Abstract: The audio source is spectrally shaped by filtering in the time domain to approximate or emulate a standardized or target microphone input channel. The background level is adjusted by adding noise to the time domain signal prior to the onset of speech to set a predetermined background noise level based on a predetermined target. The audio source is then monitored in real time and the signal-to-noise ratio is adjusted by adding noise to the time domain signal, in real time, to maintain a signal-to-noise ratio based on a predetermined target value. The normalized audio signal may be applied to both training speech and test speech. The resultant normalization minimizes the mismatch between training and testing and also improves other speech processing functions, such as speech endpoint detection.

Abstract: Function representation and selection in a multi-function system that supports user selection of system function by means of a menu-driven graphical user interface includes displaying a rotatable function menu. The rotatable function menu includes a plurality of circumferentially-arrayed facets, each facet representing a respective function of a plurality of functions. The rotatable function menu may be rotated on an axis to place any desired facet at a selection location at which the function represented by the facet may be selected. Selection and configuration of functions and features related to a selected function are provided by display and navigation through one or more submenus.

Abstract: A vacuum cleaner includes a housing incorporating a handle assembly and a nozzle assembly, a suction fan and cooperating suction fan drive motor carried on the housing, a rotary agitator held in the nozzle assembly, an agitator drive motor carried on the housing and a motor control and protection circuit. The motor control and protection circuit includes a handle switch to de-energize the agitator motor when the handle is displaced to an upright storage position. The motor control and protection circuit may also include an above-floor switch and cooperating activation to de-energize the agitator drive motor when the nozzle assembly is displaced above the floor for bare floor cleaning. Additionally, the motor control and protection circuit may include a hose switch and activator, a selection switch and activator, a circuit breaker and a temperature sensor switch.

Abstract: In accordance with the teachings of the present invention, a user-enclosed region extraction device allows users to store, in a digital format, only selected portions of a document image. The user can enclose any text or printed material within a user drawn mark. A connected component analyzer analyzes the document in a bitmap format which allows the device to detect potential user-enclosed regions regardless of the content of the document image. A bi-connected component module allows the user to enclose a region with a mark that can be of any shape. The user drawn enclosure can cross lines of text or graphics on the document paper. A detection analyses filter uses a number of heuristics to eliminate small characters and graphics that may resemble a user drawn mark. The user can save space on the computer storage medium by extracting the user-enclosed region from the document image using a extraction module.

Abstract: An accurate and reliable method is provided for detecting speech from an input speech signal. A probabilistic approach is used to classify each frame of the speech signal as speech or non-speech. The speech detection method is based on a frequency spectrum extracted from each frame, such that the value for each frequency band is considered to be a random variable and each frame is considered to be an occurrence of these random variables. Using the frequency spectrums from a non-speech part of the speech signal, a known set of random variables is constructed. Next, each unknown frame is evaluated as to whether or not it belongs to this known set of random variables. To do so, a unique random variable (preferably a chi-square value) is formed from the set of random variables associated with the unknown frame. The unique variable is normalized with respect the known set of random variables and then classified as either speech or non-speech using the “Test of Hypothesis”.

Abstract: A vacuum cleaner including a suction fan and a suction fan drive motor also includes a power control circuit with a controller, and a reset toggle. First and second capacitors are positioned with one on each side of the reset toggle. A zener diode is also provided. Together, the capacitors and zener diode function to reduce the susceptibility of the power control circuit to undesired reset in response to relatively small and otherwise insignificant power supply and static discharge spikes.

Abstract: A method of managing storage in a document image database using document analysis to partition documents into logical regions and modified by reducing storage size of the regions using different reduction means according to various storage preference rules. Storage preference rules are intended to maintain high quality representations of important document information while reducing storage requirements at the expense of lesser important aspects of the document. In particular, the different reduction means applied to stored document images includes reducing sampling depth, reducing sampling resolution based on minimum font size, utilizing lossy and lossless compression schemes and discarding unimportant regions of document image. Over time, document analysis and modification can be repeated to further reduce the storage size of previously stored data files.

Abstract: A vacuum cleaner includes a housing having a nozzle that incorporates an agitator cavity. A rotary agitator is received in the agitator cavity. A light source is held in an illumination compartment carried on the housing. A first window divides the illumination compartment from the agitator cavity and a second window provides an outer facing for the illumination compartment. The light source illuminates the agitator which is viewed through the first and second windows.

Abstract: Function representation and selection in a multi-function system that supports user selection of system function by means of a menu-driven graphical user interface includes displaying a rotatable function menu. The rotatable function menu includes a plurality of circumferentially-arrayed facets, each facet representing a respective function of a plurality of functions. The rotatable function menu may be rotated on an axis to place any desired facet at a selection location at which the function represented by the facet may be selected. Selection and configuration of functions and features related to a selected function are provided by display and navigation through one or more submenus.

Abstract: A multi-winding transformer with a short ring includes an electrically conductive discharge path connected to the short ring for discharging the short ring and/or the transformer. Discharging the short ring suppresses or eliminates electrostatic interference caused by the structure and operation of the transformer.

Abstract: A multi-user e-mail reader system allows several users to access their e-mail accounts simultaneously and have the e-mail messages played back with speech synthesis. The user navigates through various functional states of the system using either touch-tone keypad commands or optionally voiced commands interpreted by a speech recognizer. Users can send reply e-mail messages without the use of a computer, by invoking the system's text processor. The text processor operates in conjunction with a keypad-to-ASCII conversion mechanism that allows fully punctuated and properly addressed e-mail messages to be composed from the touch-tone phone. Digital audio sound file attachments may be recorded through the telephone handset and attached to an outgoing e-mail message. A system for storing canned messages allows the user to quickly send pre-composed reply messages, either as stored or after editing using the text processor.

Abstract: A microcomputer for automatically controlling the sound in an audio or audio-visual system. Incoming audio signals from multiple channels are combined and fed to a pair of detector-rectifier circuits. One detector-rectifier circuit is a smoothing circuit with a time constant longer than that of the other detector-rectifier circuit. The signals with a longer time constant are fed to the microprocessor to control the volume function of an audio or audio-visual system. The signals with a shorter time constant are fed to the microprocessor to equalize the source frequency spectrum of an audio or audio-visual system.

Abstract: A vacuum cleaner includes a housing having a nozzle assembly and a handle. An agitator brush is mounted for relative rotation on the nozzle assembly. A motor and fan subassembly are mounted in the housing. A three position control switch is carried on the handle. The control switch is selectively positionable in an off position, a continuously on position and an automatic on/off touch control position whereby the motor is activated by squeezing the control switch assembly and deactivated by releasing the control switch assembly.