A speedup scheme for MRF stereo using local label hierarchy

Random field formulation has proven to be a powerful framework for solving stereo correspondence problems because of its ability to intuitively incorporate global smoothness constraint with local matching costs. However, solving such problems for cases where large number of pixel variables and possible disparity labels are common can be impractical as the computational complexity grows fast with the number of labels. We proposed a speedup scheme using local label hierarchy in which we exploit characteristics of stereo vision problem to obtain a hierarchical energy minimization technique. In doing so, we give definitions and notations for local label hierarchy as well as approaches for label-wise grouping. We also generalize the definition of energy function to include sets of labels and present heuristics for assigning group potentials. Our approach builds different “local” hierarchy for each variable using information from the energy function which enables us to achieve better performance when compared to using the same hierarchy for every variable. The added processing steps have significantly less theoretical computational complexity than the overall process. Our method was tested with different combinations of cost functions, and our experiment has shown that our heuristics can assist in speeding up the computation time while providing comparable energy and error.     

Enhancement of refresh time in quasi-nonvolatile memory by the density of states engineering

The recently reported quasi-nonvolatile memory based on semi-floating gate architecture has attracted extensive at-tention thanks to its potential to bridge the large gap between volatile and nonvolatile memory.However,the further exten-sion of the refresh time in quasi-nonvolatile memory is limited by the charge leakage through the p-n junction.Here,based on the density of states engineered van der Waals heterostructures,the leakage of electrons from the floating gate to the channel is greatly suppressed.As a result,the refresh time is effectively extended to more than 100 s,which is the longest among all pre-viously reported quasi-nonvolatile memories.This work provides a new idea to enhance the refresh time of quasi-nonvolatile memory by the density of states engineering and demonstrates great application potential for high-speed and low-power memory technology.     

The effect of call admission policies on the system benefit of CDMA communication networks

Previous studies of call admission control (CAC) in mobile communication networks focused on call blocking and call dropping mechanisms. However, achieving global optimization of the system benefit is a complicated process. In this paper, we propose a benefit optimization model that accommodates as many users as possible, while simultaneously maintaining system-wide quality of service (QoS) in terms of admission control. To clarify the CAC concept, we construct a framework of CAC policies, derive associated interference models based on the framework, and then investigate the effects of the policies on the system benefit. In addition, to solve the complicated integer programming problem, we adopt the Lagrangean relaxation approach, and employ Lagrangean multipliers to perform sensitivity analysis of several parameters. The contribution of this study is twofold: the novel problem formulation and the improvement in the system benefit. The computational results demonstrate that the system accrues more benefit as new traffic is loaded and the number of users increases. Meanwhile, the sensitivity analysis shows that proper assignment of the strength of power-controlled signals is a key factor in the global optimization of the system benefit.     

Cue-based networking

In this paper we present a new approach called cue-based networking that uses hints or cues about the physical environment to optimize networked application behavior. We define the notion of cues and describe how cues can be obtained using wireless sensor networks as the underlying platform. We identify both the research and system challenges that need to be addressed to realize benefits of the approach under a target application of video delivery over IP networks. In the process, we identify key challenges of wireless sensor networks, namely timeliness and robustness. We design an adaptive algorithm that balances the tradeoff between them satisfying both timeliness and robustness requirements. Through an implementation of the video delivery application using the proposed algorithm in a real home environment, we highlight the practical benefits of the proposed approach.     

Overview of the MPEG Reconfigurable Video Coding Framework

Video coding technology in the last 20 years has evolved producing a variety of different and complex algorithms and coding standards. So far the specification of such standards, and of the algorithms that build them, has been done case by case providing monolithic textual and reference software specifications in different forms and programming languages. However, very little attention has been given to provide a specification formalism that explicitly presents common components between standards, and the incremental modifications of such monolithic standards. The MPEG Reconfigurable Video Coding (RVC) framework is a new ISO standard currently under its final stage of standardization, aiming at providing video codec specifications at the level of library components instead of monolithic algorithms. The new concept is to be able to specify a decoder of an existing standard or a completely new configuration that may better satisfy application-specific constraints by selecting standard components from a library of standard coding algorithms. The possibility of dynamic configuration and reconfiguration of codecs also requires new methodologies and new tools for describing the new bitstream syntaxes and the parsers of such new codecs. The RVC framework is based on the usage of a new actor/ dataflow oriented language called CAL for the specification of the standard library and instantiation of the RVC decoder model. This language has been specifically designed for modeling complex signal processing systems. CAL dataflow models expose the intrinsic concurrency of the algorithms by employing the notions of actor programming and dataflow. The paper gives an overview of the concepts and technologies building the standard RVC framework and the non standard tools supporting the RVC model from the instantiation and simulation of the CAL model to software and/or hardware code synthesis.     

Mathematical formulation of provisioning of connections with advance reservation in metro WDM ring networks using reconfigurable OADMs (ROADMs) with tuning constraint

Optical add/drop multiplexers (OADMs) can significantly reduce the cost of metro optical wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) ring networks by allowing traffic to bypass intermediate nodes without expensive opto-electro-opto (O-E-O) conversion. Some traditional OADMs, called fixed OADMs (FOADMs), can only add/drop traffic on a specific wavelength. Reconfigurable Optical Add/Drop Multiplexers (ROADMs) are emerging, which can add/drop traffic onto/from different wavelengths at different time. ROADMs provide desirable flexibility, enable fast provisioning of dynamic traffic, and save capital expenditure (CapEx) and operational expenditure (OpEx). In order to be cost-effective, some ROADMs employ architectures that tune the ROADM continuously from one wavelength to another, crossing through all the wavelengths in-between, which may cause interference to the connections, if any, on those wavelengths being crossed. In order to prevent existing connections from being interrupted, a constraint needs to be imposed that ROADMs cannot cross working wavelengths when tuning. In this study, the design and the benefits of metro optical WDM network architectures using ROADMs and the impact of this tuning constraint on the performance of the network are investigated. Mathematical formulation of the problem of provisioning of connections with advance reservation, in which the arrival time and departure time of all the connections are known in advance, is presented, and results for a small network are shown.     

