Abstract: A method is described for improving the sealing between rotor and a plurality of blades. The rotor has a plurality of generally axially extending profiled recesses into which a ring of blades, which have corresponding blade root profiles, are inserted in a form-fitting and/or frictionally locking manner into these recesses in a generally axial insertion direction. Between the recesses the rotor has tangential surface sections or circumferential surface sections which extend in the axial direction and circumferential direction and are generally indirectly covered by lower shrouds of circumferentially adjacently arranged blades in the radial direction. At least one of the tangential surface or circumferential surface sections is provided with a step in the radial direction, and a corresponding recess, which adjoins as flush as possible, is provided in the underside of the shroud of the blade which is arranged above it. Corresponding rotors or blades are also described.

Abstract: A computing device and computer-readable medium storing instructions for controlling a computing device to customize a voice in a multi-media message created by a sender for a recipient, the multi-media message comprising a text message from the sender to be delivered by an animated entity. The instructions comprise receiving from the sender inserted voice emoticons, which may be repeated, into the text message associated with parameters of a voice used by an animated entity to deliver the text message; and transmitting the text message such that a recipient device can deliver the multi-media message at a variable level associated with a number of times a respective voice emoticon is repeated.

Abstract: A computing device and computer-readable medium storing instructions for controlling a computing device to customize a voice in a multi-media message created by a sender for a recipient, the multi-media message comprising a text message from the sender to be delivered by an animated entity. The instructions comprise receiving from the sender inserted voice emoticons, which may be repeated, into the text message associated with parameters of a voice used by an animated entity to deliver the text message; and transmitting the text message such that a recipient device can deliver the multi-media message at a variable level associated with a number of times a respective voice emoticon is repeated.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for rendering a talking head on a client device are disclosed. The client device has a client cache capable of storing audio/visual data associated with rendering the talking head. The method comprises storing sentences in a client cache of a client device that relate to bridging delays in a dialog, storing sentence templates to be used in dialogs, generating a talking head response to a user inquiry from the client device, and determining whether sentences or stored templates stored in the client cache relate to the talking head response. If the stored sentences or stored templates relate to the talking head response, the method comprises instructing the client device to use the appropriate stored sentence or template from the client cache to render at least a part of the talking head response and transmitting a portion of the talking head response not stored in the client cache, if any, to the client device to render a complete talking head response.

Abstract: A method for generating animated sequences of talking heads in text-to-speech applications wherein a processor samples a plurality of frames comprising image samples. The processor reads first data comprising one or more parameters associated with noise-producing orifice images of sequences of at least three concatenated phonemes which correspond to an input stimulus. The processor reads, based on the first data. second data comprising images of a noise-producing entity. The processor generates an animated sequence of the noise-producing entity.

Abstract: A method system for training an apparatus to recognize a pattern includes providing the apparatus with a host processor executing steps of a machine learning process; providing the apparatus with an accelerator including at least two processors; inputting training pattern data into the host processor; determining coefficient changes in the machine learning process with the host processor using the training pattern data; transferring the training data to the accelerator; determining kernel dot-products with the at least two processors of the accelerator using the training data; and transferring the dot-products back to the host processor.

Abstract: A method for generating animated sequences of talking heads in text-to-speech applications wherein a processor samples a plurality of frames comprising image samples. The processor reads first data comprising one or more parameters associated with noise-producing orifice images of sequences of at least three concatenated phonemes which correspond to an input stimulus. The processor reads, based on the first data. second data comprising images of a noise-producing entity. The processor generates an animated sequence of the noise-producing entity.

Abstract: An automated method and system for analyzing a digital image of a biopsy to determine whether the biopsy is normal or abnormal, i.e., exhibits some type of disease such as, but not limited to, cancer. In the method and system, a classifier is trained to recognize well formed nuclei outlines from imperfect nuclei outlines in digital biopsy images. The trained classifier may then be used to filter nuclei outlines from one or more digital biopsy images to be analyzed, to obtain the well formed nuclei outlines. The well formed nuclei outlines may then be used to obtain statistics on the size or area of the nuclei for use in determining whether the biopsy is normal or abnormal.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for rendering a talking head on a client device are disclosed. The client device has a client cache capable of storing audio/visual data associated with rendering the talking head. The method comprises storing sentences in a client cache of a client device that relate to bridging delays in a dialog, storing sentence templates to be used in dialogs, generating a talking head response to a user inquiry from the client device, and determining whether sentences or stored templates stored in the client cache relate to the talking head response. If the stored sentences or stored templates relate to the talking head response, the method comprises instructing the client device to use the appropriate stored sentence or template from the client cache to render at least a part of the talking head response and transmitting a portion of the talking head response not stored in the client cache, if any, to the client device to render a complete talking head response.

