Digital Commons Network^™

Improving Transliteration With Precise Alignment Of Phoneme Chunks And Using Contextual Features, Wei Gao, Kam-Fai Wong, Wai Lam

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Automatic transliteration of foreign names is basically regarded as a diminutive clone of the machine translation (MT) problem. It thus follows IBM’s conventional MT models under the sourcechannel framework. Nonetheless, some parameters of this model dealing with zero-fertility words in the target sequences, can negatively impact transliteration effectiveness because of the inevitable inverted conditional probability estimation. Instead of source-channel, this paper presents a direct probabilistic transliteration model using contextual features of phonemes with a tailored alignment scheme for phoneme chunks. Experiments demonstrate superior performance over the source-channel for the task of English-Chinese transliteration.

Indexing And Matching Of Polyphonic Songs For Query-By-Singing System, Tat-Wan Leung, Chong-Wah Ngo

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

This paper investigates the issues in polyphonic popular song retrieval. The problems that we consider include singing voice extraction, melodic curve representation, and database indexing. Initially, polyphonic songs are decomposed into singing voices and instruments sounds in both time and frequency domains based on SVM and ICA. The extracted singing voices are represented as two melodic curves that model the statistical mean and neighborhood similarity of notes. To speed up the matching between songs and query, we further adopt proportional transportation distance to index the songs as vantage point trees. Encouraging results have been obtained through experiments.

Structuring Home Video By Snippet Detection And Pattern Parsing, Zailiang Pan, Chong-Wah Ngo

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Hand-held camcorders have been popularly used in capturing and documenting daily lives. Nonetheless, searching for personal memories in home videos is still a laborious task. This paper describes novel approaches in detecting snippets and patterns in home videos for content indexing. To deal with the fact that most shots are long and with handshake artifacts, a motion analysis algorithm based on Kalman filter and finite state machine is proposed to decompose videos into tables of snippets. Each snippet is represented by a set of moving and static patterns. The moving patterns are automatically detected and tracked, while the static patterns …

Deformable Object Model Matching By Topological And Geometric Similarity, Kwok-Leung Tan, Rynson W. H. Lau, Chong-Wah Ngo

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

In this paper, we present a novel method for efficient 3D model comparison. The method is designed to match highly deformed models through capturing two types of information. First, we propose a feature point extraction algorithm, which is based on “Level Set Diagram”, to reliably capture the topological points of a general 3D model. These topological points represent the skeletal structure of the model. Second, we also capture both spatial and curvature information, which describes the global surface of a 3D model. This is different from traditional topological 3D matching methods that use only low-dimension local features. Our method can …

Informal Animation Sketching: Requirements And Design, Richard C. Davis, James A. Landay

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

We present an interface design for creating informal animations from sketches. Current tools for creating animation are extremely complex. This makes it difficult for designers to prototype animations and nearly impossible for novices to create them at all. Simple animation systems exist but severely restrict the types of motion that can be represented. To guide our design of an animation sketching interface, we conducted field studies into the needs of professional and novice animators. These studies show the wide variety of motions that users desire in informal animations and indicate how to prioritize these types of otion. The interface described …

Comments On "A Practical (T, N) Threshold Proxy Signature Scheme Based On The Rsa Cryptosystem", Guilin Wang, Feng Bao, Jianying Zhou, Robert H. Deng

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

In a (t, n) threshold proxy signature scheme based on RSA, any t or more proxy signers can cooperatively generate a proxy signature while t-1 or fewer of them can't do it. The threshold proxy signature scheme uses the RSA cryptosystem to generate the private and the public key of the signers. In this article, we discuss the implementation and comparison of some threshold proxy signature schemes that are based on the RSA cryptosystem. Comparison is done on the basis of time complexity, space complexity and communication overhead. We compare the performance of four schemes: Hwang et al., Wen et …

Dynamic Access Control For Multi-Privileged Group Communications, Di Ma, Robert H. Deng, Yongdong Wu, Tieyan Li

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Recently, there is an increase in the number of group communication applications which support multiple service groups of different access privileges. Traditional access control schemes for group applications assume that all the group members have the same access privilege and mostly focus on how to reduce rekeying messages upon user joining and leaving. Relatively little research effort has been spent to address security issues for group communications supporting multiple access privileges. In this paper, we propose a dynamic access control scheme for group communications which support multiple service groups with different access privileges. Our scheme allows dynamic formation of service …

Design And Analysis Of A Cooperative Medium Access Scheme For Wireless Mesh Networks, Arup Acharya, Archan Misra, Sorav Bansal

