Technical Program SSIE 2011
Monday July 4, 2011 – 15:00 – 18:30
Prof. Albena MIHOVSKA, University of Aalborg, Denmark
Wireless Technology for autonomic networks
Abstract. Traditional telecommunication systems were designed for a single technology, while the modern communication infrastructure builds on a suite of technologies, devices, equipment, facilities, networks and applications for support of communication at a distance, often without human intervention. Each communication element (e.g., device, service, application) uses a mobile radio component for communicating data by way of some specific technology. Communication scenarios in the context of modern telecommunication systems are defined by the data context and can occur randomly among mobile components based on different technologies (i.e., heterogeneous), leading to an unpredictable and complex communication process and dynamic network topology. Reliable end-to-end transfer of data to application, which provides the particular network functionality and interface to the user, depends on algorithms and protocols for medium access control, routing, and mobility. Currently, these are organized in layers in architecture known as protocol stack and need the cooperation of a set of complimentary layered capabilities. The layered design is a key limitation as it assigns each protocol layer a specific purpose and task to support the data transfer, and is executed by means of targeted design protocols associated with it.
The tutorial will provide a good understanding in the fundamental principles on which modern telecommunication systems build and will outline the reserach challenges and approaches to overcome those for their successful adoption.
Tuesday July 5, 2011 – 9:00 – 12:30
Prof. Giorgio Spiazzi, University of Padova
Renewable Energy Sources for Distributed Generation in Smart Grids: the role of Power Electronics
Abstract. The continuously increasing demand of energy, the reduction of the availability of traditional energy sources (oil, gas, nuclear, etc.) together with the increasing concern about environmental conditions (pollution), have risen the interest on renewable energy sources (wind, solar, thermal etc.) that are almost democratically distributed, with different concentration levels, on the whole earth surface. This fact is going to affect the way how the energy is first generated and then distributed in large areas and is likely to drastically change the traditional energy distribution grid into the so called ‘smart grid’, where few power sources of large capacity and sinusoidal supply are replaced by many small, distributed and interacting energy sources providing supply voltages that can be asymmetrical and distorted. From the above considerations, it follows that facing the problems of smart grids requires a revision of traditional power theories as well as a comprehensive approach to cooperative operation of distributed electronic power processors.
The seminar is divided into two parts: in the first one, after a brief discussion of the potentialities and challenges of smart grids, the focus will be on the role and the requirements of power electronic converters interfacing energy sources, like photovoltaic panels and fuel-cells, with the grid. In the second part, it is shown why traditional power theories are no longer able to model the scenario opened by the smart grid paradigm and a new conservative power theory is introduced, that can be used for reducing power consumption from the utility, improving power quality and increasing distribution efficiency.
Wednesday July 6, 2011 – 9:00 – 12:30
Prof. Giulio Colavolpe, University of Parma, Italy
On the applications of factor graphs and the sum-product algorithm to detection and decoding
Abstract. Many detection and decoding problems can be formalized as the computation of the marginal distributions associated to a joint probability mass function (pmf) or to a joint probability density function (pdf) of many variables. Factor graphs (FGs) are a graphical representation of these joint pmfs or pdfs describing how these functions may be factorized in the product of ‘local’ functions, each of which depends on a subset of the variables. These factor graphs enable efficient computation of the marginal distributions through thesum-product algorithm (SPA). Although proposed to explain decoding algorithms for capacity-approaching error-correcting codes, such as low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes and turbo codes, FG and SPA have proven to be very useful in deriving new detection/decoding algorithms with unprecedented performance/complexity trade-offs.
