Jenq-Muh Hsu

POOT: An efficient object tracking strategy based on short-term optimistic predictions for face-structured sensor networks

The advance of wireless sensor networks has enabled the development of a great number of applications in various areas, such as biology, military and environmental surveillance. Among these applications, object tracking systems have particularly useful functions, and have been studied by many researchers in recent years. In the design of a sensor network system, energy consumption is a critical consideration. In this paper, we propose a short-term Prediction-based Optimistic Object Tracking strategy (POOT) to reduce energy consumption and prolong the lifetime of sensor nodes while sacrificing only minimal tracking precision. Furthermore, we present two schemes, a Time-efficient Object Recovery Scheme (TORS) and a Communication-efficient Object Recovery Scheme (CORS), to improve object recovery. We also derive cost models for POOT. Through a set of experiments, our proposed prediction-based optimistic object tracking scheme can save up to 23% energy consumption compared to the related scheme, DOT. Meanwhile, the accuracy of POOT is still higher than 97.5% which reveals the optimistic design does not affect the tracking accuracy. Hence, POOT is shown to effectively conserve energy and achieve the objective of tracking of moving objects.

IoT-IMS Communication Platform for Future Internet

In recent years, Internet of Things (IoT) and Cloud Computing are the hottest issues of Future Internet. However, there is a lack of common fabric for integrating IoT and Cloud. In telecommunications, the IMS (IP Multimedia Subsystem), based on the All-IP and Open Services Architecture, has been regarded as the trend for Next Generation Network (NGN). The IMS communication platform is the most suitable fabric for integrating IoT and Cloud. This paper focuses on different aspects including Cloud Service Framework, Data Sensing and Communication Technology, Collaborative Authentication and Privacy Protection Mechanism, Operation, Administration, and Maintenance (OA&M), Mobility and Energy-Saving Management, and Application Services. This paper not only provides the discussion of open challenges, but also proposes a possible solution based on the above-mentioned aspects for Future Internet.

Using the RFIDs to Construct the Ubiquitous Self-Learning Environment for Understanding the Plants in the Schoolyard

This paper uses the radio frequency identification (RFID) to construct a smart ubiquitous learning environment. In the ubiquitous computing environment, learners can get the right learning contents to achieve self-learning at the right place and the right time through non-contact RFID identification. The learning system is composed of three layers, the portable learning object, the mobile device, and the system modules for learning management and manipulation. A total of twenty-eight students recruited from fifth grade elementary school are participating in the quasi-experimental study. After three weeks of investigated subject learning, the results showed that the average scores of attitude for the experimental group are higher than the control one. There was statistical difference for learning attitude between them.

An Incremental Protocol Verification Method

Protocol verification is an activity to assure the correctness of communication protocols. Global state reachability analysis is one of the most straightforward and easily automated protocol verification methods. This paper proposes an incremental protocol verification method for the Extended Communicating Finite State Machine (ECFSM) model. Incremental protocol verification allows protocols to be modified at the run time of global state reachability analysis. Then, instead of reexploring the modified protocols from scratch, global state rechability analysis is continued incrementally at the modification point. To enhance the efficiency, the proposed method incorporates the dead and live variables concept that is used in Chu and Lius global state reduction technique (Chu and Liu, 1989). Using the proposed incremental protocol verification method, incremental protocol design environments are achievable for ECFSM-based Formal Description Techniques (FDTs), e.g. ISOs Estelle. Our application of the proposed method to Estelle is also briefly introduced in this paper

An Estelle interpreter for incremental protocol verification

Formal description techniques (FDTs) provide formal and abstract ways to specify what protocols have to do and what the features of the protocols need. Protocol verification is a process for detecting logical errors, such as deadlock, unspecified receptions, and channel overflow errors, in communication protocols. Estelle is a FDT defined by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) for protocol specifications. The authors present an incremental protocol verification technique and an Estelle interpreter which accepts Estelle protocol specifications for incremental protocol verification.<<ETX>>

A Sensor Information Gateway Based on Thing Interaction in IoT-IMS Communication Platform

