Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer readable media for media management provide a derived quantitative data of quality for video media files. The method embodiment comprises receiving a request for a video media file, identifying one or more video media files associated with the request, measuring at least one audio or visual quality associated with each video media file by analyzing at least one of: compression artifacts or grading for the each video media file, generating quantitative data based on the measured at least one audio or visual quality for the each video media file, and returning the quantitative data associated with the each video media file. Other features include the ability to compare, archive, filter, sort and select video media files based on the quantitative data.

Abstract: The MPEG2 Advanced Audio Coder (AAC) standard limits the number of filters used to either one filter for a “short” block or three filters for a “long” block. In cases where the need for additional filters is present but the limit of permissible filters has been reached, the remaining frequency spectra are simply not covered by TNS. Two solutions are proposed to deploy TNS filters in order to get the entire spectrum of the signal into TNS. The first method involves a filter bridging technique and complies with the current AAC standard. The second method involves a filter clustering technique. Although the second method is both more efficient and accurate in capturing the temporal structure of the time signal, it is not AAC standard compliant. Thus, a new syntax for packing filter information derived using the second method for transmission to a receiver is also outlined.

Abstract: A system, method and computer readable medium that generates a language model from data from a web domain is disclosed. The method may include filtering web data to remove unwanted data from the web domain data, extracting predicate/argument pairs from the filtered web data, generating conversational utterances by merging the extracted predicate/argument pairs into conversational templates, and generating a web data language model using the generated conversational utterances.

Abstract: A system and method is disclosed for processing viewer profiles and program metadata from a number of sources to provide viewing suggestions and recommendations to one or more viewers.

Abstract: A method and apparatus derive a dynamic grammar composed of a subset of a plurality of data elements that are each associated with one of a plurality of reference identifiers. The present invention generates a set of selection identifiers on the basis of a user-provided first input identifier and determines which of these selection identifiers are present in a set of pre-stored reference identifiers. The present invention creates a dynamic grammar that includes those data elements that are associated with those reference identifiers that are matched to any of the selection identifiers. Based on a user-provided second identifier and on the data elements of the dynamic grammar, the present invention selects one of the reference identifiers in the dynamic grammar.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for ignoring a duplicated alarm in a communications network are described. In one embodiment, at least one alarm message associated with at least one event is received. A determination of whether the at least one event exists in a database is subsequently made. The at least one event is recorded in the database if the at least one event does not exist in the database. Conversely, the at least one alarm message is suppressed if the at least one event exists in the database.

Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for retrieving audio segments from a spoken document. The spoken document preferably is one having moderate word error rates such as telephone calls or teleconferences. The method comprises converting speech associated with a spoken document into a lattice representation and indexing the lattice representation of speech. These steps are performed typically off-line. Upon receiving a query from a user, the method further comprises searching the indexed lattice representation of speech and returning retrieved audio segments from the spoken document that match the user query.

Abstract: The present method enables an RFID repeater to be used in conjunction with an RFID tag to allow data in the RFID tag to be read using wireless packet switched technologies. For example, the present method enables an RFID repeater to be coupled with an RFID tag. The RFID repeater reads and records the data from the RFID tag and then transmits the retrieved data from the RFID tag over a wireless packet network.

Abstract: The present invention enables users of a network service to register with the network as valued shoppers, thereby allowing them to receive specialized treatment when calling registered retailers. The present invention enables retailers to register with the network, thereby allowing them to set preferred service logic for handling valued customer calls by the network.

Abstract: A new type of data transport service which uses a frame relay layer 2 data link connection identifier (DLCI) to select among various service types, feature sets, and/or closed user groups (CUGs). A layer 3 address may be extracted from a layer 2 frame, and the layer 3 address information may be used to route a data packet over a packet-switched network according to the service classes, feature sets, and/or CUGs selected. At the destination, the layer 3 data packet may again be enclosed in a layer 2 frame with a DLCI indicating the service classes, features sets, and/or CUGs. Because the use of conventional permanent virtual circuits (PVCs) is not required in aspects of the invention, new methods of measuring and managing network traffic are presented.

