Abstract: The present application discloses playback devices and networks, software for operating playback devices and playback device networks, and methods of operating playback devices and networks, where an individual network device is configured to switch between operating various operating modes comprising a non-paired mode and a paired mode, where the playback device is configured to output various channels of audio content within various audio frequency ranges while operating in the various operating modes.

Abstract: Embodiments described herein involve providing media item preferences according to a user account of a user providing the preference, rather than a user account providing the media item. When a user indicates a preference for a media item, the preference are associated with that particular user, rather than with another user whose account the media item may have been accessed and played through when the particular user indicated the preference. As a result, a media preference history associated with the account providing the media item will not be disrupted by other users indicating preferences for the media item. Further, users may build on their respective media preference histories even when listening to music provided by someone else.

Abstract: The present application disclosures a voice skill starting method, an apparatus, a device, and a storage medium, and relates to the field of artificial intelligence. An implementation scheme is that: the method is applied to an electronic device including at least one third-party voice skill and a built-in voice skill, and the electronic device is currently in the built-in voice skill. The method includes: receiving a current demand instruction of a user; judging whether the current demand instruction belongs to an entry demand instruction corresponding to the third-party voice skill according to a mapping relationship in response to the current demand instruction; and switching from the built-in voice skill to the third-party voice skill if it is determined that the current demand instruction belongs to the entry demand instruction corresponding to the third-party voice skill.

Abstract: An apparatus for generating a description of a combined audio scene, includes: an input interface for receiving a first description of a first scene in a first format and a second description of a second scene in a second format, wherein the second format is different from the first format; a format converter for converting the first description into a common format and for converting the second description into the common format, when the second format is different from the common format; and a format combiner for combining the first description in the common format and the second description in the common format to obtain the combined audio scene.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices for encoding are described. A device, which may be otherwise known as user equipment (UE), may support standards-compatible audio encoding (e.g., speech encoding) using a pre-encoded database. The device may receive a digital representation of an audio signal and identify, based on receiving the digital representation of the audio signal, a database that is pre-encoded according to a coding standard and that includes a quantity of digital representations of other audio signals. The device may encode the digital representation of the audio signal using a machine learning scheme and information from the database pre-encoded according to the coding standard. The device may generate a bitstream of the digital representation that is compatible with the coding standard based on encoding the digital representation of the audio signal, and output a representation of the bitstream.

Abstract: A method and system for providing synchronized input feedback, comprising receiving an input event, encoding the input event in an output stream wherein the encoding of the input event is synchronized to a specific event and reproducing the output stream through an output device whereby the encoded input event in the reproduced output stream is imperceptible to the user.

Abstract: Examples described herein involve a playback device performing one or more playback device actions based on locations of one or more physical contacts on an external surface of the playback device. A processor of the playback device may receive from an array of proximity sensors underlying an external surface of the playback device, location data indicating a physical contact at a location on the external surface. Based on at least the location, the processor may identify a playback device action from a plurality of playback device actions, and cause at least the playback device to perform the identified playback device action. The playback device may further include at least one orientation sensor from which the processor may also receive orientation data indicating an orientation of the playback device. The processor may identify the playback device action also based on the orientation of the playback device.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for gathering research data indicating exposure to media are disclosed. An example apparatus includes a first wireless receiver to receive a first modulated audio signal via a wireless data connection from a media device using a wireless communication protocol, the first modulated audio signal associated with the media, the first wireless receiver to output a baseband audio signal corresponding to the first modulated audio signal. The example apparatus includes a first wireless transmitter to modulate the baseband audio signal to form a second modulated audio signal, the first wireless transmitter to transmit the second modulated audio signal to wireless headphones using the wireless communication protocol.

Abstract: A processing load of a reception side is reduced when a plurality of types of audio data is transmitted. A predetermined format container is transmitted having a predetermined number of audio streams including a plurality of group encoded data. For example, the plurality of group encoded data includes either or both of channel encoded data and object encoded data. Attribute information indicating an attribute of each of the plurality of group encoded data is inserted into a layer of the container. For example, stream correspondence information indicating an audio stream including each of the plurality of group encoded data is further inserted into the layer of the container.

Abstract: Systems and methods control presentation of audio-only content that is broadcast to a media device. An exemplary embodiment receives media content that is currently received in a channel of a broadcasted media content stream; determines whether the currently received channel is a type of channel that provides audio/visual content or a type of channel that provides audio-only content; controls presentation of the received media content using at least one audio/visual content control function in response to determining that the currently received channel is the type of channel that provides audio/visual content; controls presentation of the received media content using at least one audio-only content control function in response to determining that the currently received channel is the type of channel that provides audio-only content, wherein the at least one audio/visual content control function is different from the at least one audio-only content control function.

