Computationally Efficient Motion Estimation Algorithm for HEVC

In this paper, we present a novel computationally efficient motion estimation (ME) algorithm for high-efficiency video coding (HEVC). The proposed algorithm searches in the hexagonal pattern with a fixed number of search points at each grid. It utilizes the correlation between contiguous pixels within the frame. In order to reduce the computational complexity, the proposed algorithm utilizes pixel truncation, adaptive search range, sub-sampling and avoids some of the asymmetrical prediction unit techniques. Simulation results are obtained by using the reference software HM (e n c o d e r_l o w d e l a y_P_m a i n and e n c o d e r_r a n d o m a c c e s s_m a i n profile) and shows 55.49% improvement on search points with approximately the same PSNR and around 1% increment in bit rate as compared to the Test Zonal Search (TZS) ME algorithm. By utilizing the proposed algorithm, the BD-PSNR loss for the video sequences like B a s k e t b a l l P a s s_416 × 240@50 and J o h n n y_1280 × 720@60 is 0.0804 dB and 0.0392 dB respectively as compared to the HM reference software with the e n c o d e r_l o w d e l a y_P_m a i n profile.     

Performance analysis of opportunistic CSMA schemes in cognitive radio networks

In this paper, we consider underlay cognitive radio (CR) networks where an amount of interference caused by secondary stations (STAs) has to be kept below a predefined level, which is called interference temperature. We propose opportunistic p-persistent carrier sense multiple access schemes for the CR networks, which opportunistically exploit wireless channel conditions in transmitting data to the secondary access point. We also devise an adaptive interference-level control technique to further improve quality-of-service of a primary network by limiting the excessive interference due to collisions among STAs. The performances of the proposed schemes are mathematically analyzed, and they are validated with extensive computer simulations. The simulation results show that the proposed schemes achieve near optimal throughput of the secondary network while they are backward-compatible to the conventional p-persistent CSMA scheme.     

Physical layer multi-user key generation in wireless networks

Secret key generation by extracting the shared randomness in the wireless fading channel from physical layer is an interesting topic of practical value. Previous works have focused on the study of physical layer key generation with two nodes from the view point of key generation rate (KGR). Information theoretic limits and the KGRs in implementation have been derived. However, in real-world applications, the physical layer key generation problem involving multiple nodes is the common case, which lacks sufficient study so far. Multi-node case differs from two-node case in that there are two more important considerations: (1) the trade-off between KGR and probing efficiency at individual node pair; (2) channel probing schedule among multiple node pairs. This paper aims at minimizing the Overall Waiting Time of physical layer key generation with multiple users (shorten as OWT) through the optimization of probing rates at individual node pair and channel probing schedule. The theoretical lower bound of OWT is derived first, then a practical method (MUKEM) is proposed to compute reasonable probing rates and channel probing schedule for multiple node pairs to obtain a short OWT. Simulations are conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of our method. The results show that 70 % of OWT can be reduced by using our method comparing with one-by-one key generations; while it is only about 8 % longer than the lower bound of OWT.     

Q-MOHRA: QoS Assured Multi-objective Hybrid Routing Algorithm for Heterogeneous WSN

Quality of Service (QoS) assurance in Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) is a tough task, and it is more exciting due to the scarcity of resources. The requirement of different WSN applications running over has different constraints. In QoS, routing protocol the network has to balance the traffic. This paper presents a novel heuristic routing algorithm known as QoS assured Multi-objective Hybrid Routing Algorithm (Q-MOHRA) for Heterogeneous WSN. Q-MOHRA takes into account the link (energy, hop count, link quality indicator etc.) and path (jitter) metrics for optimal path selection. The performance of Q-MOHRA is evaluated through intensive simulation and equated with Simple Hybrid Routing Protocol (SHRP) and Dynamic Multi-objective Routing Algorithm (DyMORA). The metrics such as average energy consumption, residual energy, packet delivery ratio, jitter, and normalized routing load are used for comparison. The performance of Q-MOHRA has been observed to outclass SHRP and DyMORA. It improves the packet delivery ratio by 24.31% as compared to SHRP and 11.86% as compared to DyMORA. Q-MOHRA outperforms DyMORA in terms of average energy consumption by a factor of 8.27%.     

