Abstract: A system and method for accommodating various device and application security levels collects authentication data such as voice and fingerprint in advance of opening an application or process potentially requiring different security than the device itself requires. The device is then able to execute a user's voiced command, request or query without further user actions if the command, request or query is related to an application or process for which the already-gathered authentication data is sufficient.

Abstract: A method and electronic device that enables quick presentation of user briefs on the electronic device includes: receiving, at the electronic device, an informational brief (IB) request (IBR) input that includes an identifier of a topic and a trigger that causes the electronic device to open an IB content screen that temporarily presents specific information corresponding to the topic. In response to receipt of the IB input, the method further includes: retrieving the IB content screen, with content that includes at least one of the specific information; presenting the IB content screen on the electronic device; monitoring an elapsed presentation time for the IB content screen on the electronic device; comparing the elapsed presentation time against a time limit allocated for presenting the IB content screen; and in response to expiration of the time limit, closing the IB content screen to return the device to its previous operating state.

Abstract: One embodiment provides a method, including: receiving, at an information handling device, an indication to initiate a conversational session with a user; receiving, from the user, a query input; completing, using a processor, a function associated with the received query input; and sustaining, at the information handling device, the conversational session after completing the function. Other aspects are described and claimed.

Abstract: A system and method for accommodating various device and application security levels collects authentication data such as voice and fingerprint in advance of opening an application or process potentially requiring different security than the device itself requires. The device is then able to execute a user's voiced command, request or query without further user actions if the command, request or query is related to an application or process for which the already-gathered authentication data is sufficient.

Abstract: A portable electronic communication device includes a user input receiver, one or more user outputs, and a processor programmed to receive user input from the user input receiver and to determine based on the user input whether the user desires the device to enter a private mode. The device alters communications from the device via the one or more user outputs while in the private mode, and enters the private mode if the user input indicates that the user desires the device to enter the private mode. While in the private mode, the device may alter the manner in which it communicates to the user.

Abstract: An electronic device (200) includes a user interface (205), a communication circuit (206), and an audio capture device (212) to receive ambient audio signals from an environment about the electronic device. A voice control interface engine (214) is operable with the audio capture device to process signals received from the audio capture device to identify at least some speech from the ambient audio signals. One or more processors (203) are operable with the voice control interface engine to compute a noise index as a function of the ambient audio signals and the at least some speech. The one or more processors can optionally identify a source of the at least some speech. Where the noise index exceeds a predefined criterion, the one or more processors can execute a communication operation on one or more of the user interface or the communication circuit.

Abstract: A portable electronic communication device includes a user input receiver, one or more user outputs, and a processor programmed to receive user input from the user input receiver and to determine based on the user input whether the user desires the device to enter a private mode. The device alters communications from the device via the one or more user outputs while in the private mode, and enters the private mode if the user input indicates that the user desires the device to enter the private mode. While in the private mode, the device may alter the manner in which it communicates to the user.

Abstract: A method and electronic device that enables quick presentation of user briefs on the electronic device includes: receiving, at the electronic device, an informational brief (IB) request (IBR) input that includes an identifier of a topic and a trigger that causes the electronic device to open an IB content screen that temporarily presents specific information corresponding to the topic. In response to receipt of the IB input, the method further includes: retrieving the IB content screen, with content that includes at least one of the specific information; presenting the IB content screen on the electronic device; monitoring an elapsed presentation time for the IB content screen on the electronic device; comparing the elapsed presentation time against a time limit allocated for presenting the IB content screen; and in response to expiration of the time limit, closing the IB content screen to return the device to its previous operating state.

Abstract: A portable electronic communication device includes a user input receiver, one or more user outputs, and a processor programmed to receive user input from the user input receiver and to determine based on the user input whether the user desires the device to enter a private mode. The device alters communications from the device via the one or more user outputs while in the private mode, and enters the private mode if the user input indicates that the user desires the device to enter the private mode. While in the private mode, the device may alter the manner in which it communicates to the user.

Abstract: An apparatus, method, and computer program for initiating a word spotting algorithm (220) on one or more wireless communication devices in a first power mode to detect a keyword data sequence (224) embedded within a sampled audio signal (222). In response to detecting the keyword data sequence (226), the word spotting algorithm is terminated and a plurality of identification algorithms (230) consisting of speech, voice, image recognition and a predetermined isolation time criterion are initiated on the one or more wireless communication devices operating in a second power mode to detect the presence of identification data (240). If identification data is detected on a particular wireless communication device it is activated to accept speech and/or voice commands (242).

Abstract: An electronic device (200) includes a user interface (205), a communication circuit (206), and an audio capture device (212) to receive ambient audio signals from an environment about the electronic device. A voice control interface engine (214) is operable with the audio capture device to process signals received from the audio capture device to identify at least some speech from the ambient audio signals. One or more processors (203) are operable with the voice control interface engine to compute a noise index as a function of the ambient audio signals and the at least some speech. The one or more processors can optionally identify a source of the at least some speech. Where the noise index exceeds a predefined criterion, the one or more processors can execute a communication operation on one or more of the user interface or the communication circuit.

