Optimización del multiplex de televisión

Este proyecto versa sobre un modelo de evaluación de calidad de imagen aplicado a la optimización del ancho de banda del multiplex de televisión, mediante la realización de ensayos con distintas configuraciones de cabecera. Dicho modelo se basa en las medidas PQR y DMOS de Tektronix, destinadas a medir la percepción de las diferencias entre una secuencia antes y después de sufrir un procesado digital. Dado que actualmente, el modo de trabajo de una cabecera de televisión digital, es la multiplexación estadística (consistente en la codificación de diferentes servicios de vídeo con anchos de banda variables en función de la complejidad de las señales), las medidas estarán enfocadas a sacar conclusiones acerca de la cantidad de canales, complejidad de contenidos, y organización de los mismos en el ancho de banda disponible para emitir, manteniendo niveles de calidad Broadcast. Las medidas serán aplicadas en el proyecto para comparar el rendimiento de dos modelos de cabecera. En primer lugar serán configuradas en régimen binario constante, comparando el rendimiento de los codificadores en el área de trabajo habitual. Posteriormente se configuraran en régimen binario variable probando múltiples configuraciones, con el objetivo dar con el modelo y configuración óptima para su posterior implementación. ABSTRACT. This project concerns a picture quality assessment model applied to television multiplex bandwidth optimization by conducting test with different headend settings. This model is based on the PQR and DMOS Tektronix measures, designed to measure the differences between a sequence before and after a digital processing. Given that nowadays the working way of television headend is by statistical multiplexing (based on coding the different video services with variable bitrate depending on the complexity of the signals) measures will be focused to reach conclusions about the number of channels, complexity of content, and the way to organize them through the available bandwidth, keeping broadcast quality ratios. The measures will be applied comparing the performance of two headend models. First of all encoders will be set on constant bitrate, comparing the performance through the working bandwidth. Later on, both models will be set on variable bitrate testing multiple configurations, in order to find the optimal model/configuration for later implementation.

Diseño y banco de test VHDL de un procesador que realice la ICT para HEVC

Se va a realizar un estudio de la codificación de imágenes sobre el estándar HEVC (high-effiency video coding). El proyecto se va a centrar en el codificador híbrido, más concretamente sobre la aplicación de la transformada inversa del coseno que se realiza tanto en codificador como en el descodificador. La necesidad de codificar vídeo surge por la aparición de la secuencia de imágenes como señales digitales. El problema principal que tiene el vídeo es la cantidad de bits que aparecen al realizar la codificación. Como consecuencia del aumento de la calidad de las imágenes, se produce un crecimiento exponencial de la cantidad de información a codificar. La utilización de las transformadas al procesamiento digital de imágenes ha aumentado a lo largo de los años. La transformada inversa del coseno se ha convertido en el método más utilizado en el campo de la codificación de imágenes y video. Las ventajas de la transformada inversa del coseno permiten obtener altos índices de compresión a muy bajo coste. La teoría de las transformadas ha mejorado el procesamiento de imágenes. En la codificación por transformada, una imagen se divide en bloques y se identifica cada imagen a un conjunto de coeficientes. Esta codificación se aprovecha de las dependencias estadísticas de las imágenes para reducir la cantidad de datos. El proyecto realiza un estudio de la evolución a lo largo de los años de los distintos estándares de codificación de video. Se analiza el codificador híbrido con más profundidad así como el estándar HEVC. El objetivo final que busca este proyecto fin de carrera es la realización del núcleo de un procesador específico para la ejecución de la transformada inversa del coseno en un descodificador de vídeo compatible con el estándar HEVC. Es objetivo se logra siguiendo una serie de etapas, en las que se va añadiendo requisitos. Este sistema permite al diseñador hardware ir adquiriendo una experiencia y un conocimiento más profundo de la arquitectura final. ABSTRACT. A study about the codification of images based on the standard HEVC (high-efficiency video coding) will be developed. The project will be based on the hybrid encoder, in particular, on the application of the inverse cosine transform, which is used for the encoder as well as for the decoder. The necessity of encoding video arises because of the appearance of the sequence of images as digital signals. The main problem that video faces is the amount of bits that appear when making the codification. As a consequence of the increase of the quality of the images, an exponential growth on the quantity of information that should be encoded happens. The usage of transforms to the digital processing of images has increased along the years. The inverse cosine transform has become the most used method in the field of codification of images and video. The advantages of the inverse cosine transform allow to obtain high levels of comprehension at a very low price. The theory of the transforms has improved the processing of images. In the codification by transform, an image is divided in blocks and each image is identified to a set of coefficients. This codification takes advantage of the statistic dependence of the images to reduce the amount of data. The project develops a study of the evolution along the years of the different standards in video codification. In addition, the hybrid encoder and the standard HEVC are analyzed more in depth. The final objective of this end of degree project is the realization of the nucleus from a specific processor for the execution of the inverse cosine transform in a decoder of video that is compatible with the standard HEVC. This objective is reached following a series of stages, in which requirements are added. This system allows the hardware designer to acquire a deeper experience and knowledge of the final architecture.

