• Journal of the Institute of Electronics Engineers of Korea SP
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.89-97
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• 2012

In this paper, we propose a novel approach to noise power estimation for speech enhancement in noisy environments. The method based on IMCRA (improved minima controlled recursive averaging) which is widely used in speech enhancement utilizes a rough VAD (voice activity detection) algorithm which excludes speech components during speech periods in order to improves the performance of the noise power estimation by reducing the speech distortion caused by the conventional algorithm based on the minimum power spectrum derived from the noisy speech. However, since the VAD algorithm is not sufficient to distinguish speech from noise at non-stationary noise and low SNRs (signal-to-noise ratios), the speech distortion resulted from the minimum tracking during speech periods still remained. In the proposed method, minimum power estimate obtained by IMCRA is modified by SMT (spectral minima tracking) to reduce the speech distortion derived from the bias of the estimated minimum power. In addition, in order to effectively estimate minimum power by considering the distribution characteristic of the speech and noise spectrum, the presented method combines the minimum estimates provided by IMCRA and SMT depending on the weighting factor based on the subband. Performance of the proposed algorithm is evaluated by subjective and objective quality tests under various environments and better results compared with the conventional method are obtained.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.217-225
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• 2020

Concrete waste accounts for approximately 70~80% of the total waste generated during the decommissioning of nuclear power plants (NPPs). Based upon the concentration of each radionuclide, the concrete waste from the decommissioning can be used in the determination of the clearance threshold used to classify waste as radioactive. To reduce the cost of radioactive concrete waste disposal, it is important to perform decontamination before self-disposal or limited recycling. Therefore, it is necessary to estimate the internal radioactivity distribution of radioactive concrete waste to ensure effective decontamination. In this study, the performance metrics of various Compton reconstruction algorithms were compared in order to identify the best strategy to estimate the internal radioactivity distribution in concrete waste during the decommissioning of NPPs. Four reconstruction algorithms, namely, simple back-projection, filtered back-projection, maximum likelihood expectation maximization (MLEM), and energy-deconvolution MLEM (E-MLEM) were used as Compton reconstruction algorithms. Subsequently, the results obtained by using these various reconstruction algorithms were compared with one another and evaluated, using quantitative evaluation methods. The MLEM and E-MLEM reconstruction algorithms exhibited the best performance in maintaining a high image resolution and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), respectively. The results of this study demonstrate the feasibility of using Compton images in the estimation of the internal radioactive distribution of concrete during the decommissioning of NPPs.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.56-63
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• 2010

Purpose : DIR image is relatively free from susceptibility artifacts therefore, DIR image can make it possible to reliably measure cortical thickness/volume. One drawback of the DIR acquisition is the long scan time to acquire the fully sampled 3D data set. To solve this problem, we applied a parallel imaging method (GRAPPA) and verify the reliability of using the volumetric study. Materials and methods : Six healthy volunteers (3 males and 3 females; age $25.33{\pm}2.25$ years) underwent MRI using the 3D DIR sequence at a 3.0T Siemens Tim Trio MRI scanner. GRAPPA simulation was performed from the fully sampled data set for reduction factor 2. Data reconstruction was performed using MATLAB R2009b. Freesurfer v.4.3.0 was used to evaluate the cortical thickness of the entire brain, and to extract white matter information from the DIR image, Analyze 9.0 was used. The global cortical thickness estimated from the reconstructed image was compared with reference image by using a T-test in SPSS. Results : Although reduced SNR and blurring are observed from the reconstructed image, in terms of segmentation the effect was not so significant. The volumetric result was validated that there were no significant differences in many cortical regions. Conclusion : This study was performed with DIR image for a volumetric MRI study. To solve the long scan time of 3D DIR imaging, we applied GRAPPA algorithm. According to the results, fast imaging can be done with reduction factor 2 with little loss of image quality at 3.0T.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences
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• v.43 no.6
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• pp.507-515
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• 2015

This paper proposes a filtering method for effective state vector estimation of highly maneuvering target. It is needed to hit the point called 'sweet spot' to increase the kill probability in missile interception. In paper, a filtering method estimates the length of a moving target tracked by a frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) radar. High resolution range profiles (HRRPs) is generated from the radar echo signal and then it's integrated into proposed filtering method. To simulate the radar measurement which is close to real, the study on the properties of scattering point of the missile-like target has been conducted with ISAR image for different angle. Also, it is hard to track the target efficiently with existing Kalman filters which has fixed measurement noise covariance matrix R. Therefore the proposed method continuously updates the covariance matrix R with sensor measurements and tracks the target. Numerical simulations on the proposed method shows reliable results under reasonable assumptions on the missile interception scenario.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.57-62
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• 2009

