Abstract: Mental state of a person is classified in an automated manner by analysing natural speech of the person. A glottal waveform is extracted from a natural speech signal. Pre-determined parameters defining at least one diagnostic class of a class model are retrieved, the parameters determined from selected training glottal waveform features. The selected glottal waveform features are extracted from the signal. Current mental state of the person is classified by comparing extracted glottal waveform features with the parameters and class model. Feature extraction from a glottal waveform or other natural speech signal may involve determining spectral amplitudes of the signal, setting spectral amplitudes below a pre-defined threshold to zero and, for each of a plurality of sub bands, determining an area under the thresholded spectral amplitudes, and deriving signal feature parameters from the determined areas in accordance with a diagnostic class model.

Abstract: Mental state of a person is classified in an automated manner by analysing natural speech of the person. A glottal waveform is extracted from a natural speech signal. Pre-determined parameters defining at least one diagnostic class of a class model are retrieved, the parameters determined from selected training glottal waveform features. The selected glottal waveform features are extracted from the signal. Current mental state of the person is classified by comparing extracted glottal waveform features with the parameters and class model. Feature extraction from a glottal waveform or other natural speech signal may involve determining spectral amplitudes of the signal, setting spectral amplitudes below a pre-defined threshold to zero and, for each of a plurality of sub bands, determining an area under the thresholded spectral amplitudes, and deriving signal feature parameters from the determined areas in accordance with a diagnostic class model.

Abstract: A content distribution system, including: a registration module for receiving registration data for a digital item accessible, on a communications network such as a peer to peer (P2P) network, using a digital item client, such as a P2P client, on a first device; an activity module for receiving a request for content of the digital item from the client on a second device; and a transaction module for registering download of the content to the second device, for processing payment transactions with the second device, and for processing remuneration transactions with at least the first device. The system also has a search module for receiving queries for digital items and ranking results based on a user selected ranking criteria including at least one of: review of said digital items; use of said digital items; and purchase of said digital items. The digital item and a declaration for the item may comply with MPEG-21.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system and method for providing a presentation to a user. The system comprises a framework arranged to provide a time based primary media element and at least one secondary media element to the user, wherein the at least one secondary media element is arranged to be presented to the user when a predetermined time is reached during presentation of the primary media element.

Abstract: The present invention provides a graphical user interface for displaying content. The user interface comprises a list of display areas, including a first display area arranged to display a primary time based media element. The at least one second display area is arranged to display at least one secondary media element that is temporally associated with the primary time based media element.

Abstract: A method of facilitating access to a schema, the method comprising the steps of receiving a request from a first computing device for at least one fragment of the schema; identifying a second computing device that has access to the fragment of the schema; and providing the first computing device with a datum that enables the first computing device to retrieve the fragment of the schema from the second computing device to thereby facilitate access to the schema.

Abstract: A method of transferring a digital item session state between at least two devices (A, B) using digital items, the method including: providing a content digital item to one of said devices (B); the one of said devices (B) configuring said content digital item according to predetermined requirements; transferring one or more context digital items representing the content digital item's session state from the other device (A) to the one device (B) and the one device (B) configuring said content digital item on the basis of the context digital item. A method of configuring a digital content item on the basis of a stored digital context item is also disclosed.

Abstract: A method for transforming electronic information in to a format, the method comprising the steps of: accessing a first electronic file that comprises control data; accessing metadata based on the control data; identifying input data based on the metadata and the control data; and creating output data that is based on the input data and which has an output format that is based on the control data.

Abstract: A system for enabling a computing apparatus to obtain data, the system having a processor that is arranged to: process a request issued by the computing apparatus in order to identify a command; process the request in order to determine a location of a particular node of a tree structure relative to at least one other node in the tree structure if the command corresponds to a first of a plurality of possible commands; and set a response, which is to be sent to the computing apparatus, such that it contains a piece of data that is associated with the particular node to thereby enable the computing apparatus to obtain data.

Abstract: A content distribution system, including: a registration module for receiving registration data for a digital item accessible, on a communications network such as a peer to peer (P2P) network, using a digital item client, such as a P2P client, on a first device; an activity module for receiving a request for content of the digital item from the client on a second device; and a transaction module for registering download of the content to the second device, for processing payment transactions with the second device, and for processing remuneration transactions with at least the first device. The system also has a search module for receiving queries for digital items and ranking results based on a user selected ranking criteria including at least one of: review of said digital items; use of said digital items; and purchase of said digital items. The digital item and a declaration for the item may comply with MPEG-21.

Abstract: An input sequence of unwarped signal samples is stored in an input buffer (101). A pitch and voicing analysis unit (103), which analyzes voicing classification data from the input buffer (101), provides a voicing classification variable indicating whether the voicing classification data is voiced or unvoiced and a preliminary estimate of the signal period in the interval spanned by the voicing classification data to a pitch pulse detection unit (104). The pitch pulse detection unit (104), also using analysis frame data from the input buffer (101), provides a set of locations of unwarped pitch pulses contained in the interval spanned by the analysis frame data to a mapping optimization unit (105). The mapping optimization unit (105) provides a set of parameters describing a mapping from an unwarped time-scale to a warped time-scale, to a warped sampling instant calculation unit (106).

Abstract: A method of transferring a digital item session state between at least two devices (A, B) using digital items, the method including: providing a content digital item to one of said devices (B); the one of said devices (B) configuring said content digital item according to predetermined requirements; transferring one or more context digital items representing the content digital item's session state from the other device (A) to the one device (B) and the one device (B) configuring said content digital item on the basis of the context digital item. A method of configuring a digital content item on the basis of a stored digital context item is also disclosed.