A hybrid user authentication protocol for mobile IPTV service

IPTV, a technological convergence that combines communication and broadcasting technologies, delivers customized, interactive TV content and other multimedia information over wired and wireless connections. Providing secure access to IPTV services calls for authentication, without proper and secure authentication mechanisms, an individual impersonating a subscriber could steal a service. This paper proposes a new authentication protocol to authenticate IPTV users. The authors based the proposed protocol, a hybrid authentication protocol providing lightweight, personalized user authentication, on RFID (radio-frequency identification) and USIM (Universal Subscriber Identity Module) technologies. In the proposed protocol, USIM performs highly personalized authentication, and the authenticated subscriber’s RFID tags can have a temporary authority to execute authentication. These RFID tags become Agent Tags authorized to authenticate subscribers. Agent Tags identify and authenticate themselves to RFID readers in the set-top box, thus, simplifying the authentication process.     

Oscillating bubbles in teardrop cavities for microflow control

Microstreaming generated from oscillating microbubbles has great potential in microfluidic applications for localized flow control. In this study, we explore the use of teardrop-shaped cavities for trapping microbubbles. Upon acoustic actuation, these microbubbles confined in teardrop cavities can be utilized to generate a directional microstreaming flow. We further show that by altering the acoustic excitation frequency, a flow-switch for altering flow direction in microfluidic environments can be achieved using two oppositely arranged teardrop cavities with different sizes. In the end, we show that an array of such bubble-filled teardrop cavities can act as a fixated microfluidic transport system allowing for on-chip particle manipulation in complex flow patterns. This inexpensive method to create flows to switch and transport elements based on teardrop cavities can be widely employed for microfluidic applications such as drug delivery systems.     

Using multiple endmember spectral mixture analysis to retrieve subpixel fire properties from MODIS

The Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensors on NASA's Terra and Aqua satellites image most of the Earth multiple times each day, providing useful data on fires that cannot be practically acquired using other means. Unfortunately, current fire products from MODIS and other sensors leave large uncertainties in measurements of fire sizes and temperatures, which strongly influence how fires spread, the amount and chemistry of their gas and aerosol emissions, and their impacts on ecosystems. In this study, we use multiple endmember spectral mixture analysis (MESMA) to retrieve subpixel fire sizes and temperatures from MODIS, possibly overcoming some limitations of existing methods for characterizing fire intensities such as estimating the fire radiative power (FRP). MESMA is evaluated using data from the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) to assess the performance of FRP and MESMA retrievals of fire properties from a simultaneously acquired MODIS image, for a complex of fires in Ukraine from August 21, 2002. The MESMA retrievals of fire size described in this paper show a slightly stronger correlation than FRP does to fire pixel counts from the coincident ASTER image. Prior to this work, few studies, if any, had used MESMA for retrieving fire properties from a broad-band sensor like MODIS, or compared MESMA to higher-resolution fire data or other measures of fire properties like FRP. In the future, MESMA retrievals could be useful for fire spread modeling and forecasting, reducing hazards that fires pose to property and health, and enhancing scientific understanding of fires and their effects on ecosystems and atmospheric composition.     

Exaggerating Character Motions Using Sub‐Joint Hierarchy

Motion capture cannot generate cartoon‐style animation directly. We emulate the rubber‐like exaggerations common in traditional character animation as a means of converting motion capture data into cartoon‐like movement. We achieve this using trajectory‐based motion exaggeration while allowing the violation of link‐length constraints. We extend this technique to obtain smooth, rubber‐like motion by dividing the original links into shorter sub‐links and computing the positions of joints using Bézier curve interpolation and a mass‐spring simulation. This method is fast enough to be used in real time.     

A Hidden‐picture Puzzles Generator

A hidden‐picture puzzle contains objects hidden in a background image, in such a way that each object fits closely into a local region of the background. Our system converts image of the background and objects into line drawing, and then finds places in which to hide transformed versions of the objects using rotation‐invariant shape context matching. During the hiding process, each object is subjected to a slight deformation to enhance its similarity to the background. The results were assessed by a panel of puzzle‐solvers.     

