Abstracts of Magazine FUJITSU 2007-3 (VOL.58, NO.2)

Special Issue 1: 3.5th Generation Mobile Communications

• Outline of HSDPA

High speed downlink packet access (HSDPA) was specifically developed to increase the data transmission rates of packetized downlink channels. The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) prescribed this system, which provides a maximum data transmission rate of 14.4 Mbps and an average transmission rate of 2 to 3 Mbps, depending on the radio propagation conditions. The conventional system can guarantee a maximum fixed data transmission rate of 384 kbps. Therefore, HSDPA is about 10 times faster than the conventional system. This high level of performance enables the provision of various types of multimedia services. The main features of HSDPA are its high data transmission rate, low latency, and high throughput, for which an adaptive modulation scheme and hybrid-ARQ (HARQ) have been introduced. This paper briefly explains these new techniques and describes the trend toward standardization.

• Radio Network Controller for HSDPA

High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) technology provides a maximum data transfer rate of 14.4 Mbps for packet downlink channels of wireless access networks that use Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (W-CDMA). This technology enables a wider range of services to be offered. This paper outlines the application of HSDPA in radio network controllers (RNCs), which are the management nodes of wireless access networks, and describes how HSDPA efficiently transmits data. It also describes how HSDPA makes it possible to effectively and efficiently control an entire wireless access network, including its voice and packet data.

• Base Transceiver Station for HSDPA

Fujitsu has developed a base transceiver station (BTS) for NTT DoCoMo, Inc. that provides a function for High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA), which is a protocol for 3.5G mobile communication that increases the transmission rate of W-CDMA. The new BTS is constructed using existing W-CDMA BTS equipment fitted with new printed circuit boards and is operated using enhanced 3G mobile communication equipment. Compared to existing systems, the new BTS consumes less energy, costs less, and has a higher transmission rate. This paper describes the outline and features of the new BTS.

• Development of HSDPA Mobile Phone

Fujitsu has developed a FOMA terminal for high speed downlink packet access (HSDPA) communication in cooperation with NTT DoCoMo, Inc. The new terminal achieves a data communication speed of 3.6 Mbps, which is about 10 times faster than the conventional communication speed. To ensure the terminal has the same size and battery performance as existing FOMA terminals, we developed a new baseband LSI for the signal processing and communications protocol. In addition to achieving a much higher communication speed, the new terminal also has the same basic functions as conventional FOMA terminals. This paper introduces the feature of the new terminal's platform and looks at future developments of the terminal.

• New Middleware Platform Technologies for Mobile Solutions

Recent advances made in high-performance cellular phones and 3G and 3.5G wide-band mobile networks have enabled such rich content services as music and video for consumers. New mobile solutions targeted at enterprise markets are also rapidly emerging. Many current mobile solutions such as mobile business support systems are being provided as extended services of office solutions based on PCs connected to fixed networks. Many other mobile solutions such as fieldwork support systems are provided as mobile-dedicated services. However, mobile networks differ from fixed networks in terms of limited range and unstable network performance problems due to the physical characteristics of radio signals. This paper introduces some of Fujitsu's new technologies for mobile middleware platforms designed to provide mobile solutions for existing and forthcoming 3.5G and 4G mobile networks.

• User-Centric Computing with Cellular Phones and Information Appliances

In today's ubiquitous environment, it is important to realize user-centric computing that combines appliances, services, and data anywhere on the network from the user's standpoint. Due to the progress made in cellular phones and the spread of appliance connection standards such as the Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA), much research has been conducted to combine cellular phones and information appliances. However, when a user accesses content stored on a home information appliance via a cellular phone away from home in the conventional system, the cellular phone accesses the remote appliance and displays content by itself, which entails such restrictions as small screen size and requires high power consumption. We have proposed a new technology to combine, via a cellular phone, home server appliances with display appliances away from home. In conjunction with two gateway functions on a cellular phone and home server, we have simultaneously achieved low power consumption and high communication throughput, while enhancing security protection.

