Wireless communication, identification and sensing technologies enabling integrated logistics: a study in the harbor environment

In the last decade, integrated logistics has become an important challenge in the development of wireless communication, identification and sensing technology, due to the growing complexity of logistics processes and the increasing demand for adapting systems to new requirements. The advancement of wireless technology provides a wide range of options for the maritime container terminals. Electronic devices employed in container terminals reduce the manual effort, facilitating timely information flow and enhancing control and quality of service and decision made. In this paper, we examine the technology that can be used to support integration in harbor's logistics. In the literature, most systems have been developed to address specific needs of particular harbors, but a systematic study is missing. The purpose is to provide an overview to the reader about which technology of integrated logistics can be implemented and what remains to be addressed in the future

Integrated voice/data through a digital PBX

The digital voice/data PBX is finally reaching its anticipated potential and becoming a major factor when considering the total communications picture for many businesses today. The digital PBX has always been the choice for voice communications but has lagged behind the LAN industry when it comes to data transfers. The pendulum has begun to swing with the enhanced data capabilities of third and fourth generation PBXs. The battle for the total communication market is quite fierce between the LAN and PBX vendors now. This research thesis looks at the history, evolution, and architecture of voice/data PBXs. It traces development of PBXs through the present fourth generation architectures. From the first manual switches introduced in the late 1800\u27s through the Strowger switch, step-by-step switching, stored program control, common control, digital switches, dual bus architectures, and finally what is anticipated in the future. A detailed description of the new fourth generation dual bus architectures is presented. Lastly, speculations on the future direction PBX architectures will take is explored. A description of the mechanics of a possible Wave Division PBX is presented based on a fiber optic transport system

Towards Massive Machine Type Communications in Ultra-Dense Cellular IoT Networks: Current Issues and Machine Learning-Assisted Solutions

The ever-increasing number of resource-constrained Machine-Type Communication (MTC) devices is leading to the critical challenge of fulfilling diverse communication requirements in dynamic and ultra-dense wireless environments. Among different application scenarios that the upcoming 5G and beyond cellular networks are expected to support, such as eMBB, mMTC and URLLC, mMTC brings the unique technical challenge of supporting a huge number of MTC devices, which is the main focus of this paper. The related challenges include QoS provisioning, handling highly dynamic and sporadic MTC traffic, huge signalling overhead and Radio Access Network (RAN) congestion. In this regard, this paper aims to identify and analyze the involved technical issues, to review recent advances, to highlight potential solutions and to propose new research directions. First, starting with an overview of mMTC features and QoS provisioning issues, we present the key enablers for mMTC in cellular networks. Along with the highlights on the inefficiency of the legacy Random Access (RA) procedure in the mMTC scenario, we then present the key features and channel access mechanisms in the emerging cellular IoT standards, namely, LTE-M and NB-IoT. Subsequently, we present a framework for the performance analysis of transmission scheduling with the QoS support along with the issues involved in short data packet transmission. Next, we provide a detailed overview of the existing and emerging solutions towards addressing RAN congestion problem, and then identify potential advantages, challenges and use cases for the applications of emerging Machine Learning (ML) techniques in ultra-dense cellular networks. Out of several ML techniques, we focus on the application of low-complexity Q-learning approach in the mMTC scenarios. Finally, we discuss some open research challenges and promising future research directions.Comment: 37 pages, 8 figures, 7 tables, submitted for a possible future publication in IEEE Communications Surveys and Tutorial

Deterministic ethernet in a safety critical environment

This thesis explores the concept of creating safety critical networks with low congestion and latency (known as critical networking) for real time critical communication (safety critical environment). Critical networking refers to the dynamic management of all the application demands in a network within all available network bandwidth, in order to avoid congestion. Critical networking removes traffic congestion and delay to provide quicker response times. A Deterministic Ethernet communication system in a Safety Critical environment addresses the disorderly Ethernet traffic condition inherent in all Ethernet networks. Safety Critical environment means both time critical (delay sensitive) and content critical (error free). Ethernet networks however do not operate in a deterministic fashion, giving rise to congestion. To discover the common traffic patterns that cause congestion a detailed analysis was carried out using neural network techniques. This analysis has investigated the issues associated with delay and congestion and identified their root cause, namely unknown transmission conditions. The congestion delay, and its removal, was explored in a simulated control environment in a small star network using the Air-field communication standard. A Deterministic Ethernet was created and implemented using a Network Traffic Oscillator (NTO). NTO uses Critical Networking principles to transform random burst application transmission impulses into deterministic sinusoid transmissions. It is proved that the NTO has the potential to remove congestion and minimise latency. Based on its potential, it is concluded that the proposed Deterministic Ethernet can be used to improve network security as well as control long haul communication

