Abstract: A playback device is configured to receive, via a network interface, a source stream of audio including first and second channel streams of audio, and to produce, via respective first and second speaker drivers, a first channel audio output and a second channel audio output. The playback device is also configured to receive, via one or more microphones, a captured stream of audio including first and second portions corresponding to the respective first and second channel audio outputs. The playback device is also configured to combine at least the first channel stream of audio and the second channel stream of audio into a compound audio signal and perform acoustic echo cancellation on the compound audio signal and thereby produce an acoustic echo cancellation output, then to apply the acoustic echo cancellation output to the captured stream of audio and thereby increase a signal-to noise ratio of the captured stream of audio.

Abstract: Example techniques involve systems with multiple acoustic echo cancellers. An example implementation captures first audio within an acoustic environment and detecting, within the captured first audio content, a wake-word. In response to the wake-word and before playing an acknowledgement tone, the implementation activates (a) a first sound canceller when one or more speakers are playing back audio content or (b) a second sound canceller when the one or more speakers are idle. In response to the wake-word and after activating either (a) the first sound canceller or (b) the second sound canceller, the implementation outputs the acknowledgement tone via the one or more speakers. The implementation captures second audio within the acoustic environment and cancelling the acoustic echo of the acknowledgement tone from the captured second audio using the activated sound canceller.

Abstract: Systems and methods for suppressing noise and detecting voice input in a multi-channel audio signal captured by a plurality of microphones include (i) capturing a first audio signal via a first microphone and a second audio signal via a second microphone, wherein the first and second audio signals respectively comprises first and second noise content from a noise source; (ii) identifying the first noise content in the first audio signal; (iii) using the identified first noise content to determine an estimated noise content captured by the plurality of microphones; (iv) using the estimated noise content to suppress the first and second noise content in the first and second audio signals; (v) combining the suppressed first and second audio signals into a third audio signal; and (vi) determining that the third audio signal includes a voice input comprising a wake word.

Abstract: Systems and methods for suppressing noise and detecting voice input in a multi-channel audio signal captured by two or more network microphone devices include receiving an instruction to process one or more audio signals captured by a first network microphone device and after receiving the instruction (i) disabling at least a first microphone of a plurality of microphones of a second network microphone device, (ii) capturing a first audio signal via a second microphone of the plurality of microphones, (iii) receiving over a network interface of the second network microphone device a second audio signal captured via at least a third microphone of the first network microphone device, (iv) using estimated noise content to suppress first and second noise content in the first and second audio signals, (v) combining the suppressed first and second audio signals into a third audio signal, and (vi) determining that the third audio signal includes a voice input comprising a wake word.

Abstract: Systems and methods for suppressing noise and detecting voice input in a multi-channel audio signal captured by two or more network microphone devices include receiving an instruction to process one or more audio signals captured by a first network microphone device and after receiving the instruction (i) disabling at least a first microphone of a plurality of microphones of a second network microphone device, (ii) capturing a first audio signal via a second microphone of the plurality of microphones, (iii) receiving over a network interface of the second network microphone device a second audio signal captured via at least a third microphone of the first network microphone device, (iv) using estimated noise content to suppress first and second noise content in the first and second audio signals, (v) combining the suppressed first and second audio signals into a third audio signal, and (vi) determining that the third audio signal includes a voice input comprising a wake word.

Abstract: Example techniques involve systems with multiple acoustic echo cancellers. An example implementation captures first audio within an acoustic environment and detecting, within the captured first audio content, a wake-word. In response to the wake-word and before playing an acknowledgement tone, the implementation activates (a) a first sound canceller when one or more speakers are playing back audio content or (b) a second sound canceller when the one or more speakers are idle. In response to the wake-word and after activating either (a) the first sound canceller or (b) the second sound canceller, the implementation outputs the acknowledgement tone via the one or more speakers. The implementation captures second audio within the acoustic environment and cancelling the acoustic echo of the acknowledgement tone from the captured second audio using the activated sound canceller.

