ITC/USA 2005 Conference Proceedings / The Forty-First Annual International Telemetering Conference and Technical Exhibition / October 24-27, 2005 / Riviera Hotel & Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada / This paper tries to discuss the mobility management when Internet technology is applied along the whole path from spacecraft to ultimate customers in ground. In addition to Mobile IP protocol, micromobility solution is introduced during cross-support. Those competing micromobility solutions in mobile network research area are compared to select one that is most suitable to space network topology characteristics and operation traditions. Other issues are also taken into account, such as deployment and compatibility with Mobile IP when cross-support is not provided. Simulation comparison for hand-off performance with and without micro-mobility solution during cross-support is presented to justify our proposition.

ITC/USA 2008 Conference Proceedings / The Forty-Fourth Annual International Telemetering Conference and Technical Exhibition / October 27-30, 2008 / Town and Country Resort & Convention Center, San Diego, California / This paper explains the development of a wireless network system implemented to streamline grocery store checkout procedures. The design employs a wireless telemetry network consisting of a base station and wireless motes (Micaz MPR2400) that will be located on certain aisles, and attached to shopping carts. This system allows customers to scan items while they shop and uses cashiers for payment purposes only. The objective is to minimize the amount of processing performed by cashiers in order to reduce waiting times in line. The system was tested in a simulation environment and waiting times were reduced by 65%.

Dans l’environnement économique moderne, les capacités des gestionnaires à accéder à l’information qui concerne les performances de l’entreprise et l’état de son marché sont essentielles. Dans l’optique où les entreprises évoluent dans des marchés de plus en plus changeants, l’analyse de l’environnement externe, soit l’Intelligence compétitive, doit faire partie intégrante du processus de planification stratégique des entreprises. L’arrivée du Web 2.0 et des technologies Big Data promettent un changement important dans la façon dont les entreprises implanteront ou modifieront leurs pratiques d’Intelligence compétitive. Cette recherche a pour objectif principal de développer et de vérifier la pertinence d’un outil d’Intelligence compétitive novateur qui s’intègre à la gestion stratégique d’une PME. Dans une perspective des technologies de l’information, la conception de ce type d’outil, que nous appelons écran stratégique, s’inspire des meilleurs pratiques et des technologies de l’Intelligence d’affaires, du Big Data et de la visualisation de l’information en vue d’exploiter le Web 2.0 comme principale source de données. Les écrans stratégiques sont en quelques sortes une version du tableau de bords adaptés au contexte et aux besoins spécifiques de l’Intelligence compétitive. Pour en arriver à proposer un prototype, la méthodologie de recherche Design Science identifie deux étapes, soit la conception de l'artéfact et son évaluation. D’abord, une méthode de conception et une infrastructure technologique sont proposées afin de supporter un outil d’Intelligence compétitive utile dans la gestion stratégique des PME. La conception et l’utilisation d’un prototype d’outil sont alors documentées dans une preuve de concept. Il s’agit en fait d’un cas de planification stratégique réel dans une PME que nous appellerons Neventure. Ensuite, un modèle de mesure, une version adaptée du CI Measurment Model (CIMM) de Davison (2001), est utilisé afin d’estimer la valeur du projet d’Intelligence compétitive, d’évaluer la pertinence de l’outil d’Intelligence compétitive dans son contexte d’utilisation et de critiquer l’expérience d’utilisation de cet outil de visualisation. L’analyse des résultats du modèle de mesure permet de tirer trois principales conclusions : 1. L’utilisation de l’outil d’Intelligence compétitive engendre un retour sur investissement positif estimé et une réduction de l’incertitude par rapport à la prise de décision stratégique. 2. Le processus de gestion stratégique itératif est pertinent au cas de Neventure en laissant toutefois place à certaines améliorations. 3. L’outil d’Intelligence compétitive est utile et pertinent au processus de gestion stratégique itérative. Cependant, la conception d’un tel outil laisse encore place à différentes améliorations au niveau de la facilité d’usage et des capacités de visualisation. Quarte enjeux principaux ont été rencontrés lors du développement du prototype : la complétude du Web 2.0 en tant que source de données d’Intelligence compétitive, les limites d’intégration des données, les finalités d’utilisation de l’outil et la maîtrise du domaine de connaissance et d’expertise. Conjointement, une amélioration au modèle de mesure de Davison (2001) est proposée. Les résultats de cette recherche sont transposables à la gestion stratégique d’une PME, plus particulièrement une startup. Le CIMM de Davison (2001) a été adapté au contexte de cette recherche afin d’évaluer adéquatement l’outil d’Intelligence compétitive. Il est aussi à noter que le développement de l’outil n’a subi aucune itération, ce qui le rend sujet à certaines améliorations. Enfin, les retombés de cette recherche sur la discipline d’Intelligence compétitive concernent la transférabilité du cadre conceptuel de l’Intelligence d’affaires, les combinaisons applicatives du Web 2.0 et du Big Data et les défis en matière de visualisation de données.

