Abstract: Methods, apparatuses, and computer program products are described for aggregating user sessions for conversational exchanges using a virtual assistant. A user device can receive conversational inputs, convert the conversational inputs into textual strings, associate, based upon semantic analysis of different portions of the textual strings, a first network and a second network, and initiate, respectively, a first and second user session with a first response module of the first network and a second response module of the second network. The portions of textual strings can be transmitted to the first and second response modules via, respectively, the first and second user sessions. Once response fragments are received from the first and second response modules, the response fragments can be combined in a semantically suitable order to form a generated response.

Abstract: Techniques for processing comment information are disclosed herein. The disclosed techniques include collecting first voice information from a user in response to receiving a request for inputting voice information while the user is watching a video comprising a plurality of segments; obtaining a timestamp corresponding to a segment among the plurality of segments of the video; processing the first voice information and obtaining second voice information; and generating bullet screen information based at least in part on the timestamp and the second voice information.

Abstract: An earpiece for a hearing device includes an ear canal part to be introduced into an ear canal of a user, the ear canal part comprising: an earpiece housing comprising a first end configured to be positioned medially inside the ear canal of the user, and a second end configured to be positioned laterally to the ear canal of the user, wherein the earpiece housing comprises a side wall between the first end and the second end; and a primary sensor, wherein the primary sensor is positioned inside a first volume in the earpiece housing; wherein the side wall of the earpiece housing comprises a first pass-through area, and wherein the primary sensor is configured to measure a physiological parameter through the first pass-through area.

Abstract: Voice-controlled devices that include one or more speakers for outputting audio. In some instances, the device includes at least one speaker within a cylindrical housing, with the speaker aimed or pointed away from a microphone coupled to the housing. For instance, if the microphone resides at or near the top of the cylindrical housing, then the speaker may point downwards along the longitudinal axis of the housing and away from the microphone. By pointing the speaker away from the microphone, the microphone will receive less sound from the speaker than if the speaker were pointed toward the microphone). Because the voice-controlled device may perform speech recognition on audio signals generated by the microphone, less sound from the speaker represented in the audio signal may result in more accurate speech recognition, and/or a lesser need to perform acoustic echo cancelation (AEC) on the generated audio signals.

Abstract: Playback devices comprising a network interface, an optional speaker(s), and one or more processors are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, the playback device is configured to communicate with a computing system that stores configuration data corresponding to each of a plurality of users. The playback device detects one or more users near the playback device and retrieves user configuration data corresponding to each of the one or more detected users, and thereafter, uses the user configuration data of the one or more detected users to process voice commands, play media content, and/or perform other voice and/or media related functions.

Abstract: A method and computer program product are provided for allowing a plurality of musicians who are in physically separate locations to create a single musical performance using a teleconferencing platform provided by a host server. The teleconferencing platform is electronically connected to musician participants who create the single musical performance via respective musician participant computers, and non-musician participants who experience the created single musical performance via respective non-musician participant computers. The single musical performance includes voice and/or instrument sounds contributed from each of the musicians. Host-sent audio is streamed by the host server to each of the participant computers. The host-sent audio includes a separable tempo and tone reference. Each of the musician participants provide their respective voice and/or instrument sounds to the host-sent audio.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer-readable media are provided for producing and mixing a video stream based on a predetermined video layout template and a set of selectable video streaming parameters. A plurality of individual video streams is received from a respective plurality of participant users and mixed into a mixed video stream on a mixing server which is distributed to a plurality of viewing users. An authoring server allows an authoring user to configure various video streaming parameters which instruct the mixing and display of the mixed video stream.

Abstract: A method and system for detecting speech using close sensor applications, according to some embodiments. In some embodiments, a close microphone is applied to detect sounds with higher muscle or bone transmission components. In some embodiments, a close camera is applied that collects visual information and motion that is correlated with the potential phonemes for such positions and motion. In some embodiments, myography is performed, to detect muscle movement. In an earbud form factor embodiment, processing of different channels of close information is performed to improve the accuracy of the recognition.

Abstract: An automatic audio transcription method comprises: sending an audio stream and an identifier of the audio stream from a microphone device to an audio support server and to at least one hearing aid system comprising a hearing aid and a portable device connected to the hearing aid; playing the audio stream with the hearing aid; registering the at least one hearing aid system at the audio support server by sending the identifier from the hearing aid system to the audio support server; transcribing the audio stream into a text stream; sending the text stream from the audio support server to the portable device associated with the identifier of the audio stream; and displaying the text stream with the portable device.

Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure relate to various systems and techniques that provide for a method and apparatus for transmitting speech as text to a remote server and converting the text stream back to speech for delivery to a remote application. For example, a person, through workspace virtualization, is accessing a remote application that accepts speech as its input. The user, using a microphone, would speak into the microphone where the speech would be converted into text with a local speech-to-text converter. The text version of speech is sent to a remote server, which converts the text back to speech using a remote server based text-to-speech converter where the reconstructed speech is usable as input to a remote application or device.