An Investigation of Massive Gain in Hybrid Configurable Cylindrical Dielectric Resonator Antenna

Delay Tolerant Networks (DTNs) have attracted various interests these days. Since DTNs are subject to high loss rate, large delay, intermittent connection, and even no end-to-end connectivity, relay nodes, such as throwboxes, are deployed to enhance network performance. Internet-based systems have contemporaneous connectivity between location-distributed nodes, and this does not apply to DTNs. Thus, the traditional relay node deployment strategies are no longer suitable for DTNs. In this paper, we propose a novel strategy, named Connection-2 (\(CO_2\)), to deploy throwboxes to enhance the fault tolerance of DTNs. \(CO_2\) constructs a 2-connected DTN using an approximation algorithm. Every mobile node in the 2-connected DTN can reach another mobile node via two or more node-disjoint paths within its mobility range. While enhancing fault tolerance, the number of throwboxes that \(CO_2\) requires is small. We conduct various experiments based on the simulation of the real Tuscaloosa bus transit system and compare its performance with two popular strategies. Experimental results show that \(CO_2\) is effective.     

A New Energy Efficient Hierarchical Routing Protocol for Wireless Sensor Networks

Wireless sensor networks consist of low cost sensor nodes which have limited power supplies, memory capacity, processing capability and transmission rate. Sensor nodes gather information from the environment and send the collected information to base station with help of a routing cooperation. Because of limited resources in Wireless Sensor Networks, fulfilling these routing operations is a major problem. Routing protocols are used to perform these operations. The most important thing by considering while these protocols are designed is energy efficiency. Because wireless sensor networks are widely used in intelligent systems, the energy efficiency of these networks is very important in IoT. Researchers have proposed several hierarchical routing protocols such as LEACH, PEGASIS, TEEN and APTEEN. In this study, an energy efficient routing protocol is developed which is more efficient than currently avaliable routing protocols. The developed protocol involves mapping of the network, sleep–wake/load balancing, data merge processes. The proposed protocol gives better results than other protocols in number of surviving nodes and amount of energy consumed criterias.     

Low Cost Low Power Smart Helmet for Real-Time Remote Underground Mine Environment Monitoring

Underground mining production process is vulnerable and highly dynamic in nature. Among the various causes of accidents in underground mine, major one is presence of flammable and noxious gases. Though many existing safety gadgets are there but they could not work reliably because of the typical nature of mines structure and production variability. Wireless data and communication network is also not successful because wireless communication in underground mine is significantly more challenging than through air. This work introduces the application of mobile wireless sensor network in order to monitor a variety of parameters in underground mines which have life threatening effects towards them. Each node of the network placed over the safety gear (helmet wore statutorily by every miner) comprises of various sensors depending on the requirement with microcontroller unit and other low power accessories. The proposed work has a unique feature that it will make the personnel aware about the situation of the gases present and surrounding by automatically generating different alarms and different light indicators. Other function of this device will be to transmit the data sensed by the sensors in the device to the control room wirelessly so that the responsible person would be aware of the situation. This work is focused on the design of such a prototype model for the underground mines with the aforementioned specification.     

Distributed Topology Construction in ZigBee Wireless Networks

Topology control is one of the important techniques in wireless multi-hop networks to preserve connectivity and extend the network lifetime. This is more significant in ZigBee, since the address assignment scheme is tightly coupled with topology construction. For example, there can be orphan nodes that cannot receive the network address and isolated from the network due to predefined network configurations. In this paper, we propose a distributed topology construction algorithm that controls the association time of each node in order to solve the orphan node problem in ZigBee as well as construct an efficient routing tree topology. The main idea of the distributed topology construction algorithm is to construct primary backbone nodes by propagating the invitation packets and controlling the association time based on the link quality. Since the dynamically selected primary nodes are spread throughout the network, they can provide backbone to accept the association requests from the remaining secondary nodes which are majority in a network. In the performance evaluation, we show that the proposed topology construction algorithm effectively solves the orphan node problem regardless of network density as well as provides efficient tree routing cost comparable to the approximation algorithm for degree constrained minimum routing cost tree (DC-MRCT) problem.     

A First Principles Study of Ferroelectricity and Magnetism Coexisting in Fe-Doped K<Subscript>0.5</Subscript>Na<Subscript>0.5</Subscript>NbO<Subscript>3</Subscript>

First-principles calculations were performed to investigate the coexistence of ferroelectricity and magnetism in Fe-doped tetragonal K_0.5Na_0.5NbO₃ (KNN) with different Fe concentrations. It was found that all three systems can possess both magnetism and ferroelectricity, and the magnetism becomes stronger with an increase in the concentration of Fe. The magnetic properties are due to ferromagnetism of Fe, and the Fe-Nb and Fe-O bonds induce magnetic moments on Nb and O atoms. Ferroelectricity comes from the hybridization of Nb and O, as in the case of pure KNN. The predicted results provide insight into the origin of the induced magnetic moments and an approach for obtaining multiferroic materials.