Abstract: The present invention relates to a low-power speech recognition system. In one embodiment, the speech recognition system is implemented in hardware and includes a backend search engine that operates to recognize words based on senone scores provided by an acoustic scoring stage. The backend search engine includes a scoring engine, a transition engine, and a language model engine. For a frame of sampled speech, the scoring engine reads active acoustic unit models from external memory, updates the active acoustic unit models based on corresponding senone scores received from an acoustic scoring stage, and writes the active acoustic unit models back to the external memory. The scoring engine enters a low-power state until processing for a next frame of sampled speech is to begin. The transition stage identifies any completed words, and the language model engine processes completed words to identify words that are likely to follow in a subsequent frame.

Abstract: A fill valve for a water heating system. An expansion tank is provided with a flexible diaphragm which divides the tank into a water chamber and a closed gas chamber. A fill valve assembly is mounted within an opening in the tank and includes a valve body having an axial passage and a radial passage connects the axial passage to a water inlet. One end of the axial passage communicates with the water chamber of the expansion tank, while the opposite end of the axial passage communicates with the water heating system. The central portion of the axial passage defines a valve seat and a hollow valve member is mounted for sliding movement in the axial passage, and the inner end of the valve member extends into the tank in position to be contacted by the diaphragm. Mounted on the valve member is an annular valve which is biased to engage the valve seat. A plurality of ports extends laterally of the valve member and provides communication between the inlet and the interior of the valve member.