Signals and Information Group
Welcome!
Signals and Information Group

Welcome to the website of the Signals and Information group at the University of Maryland.

News

Summer 2008

Wang Welcomes New Arrival

Z. Jane Wang, a former postdoctoral researcher under Prof. K. J. Ray Liu, recently welcomed a new addition to her family! Sophie, a baby girl, was born on June 4. Photos...

Liu Delivers Keynote at IEEE Conference on Communications

On May 23, Prof. K. J. Ray Liu gave a keynote titled “Toward A New Communication Paradigm via Cooperation" at the IEEE International Conference on Communications (ICC 2008) Workshop on Cooperative Communications and Networking, in Beijing, China. More...

Steve Tjoa Awarded Summer Research Fellowship

Steve Tjoa, member of the Signals and Information Group, has been awarded a Graduate Student Summer Research Fellowship at the University of Maryland for the Summer 2008, which are intended to enable doctoral students to devote a summer of focused work to preparing for or completing a benchmark in their program's requirements. More...

Spring 2008

Han and Liu Co-author Book Resource Allocation for Wireless Networks: Basics, Techniques, and Applications
This new book offers a systematic and authoritative account of wireless resource management. The book examines basic concepts, optimization tools and techniques, and application examples, providing a unified framework for cross-layer optimization of wireless networks. State-of-the-art research topics and emerging applications, including dynamic resource allocation, cooperative networks, ad hoc/personal area networks, UWB, and antenna array processing, are examined in depth. This is a must-have guide to getting the best possible performance from wireless networks for those involved in the design and development of such networks. More...
Former SIG Members Welcome New Arrivals

Zoltan Safar and Ahmed Sadek, both former advisees of Prof. K. J. Ray Liu, recently welcomed new additions to their respective families! Zoltan welcomed a baby girl, Linda, on March 2, while Ahmed welcomed a baby boy, Adham, on March 12. Photos...

Steve Tjoa Named Future Faculty Fellow

Steve Tjoa, member of the Signals and Information Group, was one of seven ECE graduate students selected to participate in the Clark School's Future Faculty Program (FFP). This program was introduced to increase the number of graduates who obtain academic positions, and in particular, faculty positions in prestigious engineering schools. More...

Fall 2007

Siriwongpairat and Liu Co-author Book Ultra-Wideband Communications Systems: Multiband OFDM Approach
This new book provides a comprehensive coverage of the fundamental issues that must be understood in designing, implementing, and deploying UWB multiband OFDM systems. It covers the key physical layer aspects of UWB technology, including spectrum and regulations, UWB channels, modulation techniques, and transceiver architectures, with particular focus on the multiband OFDM approach. In addition, the authors further examine the major advanced state-of-the-art technology to enhance the performance of the standardized multiband OFDM technology. More...
Liu Delivers Distinguished Scholar-Teacher Lecture

Professor K. J. Ray Liu delivered a lecture on information forensics as part of the Distinguished Scholar-Teacher program at the University of Maryland. This program recognizes faculty members who have demonstrated outstanding scholarly achievement along with equally outstanding accomplishments as teachers. Liu is one of six Maryland professors to receive the honor this year. More...

Sun, Trappe, and Liu Co-author Book Network-Aware Security for Group Communications

This new book fills a growing need in the research community for a reference that describes the state-of-the-art in securing group communications in emerging networks and for future applications. The growth of multi-user services makes it essential that a complementary suite of security solutions are deployed in order to protect these services from a broad spectrum of security threats that are unique to group communications. This book is focused on tailoring security solutions to the underlying network architecture (such as the wireless cellular network, or ad hoc and sensor networks), or to targeted applications using methods tailored for that application (such as multimedia multicasts). The authors focus the discussion on two fundamental security issues for group communications: providing efficient key management for providing confidentiality, and providing authentication for group services. The book is geared primarily toward industry researchers, graduate students, and professors. More...

Liu Group Receives $1.8 Million NIH Grant for Cancer Treatment Research

Professor K. J. Ray Liu is part of a University of Maryland research group that has received a $1.8 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for an innovative technique to treat cancerous tumors in the lungs and upper abdominal region. More...

Steve Tjoa Receives George Corcoran Memorial Award

Steve Tjoa has received the George Corcoran Memorial Award for a graduate student, presented each year to a graduate teaching assistant in recognition of excellence in teaching. More...

