Computer and Information Sciences - Publications

Permanent URI for this collection

https://dspace.uohyd.ac.in/handle/1/9

Browse

Browsing Computer and Information Sciences - Publications by Issue Date

Jump to a point in the index:
  • Item
    Linear octrees by volume intersection
    ( 1989-01-01) Pujari, Lavakusha Arun K. ; Reddy, P. G.
    The paper describes a new algorithm for constructing a 3D approximation of an object from three orthogonal 2D silhouettes. The 2D views are represented as binary arrays and 3D approximation is obtained as a linear octree. The algorithm makes use of volume intersection of three cylinders obtained by sweeping three views in respective directions. The algorithm takes less time than an existing algorithm which makes use of three quadtrees and an octree for 2D and 3D image representation, respectively. Unlike the previous algorithm, the present algorithm does not require any preprocessing stage or condensation. It is Shown that the proposed algorithm is of o(T), where T is the total number of nodes in the resulting octree. © 1989.
  • Item
    Optimal pricing of successive generations of product advances
    ( 1993-01-01) Padmanabhan, V. ; Bass, Frank M.
    We obtain the optimal pricing policy of a monopolist marketing successive generations of product advances. We characterize the impact of foresight regarding entry of the second generation product and the technological substitution and market expansion created by the introduction of the second generation product on the optimalpricing policy of the monopolist. We also obtain the optimal pricing policies of the producers in situations where the successive generations of product advances are marketed by independent producers. By contrasting these policies with those of the monopolist marketing successive generations of product advances, we provide insight on the differential impact of foresight, technological substitution and market expansion on the optimal pricing policies of the producers. © 1993.
  • Item
    Understanding paper documents
    ( 1993-06-01) Agarwal, Arun
    We describe the organization and several components of an automated document processing system that begins with digitized images of documents and produces representations at higher levels. Such representations inlcude: the visual sketch (connected components extracted from the background), physical layout (spatial extents of blocks corresponding to text, graphics), logical layout (grouping of strings into words and phrases), and block primitives (e.g., recognised characters and words in text blocks, recognition of hand-drawn line drawings i.e. schematic electronic circuits). We describe algorithms for deriving several of the representations and describe the interaction of different modules. The methods are illustrated with examples. © 1993 the Indian Academy of Sciences.
  • Item
    Competitive location and entry deterrence in Hotelling's duopoly model
    ( 1994-01-01) Bhadury, J. ; Chandrasekaran, R. ; Padmanabhan, V.
    This paper analyzes the problem of two firms competing in a common linear market with demand distributed continuously over the market. The firms wish to maximize their respective profits by appropriate choice of number of facilities and their locations. Equilibrium location strategies are derived for uniform and symmetric triangular demand distributions. It is shown that pioneering advantage may help a firm overcome its cost disadvantage with respect to a competitor. © 1995.
  • Item
    Usage Heterogeneity and Extended Warranties
    ( 1995-01-01) Padmanabhan, V.
    The role of product warranty in segmentation of consumer durable product markets is highlighted. I demonstrate that consumer moral hazard and heterogeneity in product usage create variation in the valuation of product warranties by the different segments in the market. In this context, the firm, by offering a self‐selecting menu of base warranty and extended warranties, satisfies the warranty demands of the various segments of the population. The consumer choice behavior prediction of the theory with regard to extended warranty is empirically validated with data from a survey of new car buyers. Copyright © 1995, Wiley Blackwell. All rights reserved
  • Item
    A correspondence based approach to segmentation of cursive words
    ( 1995-01-01) Negi, A. ; Swaroop, K. S. ; Agarwal, A.
    A novel contour-based approach to off-line segmentation of cursive words is proposed. The approach avoids expensive processing such as slant correction, thinning, filtering, and regional pixel labeling. Correspondences between the maximum and minimum excursions of the handwriting image are established and categorised. Valid established correspondences additionally provide three types of useful singular features about the segmented letter shapes. These singular features of the handwriting are first defined and isolated as: Loops, ascenders and descenders. A consistent analysis of established valid correspondences gives the segmentation. Correspondences also provide stroke width estimates, character width, and slant estimates that are useful to a recognition system. Results of the proposed approach on images, with variations in slant and types of ligatures are also presented.
  • Item
    Detection of courtesy amount block on bank checks
    ( 1995-01-01) Agarwal, A. ; Granowetter, L. ; Hussein, K. ; Gupta, A. ; Wang, P. S.P.