Abstract: A user is identified and an in-place personalized interactive display provided by detecting, via a first imaging system, one or more unique characteristics of a user's palm, identifying the user via the one or more unique characteristics and a database containing mappings between detectable unique characteristics and user identities, retrieving user-specific interactive content as a function of the identity of the user, projecting, via a second imaging system, the user-specific interactive content onto the user's palm, and detecting, via a third imaging system, a user's interaction with the projected user-specific interactive content. The user may be identified by transmitting the one or more unique characteristics to a remote authentication server and receiving, in response, an identity of the user. User-specific content as a function of the identity of the user may be retrieved from a remote interactive content server.

Abstract: A method for determining a relatedness between a query video and a database video is provided. A processor extracts an audio stream from the query video to produce a query audio stream, extracts an audio stream from the database video to produce a database audio stream, produces a first-sized snippet from the query audio stream, and produces a first-sized snippet from the database audio stream. An estimation is made of a first most probable sequence of latent evidence probability vectors generating the first-sized audio snippet of the query audio stream. An estimation is made of a second most probable sequence of latent evidence probability vectors generating the first-sized audio snippet of the database audio stream. A similarity is measured between the first sequence and the second sequence producing a score of relatedness between the two snippets. Finally a relatedness is determined between the query video and a database video.

Abstract: A user is identified and an in-place personalized interactive display provided by detecting, via a first imaging system, one or more unique characteristics of a user's palm, identifying the user via the one or more unique characteristics and a database containing mappings between detectable unique characteristics and user identities, retrieving user-specific interactive content as a function of the identity of the user, projecting, via a second imaging system, the user-specific interactive content onto the user's palm, and detecting, via a third imaging system, a user's interaction with the projected user-specific interactive content. The user may be identified by transmitting the one or more unique characteristics to a remote authentication server and receiving, in response, an identity of the user. User-specific content as a function of the identity of the user may be retrieved from a remote interactive content server.

Abstract: A method and user terminal are provided that graphically formulate a search query. The method and user terminal display, via a display screen, a multi-dimensional graphical representation of a search query space, receive a plurality of parameters from a user, wherein the parameters define the search query space, position a multi-dimensional icon in the multi-dimensional representation of the search query space, associate one or more of a keyword and multimedia content with the icon, and generate a search query based on the keyword and the position of the icon in the multi-dimensional representation of the search query space. The method and user terminal further may graphically display the results of the corresponding database search, wherein the retrieved content is displayed as one or more icons positioned in a multi-dimensional graph having a plurality of axes associated with the plurality of parameters defining a context of the search query.

Abstract: An apparatus, method, and computer program for initiating a word spotting algorithm (220) on one or more wireless communication devices in a first power mode to detect a keyword data sequence (224) embedded within a sampled audio signal (222). In response to detecting the keyword data sequence (226), the word spotting algorithm is terminated and a plurality of identification algorithms (230) are initiated on the one or more wireless communication devices operating in a second power mode to detect the presence of identification data (240). If identification data is detected on a particular wireless communication device it is activated to accept speech and/or voice commands (242). On the other hand, if identification data is not detected, the plurality of identification algorithms are terminated, and the word spotting algorithm is reinitiated on the one or more wireless communication devices that are then operating in the first power mode (244).

Abstract: A method for determining a relatedness between a query video and a database video is provided. A processor extracts an audio stream from the query video to produce a query audio stream, extracts an audio stream from the database video to produce a database audio stream, produces a first-sized snippet from the query audio stream, and produces a first-sized snippet from the database audio stream. An estimation is made of a first most probable sequence of latent evidence probability vectors generating the first-sized audio snippet of the query audio stream. An estimation is made of a second most probable sequence of latent evidence probability vectors generating the first-sized audio snippet of the database audio stream. A similarity is measured between the first sequence and the second sequence producing a score of relatedness between the two snippets. Finally a relatedness is determined between the query video and a database video.

Abstract: A method of performing a search of a database of speakers, includes: receiving a query speech sample spoken by a query speaker; deriving a query utterance from the query speech sample; extracting query utterance statistics from the query utterance; performing Kernelized Locality-Sensitive Hashing (KLSH) using a kernel function, the KLSH using as input the query utterance statistics and utterance statistics extracted from a plurality of utterances included in a database of speakers in order to select a subset of the plurality of utterances; and comparing, using an utterance comparison equation, the query utterance statistics to the utterance statistics for each utterance in the subset to generate a list of speakers from the database of utterances having a highest similarity to the query speaker.

Abstract: A method of performing a search of a database of speakers, includes: receiving a query speech sample spoken by a query speaker; deriving a query utterance from the query speech sample; extracting query utterance statistics from the query utterance; performing Kernelized Locality-Sensitive Hashing (KLSH) using a kernel function, the KLSH using as input the query utterance statistics and utterance statistics extracted from a plurality of utterances included in a database of speakers in order to select a subset of the plurality of utterances; and comparing, using an utterance comparison equation, the query utterance statistics to the utterance statistics for each utterance in the subset to generate a list of speakers from the database of utterances having a highest similarity to the query speaker.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for robust speech activity detection is disclosed. The method may include calculating autocorrelations by filtering input signals using order statistic filtering, averaging the autocorrelations over a time period, obtaining a voiced speech feature from the averaged autocorrelations, classifying the input signal as one of speech and non-speech based on the obtained voiced speech feature, and outputting only the classified speech signals or the input signals along with the speech/non-speech classification information, to an automated speech recognizer.