Abstract: An object of the invention is to provide an emotion detecting method capable of detecting emotion of a human accurately, and provide sensibility generating method capable of outputting sensibility akin to that of a human. An intensity, a tempo, and intonation in each word of a voice are detected based on an inputted voice signal, amounts of change are obtained for the detected contents, respectively, and signals expressing each states of emotion of anger, sadness, and pleasure are generated based on the amounts of change. A partner's emotion or situation information is inputted, and thus instinctive motivation information is generated. Moreover, emotion information including basic emotion parameters of pleasure, anger, and sadness is generated, which is controlled based on the individuality information.

Abstract: A media capture device has an audio input receptive of user speech relating to a media capture activity in close temporal relation to the media capture activity. A plurality of focused speech recognition lexica respectively relating to media capture activities are stored on the device, and a speech recognizer recognizes the user speech based on a selected one of the focused speech recognition lexica. A media tagger tags captured media with generated speech recognition text, and a media annotator annotates the captured media with a sample of the user speech that is suitable for input to a speech recognizer. Tagging and annotating are based on close temporal relation between receipt of the user speech and capture of the captured media. Annotations may be converted to tags during post processing, employed to edit a lexicon using letter-to-sound rules and spelled word input, or matched directly to speech to retrieve captured media.

Abstract: A telecommunications service application. The application includes associating, each of a plurality of subscribers with at least one respective avatar, where the at least one avatar includes at least one of a visual avatar and an audible avatar. In response to a first subscriber attempting to establish a communications link to a second subscriber, at least one avatar associated with the first subscriber is transmitted to the second subscriber.

Abstract: A voice control apparatus of a vacuum cleaner includes: a sense signal detector for detecting a sense signal provided from a user to provide a voice recognizable environment in an ambience; a voice command recognizing unit for temporarily stopping a driving of a motor upon receiving the detected sense signal and, at the same time, outputting a voice command control signal previously set in a voice command set corresponding to a voice command instructed by the user; and a driving command controller for controlling a function and a mode of a vacuum cleaner upon receiving the voice command control signal. By providing a voice recognizable environment, the vacuum cleaner can be effectively controlled through a user's voice command even in an environment with a strong noise.

Abstract: Complex sound events are created by generating multiple different kinds of simpler sounds with randomly varying repetition rates. The average repetition rate can also be variable. The values of sound parameters such as wave selection, pitch distribution, pan distribution and amplitude distribution can have random distributions, as determined by various control inputs, some of which have their own random distributions.

Abstract: An audio system attachable to a computer includes a sound reproduction device for producing audible sound from audio signals. The sound reproduction device includes a radio tuner and a powered speaker. The audio system further includes a connector for connecting the sound reproduction device with a computer. The computer provides audio signals from a plurality of sources, the sources including a computer CD player, digitally encoded computer files stored on the computer, and a computer network connected to the computer. The sound reproduction device further includes control buttons for controlling at least one of the computer CD player, the digitally encoded computer files and the computer network.

Abstract: Sentences corresponding to internal statuses of a robot device or the like are created and uttered, thereby expressing the internal statuses. The robot device or the like comprise means for recognizing an external status, and means for generating an emotion based on the internals status, whereby a change in the emotion is reflected upon a dialogue. The internal status is not associated with a sentence, but it exists independently of the system and is always varied depending on various external inputs and internal changes of the system. Accordingly, even when the same question is made on the robot device or the like, the contents of a reply are changed depending on the internal status at that time, and a manner of providing a reply also differs depending on the internal status.

Abstract: A message device records and plays messages. In a first aspect, actuation is effected by way of a single control. The control generally corresponds to the whole cover. Relatedly, in a second aspect the device is extremely simple and promotes openness communication. The device can be placed or hung almost anywhere to facilitate message leaving and receiving in almost any group or organization. In one embodiment actuation is achieved by pressing on substantially any portion of the cover. In a second embodiment, a rocker configuration is implemented to actuate a record mode by pressing on one end of the cover and a play/listen mode by pressing on an opposite end. The device comprises a base, electrical components, a cover, and in some embodiments, a side wall.

Abstract: A computer based digital transcription system employs audio and video inputs of a court proceeding, and stores the digital signals in a memory in the form of distinct file segments of a predetermined time length during each recording session. The computer associates a date and time and a third identifier, such as location, with each distinct file segment. Playback of any desired segment may be effected during recording or at any time afterward; and playback does not interfere with the recording of realtime information.