Análisis de la precisión en la medida del tiempo de reverberación y de los parámetros asociados

El trabajo fin de master “Análisis de la precisión en la medida del tiempo de reverberación y de los parámetros asociados” tiene como objetivo primordial la evaluación de los parámetros y métodos utilizados para la obtención de estos, a través del tiempo de reverberación, tanto de forma global, conjunto de todos los métodos, como cada uno de ellos por separado. Un objetivo secundario es la evaluación de la incertidumbre en función del método de medición usado. Para realizarlo, se van a aprovechar las mediciones realizadas para llevar a cabo el proyecto fin de carrera [1], donde se medía el tiempo de reverberación en dos recintos diferentes usando el método del ruido interrumpido y el método de la respuesta impulsiva integrada con señales distintas. Las señales que han sido utilizadas han sido señales impulsivas de explosión de globos, disparo de pistola, claquetas y, a través de procesado digital, señales periódicas pseudoaleatorias MLS y barridos de tonos puros. La evaluación que se realizará a cada parámetro ha sido extraída de la norma UNE 89002 [2], [3]y [4]. Se determinará si existen valores aberrantes tanto por el método de Grubbs como el de Cochran, e interesará conocer la veracidad, precisión, repetibilidad y reproducibilidad de los resultados obtenidos. Los parámetros que han sido estudiados y evaluados son el tiempo de reverberación con caída de 10 dB, (T10), con caída de 15 dB (T15), con caída de 20 dB (T20), con caída de 30 dB (T30), el tiempo de la caída temprana (EDT), el tiempo final (Ts), claridad (C20, C30, C50 y C80) y definición (D50 y D80). Dependiendo de si el parámetro hace referencia al recinto o si varía en función de la relación entre la posición de fuente y micrófono, su estudio estará sujeto a un procedimiento diferente de evaluación. ABSTRACT. The master thesis called “Analysis of the accuracy in measuring the reverberation time and the associated parameters” has as the main aim the assessment of parameters and methods used to obtain these through reverberation time, both working overall, set of all methods, as each of them separately. A secondary objective is to evaluate the uncertainty depending on the measurement method used. To do this, measurements of [1] will be used, where they were carried on in two different spaces using the interrupted noise method and the method of impulse response integrated with several signals. The signals that have been used are impulsive signals such as balloon burst, gunshot, slates and, through digital processing, periodic pseudorandom signal MLS and swept pure tone. The assessment that will be made to each parameter has been extracted from the UNE 89002 [2], [3] and [4]. It will determine whether there are aberrant values both through Grubbs method and Cochran method, to say so, if a value is inconsistent with the rest of the set. In addition, it is interesting to know the truthfulness, accuracy, repeatability and reproducibility of results obtained from the first part of this rule. The parameters that are going to be evaluated are reverberation time with 10 dB decay, (T10), with 15 dB decay (T15), with 20 dB decay (T20), with 30 dB decay (T30), the Early Decay Time (EDT), the final time (Ts), clarity (C20, C30, C50 y C80) and definition (D50 y D80). Depending on whether the parameter refers to the space or if it varies depending on the relationship between source and microphone positions, the study will be related to a different evaluation procedure.

Detecting Calcareous Periphyton Mats in the Greater Everglades Using Passive Remote Sensing Methods

Use of remotely sensed data for environmental and ecological assessment has recently become more widespread in wetland research and management and advantages and limitations of this approach have been addresses (Ozesmi and Bauer 2002). Applications of remote sensing (RS) methods vary in spatial and temporal extent and resolution, in the types of data acquired, and in digital processing and pattern recognition algorithms used.

Acolhimento prescrito x real: uma análise sobre as relações entre trabalhadores e usuários na estratégia saúde da família

