Computer Engineering Commons^™

Performance Analysis For Wimax Wireless Systems With Multiple Receive Antennas, Selcuk Taskin

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Broadband wireless access has become the best way to meet the growing demand for fast Internet connections. WiMAX is one of the most promising broadband access technologies that allows fast deployment as well as low maintenance costs. WiMAX allows efficient use available bandwidth by using orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) which is an efficient multi-carrier modulation technique. Diversity is a method for improving the reliability of a signal in fading environments by using two or more communication channels and is usually achieved by multiple antenna techniques.

In this thesis, receiver side diversity combining methods are studied and the performance of …

A Probabilistic Analysis Of Misparking In Reservation Based Parking Garages, Vikas G. Ashok

Computer Science Theses & Dissertations

Parking in major cities is an expensive and annoying affair, the reason ascribed to the limited availability of parking space. Modern parking garages provide parking reservation facility, thereby ensuring availability to prospective customers. Misparking in such reservation based parking garages creates confusion and aggravates driver frustration. The general conception about misparking is that it tends to completely cripple the normal functioning of the system leading to chaos and confusion. A single mispark tends to have a ripple effect and therefore spawns a chain of misparks. The chain terminates when the last mispark occurs at the parking slot reserved by the …

A Study Of Diversity Techniques For Lte Wireless Systems, Ferhat Kaplan

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The demand of attaining information and the wish to communicating anytime and anywhere has caused numerous innovations in the digital communication world. Today, approximately half of the people on earth somehow use wireless technology which is in every part of our lives. LTE (Long Term Evolution) and WIMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access) standards are the two leading wireless technologies, which support high data rates, multimedia applications, and voice video communications at very high speeds, also called 4G cellular systems in the global market.

These high expectations from wireless technology have revealed multiple antenna techniques which improve the performance and …

Electronic Warfare By Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, Aydin Meric

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Technology continues to evolve rapidly by the day. Developments in technology should be followed closely if a country wants to become more powerful. Nowadays nobody can afford to ignore the importance of Electronic Warfare and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) in military applications. Both of them play a crucial role in military operations that they can change the course of a war.

There are different kinds of Electronic Warfare methods that can be applied according to the situations and any evolving circumstances. In the beginning Electronic Warfare was used mainly for defensive purposes, but these days Electronic Warfare is used for …

Design And Demonstration Of A Miniature Lidar System For Rover Applications, Benjamin Robinson

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Public awareness of harmful human environmental effects such as global warming has increased greatly in recent years and researchers have increased their efforts in gaining more knowledge about the Earth's atmosphere. Natural and man-made processes pose threats lo the environment and human life, so knowledge of all atmospheric processes is necessary. Ozone and aerosols are important factors in many atmospheric processes and active remote sensing techniques provide a way lo analyze their quantity and distribution.

A compact ground-based lidar system for a robotic platform meant for atmospheric aerosol measurements was designed, tested, and evaluated. The system will eventually be deployed …

Data Aggregation And Dissemination In Vehicular Ad-Hoc Networks, Khaled Ibrahim

Computer Science Theses & Dissertations

Vehicular Ad-Hoc Networks (VANETs) are a fast growing technology that many governments and automobile manufacturers are investing in to provide not only safer and more secure roads, but also informational and entertainment-based applications for drivers. The applications developed for VANETs can be classified into multiple categories (safety, informational, entertainment). Most VANET applications, regardless of their category, depend on having certain vehicular data(vehicular speed, X position and Y position) available. Although these applications appear to use the same vehicular data, the characteristics of this data (i.e., amount, accuracy, and update rate) will vary based on the application category. For …

Solving The Vehicle Re-Identification Problem By Using Neural Networks, Tanweer Rashid

Computational Modeling & Simulation Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Vehicle re-identification is the process by which vehicle attributes measured at one point on a road network are compared to vehicle attributes measured at another point in an effort to match vehicles without using any unique identifiers such as license plate numbers. A match is made if the two measurements are estimated to belong to the same vehicle. Vehicle attributes can be sensor readings such as loop induction signatures, or they can also be actual vehicle characteristics such as length, weight, number of axles, etc. This research makes use of vehicle length, travel time, axle spacing and axle weights for …

A High-Throughput Routing Metric For Reliable Multicast In Multi-Rate Wireless Mesh Networks, Xin Zhao, Jun Guo, Chun Tung Chou, Archan Misra, Sanjay Jha

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

We propose a routing metric for enabling highthroughput reliable multicast in multi-rate wireless mesh networks. This new multicast routing metric, called expected multicast transmission time (EMTT), captures the combined effects of 1) MAC-layer retransmission-based reliability, 2) transmission rate diversity, 3) wireless broadcast advantage, and 4) link quality awareness. The EMTT of one-hop transmission of a multicast packet minimizes the amount of expected transmission time (including that required for retransmissions). This is achieved by allowing the sender to adapt its bit-rate for each ongoing transmission/retransmission, optimized exclusively for its nexthop receivers that have not yet received the multicast packet. We model …