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

This paper presents the detailed design and performance analysis of MACA-P, a RTS/CTS based MAC protocol, that enables simultaneous transmissions in wireless mesh networks. The IEEE 802.11 DCF MAC prohibits any parallel transmission in the neighborhood of either a sender or a receiver (of an ongoing transmission). MACA-P is a set of enhancements to the 802.11 MAC that allows parallel transmissions in situations when two neighboring nodes are either both receivers or transmitters, but a receiver and a transmitter are not neighbors. The performance of MACA-P in terms of system throughput is obtained through a simulation of the protocol using …

Development Of A Systems Engineering Model Of The Chemical Separations Process: Final Report, Yitung Chen, Sean Hsieh

Separations Campaign (TRP)

The whole chemical separation process is complex to the point that definitely requires certain level of systematic coordination. To perform smoothly and meet the target extraction rates among those processes, this research proposed a general-purpose systems engineering model.

A general purposed systems engineering model, Transmutation Research Program System Engineering Model Project (TRPSEMPro), was developed based on the above design concept. The system model includes four main parts: System Manager, Model Integration, Study Plan, and Solution Viewer. TRPSEMPro can apply not only to chemical separation process, but also a general system model.

Software engineering and Object Oriented Analysis and Design (OOA&D) …

Network-Layer Selective Security, Casey T. Deccio

Theses and Dissertations

The Internet and other large computer networks have become an integral part of numerous daily processes. Security at the network layer is necessary to maintain infrastructure survivability in the case of cyber attacks aimed at routing protocols. In order to minimize undesired overhead associated with added security at this level, the notion of selective security is proposed. This thesis identifies elements in network topologies that are most important to the survivability of the network. The results show that the strategic placement of network security at critical elements will improve overall network survivability without the necessity of universal deployment.

Development Of A Systems Engineering Model Of The Chemical Separations Process, Yitung Chen, Sean Hsieh

Separations Campaign (TRP)

The whole chemical separation process is complex to the point that definitely requires certain level of systematic coordination. To perform smoothly and meet the target extraction rates among those processes, this research proposed a general-purpose systems engineering model.

A general purposed systems engineering model, Transmutation Research Program System Engineering Model Project (TRPSEMPro), was developed based on the above design concept. The system model includes four main parts: System Manager, Model Integration, Study Plan, and Solution Viewer. System Manager supervises all the case (problem) creation, and functionality definition. Model Integration identifies chemical extraction processes and their execution sequence. Study Plan is …

Tcp Processor: Design, Implementation, Operation, And Usage, David V. Schuehler

All Computer Science and Engineering Research

There is a critical need to perform advanced data processing on network traffic. In order to accom-plish this, protocol processing must first be performed to reassemble individual network packets into consistent data streams representing the exact dataset being transferred between end systems. This task is currently performed by protocol stacks running on end systems. Similar protocol processing opera-tions are needed to process the data on the interior of the network. Given millions of network connections operating on multi-gigabit per second network links, this task is extremely difficult. The TCP-Processor addresses this challenge. It is a hardware circuit designed to perform …

Applications Of Decision And Utility Theory In Multi-Agent Systems, Xin Li, Leen-Kiat Soh

School of Computing: Technical Reports

This report reviews the applications of decision-related theories (decision theory, utility theory, probability theory, and game theory) in various aspects of multi-agent systems. In recent years, multi-agent systems (MASs) have become a highly active research area as multi-agent systems have a wide range of applications. However, most of real-world environments are very complex and of uncertainty. An agent’s knowledge about the world is rather incomplete and uncertain. The actions of the agent are non-deterministic with a range of possible outcomes. The agent may have many desires that conflict each other. The agent also needs to know about other agents and …

Interoperability And The Need For Intelligent Software: A Historical Perspective, Jens G. Pohl

Collaborative Agent Design (CAD) Research Center

With the objective of defining the interoperability theme of this year’s conference it is the purpose of this paper¹ to trace the evolution of intelligent software from data-centric applications that essentially encapsulate their data environment to ontology-based applications with automated reasoning capabilities. The author draws a distinction between human intelligence and component capabilities within a more general definition of intelligence; - a kind of intelligence that can be embedded in computer software. The primary vehicle in the quest for intelligent software has been the gradual recognition of the central role played by data and information, rather than the logic …

Databases For Interval Probabilities, Wenzhong Zhao, Alex Dekhtyar, Judy Goldsmith

Computer Science and Software Engineering

We present a database framework for the efficient storage and manipulation of interval probability distributions and their associated information. Although work on interval probabilities and on probabilistic databases has appeared before, ours is the first to combine these into a coherent and mathematically sound framework including both standard relational queries and queries based on probability theory. In particular, our query algebra allows users not only to query existing interval probability distributions, but also to construct new ones by means of conditionalization and marginalization, as well as other more common database operations.