Abstract: The method performed by a gateway between a LAN and a WAN that includes a platform of the VoIP telephone service, is characterized in that it includes a step of activating the VoIP telephone service on detecting a connected state of a terminal connected to the gateway.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems and methods for augmented reality multi-view telepresence. An embodiment takes the form of a method that includes obtaining a session geometry of a multi-location telepresence session that includes a first-location participant at a first location and a second-location participant at a second location, each location having respective pluralities of cameras and display segments. The method includes selecting, according to the session geometry, both a first-to-second-viewpoint second-location camera from the plurality of second-location cameras as well as a first-to-second-viewpoint first-location display segment from the plurality of first-location display segments.

Abstract: A housing has a bud portion abutting an elongated stem portion. The bud portion is to fit within an ear. The bud portion has a primary sound outlet at its far end that is to be inserted into an outer ear canal, and abuts the stem portion at its near end. A speaker driver is inside the bud portion. Electronic circuitry inside the housing includes a wireless communications interface to receive audio content over-the-air and in response provides an audio signal to the speaker driver. A rechargeable battery as a power source for the electronic circuitry is located inside a cavity of the stem portion. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.

Abstract: Systems and methods for managing communications within a healthcare facility are provided. An audio communication channel is provisioned between a clinician video conferencing unit and a pillow speaker. A video communication channel is provisioned between the clinician video conferencing unit and a room-mounted video conferencing unit. The pillow speaker and room-mounted video conferencing unit are both located inside a room at the healthcare facility while the clinician video conferencing unit is located outside of the room, such as in the hallway, at a nurse's station, or external to the facility. The audio communication channel and the video communication channel are concurrently maintained during a contactless video conference session.

Abstract: Aspects of present disclosure relates to a secure digital communication device. In certain embodiments, secure digital communication device (SDCD) includes: a streaming signal CODEC, and a streaming signal transceiver. SDCD is installed between intranet and internet over firewall to form a physical isolation of intranet and internet. When streaming signal CODEC of a first SDCD receives digital contents, streaming signal CODEC of the first SDCD encodes digital contents into streaming signal, transmits streaming signal to a streaming signal transceiver of the first SDCD, streaming signal transceiver of the first SDCD transmits streaming signal over internet to another streaming signal transceiver of second SDCD.

Abstract: Embodiments relate to an intelligent computer platform to identify and process communications across multiple languages. An originating communication is identified, including identification of language, action tokens, and linguistic features. A first map of the identified action tokens and linguistic features from the originating language to a second format is created and populated into identifying machine learning model (MLM). A second communication is identified, including the originating language, action tokens, and linguistic features, and a second map is created of the identified action tokens and linguistic features of the second communication. The second map and the MLM are leveraged to identify and return a predicted action token class of the identified action tokens in the second communication.

Abstract: Message-based interactive voice response (IVR) menu reconnection is used to reconnect a calling device to a destination at a specific node of a call path after the calling device disconnects from a call with the destination. Menu options of an IVR service presented during a call between the calling device and the destination are determined responsive to the calling device disconnecting from the call. A message including one or more selectable elements each associated with one of the menu options is then transmitted to the calling device. Responsive to a selection of a selectable element at the calling device, the calling device is connected to a destination endpoint. Thus, where the calling device had partially or fully traversed an IVR service during the call, the message-based IVR menu reconnection disclosed herein enables the calling device to reconnect to the destination without having to repeat that IVR service traversal.

Abstract: A device for processing audio signals, including: first and second input units providing first and second input signals of first and second audio tracks, a decomposition unit to decompose the first input audio signal to obtain a plurality of decomposed signals, a playback unit configured to start playback of a first output signal obtained from recombining at least a first decomposed signal at a first volume level with a second decomposed signal at a second volume level, such that the first output signal substantially equals the first input signal, and a transition unit for performing a transition between playback of the first output signal and playback of a second output signal obtained from the second input signal. The transition unit has a volume control section adapted for reducing the first and second volume levels according to first and second transition functions.

Abstract: A method for voice recognition via an earphone is disclosed. The method includes receiving first audio data via the first microphone and buffering the first audio data in response to the first trigger signal; receiving second audio data via the first microphone and recognizing whether the first audio data contains data of a wake-on-voice word in response to the second trigger signal; and recognizing whether the second audio data contains data of the wake-on-voice word. The first audio data is received and buffered in a first duration starting from when the first trigger signal is received and ending when the second trigger signal is received. The second audio data is received in a second duration starting from when the second trigger signal is received and ending when whether the first audio data contains data of the wake-on-voice word is recognized.

Abstract: Artificial intelligence for machine learning to provide an optimized response sentence in reply to an input sentence.