Asynchronous action-reward learning for nonstationary serial supply chain inventory control

Action-reward learning is a reinforcement learning method. In this machine learning approach, an agent interacts with non-deterministic control domain. The agent selects actions at decision epochs and the control domain gives rise to rewards with which the performance measures of the actions are updated. The objective of the agent is to select the future best actions based on the updated performance measures. In this paper, we develop an asynchronous action-reward learning model which updates the performance measures of actions faster than conventional action-reward learning. This learning model is suitable to apply to nonstationary control domain where the rewards for actions vary over time. Based on the asynchronous action-reward learning, two situation reactive inventory control models (centralized and decentralized models) are proposed for a two-stage serial supply chain with nonstationary customer demand. A simulation based experiment was performed to evaluate the performance of the proposed two models. Chang Ouk Kim received his Ph.D. in industrial engineering from Purdue University in 1996 and his B.S. and M.S. degrees from Korea University, Republic of Korea in 1988 and 1990, respectively. From 1998--2001, he was an assistant professor in the Department of Industrial Systems Engineering at Myongji University, Republic of Korea. In 2002, he joined the Department of Information and Industrial Engineering at Yonsei University, Republic of Korea and is now an associate professor. He has published more than 30 articles at international journals. He is currently working on applications of artificial intelligence and adaptive control theory in supply chain management, RFID based logistics information system design, and advanced process control in semiconductor manufacturing. Ick-Hyun Kwon is a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Previous to this position, Dr. Kwon was a research assistant professor in the Research Institute for Information and Communication Technology at Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea. He received his B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in Industrial Engineering from Korea University, in 1998, 2000, and 2006, respectively. His current research interests are supply chain management, inventory control, production planning and scheduling. Jun-Geol Baek is an assistant professor in the Department of Business Administration at Kwangwoon University, Seoul, Korea. He received his B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in Industrial Engineering from Korea University, Seoul, Korea, in 1993, 1995, and 2001 respectively. From March 2002 to February 2007, he was an assistant professor in the Department of Industrial Systems Engineering at Induk Institute of Technology, Seoul, Korea. His research interests include machine learning, data mining, intelligent machine diagnosis, and ubiquitous logistics information systems. An erratum to this article can be found at     

Replication of nanostructures on microstructures by intermediate film mold inserted hot embossing process

The present study proposes a simple method to replicate nano/micro combined multiscale structures using an intermediate film mold and anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) nanomold in hot embossing process. The proposed method is simply to add an intermediate film mold with microscale thru-hole patterns to the ordinary mold system, on which nanostructures are patterned, in the hot embossing process. The intermediate film mold is inserted between polymer substrate and AAO nanomold. During the hot embossing process, the polymer first fills microscale thru-hole patterns in the intermediate film mold and subsequently fills nanopores in AAO nanomold, resulting in the nano/micro combined structures. The intermediate film molds, which have microscale thru-hole patterns were fabricated by micro-milling, laser ablation, etching methods and/or LIGA process. The nano/micro combined structures were successfully replicated by the proposed method.     

Collapse-free thermal bonding technique for large area microchambers in plastic lab-on-a-chip applications

Bonding is an essential step to form microchannels or microchambers in lab-on-a-chip applications. In this paper, we present a novel plastic thermal bonding technique to seal and form large area microchambers (planar characteristic width and length on the order of 1 mm and characteristic thickness on the order of 10–100 μm) without collapse by introducing a holed pressure equalizing plate (HPEP) that includes holes of the same size and shape as the microchambers. To demonstrate the proposed technique, two types of large area microchambers [(1) 20 × 10 mm and 40 μm thick and (2) 12 × 2.5 mm and 120 μm thick] with microchannels were designed and replicated on plastic substrates by means of hot embossing and injection molding processes with prepared two nickel mold inserts. The replicated large area microchambers as well as the microchannels in the plastic lab-on-a-chip were successfully sealed (i.e., no leakage) and formed without any collapse by the proposed thermal bonding technique with the help of the HPEP.     

Design and Implementation of a Ubiquitous Robotic Space

This paper describes a concerted effort to design and implement a robotic service framework. The proposed framework is comprised of three conceptual spaces: physical, semantic, and virtual spaces, collectively referred to as a ubiquitous robotic space. We implemented a prototype robotic security application in an office environment, which confirmed that the proposed framework is an efficient tool for developing a robotic service employing IT infrastructure, particularly for integrating heterogeneous technologies and robotic platforms.     

3-D manipulation of millimeter- and micro-sized objects using an acoustically excited oscillating bubble

This communication describes novel 3-D manipulations of objects using an acoustically excited oscillating bubble deposited on a hydrophobic rod tip. The oscillating bubble captures various millimeter- and micron-sized neighboring objects including glass and polystyrene beads (~100 μm), fish egg, and live water flea (~1 mm). The captured objects are carried in a 3-D space by traversing the bubble tip, and released at desired positions by simply turning off the oscillation. Carrying performance is characterized along with high-speed imaging of oscillating bubbles by varying the frequency and amplitude of the acoustic excitation and the carrying speed. The higher the oscillation amplitude, the higher the carrying efficiency. The maximum carrying speed is measured at over 3 mm/s. This method is effective with a low-level acoustic excitation (bubble oscillation amplitude relative to the diameter ≤5%), possibly providing a cost-effective, soft-contact manipulating tool for handling biological objects.