This thesis presents a simulation and performance evaluation of the Vector Sum Excited Linear Prediction Coder (VSELP). Recently there has been an incredible demand for personal communication services. To meet this demand various technologies have been developed. The U. S. digital cellular standard uses the 8 kbps VSELP speech coder to accommodate more users in the same bandwidth. This standard is currently being introduced in several markets. Performance evaluation of the speech coder in terms of speech quality is done for different channel conditions using the BERSIM simulation tool. Simulations for realistic channel conditions were performed using the SIRCIM simulation tool. Quantitative results in the form of mean squared error and qualitative results in the form of speech quality are presented. / Master of Science

A software simulation tool has been developed to simulate the performance of digital mobile radio systems in fading channels. The simulation tool generates average bit error rate (BER) and bit-by-bit error patterns with user-specified parameters. The simulation tool can simulate various communication system parameters (i.e. modulation scheme, data rate, signal to noise ratio, and receiver speed, etc.) and different channel environments (i.e. outdoor and indoor fading channels). Additive white Gaussian noise and co-channel interference effects for outdoor channels are also simulated. Using the simulation tool, we studied average BER results for FSK, BPSK, and Ï /4 DQPSK with Nyquist pulse shaping in indoor and outdoor, flat and frequency-selective fading channels. The BER performance of Ï / 4 DQPSK using the data rate and the pulse shaping requirement in the U.S. Digital Cellular Standard are studied. BER results for high data rate (> 450 kbps) transmissions in indoor channels generated by a measurement-based channel model, SIRCIM, are compared with results in channels generated by the classic two-ray Rayleigh fading model. Simulation results show that irreducible BER is not only a function of rms delay spread, but is also a function of the temporal and spatial distribution of multipath components. The simulation results are also applied into a real-time bit-by-bit error simulation using a hardware simulator between a data source and a data sink. Simulation results of the transmission of a video image in mobile radio fading channels are shown. This simulation methodology allows subjective evaluation of link quality between a source and sink in a laboratory in real-time without the need of building radio frequency hardware. / Master of Science

This thesis develops simulation techniques for evaluating the performance of future wireless digital multiple access standards for fast and slow moving vehicles in outdoor environments. Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) and Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) are both multiple access techniques for wireless systems that can support significantly more users per cell than the present analog FDMA system. Both CDMA and TDMA use digital modulation, and so performance is compared based on bit and packet error rates resulting from the simulations. The primary contribution of this thesis is the development of fast and accurate algorithms for channel simulations, and flexible structured implementation of error correction coding. Previous simulation techniques have resulted in extremely high computational complexity, limiting the number of design options which may be explored. This thesis presents a multirate simulation technique which allows an order of magnitude reduction in simulation times for digital systems on multipath channels. The simulations are carried out for randomly generated data as well as coded voice data. The data is then processed according to the standard selected (IS-54 TDMA or IS-95 CDMA.) The coded bits are transmitted over a simulated baseband channel. Receiver implementations are also examined. Applications of this research include rapid software prototyping of new systems. If the performance of a new system can be accurately evaluated on a computer without building hardware, implementation costs can be significantly reduced. / Master of Science

The use of analog fiber optic links for microcellular mobile radio communications has been the focus of considerable research recently. These systems have the advantages relative to coaxial cable of low noise and enormous bandwidth. Analog subcarrier multiplexing techniques are used for transmitting the mobile signals over the fiber. Use of this technology however presents some unique problems due to the nonlinearities of the fiber optics system and the noise introduced by it. In this thesis, we analyse the dynamic range of the fiber links used for these applications. The dynamic range is limited by the noise and the nonlinear distortion introduced by the fiber link. The main sources of nonlinear distortion are threshold clipping, gain saturation of the laser, and the combination of laser chirp and fiber dispersion. We have analytically modeled these nonlinearities and used these models to understand the dependence of the nonlinear distortion on the physical parameters of the laser diode and the fiber and also on the modulation index per channel and the number of channels. The performance of the 1S- 19 AMPS signals and the IS-54IDMA signals in the presence of fiber link noise is also discussed. Finally, the dynamic range of the fiber link for both AMPS and IDMA signals has been analyzed. The dynamic range of the fiber link is limited by the threshold clipping nonlinearity. It is also highly dependent on the number of mobile signals that are being communicated over the fiber link. / Master of Science

