Along with the advancement of technology, image display devices such as mobile phones, computers and televisions are ubiquitous everywhere in our lives. Due to the different sizes of display devices, digital image scaling technology is often used on the devices while presenting images. For example, when large-size photos are viewed on mobile phones, they tend to present as scaled-down images of the entire pictures, making the main subjects quite small and thus causing inconvenience for viewers. On this account, this study has offered an efficient and high-quality intelligent content-aware image resizing system to solve this problem. This system will first analyze the main area of the image, and then applies an intelligent compression process on the entire image. By doing this, images can still have a complete main subject even after being compressed, not only achieving an excellent visual effect while making the main subject more prominent and obvious, but also reducing the data volume of images. Except for various sizes of display devices, this technology can also be applied on video transmission (H.264/AVC) to effectively reduce the data volume of images, making a substantial contribution to both the image scaling and video coding.

The goal of data mining is to help market managers find relationships among items from large datasets to increase profits. Among the mining techniques, the Apriori algorithm is the most basic and important for association rule mining. Although a lot of mining approaches have been proposed based on the Apriori algorithm, most of them focus on positive association rules, such as R1: ¡§If milk is bought, then bread is bought¡¨. However, rule R1 may confuses users and makes wrong decision if the negative relation rules are not considered. For example, the rule such as R2: ¡§If milk is not bought, then bread is bought¡¨ may also be found. Then, the rule R2 conflicts with the positive rule R1. So, if two rules such as ¡§If milk is bought, then bread is bought¡¨ and ¡§If milk is not bought, then bread is not bought¡¨ are found at the same time, the rules which is called coherent rule may be more valuable.In this thesis, we thus propose two algorithms for solving this problem. The first proposed algorithm is named Highly Coherent Rule Mining algorithm (HCRM), which takes the properties of propositional logic into consideration and is based on Apriori approach for finding coherent rules. The lower and upper bounds of itemsets are also tightened to remove unnecessary check. Besides, in order to improve the efficiency of the mining process, the second algorithm, namely Projection-based Coherent Mining Algorithm (PCA), based on data projection is proposed for speeding up the execution time. Experiments are conducted on real and simulation datasets to demonstrate the performance of the proposed approaches and the results show that both HCRM and PCA can find more reliable rules and PCA is more efficient.

My thesis includes a collection of short stories that showcases my growth and potential as a fiction writer. The thesis also includes a critical introduction that highlights my aims and the influences on my work. My introduction seeks to establish the overarching purpose of creative work. Specifically, I focus on how my work reflects the theme of using projection as a defense mechanism to cope with internal and external crises that force characters to deal with undesirable situations or aspects of their personality. The introduction then expounds on the commonly accepted Freudian definition of ?projection,? as well as the related Jungian ?shadow.? Both of these psychoanalytic concepts are closely linked to the doppelg�nger. To expound on the tradition of using these concepts in literature, I list works that employ these themes and dispute the traditional association of such themes with invariably tragic endings. Next, I attempt to explode the common assumption that links projection to dysfunction by pointing to both maladaptive and adaptive uses of projection. I point out that people can project both negative and positive aspects of their personality onto outside entities with both positive and negative consequences. I then detail examples from my stories that reflect these uses of projection. I go on to further expand the definition of ?projection? by challenging the notion that people only project aspects of their personality onto other people and that this is a strictly psychological process, providing additional examples from my work. Finally, I illuminate how my stories seek to reevaluate the common assumption that the doppelg�nger and the ?shadow? are figures that foreshadow destructive outcomes. Next, I move on to a discussion of the specific research methods and influences of each story, drawing on literary works and personal reasons for exploring my topics. I also mention how previous study has fueled my work on the themes in these stories. The stories themselves are products of my purpose and research. My conclusion relates how these stories reflect my theme and purpose and how they shaped my growth as a writer.

The success of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) in the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts has led to increased interest in further digitalization of the United States armed forces. Although unmanned systems have been a tool of the military for several decades, only recently have advances in the field of Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) technology made it possible to develop systems capable of being transported by an individual soldier. These miniature unmanned systems, more commonly referred to as micro air vehicles (MAV), are envisioned by the Department of Defense as being an integral part of maintaining America?s military superiority. As researchers continue to make advances in the miniaturization of flight hardware, a new problem with regard to MAV field operations is beginning to present itself. To date, little work has been done to determine an effective means of collecting, analyzing, and handling information that can satisfy the goal of using MAVs as tools for persistent surveillance. Current systems, which focus on the transmission of analog video streams, have been very successful on larger UAVs such as the RQ-11 Raven but have proven to be very demanding of the operator. By implementing a new and innovative data processing methodology, currently existing hardware can be adapted to effectively present critical information with minimal user input. Research currently being performed at Texas A&M University in the areas of attitude determination and image processing has yielded a new application of photographic projection. By replacing analog video with spatially aware high-resolution images, the present MAV handheld ground control stations (GCS) can be enhanced to reduce the number of functional manpower positions required during operation. Photographs captured by an MAV can be displayed above pre-existing satellite imagery to give an operator a lasting reference to the location of objects in his vicinity. This newly generated model also increases the functionality of micro air vehicles by allowing for target tracking and energy efficient perch and stare capabilities, both essential elements of persistent surveillance.

