Abstract: An apparatus for and a method of object recognition in images and sequences of images by producing enhancements of an input digital image using digital image processing, detecting objects in the enhanced images using a detector that can determine locations of objects, consolidating detected object locations using heuristic methods, validating whether or not a detected object is an object using a classifier, and recognising using the input image and the location of a validated detected object the category and/or the category probability measure of the object. For sequence of images, an apparatus for and a method of recognizing objects in sequence of images, by further assigning a detected object an owner entity, detecting and correcting a category misclassification in sequences of three or more images comprising object classification categories of same owner entity. The invention is applied to human facial emotion recognition in images and sequence of images.

Abstract: A system for transcoding multimedia information from a first format to a second format through one or more networks. The system includes an input module which receives a first stream of information in a first format from a first terminal employing a first multimedia system protocol. The system also includes an output module which provides a second stream of information in a second format to a second terminal employing a second multimedia system protocol. The system also includes a capability module adapted to identify a first capability associated with the first terminal and identify a second capability associated with the second terminal. The system also includes a selection module adapted to select a transcoding process. The system also includes a transcoding module adapted to use the selected transcoding process to process the first stream of information to the second stream of information.

Abstract: A system (and methods) for transferring multimedia information from a source location to a destination location through one or more networks, which may be different. The system has a source output which provides a first stream of information in a first format. The system also has a destination input which receives a second stream of information in a second format. A proxy transcoder server (“PTS”) is coupled between the source output and the destination input. The PTS has a transcoding module transcoding data. The PTS also has a capability module identifying a first capability of the source output and a second capability of the destination input, and selecting a transcoding process based upon the first capability and the second capability.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for DTMF detection and voice mixing in the code-excited linear prediction (CELP) parameter space, without fully decoding and reconstructing the speech signal. The apparatus includes a Dual Tone Multiplexed Frequency (DTMF) signal detection module and a multi-input mixing module. The DTMF signal detection module detects DTMF signals by computing characteristic features from the input CELP parameters and comparing them with known features of DTMF signals. The multi-input mixing module mixes multiple sets of input CELP parameters, that represent multiple voice signals, into a single set of CELP parameters. The mixing computation is performed by analyzing each set of input CELP parameters, determining the order of importance of the input sets, selecting a strategy for mixing the CELP parameters, and outputting the mixed CELP parameters.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for DTMF detection and voice mixing in the code-excited linear prediction (CELP) parameter space, without fully decoding and reconstructing the speech signal. The apparatus includes a Dual Tone Multiplexed Frequency (DTMF) signal detection module and a multi-input mixing module. The DTMF signal detection module detects DTMF signals by computing characteristic features from the input CELP parameters and comparing them with known features of DTMF signals. The multi-input mixing module mixes multiple sets of input CELP parameters, that represent multiple voice signals, into a single set of CELP parameters. The mixing computation is performed by analyzing each set of input CELP parameters, determining the order of importance of the input sets, selecting a strategy for mixing the CELP parameters, and outputting the mixed CELP parameters.

Abstract: A system (and methods) for transferring multimedia information from a source location to a destination location through one or more networks, which may be different. The system has a source output which provides a first stream of information in a first format. The system also has a destination input which receives a second stream of information in a second format. A proxy transcoder server (“PTS”) is coupled between the source output and the destination input. The PTS has a transcoding module transcoding data. The PTS also has a capability module identifying a first capability of the source output and a second capability of the destination input, and selecting a transcoding process based upon the first capability and the second capability.

Abstract: A neural network comprises an input port connected to an output port by one or more paths, each of which comprises an alternating series of weights and neurons. The weights amplify passing signals by a strength factor. The network can be trained by finding a set of strength factor values for the weights such that the network produces the correct output pattern from a given input pattern. During training, a strength factor perturbating and refresh means applies perturbations to the strength factors of weights in the network, and updates the values of the strength factors depending on the difference between signals appearing at the output port, for a given pair of input and training patterns, when the weight is perturbed, and when it is not.