• KSII Transactions on Internet and Information Systems (TIIS)
• /
• v.13 no.2
• /
• pp.962-977
• /
• 2019

The human voice is a convenient method of information transfer between different objects such as between men, men and machine, between machines. The development of information and communication technology, the voice has been able to transfer farther than before. The way to communicate, it is to convert the voice to another form, transmit it, and then reconvert it back to sound. In such a communication process, a vocoder is a method of converting and re-converting a voice and sound. The CELP (Code-Excited Linear Prediction) type vocoder, one of the voice codecs, is adapted as a standard codec since it provides high quality sound even though its transmission speed is relatively low. The EVRC (Enhanced Variable Rate CODEC) and QCELP (Qualcomm Code-Excited Linear Prediction), variable bit rate vocoders, are used for mobile phones in 3G environment. For the real-time implementation of a vocoder, the reduction of sound quality is a typical problem. To improve the sound quality, that is important to know the size and shape of noise. In the existing sound quality improvement method, the voice activated is detected or used, or statistical methods are used by the large mount of data. However, there is a disadvantage in that no noise can be detected, when there is a continuous signal or when a change in noise is large.This paper focused on finding a better way to decrease the reduction of sound quality in lower bit transmission environments. Based on simulation results, this study proposed a preprocessor application that estimates the SNR (Signal to Noise Ratio) using the spectral SNR estimation method. The SNR estimation method adopted the IMBE (Improved Multi-Band Excitation) instead of using the SNR, which is a continuous speech signal. Finally, this application improves the quality of the vocoder by enhancing sound quality adaptively.

• Current Optics and Photonics
• /
• v.5 no.1
• /
• pp.1-7
• /
• 2021

For higher sensitivity in ultraviolet (UV) and even vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) detection of silicon-based sensors, a sandwich-structured film sensor based on Ag Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance (LSPR) was designed and fabricated. This film sensor was composed of a Ag nanoparticles (NPs) layer, SiO2 buffer and fluorescence layer by physical vapour deposition and thermal annealing. By tuning the annealing temperature and adding the SiO2 layer, the resonance absorption wavelength of Ag NPs matched with the emission wavelength of the fluorescence layer. Due to the strong plasmon resonance coupling and electromagnetic field formed on the surface of Ag NPs, the radiative recombination rate of the luminescent materials and the number of fluorescent molecules in the excited state increased. Therefore, the fluorescent emission intensity of the sandwich-structured film sensor was 1.10-1.58 times at 120-200 nm and 2.17-2.93 times at 240-360 nm that of the single-layer film sensor. A feasible method is provided for improving the detection performance of UV and VUV detectors.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
• /
• v.32 no.spc8
• /
• pp.2941-2948
• /
• 2011

A nanogap formed by a metal nanoparticle and a flat metal substrate is one kind of "hot site" for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). The characteristics of a typical nanogap formed by a planar Au and either an Au and Ag nanoparticle have been well studied using 4-aminobenzenethiol (4-ABT) as a probe. 4-ABT is, however, an unusual molecule in the sense that its SERS spectral feature is dependent not only on the kinds of SERS substrates but also on the measurement conditions; thus further characterization is required using other adsorbate molecules such as 1,4-phenylenediisocyanide (1,4-PDI). In fact, no Raman signal was observable when 1,4-PDI was selfassembled on a flat Au substrate, but a distinct spectrum was obtained when 60 nm-sized Au or Ag nanoparticles were adsorbed on the pendent -NC groups of 1,4-PDI. This is definitely due to the electromagnetic coupling between the localized surface plasmon of Au or Ag nanoparticle with the surface plasmon polariton of the planar Au substrate, allowing an intense electric field to be induced in the gap between them. A higher Raman signal was observed when Ag nanoparticles were attached to 1,4-PDI, irrespective of the excitation wavelength, and especially the highest Raman signal was measured at the 632.8 nm excitation (with the enhancement factor on the order of ${\sim}10^3$), followed by the excitation at 568 and 514.5 nm, in agreement with the finite-difference timedomain calculation. From a separate potential-dependent SERS study, the voltage applied to the planar Au appeared to be transmitted without loss to the Au or Ag nanoparticles, and from the study of the effect of volatile organics, the voltage transmission from Au or Ag nanoparticles to the planar Au also appeared as equally probable to that from the planar Au to the Au or Ag nanoparticles in a nanogap electrode. The response of the Au-Ag nanogap to the external stimuli was, however, not the same as that of the Au-Au nanogap.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
• /
• v.25 no.1
• /
• pp.39-52
• /
• 2007

This paper describes an experimental study on structural health monitoring of a 1:3-scaled one-story concrete frame subjected to seismic damage and retrofit. The structure is tested on a shaking table by exerting successively enhanced earthquake excitations until severe damage, and then retrofitted using fiber-reinforced polymers (FRP). The modal properties of the tested structure at trifling, moderate, severe damage and strengthening stages are measured by subjecting it to a small-amplitude white-noise excitation after each earthquake attack. Making use of the measured global modal frequencies and a validated finite element model of the tested structure, a neural network method is developed to quantitatively identify the stiffness reduction due to damage and the stiffness enhancement due to strengthening. The identification results are compared with 'true' damage severities that are defined and determined based on visual inspection and local impact testing. It is shown that by the use of FRP retrofit, the stiffness of the severely damaged structure can be recovered to the level as in the trifling damage stage.