published_or_final_version / Social Sciences / Master / Master of Philosophy

by Hui Ching-Han, Kuok Li-Wen. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 112-114). / Questionnaire also in Chinese. / ABSTRACT --- p.i / TABLE OF CONTENTS --- p.iii / LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES --- p.viii / ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS --- p.ix / Chapter CHAPTER I --- PROJECT INTRODUCTION --- p.1 / Objective --- p.3 / Scope of Study --- p.3 / Methodology --- p.4 / Primary Data Gathering --- p.4 / Secondary Data Gathering --- p.5 / Data Presentation and Analysis --- p.5 / Limitations --- p.6 / Chapter CHAPTER II --- COMPANY BACKGROUND --- p.8 / Mother Company - HK-listed TCL International Holdings Ltd --- p.8 / Maker and Designer of Consumer Electronic Products --- p.8 / Foreign Ownership --- p.8 / China State-Owned Background --- p.9 / Brand Value --- p.10 / Expanding its Overseas Footprint --- p.10 / Source of Income by Market and Product --- p.11 / Performance --- p.11 / Corporate Strategies --- p.13 / Corporate Goal --- p.13 / Business Portfolio --- p.14 / Strategic Partnerships --- p.14 / Nam Tai Electronics --- p.14 / Ericsson --- p.15 / TTPCom --- p.15 / TCL Mobile Communication Co. Ltd --- p.16 / History and Background --- p.16 / Ownership --- p.16 / Sales Performance --- p.17 / Strong Management Team --- p.18 / Scale --- p.19 / Mission --- p.19 / Corporate Culture --- p.19 / Strategy --- p.20 / Mobile Communication Business Plans --- p.22 / Overseas Market Development - HK Market the First Testing Ground --- p.22 / TCL Mobile Information International Company Limited - HK office --- p.23 / Chapter CHAPTER III --- CHINA MOBILE PHONE MARKET --- p.24 / General Market Situation - Supply Side --- p.24 / Number One World Manufacturing Base --- p.24 / Dominant Standard --- p.24 / Revenue and Future Size --- p.25 / General Market Situation - Demand Side --- p.25 / China Consumer Characteristics --- p.26 / Five Faces - Market Segmentation --- p.26 / Location Difference --- p.27 / Most Preferred Brands --- p.27 / Myth of Advertisement --- p.27 / TCL Mobile Phone in China --- p.28 / Largest Mobile Phone Marker in China --- p.28 / Top Five Brands in China --- p.28 / Lucrative Mobile Phone Market - Earnings Driver --- p.29 / Major Foreign Competitors --- p.29 / Major China Competitors --- p.30 / Price War With Profit Margin Unaffected --- p.30 / 4Ps of TCL Mobile Phones --- p.30 / Chapter CHAPTER IV --- HONG KONG MOBILE PHONE MARKET --- p.33 / HK Telecommunication Market - Highlighting Mobile Phone Sub-Sector --- p.33 / Potential Regional Mobile Hub --- p.33 / Highest Telephone Density and Penetration Rate in Asia --- p.34 / Pioneer in Adopting New Technologies and Services --- p.36 / Replacement Mobile Phone Market --- p.37 / Large Business Receipts from Mobile Phone Telecommunication Sub-sector --- p.37 / Network Services Providers --- p.37 / Famous Mobile Phone Brands Dominate Market --- p.38 / Mobile Phone Business Receipts --- p.38 / Characteristics of Hong Kong Consumers --- p.39 / 4Ps of generic brands in Hong Kong market --- p.39 / Recent Developments --- p.41 / Current TCL 4Ps in HK --- p.42 / Price - Medium Pricing --- p.42 / Product - Limited Product Mix with Generic Features --- p.42 / Place - Weak distribution in network service providers --- p.45 / Promotion - No sustainable advertisement after launch --- p.46 / Differences between Hong Kong and the China Market --- p.47 / Chapter CHAPTER V --- SURVEY --- p.49 / Timeline of Survey --- p.49 / Target Market --- p.49 / Methodology --- p.50 / Focus Group --- p.50 / Pilot Test --- p.50 / Quota Sampling --- p.50 / Structure of Questionnaire --- p.51 / Showing Dummy Product --- p.52 / Survey Results Compatible --- p.52 / Highlights and Implications of Survey Results --- p.53 / Part I: HK Mobile Phone Market ´ؤ Usage and Preference --- p.53 / Suggestions in Cracking HK Market by 4Ps Analysis --- p.56 / Part II: Highlights and Implications of the TCL Related Data (4Ps) --- p.57 / Chapter CHAPTER VI --- DATA ANALYSIS --- p.60 / Sample Size --- p.60 / Analysis of the Results of Survey --- p.60 / Demographics --- p.60 / Part I: Mobile Phone Usage and Preference --- p.61 / Current Brand --- p.61 / Frequency of Changing Mobile Phones --- p.62 / Reasons for Replacing Mobile Phone --- p.66 / Mobile Phone Selection Criteria --- p.66 / Preferred Place to Purchase Mobile Phone --- p.72 / Part II: TCL Mobile Phone --- p.75 / General Idea of TCL --- p.75 / Product --- p.75 / Price --- p.81 / Place --- p.82 / Promotion --- p.83 / Confidence in TCL Mobile Phone --- p.85 / Chapter CHAPTER VII --- CONCLUSIONS --- p.88 / The Fate of TCL in the Hong Kong Market --- p.88 / Chapter CHAPTER VIII --- RECOMMENDATIONS --- p.90 / Target Market --- p.90 / Need Market Research --- p.90 / Broaden Target Market --- p.90 / Brand Image --- p.91 / Price --- p.92 / Product --- p.92 / Place --- p.94 / Promotion --- p.94 / APPENDIX 1 Terms (in alphabetical order) --- p.96 / APPENDIX 2 Development Milestones of TCL Mobile Communication --- p.100 / APPENDIX 3 Milestones of Telecommunications (Mobile Phone sub-sector) in Hong Kong..… --- p.102 / APPENDIX 4 (SURVEY: ENGLISH VERSION) --- p.106 / APPENDIX 5 (SURVEY: CHINESE VERSION) --- p.109 / BIBLIOGRAPHY --- p.112 / Periodicals --- p.112 / Interview --- p.114