The new possibilities offered by information & communication technologies (ICTs) within the work-place and elsewhere have attracted wide attention by economic and social actors. One outcome is the institutional ‘push’ for all businesses to embrace these technologies and ‘get online’. However, it is evident that take-up amongst businesses has been highly uneven with some cautious in their adoption and, thus, many have not fully exploited the possibilities offered. To understand this variety in the adoption and use of online technologies (which in some cases includes their nonadoption and non-use) it is necessary to examine practices and establish underlying dynamics surrounding new forms of ICTs. This thesis will investigate the practices associated with the adoption and use of ICTs in the hotel industry. Three basic questions are addressed. The first relates the online practices of hoteliers, including the use of online intermediary services, the nature of uptake and the implications for both practices and relations with customers. The second relates to any externalities which condition a hotelier’s practices. The third is concerned with how to conceptual explain observations – findings. Investigation of these questions has resulted in an empirically rich study. This has involved a multi-method approach that allows online practices to be viewed through different lenses and from an adapted Social Shaping of Technology perspective. The population of Scottish serviced accommodation providers was compiled and used to determine the uptake of online practice. Interviews revealed specific practices. Published material provided insight into contextual issues, particularly those relating to institutional developments. The research shows that there were three principle strategies for the adoption of the new technologies. First, they were embedded by the users themselves (‘internalisation’) – often through much effort and processes of configuration – into their ‘busy day’. The process of ‘learning’ (or learning by trying) was found to be an integral feature of uptake. Secondly, some users opted for an alternative solution where, rather than design their own website, they adopted the offerings of online intermediaries (such as online booking facilities) (‘intermediation’). However, the appropriation of online intermediation was found to be both costly and fraught with new kinds of risks (e.g. double bookings) and uncertainty (e.g. no guarantees of bookings). Thirdly, a further option (‘localisation’) was for local groups of hoteliers to collectively produce an online presence that promotes the locality and thereby indirectly provides benefits to their businesses. The analysis was performed using a modified version of Silverstone’s (1992) ‘domestication’ framework. However, ‘localisation’ questioned the assumptions underpinning ‘domestication’, suggesting the need for a more sophisticated analytical device, such as offered by the metaphor of ‘tailoring’. It is concluded that the apparently deterministic institutional view of the benefit of online technologies and the imperative that they are fully exploited to give competitive advantage, can be at odds with the locally contingent and diverse nature of online practices. The research found that the new online practices did not entirely replace traditional ones, but emerged as complementary to them.