Detailed program
Introduction: (1 hr) – Factor graphs, Sum-product algorithm, FG transformations
Application to communications: (2.5 hrs) – Message-passing decoding for LDPC codes, BCJR algorithm, Decoding of Turbo codes and turbo Gallager codes, Detection for linear channels (channels with intersymbol interference, orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) with intercarrier interference, multiuser detection), Detection and decoding for channels with memory (with particular emphasis on phase noise and fading channels)
Thursday July 7, 2011 – 9:00 – 12:30
Prof. Giacomo Morabito, University of Catania, Italy
Opportunities, technologies and challenges in the Internet of Things
Abstract. The Internet of Things (IoT) is a novel paradigm that is rapidly gaining ground in the scenario of modern wireless telecommunications. The basic assumption of this concept is the pervasive presence around us of a variety of things or objects – such as Radio-Frequency IDentification (RFID) tags, sensors, actuators, mobile phones, etc. – which, through unique addressing schemes, are able to interact with each other and cooperate with their neighbors to reach common goals. The IoT has the potential to radically change our life, even more that what the Internet did so far. However, there are several conceptual and technical challenges that must be faced before the IoT can be actually realized and there is huge space for basic and applied research in most fields of information engineering and science. For example, the IoT requires novel addressing schemes that can be used by heterogeneous technologies, there is the need for technical solutions able to guarantee an acceptable level of security and privacy, new mobility management solutions are required able to cope with the huge number of objects that will be included in the IoT, appropriate traffic characterization and modeling is needed to evaluate the impact of the deployment of the Internet of Things on the communication infrastructure, and scalable service discovery protocols are also required that operate efficiently in extremely large networks, and this list could continue further and further.
Objectives of this course are manyfold as we will:
• Introduce the fundamental concepts, technologies and standards related to the Internet of Things;
• Survey the basic architectural and technological approaches proposed so far;
• Provide the most relevant open research challenges regarding the Internet of Things.
Friday July 8, 2011 – 9:00 – 12:30
Dr. Nicola Laurenti, University of PadovaQuantum cryptography: when security comes from uncertainty
Abstract. In the modern approach to cryptography, the security of network and communication protocols heavily relies only on the confidentiality of the keys to cryptographic algorithms that must be shared between transmitter and receiver, often without the use of a separate secure channel. The importance of reliable and secure schemes for key distribution or agreement is therefore easily understood.
Quantum key distribution (QKD, popularly known as Quantum cryptography) represents the only practical instance of perfect secrecy, in the information-theoretic sense, that has been so far accomplished. Its security relies, on one side, on the laws of quantum mechanics such as the uncertainty principle or the no-cloning theorem, on the other on information-theoretic methods for the processing of common randomness.
In this tutorial talk, after introducing motivations and requirements for QKD, I will briefly review the information-theoretic model and the theoretical limits on the generation onf perfectly secure keys. Then, I will present under a common established framework the different practical schemes that are currently adopted in QKD implementations, and discuss methods and possibilities for the integration of QKD into commodity security protocols at different layers of the OSI stack. Finally I will identify current and future research directions and open problems. No previous knowledge of quantum mechanics is required to the audience, just some basic notions of information theory (entropy, mutual information, source and channel coding).
Workshop on emerging topics
Tuesday July 5, 2011 – 14:30 – 17:30
1. Paolo Baracca, Downlink Multicell Processing Employing QAM Quantization under a Constrained Backhaul, University of Padova, Dept. of Information Engineering.
2. Aljosa Dorni, Asynchronous Multi Packet Communications in 802.11- based Heterogeneous Networks, University of Trieste, Dipartimento di Ingegneria Industriale e dell’Informazione.
3. Francesco Michielin, A Wavelets Based Deblocking Technique for DCT Based Compressed Materials, University of Padova, Dept. of Information Engineering.
4. Alexey Baraev, Optimisation of Performance of 4G Mobile Networks in High Load Conditions , University of Trento, Dept. of Information Engineering and Computer Science.
5. Matteo Fiorani, Hybrid Optical Switching and Power Consumption in Optical Networks, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia.
6. Matteo Canale, Schemes for Secret Key Agreement as Applied to Quantum Key Distribution, University of Padova, Dept. of Information Engineering.