Abstract: The present invention provides a display apparatus, including: a display panel circuit which includes a panel load line and performs a scanning display operation; and a panel driving circuit. The panel driving circuit determines at least a test phase and a scanning display phase according to a display control signal generated by a timing control circuit, wherein the test phase is a partial time period when the panel driving circuit does not perform the scanning display operation. The panel driving circuit generates a test driving signal on the panel load line, and detects an electronic characteristic of the display panel circuit so as to determine a failure item thereof during the test phase according to a pre-determined test instruction. The panel driving circuit generates a display driving signal on the panel load line for the scanning display operation according to the display control signal during the scanning display phase.

Abstract: The present document relates to audio signal processing in general, and to the concealment of artifacts that results from loss of audio packets during audio transmission over a packet-switched network, in particular. A method (200) for concealing one or more consecutive lost packets (412, 413) is described. A lost packet (412) is a packet which is deemed to be lost by a transform-based audio decoder. Each of the one or more lost packets (412, 413) comprises a set of transform coefficients (313). A set of transform coefficients (313) is used by the transform-based audio decoder to generate a corresponding frame (412, 413) of a time domain audio signal. The method (200) comprises determining (205) for a current lost packet (412) of the one or more lost packets (412, 413) a number of preceding lost packets from the one or more lost packets (313); wherein the determined number is referred to as a loss position.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention relate to speaker identification using spatial information. A method of speaker identification for audio content being of a format based on multiple channels is disclosed. The method comprises extracting, from a first audio clip in the format, a plurality of spatial acoustic features across the multiple channels and location information, the first audio clip containing voices from a speaker, and constructing a first model for the speaker based on the spatial acoustic features and the location information, the first model indicating a characteristic of the voices from the speaker. The method further comprises identifying whether the audio content contains voices from the speaker based on the first model. Corresponding system and computer program product are also disclosed.

Abstract: A method of encoding audio information for forward error correction reconstruction of a transmitted audio stream over a lossy packet switched network, the method including the steps of: (a) dividing the audio stream into audio frames; (b) determining a series of corresponding audio frequency bands for the audio frames; (c) determining a series of power envelopes for the frequency bands; (d) encoding the envelopes as a low bit rate version of the audio frame in a redundant transmission frame.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus, and systems to determine a niche market of items or services, the first phase of which identities a gap between demand and supply for a set of items. Session logs may he evaluated to compare transactions involving a specific item to those of a larger group of items. The resultant information identifies areas of high demand, but with low availability. The niche market information may be provided as direct merchandising items for sellers. In one example, the method generates niche market item web pages in specific categories. Additional methods, apparatus, and systems are disclosed.

Abstract: One embodiment provides a system for recommending products. The system may include a search engine to retrieve, from a collection of product reviews, product review results using at least two input product names. The system may also include a template builder to build comparative sentence templates to define relationships between at least two product names, in which each comparative sentence template has a weight as a function of the defined relationship, and the search engine extracts one or more snippets matching at least one of the comparative sentence templates within each product review result. The system may further include a review ranking device to rank the product review search results based on the one or more extracted snippets, in which each snippet has a same weight as its matched comparative sentence template.

Abstract: An audio processing apparatus and an audio processing method are described. In one embodiment, the audio processing apparatus include an audio masker separator for separating from a first audio signal an audio material comprising a sound other than stationary noise and utterance meaningful in semantics, as an audio masker candidate. The apparatus also includes a first context analyzer for obtaining statistics regarding contextual information of detected audio masker candidates, and a masker library builder for building a masker library or updating an existing masker library by adding, based on the statistics, at least one audio masker candidate as an audio masker into the masker library, wherein audio maskers in the maker library are used to be inserted into a target position in a second audio signal to conceal defects in the second audio signal.

Abstract: Methods and systems to suggest information to be used with an item being listed for sale may include analyzing a plurality of stored entries of words and identifying certain entries based on desirability scores associated with those entries. The entries and the desirability scores may be identified based on their frequency of use in the plurality of stored entries and/or in the title information or other information associated with items offered for sale.

Abstract: Embodiments of client device and method for audio or video conferencing are described. An embodiment includes an offset detecting unit, a configuring unit, an estimator and an output unit. The offset detecting unit detects an offset of speech input to the client device. The configuring unit determines a voice latency from the client device to every far end. The estimator estimates a time when a user at the far end perceives the offset based on the voice latency. The output unit outputs a perceivable signal indicating that a user at the far end perceives the offset based on the time estimated for the far end. The perceivable signal is helpful to avoid collision between parties.

Abstract: A service request for communication services for communication clients is received. In response, a communication service network is set up to support the communication services. Routing metadata is generated for each of the communication clients. The routing metadata is to be used by each of the communication clients for sharing service quality information with a respective peer communication client over a light-weight peer-to-peer (P2P) network. The routing metadata is downloaded to each of the communication clients. A communication client may exchange service signaling packets or service data packets over the communication service network. When the communication client determines that there is a problematic region in a bitstream received from the communication server, the communication client can request a peer communication client for a service quality information portion related to the problematic region.