    This paper discusses a technique for locating the courtesy amount block on bank checks. In the analysis and recognition process, connected components in the image are identified first. Then, strings are constructed on the basis of proximity and horizontal alignment of characters. Next, a set of rules and heuristics are applied to these strings to choose the correct one. The chosen string is only accepted if it passes a verification test, which includes an attempt to recognize the currency sign. A deterministic finite automaton system is then used for segmenting the handprinted courtesy amount. Finally, the separated components are passed on to a neural network based recognition system.
  • Item
    A correspondence based approach to segmentation of cursive words
    ( 1995-01-01) Negi, A. ; Swaroop, K. S. ; Agarwal, A.
    A novel contour-based approach to off-line segmentation of cursive words is proposed. The approach avoids expensive processing such as slant correction, thinning, filtering, and regional pixel labeling. Correspondences between the maximum and minimum excursions of the handwriting image are established and categorised. Valid established correspondences additionally provide three types of useful singular features about the segmented letter shapes. These singular features of the handwriting are first defined and isolated as: Loops, ascenders and descenders. A consistent analysis of established valid correspondences gives the segmentation. Correspondences also provide stroke width estimates, character width, and slant estimates that are useful to a recognition system. Results of the proposed approach on images, with variations in slant and types of ligatures are also presented.
  • Item
    Identification of lanes and bands in DNA autoradiogram images
    ( 1995-12-01) Agarwal, A. ; Srinivas Manohar, C. ; Pujari, Arun K.
    The present work is concerned with the application of image processing to an off-line DNA autoradiogram images. The varying morphology of lanes, nonuniformity in band shapes, intensities and spacing, the spatially varying background of the image and gel-preparative and digitization variations in the autoradiogram images make conventional techniques of image processing unsuitable. The proposed technique is adaptive taking varying background and unpredictable nature of the bands into account. We have successfully accomplished lane detection, lane straightening, adaptive enhancement of lane images and band detection.
  • Item
    Role of mediator in inter-agent induction
    ( 1996-01-01) Patra, M. R. ; Mohanty, H.
    In a multi-agent society when agents operate on common platforms, in addition to routine information exchanges some agents try to induce other agents to their own and social benefits. This induction can be achieved through direct interactions among participating agents. However, in situations when induction is not possible through direct interaction, an intended induction may still be achieved through a Mediator agent. In this paper, we investigate the role of a mediator agent in an induction process and formalize the concepts by proposing an agent framework. We utilize an Object-Oriented approach for implementation of the proposed framework. © 1996 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
  • Item
    Parallel preprocessing algorithms for document image analysis
    ( 1996-01-01) Rao, P. S. ; Srinivas, C. ; Chand, B. Hem ; Agarwal, Arun
    This paper presents the parallel implementation of sequential algorithms for skew estimation, connected components generation and smearing on a hypercube architecture. These algorithms have been tested on PARAM CAMPUS (a 16-node parallel machine) and the test results have been provided. © 1996 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
  • Item
    Detection of courtesy amount block on bank checks
    ( 1996-01-01) Agarwal, Arun ; Hussein, Karim ; Gupta, Amar ; Wang, Patrick S.P.
    A multi-staged technique for locating the courtesy amount block on bank checks is presented. In the case of a check processing system, many of the proposed methods are not acceptable, due to the the presence of many fonts and text sizes, as well as the short length of many text strings. Particular methods chosen to implement a courtesy amount block locator (CABL) are described. First, the connected components in the image are identified. Next, strings are constructed on the basis of proximity and horizontal alignment of characters. Finally, a set of rules and heuristics are applied to these strings to choose the correct one. The chosen string is only reported if it passes a verification test, which includes an attempt to recognize the currency sign. © 1996 SPIE and IS & T.
  • Item
    Observation of a linear regime in imaginary χ < inf > ac < /inf > of Bi-2223 superconductor
    ( 1996-02-10) Sobha Rani, T. ; Rajaram, G.
    Measurements of complex AC susceptibility were performed on Bi-2223/Bi-2212 high Tc superconductor at low excitation field amplitudes. Unusual features attributable to the Bi-2223 phase are observed in the imaginary part of the AC susceptibility, χ″(T), at different excitation field amplitudes, Hm. The peak temperature, Tp as a function of Hm defines a region in (H, T) plane, where χ″ is independent of Hm. Various possible interpretations are discussed, including that of a transition to a viscous flux flow regime. © World Scientific Publishing Company.
  • Item
    Manufacturer's returns policies and retail competition
    ( 1997-01-01) Padmanabhan, V. ; Png, I. P.L.