Hoi Pui-shan. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 129-139). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Abstract --- p.i / 摘要 --- p.ii / Acknowledgement --- p.iii / Chapter CHAPTER 1 --- Introduction --- p.1-8 / Chapter 1.1 --- The Technological Significance of Mobile Telephone: The Ambiguity of Mobile Technology --- p.2-3 / Chapter 1.2 --- The Empirical Significance of Mobile Telephone: Adolescents' Actual Process of Mobile Telephone Use --- p.3- 4 / Chapter 1.3 --- The Social Significance of Mobile Telephone: The Importance of the Context of Mobile Telephone Use --- p.4- 6 / Chapter 1.4 --- "The Theoretical Significance of Mobile Telephone: The Interplay of Technology, Structure and Agency" --- p.6- 7 / Chapter 1.5 --- Overview of the Thesis --- p.7- 8 / Chapter CHAPTER 2 --- Literature Review --- p.9- 30 / Chapter 2.1 --- Research on Mobile Telephone: An Overview --- p.10- 12 / Chapter 2.2 --- Technological and Social Changes: Technological Determinism --- p.12- 17 / Chapter 2.3 --- Contextualize the Use of Technology: Structure and Context --- p.17- 24 / Chapter 2.3.1 --- Family as an Important Context of the Use of Technology --- p.18- 22 / Chapter 2.3.2 --- The Changing Social Context in Hong Kong: Socio-demographic Changes and Family Life --- p.22- 24 / Chapter 2.4 --- Individuals' Voluntaristic Nature: Users' Agency --- p.24- 28 / Chapter 2.5 --- Concluding Remarks --- p.28- 30 / Chapter CHAPTER 3 --- Conceptual Framework --- p.31- 40 / Chapter 3.1 --- "Re-approach the Study of Mobile Technology, the Context of Use, and Adolescents' Agency" --- p.31- 34 / Chapter 3.2 --- Domestication --- p.34- 38 / Chapter 3.2.1 --- Process of Domestication --- p.35- 37 / Chapter 3.2.2 --- Domestication as an Interactive Process --- p.37- 38 / Chapter 3.3 --- The Research Questions --- p.38- 40 / Chapter CHAPTER 4 --- Methodology --- p.41- 48 / Chapter 4.1 --- The Research --- p.42- 46 / Chapter 4.1.1 --- Research Design --- p.42- 43 / Chapter 4.1.1a --- The Research Design and the Issue of Reliability and Validity in Qualitative Research --- p.42- 43 / Chapter 4.1.2 --- Data Sources --- p.43- 45 / Chapter 4.1.2a --- Group Interviews --- p.43- 44 / Chapter 4.1.2b --- Individual Interviews --- p.44 / Chapter 4.1.2c --- Observing The Focus Group Respondents --- p.44- 45 / Chapter 4.1.3 --- Subject Selection --- p.45-46 / Chapter 4.2 --- Interview Core Questions --- p.46- 47 / Chapter 4.3 --- Method of Data Analysis --- p.47- 48 / Chapter CHAPTER 5 --- Purchasing Mobile Telephone: Negotiating the Meaning of Mobile Technology --- p.49- 66 / Chapter 5.1 --- Purchasing Pattern --- p.49- 54 / Chapter 5.1.1 --- Parents Initiate the Purchase --- p.50- 52 / Chapter 5.1.2 --- Adolescents Initiate the Purchase --- p.52- 54 / Chapter 5.2 --- Establish Rules that Govern Mobile Telephone Usage in the Purchasing Stage: Parents' Perception of Mobile Telephone --- p.54- 58 / Chapter 5.2.1 --- Control the Amount of Use: Excessive Use of Mobile Telephone --- p.55- 57 / Chapter 5.2.2 --- Control of Situation of Use: Using Mobile Telephone at Home is Banned --- p.57- 58 / Chapter 5.2.3 --- Control of Content: Legitimate Use --- p.58 / Chapter 5.3 --- Adolescents' Perception of Mobile Telephone --- p.59-64 / Chapter 5.3.1 --- Instrumental Use: Coordination of Social Activities --- p.61-62 / Chapter 5.3.2 --- Expressive Use: Being Connected --- p.62-64 / Chapter 5.4 --- Different Perception of Mobile Telephone Between Adolescents and Parents --- p.64-66 / Chapter CHAPTER 6 --- Negotiating Boundary and Autonomy: Mobile Telephone and Family Life --- p.67- 87 / Chapter 6.1 --- Reporting --- p.68- 79 / Chapter 6.1.1 --- Parents' Perception of Reporting --- p.68- 71 / Chapter 6.1.1a --- Reporting as Information Collection --- p.68- 69 / Chapter 6.1.1b --- Reporting as Adolescents' Responsibility --- p.69- 71 / Chapter 6.1.2 --- Adolescents' Perception of Reporting --- p.71- 76 / Chapter 6.1.2a --- Reporting as a Strategy to Negotiate Autonomy --- p.74- 76 / Chapter 6.1.3 --- Reporting as a Complex of Care and Control --- p.76- 79 / Chapter 6.1.3a --- Rethinking the Meaning of Control --- p.78- 79 / Chapter 6.2 --- Mobile Telephone and Boundary Control --- p.80- 84 / Chapter 6.2.1 --- Control of Information Input and Output --- p.80- 81 / Chapter 6.2.2 --- Reserve the Contents of Mobile Telephone Conversations --- p.81- 84 / Chapter 6.3 --- Concluding Remarks --- p.85- 87 / Chapter CHAPTER 7 --- Mobile Telephone and Peer Culture: Mobile Telephone and Construction of Identity --- p.88- 98 / Chapter 7.1 --- Mobile Telephone as a Shared Object: The Culture of Sharing --- p.89- 91 / Chapter 7.1.1 --- Sharing the Handset --- p.89 / Chapter 7.1.2 --- Game Playing as a Collective Experience --- p.89- 90 / Chapter 7.1.3 --- Share the Handset with Non-owners --- p.90 / Chapter 7.1.4 --- Share the Handset with Peer Group Members --- p.91 / Chapter 7.2 --- Using Mobile Telephone at School as a Part of Adolescents' Mobile Telephone Culture --- p.92- 93 / Chapter 7.3 --- Mobile Telephone Use and Friendship Network --- p.93- 95 / Chapter 7.3.1 --- Exchange Mobile Telephone Number: Extension of Friendship Network --- p.93 / Chapter 7.3.2 --- Maintenance of Peer Group Relationships --- p.93- 94 / Chapter 7.3.3 --- Sharing Emotions --- p.94- 95 / Chapter 7.3.4 --- A Sense of Sameness: Using the Same Network Services --- p.95 / Chapter 7.4 --- Display of Mobile Telephone Among Peer Social Network --- p.95- 97 / Chapter 7.5 --- Concluding Remarks --- p.97- 98 / Chapter CHAPTER 8 --- Conclusion --- p.99- 111 / Chapter 8.1 --- Summary of Findings --- p.100- 103 / Chapter 8.1.1 --- Adolescents as a Heterogeneous Group of Mobile Telephone Users --- p.100- 101 / Chapter 8.1.2 --- The Meaning of Control --- p.101- 102 / Chapter 8.1.3 --- Adolescents' Identity Construction --- p.102- 103 / Chapter 8.2 --- "Rethinking the Relations between Mobile Technology, Individual Agency, and the Context of Use" --- p.103- 107 / Chapter 8.2.1 --- Evaluation of the Concept of Domestication --- p.107- 108 / Chapter 8.3 --- Evaluation of Methodology --- p.108- 109 / Chapter 8.4 --- Suggestions for Further Research --- p.109- 111 / Appendices --- p.112- 128 / Bibliography --- p.129- 138