Abstract: An auditory representation of a personal profile of a subject is generated, by first, acquiring a plurality of personal attributes of the subject through an assessment tool. The plurality of personal attributes is stored on a first computer system. The plurality of personal attributes is converted to a plurality of musical elements. The plurality of musical elements is arranged to form an auditory representation of the personal profile of the subject.

Abstract: The present invention relates to robot control apparatuses which make a user recognize that speech is accepted. A user's speech input to a microphone 15 is subjected to speech recognition by a speech recognizer 50A. Based on the speech recognition result, an action determining unit 52 determines subsequent actions to be taken by a robot. At the same time, an echo back unit 56 analyzes prosodic information of the user's speech input to the microphone 15 and, based on the prosodic information, generates echo back speech which is prosody-controlled speech. The echo back speech is supplied to a loudspeaker 18 through an output controller 57 and is output from the loudspeaker 18.

Abstract: In a key-input voice assistant apparatus of the present invention, a mode switching key is used to switch the operation mode between a normal mode in which a function assigned to a key is executed when key input is detected and a voice guide mode in which a voice is used for a guide. The apparatus determines whether or not key information indicative of the detection of the key is stored when it detects the key input in the voice guide mode, stores the key information and outputs voice information assigned to the key if it concludes that the key information is not stored, and executes the function assigned to the key if it concludes that the key information is stored.

Abstract: The invention is essentially a motherboard design for personal computers which uses DSP hardware in conjunction with a general or specific purpose CPU to process command and continuous speech. The DSP hardware serves as a bridge between the audio input of the sound card or integrated sound module and the microprocessor. The DSP chip itself can serve as a processor and embedded speech engine for processing command and control speech. It can also serve as a pre-processor for continuous speech, converting the digital bit stream representing the speech to phonemes for processing by the CPU and software-based speech engine and can facilitate digital mobile phone functions and text to speech conversion.

Abstract: An audio device comprising a single chip memory controller and digital signal processor is provided for playing audio files from or recording voice to a computer or electronic device which is in a power saving state. The audio device may be internal to the computer/electronic device or it may be external and attached to the computer/electronic device. The audio device may handle multiple audio file formats and is programmable so that additional formats may be added. In one embodiment, when the computer/electronic device is placed in a power saving state, the audio device takes over the computer/electronic device's function of handling user requests to play audio files or to record audio to the computer/electronic device. In one embodiment the audio files may be played from or written to a hard-drive on the computer/electronic device. In alternate embodiments a CD-RW may be used instead of a hard drive.

Abstract: A home automation system, for controlling a plurality of uniquely identifiable appliances within a dwelling having several rooms, each room designated as a zone, using a zone controller located within each room. Each appliance has a designated zone according to the room it is located within. Each zone controller is capable of receiving user customizable voice commands. When each voice command is received by one of the zone controllers associated with one of the appliances, a command is transmitted by that zone controller to the associated appliance if within the zone. If the appliance is within another of the designated zones, the zone controller receiving the voice command transmits a command to the zone controller having the same zone designation as that appliance, which in turn transmits the command to the appliance.

Abstract: A combination memento and voice recorder. A box includes a mount removably holding a memento. A voice recorder is mounted within a box to record a message thereon. An internal cover mounted in the box conceals the voice recorder while allowing access to playback.

Abstract: A method of creating a personal animated entity for delivering a multi-media message from a sender to a recipient is disclosed. The method comprises receiving from the sender an image file at a server, the image file having an entity and a background image. The server presents to the sender the image file and requests the sender to mark features on the image file. After the sender marks the image file, the server presents to the sender the image file as an optional animated entity when the sender chooses an animated entity to deliver a multi-media message. If the sender selects the image file for delivering the multi-media message, the server delivers the multi-media message using the personal animated entity in the context of the background image of the image file. Extrapolation is used to fill in background voids created by the movement of the personal animated entity in the context of the background image.

Abstract: A method and system allowing a user to associate media elements (such as CDs or DVDs) with unique identification tags and channel groupings. A user can cause a given element to be played by voice controlled interface. Speaking the identification tag of a media element causes that media element to play. Speaking a channel tag causes any media element associated with the channel to be played in a pseudorandom manner.

Abstract: A system and method of controlling the movement of a virtual agent while the agent is listening to a human user during a conversation is disclosed. The method comprises receiving speech data from the user, performing a prosodic analysis of the speech data and controlling the virtual agent movement according to the prosodic analysis.

Abstract: Apparatus for presenting images representative of one or more words in an utterance with corresponding decoded speech includes, in one aspect, a visual detector for capturing images of body movements (e.g., lip and/or mouth movements) corresponding to the one or more words in the utterance coupled to a visual feature extractor. The visual feature extractor receives time information from an automatic speech recognition (ASR) system and operatively processes the captured images from the visual detector to generate one or more image segments based on the time information relating to one or more decoded words in the utterance, each image segment corresponding to a decoded word in the utterance. An image player coupled to the visual feature extractor presents an image segment with a corresponding decoded word.

