Abstract: The current document is directed to a methods and systems that use observational data collected by various devices and sensors to generate electronic-data representations of human conversations. The implementations of these methods and systems, disclosed in the current document, provide a highly extensible and generic platform for converting observational data into affect-annotated-timeline outputs that provide both a textual transcription of a conversation and a parallel set of affect annotations to the conversation. The affect-annotated-timeline outputs may be useful to researchers and developers, but also serve as inputs to any of a wide variety of downstream analytical processes and analysis systems that are, in turn, incorporated into many different types of special-purpose analysis and control systems.

Abstract: The current document is directed to a relationship-analysis system. The currently disclosed relationship-analysis system collects objective and subjective observations of participants, and their relationship, in an interaction or transaction. The objective and subjective observations are combined to generate an observation data set that is processed by a computational relationship-analysis system. The analysis produces a variety of different types of results, including trust metrics, and stores the results in memory and/or mass-storage for control of downstream analysis, reporting, and actions. Trust metrics provide a basis for carrying out numerous types of downstream actions and for generating recommendations and evaluations by various types of relationship-evaluation and relationship-management systems that employ the relationship-analysis system.

Abstract: The current document is directed to a relationship-analysis system. The currently disclosed relationship-analysis system collects objective and subjective observations of participants, and their relationship, in an interaction or transaction. The objective and subjective observations are combined to generate an observation data set that is processed by a computational relationship-analysis system. The analysis produces a variety of different types of results, including trust metrics, and stores the results in memory and/or mass-storage for control of downstream analysis, reporting, and actions. Trust metrics provide a basis for carrying out numerous types of downstream actions and for generating recommendations and evaluations by various types of relationship-evaluation and relationship-management systems that employ the relationship-analysis system.

Abstract: The current document is directed to a relationship-analysis system. The currently disclosed relationship-analysis system collects objective and subjective observations of participants, and their relationship, in an interaction or transaction. The objective and subjective observations are combined to generate an observation data set that is processed by a computational relationship-analysis system. The analysis produces a variety of different types of results, including trust metrics, and stores the results in memory and/or mass-storage for control of downstream analysis, reporting, and actions. Trust metrics provide a basis for carrying out numerous types of downstream actions and for generating recommendations and evaluations by various types of relationship-evaluation and relationship-management systems that employ the relationship-analysis system.

Abstract: The current document is directed to a semi-automated, distributed, interactive relationship-counseling system. The currently disclosed interactive relationship-counseling system employs, in one configuration, two smart phones, tablets, or other personal, processor-controlled, video-enabled electronic devices and one or more server computer systems. A relationship-counseling session, in a disclosed implementation, includes a discussion, by two participants, during which the participants are isolated from one another physically, but during which each participant hears and views a real-time video of his or her partner participant on his or her video-enabled electronic device. During the discussion, each participant may be monitored by one or more physiological sensors.

Abstract: This patent application describes many novel consumer Internet services which are built on common principles of intelligent hosting, direct trade between individuals and small businesses without middlemen, direct matching of individuals, aggregated persistent search for any commodity or service, and safe electronic commerce and personal communications environment provided by Trusted Net services. This patent application also describes the integration of consumer Internet services into a consumer-centric Internet portal.

Abstract: The current document discloses computer-based methods and systems that employ mnemonics for teaching foreign languages to students of foreign languages. The currently disclosed computer-based and mnemonics-based language learning system is, in the described implementation, a distributed computational system that provides a collaborative computational environment in which students of foreign languages create, edit, discuss, and use mnemonics-based dictionaries and language-learning resources.

Abstract: Streaming data is processed through one or more pipes of connected modules including mixers and/or splitters. The data is carried in composite physically allocated frames having virtual subframes associated with different ones of the splitters, mixers, and other transform modules. Nesting trees and pipe control tables represent the structure of the pipes. A frame allocator is assigned to a particular module in a pipe. Rather than issuing a control transaction to all modules when any one of them completes an operation upon its source data, a control manager requests a module to begin its operation only when all of its input subframes have become available. Frame control tables record when any module has completed an operation, and a pipe control table lists which modules provide data to which other modules.

Abstract: Frame-based streaming data flows through a graph of multiple interconnected processing modules. The modules have a set of performance parameters whose values specify the sensitivity of each module to the selection of certain resources of a system. A user specifies overall goals for an actual graph for processing a given type of data for a particular purpose. A flow manager constructs the graph as a sequence of module interconnections required for processing the data, in response to the parameter values of the individual modules in the graph in view of the goals for the overall graph as a whole, and divides it into pipes each having one or more modules and each assigned to a memory manager for handling data frames in the pipe.

Abstract: Presented is a system and method for determining a user's intent. Specifically, constituents and a topology are derived from the user's expression of intent, which can be stated broadly or stated in specific detail. The intent is expressed verbally, written, or in an XML format. The constituents and topology are resolved into a configuration based upon contexts. The contexts, which include a resource context, a user context, and an application context, includes information about the user's preferences, location, restrictions, device and network availability, and content availability. The configuration is then implemented.

Abstract: Presented is a system and method for determining a user's intent. Specifically, constituents and a topology are derived from the user's expression of intent, which can be stated broadly or stated in specific detail. The intent is expressed verbally, written, or in an XML format. The constituents and topology are resolved into a configuration based upon contexts. The contexts, which include a resource context, a user context, and an application context, includes information about the user's preferences, location, restrictions, device and network availability, and content availability. The configuration is then implemented.

Abstract: Frame-based streaming data flows through a graph of multiple interconnected processing modules. The modules have a set of performance parameters whose values specify the sensitivity of each module to the selection of certain resources of a system. A user specifies overall goals for an actual graph for processing a given type of data for a particular purpose. A flow manager constructs the graph as a sequence of module interconnections required for processing the data, in response to the parameter values of the individual modules in the graph in view of the goals for the overall graph as a whole, and divides it into pipes each having one or more modules and each assigned to a memory manager for handling data frames in the pipe.

Abstract: A system for the efficient decoding of data encoded with variable length codes uses an N-bit buffer as an index to a data look-up table or other suitable data structure. The encoded data is stored in an encoded data storage area and extracted N bits at a time. The N bits are used as an index or indicator to a location within the data look-up table. The contents of the data look-up table in the indicated location correspond to one or more decoded tokens and also provide an indication of the number of data bits from the N-bit buffer that were used to represent the decoded tokens. A pointer is incremented by the number and indicates a location within the encoded data storage area where the next N bits will be extracted and stored in the buffer. If the N-bit buffer is greater than or equal to the maximal length for the variable codes, at least one valid token is guaranteed as a result of a single data look-up operation. However, a data look-up operation typically results in a plurality of decoded tokens.