Media promoting cultural tourism is argued to present specific romantic cultural attributes. In the case of Zulu cultural villages, the image offered is of militarism and bare-breasted maidens. The Western gaze offers the template within which such spectacle is constructed. PheZulu Safari Park is one such venture in the KwaZulu-Natal midlands that offers tourists a "uniquely African experience". Cell phones are rapidly proving to be a viable and accessible medium through which individuals can represent themselves. This dissertation evaluates the use of camera-enabled cell phones by Zulu cultural village performers. The subject-generated representation is analysed in order to assess the performers‘ view of the typical Zulu representation in the media, using a participatory video and participatory communication for development framework. A qualitative methodology was used to conduct focus groups, with field notes and unstructured interviews adding depth to the data. Thematic analysis was applied to the collected data, which included the cellphilms produced by the cultural performers. It was found that video enabled cell phones are indeed a viable technology to use in place of traditional digital video cameras in a participatory video project. The cellphilms that the participants produced negated the typical western media disseminated representation of Zulu culture, as is typified in the participants‘ performance at PheZulu Cultural Village. Although the cellphilms were not specifically targeted at promoting their cultural performance at PheZulu, significantly, it was not dismissing their performance‘s validity either. Instead, the participants used the cellphilms to express other, more personal, aspects of their culture. / M.Soc.Sc. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 2013.