Summer 2007

Trappe Appointed Associate Director of Rutgers' WINLAB

Alumnus Wade Trappe has been appointed Associate Director of the Wireless Information Network Laboratory (WINLAB) at Rutgers University. Trappe has served as assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at Rutgers since 2002, and was recently named associate professor wtih tenure in May 2007. More...

Steve Tjoa Named New President of ECEGSA

Steve Tjoa was named the new President of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Graduate Student Association (ECEGSA). He will serve in his new leadership role with the ECEGSA from July 2007 through June 2008. More...

Steve Tjoa Named Distinguished Teaching Assistant

Steve Tjoa has received a Distinguished Teaching Assistant Award from the Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE) for the 2006-2007 academic year. Award winners were selected based on nominations from faculty and students, as well as outstanding teaching evaluations and supporting comments. More...

Spring 2007

Liu Named Fellow of the Academy of Excellence in Teaching and Learning

Professor K. J. Ray Liu was selected to become a Fellow of the Academy of Excellence in Teaching and Learning (AETL) at the University of Maryland, starting Fall 2007. More...

Wade Trappe Earns Tenure at Rutgers

Alumnus Wade Trappe has been promoted to Associate Professor with tenure at the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at Rutgers University. Trappe received his M.S. in 1999 and his Ph.D. in 2002. More...

Peng Qiu and Ahmed Sadek Named Dissertation Fellows

Two members of the Signals and Information Group -- Peng Qiu and Ahmed Sadek -- were selected as ECE Distinguished Dissertation Fellows. These $5,000 fellowships are awarded to outstanding students in the final stages of their dissertation work. More...

Ahmed Ibrahim Named Best Student Paper Finalist for ICASSP 2007

Ahmed Ibrahim has been nominated to compete as a finalist in the Student Paper Contest at the IEEE International Conference on Acoustics, Speech, and Signal Processing (ICASSP 2007) in Honolulu, Hawaii. This paper, entitled "A subspace signal processing technique for concealed weapons detection," is co-authored by Professor K. J. Ray Liu, Dr. Dalma Novak, and Dr. Rod Waterhouse. The main goal of this work is to develop a system that can accurately detect and classify concealed weapons from a distance. This system makes use of the fact that each weapon has a unique fingerprint, defined as a set of resonant frequencies determined by the weapon's size, shape, and physical composition. By estimating the resonant frequencies of an electromagnetic signal reflected from an object, the system can accurately detect if a weapon is present. More...

Three SIG Members Named Future Faculty Fellows

Three members of the Signals and Information Group -- Wan-Yi Lin, Karim Seddik, and Beibei Wang -- have been selected to participate in the Future Faculty Program. Open to doctoral students in the Clark School of Engineering, this program is intended to improve the preparation of students for future academic careers. More...

Yan Sun Wins NSF CAREER Award

ECE Ph.D. alumna Yan Lindsay Sun '04, an assistant professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Rhode Island, has received a National Science Foundation (NSF) Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award. Dr. Sun, a former advisee of Professor K. J. Ray Liu (ECE/ISR), received the honor for her research initiative, titled "Building Trust in Distributed Networks: Theories, Architecture and Applications." More...

Fall 2006

Liu Named Distinguished Scholar-Teacher

Professor K. J. Ray Liu has been selected as a 2007-2008 Distinguished Scholar-Teacher by the University of Maryland. The Distinguished Scholar-Teacher program recognizes faculty members who have demonstrated outstanding scholarly achievement along with equally outstanding accomplishments as teachers. More...

Liu Teams with Area Company to Develop Portable Concealed Weapons Detection System

Professor K.J. Ray Liu is in the news for his work with Pharad, LLC, in Glen Burnie, Md. Liu is optimizing Pharad's portable system for detecting concealed weapons on individuals from a distance. The system can be used in a variety of indoor and outdoor environments, including airport concourses and passenger train terminals, public buildings, shopping centers, stadiums, and retail centers. More...

Summer 2006

Computerworld's 2006 Horizon Awards Honor Multimedia Forensics Research

Professor Min Wu and Professor K.J. Ray Liu received an honorable mention in the 2006 Computerworld Horizon Awards for their digital fingerprinting research. They are developing multimedia forensics technologies that will protect digital resources and trace those who attempt to steal or misuse them. More...