Abstract: Systems and methods for suppressing noise and detecting voice input in a multi-channel audio signal captured by two or more network microphone devices include receiving an instruction to process one or more audio signals captured by a first network microphone device and after receiving the instruction (i) disabling at least a first microphone of a plurality of microphones of a second network microphone device, (ii) capturing a first audio signal via a second microphone of the plurality of microphones, (iii) receiving over a network interface of the second network microphone device a second audio signal captured via at least a third microphone of the first network microphone device, (iv) using estimated noise content to suppress first and second noise content in the first and second audio signals, (v) combining the suppressed first and second audio signals into a third audio signal, and (vi) determining that the third audio signal includes a voice input comprising a wake word.

Abstract: A playback device is configured to receive, via a network interface, a source stream of audio including first and second channel streams of audio, and to produce, via respective first and second speaker drivers, a first channel audio output and a second channel audio output. The playback device is also configured to receive, via one or more microphones, a captured stream of audio including first and second portions corresponding to the respective first and second channel audio outputs. The playback device is also configured to combine at least the first channel stream of audio and the second channel stream of audio into a compound audio signal and perform acoustic echo cancellation on the compound audio signal and thereby produce an acoustic echo cancellation output, then to apply the acoustic echo cancellation output to the captured stream of audio and thereby increase a signal-to noise ratio of the captured stream of audio.

Abstract: Systems and methods for suppressing noise and detecting voice input in a multi-channel audio signal captured by a plurality of microphones include (i) capturing a first audio signal via a first microphone and a second audio signal via a second microphone, wherein the first and second audio signals respectively comprises first and second noise content from a noise source; (ii) identifying the first noise content in the first audio signal; (iii) using the identified first noise content to determine an estimated noise content captured by the plurality of microphones; (iv) using the estimated noise content to suppress the first and second noise content in the first and second audio signals; (v) combining the suppressed first and second audio signals into a third audio signal; and (vi) determining that the third audio signal includes a voice input comprising a wake word.

Abstract: A method of operating a playback device includes receiving source audio content that includes a first and second channel stream of audio. The method also includes playing back, via a first and second speaker driver of the playback device, the first and second channel streams of audio, thereby producing a first and second channel audio output. A captured stream of audio is received by a microphone of the playback device, and portions of the captured stream of audio correspond to the first and second channel audio outputs. The first and second channel streams of audio are combined into a compound audio signal, and acoustic echo cancellation is performed on the compound audio signal to produce an acoustic echo cancellation output, which is then applied to the captured stream of audio to increase the signal-to noise ratio of the captured stream of audio.

Abstract: Example techniques involve systems with multiple acoustic echo cancellers. An example implementation captures first audio within an acoustic environment and detecting, within the captured first audio content, a wake-word. In response to the wake-word and before playing an acknowledgement tone, the implementation activates (a) a first sound canceller when one or more speakers are playing back audio content or (b) a second sound canceller when the one or more speakers are idle. In response to the wake-word and after activating either (a) the first sound canceller or (b) the second sound canceller, the implementation outputs the acknowledgement tone via the one or more speakers. The implementation captures second audio within the acoustic environment and cancelling the acoustic echo of the acknowledgement tone from the captured second audio using the activated sound canceller.

Abstract: A method of operating a playback device includes receiving source audio content that includes a first and second channel stream of audio. The method also includes playing back, via a first and second speaker driver of the playback device, the first and second channel streams of audio, thereby producing a first and second channel audio output. A captured stream of audio is received by a microphone of the playback device, and portions of the captured stream of audio correspond to the first and second channel audio outputs. The first and second channel streams of audio are combined into a compound audio signal, and acoustic echo cancellation is performed on the compound audio signal to produce an acoustic echo cancellation output, which is then applied to the captured stream of audio to increase the signal-to noise ratio of the captured stream of audio.