Abstract: Quality of Service (QoS) support is provided by means of a Tiered Contention Multiple Access (TCMA) distributed medium access protocol that schedules transmission of different types of traffic based on their service quality specifications. In one embodiment, a wireless station is supplied with data from a source having a lower QoS priority QoS(A), such as file transfer data. Another wireless station is supplied with data from a source having a higher QoS priority QoS(B), such as voice and video data. Each wireless station can determine the urgency class of its pending packets according to a scheduling algorithm. For example file transfer data is assigned lower urgency class and voice and video data is assigned higher urgency class. There are several urgency classes which indicate the desired ordering. Pending packets in a given urgency class are transmitted before transmitting packets of a lower urgency class.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for transferring a user data profile from a user's home terminal to a visiting terminal is disclosed. User or network configuration settings are transferred from a home telephony adapter to a visiting telephony adapter. In accordance with one embodiment, a computer readable medium, such as a flash drive is inserted into the home telephony adapter and, either with or without authentication, user or network configuration settings are transferred from the home telephony adapter to the medium. In another embodiment, the medium is then inserted into the visiting telephony adapter.

Abstract: A system and method are disclosed that improve automatic speech recognition in a spoken dialog system. The method comprises partitioning speech recognizer output into self-contained clauses, identifying a dialog act in each of the self-contained clauses, qualifying dialog acts by identifying a current domain object and/or a current domain action, and determining whether further qualification is possible for the current domain object and/or current domain action. If further qualification is possible, then the method comprises identifying another domain action and/or another domain object associated with the current domain object and/or current domain action, reassigning the another domain action and/or another domain object as the current domain action and/or current domain object and then recursively qualifying the new current domain action and/or current object. This process continues until nothing is left to qualify.

Abstract: The burden of designing multiple training sequences for systems having multiple transmit antennas, is drastically reduced by employing a single sequence from which the necessary multiple sequences are developed. The single sequence is selected to create sequences that have an impulse-like autocorrelation function and zero cross correlations. A sequence of any desired length Nt can be realized for an arbitrary number of channel taps, L. The created sequences can be restricted to a standard constellation (that is used in transmitting information symbols) so that a common constellation mapper is used for both the information signals and the training sequence. In some applications a training sequence may be selected so that it is encoded with the same encoder that is used for encoding information symbols. Both block and trellis coding is possible in embodiments that employ this approach.

Abstract: A dialog manager and spoken dialog service having a dialog manager generated according to a method comprising selecting a top level flow controller based on application type, selecting available reusable subdialogs for each application part, developing a subdialog for each application part not having an available subdialog and testing and deploying the spoken dialog service using the selected top level flow controller, selected reusable subdialogs and developed subdialogs. The dialog manager capable of handling context shifts in a spoken dialog with a user. Application dependencies are established in the top level flow controller thus enabling the subdialogs to be reusable and to be capable of managing context shifts and mixed initiative dialogs.

Abstract: A method, system, and machine-readable medium for classifying an image element as one of a plurality of categories, including assigning the image element based on a ratio between an unoccluded perimeter of the image element and an occluded perimeter of the image element and coding the image element according to a coding scheme associated with the category to which the image element is classified. Exemplary applications include image compression, where categories include image foreground and background layers.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and system for automatically identifying video content within source video and transmitting the video content to an electronic mail client. The transmitted video content can be streaming video, video files, and/or other medium derived from the source video. An enhanced electronic mail client is also disclosed.

Abstract: Disclosed is a web server that includes a headlines module for automatically generating headlines based on data retrieved from a network (e.g., World Wide Web). The web server also includes an interactive agent for generating responses to inquiries relating to the headlines based on the data.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing a private broadcast channel service, e.g., a virtual closed circuit television service, on packet networks such as Service over Internet Protocol (SoIP) networks are disclosed. For example, a customer subscribes to the private broadcast channel service for a group having a plurality of confirmed members who have confirmed their desire to participate. The network service provider enables one or more of the group members to upload media content to the service provider's network. The service provider then broadcasts the uploaded media content to all the confirmed members such that each confirmed member may view the media content by simply tuning to the appropriate channel assigned for the private broadcast channel service.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for enabling a call originated in the VoIP network to be routed from the egress of the VoIP network to the terminating PSTN network using an egress route, such as an appropriate egress access trunk, that is in the same Local Calling Area (LCA) of the called party number are disclosed. This allows the call to be completed to the called party without paying access charge. For example, the method assigns a Billing Telephone Number (BTN) or a Charge Number (CgN) to an egress route between a communication network and a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) network. The method then routes a call originating from the communication network and terminating to the PSTN network using the egress route without incurring an access charge.