Energy efficient routing with delay guarantee for sensor networks

The paper presents a routing algorithm that maximizes the lifetime of a sensor network in which all data packets are destined for a single collection node. Lifetime is maximized by adjusting the number of packets traversing each node. The adjustment is carried out by transmitting over alternative routes. The first part of the paper assumes that the worst case delay resulting from energy efficient routing is less than the maximum tolerable value. Ignoring the delay constraint of the network, the routes are selected as the solution to a linear programming (LP) problem in which the objective is to maximize the minimum lifetime of each node. The solution is implemented in a centralized algorithm, and then approximated by an iterative algorithm based on least cost path routing, in which each step is implemented efficiently in a distributed manner. The second part of the paper incorporates delay guarantee into energy efficient routing by constraining the length of the routing paths from each sensor node to the collection node. Simulations reveal that the lifetime of the network increases significantly by optimal routing, and including delay constraint in energy efficient routing improves the network performance since the delay of the network keeps increasing as the delay constraint is relaxed beyond the value at which the optimal lifetime is achieved. Research supported by National Science Foundation under Grant CMS-0408627 and California Department of Transportation. Sinem Coleri Ergen received the BS degree in electrical and electronics engineering from Bilkent University, Ankara, Turkey, in 2000, and the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering and computer sciences from University of California Berkeley (UCB), in 2002 and 2005. Since January 2006, she has been a postdoctoral researcher in electrical engineering at UCB. Her research interests are in wireless communications and networking with a current focus on energy efficient system design for sensor networks. She is a member of the Sensor Networks for Traffic Monitoring project at UCB. She received Regents Fellowship from University of California Berkeley in 2000. Pravin Varaiya is Nortel Networks Distinguished Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences at the University of California, Berkeley. From 1975 to 1992 he was also Professor of Economics at Berkeley. From 1994 to 1997 he was Director of the California PATH program, a multi-university research program dedicated to the solution of Californias transportation problems. His current research is concerned with communication networks, transportation, and hybrid systems. He has taught at MIT and the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. Varaiya has held a Guggenheim Fellowship and a Miller Research Professorship. He received an Honorary Doctorate from LInstitut National Polytechnique de Toulouse, and the Field Medal of the IEEE Control Systems Society. He is a Fellow of IEEE and a member of the National Academy of Engineering. He is on the editorial board of several journals, including “Discrete Event Dynamical Systems” and “Transportation Research—C”. He has co-authored three books and more than 250 technical papers. The second edition of “High-Performance Communication Networks” (with Jean Walrand) was published by Morgan-Kaufmann in 2000. “Structure and interpretation of signals and systems" (with Edward Lee) was published by Addison-Wesley in 2003. Varaiya is a member of the Board of Directors of Sensys Networks.     

Structural and Optical Properties of ZnO Nanotips Grown on GaN Using Metalorganic Chemical Vapor Deposition

ZnO nanotips are grown on epitaxial GaN/c-sapphire templates by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition. X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies indicate that the epitaxial relationship between ZnO nanotips and the GaN layer is (0002)ZnO||(0002)GaN and (101̄0)ZnO||(101̄0)GaN. Temperature-dependent photoluminescence (PL) spectra have been measured. Sharp free exciton and donor-bound exciton peaks are observed at 4.4 K with photon energies of 3.380 eV, 3.369 eV, and 3.364 eV, confirming high optical quality of ZnO nanotips. Free exciton emission dominates at temperatures above 50 K. The thermal dissociation of these bound excitons forms free excitons and neutral donors. The thermal activation energies of the bound excitons at 3.369 eV and 3.364 eV are 11 meV and 16 meV, respectively. Temperature-dependent free A exciton peak emission is fitted to the Varshni’s equation to study the variation of energy bandgap versus temperature.     

High pass filter with above IC integrated SrTiO3 high K MIM capacitors

This paper describes realization and characterization of SrTiO₃ (STO) high K MIM capacitors above BiCMOS integrated circuit (IC). These capacitances are connected to IC and are used as coupling capacitors in order to realize a high pass filter. Surface capacitance achieved is 10 nF/mm² with capacitance value of 1.2 nF. The process for STO MIM fabrication does not exceed 400 °C, which is compatible with interconnections. Typical K and dielectric losses values obtained are, respectively 110% and 2%. Yield obtained reaches 83% for capacitors. A functional high pass filter using these STO capacitors was realized in this study. It exhibits a cut-off frequency at 6.5 kHz and a constant gain at higher frequencies of −1.3 dB.     

Improvement of nonrepudiable threshold multi-proxy threshold multi-signature scheme with shared verification

In 2005, Bao, et al. [Appl. Math. and Comput., vol.169, No.2, 2005] showed that Tzeng, et al.’s nonrepudiable threshold multi-proxy multi-signature scheme with shared verification was insecure, and proposed an improved scheme with no Share Distribution Center (SDC). This paper shows that Bao, et al.’s scheme suffers from the proxy relationship inversion attack and forgery attack, and pro- poses an improvement of Bao, et al.’s scheme.