La réduction continuelle des dimensions dans les technologies CMOS a ouvert la porte à la conception de circuits complexes multi-cœurs (SoC). Malheureusement dans les technologies nanométriques, les performances des systèmes intégrés après fabrication ne sont pas complètement prédictibles. En effet, les variations des procédés de fabrication sont très importantes aux échelles des puces. Par conséquent, la conception de tels systèmes dans les technologies nanométriques est désormais contrainte par de nombreux paramètres tels que la robustesse aux variations des procédés de fabrication et la consommation d'énergie. Ceci implique de disposer d'algorithmes efficaces, intégrés dans la puce, susceptibles d'adapter le comportement du système aux variations des charges des processeurs tout en faisant face simultanément aux variations des paramètres qui ne peuvent pas être prédits ou modélisées avec précision au moment de la conception. Dans ce contexte, ce travail de thèse porte sur la conception de systèmes dit " GALS " (Globally Asynchronous Locally Synchronous) conçus autour d'un réseau de communication intégré à la puce (Network-on-Chip ou NoC) exploitant les nouvelles générations de technologie CMOS. Une nouvelle méthode permettant de contrôler dynamiquement la vitesse des différents îlots du NoC grâce à un contrôle de la tension et de la fréquence en fonction de la qualité locale des procédés de fabrication sur chaque îlot est proposée. Cette technique de contrôle permet d'améliorer les performances du système en consommation, et d'augmenter son rendement en fabrication grâce à l'utilisation des synergies au sein du système intégré. La méthode de contrôle est basée sur l'utilisation d'un anneau asynchrone programmable capable de prendre en compte la charge de travail dynamique et les effets de la variabilité des procédés de fabrication. Le contrôleur évalue en particulier la limite supérieure de fréquence de fonctionnement pour chaque domaine d'horloge. Ainsi, il n'est plus nécessaire de garantir les performances temporelles de chaque nœud au moment de la conception. Cela relâche considérablement les contraintes de fabrication et permet du même coup l'amélioration du rendement.

A very important phenomenon observed in the last decades is the development of the so-called "New Economy", characterized by the diffusion of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). During this episode, very favourable economic conditions have characterized the US economy: high growth rates of output, strong growth in labour, low level of unemployment. As a consequence, a strong attention has been devoted to the study of what has been called the "ICT Revolution", both from an empirical and from a theoretical point of view. This thesis proposes some theoretical models that are able to describe the most important characteristics of the new economy, explaining the associated growth performance. In particular, Chapter 1 develops a model that is able to reproduce some features of the ICT revolution that emerge from the data, underlining the importance of embodiment and the long-run implications of embodied technological change, and focusing on the role of R&D and of innovation in the growth process of the new economy. In Chapter 2 the model is extended considering also the presence of human capital, in line with the recent theoretical and empirical advancements in the endogenous growth literature according to which not only R&D activity, but also human capital accumulation, is a primary determinant of economic growth. Indeed, in the new economy human capital can be of great importance, since education is crucial in acquiring the knowledge necessary to use the new technologies, and at the same time an increase in ICT makes it easier to accumulate human capital, that in this model is the true engine of growth. In Chapter 3, finally, the issue considered is represented by the role of another form of capital, organizational capital, that has recently been advocated to explain the productivity slowdown and that can be linked with the analysis of the ICT boom. The model proposed allows to deal with the phenomenon, observed in the last decades with the diffusion of Information and Communication Technologies, represented by the adoption by many firms of new organizational practices, characterized by a tendency towards multi-tasking. Other aspects recently observed, and that the model is able to reproduce, are the increase in the share of skilled workers and in the proportion of workers employed in managerial occupations. The dissertation therefore elaborates some models that underline the fundamental role of a number of factors (innovation, human capital and organization) that are at the origin of the growth performance of the recent ICT-based economy.

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Our society is changing. The role which information and communication technologies (ICT) play in our society is growing rapidly and meanwhile the world’s population is ageing. ICT has enabled social network sites (SNS), which are often targeted towards younger people and is therefore less suitable for seniors who find themselves displaced again and again. Through a design research oriented study, we explored the theories of non-traditional computing to find alternative ways of using technology to better meet the needs of seniors. We have found bridging technologies to be a promising domain that could help address the life-changing consequences of population ageing. We have identified four design principles to support the design of bridging technologies, geared towards enabling seniors to interact with social network sites. These principles constitute our final contribution.

Gait analysis can be described as a study of human walking patterns. This is very useful in health care, since gait analysis can reveal important information about a patient, and be an aid in diagnosis and rehabilitation. Today gait analysis is done either by qualitative visual observation of the patient, or in resource demanding and advanced laboratory settings. Many studies have been done in the search for new technical solutions that enables quantitative gait analysis outside of the laboratory. The goal of this thesis was to evaluate the usability of a new gait analysis system and to find out how the user interface could be better adapted to the end user’s needs and goals. This was done by defining and using suitable methods for learning about the users, evaluating the system and by defining usability in a clinical setting. A redesigned prototype was then developed and tested. It was found that the original user interface had many usability issues and was in need of better adaption to the intended user group. Through user research personas and key user needs could be determined that became the basis for the design work, along with guidelines from previous studies within the field. The redesigned prototype was tested on potential end users. It was in this study determined that semi-structured interviews are suitable for learning about the users. Usability evaluation should preferably be done using a combination of evaluation that involves real end users and evaluation by usability experts. Guidelines for usability in clinical systems could also be defined. Considering the redesigned prototype, the users saw a great potential, and could see themselves using it in the future. The testing determined that the redesigned prototype managed to solve many of the usability issues found in the original design.