Logic Programs, Iterated Function Systems, And Recurrent Radial Basis Function Networks, Sebastian Bader, Pascal Hitzler

Computer Science and Engineering Faculty Publications

Graphs of the single-step operator for first-order logic programs—displayed in the real plane—exhibit self-similar structures known from topological dynamics, i.e., they appear to be fractals, or more precisely, attractors of iterated function systems. We show that this observation can be made mathematically precise. In particular, we give conditions which ensure that those graphs coincide with attractors of suitably chosen iterated function systems, and conditions which allow the approximation of such graphs by iterated function systems or by fractal interpolation. Since iterated function systems can easily be encoded using recurrent radial basis function networks, we eventually obtain connectionist systems which …

Helping Analysts Trace Requirements: An Objective Look, Jane Huffman Hayes, Alex Dekhtyar, Senthil Karthikeyan Sundaram, Sarah Howard

Computer Science and Software Engineering

This paper addresses the issues related to improving the overall quality of the requirements tracing process for Independent Verification and Validation analysts. The contribution of the paper is three-fold: we define requirements for a tracing tool based on analyst responsibilities in the tracing process; we introduce several new measures for validating that the requirements have been satisfied; and we present a prototype tool that we built, RETRO (REquirements TRacing On-target), to address these requirements. We also present the results of a study used to assess RETRO’s support of requirements and requirement elements that can be measured objectively.

Logic Programs And Connectionist Networks, Pascal Hitzler, Steffen Holldobler, Anthony K. Seda

Computer Science and Engineering Faculty Publications

Graphs of the single-step operator for first-order logic programs—displayed in the real plane—exhibit self-similar structures known from topological dynamics, i.e., they appear to be fractals, or more precisely, attractors of iterated function systems. We show that this observation can be made mathematically precise. In particular, we give conditions which ensure that those graphs coincide with attractors of suitably chosen iterated function systems, and conditions which allow the approximation of such graphs by iterated function systems or by fractal interpolation. Since iterated function systems can easily be encoded using recurrent radial basis function networks, we eventually obtain connectionist systems which …

A Fast And Simple Algorithm For Computing M Shortest Paths In Stage Graph, M. Sherwood, Laxmi P. Gewali, Henry Selvaraj, Venkatesan Muthukumar

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Research

We consider the problem of computing m shortest paths between a source node s and a target node t in a stage graph. Polynomial time algorithms known to solve this problem use complicated data structures. This paper proposes a very simple algorithm for computing all m shortest paths in a stage graph efficiently. The proposed algorithm does not use any complicated data structure and can be implemented in a straightforward way by using only array data structure. This problem appears as a sub-problem for planning risk reduced multiple k-legged trajectories for aerial vehicles.

Recommender Systems Research: A Connection-Centric Survey, Saverio Perugini, Marcos André Gonçalves, Edward A. Fox

Computer Science Faculty Publications

Recommender systems attempt to reduce information overload and retain customers by selecting a subset of items from a universal set based on user preferences. While research in recommender systems grew out of information retrieval and filtering, the topic has steadily advanced into a legitimate and challenging research area of its own. Recommender systems have traditionally been studied from a content-based filtering vs. collaborative design perspective. Recommendations, however, are not delivered within a vacuum, but rather cast within an informal community of users and social context. Therefore, ultimately all recommender systems make connections among people and thus should be surveyed from …

Pyro: A Python-Based Versatile Programming Environment For Teaching Robotics, Doug Blank, Deepak Kumar, Lisa Meeden, Holly Yanco

Computer Science Faculty Research and Scholarship

In this paper we describe a programming framework called Pyro which provides a set of abstractions that allows students to write platform­independent robot programs. This project is unique because of its focus on the pedagogical implications of teaching mobile robotics via a top­down approach. We describe the background of the project, novel abstractions created, its library of objects, and the many learning modules that have been created from which curricula for different types of courses can be drawn. Finally, we explore Pyro from the students' perspective in a case study.

Jumpstarting Phylogenetic Analysis, Mark J. Clement, Keith A. Crandall, Kevin Seppi, Quinn O. Snell

Faculty Publications

When a new epidemic strikes, it is often important to determine the relationship between the current organism and others that have been successfully treated previously. The phylogenetic analysis problem generates the most likely family tree for a group of organisms based on DNA sequence data. This process can take a prohibitively long period of time with current algorithms. If trees resulting from prior searches are used to seed the search, correct trees can be found much more quickly. This jumpstarting algorithm can generate superior phylogenetic solutions much more quickly than existing algorithms.