Abstract: Disclosed is an MPEG portable sound reproducing system and a method for reproducing sound data compressed using the MPEG method.

Abstract: An interactive multimedia book provides hands-on multimedia instruction to the user in response to voiced commands. The book is implemented on a computer system and includes both text and audio/video clips. The interactive multimedia book is accessed by voiced commands and natural language queries as the primary user input. The displayed text is written in a markup language and contains hyperlinks which link the current topic with other related topics. The user may command the book to read the text and, as the text is read by the voice synthesizer, a word which is also a hyperlink will change its attributes upon being spoken. The user will be able to observe or hear this and simply utter the word which is the hyperlink to navigate to the linked topic.

Abstract: A measuring system according to the present invention includes a biosensor 2, and a measuring device 1 capable of assaying a specified component in a biological sample applied to the sensor 2. An announcement device 22 indicates a measuring procedure or a measurement result in the measuring device 1 by voice or the like by being combined with the measuring device 1.

Abstract: A glove-type data input device and a sensing method thereof. In the data input device shaped into a glove, a sensor unit senses the change of a glove shape or a position change, and the resulting pressure at at least one contact surface, and outputs a predetermined sensing signal according to the sensing. An analyzer determines input data by analyzing the sensing signal. An output port outputs the determination result to an external terminal.

Abstract: A system and method of providing sender-customization of multi-media messages through the use of emoticons is disclosed. The sender inserts the emoticons into a text message. As an animated face audibly delivers the text, emoticons associated with the message are started a predetermined period of time or number of words prior to the position of the emoticon in the message text and completed a predetermined length of time or number of words following the location of the emoticon. The sender may insert emoticons through the use of emoticon buttons that are icons available for choosing. Upon sender selections of an emoticon, an icon representing the emoticon is inserted into the text at the position of the cursor. Once an emoticon is chosen, the sender may also choose the amplitude for the emoticon and increased or decreased amplitude will be displayed in the icon inserted into the message text.

Abstract: Drive means for performing a behavior based on a behavioral model prescribing a behavior is controlled, and the behavioral model is changed depending on a predetermined stimulus. Therefore, by giving the stimulus, the behavioral model can be freely changed, and a mechanical device, etc. having an improved amusing element can be realized.

Abstract: The present invention detects a voice tone of a player based on input voice information, and then outputs voice data having a voice tone corresponded to the detected voice tone as voice data of an object, to thereby allow the player to operate a game object through voice input.

Abstract: A method for customizing a voice in a multi-media message created by a sender for a recipient is disclosed. The multi-media message comprises a text message from the sender to be delivered by an animated entity. The method comprises presenting an option to the sender to insert voice emoticons into the text message associated with parameters of a voice used by the animated entity to deliver the text message. The message is then delivered wherein the voice of the animated entity is modified throughout the message according to the voice emoticons. The voice emoticons may relate to features such as voice stress, volume, pauses, emotion, yelling, or whispering. After the sender inserts various voice emoticons into the text of the message, the animated entity delivers the multi-media message giving effect to each voice emoticon in the text. A volume or intensity of the voice emoticons may be given effect by repeating the tags.

Abstract: The acoustic signal transmission includes electrically synthesizing an audible sound signal and an insertion signal to generate a synthesized sound electrical signal at the sending side, transmitting the synthesized sound electrical signal, and extracting the insertion signal form the synthesized sound electrical signal at the receiving side. The extracted signal may be used for controlling machines or for transmitting information. The acoustic signal represented by the synthesized sound electrical signal can be heard by human ears in the same way as the audible sound signal, while the synthesized insertion signal cannot be detected by human ears. The synthesized sound electrical signal can be transmitted as a sound wave in air space, as electrical signals through a transmission line or as radio signals such as infrared and electromagnetic waves. The synthesized sounds may also be transported or distributed by recording on recording media such as compact disc and DVD.

Abstract: A system and method for matching voice characteristics of a synthetic disc jockey are presented. A first segment of audio signal and a second segment of audio signal are received by a sound characteristic estimator. Corresponding first and second sets of sound characteristics are determined by the sound characteristic estimator. A voice characteristic transition for the disc jockey is interpolated from the first and second set of sound characteristics between a starting and an ending time.