Abstract: The present document relates to audio signal processing in general, and to the concealment of artifacts that result from loss of audio packets during audio transmission over a packet-switched network, in particular. A method (200) for concealing one or more consecutive lost packets is described. A lost packet is a packet which is deemed to be lost transform-based audio decoder. Each of the one or more lost packets comprises a set of transform coefficients. A set of transform coefficients is used by the transform-based audio decoder to generate a corresponding frame of a time domain audio signal. The method (200) comprises determining (205) for a current lost packet of the one or more lost packets a number of preceding lost packets from the one or more lost packets; wherein the determined number is referred to as a loss position.

Abstract: Techniques for topic extraction and opinion mining are described. For example, a machine selects a document that is pertinent to a topic based on searching a plurality of documents. The machine identifies an identifier of a party to a transaction being referenced in the document, and identifies the transaction conducted by the party to the transaction based on the document. The machine determines a rating of the transaction based on the document. The determining of the rating of the transaction includes identifying, from a plurality of polarity words included in the document, a dominant polarity word based on a syntactic distance between the dominant polarity word and the topic in a syntactic tree. The machine determines a sentiment of the document based on the transaction, and the rating of the transaction.

Abstract: Methods and systems to suggest information to be used with an item being listed for sale may include analyzing stored search queries and identifying co-occurring terms or terms based on their desirability scores (or desirable terms). The co-occurring terms and the desirable terms may be identified based on their frequency of use in the search queries and/or in the title information or other information associated with items offered for sale.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention relate to speaker identification using spatial information. A method of speaker identification for audio content being of a format based on multiple channels is disclosed. The method comprises extracting, from a first audio clip in the format, a plurality of spatial acoustic features across the multiple channels and location information, the first audio clip containing voices from a speaker, and constructing a first model for the speaker based on the spatial acoustic features and the location information, the first model indicating a characteristic of the voices from the speaker. The method further comprises identifying whether the audio content contains voices from the speaker based on the first model. Corresponding system and computer program product are also disclosed.

Abstract: The present application relates to packet loss concealment apparatus and method, and audio processing system. According to an embodiment, the packet loss concealment apparatus is provided for concealing packet losses in a stream of audio packets, each audio packet comprising at least one audio frame in transmission format comprising at least one monaural component and at least one spatial component. The packet loss concealment apparatus may comprises a first concealment unit for creating the at least one monaural component for a lost frame in a lost packet and a second concealment unit for creating the at least one spatial component for the lost frame. According to the embodiment, spatial artifacts such as incorrect angle and diffuseness may be avoided as far as possible in PLC for multi-channel spatial or sound field encoded audio signals.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides systems and methods for the dispensing and collection of objects in urban environments. More particularly, the disclosure provides systems and methods for dispensing and collecting helmets. The disclosure provides a self-sufficient, high-capacity, helmet dispensing system. In some embodiments, the system includes solar panels that provide the system with the requisite power needed to power the system. In some implementations, the system includes a vandal resistant return mechanism for the helmets. The system may also include communication modules, which may transmit system information to a backend server.

Abstract: An audio processing apparatus and an audio processing method are described. In one embodiment, the audio processing apparatus include an audio masker separator for separating from a first audio signal an audio material comprising a sound other than stationary noise and utterance meaningful in semantics, as an audio masker candidate. The apparatus also includes a first context analyzer for obtaining statistics regarding contextual information of detected audio masker candidates, and a masker library builder for building a masker library or updating an existing masker library by adding, based on the statistics, at least one audio masker candidate as an audio masker into the masker library, wherein audio maskers in the maker library are used to be inserted into a target position in a second audio signal to conceal defects in the second audio signal.

Abstract: An expandable portable bag has a bearing plate section, an expandable peripheral side section, eyelet holes, control draw cords, bendable sections and a pull control and carry section to enable the portable containing bag form to be expanded. The portable containing bag can be directly used as a resting mat for a pet or the mat for people for the purpose of playing, resting and warming when the bag is at the expanded state. The bag has the advantage of easy cleaning. The bag significantly improves the practicability and advancement of the containing bag product in terms of the usage function and value.

Abstract: The present document relates to audio signal processing in general, and to the concealment of artifacts that result from loss of audio packets during audio transmission over a packet-switched network, in particular. A method (200) for concealing one or more consecutive lost packets is described. A lost packet is a packet which is deemed to be lost transform-based audio decoder. Each of the one or more lost packets comprises a set of transform coefficients. A set of transform coefficients is used by the transform-based audio decoder to generate a corresponding frame of a time domain audio signal. The method (200) comprises determining (205) for a current lost packet of the one or more lost packets a number of preceding lost packets from the one or more lost packets; wherein the determined number is referred to as a loss position.

Abstract: Embodiments of client device and method for audio or video conferencing are described. An embodiment includes an offset detecting unit, a configuring unit, an estimator and an output unit. The offset detecting unit detects an offset of speech input to the client device. The configuring unit determines a voice latency from the client device to every far end. The estimator estimates a time when a user at the far end perceives the offset based on the voice latency. The output unit outputs a perceivable signal indicating that a user at the far end perceives the offset based on the time estimated for the far end. The perceivable signal is helpful to avoid collision between parties.