories

A set of power-system laboratory exercises performed on a microcomputer system is described. The interactive graphics environment is provided by a 16 bit microcomputer with 1 MB of main memory coupled to a color-graphics terminal. Three laboratory exercises are analytically described, involving economic generation scheduling, load flow studies, and fault calculations. The student reaction to the computerized laboratory exercises is commented on, and the potential problems are pointed out. The effect of these exercises in developing the engineering intuition and integrating the power-system analysis education of the electrical engineering student is outlined     

Layered space-time receivers for frequency-selective wirelesschannels

Results in information theory have demonstrated the enormous potential of wireless communication systems with antenna arrays at both the transmitter and receiver. To exploit this potential, a number of layered space-time architectures have been proposed. These layered space-time systems transmit parallel data streams, simultaneously and on the same frequency, in a multiple-input multiple-output fashion. With rich multipath propagation, these different streams can be separated at the receiver because of their distinct spatial signatures. However, the analysis of these techniques presented thus far had mostly been strictly narrowband. In order to enable high-data-rate applications, it might be necessary to utilize signals whose bandwidth exceeds the coherence bandwidth of the channel, which brings in the issue of frequency selectivity. In this paper, we present a class of layered space-time receivers devised for frequency-selective channels. These new receivers, which offer various performance and complexity tradeoffs, are compared and evaluated in the context of a typical urban channel with excellent results