Propeller: A Scalable Metadata Organization For A Versatile Searchable File System, Lei Xu, Hong Jiang, Xue Liu, Lei Tian, Yu Hua, Jian Hu

School of Computing: Technical Reports

The exponentially increasing amount of data in file systems has made it increasingly important for users, administrators and applications to be able to fast retrieve files using file-search services, instead of replying on the standard file system API to traverse the hierarchical namespaces.  The quality of the file-search services  is significantly affected by the file-indexing overhead, the file-search performance and the accuracy of search results.  Unfortunately, the existing file-search solutions either are so poorly scalable that their performance degrades unacceptably when the systems scale up, or incur so much crawling delays that they produce acceptably inaccurate results.  We believe that …

Nextgen Technology: From Metaphysical Perfection To Complete Failure, Anne E. Burnett

Continuing Legal Education Presentations

In this paper, I explore technologies currently available on the web which can improve the efficiency of your practice. I also point to new trends in innovation along with examples of the products coming out of those trends and recommend resources for keeping up-to-date with new gadgets and applications.

They Passed That? He Decided What? Tools And Techniques For Staying Informed About The Law, Jason Tubninis

Continuing Legal Education Presentations

Thanks to the wide-scale adoption of the Internet as a primary means of disseminating information, the amount available is increasing at an exponential rate every day. This is especially true for the legal field and the practice of law. There is an incredible amount of information being released from a myriad of sources; government agencies, legal scholars, private practitioners, experts and more are distributing a veritable treasure trove of resources online.

The question is no longer “Is it out there?” but “How can I find it?” Unfortunately, this question is becoming increasingly difficult as the shear amount being released begins …

Internet Ethics: Complications Of The Digital Age And Web Sites To Help You Untangle Them, Maureen Cahill

Continuing Legal Education Presentations

Computers and the Internet have profoundly changed at least the mechanics of the practice of law. Client communication, legal research, document drafting and transmittal, and record storage are increasingly paper free undertakings. As someone who began the practice of law long before the advent of the personal computer or the Internet, I can attest that the shift to computers and the Internet has greatly increased efficiency, productivity and convenience. At the same time, these tools can greatly complicate many traditional ethical considerations.

The paper is divided into two parts. In the first portion of this paper, I will try to …

Increasing Efficiency In Boundary Security With Wireless Sensor Networks And Geospatial Information Systems Using Homology Theory, Luis Berumen^, Eric Chaidez^, Hamide Dogan*, Jose Gerardo Rosiles**

COURI Symposium Abstracts, Spring 2011

As part of an institutional investigation, we attempt to address the challenges the US customs and Border protection agency faces in the El Paso region. Our research focuses on defining a system for the surveillance application, and the use of mathematical models employed to achieve a greater efficiency of such architecture. With the use of the defined system, we apply homology theory through the algebraic process of topology, to accomplish an independent coordinate-free based system, which covers the surveillance area, with lesser quantity of sensor nodes. Our architecture makes the use of an operating system for wireless sensor networks; TinyOS, …

Relocatable Field Programmable Gate Array Bitstreams For Fault Tolerance, David P. Montminy, Rusty O. Baldwin, Paul D. Williams

AFIT Patents

A Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) circuit capable of operating through at least one fault. The FPGA circuit includes a configuration memory and an embedded microprocessor. The embedded microprocessor having access to the configuration memory, static modules, at least one relocatable module, and at least one spare module. The relocatable module being relocatable from a first target area to a second target area. The relocatable module being relocatable by manipulating a partial bitstream with the embedded microprocessor. The microprocessor calculating a plurality of bitstream changes, to relocate the at least one relocatable module using at least triple modular redundancy (TMR).

Integrated Home Server, Santiago John Rose

Computer Science and Engineering Master's Theses

Since the advent of the microprocessor in the 1970s, the market for consumer electronics has exploded with new devices changing the way we live and do business. Today, mobile phones, cameras, PCs, iPads, mp3 players, network media players, security systems, automation and IT systems, all have common functionality and there is an increasing need for unification of access to all these devices around a common server based architecture to unlock the benefits of smart integration and to simplify access for the end user.