Abstract: Items are represented to a user through a user interface with each item having a respective perceivable range value and associated label by which the item can be addressed. To address a particular item, the user speaks its label at a loudness indicative of its perceived range. A loudness-to-range function of the interface determines on the basis of the loudness of the user input, a range gate expected to encompass the range value of the addressed item. A speech recogniser is used to recognise the spoken label and thus the addressed item, the label search space of the recogniser being restricted to exclude the labels of items having a range value outside of the determined range gate. In one embodiment, the user interface is an audio interface in which the items are represented in an audio field through corresponding synthesized sound sources, the depth at which each sound source is rendered in the audio field being the range value associated with the corresponding item.

Abstract: A system and method that allows a host PC to provide an analog audio signal for a radio or amplifier without interfering with the operation of the host PC. This invention also allows the audio signal to be selected and controlled by a remote device without interfering with the operation of the host PC.

Abstract: A point-of-sale terminal initiates a transaction and provides a prompt to be spoken to an operator (e.g. a cashier) of the POS terminal. The prompt indicates a verbal message that is to be spoken by the operator. The POS terminal then receives an audio signal via a microphone or similar device to record what the operator has spoken. Using speech recognition, the POS terminal determines whether the audio signal corresponds to the prompt, and thus whether the operator spoke the prompt properly. In one embodiment, the transaction is paused until the operator properly speaks the prompt. In another embodiment, the POS terminal stores an indication of whether the operator has properly spoken the prompt, thereby allowing the performance of the operator to be measured.

Abstract: A digital audio transcription system includes at least one source of audio signals to be recorded and a computer for storing digital signals corresponding to the audio signals for allowing the stored digital signals to be subsequently played back. Recording sessions are defined by signaling the start and stopping of the digital signals; and the computer associates a date and time with each file segment stored during a recording session. A playback selection allows a user to select a virtual file entry from file entries corresponding to the periods of time during which the computer has stored at least one recording session, with the computer being responsive to the playback selection to identify file segments stored in memory on the desired entry date from the selected source of audio signals, which collectively represent the selected virtual file entry.

Abstract: A voice output system for providing a voice output to a user of a subcomponent of an automation system. A PLC associated with monitoring or controlling an operation of the subcomponent determines if voice output is needed and generates a signal to provide the requisite speech output. The output may be computer generated or a pre-recorded taped message.

Abstract: A method for automatically organizing digitized photographic images into events based on spoken annotations comprises the steps of: providing natural-language text based on spoken annotations corresponding to at least some of the photographic images; extracting predetermined information from the natural-language text that characterizes the annotations of the images; segmenting the images into events by examining each annotation for the presence of certain categories of information which are indicative of a boundary between events; and identifying each event by assembling the categories of information into event descriptions. The invention further comprises the step of summarizing each event by selecting and arranging the event descriptions in a suitable manner, such as in a photographic album.

Abstract: A machine interface for interfacing a user to a machine receives input words from a user. Scores for at least some of the input words are determined using scores for words appearing in each passages of the text. A passage in the text having the highest combined score for the input words is identified and a corresponding dialogue instruction set is executed to generate words for output and to respond to input words from the user.

Abstract: The present invention is a securable recording unit. The securable recording unit may be adapted to be attached to a book by means of complementary receiving units and receptacles. The securable recording unit of the present invention includes an audio input means for receiving audible sounds (such as, but not limited to, speaking, music, surf, water sounds or wind), an audio output means for playing back the audible sounds, and a storage unit for storing the received audible sounds.

Abstract: A portable voice/letter processing apparatus includes an input unit for receiving input data: a storing unit for storing compressed data: a control unit for generating a control signal so that the compressed data is retrieved based on the user data: and an output unit for decompressing retrieved data and outputting a decompressed data to the user.

Abstract: A digital audio player for soothing anxiety in an animal with housing (2), a power source mounted within the housing (2), a microcontroller (8) mounted within the housing in electrical communication with the power source, an audio coder/decoder (codec) (10) mounted with the housing in electrical and logical communication with the microcontroller (8), a solid state storage device preprogrammed with audio data designed to sooth an animals anxiety mounted with the housing (2) in electrical and logical communication to the microcontroller (8) and the codec (10), a speaker (6) in electrical communication with the codec, and a hook and loop strap to mount the housing (2) on an animal's collar. Also provided is a method using such a device for soothing anxiety in an animal.

Abstract: A special relation is formed between an owner and a virtual pet and a sense for feeling a pet more similar to a true pet is produced. Voice inputted from a microphone 22 is recognized by a recognizing part 20. Then, a speaker data base 12 is referred to to identify a speaking individual. In the data base 12, prescribed words and phrases are registered and events corresponding to the words and phrases are stored in an event list 31. If the words and phrases spoken by the individual to a pet satisfy an event generating condition, events (crying, swinging a tail, etc.) corresponding to the recognized words and phrases will be performed.

