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.

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 caching the concatenation costs. Unfortunately, the number of possible sequential pairs of acoustic units makes such caching prohibitive. However, statistical experiments reveal that while about 85% of the acoustic units are typically used in common speech, less than 1% of the possible sequential pairs of acoustic units occur in practice.

Abstract: A partition making apparatus includes a first card material supply module, a first card forming module including a slot former, a singulator and a card transporter. The first card forming module also includes a feeder for advancing a band of first card forming material at least partially through the first module. The first module may include a transporter which shifts singulated first cards from a first location to a card delivery location with a card transferor shifting sets of first cards to be included in an assembled partition from the first card forming module to an assembly station. The sets of first cards may be advanced along a conveyor included in the assembly station to a second card insertion location. The second card material supply module provides a band of second card forming material to a second card forming module.

Abstract: A filter and method for applying differential levels of active ingredient materials to specific areas of filters, such as the filter paper used to make disposable vacuum cleaner bags, so as to cause the effluent such as air which has passed through such filters to sustainably act as a dispersing agent for such filter-impregnated active ingredients as may condition the effluent which has passed through the filter in ways that are desirable to the user of the filter. The active ingredients are unevenly distributed on the filter substrate in a pattern determined by predicted changing flow rate patterns through the area of the substrate during intervals of increasing accumulation of particulate matter against the filter and effective to maximally sustain dispersion of active ingredient during such intervals.

Abstract: A filter and method for applying differential levels of active ingredient materials to specific areas of filters, such as the filter paper used to make disposable vacuum cleaner bags, so as to cause the effluent such as air which has passed through such filters to sustainably act as a dispersing agent for such filter-impregnated active ingredients as may condition the effluent which has passed through the filter in ways that are desirable to the user of the filter. The active ingredients are unevenly distributed on the filter substrate in a pattern determined by predicted changing flow rate patterns through the area of the substrate during intervals of increasing accumulation of particulate matter against the filter and effective to maximally sustain dispersion of active ingredients during such intervals.

Abstract: An acoustic device for mechanically reflecting sound waves into the ear in an undistorted and directionally selective manner has a pair of movable acoustic reflectors constructed, configured and mounted to preserve accurately phase, frequency and image information in the sound waves of interest to the front of the user, secured to a headband or helmet in positions that place the focal points of the reflectors beyond the base of the lenses within the user's ear.

Abstract: A caulk bead removal tool for removing caulk and beading from a groove between spaced side-by-side concrete building panels and includes a handle. A U-shaped mounting bracket is mounted at one end of the handle. Fasteners secure a center bracket leg of the bracket to one end of the handle, and the bracket has a pair of parallel bracket legs extending from opposite ends of the center bracket leg in a longitudinal direction along a longitudinal axis of the handle but away from the handle. A pair of relatively flat tool steel cutting blades. Fasteners secure the blades to the parallel bracket legs. Each of the blades has four bevel cut edges and four right angle corners where said bevel cut edges meet, with the four bevel cut edges being arranged in two sets with the edges in each set being disposed in parallel relation.

Abstract: A system (10) for the administration of driver's tests and similar standardized tests has a computer control unit (12). A cathode ray tube (CRT) or other display (14) is connected to the computer control unit (12) by line (15). The display (14) includes at least a numeric input keyboard (16) connected to the remainder of the display by line (17). A camera or other portrait image registering device (18) is connected to the computer control unit (12) by line (20). A fingerprint image registering device (22) is connected to the computer control unit (12) by line (24). At least the display (14), the portrait image registering device (18) and the fingerprint image registering device (22) are located in a booth (30) having a door (32). A switch or other detector (34) for an open door (32) prevents a test from being administered or continuing as long as the door (32) is open. A vision testing device (38) is connected to the computer control unit (12) by line (40).