Liu Delivers Keynote on Multimedia Forensics at IEEE ICME

Professor K. J. Ray Liu delivered a keynote plenary on the subject of multimedia forensics at the IEEE 2006 International Conference on Multimedia and Expo (ICME) in Toronto on July 10. The lecture, titled "Multimedia Forensics: Where Sherlock Holmes Meets Signal Processing," addressed the current challenges in developing new multimedia forensics technology to safeguard digital content. More...

Hong Zhao To Join University of Alberta Faculty

Alumna Hong (Vicky) Zhao, a former Ph. D. student of Prof. K. J. Ray Liu, will join the Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) Department at the University of Alberta, Canada, as assistant professor this July. She received her Ph. D. degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Maryland in December 2004 and has been a research associate with the Institute for Systems Research (ISR) since February 2005, working with Prof. Liu on multimedia security and digital forensics. More...

Spring 2006

Liu, Trappe, Wang, Wu, and Zhao Co-author Book Multimedia Fingerprinting Forensics for Traitor Tracing

This new book in the EURASIP series on signal processing and communications is recently published by Hindawi Publishing Co. It provides comprehensive coverage of the emerging multimedia fingerprinting technology to track culprits involved in the illegal manipulation and unauthorized usage of multimedia content. The book covers the essential aspects of research in this new technology, and explains the latest development in this field. The discussion provided in the book highlights challenging problems as well as future trends in this research field, providing readers with a broader view of the evolution of the young field of multimedia forensics. Presenting the state of the art in digital fingerprinting for multimedia forensics, this invaluable book is accessible to a wide range of researchers and professionals in the fields of electrical engineering, computer science, information technologies, and digital rights management. More...

Chaiyod Pirak Joins Faculty at King Mongkut's Institute of Technology

Chaiyod Pirak, a former research assistant with Professor K. J. Ray Liu, will join the faculty of Technical Education at King Mongkut's Institute of Technology North Bangkok in February. He joined the ECE department at the University of Maryland in 2003 under a joint research program with Chulalongkorn University, Thailand. He earned the Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering in 2005.

SIG Alumnus Balaji Sampath Wins MIT Global Indus Technovator Award

Maryland alumnus Dr. Balaji Sampath, a former student of Professor K. J. Ray Liu (ECE/ISR) in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department and the Institute for Systems Research, was awarded the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Indus Technovator Award for his work with the Association for India's Development (AID), a non-profit, volunteer organization committed to promoting sustainable, equitable and just development in India, particularly at the country's grassroots. More...

IEEE WCNC 2006

The following papers were recently accepted for publication by the Proceedings of the IEEE Wireless Communications and Networking Conference (WCNC), Las Vegas, April 2006:

  1. C. Pirak, Z.J. Wang, K.J.R. Liu, and S. Jitapunkul, "LS FFT-based Channel Estimators Using Pilot-Embedded Data-Bearing Approach in Space-Frequency Coded MIMO-OFDM Systems"
  2. K.G. Seddik, A. Sadek, W. Su, and K.J.R. Liu, "Outage Analysis of Multi-node Amplify-and-Forward Relay networks"
  3. A. Sadek, Z. Han, and K.J.R. Liu, "An Efficient Cooperation Protocol to Extend Coverage Area in Cellular Networks"
  4. W. Siriwongpairat, A. Sadek, and K.J.R. Liu, "Bandwidth-Efficient OFDM Cooperative Protocol with Applications to UWB Communications"
  5. W. Siriwongpairat, Z. Han, W. Su, and K.J.R. Liu, "Employing Cooperative Diversity for Performance Enhancement in UWB Communication Systems"
  6. W. Siriwongpairat, T. Himsoon, W. Su, and K.J.R. Liu, "Optimum Threshold-Selection Relaying for Decode-and-Forward Cooperation Protocol"
  7. W. Siriwongpairat, W. Su, and K.J.R. Liu, "Multiband UWB System Performance with Random-Clustering Multipath-Rich Fading Channels"
  8. T. Himsoon, W. Siriwongpairat, W. Su, and K.J.R. Liu, "Decode-and-Forward Differential Modulation Scheme with Threshold-Based Decision Combining"
  9. T. Himsoon, W. Su, and K.J.R. Liu, "Differential Modulation for Multi-node Amplify-and-Forward Wireless Relay Networks"
  10. A. Kwasinski, H. Zhao, and K.J.R. Liu, "On QoS Constraints and Joint Source-Channel Coding for Real-Time Cooperative Multimedia Communications"
  11. C. Pandana, T. Himsoon, W. Siriwongpairat, and K.J.R. Liu, "Distributed Cooperative Routing Algorithms for Maximizing Network Lifetime"
  12. Z. Han, L. Swindlehurst, and K.J.R. Liu, "Smart Deployment/Movement of Unmanned Air Vehicle to Improve Connectivity in MANET"
  13. T. Himsoon, W. Siriwongpairat, Z. Han, and K.J.R. Liu, "Lifetime Maximization by Cooperative Sensor and Relay Deployment in Wireless Sensor Networks"
  14. Z. Ji, W. Yu, and K.J.R. Liu, "Belief-Based Packet Forwarding in Self-Organized Mobile Ad Hoc Networks with Noise and Imperfect Observation"

