Time and tide wait for no man: pioneers and laggards in the deployment of CCS

19 p.

Strategies for Power Line Communications Smart Metering Network Deployment

Smart Grids are becoming a reality all over the world. Nowadays, the research efforts for the introduction and deployment of these grids are mainly focused on the development of the field of Smart Metering. This emerging application requires the use of technologies to access the significant number of points of supply (PoS) existing in the grid, covering the Low Voltage (LV) segment with the lowest possible costs. Power Line Communications (PLC) have been extensively used in electricity grids for a variety of purposes and, of late, have been the focus of renewed interest. PLC are really well suited for quick and inexpensive pervasive deployments. However, no LV grid is the same in any electricity company (utility), and the particularities of each grid evolution, architecture, circumstances and materials, makes it a challenge to deploy Smart Metering networks with PLC technologies, with the Smart Grid as an ultimate goal. This paper covers the evolution of Smart Metering networks, together with the evolution of PLC technologies until both worlds have converged to project PLC-enabled Smart Metering networks towards Smart Grid. This paper develops guidelines over a set of strategic aspects of PLC Smart Metering network deployment based on the knowledge gathered on real field; and introduces the future challenges of these networks in their evolution towards the Smart Grid.

Learning Multirobot Hose Transportation and Deployment by Distributed Round-Robin Q-Learning

Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning (MARL) algorithms face two main difficulties: the curse of dimensionality, and environment non-stationarity due to the independent learning processes carried out by the agents concurrently. In this paper we formalize and prove the convergence of a Distributed Round Robin Q-learning (D-RR-QL) algorithm for cooperative systems. The computational complexity of this algorithm increases linearly with the number of agents. Moreover, it eliminates environment non sta tionarity by carrying a round-robin scheduling of the action selection and execution. That this learning scheme allows the implementation of Modular State-Action Vetoes (MSAV) in cooperative multi-agent systems, which speeds up learning convergence in over-constrained systems by vetoing state-action pairs which lead to undesired termination states (UTS) in the relevant state-action subspace. Each agent's local state-action value function learning is an independent process, including the MSAV policies. Coordination of locally optimal policies to obtain the global optimal joint policy is achieved by a greedy selection procedure using message passing. We show that D-RR-QL improves over state-of-the-art approaches, such as Distributed Q-Learning, Team Q-Learning and Coordinated Reinforcement Learning in a paradigmatic Linked Multi-Component Robotic System (L-MCRS) control problem: the hose transportation task. L-MCRS are over-constrained systems with many UTS induced by the interaction of the passive linking element and the active mobile robots.

System architecture and deployment scenarios for SESAME: Small cEllS coordinAtion for Multi-tenancy and Edge services

The surge of the Internet traffic with exabytes of data flowing over operators mobile networks has created the need to rethink the paradigms behind the design of the mobile network architecture. The inadequacy of the 4G UMTS Long term Evolution (LTE) and even of its advanced version LTE-A is evident, considering that the traffic will be extremely heterogeneous in the near future and ranging from 4K resolution TV to machine-type communications. To keep up with these changes, academia, industries and EU institutions have now engaged in the quest for new 5G technology. In this paper we present the innovative system design, concepts and visions developed by the 5G PPP H2020 project SESAME (Small cEllS coordinAtion for Multi-tenancy and Edge services). The innovation of SESAME is manifold: i) combine the key 5G small cells with cloud technology, ii) promote and develop the concept of Small Cellsas- a-Service (SCaaS), iii) bring computing and storage power at the mobile network edge through the development of nonx86 ARM technology enabled micro-servers, and iv) address a large number of scenarios and use cases applying mobile edge computing. Topics:

A semantic middleware to enhance current multimedia retrieval systems with content-based functionalities

210 p. : graf.

FTT-MA: A Flexible Time-Triggered Middleware Architecture for Time Sensitive, Resource-Aware AmI Systems

There is an increasing number of Ambient Intelligence (AmI) systems that are time-sensitive and resource-aware. From healthcare to building and even home/office automation, it is now common to find systems combining interactive and sensing multimedia traffic with relatively simple sensors and actuators (door locks, presence detectors, RFIDs, HVAC, information panels, etc.). Many of these are today known as Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS). Quite frequently, these systems must be capable of (1) prioritizing different traffic flows (process data, alarms, non-critical data, etc.), (2) synchronizing actions in several distributed devices and, to certain degree, (3) easing resource management (e.g., detecting faulty nodes, managing battery levels, handling overloads, etc.). This work presents FTT-MA, a high-level middleware architecture aimed at easing the design, deployment and operation of such AmI systems. FTT-MA ensures that both functional and non-functional aspects of the applications are met even during reconfiguration stages. The paper also proposes a methodology, together with a design tool, to create this kind of systems. Finally, a sample case study is presented that illustrates the use of the middleware and the methodology proposed in the paper.

The cross layer RMPA handover: a reliable mobility pattern aware handover strategy for broadband wireless communication in a high-speed railway domain