Miljonprogrammet var en tidsepok som pågick mellan åren 1965-1974. Under epoken uppfördes en miljon bostäder i Sverige. Föråldrad byggnadsteknik samt byggnadskomponenter som nått slutet av sin livslängd har lett till att dessa bostäder idag är i stort behov av renovering. Då över en tredjedel av flerbostadshusen i Sverige var uppförda under 1960- och början av 1970-talet har detta även blivit ett samhällsproblem. Med byggnadskomponenter vars U-värden ligger långt över dagens moderna byggnadskomponenters U-värden, har detta gjort de ej åtgärdade miljonprogramsbyggnaderna, till stora energibovar. En av dessa byggnadskomponenter som använt sig av föråldrad byggnadsteknik samt nått slutet av sin livslängd, är byggnadernas fönster. I detta arbete har en avgränsning skett mot just fönster och dess påverkan på den specifika energianvändningen. Två olika fönsterrenoveringsåtgärder har undersökts och jämförts för att få fram den åtgärd som visar störst ekonomisk lönsamhet. För att se vilken av fönsteråtgärderna som ger lägst specifik energianvändning har energisimuleringar genomförts i programmet BV2. För att se vilken av åtgärderna som visar på störst ekonomisk lönsamhet har ekonomiska beräkningar genomförts. Två olika metoder har använts; en LCC-kalkyl samt Pay-off metoden. Ur Pay-off metoden fås en återbetalningstid på den angivna åtgärdens investeringskostnad. I LCC-kalkylen visas istället totalkostnader för respektive åtgärd under utvalda tidsperioder, i denna undersökning kallade kalkylperioder. Resultatet från LCC-kalkylen visar att åtgärden med extraglas är den åtgärd som visar på störst ekonomisk lönsamhet, om optimala förutsättningar ges. Om fönstren däremot är i bristande skick och i behov av renovering, är åtgärden med nya fönster att rekommendera för största ekonomiska lönsamhet. Utifrån Pay- off metoden visade det sig att åtgärden med extraglas har en återbetalningstid på 9,7 år medan åtgärden med nya fönster har en återbetalningstid på 24,6 år. / The million programme was a period of time between 1965 and 1974. During the period one million homes were built in Sweden. Outdated building technology and building components that have reached the end of their lifespan have led to the fact that these homes are currently in urgent need of renovation. When more than a third of multi-family houses were built in the 1960s and early 1970s, this has also become a social problem. With building components which U-values are well above the current U-values of today’s modern building components, this has made the unreacted million programme buildings into major energy thieves. One of these building components that has used outdated building technology and reached the end of its lifespan is the windows of the buildings. In this work, a delimitation has been made of the windows and its impact on the specific energy use. Two different window renovation methods have been investigated and compared to find out which method that shows greatest economic profitability. To see which of the window renovation methods that provides the lowest specific energy usage, energy simulations has been made in BV2. To see which of the methods that shows the greatest economic profitability, economic calculations have been made. Two different methods have been used; an LCC-calculation and the Pay-off method. The Pay-off method shows the repayment for the investment cost of the selected window renovation method. In the LCC- calculation, total costs are shown for each renovation method during selected time periods, in this survey called calculation periods. The result of the LCC-calculation shows that the method with extra glass is the method that shows the greatest economic profitability, if optimal conditions are given. If, on the other hand, the windows are in poor condition and in need of renovation, the method with new windows is recommended for maximum economic profitability. Based on the Pay- off method, the results showed that the method with extra glass has payback time of 9.7 years, while the method with new windows has a payback time of 24.6 years.