Special Issue 2: H.264/MPEG-4 Advanced Video Coding

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• Fujitsu's Approach to H.264/AVC and Trend in Application

In 2003, the ITU-T and ISO/IEC developed a new video coding standard called H.264/AVC, which provides for more than double the compression performance of existing video coding standards, and has been adopted in many technological fields, such as mobile digital terrestrial broadcasting and the next generation DVD. However, H.264/AVC entails greater complexity and requires sophisticated coding control to obtain stable picture quality. In response to this need, Fujitsu devised a unique coding control algorithm for H.264/AVC to achieve stable video quality. By making the best use of our algorithm, we have developed some of the world's leading products including an H.264/AVC HD Codec LSI and video transmission devices. This paper introduces H.264/AVC, its coding control algorithm, and our approach to the development of H.264/AVC technology.

• Development of H.264/AVC Codec Middleware for Embedded Systems

H.264/AVC is an international video codec standard that has a higher compression performance and wider application field than other MPEG standards. Fujitsu is developing this standard with the aim of improving both its hardware (LSI) and software (codec middleware and system solutions). Fujitsu has developed an H.264/AVC codec system for embedded systems that uses a high-performance media processor. This system provides flexibility for easy optimization of high-quality image compression and the addition of new functions as requested by customers. For example, products that incorporate this system can be easily upgraded at customers' sites without needing to replace hardware by downloading software over the Internet or another network. As a result, the solution reduces the total cost of systems. This paper describes the development of the middleware of this system.

• H.264/AVC HDTV Video Codec LSI

We have developed a video codec LSI supporting H.264/AVC compression that is expected to become the next-generation video codec standard. This LSI is capable of compressing and decompressing High Definition Television (HDTV) video. By employing a new prefetched memory control technique, we reduced external memory access from 45% to 25% as compared with previous conventional LSIs in terms of volume. This resolved the problem of high volume memory access for HDTV video compression. Fujitsu's original high-quality encoding algorithms were also implemented, achieving both high quality and low-power consumption. The LSI is mounted on a single package of product code "MB86H50" containing two FCRAMs (Fujitsu's original low power memory chip). Audio-visual encoding consumes about 600 mW of power, which is extremely low for an industrial product. The chip is very versatile and can be adapted to various applications requiring HDTV video processing, such as portable AV products, hard disk recorders, and home network equipment.

• H.264/AVC Codec System for IP Networks

With the start of digital terrestrial broadcasting and the popularization of widescreen TV, video content has recently been shifting to the high-definition (HD) format. At the same time, high-speed, low-cost networks are making video delivery services via IP networks more familiar. Also, the demand for transmission of HD content via low-cost IP networks has been increasing. To meet this demand, Fujitsu has developed a video codec called the IP-9500 that puts real-time HD content transmission technology via IP networks into practical use for the first time in the world. This product adopts H.264/AVC, which is a new video coding technology that enables more than twice the data compression ratio compared to the previous coding technology. This paper describes the IP-9500, which provides a wide range of content-transmission solutions to customers.

• Audio Coding Algorithm for One-Segment Broadcasting

The recent progress made in coding technologies has enabled a more efficient compression of video and audio signals. As a result, Japanese mobile terrestrial digital broadcasting (One-Seg Broadcasting) and content delivery services are becoming increasingly popular. In 2003, ISO/IEC developed a new MPEG audio standard called High-Efficiency Advanced Audio Coding (HE-AAC). Based on the conventional Advanced Audio Coding（AAC）algorithm, HE-AAC features a higher compression ratio than that of the AAC algorithm. The total bit rate of the One-Seg service including video (H.264/AVC), audio, and other data is about 400 kbps. Therefore, the audio bit rate must be reduced as much as possible in order to increase the video bit rate. Although the current One-Seg service employs an audio bit rate of 48 kbps, Fujitsu has developed a new HE-AAC encoding algorithm that provides high quality speech at a much lower bit rate of 32 kbps. This paper introduces novel coding techniques to improve the coding efficiency of the HE-AAC encoder, and verifies its excellent performance based on subjective listening test results.