Abstract: Disclosed is a novel system and method to select software components. A set of available software components are accessed. Next, one or more dimensions are defined. Each dimension is an attribute to the set of available software components. A set of coherence distances between each pair of the available software components in the set of available software components is calculated for each of the dimensions that have been defined. Each of the coherence distances are combined between each pair of the available software components that has been calculated in the set of the coherence distances into an overall coherence degree for each of the available software components. Using the overall coherence degree, one or more software components are selected to be included in a software bundle.

Abstract: A method for recommending customized emergency response for a subject includes receiving an indication that the subject requests emergency response, determining a customized emergency response protocol for the subject, based at least on a current physiological state of the subject, wherein the protocol is different from subject to subject, equipping an emergency response vehicle based on the customized emergency response protocol, and dispatching the emergency response vehicle to the subject.

Abstract: Techniques are presented that include accessing results of forward simulations of circuit yield, the results including at least circuit yield results including simulated device shapes. Using the circuit yield results, high-level traits of at least the simulated device shapes are determined. Based on the determined high-level traits and using the circuit yield results, a compact model for predicted yield is constructed, the compact model including a plurality of adjustable parameters, and the constructing the compact model for predicted yield including adjusting the adjustable parameters until at least one first predetermined criterion is met. An optimization problem is constructed including at least the compact model for yield, an objective, and a plurality of constraints. Using the optimization problem, the objective is modified subject to the plurality of constraints until at least one second predetermined criterion is met.

Abstract: Disclosed is a novel system and method to select software components. A set of available software components are accessed. Next, one or more dimensions are defined. Each dimension is an attribute to the set of available software components. A set of coherence distances between each pair of the available software components in the set of available software components is calculated for each of the dimensions that have been defined. Each of the coherence distances are combined between each pair of the available software components that has been calculated in the set of the coherence distances into an overall coherence degree for each of the available software components. Using the overall coherence degree, one or more software components are selected to be included in a software bundle.

Abstract: A computer implemented method, system and/or computer program product schedules execution of work requests through work plan prioritization. One or more work packets are mapped to and assigned to each work request from a group of work requests. A complexity level is derived for and assigned to each work packet, and priority levels of various work requests are determined for each entity from a group of entities. A global priority for the group of work requests is then determined. The global priority and the complexity levels combine to create a priority function, which is used to schedule execution of the work requests.

Abstract: A computer implemented method, system and/or computer program product optimizes a service delivery system. A processor receives a first set of inputs that describes a current state of a service delivery system and a second set of inputs that describes a cost overhead for the service delivery system. The processor then optimizes the service delivery system in order to derive an optimized service delivery system.

Abstract: A mode-selective add/drop unit for a mode division de/multiplexing device includes an optical ADU waveguide adapted for coupling to an input optical waveguide. The optical ADU waveguide includes at least one region providing optical signal coupling between the ADU waveguide and a multi-mode waveguide; and, one or more phase matching regions for controlling a relative or absolute phase difference between an electromagnetic wave (EMW) carried in the ADU waveguide and the multi-mode waveguide. The mode-selective add/drop unit may further include a transition region connecting the coupling region and a phase matching region, wherein a shape of a transition region is governed by a polynomial function, exponential function, logarithmic function, trigonometric function or, any combination of these functions.

Abstract: A method, system, and/or computer program product predicts trouble during a transition phase of a current project. Past operational data and past trouble data for past healthy projects and past troubled projects before transition phases is collected. A trouble correlation between the past operational data and the past trouble data is then determined. A set of key metrics that describes a current health of a current project before transitioning from a current phase to a future phase is defined, and values of the set of key metrics for the current project are identified. Identified values of the set of key metrics for the current project are compared to the past operational data for past healthy and troubled projects in order to generate a pattern comparison. This pattern comparison, along with the trouble correlation, is used to generate a predicted quality of transition for the current project.