Abstract: In a vocal sound input apparatus for an automotive vehicle, both a receiving microphone and a noise collecting microphone are provided, both of the receiving microphone and the noise collecting microphone being arranged onto a predetermined portion of a vehicle body in such a manner that a direction of a sensitivity of the receiving microphone is opposite to that of the noise collecting microphone for the receiving microphone to enable to receive a vocal sound from a speaker and for the noise collecting microphone to enable to collectively receive a noise of a surrounding of the speaker.

Abstract: A DVD-Audio player includes an automatic data selection setting unit. The automatic data selection setting unit specifies the type of data to be output by an output data selection unit. The specified type of data is fed to a signal separation unit to be separated into audio data and video data. The separated audio data is output via an audio output unit to a speaker, and the separated video data is output via a video output unit to a monitor. Independent audio data is selected for output when the monitor is not connected, when the monitor is powered off, and when the monitor is being used for navigation or for receiving TV broadcasts. Otherwise, audio data with video data is selected for output. The DVD-Audio player also includes a manual data selection setting unit that allows the user to alter the setting as desired.

Abstract: In a method for controlling a data processor (2) with a group of audio commands, information is presented on a display device (16) of the data processor, and at least one control field, to which a predetermined function is assigned is formed on the display device (16). In the method, one audio command from said group of audio commands is assigned to said control field, and an audio command assigned to said control field is presented on the display device, wherein when the user gives an audio command assigned to the control field, the recognition of the audio command as well as a function corresponding to the recognized audio command is conducted.

Abstract: The method obtains a signature (S) of a gesture produced in free space, e.g. for producing gesture recognition commands, by deriving at least one time-evolving signal representative of muscular activity involved in producing the gesture and determining at least one value of a parameter yielded by that signal.

Abstract: A multichannel source activity detection system, e.g., a voice activity detection (VAD) system, and method that exploits spatial localization of a target audio source is provided. The method includes the steps of receiving a mixed sound signal by at least two microphones; Fast Fourier transforming each received mixed sound signal into the frequency domain; filtering the transformed signals to output a signal corresponding to a spatial signature of a source; summing an absolute value squared of the filtered signal over a predetermined range of frequencies; and comparing the sum to a threshold to determine if a voice is present. Additionally, the filtering step includes multiplying the transformed signals by an inverse of a noise spectral power matrix, a vector of channel transfer function ratios, and a source signal spectral power.

Abstract: A portable device for displaying an image and generating an associated audible message to a user includes a compartment having an area for visually displaying an image to a user and a system for generating an audio message associated with the image from stored audio information. The system includes a memory for storing the audio information, a speech synthesizer and a speaker for converting the audio information to the audio message and a microprocessor connected between the memory and the speech synthesizer for controlling the generation of the audio message.

Abstract: A method of creating a compressed audio output signal from a series of input audio signals is disclosed and claimed. In one embodiment, the method may include, for each of the input audio signals a) precomputing a transform corresponding to the desired compression format of the output audio signal. This may be followed by b) precomputing ancillary information relating to the compression of the transformed input audio. Next, the method may include c) mixing together the transformed input signals in the transform domain to produce an output transform domain signal. The method may then include d) algorithmically combining together the precomputed ancillary information to determine a suitable decompression strategy. Lastly, the method may include e) outputting compressed audio data comprising the output transform domain signal and the combined ancillary information.

Abstract: An apparatus, system and method is provided for recording and retrieving voice information into a label attachable to a product. The voice information provides a more readily identifiable indicator of the characteristics or contents of the product than conventional written information or labels attached to the product. The label can be accessed from voice information submitted into or from a remote programmer attachable to, or in communication with, the label.

Abstract: A system is provided for recording, storing and reproducing sound for playing back in an environment requiring simulated sounds, voices, and/or sound effects. Sounds are recorded on a chip and played back in an asynchronous manner from the chip as a result of activation of a switch or inertial movement within the system. A Hall-effect sensor, reed switch or momentary switch or the like may be implemented for enabling activation of the recorded sound from the chip for broadcasting. A compander compresses the sound on the chip and expands the compressed sound for playback. Employing the above system for audio storage, a sound, motor and special effects controller may be created for model train applications as well. The different functions of the sound unit are controlled through a discrete bi-polar digital command control signal using a unique address for each unit. A synchronous means of play back may also be employed when the system is used with the bi-polar signal using a sensor.