By exploiting the Projection Lemma, this thesis provides less conservative LMI-like conditions for mixed H2 and H_inf control of continuous-time systems than those appeared in the current literature. The same technique has been extended to problems with time-invariant polytopic uncertainties. Numerical examples are illustrated to show improvement of the proposed results. Finally, an attempt is made to apply the Projection Lemma to stability analysis and design of systems with time-varying polytopic uncertainties.

This paper reports the design and development of an underwater laser scanning system to measure the geometry of underwater objects. The application of structure light scanning method requires a calibrated CCD camera as the input device. Because the underwater environment is by far different from that in the air. Conventional calibration methods adopted in the air can not be applied for the underwater cases. In this paper we propose an algorithm which is analogous to the idea of longitudes/latitude in map projection to calibration the CCD. The calibration board pattern is fabricated by laying vertical and horizontal grid dots of 5cm span with an NC milling machine. To obtain the higher accuracy, we redesign the laser source holder to make the board and laser scan line coplane. We use a new laser that is focus adjustable. So we can capture clearer image of the edge on the target. Then, we calibrate the CCD camera with the calibration board. For testing our new system, two test pieces are used. One is sine waves ripples with varying amplitudes from 8mm to 3 mm. The other one is a rough surface with know spatial power spectrum. Scanning results show that: Scanning from rough 1 meter away, the absolute error for the sine wave ripples is less than 1mm along vertical direction. The power spectrum for the rough surface is accurate to the order of 3 to 5mm wave number. In order to survive in the harsh underwater environment, we design and make a rotational scanning system. The system was designed as an automatic image-capturing system, utilizing single board computer as control plane to work in conjunction with PLC(Programmable Logic Controller) for System power management. When using two 12V batteries as main power source, obtaining samples once per hour, capturing 360 images per operation, the system may run for approximately 39 hours.

This thesis develops the method of using textures projected from the perspective of a projection camera, in combination with two-dimensional paintings and threedimensional models, to create digital environments. Past uses have demonstrated effectiveness only for background and midground scene elements with limited camera movement. This work explores how camera animation can be maximized using the projected texture technique onto foreground environment forms. Through several case studies, general guidelines for artists are developed for using camera-based projected textures.

Thèse de doctorat : Structure et dynamique des systèmes réactifs : Lille 1 : 2003. / N° d'ordre (Lille) : 3286. Textes en français et en anglais. Pagination multiple pour les annexes. Bibliogr. en fin de chapitre.

Thèse de doctorat : Science et ingénierie des matériaux : INPL : 2006. / Titre provenant de l'écran-titre. Bibliogr.

This dissertation offers a micro-analytic study of the use of language and body during storytelling in American English and Japanese conversations. Specifically, I focus on its beginning and explore how a story is projected. A beginning of an action or activity is where an incipient speaker negotiates the floor with co-participants; they pre-indicate their intention to speak while informing the recipients of how they are expected to listen to the following talk. In particular, storytelling involves a specific need to secure long turn space before it begins since unlike other types of talk, a story usually requires more than an utterance to complete. Drawing on conversation analysis, I investigate how various communicative resources, including language, gesture, gaze, and body posture, manage such negotiation of the floor during entry into a story. This study involves two focuses. First, it examines not only vocal means, but also non-vocal devices. Thus, I explore the linguistic resources employed to project the relationship between a forthcoming telling and ongoing talk. Specifically, I investigate how coherence and disjunction are projected differently – some stories are continuous with prior talk while others may start as a new activity. I also investigate the vocal resources for projection of a return to an abandoned story. Specifically, I demonstrate how a continuation and resumption are projected differently. Finally, I investigate the employment of non-vocal devices relevant to the projection of story entry. Secondly, this study takes a cross-linguistic perspective. By examining conversations in two typologically different languages, American English and Japanese, I investigate how linguistic resources are consequential to the way projection is accomplished. Also, since only few studies have been conducted on storytelling in Japanese conversation, I aim to contribute to a better understanding of how the previous findings from English storytelling can be applied to Japanese conversations. Storytelling is an important activity for human social life; telling of what we did, saw, heard about, or know helps us build good relationships with our interactants. This dissertation thus aims to explore how interactants co-construct a site for an important interpersonal activity in everyday interaction. / text