Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for tagging during speech recognition. A word lattice that indicates probabilities for sequences of words in an utterance is obtained. A conditional probability transducer that indicates a frequency that sequences of both the words and semantic tags for the words appear is obtained. The word lattice and the conditional probability transducer are composed to construct a word lattice that indicates probabilities for sequences of both the words in the utterance and the semantic tags for the words. The word lattice that indicates probabilities for sequences of both the words in the utterance and the semantic tags for the words is used to generate a transcription that includes the words in the utterance and the semantic tags for the words.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for tagging during speech recognition. A word lattice that indicates probabilities for sequences of words in an utterance is obtained. A conditional probability transducer that indicates a frequency that sequences of both the words and semantic tags for the words appear is obtained. The word lattice and the conditional probability transducer are composed to construct a word lattice that indicates probabilities for sequences of both the words in the utterance and the semantic tags for the words. The word lattice that indicates probabilities for sequences of both the words in the utterance and the semantic tags for the words is used to generate a transcription that includes the words in the utterance and the semantic tags for the words.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus for receiving data indicating a location of a particular touchpoint representing a latest received touchpoint in a sequence of received touchpoints; identifying candidate characters associated with the particular touchpoint; generating, for each of the candidate characters, a confidence score; identifying different candidate sequences of characters each including for each received touchpoint, one candidate character associated with a location of the received touchpoint, and one of the candidate characters associated with the particular touchpoint; for each different candidate sequence of characters, determining a language model score and generating a transcription score based at least on the confidence score for one or more of the candidate characters in the candidate sequence of characters and the language model score for the candidate sequence of characters; selecting, and providing for output, a representative sequence of characters from among the candidate sequences of char

Abstract: A medium-voltage heating element assembly. The medium-voltage heating element assembly can include a dual core having an inner core and an outer core. Segments comprising the inner core and the outer core can be staggered. Furthermore, the dual core can include a notch-and-groove interface to prevent axial rotation of the inner core and/or inner core segments relative to the outer core and/or outer core segments. A bushing of the heating element assembly can include a stepped region, and the bushing can interface with the dual core along the stepped region.

Abstract: The subject matter of this specification can be implemented in a computer-implemented method that includes receiving utterances and transcripts thereof. The method includes analyzing the utterances and transcripts to determine certain attributes, such as distances between prosodic contours for pairs of utterances. A model can be generated that can be used to estimate a distance between a determined prosodic contour for a received utterance and an unknown prosodic contour for a synthesized utterance when given a distance between attributes for text associated with the received utterance and the synthesized utterance.

Abstract: Methods, computer program products and systems are described for speech-to-text conversion. A voice input is received from a user of an electronic device and contextual metadata is received that describes a context of the electronic device at a time when the voice input is received. Multiple base language models are identified, where each base language model corresponds to a distinct textual corpus of content. Using the contextual metadata, an interpolated language model is generated based on contributions from the base language models. The contributions are weighted according to a weighting for each of the base language models. The interpolated language model is used to convert the received voice input to a textual output. The voice input is received at a computer server system that is remote to the electronic device. The textual output is transmitted to the electronic device.

Abstract: The present invention pertains to a modular furniture system in which a flat-foldable or easily assembled and disassembled rigid base structure composed of rectangular-cross-sectioned pieces each with specific dimensions serves variously, once assembled, as the supporting framework for a flat-foldable chair seat-and-backrest module, which configured together with the base structure serves as either an upright dining chair with armrests or as a lower and more reclined lounge chair with armrests, or alternatively as configured for supporting the connectable or foldable components of a flat planar surface module to be used for dining or to serve as a desktop, or alternatively as configured for supporting a storage cabinet module with drawers or doors.

Abstract: A medium-voltage heating element assembly. The medium-voltage heating element assembly can include a dual core having an inner core and an outer core. Segments comprising the inner core and the outer core can be staggered. Furthermore, the dual core can include a notch-and-groove interface to prevent axial rotation of the inner core and/or inner core segments relative to the outer core and/or outer core segments. A bushing of the heating element assembly can include a stepped region, and the bushing can interface with the dual core along the stepped region.

Abstract: The present invention pertains to a modular furniture system in which a flat-foldable or easily assembled and disassembled rigid base structure composed of rectangular-cross-sectioned pieces each with specific dimensions serves variously, once assembled, as the supporting framework for a flat-foldable chair seat-and-backrest module, which configured together with the base structure serves as either an upright dining chair with armrests or as a lower and more reclined lounge chair with armrests, or alternatively as configured for supporting the connectable or foldable components of a flat planar surface module to be used for dining or to serve as a desktop, or alternatively as configured for supporting a storage cabinet module with drawers or doors.

