Abstract: A prosody analyzer enhances the interpretation of natural language utterances. The analyzer is distributed over a client/server architecture, so that the scope of emotion recognition processing tasks can be allocated on a dynamic basis based on processing resources, channel conditions, client loads etc. The partially processed prosodic data can be sent separately or combined with other speech data from the client device and streamed to a server for a real-time response. Training of the prosody analyzer with real world expected responses improves emotion modeling and the real-time identification of potential features such as emphasis, intent, attitude and semantic meaning in the speaker's utterances.

Abstract: A spinal implant system for restricting flexion of a spine includes an elongate band proportioned to engage at least two spinous processes. During use, the band is positioned engaging the spinous processes at a spinal segment of interest, where it restricts flexion at the segment. The length and tension of the band may be adjustable following to implantation using percutaneous or transcutaneous means.

Abstract: A speech recognition system uses speech recognition models which are specifically trained and optimized for users residing in a particular geographic area or region. The speech models are trained with samples of word variants expected to be used in a natural language by representative members of a population associated with the geographic region or community of users. The speech recognition system is configured to have a real-time response that imitates a dialogue with a human operator.

Abstract: A speech recognition system includes distributed processing across a client and server for recognizing a spoken query by a user. A number of different speech models for different languages are used to support and detect a language spoken by a user. In some implementations an interactive electronic agent responds in the user's language to facilitate a real-time, human like dialogue.

Abstract: A speech recognition system includes distributed processing across a client and server for recognizing a spoken query by a user. A number of different speech models for different natural languages are used to support and detect a natural language spoken by a user. In some implementations an interactive electronic agent responds in the user's native language to facilitate an real-time, human like dialogue.

Abstract: A real-time speech recognition system includes distributed processing across a client and server for recognizing a spoken query by a user. Both the client and server can dedicate a variable number of processing resources for performing speech recognition functions. In some implementations the partitioning of responsibility for speech recognition operations can be done on a client by client or query by query basis.

Abstract: Sentence based queries from a user are analyzed using a natural language engine to determine appropriate answers from an electronic database. The system and methods are useful for Internet based search engines, as well as distributed speech recognition systems such as a client-server system. The latter are typically implemented on an intranet or over the Internet based on user queries at his/her computer, a PDA, or a workstation using a speech input interface.

Abstract: A client device incorporates partial speech recognition for recognizing a spoken query by a user. The full recognition process is distributed over a client/server architecture, so that the amount of partial recognition signal processing tasks can be allocated on a dynamic basis based on processing resources, channel conditions, etc. Partially processed speech data from the client device can be streamed to a server for a real-time response. Additional natural language processing operations can also be performed to implement sentence recognition functionality.

Abstract: Sentence based queries from a user are analyzed to determine appropriate answers from an electronic database. Text in the queries is dissected to identify different phrases; the phrases in turn are matched against candidate phrases to determine best matching answers responsive to the user's question. The system and methods are useful for Internet based search engines, as well as distributed speech recognition systems such as a client-server system. The latter are typically implemented on an intranet or over the Internet based on user queries at his/her computer, a PDA, or a workstation using a speech input interface.

Abstract: Candidate answers responsive to a user query are analyzed using a natural language engine to determine appropriate answers from an electronic database. The system and methods are useful for Internet based search engines, as well as distributed speech recognition systems such as a client-server system. The latter are typically implemented on an intranet or over the Internet based on user queries at his/her computer, a PDA, or a workstation using a speech input interface.

Abstract: A real-time system incorporating speech recognition and linguistic processing for recognizing a spoken query by a user and distributed between client and server, is disclosed. The system accepts user's queries in the form of speech at the client where minimal processing extracts a sufficient number of acoustic speech vectors representing the utterance. These vectors are sent via a communications channel to the server where additional acoustic vectors are derived. Using Hidden Markov Models (HMMs), and appropriate grammars and dictionaries conditioned by the selections made by the user, the speech representing the user's query is fully decoded into text (or some other suitable form) at the server. This text corresponding to the user's query is then simultaneously sent to a natural language engine and a database processor where optimized SQL statements are constructed for a full-text search from a database for a recordset of several stored questions that best matches the user's query.

Abstract: A rotary machine is disclosed having a rotor 11, a stator 16, and blade rows 12, 14 on the rotor and stator that impart a high swirl component to gases flowing through the machine so that the denser impurities are deflected radially outwards by centripetal action onto the inner wall of the stator of the machine. A ramped guide surface is provided on the inner wall 17 of the stator along which any impurities separated by the centripetal action from the main gas stream are entrained by the main gas stream and guided to flow from the gas intake side to the gas outlet side of the machine. The guide surface is radially stepped to resist only reverse flow of the separated impurities back towards the gas intake side of the machine and serves at the downstream end of the machine to discharge the separated impurities back into the main gas stream for the impurities to exit from the machine with the main gas stream.

Abstract: A delay circuit for providing signal delay within an acoustic imaging system is provided. Reflected acoustic signals are transformed into electrical signals and are used to reproduce images of objects. Delay lines along the electrical signal path are used to focus the images compensating for asynchronism of electrical signals caused by variations in the length of acoustic signal paths.