User embracement has been proposed as a tool that contributes to humanize the nursing, to increase the users’ access to the services, to ensure the resolvability of claims, to organize the services and promote the strengthening of the links between them and the health professionals. In the city of Recife, this practice has been fomented by the municipal government and its implementation is guided by normative acts, with evaluation matrices and proposition of goals, based on a model created by the public administration. This study intended to analyze the relation between the prescribed user embracement and the real one and their interferences with the relations of reciprocity between workers and users in the health units of basic attention in Recife. Four units of the Family Health Strategy at the Sanitary District IV of the city of Recife – PE were taken as an investigation field. The investigation had a qualitative character, so, Interviews were performed involving professionals and users whose speeches were recorded by the voice digital mode and literally transcript. The obtained speeches were analyzed mostly through the Discourse of the Collective Subject methodological approach, being also used, but on a smaller scale, the technique of thematic analysis, in the dialogic way, with theoretical contributions and official documents related to the theme. The results pointed that in most of the health units the professionals execute the proposed protocols and consider that these have a positive influence for the working process in user embracement, however, factors such as the excessive demand, the physical structure of the units, little resolvability of the reference network, singularities of the units, among others, have appeared, hampering the accomplishment of the prescribed, creating, thus, a negative influence on the working process of the user embracement. The reciprocal relations have also suffered the influences of these factors, which made difficult, therefore, the circulation of gift. Meanwhile, other factors such as access, resolvability, sheltering attitude and responsabilization, potentiated the reciprocal exchange between professionals and users. The findings demand the prescriptive acts and the reciprocal relations of the user embracement to be directly influenced by the singularities present in each community, by the human variabilities and by factors connected to the structure and working process, so it shall be operated with caution in order to provide a real user embracement with quality

Time-Reversal Massive Multipath Effect and Bandwidth Heterogeneity

The proliferation of new mobile communication devices, such as smartphones and tablets, has led to an exponential growth in network traffic. The demand for supporting the fast-growing consumer data rates urges the wireless service providers and researchers to seek a new efficient radio access technology, which is the so-called 5G technology, beyond what current 4G LTE can provide. On the other hand, ubiquitous RFID tags, sensors, actuators, mobile phones and etc. cut across many areas of modern-day living, which offers the ability to measure, infer and understand the environmental indicators. The proliferation of these devices creates the term of the Internet of Things (IoT). For the researchers and engineers in the field of wireless communication, the exploration of new effective techniques to support 5G communication and the IoT becomes an urgent task, which not only leads to fruitful research but also enhance the quality of our everyday life. Massive MIMO, which has shown the great potential in improving the achievable rate with a very large number of antennas, has become a popular candidate. However, the requirement of deploying a large number of antennas at the base station may not be feasible in indoor scenarios. Does there exist a good alternative that can achieve similar system performance to massive MIMO for indoor environment? In this dissertation, we address this question by proposing the time-reversal technique as a counterpart of massive MIMO in indoor scenario with the massive multipath effect. It is well known that radio signals will experience many multipaths due to the reflection from various scatters, especially in indoor environments. The traditional TR waveform is able to create a focusing effect at the intended receiver with very low transmitter complexity in a severe multipath channel. TR's focusing effect is in essence a spatial-temporal resonance effect that brings all the multipaths to arrive at a particular location at a specific moment. We show that by using time-reversal signal processing, with a sufficiently large bandwidth, one can harvest the massive multipaths naturally existing in a rich-scattering environment to form a large number of virtual antennas and achieve the desired massive multipath effect with a single antenna. Further, we explore the optimal bandwidth for TR system to achieve maximal spectral efficiency. Through evaluating the spectral efficiency, the optimal bandwidth for TR system is found determined by the system parameters, e.g., the number of users and backoff factor, instead of the waveform types. Moreover, we investigate the tradeoff between complexity and performance through establishing a generalized relationship between the system performance and waveform quantization in a practical communication system. It is shown that a 4-bit quantized waveforms can be used to achieve the similar bit-error-rate compared to the TR system with perfect precision waveforms. Besides 5G technology, Internet of Things (IoT) is another terminology that recently attracts more and more attention from both academia and industry. In the second part of this dissertation, the heterogeneity issue within the IoT is explored. One of the significant heterogeneity considering the massive amount of devices in the IoT is the device heterogeneity, i.e., the heterogeneous bandwidths and associated radio-frequency (RF) components. The traditional middleware techniques result in the fragmentation of the whole network, hampering the objects interoperability and slowing down the development of a unified reference model for the IoT. We propose a novel TR-based heterogeneous system, which can address the bandwidth heterogeneity and maintain the benefit of TR at the same time. The increase of complexity in the proposed system lies in the digital processing at the access point (AP), instead of at the devices' ends, which can be easily handled with more powerful digital signal processor (DSP). Meanwhile, the complexity of the terminal devices stays low and therefore satisfies the low-complexity and scalability requirement of the IoT. Since there is no middleware in the proposed scheme and the additional physical layer complexity concentrates on the AP side, the proposed heterogeneous TR system better satisfies the low-complexity and energy-efficiency requirement for the terminal devices (TDs) compared with the middleware approach.