With the rapid developing growth of information technology and communication, the devices equipped with various network functions connecting each others are more popular. In order to efficiently manage those devices, the Internet of Thing (IoT) technology is adopted. IoT is an emerging concept of the network which allows any object in the real world is connected together at anytime and anywhere through the integration of object identification, interaction, and information sensing technologies. Besides, IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) is an architectural framework for delivering IP-based information to mobile users. It can easily integrate various types of heterogeneous networks to provide a unified operating fashion for mobile users. Thus, IoT-IMS communication platform can provide a convenient way to efficiently deploy a novel application service to mobile users. Mobile users can also easily access information through the unified operating fashion in IoT-IMS communication platform. In order to adopt the characteristics of IoT and IMS, a sensor information gateway (SIG) based on thing interaction is proposed to efficiently collect sensing data from ambient sensors around the physical environment via IoT-IMS communication platform. Through the SIG AS, mobile users can easily observe and manage sensing information in a unified fashion.

Short-Term Prediction-Based Optimistic Object Tracking Strategy in Wireless Sensor Networks

The advance of wireless sensor networks enables a great amount of applications in various areas, such as biology, military, environment surveillance. Among these applications, the object tracking system is one of killer functions, and has been studied by researchers in recent years. In the design of a sensor network system, the energy consumption is one of the most critical considerations. In this paper, we propose a short-term prediction-based optimistic object tracking (POOT) strategy to reduce energy consumption and prolong the lifetime for sensor nodes by sacrificing only slight tracking precision. Through a set of conducted experiments, our proposed prediction-based optimistic object tracking scheme indeed effectively conserve energy and completely achieve the mission of tracking moving object simultaneously.

Design a Virtual Object Representing Human-Machine Interaction for Music Playback Control in Smart Home

Intelligent home appliances and friendly human-machine interface design can provide a more comfortable living space for residents in smart home. However, excessive home automation sometimes may lose the sense of reality on operating home appliances. Virtual objects in smart home are not real home furnishings, and equipments, but it has the ability of actual home appliances or equipment to provide relevant home services through ubiquitous computing, virtual human-machine interface. That is, virtual objects retain the original features of appliance operation without losing high-technical and home-automation utilization on it. In this paper, we will design a virtual object being friendly human-machine interaction to control the music playback service in smart home. The virtual object is called virtual compact disc (CD) album, Virtual-CD. The residents can take a Virtual-CD, and do some operating gestures and entity movements on it, and then the music will be played, paused, and stopped according to various operations of virtual object in smart home. By the way, the resident can easily enjoy high-technical home service without losing traditional appliance operation in smart home.

Research: Probabilistic fuzzy timed protocol verification

Communication protocols always have some embedded timed properties (e.g. timeout and transmission delay). To specify and analyse the timed properties, a new formal model is presented in this paper. The new protocol specification model is called the Fuzzy Timed Communicating State Machine (FTCSM) model. Since it is very hard to precisely specify time bounds as constants, the fuzzy time concept is applied to specify time bounds, i.e. each time bound is specified as a time interval. In the FTCSM model, each protocol entity and each communication channel is specified as an FTCSM, respectively. To analyse various properties of protocols specified in the FTCSM model, a fuzzy timed protocol verification method is proposed. To deal with the state space explosion problem, we adopt the probability-based partial timed verification approach. The corresponding probabilistic fuzzy timed verification scheme for the FTCSM model is also presented in detail. Using the FTCSM model and the associated probabilistic fuzzy timed protocol verification method, an Estelle-like Probabilistic Fuzzy Timed Protocol Verification System (EPFTPVS) has been developed on SUN SPARC workstations. In this way, a subset of Estelle-specified protocols with fuzzy time specifications can be automatically verified using EPFTPVS.

Design and evaluation of virtual home objects with music interaction in smart homes

Well-designed virtual home objects and human-computer interactions (HCIs) can provide convenient ways to easily make use of home services for home inhabitants in smart homes. This work tries to design the virtual home objects with the ability of playing the music and implement a particular HCI interface accomplishing the music interaction with virtual home objects for deploying virtual home music services in smart homes. Each virtual home object is connected to a list of songs. When a home inhabitant holds a virtual home object and moves it as operating gestures upon the implemented HCI interface, the virtual home music service will be activated and the smart home will automatically play the favorite songs for its inhabitant. In this way, a highly interactive home music service for home inhabitants can be realized through the convenient operating interactions between the virtual home objects and the implemented HCI interface in smart homes.