IHS project is designed to provide to its business and home owners a unified network for all …

Overcoming Pose Limitations Of A Skin-Cued Histograms Of Oriented Gradients Dismount Detector Through Contextual Use Of Skin Islands And Multiple Support Vector Machines, Jonathon R. Climer

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis provides a novel visualization method to analyze the impact that articulations in dismount pose and camera aspect angle have on histograms of oriented gradients (HOG) features and eventual detections. Insights from these relationships are used to identify limitations in a state of the art skin cued HOG dismount detector's ability to detect poses not in a standard upright stances. Improvements to detector performance are made by further leveraging available skin information, reducing false detections by an additional order of magnitude. In addition, a method is outlined for training supplemental support vector machines (SVMs) from computer generated data, for …

Dynamic Polymorphic Reconfiguration To Effectively “Cloak” A Circuit’S Function, Jeffrey L. Falkinburg

Theses and Dissertations

Today's society has become more dependent on the integrity and protection of digital information used in daily transactions resulting in an ever increasing need for information security. Additionally, the need for faster and more secure cryptographic algorithms to provide this information security has become paramount. Hardware implementations of cryptographic algorithms provide the necessary increase in throughput, but at a cost of leaking critical information. Side Channel Analysis (SCA) attacks allow an attacker to exploit the regular and predictable power signatures leaked by cryptographic functions used in algorithms such as RSA. In this research the focus on a means to counteract …

A Multi Agent System For Flow-Based Intrusion Detection Using Reputation And Evolutionary Computation, David Hancock

Theses and Dissertations

The rising sophistication of cyber threats as well as the improvement of physical computer network properties present increasing challenges to contemporary Intrusion Detection (ID) techniques. To respond to these challenges, a multi agent system (MAS) coupled with flow-based ID techniques may effectively complement traditional ID systems. This paper develops: 1) a scalable software architecture for a new, self-organized, multi agent, flow-based ID system; and 2) a network simulation environment suitable for evaluating implementations of this MAS architecture and for other research purposes. Self-organization is achieved via 1) a reputation system that influences agent mobility in the search for effective vantage …

Malicious And Malfunctioning Node Detection Via Observed Physical Layer Data, Tyler J. Hardy

Theses and Dissertations

There are many mechanisms that can cause inadequate or unreliable information in sensor networks. A user of the network might be interested in detecting and classifying specific sensors nodes causing these problems. Several network layer based trust methods have been developed in previous research to assess these issues; in contrast this work develops a trust protocol based on observations of physical layer data collected by the sensors. Observations of physical layer data are used for decisions and calculations, and are based on just the measurements collected by the sensors. Although this information is packaged and distributed on the network layer, …

Adaptive Quality Of Service Engine With Dynamic Queue Control, James D. Haught

Theses and Dissertations

While the current routing and congestion control algorithms in use today are often sufficient for networks with relatively static topology, these algorithms may not be sufficient for military networks where a certain level of quality of service (QoS) needs to be achieved to complete a mission. Current networking technology limits a network's ability to adapt to changes and interactions in the network, often resulting in sub-optimal performance. This research investigates the use of queue size predictions to create a network controller to optimize computer networks. These queue size predictions are made possible through the use of Kalman filters to detect …

Holistic Network Defense: Fusing Host And Network Features For Attack Classification, Jenny W. Ji

Theses and Dissertations

This work presents a hybrid network-host monitoring strategy, which fuses data from both the network and the host to recognize malware infections. This work focuses on three categories: Normal, Scanning, and Infected. The network-host sensor fusion is accomplished by extracting 248 features from network traffic using the Fullstats Network Feature generator and from the host using text mining, looking at the frequency of the 500 most common strings and analyzing them as word vectors. Improvements to detection performance are made by synergistically fusing network features obtained from IP packet flows and host features, obtained from text mining port, processor, logon …

Covert Channels Within Irc, Wayne C. Henry

Theses and Dissertations

The exploration of advanced information hiding techniques is important to understand and defend against illicit data extractions over networks. Many techniques have been developed to covertly transmit data over networks, each differing in their capabilities, methods, and levels of complexity. This research introduces a new class of information hiding techniques for use over Internet Relay Chat (IRC), called the Variable Advanced Network IRC Stealth Handler (VANISH) system. Three methods for concealing information are developed under this framework to suit the needs of an attacker. These methods are referred to as the Throughput, Stealth, and Baseline scenarios. Each is designed for …

Routing Uavs To Co-Optimize Mission Effectiveness And Network Performance With Dynamic Programming, Spenser D. Lee

Theses and Dissertations

In support of the Air Force Research Laboratory's (AFRL) vision of the layered sensing operations center, command and control intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance (C2ISR) more focus must be placed on architectures that support information systems, rather than just the information systems themselves. By extending the role of UAVs beyond simply intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) operations and into a dual-role with networking operations we can better utilize our information assets. To achieve the goal of dual-role UAVs, a concrete approach to planning must be taken. This research defines a mathematical model and a non-trivial deterministic algorithmic approach to determining UAV …