Run-Time Modification Of The Class Hierarchy In A Live Java Development Environment, Joel R. Brandt, Kenneth J. Goldman

All Computer Science and Engineering Research

Class hierarchy design is central to object-oriented software development. However, it is sometimes difficult for developers to anticipate all the implications of a design until implementation is underway. To support experimentation with different designs, we extend prior work on live development environments to allow run-time modification of the class hierarchy. The result is a more fluid object-oriented development process, in which immediate feedback from the executing program can be used to guide hierarchy design. This paper presents a framework and developer support for run-time modification of class inheritance relations in JPie, a live visual programming environment for Java. Most notably, …

Ao2p: Ad-Hoc On-Demand Position-Based Private Routing Protocol, Xiaoxin Wu, Bharat Bhargava

Department of Computer Science Technical Reports

No abstract provided.

Heterogeneous Self-Reconfiguring Robotics, Robert Charles Fitch

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

Self-reconfiguring (SR) robots are modular systems that can autonomously change shape, or reconfigure, for increased versatility and adaptability in unknown environments. In this thesis, we investigate planning and control for systems of non-identical modules, known as heterogeneous SR robots. Although previous approaches rely on module homogeneity as a critical property, we show that the planning complexity of fundamental algorithmic problems in the heterogeneous case is equivalent to that of systems with identical modules. Primarily, we study the problem of how to plan shape changes while considering the placement of specific modules within the structure. We characterize this key challenge in …

Creating And Detecting Doctored And Virtual Images: Implications To The Child Pornography Prevention Act, Hany Farid

Computer Science Technical Reports

The 1996 Child Pornography Prevention Act (CPPA) extended the existing federal criminal laws against child pornography to include certain types of "virtual porn". In 2002, the United States Supreme Court found that portions of the CPPA, being overly broad and restrictive, violated First Amendment rights. The Court ruled that images containing an actual minor or portions of a minor are not protected, while computer generated images depicting a fictitious "computer generated" minor are constitutionally protected. In this report I outline various forms of digital tampering, placing them in the context of this recent ruling. I also review computational techniques for …

Pattern Search Ranking And Selection Algorithms For Mixed-Variable Optimization Of Stochastic Systems, Todd A. Sriver

Theses and Dissertations

A new class of algorithms is introduced and analyzed for bound and linearly constrained optimization problems with stochastic objective functions and a mixture of design variable types. The generalized pattern search (GPS) class of algorithms is extended to a new problem setting in which objective function evaluations require sampling from a model of a stochastic system. The approach combines GPS with ranking and selection (R&S) statistical procedures to select new iterates. The derivative-free algorithms require only black-box simulation responses and are applicable over domains with mixed variables (continuous, discrete numeric, and discrete categorical) to include bound and linear constraints on …

Security Analysis Of Two Signcryption Schemes, Guilin Wang, Robert H. Deng, Dongjin Kwak, Sangjae Moon

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Signcryption is a new cryptographic primitive that performs signing and encryption simultaneously, at a cost significantly lower than that required by the traditional signature-then-encryption approach. In this paper, we present a security analysis of two such schemes: the Huang-Chang convertible signcryption scheme, and the Kwak-Moon group signcryption scheme. Our results show that both schemes are insecure. Specifically, the Huang-Chang scheme fails to provide confidentiality, while the Kwak-Moon scheme does not satisfy the properties of unforgeability, coalition-resistance, and traceability.

Gentoo Linux: The Next Generation Of Linux, George K. Thiruvathukal

Computer Science: Faculty Publications and Other Works

One of the reasons scientific programmers love Linux is its less-is-more philosophy. We can configure it to be anything from a desktop replacement with USB port support to a blade in a large SMP compute engine to a powerful Web server. Although Linux's market penetration in these various sectors remains to be seen, plenty of people are pumping resources into the Linux world. In this article, I?ll explain why Gentoo Linux (www.gentoolinux.org) is a good choice for scientists, and how its structure gives us the flexibility and ease of management we need.

Towards Personalised Web Intelligence, Ah-Hwee Tan, Hwee-Leng Ong, Hong Pan, Jamie Ng, Qiu-Xiang Li

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

The Flexible Organizer for Competitive Intelligence (FOCI) is a personalised web intelligence system that provides an integrated platform for gathering, organising, tracking, and disseminating competitive information on the web. FOCI builds personalised information portfolios through a novel method called User-Configurable Clustering, which allows a user to personalise his/her portfolios in terms of the content as well as the organisational structure. This paper outlines the key challenges we face in personalised information management and gives a detailed account of FOCI’s underlying personalisation mechanism. For a quantitative evaluation of the system’s performance, we propose a set of performance indices based on information …