SoftCOM 2005

Symposium on FUTURE WIRELESS SYSTEMS

The increasing popularity of wireless networks indicates that most of future networking structures will be based on wireless networking technologies. In particular, the main challenges for the next future are related to the development of integrated networks supporting new multimedia services. A deep integration of several heterogeneous networks will play a very important role.

We cordially invite speakers who wish to present original papers on the following subjects, but not limited to these, associated with wireless communication:

* Ad Hoc Wireless Networks
* Simulation and modelling of wireless networks and systems
* Security and privacy of mobile/wireless systems
* Dynamic resource allocation, admission control, and scheduling in wireless systems
* Adaptive wireless MAC protocols in LAN/MAN networks
* Mobile Internet
* Evaluation testbeds of mobile network
* TCP over Wireless
* Satellite networks
* Power saving in wireless networks
* Interoperability between heterogeneous Wireless Networks
* Sensor Networks
* Integration between Wired and Wireless Networks
* Services and Applications for Wireless Communications

Symposium Chair: Mario De Blasi, University of Lecce, Italy, (mario.deblasi@unile.it)

Symposium on QoS IN WIRELESS NETWORKS

The challenge of new communication architectures is to offer QoS in Internet networks. QoS aspects in NGN (Next Generation Networks) is an important topic especially in wireless networks (cellular networks, mobile networks, data transmission networks and satellites networks). Voice and video multimedia wireless applications will be developed and used when real QoS mechanisms will be available.

We cordially invite speakers who wish to present original papers on the following subjects, but not limited to these topics:

* Mobile Cellular Systems
* 3G/4G Wireless Technologies
* Broadband Wireless Access
* Wireless Local Area Networks
* Software Radio
* Ultra-Wide Band Radio
* Propagation and Channel Modeling
* Satellite Communications
* Wireless Communications Standards
* Architectures of Base Station & Core
Network Systems for UMTS, CDMA2000, GPRS
* Mobile IP
* Wireless Multimedia Services
* Traffic Management in Wireless networks
* Ad-Hoc Wireless Networks
* Ambient Networks
* Mobility Management
* Handoff Techniques
* QoS and Performance of Wireless Networks
* TCP Performance in Wireless Networks
* Security Issues in Wireless Networks
* QoS and Performance Evaluation

Symposium Chair: Pascal Lorenz, University of Haute Alsace, Colmar, France (lorenz@ieee.org)

Symposium on MOBILE AND WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS: SAFETY ASPECTS

The rapid growth of the cellular telecommunication industry has resulted in an increasing number of varoius transmitting installations, particularly GSM base stations, and the related influence on human health has recently become a very hot subject. While the message or data-handling processes and computational capability are necessary aspects of mobile and wireless communication systems, the intenisty and form of transmitted electromagnetic energy is of great interest to biological researchers.

We cordially invite speakers to present their original contributions to the following topics:

* Sources of Electromagnetic Interference
* Modeling and Measurement of Antennas for Mobile Communications
* Theoretical and Experimental Electromagnetic
Field Dosimetry
* Advanced Numerical Methods in Incident and Internal FieldDosimetry
* Propagation Through Biological Media
* Electromagnetic Modeling of the Human Body
* Thermal response of the Human Body
* Biological Effects of Electromagnetic Fields
* Human and Epidemiological Studies
* Occupational Electromagnetic Field Safety and health
* Interference with Medical Devices
* Optimization Algorithms for Radio Frequency Radiation Sources
* Dosimetric Studies for Base Stations and Mobile Phones
* Safety standards and Exposure Limits
* Shields for Mobile Units and other Protective Measures
* Regulatory Activities and Safety trends

Symposium Chair: Dragan Poljak, University of Split,(dragan.poljak@fesb.hr)

Special Session on RECENT ADVANCES IN LDPC CODES

Low Density Parity Check (LDPC) codes represent the “state-of-the-art” in the current scenario of forward error correcting (FEC) codes. They have been introduced by Robert Gallager, one of the fathers of the information theory, more than forty years ago, but they have been rediscovered only recently, thanks to the development of efficient techniques for their encoding and decoding. Decoding, in particular, is based on the basic principle of “belief propagation” that permits to attain performances comparable with, and often even better than, those of other turbo decoded schemes, while maintaining, however, a limited complexity. Because of their success, LDPC codes have been already included in the European standard for the second generation of Satellite Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB-S2), they are currently under investigation for the updating of many recommendations issued by the Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems (CCSDS), and their inclusion is foreseen in the channel coding section of many other widespread telecom applications, like wired and wireless digital communication networks.
A lot of topics, however, are still open in regard to the analysis and characterization of LDPC codes; among them: design of efficient encoding techniques, with very low complexity, evaluation of the minimum distance properties of these codes, and their impact on the asymptotic behaviour, adaptation to multi-level modulation schemes, and others.
This Special Session wants to be a fruitful occasion for discussion among researchers and practitioners working on LDPC codes. Contributions are expected facing either theoretical or practical aspects concerning the analysis and usage of these codes in practical implementations. Contributions from industry and manufacturers will be particularly welcome, with the aim to provide a substantial and up-dated measure of the most recent realizations, that have taken advantage of the progress in FPGA and ASIC technology.