Caracterização ambiental de bancos areno-lamosos nos campos petrolíferos de Macau e Serra (RN), como subsídio às medidas mitigadoras ao processo erosivo

On Rio Grande do Norte northern coast the process of sediment transport are intensely controlled by wind and sea (waves and currents) action, causing erosion and shoreline morphological instability. Due to the importance of such coastal zone it was realized the multi-spectral mapping and physical-chemical characterization of mudflats and mangroves aiming to support the mitigating actions related to the containment of the erosive process on the oil fields of Macau and Serra installed at the study area. The multi-spectral bands of 2000 and 2008 LANDSAT 5 TM images were submitted on the several digital processing steps and RGB color compositions integrating spectral bands and Principal Components. Such processing methodology was important to the mapping of different units on surface, together with field works. It was possible to make an analogy of the spectral characteristics of wetlands with vegetations areas (mangrove), showing the possibility to make a restoration of this area, contributing with the environmental monitoring of that ecosystem. The maps of several units were integrated in GIS environment at 1:60,000 scale, including the classification of features according to the presence or absence of vegetation cover. Thus, the strategy of methodology established that there are 10.13 km2 at least of sandy-muddy and of these approximately 0.89 km2 with the possibility to be used in a reforestation of typical flora of mangrove. The physical-chemical characterization showed areas with potential to introduce local species of mangrove and they had a pH above neutral with a mean of 8.4. The characteristic particle size is sand in the fine fractions, the high levels of carbonate, organic matter and major and trace element in general are concentrated where the sediment had the less particles size, showing the high correlation that those elements have with smaller particles of sediment. The application of that methodological strategy is relevant to the better understanding of features behavior and physical-chemical data of sediment samples collected on field allow the analysis of efficiency/capability of sandy-muddy to reforestation with local mangrove species for mitigation of the erosive action and coastal processes on the areas occupied by the oil industry

What does voice-processing technology support today?

This paper describes the state of the art in applications of voice-processing technologies. In the first part, technologies concerning the implementation of speech recognition and synthesis algorithms are described. Hardware technologies such as microprocessors and DSPs (digital signal processors) are discussed. Software development environment, which is a key technology in developing applications software, ranging from DSP software to support software also is described. In the second part, the state of the art of algorithms from the standpoint of applications is discussed. Several issues concerning evaluation of speech recognition/synthesis algorithms are covered, as well as issues concerning the robustness of algorithms in adverse conditions.

Digital soil mapping: strategy for data pre-processing

The region of greatest variability on soil maps is along the edge of their polygons, causing disagreement among pedologists about the appropriate description of soil classes at these locations. The objective of this work was to propose a strategy for data pre-processing applied to digital soil mapping (DSM). Soil polygons on a training map were shrunk by 100 and 160 m. This strategy prevented the use of covariates located near the edge of the soil classes for the Decision Tree (DT) models. Three DT models derived from eight predictive covariates, related to relief and organism factors sampled on the original polygons of a soil map and on polygons shrunk by 100 and 160 m were used to predict soil classes. The DT model derived from observations 160 m away from the edge of the polygons on the original map is less complex and has a better predictive performance.

Stress intensity factor of wood from crack-tip displacement fields obtained from digital image processing

Abstract

Statistical reference criteria for adaptive signal processing in digital communications

A general criterion for the design of adaptive systemsin digital communications called the statistical reference criterionis proposed. The criterion is based on imposition of the probabilitydensity function of the signal of interest at the outputof the adaptive system, with its application to the scenario ofhighly powerful interferers being the main focus of this paper.The knowledge of the pdf of the wanted signal is used as adiscriminator between signals so that interferers with differingdistributions are rejected by the algorithm. Its performance isstudied over a range of scenarios. Equations for gradient-basedcoefficient updates are derived, and the relationship with otherexisting algorithms like the minimum variance and the Wienercriterion are examined.

The Shadow Moiré method using the phase shifting technique and digital image processing: computational implementation and application to the 3D-reconstruction of a buckled plate

The Shadow Moiré fringe patterns are level lines of equal depth generated by interference between a master grid and its shadow projected on the surface. In simplistic approach, the minimum error is about the order of the master grid pitch, that is, always larger than 0,1 mm, resulting in an experimental technique of low precision. The use of a phase shift increases the accuracy of the Shadow Moiré technique. The current work uses the phase shifting method to determine the surfaces three-dimensional shape using isothamic fringe patterns and digital image processing. The current study presents the method and applies it to images obtained by simulation for error evaluation, as well as to a buckled plate, obtaining excellent results. The method hands itself particularly useful to decrease the errors in the interpretation of the Moiré fringes that can adversely affect the calculations of displacements in pieces containing many concave and convex regions in relatively small areas.

A distributed, cloud-ready, digital content processing and transformation platform and a specific use case

Poster at Open Repositories 2014, Helsinki, Finland, June 9-13, 2014

Are distortion levels a problem with digital signal processing hearing aids and frequency modulation (FM) systems?

The purpose of this study was to examine objective and subjective distortion present when frequency modulation (FM) systems were coupled with four digital signal processing (DSP) hearing aids. Electroacoustic analysis and subjective listening tests by experienced audiologists revealed that distortion levels varied across hearing aids and channels.