    Manufacturers' returns policies are a common feature in the distribution of many products. The obvious rationale for returns policies is insurance. Practitioners, not surprisingly, have a different perspective and view returns as a cost of doing business. In this paper, we study the strategic effect of returns policies on retail competition and highlight its profitability implications for a manufacturer. The setting for our research is the distribution of products with uncertain demand, limited shelf lives, and retail competition. Our objective is to provide a better understanding of when manufacturers should adopt returns policies. The insights are obtained with a model based on the economics of strategy and decision making under uncertainty. We show that when retailing is competitive and there is no uncertainty in demand, a returns policy subtly induces retailers to compete more intensely. The provision of a returns policy reduces retail prices without affecting wholesale prices, thereby reducing retailer margins and improving manufacturer profitability. The intuition is that with a returns policy, Cournot-like levels of retail stocks cannot be sustained. Each retailer will order stocks so that it will not be constrained by stocks, and so, intensifying retail competition. When, however, demand is uncertain and there is a single retailer, a returns policy encourages the retailer to over-stock, and so decreases (upstream) manufacturer profits. While the provision of a returns policy leads to lower retail margins, the optimality of returns policy depends on the overall uncertainty and marginal cost. A returns policy reduces the dispersion in retail prices between the high and low states of demand and the range of retail prices in the returns case is contained within the range of retail prices for the no-returns case. In the general setting, when there are competing retailers and demand is uncertain, there is a trade-off for the manufacturer between the benefits (more intense retail competition) and the costs (excessive stocking) of a returns policy. We find that a manufacturer should accept returns when the marginal production cost is sufficiently low and demand uncertainty is not too great. To validate the results of our theory, we conduct an empirical test with data from a major U.S. retailer. The tests confirm our prediction that a returns policy intensifies retail competition and reduces retailer margins. Our theory and empirical test should interest practitioners and researchers in distribution, especially those concerned with managing retail competition.
  • Item
    Unsupervised texture segmentation using Hermite transform filters
    ( 1997-01-01) Negi, Atul ; Sreedevi, P. ; Debbarma, P.
    A Hermite transform multi-channel filtering approach to unsupervised texture segmentation is presented. Texture feature images are obtained by first applying Hermite transform filters of various orders and in two directions to the input images, then next passing filtered components through a nonlinearity and computing local averages. These texture feature images are decimated in a hierarchical pyramid image representation. Segmentation by a square error clustering technique is performed on the decimated feature image with the classification being propagated down the pyramid to obtain pixel labels of the segmented image. Good segmentation results were obtained with about ten channels.
  • Item
    New products, upgrades, and new releases: A rationale for sequential product introduction
    ( 1997-01-01) Padmanabhan, V. ; Rajiv, Surendra ; Srinivasan, Kannan
    Network externality is an important consideration in many high-technology product markets. In these markets, consumers' expectations about the future installed base and the resultant externality benefits play a critical role in their product adoption decisions. The authors investigate the strategic implications of consumer uncertainty regarding network externality and show that a firm can credibly convey private information about future installed base through its new product introduction strategy. The authors initially consider a market in which consumers are homogeneous in their valuation of quality. They show that under complete information the optimal strategy entails provision of full (efficient) quality in the first period itself, providing any upgrade in the second period is suboptimal. However, under asymmetric information about externality, a high-externality firm provides less than full quality initially and then makes up for the quality differential through provision of an upgrade in the second period. Thus, underprovision of introductory quality (i.e., withholding quality) serves as a signal of high externality, and upgrades serve as the mechanism for implementation of the signaling strategy. The authors demonstrate the robustness of this result by extending the model to incorporate consumer heterogeneity in quality valuation. The additional insight here is that signaling entails sequential targeting of segments in addition to sequential provision of quality.
  • Item
    Slotting allowances and new product introductions
    ( 1997-01-01) Lariviere, Martin A. ; Padmanabhan, V.