Paper Co-Authored by Trappe, Wu, Wang, and Liu Earns IEEE SPS Best Paper Award

A paper titled "Anti-Collusion Fingerprinting for Multimedia," co-authored by Wade Trappe, Min Wu, Jane Wang, and K. J. Ray Liu (ECE/ISR), has won the IEEE Signal Processing Society's (SPS) Best Paper Award for 2005. The paper documents the University of Maryland research team's pioneering, interdisciplinary approach to digital fingerprinting research for multimedia content protection. More...

Hayashi Visits SIG

The Signals and Information Group welcomes Dr. Kazunori Hayashi, Assistant Professor in the Graduate School of Informatics at Kyoto University, who will serve as a visiting professor at Maryland during the winter. Prof. Hayashi's research interests include wireless sensor networks, in-network signal processing, cooperative communications systems, and signal processing for wireless communications systems. For publications, click here.

Fall 2005

IEEE Infocom 2006

The following conference papers were recently accepted for publication at IEEE Infocom, Barcelona, April 2006:

  1. Y. Sun, Z. Han, W. Yu, and K. J. R. Liu, "Trust Evaluation Framework in Distributed Networks: Vulnerability Analysis and Defense Against Attacks"
  2. Z. Ji, W. Yu, K. J. R. Liu, "An Optimal Dynamic Pricing Framework for Autonomous Mobile Ad Hoc Networks"

Former ECE Postdoc Geoffrey Li Named Fellow of IEEE

Geoffrey Y. Li, a former ECE postdoctoral assistant with Professor K. J. Ray Liu and now an Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Georgia Tech, has been elected as a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). More...

Liu Delivers Keynote at IEEE International Workshop on Multimedia Signal Processing

Professor K.J. Ray Liu (ECE/ISR) delivered a keynote address on multimedia forensics at the IEEE International Workshop on Multimedia Signal Processing (MMSP) on November 2, 2005, in Shanghai, China. Dr. Liu's talk, titled "Multimedia Forensics for Traitors Tracing," offered a broad overview of the recent advances in multimedia forensics with a focus on multimedia fingerprinting for traitor tracing, as well as strategies to resist collusion attacks. More...

Liu Invited to Speak as Distinguished Lecturer at Rutgers

Professor K.J. Ray Liu (ECE/ISR) has been invited as a guest speaker for the Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) Department's Distinguished Lecture Series at Rutgers University. Dr. Liu will present his lecture entitled "Can Signal Processing Predict Cancer at Genomic Level?" on October 7, 2005. In his presentation, Dr. Liu will examine the possibilities of detecting different DNA gene cluster patterns in samples from cancer patients and normal subjects to predict the early stage of cancer development. More...

Haitao Zheng Joins Faculty at UCSB

Haitao Zheng, a former Ph.D. student of Dr. K. J. Ray Liu, recently joined the faculty at the University of California, Santa Barbara as an assistant professor of computer science. Furthermore, she has been named one of the top 35 innovators under the age of 35 by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Technology Review magazine. More...

Dedication of the Jeong H. Kim Engineering Building

The dedication ceremony of the Jeong H. Kim Engineering Building will take place on Monday, September 19, with events starting at 10 am. As a participant of the lab tours, Andres Kwasinski will offer a presentation about the use of adaptive source and channel coding to extend the capacity of a CDMA cellular network carrying video calls. More...