Enhancing the handover process in broadband wireless communication deployment has traditionally motivated many research initiatives. In a high-speed railway domain, the challenge is even greater. Owing to the long distances covered, the mobile node gets involved in a compulsory sequence of handover processes. Consequently, poor performance during the execution of these handover processes significantly degrades the global end-to-end performance. This article proposes a new handover strategy for the railway domain: the RMPA handover, a Reliable Mobility Pattern Aware IEEE 802.16 handover strategy "customized" for a high-speed mobility scenario. The stringent high mobility feature is balanced with three other positive features in a high-speed context: mobility pattern awareness, different sources for location discovery techniques, and a previously known traffic data profile. To the best of the authors' knowledge, there is no IEEE 802.16 handover scheme that simultaneously covers the optimization of the handover process itself and the efficient timing of the handover process. Our strategy covers both areas of research while providing a cost-effective and standards-based solution. To schedule the handover process efficiently, the RMPA strategy makes use of a context aware handover policy; that is, a handover policy based on the mobile node mobility pattern, the time required to perform the handover, the neighboring network conditions, the data traffic profile, the received power signal, and current location and speed information of the train. Our proposal merges all these variables in a cross layer interaction in the handover policy engine. It also enhances the handover process itself by establishing the values for the set of handover configuration parameters and mechanisms of the handover process. RMPA is a cost-effective strategy because compatibility with standards-based equipment is guaranteed. The major contributions of the RMPA handover are in areas that have been left open to the handover designer's discretion. Our simulation analysis validates the RMPA handover decision rules and design choices. Our results supporting a high-demand video application in the uplink stream show a significant improvement in the end-to-end quality of service parameters, including end-to-end delay (22%) and jitter (80%), when compared with a policy based on signal-to-noise-ratio information.

Decarbonising urban transportation

18 p.

Estudio de criterios de planificación de redes DVB-T2 en la banda VHF

[ES]El estándar de radiodifusión de televisión digital terrestre DVB-T (Digital Video Broadcasting - Terrestrial) es uno de los estándares más extendidos en todo el mundo. Su sucesor, DVB-T2, ha sido desplegado en 24 países y adoptado por otros 32 a lo largo de los últimos cinco años. Este despliegue ha coincidido con el rápido desarrollo de la telefonía móvil, con la que comparte la banda UHF. Debido a las limitaciones del espectro, es necesario estudiar la posibilidad de ofrecer los servicios de DVB-T2 en la banda VHF. El objetivo de este trabajo de fin de grado es estudiar los criterios de planificación de las redes DVB-T2 en la banda VHF. Para ello se analizan las áreas afectadas por el cambio de banda, como son la estimación del campo eléctrico, los características de los componentes de transmisión y recepción de la señal y los parámetros estándar. Además, se calculan las intensidades mínimas de campo y los alcances máximos de cobertura para diferentes configuraciones.

Handover en LTE basado en distancia en plataforma de simulación

[ES]Mejorar el proceso de handover en el despliegue de comunicaciones inalámbricas de banda ancha tradicionalmente ha motivado muchas iniciativas de investigación. En el dominio de los ferrocarriles de alta velocidad, el reto es incluso mayor. Debido a las largas distancias que se cubren, el nodo móvil se ve envuelto en una secuencia obligatoria de procesos de handover. Consecuentemente, un rendimiento pobre en la ejecución de esos procesos de handover degrada significativamente el rendimiento global extremo a extremo. Este documento propone una nueva estrategia de handover para el dominio de los ferrocarriles: un algoritmo de decisión para LTE basado en distancia en lugar de en potencia. La decisión de realizar el handover se realiza cuando un eNB candidato se encuentra más cerca del UE que el eNB fuente. Adicionalmente, cabe la posibilidad de retrasar esa decisión mediante un umbral. Asimismo, se añade una nueva función al modelo de LTE de la plataforma de simulación empleada en la verificación de este modelo. Este mecanismo de decisión introduce un retardo menor en los procesos de handover y, en consecuencia, la calidad extremo-a-extremo aumenta.

Diseño electrónico de una red de comunicaciones para monitorización de estructuras

[ES]El Trabajo Fin de Grado “Diseño electrónico de una red de comunicaciones para monitorización de estructuras” consiste en el desarrollo de un sistema de comunicación orientado al despliegue y gestión de una red con un alto número de sensores para monitorización de estructuras a bordo de una aeronave. El objetivo principal es hacer viable la utilización de dicha red, partiendo de la premisa de crear una alternativa con mayor eficiencia energética que los sistemas actualmente disponibles para tal fin.

Antikörper: Diseño e implementación de un sistema de detección de intrusos inalámbrico basado en Network IDS

[ES]Este proyecto, fruto de mi Trabajo Fin de Grado, pretende describir los aspectos más relevantes de los Wireless Intrusion Detection System (WIDS), tales como su historia, funcionamiento, arquitecturas, implementación o futuro. Tras esto, se expondrá el objetivo principal del proyecto. Proponer una arquitectura genérica para los WIDS y crear Antikörper, un WIDS basado en Network IDS completamente funcional, que cubra totalmente las necesidades de seguridad actuales en las redes Wireless LAN y sea adaptable a futuras revisiones.

PIM-SM extension for Source-Specific Multicast through non multicast networks

Barneko ikerkuntza-txostena

Improving Content Delivery Efficiency through Multi-Layer Mobile Edge Adaptation

This paper presents a novel architecture for optimizing the HTTP-based multimedia delivery in multi-user mobile networks. This proposal combines the usual client-driven dynamic adaptation scheme DASH-3GPP with network-assisted adaptation capabilities, in order to maximize the overall Quality of Experience. The foundation of this combined adaptation scheme is based on two state of the art technologies. On one hand, adaptive HTTP streaming with multi-layer encoding allows efficient media delivery and improves the experienced media quality in highly dynamic channels. Additionally, it enables the possibility to implement network-level adaptations for better coping with multi-user scenarios. On the other hand, mobile edge computing facilitates the deployment of mobile services close to the user. This approach brings new possibilities in modern and future mobile networks, such as close to zero delays and awareness of the radio status. The proposal in this paper introduces a novel element, denoted as Mobile Edge-DASH Adaptation Function, which combines all these advantages to support efficient media delivery in mobile multi-user scenarios. Furthermore, we evaluate the performance enhancements of this content- and user context-aware scheme through simulations of a mobile multimedia scenario.

Contributions to High-Throughput Computing Based on the Peer-to-Peer Paradigm

XII, 116 p.