A short list of topics that shall be faced in the Special Session is as follows:

* Analysis and simulation of LDPC codes
* Design of LDPC codes
* Encoding/decoding methods for LDPC codes
* Complexity evaluation of LDPC codes
* Algorithms for efficient estimation of the minimum distance (floor) properties of LDPC codes
* Practical implementation of LDPC codes
* FPGA and ASIC realizations of LDPC encoder and decoder cores
* Utilization of LDPC codes in wireless applications
* Impact of LDPC codes on the standards for telecommunications

Chair: Franco Chiaraluce, Universitá Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy (f.chiaraluce@univpm.it)

Workshop on Application of Multi-agent Systems

Multi-agent Systems and Intelligent Agents are regarded as most important areas of research and development in information technology. Software agent is the independent interactive software component capable to communicate with other agents and other entities using standard Agent Communication Languages (ACL). Multi-agent system is composed of multiple agents, and because of agents communication and cooperation capability it is able to solve problems that are beyond the abilities of any individual agent. Multi-agent systems have been found to have very wide applicability in diverse areas, from e-commerce to industrial process monitoring and control.

We cordially invite speakers who wish to present original papers on the following subjects, but not limited to these topics:

* Agent Architectures
* Agent Communication Languages
* Agent Programming Languages
* Agent Programming Environments
* Agent-Oriented Programming
* Agent Standardisation
* Agent-based Workflow Management
* Agent-based Monitoring and Control
* Agent-based E-commerce, Markets, Auctions
* Bidding and Bargaining Agents
* Negotiation Techniques for Agent Systems
* Conflict Resolution and Negotiation
* Agent Teams, Organisations and Societies
* Agent Group Dynamics
* Mobile Agents
* Planning and Coordination
* Application of Multi-agent Systems
* Intelligent Agents and Agent Intelligence
* Social Impacts of Intelligent Agents
* Evolution, Adaptation and Learning
* Self-organising Agrnt Systems
* Emerging Agent Technologies
* Emerging Agents Organisations

Chairs: Darko Stipanicev, Maja Stula, University of Split, Croatia
(darko.stipanicev@fesb.hr , maja.stula@fesb.hr )

Symposium on Multimedia and Virtual Reality

The Symposium focuses on all aspects of multimedia and virtual reality (VR) ranging from theoretical analysis through practical applications.

We cordially invite speakers who wish to present original papers on the following subjects, but not limited to these:

* Multimedia signal processing
     - Speech, audio, image and video coding
     - Media analysis, integration and synchronization
     - Virtual reality and 3D imaging
     - Joint audio/visual processing
     - 2-D and 3-D, graphics coding and animation
* Multimedia communications
     - Multimedia streaming, content distribution and QoS
     - Internet telephony, Wireless multimedia
     - Multimedia authentication, content protection and digital rights management
* Multimedia content management
     - Multimedia content analysis, indexing, retrieval
     - Multimedia content modeling and description
* Multimedia systems
     - Hardware and software for multimedia systems
     - Multimedia database, server design and OS
* Multimedia applications
     - Distance learning, telemedicine, distributed VR
     - Entertainment and games
* Handicapped, elderly and children users and Multimedia / Virtual Reality
* Virtaul Reality technologies
* Virtual and augmented environments
* Standards

Symposium Chair: Hrvoje Dujmic, University of Split, Croatia, (dujmic@fesb.hr)

Workshop on ICT

Because of the pervasive and strategic nature of ICT in the modern knowledge society, this technology deserves our special attention. The main purpose of ICT workshop is to provide open forum for users, researchers and developers coming from industry, operators as well as university to discuss and to exchange knowledge and experience in new and emerging systems, standards and services, and their applications in telecommunications and information systems.
ICT workshop covers the same main topics as the SoftCOM conference in general but the emphasis will be on application of recent ICT technologies to education, industry and services.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:
* Communications Software
* Interfaces and Communication Protocols
* Telecommunications Services and QoS
* Network Operations and Management
* Internet and IP Based Environments
* Autonomic Networks
* Mobile and Wireless Communications
* Optical and Photonic Communications
* Multimedia and Virtual Reality Systems
* Information Infrastructure and Security
* Communication Theory
* Multiple Access Techniques
* Signal Processing and Coding
* Electromagnetic Compatibility
* Computer Methods in Biomedicine
* Consumer Communications Technologies
* Human-Computer Interaction
* QoS and resource Management
* Enterprise Networking
* Research/Education Methodology
* Access and Home Networks
* Next Generation Networks and Services
* Sensor Networks

Chair: Miljenko Mikuc, University of Zagreb, Croatia (miljenko@tel.fer.hr)