Graphical features on map, charts, diagrams and graph drawings usually must be annotated with text labels in order to convey their meaning. In this paper we focus on a problem that arises when labeling schematized maps, e.g. for subway networks. We present algorithms for labeling points on a line with axis-parallel rectangular labels of equal height. Our aim is to maximize label size under the ...

The design and construction of shallow-buried tunnels in densely populated urban areas involve many challenges. The ground movements induced by tunneling effects pose potential risks to infrastructure such as surface buildings, pipelines, and roads. In this paper, a case study of the Zhongjie subway station located in Shenyang, China, is examined to investigate the key construction techniques a...

We consider a combinatorial problem motivated by a special simplified timetabling problem for subway networks. Mathematically the problem is to find (pairwise) disjoint congruence classes modulo certain given integers; each such class corresponds to the arrival times of a subway line of a given frequency. For a large class of instances we characterize when such disjoint congruence classes exist...

Most successful crime prevention efforts take the approach of "designing out crime" through the identification of highly specific crime problems and the development of preventive efforts to reduce them (Clarke, 1992). A study of the design, maintenance and management of "Metro," Washington, DCs subway system, allows for the novel approach of evaluating an effort to design in security at the out...

The role of contextual information in intelligent assistant systems is controversial. In this paper, we start from our experience of Intelligent Assistant System developers to clarify some notions about context and to study the question of context sharing. Moreover, we consider two important aspects of man-machine cooperation, namely explanation generation and incremental knowledge acquisition....

What are the real security issues for a wireless sensor network (WSN) intended to monitor the structural health of a suspension bridge, a subway tunnel or a water distribution pipe? Could an attack on the sensor network cause the structure to collapse? How easy is it for civil engineers or other domain experts to build a secure WSN using commercially available hardware and software? We answer t...