Abstract: It is intended to increase the recognition rate in speech recognition and image recognition. An observation vector as input data, which represents a certain point in the observation vector space, is mapped to a distribution having a spread in the feature vector space, and a feature distribution parameter representing the distribution is determined. Pattern recognition of the input data is performed based on the feature distribution parameter.

Abstract: A speech processing system including a speech recognition unit to receive input speech, and a natural language processing unit. The speech recognition unit performs speech recognition on input speech using acoustic models to produce a speech recognition result. The natural-language processing unit performs natural language processing on the speech recognition result, and includes: a machine translation unit; a dialog management unit; and a feedback unit. The feedback unit configured to feed back information obtained as a result of the natural language processing performed in the machine translation unit and the dialog management unit. The speech recognition unit processes feedback information including adaptation zones to adapt the acoustic models so that it can produce the speech recognition result with higher precision than when adaptation zones are not used.

Abstract: A feature extraction and pattern recognition system in which an observation vector forming input data, which represents a certain point in the observation vector space, is mapped to a distribution having a spread in the feature vector space, and a feature distribution parameter representing the distribution is determined. Pattern recognition of the input data is performed based on the feature distribution parameter.

Abstract: A speech recognition unit performs speech recognition on input speech based on models, such as HMMs, and supplies a speech recognition result to a dialog management unit. The dialog management unit forms a reply to the speech recognition result. In this case, the dialog management unit detects zones in which the speech recognition result is correct based on the speech recognition result and the associated reply, and feeds them back to the speech recognition unit. Then, the speech recognition unit performs on-line adaptation of the models based on the speech of the correct zones fed back from the dialog management unit and the associated speech recognition result.

Abstract: A robot performing a variety of actions is disclosed. The voice of a user picked up by a microphone is recognized by a voice recognizer. A gesture of the user picked up by a CCD is recognized by an image recognizer. A behavior decision unit decides the behavior to be taken by the robot based on the voice information provided by the voice recognizer and the image information provided by the image recognizer.

Abstract: It is intended to increase the recognition rate in speech recognition and image recognition. An observation vector as input data, which represents a certain point in the observation vector space, is mapped to a distribution having a spread in the feature vector space, and a feature distribution parameter representing the distribution is determined. Pattern recognition of the input data is performed based on the feature distribution parameter.

Abstract: There is provided an information processing apparatus which may be applied to an information processing apparatus being connected, for example, to an information network such as Internet for transmitting and receiving various pieces of information in order to make access to such network through a terminal of simplified structure such as a telephone terminal. A code for uniquely identifying, for example, a telephone terminal and a computer terminal may be formed with the codes corresponding to operators of a telephone terminal.

Abstract: A robot performing a variety of actions is disclosed.

Abstract: An information processing system stores information of various types, which is obtained in the real world, in connection with keys indicative of the attribute and feature of the information so that the real-world information is stored quickly and surely in the virtual world which is formed of the linkage of information and stored information of various types is retrieved easily.

Abstract: A mapping determination method for obtaining mapping F from an N-dimensional metric vector space .OMEGA..sub.N to an M-dimensional metric vector space .OMEGA..sub.M has the following steps to get the optimal mapping quickly and positively. In the first step, complete, periodic, L.sub.m basic functions g.sub.m (X) according to the distribution of samples classified into Q categories on the N-dimensional metric vector space .OMEGA..sub.N are set. In the second step, a function f.sub.m (X) indicating the m-th component of the mapping F is expressed with the linear sum of the functions g.sub.m (X) and L.sub.m coefficients c.sub.m. The third step provides Q teacher vectors T.sub.q =(t.sub.q.1, t.sub.q.2, t.sub.q.3, . . . , t.sub.q.M) (where q=1, 2, . . . , Q) for the categories on the M-dimensional metric vector space .OMEGA..sub.M, calculates the specified estimation function J, and obtains the coefficients c.sub.m which minimize the estimation function J. In the fourth step, the coefficients c.sub.