Abstract: A solid is separated from a gas scrubber by collecting a solids burden not collected at a solids-collection device of a flue gas desulfurization system by adding at least one flocculant, flocculation aid or mixtures thereof, while using a separating device; wherein te flue-gas desulfurization system contains at least one absorption device disposed downstream from said solids-collection device.

Abstract: A method for generating animated sequences of talking heads in text-to-speech applications wherein a processor samples a plurality of frames comprising image samples. The processor reads first data comprising one or more parameters associated with noise-producing orifice images of sequences of at least three concatenated phonemes which correspond to an input stimulus. The processor reads, based on the first data. second data comprising images of a noise-producing entity. The processor generates an animated sequence of the noise-producing entity.

Abstract: Disclosed is an improved technique for training a support vector machine using a distributed architecture. A training data set is divided into subsets, and the subsets are optimized in a first level of optimizations, with each optimization generating a support vector set. The support vector sets output from the first level optimizations are then combined and used as input to a second level of optimizations. This hierarchical processing continues for multiple levels, with the output of each prior level being fed into the next level of optimizations. In order to guarantee a global optimal solution, a final set of support vectors from a final level of optimization processing may be fed back into the first level of the optimization cascade so that the results may be processed along with each of the training data subsets.

Abstract: Disclosed is a parallel support vector machine technique for solving problems with a large set of training data where the kernel computation, as well as the kernel cache and the training data, are spread over a number of distributed machines or processors. A plurality of processing nodes are used to train a support vector machine based on a set of training data. Each of the processing nodes selects a local working set of training data based on data local to the processing node, for example a local subset of gradients. Each node transmits selected data related to the working set (e.g., gradients having a maximum value) and receives an identification of a global working set of training data. The processing node optimizes the global working set of training data and updates a portion of the gradients of the global working set of training data. The updating of a portion of the gradients may include generating a portion of a kernel matrix. These steps are repeated until a convergence condition is met.

Abstract: A method for generating animated sequences of talking heads in text-to-speech applications wherein a processor samples a plurality of frames comprising image samples. The processor reads first data comprising one or more parameters associated with noise-producing orifice images of sequences of at least three concatenated phonemes which correspond to an input stimulus. The processor reads, based on the first data, second data comprising images of a noise-producing entity. The processor generates an animated sequence of the noise-producing entity.

Abstract: A system and method for generating a video sequence having mouth movements synchronized with speech sounds are disclosed. The system utilizes a database of n-phones as the smallest selectable unit, wherein n is larger than 1 and preferably 3. The system calculates a target cost for each candidate n-phone for a target frame using a phonetic distance, coarticulation parameter, and speech rate. For each n-phone in a target sequence, the system searches for candidate n-phones that are visually similar according to the target cost. The system samples each candidate n-phone to get a same number of frames as in the target sequence and builds a video frame lattice of candidate video frames. The system assigns a joint cost to each pair of adjacent frames and searches the video frame lattice to construct the video sequence by finding the optimal path through the lattice according to the minimum of the sum of the target cost and the joint cost over the sequence.

Abstract: A valve system has a valve housing, in which at least one valve element is displaceably guided. At least one magnetic field sensor is provided to detect the position of the valve element, which is acted upon by the magnetic field of at least one permanent magnet located on the movable valve element. The permanent magnet is guided relative to the magnetic field sensor such that it is non-rotatable but axially displaceable in the valve housing.

Abstract: A system and method of controlling the movement of a virtual agent while the agent is listening to a human user during a conversation is disclosed. The method comprises receiving speech data from the user, performing a prosodic analysis of the speech data and controlling the virtual agent movement according to the prosodic analysis.

Abstract: The invention relates to an annular combustor (13) for a gas turbine (10), into which combustor (13) burners (14, 15) open on an inlet side, and which combustor (13) extends in the axial direction from the inlet side to an outlet side (33) and is lined on the insides with cooled liner segments (16, 17) for protection from the hot gases. In such a combustor, increased mechanical stability and flexibility in design and also simplification in manufacture and fitting are achieved by the liner segments (16, 17) being subdivided in the axial direction into a plurality of parts (16, 17) arranged one behind the other.

Abstract: A system and method of controlling the movement of a virtual agent while the agent is listening to a human user during a conversation is disclosed. The method comprises receiving speech data from the user, performing a prosodic analysis of the speech data and controlling the virtual agent movement according to the prosodic analysis.

Abstract: At least one Helmholtz damper is arranged at a combustion chamber for a gas turbine in order to damp thermoacoustic oscillations; the damping volume of this Helmholtz damper is in communication with the combustion chamber via a connecting passage. Optimum damping is achieved in a simple way by virtue of the Helmholtz damper being designed in such a manner that its damping frequency is adjustable.