Abstract: A method of detecting tasks performed by users wherein a single task is a sequence of web URLs invocation. Task patterns are detected in web logs to identify tasks performed by users and analyze task trends over time, across corporate divisions and geographies. A grammar-based framework is used to model and detect tasks from web log patterns. The framework has two components: a declarative unit—to generate a task grammar, and a processing unit—to detect tasks from access logs by generating a state machine for applying the task grammar to the tokens associated with the access records. By analyzing user tasks, rather than just URLs, useful business information can be extracted.

Abstract: A title key protection system includes a title key with recordable media content; storage in a repository is not required. The title key is decrypted when needed by a clearinghouse, and then re-encrypted. The title key confers rights from the content owners to the user to play and copy the content for personal use. A user downloads encrypted content from a content repository. The user's media recording device extracts an encrypted title key from the content and obtains a media key block and media ID from the physical media on which the content will be recorded. The encrypted title key, media key block, and media ID are transmitted to a clearinghouse. The clearinghouse decrypts the title key and derives a media unique key from the media key block and media ID. The clearinghouse re-encrypts the title key with the media unique key and returns this re-encrypted title key to the media recording device for recording with the content on the physical media.

Abstract: A system and associated method automatically discover salient segments in a speech transcript and focus on the segmentation of an audio/video source into topically cohesive segments based on Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) transcriptions. The word n-grams are extracted from the speech transcript using a three-phase segmentation algorithm based on the following sequence or combination of boundary-based and content-based methods: a boundary-based method; a rate of arrival of feature method; and a content-based method. In the first two segmentation passes, the temporal proximity and the rate of arrival of features are analyzed to compute an initial segmentation. In the third segmentation pass, changes in the set of content-bearing words used by adjacent segments are detected, to validate the initial segments for merging them, to prevent over-segmentation.

Abstract: Preferred implementations of the invention permit a user to seamlessly switch from a first media stream to a second media stream in a synchronized way, such that the second media stream picks up where the first media stream left off. In this way, the user experiences events chronologically but without interruption. In a preferred implementation, a user watching a skim video switches to a full length video when, for example, the skim video reaches a frame that is of particular interest to the user. The full length video begins at a point corresponding to the frame in the skim video that is of interest to the user, without skipping over video segments, so that the user does not experience any time gaps in the story line.

Abstract: A system, method, business method, and computer program product for conducting electronic transactions with a potentially untrusted server while maintaining user anonymity and transaction privacy, yet allowing the server to verify the user is a valid subscriber entitled to participate in the transaction. Anonymous service requests are sent to the server. The server transmits responses that have been encrypted such that only valid subscribers can decrypt them. Broadcast encryption schemes that enable selective revocation of misbehaving subscribers will tip off requestors that the server is trying to identify them. Transaction and content quantity can be monitored for usage-based billing while maintaining anonymity. Each content item may be uniquely encrypted with a content key that is then encrypted by a session key and included in encrypted form with a response, to reduce the computational workload.

Abstract: A system enables a user to query for key words and phrases a text document, such as a presentation slide file, and an associated audio stream, such as can be derived from an audio-video recording that is made of a presenter contemporaneously with the showing of the slides to an audience. A graphical user interface is presented in which query results for both the text document and the audio stream are displayed in a time-aligned format, to enable a user to easily and conveniently browse the text document and accompanying time-aligned audio stream based on the key words/phrases.

Abstract: A system and associated method automatically discover salient segments in a speech transcript and focus on the segmentation of an audio/video source into topically cohesive segments based on Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) transcriptions. The word n-grams are extracted from the speech transcript using a three-phase segmentation algorithm based on the following sequence or combination of boundary-based and content-based methods: a boundary-based method; a rate of arrival of feature method; and a content-based method. In the first two segmentation passes, the temporal proximity and the rate of arrival of features are analyzed to compute an initial segmentation. In the third segmentation pass, changes in the set of content-bearing words used by adjacent segments are detected, to validate the initial segments for merging them, to prevent over-segmentation.

Abstract: Preferred implementations of the invention permit a user to seamlessly switch from a first media stream to a second media stream in a synchronized way, such that the second media stream picks up where the first media stream left off. In this way, the user experiences events chronologically but without interruption. In a preferred implementation, a user watching a skim video switches to a full length video when, for example, the skim video reaches a frame that is of particular interest to the user. The full length video begins at a point corresponding to the frame in the skim video that is of interest to the user, without skipping over video segments, so that the user does not experience any time gaps in the story line.

Abstract: A system and method for indexing an audio stream for subsequent information retrieval and for skimming, gisting, and summarizing the audio stream includes using special audio prefiltering such that only relevant speech segments that are generated by a speech recognition engine are indexed. Specific indexing features are disclosed that improve the precision and recall of an information retrieval system used after indexing for word spotting. The invention includes rendering the audio stream into intervals, with each interval including one or more segments. For each segment of an interval it is determined whether the segment exhibits one or more predetermined audio features such as a particular range of zero crossing rates, a particular range of energy, and a particular range of spectral energy concentration. The audio features are heuristically determined to represent respective audio events including silence, music, speech, and speech on music.

Abstract: A system and method for performing an incremental search using a character string returned by a recognizer on a confusion matrix encoded dictionary to predict a word in a handwriting input field of an application program. In the system and method, handwritten characters are input into a data entry field of an application program. The handwritten characters are recognized and assigned a cluster code. The string of characters is characterized by the cluster codes of the individual characters. The cluster codes of the string are compared with strings of cluster codes representing words in a dictionary. All or some of the matching words are displayed to the user, from which a selection can be made.