IEEE Globecom 2005

The following conference papers were recently accepted for publication at IEEE Globecom, St. Louis, November 2005:

  1. Z. Ji, W. Yu, and K.J.R. Liu, "A Dynamic Pricing Approach for Self-organized Mobile Ad Hoc Networks"
  2. C. Pandana and K.J.R. Liu, "Maximum Connectivity and Maximum Lifetime Energy-aware Routing for Wireless Sensor Networks"
  3. A.K. Sadek, W. Su, and K.J.R. Liu, "Clustered Cooperative Communications in Wireless Networks"
  4. Y. Sun, W. Yu, Z. Han, and K.J.R. Liu, "Trust Modeling and Evaluation in Ad Hoc Networks"
  5. W. Yu, Y. Sun, and K.J.R. Liu, "Minimization of Rekeying Cost for Contributory Group Communications"
  6. W. Yu and K.J.R. Liu, "Defense Against Injecting Traffic Attacks in Cooperative Ad Hoc Networks"
  7. W. Yu and K.J.R. Liu, "Anti-Attack Cooperation Stimulation in Self-organized Ad Hoc Networks"
  8. A. Kwasinski, Z. Han, and K.J.R. Liu, "Cooperative Multimedia Communications: Joint Source Coding and Collaboration"
  9. T. Himsoon, W. Su, and K.J.R. Liu, "Multiband Differential Modulation for UWB Communication Systems"
  10. A. Sadek, Z. Han, and K.J.R. Liu, "Multi-Node Cooperative Resource Allocation to Improve Coverage Area in Wireless Networks"
  11. A. Ibrahim, A. Sadek, W. Su, and K.J.R. Liu, "Cooperative Communications with Partial Channel State Information: When to Cooperate?"

IEEE SECON 2005

The following conference papers were recently accepted for publication at IEEE SECON, Santa Clara, September 2005:

  1. W. Yu and K. J. R. Liu, "Secure Cooperative Mobile Ad Hoc Networks Against Injecting Traffic Attacks"
  2. W. Yu and K. J. R. Liu, "Stimulating Cooperation and Defending Against Attacks in Self-Organized Mobile Ad Hoc Networks"

Summer 2005

Swindlehurst Visits SIG

The Signals and Information Group is pleased to welcome Dr. Lee Swindlehurst, Professor and Department Chair of Electrical Engineering at Brigham Young University, who will serve as a visiting professor at Maryland during the summer. Prof. Swindlehurst's research interests lie in the application of detection and estimation theory to problems in signal processing and wireless communications, including MIMO and space-time adaptive signal processing. More...

Wang, Wu, Trappe, and Liu Co-Authors of Award-Winning Paper on Multimedia Forensics

A paper co-authored by University of Maryland researchers Jane Wang, Min Wu (ECE/UMIACS), Wade Trappe, and K.J. Ray Liu (ECE/ISR) has been awarded the European Association for Signal, Speech and Image Processing (EURASIP) Journal on Applied Signal Processing Best Paper Award for 2004. The paper was titled "Group-Oriented Fingerprinting for Multimedia Forensics." More...

Spring 2005

Weifeng Su Joins SUNY-Buffalo Electrical Engineering Faculty

ECE/ISR postdoc Weifeng Su has joined the Department of Electrical Engineering at the State University of New York at Buffalo as an assistant professor. Dr. Su has been working with Professor K.J. Ray Liu (ECE/ISR) in the Communications and Signal Processing Lab since June 2002. More...

Liu Honored with Clark School 2005 Poole and Kent Senior Faculty Teaching Award

Professor K.J. Ray Liu (ECE/ISR) has been honored with the A. James Clark School of Engineering's 2005 Poole and Kent Senior Faculty Teaching Award. Dr. Liu won the award for the impact he has made to education and curriculum in the college. The award will be presented at this year's Spring Commencement on May 22nd. More...

Invention of the Year Award

Professor K. J. Ray Liu (ECE/ISR), along with Dr. Weifeng Su (ISR) and Dr. Zoltan Safar, were winners of the University of Maryland's 18th Annual Invention of the Year award in the Information Science category. Their invention, "Coding Techniques for Maximum Achievable Diversity in Space, Time and Frequency for Broadband Wireless Communications," includes a systematic code design method that can guarantee reliable data transmissions at high data rates in broadband wireless communications using multiple transmit antennas. More...