Abstract: The subject matter of this specification can be implemented in, among other things, a computer-implemented method including receiving text to be synthesized as a spoken utterance. The method includes analyzing the received text to determine attributes of the received text and selecting one or more utterances from a database based on a comparison between the attributes of the received text and attributes of text representing the stored utterances. The method includes determining, for each utterance, a distance between a contour of the utterance and a hypothetical contour of the spoken utterance, the determination based on a model that relates distances between pairs of contours of the utterances to relationships between attributes of text for the pairs. The method includes selecting a final utterance having a contour with a closest distance to the hypothetical contour and generating a contour for the received text based on the contour of the final utterance.

Abstract: Systems and methods for inferring category synonyms from prior result data may include identifying prior query data including query information and category information relating to the prior result data; determining whether the query information is a synonym for the category information; and using the query information and the category information in subsequent search requests if it is determined that the query information is a synonym for the category information.

Abstract: Systems and methods for inferring category synonyms from prior result data may include identifying prior query data including query information and category information relating to the prior result data; determining whether the query information is a synonym for the category information; and using the query information and the category information in subsequent search requests if it is determined that the query information is a synonym for the category information.

Abstract: The present invention pertains to an ear-mountable, paraboloid-shaped reflective acoustic lens which can be used to enhance a user's perception of the sounds from a source the user faces. The lens mechanically collects and naturally amplifies the airborne acoustic information from the sound source. The lens uses both the wearer's external ear as well as the interior face of an acoustic lens to coherently reflect increased amounts of sound from the source into the ear canal of a user who wears the lightweight, deformable lens. All sections of the lens meet the head of the user at an obtuse angle. The lens is held in place around the user's ear by the inward pressure of the lens pushing against the outside of the user's pinna. Adherence of the device to the ear of the wearer can be increased by an adhesive strip on the interior face of the lens.

Abstract: Methods, computer program products and systems are described for speech-to-text conversion. A voice input is received from a user of an electronic device and contextual metadata is received that describes a context of the electronic device at a time when the voice input is received. Multiple base language models are identified, where each base language model corresponds to a distinct textual corpus of content. Using the contextual metadata, an interpolated language model is generated based on contributions from the base language models. The contributions are weighted according to a weighting for each of the base language models. The interpolated language model is used to convert the received voice input to a textual output. The voice input is received at a computer server system that is remote to the electronic device. The textual output is transmitted to the electronic device.

Abstract: Methods, computer program products and systems are described for speech-to-text conversion. A voice input is received from a user of an electronic device and contextual metadata is received that describes a context of the electronic device at a time when the voice input is received. Multiple base language models are identified, where each base language model corresponds to a distinct textual corpus of content. Using the contextual metadata, an interpolated language model is generated based on contributions from the base language models. The contributions are weighted according to a weighting for each of the base language models. The interpolated language model is used to convert the received voice input to a textual output. The voice input is received at a computer server system that is remote to the electronic device. The textual output is transmitted to the electronic device.

Abstract: A gaming method allows players to predict and place a wager about the future arrival of an elevator car at the floor of a building. If the player's prediction is correct, the player receives a payoff. The method can be played in buildings having one or more elevators. In an embodiment of the invention, a self-service automated gaming machine accommodates making the prediction, placing the wager, and receiving the payoff.

Abstract: Systems and methods for inferring category synonyms from prior result data may include identifying prior query data including query information and category information relating to the prior result data; determining whether the query information is a synonym for the category information; and using the query information and the category information in subsequent search requests if it is determined that the query information is a synonym for the category information.

Abstract: Systems and methods for inferring category synonyms from prior result data may include identifying prior query data including query information and category information relating to the prior result data; determining whether the query information is a synonym for the category information; and using the query information and the category information in subsequent search requests if it is determined that the query information is a synonym for the category information.

Abstract: A gaming method allows players to predict and place a wager about the future arrival of an elevator car at the floor of a building. If the player's prediction is correct, the player receives a payoff. The method can be played in buildings having one or more elevators. In an embodiment of the invention, a self-service automated gaming machine accommodates making the prediction, placing the wager, and receiving the payoff.

Abstract: A speech synthesis system can select recorded speech fragments, or acoustic units, from a very large database of acoustic units to produce artificial speech. The selected acoustic units are chosen to minimize a combination of target and concatenation costs for a given sentence. However, as concatenation costs, which are measures of the mismatch between sequential pairs of acoustic units, are expensive to compute, processing can be greatly reduced by pre-computing and aching the concatenation costs. Accordingly, a method is disclosed for constructing an efficient concatenation cost database by synthesizing a large body of speech, identifying the acoustic unit sequential pairs generated and their respective concatention costs, and storing those concatenation costs likely to occur.