Purpose: Brain SPECT study is more sensitive to motion than other studies. Especially, when applying 1-day subtraction method for Diamox SPECT, it needs shorter study time in order to prevent reexamination. We were required to have new study condition and analysing method on dual detector system because triple head camera in Seoul National University Hospital is to be disposed. So we have tried to increase image quality and make the dual and triple head to have equivalent study time by using a new analysing program. Materials and Methods: Using IEC phantom, we estimated contrast, SNR and FWHM. In Hoffman 3D brain phantom which is similar with real brain, we were on the supposition that 5% of injected doses were distributed in brain tissue. To compare with existing FBP method, we used fan-beam collimator. And we applied 15 sec, 25 sec/frame for each SEPCT studies using LEHR and LEUHR. We used OSEM2D and Onco-flash3D reconstruction method and compared reconstruction methods between applied Gaussian post-filtering 5mm and not applied as well. Attenuation correction was applied by manual method. And we did Brain SPECT to patient injected 15 mCi of $^{99m}Tc$-HMPAO according to results of Phantom study. Lastly, technologist, MD, PhD estimated the results. Results: The study shows that reconstruction method by Flash3D is better than exiting FBP and OSEM2D when studied using IEC phantom. Flowing by estimation, when using Flash3D, both of 15 sec and 25 sec are needed postfiltering 5 mm. And 8 times are proper for subset 8 iteration in Flash3D. OSEM2D needs post-filtering. And it is proper that subset 4, iteration 8 times for 15sec and subset 8, iteration 12 times for 25sec. The study regarding to injected doses for a patient and study time, combination of input parameter-15 sec/frame, LEHR collimator, analysing program-Flash3D, subset 8, iteration 8times and Gaussian post-filtering 5mm is the most appropriate. On the other hands, it was not appropriate to apply LEUHR collimator to 1-day subtraction method of Diamox study because of lower sensitivity. Conclusions: We could prove that there was also an advantage of short study time effectiveness in Dual camera same as Triple gamma camera and get great result of alternation from existing fan-beam collimator to parallel collimator. In addition, resolution and contrast of new method was better than FBP method. And it could improve sensitivity and accuracy of image because lesser subjectivity was input than Metz filter of FBP. We expect better image quality and shorter study time of Brain SPECT on Dual detector system.

• Proceedings of the KSRS Conference
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• 2008.10a
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• pp.220-223
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• 2008

A camera system for the satellite application performs the mission of observation by measuring radiated light energy from the target on the earth. As a development stage of the system, the signal level analysis by estimating the number of electron collected in a pixel of an applied CCD is a basic tool for the performance analysis like SNR as well as the data path design of focal plane electronic. In this paper, two methods are presented for the calculation of the number of electrons for signal level analysis. One method is a quantitative assessment based on the CCD characteristics and design parameters of optical module of the system itself in which optical module works for concentrating the light energy onto the focal plane where CCD is located to convert light energy into electrical signal. The other method compares the design\ parameters of the system such as quantum efficiency, focal length and the aperture size of the optics in comparison with existing camera system in orbit. By this way, relative count of electrons to the existing camera system is estimated. The number of electrons, as signal level of the camera system, calculated by described methods is used to design input circuits of AD converter for interfacing the image signal coming from the CCD module in the focal plane electronics. This number is also used for the analysis of the signal level of the CCD output which is critical parameter to design data path between CCD and A/D converter. The FPE(Focal Plane Electronics) designer should decide whether the dividing-circuit is necessary or not between them from the analysis. If it is necessary, the optimized dividing factor of the level should be implemented. This paper describes the analysis of the electron count of a camera system for a satellite application and then of the signal level for the interface design between CCD and A/D converter using two methods. One is a quantitative assessment based on the design parameters of the camera system, the other method compares the design parameters in comparison with those of the existing camera system in orbit for relative counting of the electrons and the signal level estimation. Chapter 2 describes the radiometry of the camera system of a satellite application to show equations for electron counting, Chapter 3 describes a camera system briefly to explain the data flow of imagery information from CCD and Chapter 4 explains the two methods for the analysis of the number of electrons and the signal level. Then conclusion is made in chapter 5.

• The Journal of Korean Institute of Communications and Information Sciences
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• v.35 no.1C
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• pp.103-112
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• 2010

In this paper, we propose a coarse and fine frequency synchronization method which is suitable for the 3GPP(3rd Generation Partnership Project) LTE(Long Term Evolution) FDD(Frequency Division Duplexing) / TDD(Time Division Duplexing) dual mode system. In general, PSS(Primary Synchronization Signal) correlation based estimation method and CP(Cyclic Prefix) correlation based tracking loop are applied for coarse and fine frequency synchronization in 3GPP LTE OFDMA(Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access) system, respectively. However, the conventional coarse frequency synchronization method has performance degradation caused by fading channel and squaring loss. Also, the conventional fine frequency synchronization method cannot guarantee stable operation in TDD mode because of signal power difference between uplink and downlink subframe. Therefore, in this paper, we propose enhanced coarse and fine frequency synchronization methods which can estimate more accurately in multi-path fading channel and high speed channel environments and has stable operation for TDD frame structure, respectively. By computer simulation, we show that the proposed methods outperform the conventional methods, and verify that the proposed frequency synchronization method can guarantee stable operation in 3GPP LTE FDD/TDD dual mode downlink receiver.