Abstract: Techniques are described for invoking and switching between chatbots of a chatbot system. In some embodiments, the chatbot system is capable of routing an utterance received while a user is already interacting with a first chatbot in the chatbot system. For instance, the chatbot system may identify a second chatbot based on determining that (i) such an utterance is an invalid input to the first chatbot or (ii) that the first chatbot is attempting to route the utterance to a destination associated with the first chatbot. Identifying the second chatbot can involve computing, using a predictive model, separate confidence scores for the first chatbot and the second chatbot, and then determining that a confidence score for the second chatbot satisfies one or more confidence score thresholds. The utterance is then routed to the second chatbot based on the identifying of the second chatbot.

Abstract: An input at a physical interface of a first playback device is detected. The input may indicate a playback command. Via the first playback device, the second playback device is determined to be currently playing media content. Based on determining that the second playback device is currently playing media content and based on receiving the input at the physical interface, the first playback device is caused to play the media content synchronously with the second playback device.

Abstract: In general, user interfaces for controlling a plurality of multimedia players in groups are disclosed. According to one aspect of the present invention, a user interface is provided to allow a user to group some of the players according to a theme or scene, where each of the players is located in a zone. When the scene is activated, the players in the scene react in a synchronized manner. For example, the players in the scene are all caused to play a multimedia source or music in a playlist, wherein the multimedia source may be located anywhere on a network. The user interface is further configured to illustrate graphically a size of a group, the larger the group appears relatively, the more plays there are in the group.

Abstract: Techniques for controlling zone group and zone group characteristics such as audio volume in a multi-zone system are disclosed. The multi-zone system includes a number of multimedia players, each preferably located in a zone. A controller may control the operations of all of the zone players remotely from any one of the zones. Two or more zone players may be dynamically grouped as a zone group for synchronized operations. According to one aspect of the techniques, a zone group configuration can be managed, updated, modified via an interactive user interface provided in a controlling device. The zone group configuration may be saved in one of zone players. According to another aspect of the techniques, the audio volume control of a zone group can be performed individually or synchronously as a group.

Abstract: In an example embodiment, method, apparatus, and computer program product are provided. The apparatus includes at least one processor; and at least one memory including computer program code; the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to perform: assign one or more audio representations to one or more audio scene entities in an audio scene; generate one or more audio scene entity combinations based on the one or more audio scene entities and the one or more audio representations; and signal the one or more audio scene entity combinations to a client, wherein the one or more audio representations assigned to the one or more audio scene entities cause the client to select an appropriate audio scene entity combination from the one or more audio scene entity combinations to render the audio scene.

Abstract: A tunable monitoring system for detecting computer threats to third-parties is provided. The system may include a receiver operable to receive entity characteristics relating to a first entity and identification data identifying a third-party. The system may include a publicly-available data crawler operable to mine and retrieve publicly-available data. The data may relate to both the third-party and one or more of a plurality of entities. The plurality of entities may include entities that share a predetermined threshold number of entity characteristics with the first entity. The system may include a sentiment analysis module operable to score the retrieved data using a sentiment analysis scoring model. A potential relationship between the first entity and third-party may be dissolved when the score is above a predetermined negativity threshold. The potential relationship between the first entity and the third-party may be initiated when the score is below the predetermined negativity threshold.

Abstract: Embodiments described in this disclosure illustrate the use of self-/semi supervised approaches for label-efficient DST in task-oriented dialogue systems. Conversational behavior is modeled by next response generation and turn utterance generation tasks. Prediction consistency is strengthened by augmenting data with stochastic word dropout and label guessing. Experimental results show that by exploiting self-supervision the joint goal accuracy can be boosted with limited labeled data.

Abstract: There is provided a media player device for use with a text medium having a plurality of pages each having a plurality of words, the media player device comprising an audio output, a memory storing a text medium application software; and a processor configured to execute the text medium application software to receive a first signal emitted from a wireless communication element embedded in the text medium, the first signal including a text medium ID uniquely identifying the text medium, and play an audio, via the audio output and in response to receiving the text medium ID, wherein the audio corresponds to the text medium ID and the audio pronounces the plurality of words in a same sequence appearing in each of the plurality of pages.

Abstract: A system for enabling spatializing audio data is provided. The system analyzes audio data to identify when to generate spatialized audio data. The system can receive incoming audio data including a plurality of channel-based audio signals as well as object-based audio. The system performs an analysis of the audio data and/or metadata associated with the audio data to determine when to generate the spatialized audio data. The system can identify one or more categories associated with the audio data (e.g., stereo, mono, game effect, . . . ) and use the category to determine whether to spatialize the audio data or not spatialize the audio data.

Abstract: [Problem] The problem of the present disclosure relates to proposing an information processing device, an information processing terminal, an information processing method, and a program, which are capable of controlling the output of a voice so as to be adaptive to an action purpose of a user. [Solution] An information processing device including: an inference unit that infers an action purpose of a user on the basis of a result of sensing by one or more sensors; and an output control unit that controls, on the basis of a result of inference by the inference unit, output of a voice to the user performed by an audio output unit.