Proceedings of the Second International Mobile Satellite Conference (IMSC 1990)

Presented here are the proceedings of the Second International Mobile Satellite Conference (IMSC), held June 17-20, 1990 in Ottawa, Canada. Topics covered include future mobile satellite communications concepts, aeronautical applications, modulation and coding, propagation and experimental systems, mobile terminal equipment, network architecture and control, regulatory and policy considerations, vehicle antennas, and speech compression

Advanced power sources for space missions

Approaches to satisfying the power requirements of space-based Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) missions are studied. The power requirements for non-SDI military space missions and for civil space missions of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) are also considered. The more demanding SDI power requirements appear to encompass many, if not all, of the power requirements for those missions. Study results indicate that practical fulfillment of SDI requirements will necessitate substantial advances in the state of the art of power technology. SDI goals include the capability to operate space-based beam weapons, sometimes referred to as directed-energy weapons. Such weapons pose unprecedented power requirements, both during preparation for battle and during battle conditions. The power regimes for these two sets of applications are referred to as alert mode and burst mode, respectively. Alert-mode power requirements are presently stated to range from about 100 kW to a few megawatts for cumulative durations of about a year or more. Burst-mode power requirements are roughly estimated to range from tens to hundreds of megawatts for durations of a few hundred to a few thousand seconds. There are two likely energy sources, chemical and nuclear, for powering SDI directed-energy weapons during the alert and burst modes. The choice between chemical and nuclear space power systems depends in large part on the total duration during which power must be provided. Complete study findings, conclusions, and eight recommendations are reported

The applications of satellites to communications, navigation and surveillance for aircraft operating over the contiguous United States. Volume 1 - Technical report

Satellite applications to aircraft communications, navigation, and surveillance over US including synthesized satellite network and aircraft equipment for air traffic contro

Target recognition techniques for multifunction phased array radar

This thesis, submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at University College London, is a discussion and analysis of combined stepped-frequency and pulse-Doppler target recognition methods which enable a multifunction phased array radar designed for automatic surveillance and multi-target tracking to offer a Non Cooperative Target Recognition (NCTR) capability. The primary challenge is to investigate the feasibility of NCTR via the use of high range resolution profiles. Given stepped frequency waveforms effectively trade time for enhanced bandwidth, and thus resolution, attention is paid to the design of a compromise between resolution and dwell time. A secondary challenge is to investigate the additional benefits to overall target classification when the number of coherent pulses within an NCTR wavefrom is expanded to enable the extraction of spectral features which can help to differentiate particular classes of target. As with increased range resolution, the price for this extra information is a further increase in dwell time. The response to the primary and secondary challenges described above has involved the development of a number of novel techniques, which are summarized below: • Design and execution of a series of experiments to further the understanding of multifunction phased array Radar NCTR techniques • Development of a ‘Hybrid’ stepped frequency technique which enables a significant extension of range profiles without the proportional trade in resolution as experienced with ‘Classical’ techniques • Development of an ‘end to end’ NCTR processing and visualization pipeline • Use of ‘Doppler fraction’ spectral features to enable aircraft target classification via propulsion mechanism. Combination of Doppler fraction and physical length features to enable broad aircraft type classification. • Optimization of NCTR method classification performance as a function of feature and waveform parameters. • Generic waveform design tools to enable delivery of time costly NCTR waveforms within operational constraints. The thesis is largely based upon an analysis of experimental results obtained using the multifunction phased array radar MESAR2, based at BAE Systems on the Isle of Wight. The NCTR mode of MESAR2 consists of the transmission and reception of successive multi-pulse coherent bursts upon each target being tracked. Each burst is stepped in frequency resulting in an overall bandwidth sufficient to provide sub-metre range resolution. A sequence of experiments, (static trials, moving point target trials and full aircraft trials) are described and an analysis of the robustness of target length and Doppler spectra feature measurements from NCTR mode data recordings is presented. A recorded data archive of 1498 NCTR looks upon 17 different trials aircraft using five different varieties of stepped frequency waveform is used to determine classification performance as a function of various signal processing parameters and extent (numbers of pulses) of the data used. From analysis of the trials data, recommendations are made with regards to the design of an NCTR mode for an operational system that uses stepped frequency techniques by design choice