An Architecture For Improving Timeliness And Relevance Of Cyber Incident Notifications, James L. Miller

Theses and Dissertations

This research proposes a communications architecture to deliver timely and relevant cyber incident notifications to dependent mission stakeholders. This architecture, modeled in Unified Modeling Language (UML), eschews the traditional method of pushing notifications via message as dictated in Air Force Instruction 33-138. It instead shifts to a pull or publish and subscribe method of making notifications. Shifting this paradigm improves the notification process by empowering mission owners to identify those resources on which they depend for mission accomplishment, provides a direct conduit between providing and dependent mission owners for notifications when an incident occurs, and provides a shared representation for …

Evaluating Information Assurance Control Effectiveness On An Air Force Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition (Scada) System, Jason R. Nielsen

Theses and Dissertations

Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems are increasingly being connected to corporate networks which has dramatically expanded their attack surface to remote cyber attack. Adversaries are targeting these systems with increasing frequency and sophistication. This thesis seeks to answer the research question addressing which Information Assurance (IA) controls are most significant for network defenders and SCADA system managers/operators to focus on in order to increase the security of critical infrastructure systems against a Stuxnet-like cyber attack. This research applies the National Institute of Science and Technology (NIST) IA controls to an attack tree modeled on a remote Stuxnet-like cyber …

Defensive Cyber Battle Damage Assessment Through Attack Methodology Modeling, Ryan T. Ostler

Theses and Dissertations

Due to the growing sophisticated capabilities of advanced persistent cyber threats, it is necessary to understand and accurately assess cyber attack damage to digital assets. This thesis proposes a Defensive Cyber Battle Damage Assessment (DCBDA) process which utilizes the comprehensive understanding of all possible cyber attack methodologies captured in a Cyber Attack Methodology Exhaustive List (CAMEL). This research proposes CAMEL to provide detailed knowledge of cyber attack actions, methods, capabilities, forensic evidence and evidence collection methods. This product is modeled as an attack tree called the Cyber Attack Methodology Attack Tree (CAMAT). The proposed DCBDA process uses CAMAT to analyze …

Automated Analysis Of Arm Binaries Using The Low-Level Virtual Machine Compiler Framework, Jeffrey B. Scott

Theses and Dissertations

Binary program analysis is a critical capability for offensive and defensive operations in Cyberspace. However, many current techniques are ineffective or time-consuming and few tools can analyze code compiled for embedded processors such as those used in network interface cards, control systems and mobile phones. This research designs and implements a binary analysis system, called the Architecture-independent Binary Abstracting Code Analysis System (ABACAS), which reverses the normal program compilation process, lifting binary machine code to the Low-Level Virtual Machine (LLVM) compiler's intermediate representation, thereby enabling existing security-related analyses to be applied to binary programs. The prototype targets ARM binaries but …

Spear Phishing Attack Detection, David T. Merritt

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis addresses the problem of identifying email spear phishing attacks, which are indicative of cyber espionage. Spear phishing consists of targeted emails sent to entice a victim to open a malicious file attachment or click on a malicious link that leads to a compromise of their computer. Current detection methods fail to detect emails of this kind consistently. The SPEar phishing Attack Detection system (SPEAD) is developed to analyze all incoming emails on a network for the presence of spear phishing attacks. SPEAD analyzes the following file types: Windows Portable Executable and Common Object File Format (PE/COFF), Adobe Reader, …

Creating A Network Model For The Integration Of Dynamic And Static Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition (Scada) Test Environment, Marlon Coerbell

Theses and Dissertations

Since 9/11 protecting our critical infrastructure has become a national priority. Presidential Decision Directive 63 mandates and lays a foundation for ensuring all aspects of our nation's critical infrastructure remain secure. Key in this debate is the fact that much of our electrical power grid fails to meet the spirit of this requirement. My research leverages the power afforded by Electric Power and Communication Synchronizing Simulator (EPOCHS) developed with the assistance of Dr. Hopkinson, et al. The power environment is modeled in an electrical simulation environment called PowerWorld©. The network is modeled in OPNET® and populated with self-similar network and …

Trust Management And Security In Satellite Telecommand Processing, Mark C. Duncan

Theses and Dissertations

New standards and initiatives in satellite system architecture are moving the space industry to more open and efficient mission operations. Primarily, these standards allow multiple missions to share standard ground and space based resources to reduce mission development and sustainment costs. With the benefits of these new concepts comes added risk associated with threats to the security of our critical space assets in a contested space and cyberspace domain. As one method to mitigate threats to space missions, this research develops, implements, and tests the Consolidated Trust Management System (CTMS) for satellite flight software. The CTMS architecture was developed using …