    Slotting allowances - lump sum transfers from manufacturers to retailers for carrying new products -have become an important part of promotional agreements over the past decade. Hardly known before the mid-1980s, they now represent a significant cost to launching a new entry in a wide range of product categories. Despite being commonplace, slotting allowances have remained extremely controversial both with manufacturers and retailers. The controversy, in part, follows from a poor understanding of the role that slotting allowances actually play in new product introductions. We attempt to clarify the purpose slotting allowances serve by relating the payment of a slotting allowance to the retailer's cost structure and informational asymmetries within a channel. We consider a manufacturer introducing a new product into a retail channel. The retailer is independent of the manufacturer and only accepts the product if he expects to recover a positive fixed cost at the terms of trade offered by the manufacturer. Following acceptance, the retailer exerts merchandising effort and sets the retail price. We show that if the manufacturer and the retailer are equally informed of the product's demand, the terms of trade never include a slotting allowance. High retail costs are compensated through a lower wholesale price. Similarly, if the manufacturer is better informed of the product's demand, she prefers to convey that information through the wholesale price alone. That is, a high wholesale price, not a slotting allowance, is the manufacturer's preferred signaling instrument. Signaling with the wholesale price alone fails, however, when the retailer has high fixed costs. To convey information and assure retailer participation, the terms of trade must include a positive slotting allowance. A slotting allowance thus serves two purposes in launching a product: passing information down to the retailer and shifting costs up to the manufacturer. We show that the manufacturer prefers paying a slotting allowance to undertaking purely wasteful advertising. A principal virtue of a slotting allowance, then, is keeping money within the channel. Our work is novel along two important dimensions. First, others (e.g., Chu 1992) have assumed that slotting fees arise as manufacturers respond to retailer demands. Here, the manufacturer willingly offers an allowance. As a consequence, slotting allowances do not represent a windfall for the retailer; he merely breaks even on a product for which a slotting allowance is paid. Second, we tie the payment of a slotting allowance to the retailer's fixed cost and the overall terms of trade. This allows us to consider a number of comparative statics with interesting implications. For example, a retailer may receive a slotting allowance for some categories and not for others if his costs differ across categories. A "slotted" product is offered at a lower wholesale price which results in greater retailer effort than for a product on which no allowance is paid. Over a range of fixed costs, greater retailer effort should be correlated with a higher slotting allowance. Finally, for a specific functional form, we show that slotting allowances become more common (in the sense that they are paid over a greater range of retailer costs) as the retailer has greater merchandising ability.
  • Item
    Influencing: A strategy for goal adoption in BDI agents
    ( 1997-01-01) Mohanty, Hrushikesha ; Patra, Manas Ranjan ; Naik, K. Sagar
    In recent years, computing systems based on Belief-Desire-Intention (BDI) paradigm have received considerable attention in the area of Agent Technology. This paradigm has been proposed to model human cognitive behaviour in terms of three cognitive states viz, belief, desire, and intention. It is believed that one's goal-adoption behavior largely depends on its cognitive states. Hence, an agent (influencing agent) can influence another agent (target agent) by acting on latter's cognitive state to make it adopt a goal of former's interest. On giving a formal definition to agent cognitive states we present a framework for influencing that achieves goal adoption at target agent. Also the uses of communication tones and social norms in a process of influencing are shown. We explain the use of the proposed framework in a production management scenario.
  • Item
    Information distortion in a supply chain: The bullwhip effect
    ( 1997-01-01) Lee, Hau L. ; Padmanabhan, V. ; Whang, Seungjin
    Consider a series of companies in a supply chain, each of whom orders from its immediate upstream member. In this setting, inbound orders from a downstream member serve as a valuable informational input to upstream production and inventory decisions. This paper claims that the information transferred in the form of "orders" tends to be distorted and can misguide upstream members in their inventory and production decisions. In particular, the variance of orders may be larger than that of sales, and the distortion tends to increase as one moves upstream - a phenomenon termed "bullwhip effect." This paper analyzes four sources of the bullwhip effect: demand signal processing, rationing game, order batching, and price variations. Actions that can be taken to mitigate the detrimental impact of this distortion are also discussed.
  • Item
    New Products, Upgrades, and New Releases: A Rationale for Sequential Product Introduction
    ( 1997-11-01) Padmanabhan, V. ; Rajiv, Surendra ; Srinivasan, Kannan
    Network externality is an important consideration in many high-technology product markets. In these markets, consumers’ expectations about the future installed base and the resultant externality benefits play a critical role in their product adoption decisions. The authors investigate the strategic implications of consumer uncertainty regarding network externality and show that a firm can credibly convey private information about future installed base through its new product introduction strategy. The authors initially consider a market in which consumers are homogeneous in their valuation of quality. They show that under complete information the optimal strategy entails provision of full (efficient) quality in the first period itself, providing any upgrade in the second period is suboptimal. However, under asymmetric information about externality, a high-externality firm provides less than full quality initially and then makes up for the quality differential through provision of an upgrade in the second period. Thus, underprovision of introductory quality (i.e., withholding quality) serves as a signal of high externality, and upgrades serve as the mechanism for implementation of the signaling strategy. The authors demonstrate the robustness of this result by extending the model to incorporate consumer heterogeneity in quality valuation. The additional insight here is that signaling entails sequential targeting of segments in addition to sequential provision of quality.