Vision based technology such as motion detection has long been limited to the domain of powerful processor intensive systems such as desktop PCs and specialist hardware solutions. With the advent of much faster mobile phone processors and memory, a plethora of feature rich software and hardware is being deployed onto the mobile platform, most notably onto high powered devices called smart phones. Interaction interfaces such as touchscreens allow for improved usability but obscure the phone’s screen. Since the majority of smart phones are equipped with cameras, it has become feasible to combine their powerful processors, large memory capacity and the camera to support new ways of interacting with the phone which do not obscure the screen. However, it is not clear whether or not these processor intensive visual interactions can in fact be run at an acceptable speed on current mobile handsets or whether they will offer the user a better experience than the current number pad and direction keys present on the majority of mobile phones. A vision based finger interaction technique is proposed which uses the back of device camera to track the user’s finger. This allows the user to interact with the mobile phone with mouse based movements, gestures and steering based interactions. A simple colour thresholding algorithm was implemented in Java, Python and C++. Various benchmarks and tests conducted on a Nokia N95 smart phone revealed that on current hardware and with current programming environments only native C++ yields results plausible for real time interactions (a key requirement for vision based interactions). It is also shown that different lighting levels and background environments affects the accuracy of the system with background and finger contrast playing a large role. Finally a user study was conducted to ascertain the overall user’s satisfaction between keypad interactions and the finger interaction techniques concluding that the new finger interaction technique is well suited to steering based interactions and in time, mouse style movements. Simple navigation is better suited to the directional keypad.

Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Management Sciences: Marketing, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2017. / It is widely evident that the mobile phone industry is facing rapid growth, with the increased introduction of cheaper mobile phones in South Africa intensifying competition between such companies. A number of studies have been conducted in other countries on brand preferences, but there remains a gap in knowledge with regard to the South African market. It was therefore warranted to academically research factors influencing consumer brand preferences when purchasing mobile phones, in order to understand these preferences, and what consumers consider when making such purchases. The rationale of the study was to provide new insights for local marketers into the factors consumers consider most when looking at mobile phone brands. The aim of this study was therefore to determine brand preferences for mobile phones amongst students at a selected higher educational institution in South Africa. The study adopted a quantitative research approach, where the data obtained was descriptive and cross-sectional in nature. The research population was made up of students studying at the Durban University of Technology (DUT), where convenience sampling was performed on a target population of 378 students. The sample size was selected by giving questionnaires to those students most available to the researcher. The results were then analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 24.0 software. Validity was ensured by conducting a pre-test of the questionnaire, and the study’s reliability was measured using Cronbach’s Co-efficient Alpha test. The study findings showed that brand popularity, prices, product attributes, social influences and marketing communications all affect mobile phone brand preferences amongst students. The study results also showed, however, that there were some product attributes and social influences that did not influence these preferences. Recommendations are given to industry players to increase their knowledge of these important factors, to aid with the improvement of their brands and increasing their market preference in this highly competitive industry. / M