• The Journal of the Acoustical Society of Korea
• /
• v.20 no.7
• /
• pp.3-12
• /
• 2001

It is known that the roughness is one of the most important metrics in assessing the sound quality. In this study, a new roughness model is suggested by combing the previous auditory filter model and several signal processing methods for the enhancement of calculation efficiency and accuracy. For testing the usefulness of the present model, the predicted responses are compared with the experimental data and it is observed that they are in good agreements. Also, it is found that the previous models have limitations to search frequency components mainly contributed to overall roughness. By modifying the correlation criteria of the present model, the revised model for the proper estimation of roughness-contributed components is embedded.

• The Journal of Korean Institute of Communications and Information Sciences
• /
• v.19 no.4
• /
• pp.740-749
• /
• 1994

This paper presents method for improving the performance of the VSELP speech coder. The hybrid method is employed for pitch period searching. Pitch searching time is reduced and pitch detection error, caused by quantization error of excitation signal of encoder in VSELP coder, is reduced by this method. This paper also adopts a pitch period enhancement filter and an adaptive first order filter. In this result, pitch period searching time is reduced to 26%, and MOS of reconstructed speech signal is increased by 3.19 to 4.04.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
• /
• v.34 no.10
• /
• pp.2942-2946
• /
• 2013

Nanostructured Ag thin films could be facilely prepared by soaking glass substrates in ethanolic solutions containing $Ag_2O$ powders at an elevated temperature. The formation of zero-valent Ag was corroborated using X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The deposition of Ag onto a glass substrate was readily controlled simply by changing the reaction time. Due to the aggregated structures of Ag, the surface-enhanced Raman scattering spectra of benzenethiol could be clearly identified using the Ag-coated glass. The enhancement factor at 514.5 nm excitation estimated using benzenethiol reached $1.0{\times}10^5$ while the detection limit of rhodamine 6G was found to be as low as $1.0{\times}10^{-13}$ M. Since this one-pot fabrication method is eco-friendly and is suitable for the mass production of diverse Ag films, it is expected to play a significant role in the development of surface plasmon-based analytical devices.

• Biomedical Science Letters
• /
• v.17 no.1
• /
• pp.79-84
• /
• 2011

Photodynamic therapy consists of a photosensitizer, suitable light source and oxygen. The excitation of the photosensitizer at a cancer mass results in oxidation which would ultimately reduce the mass via apoptosis. Millimeter wave (MMW) therapy has also been known to be effective on cancer cell mass reduction, human cell regeneration and immunity enhancement among the Russian clinicians and scientists. In the present study, the two modalities were combined to achieve synergistic effects while reducing the administration dosage of the photosensitizer, photogem, thus minimizing the side effects. The CT-26 adenocarcinoma cell mass was implanted on mice and the tumors were exposed to a simple MMW irradiation or a combined treatment of MMW and PDT. The treatments continued for 4 weeks and the size of the tumor was measured continuously. The significant therapeutic result of MMW was not found during 4 weeks, preferably more cancer recurrence possibility after MMW irradiation was observed. The results of this study suggest that the combination of MMW irradiation and photodynamic treatment should not be recommended. The result of the MMW treatment alone, however, displayed suppressive effect on cancer cell proliferation for both in vitro and in vivo. The results of the present study suggest that the millimeter wave therapy deserves a further study.

• Journal of Power Electronics
• /
• v.17 no.6
• /
• pp.1694-1706
• /
• 2017

Models and experiments for magnetic resonance coupling wireless power transmission (MRC-WPT) topologies such as the chain topology and branch topology are studied in this paper. Coupling mode theory based energy resonance models are built for the two topologies. Complete energy resonance models including input items, loss coefficients, and coupling coefficients are built for the two topologies. The storage and the oscillation model of the resonant energy are built in the time domain. The effect of the excitation item, loss item, and coupling coefficients on MRC systems are provided in detail. By solving the energy oscillation time domain model, distance enhancing models are established for the chain topology, and energy relocating models are established for the branch topology. Under the assumption that there are no couplings between every other coil or between loads, the maximum transmission capacity conditions are found for the chain topology, and energy distribution models are established for the branch topology. A MRC-WPT experiment was carried out for the verification of the above model. The maximum transmission distance enhancement condition for the chain topology, and the energy allocation model for the branch topology were verified by experiments.

• Korean Journal of Optics and Photonics
• /
• v.3 no.1
• /
• pp.67-72
• /
• 1992

Since the inception of the idea to develop an X-ray laser in 1960's, a rapid progress to demonstrate soft X-ray lasers in the wavelength region below 300$\AA$ has been made during the last ten years. Among many prospective proposals, the recombination scheme and the collisional exitation scheme have been most successful in achieving a significant gain. An appreciable single-pass amplification was achieved at 182 $\AA$ from CVI ions using the recombination scheme and at 206 and 290$\AA$ from the Se XXV ions using the collisional excitation scheme. The current research on X-ray lasers emphasizes the enhancement of amplification upto saturation and the extension of operating wavelength to shorter wavelengths, especially to the water window region between 23 and 44 $\AA$. X-ray lasers are expected to open many application fields, such as X-ray laser microscopy, X-ray holography, X-ray lithography, and more, in the near future.