Abstract: A system and method for providing conversational computing via a protocol for automatic dialog management and arbitration between a plurality of conversational applications, and a framework for supporting such protocol, in a multi-modal and/or multi-channel environment. A DMAF (dialog manager and arbitrator facade) interfaces with one or more applications, and a hierarchical DMA architecture enables arbitration across the applications and within the same application between various sub-dialogs.

Abstract: A method for enabling instant message (IM) communications between a plurality of IM clients, wherein each IM client has one or more usernames associated with it, each username in the one or more usernames associated with a different IM protocol, is provided. The method comprises: receiving a message for a username in a first IM protocol associated with the username; determining an associated IM client from the received username; converting the message into a second protocol associated with the determined IM client; and sending the converted message to a second username for the determined IM client in the second protocol.

Abstract: A method for enabling a mobile device to view one or more slides in a presentation is provided. The method comprises: determining when slides for the presentation have been changed; when a slide has been changed, performing the steps of: determining a current slide in the one or more slides being displayed; and sending a message, to the mobile device, indicating that the current slide has been displayed, wherein the message enables the current slide to be displayed on the mobile device.

Abstract: A method for performing a service for a mobile device is provided. The method comprises: receiving a request from the mobile device for a service that is not natively supported by the mobile device; determining one or more resources needed to fulfill the request; and performing the service associated with the request using the one or more resources.

Abstract: Methods and systems are disclosed for a virtual mobile service provider. In one embodiment, a method comprises providing a first mobile service enabler for a first mobile service, the mobile service enabler having a first interface using a first format for communicating with a first set of content providers; and providing a second mobile service enabler for a second mobile service, the second mobile service enabler having a second interface using the first format for communicating with a second set of content providers. The method further comprises providing a plurality of drivers, each of the drivers configured to adapt communications received from the first and second mobile service enablers to a wireless network communications format associated with a wireless network access provider in communications with the respective driver.

Abstract: Systems and methods for conversational computing and, in particular, to systems and methods for building distributed conversational applications using a Web services-based model wherein speech engines (e.g., speech recognition) and audio I/O systems are programmable services that can be asynchronously programmed by an application using a standard, extensible SERCP (speech engine remote control protocol), to thereby provide scalable and flexible IP-based architectures that enable deployment of the same application or application development environment across a wide range of voice processing platforms and networks/gateways (e.g., PSTN (public switched telephone network), Wireless, Internet, and VoIP (voice over IP)). Systems and methods are further provided for dynamically allocating, assigning, configuring and controlling speech resources such as speech engines, speech pre/post processing systems, audio subsystems, and exchanges between speech engines using SERCP in a web service-based framework.

Abstract: A system and method for generating streamed broadcast or multimedia applications that offer multi-modal interaction with the content of a multimedia presentation. Mechanisms are provided for enhancing multimedia broadcast data by adding and synchronizing low bit rate meta-information which preferably implements a multi-modal user interface. The meta information associated with video or other streamed data provides a synchronized multi-modal description of the possible interaction with the content. The multi-modal interaction is preferably implemented using intent-based interaction pages that are authored using a modality-independent script.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for facilitating speaker recognition, wherein, from target data that is provided relating to a target speaker and background data that is provided relating to at least one background speaker, a set of cohort data is selected from the background data that has at least one proximate characteristic with respect to the target data. The target data and the cohort data are then combined in a manner to produce at least one new cohort model for use in subsequent speaker verification. Similar methods and apparatus are contemplated for non-voice-based applications, such as verification through fingerprints.

Abstract: Systems and methods for multi-modal messaging that enable a user to compose, send and retrieve messages, such as SMS, MMS, IM or ordinary e-mail messages, for example, using one or more I/O (input/output) modalities (e.g., speech I/O and/or GUI I/O). A method for composing messages combines the advantages of a multi-modal interface (e.g., grammar-based speech and touchscreen or similar input devices) and message templates, which allows a user to construct a message with significantly less effort in a fraction of the time required by conventional methods. The user can dictate his/her messages using speech and/or GUI input, for example, based on a library of message templates which can be personalized by the user to fit his/her social interaction needs.

Abstract: In an illustrative embodiment, a speaker model is generated for each of a number of speakers from which speech samples have been obtained. Each speaker model contains a collection of distributions of audio feature data derived from the speech sample of the associated speaker. A hierarchical speaker model tree is created by merging similar speaker models on a layer by layer basis. Each time two or more speaker models are merged, a corresponding parent speaker model is created in the next higher layer of the tree. The tree is useful in applications such as speaker verification and speaker identification.

Abstract: An archive system for records with an audio component, which uses automated speech recognition to create a multi-layered archive pyramid. The archive pyramid includes successive layers of data stored at varying data rates such as original video data, compressed video data, original audio, compressed audio data, recognized word-lattices, recognized word-bags and a global word index. The disclosed system uses automatic speech recognition to transcribe from audio to searchable index layers. During a search operation, automatic and semi-automatic techniques are used to search the archive pyramid from the smallest narrowest layers to the largest widest layers, to identify a moderate subset of records. This subset is further refined by a manual survey of regenerated compressed audio. Finally, the selected records are retrieved from the original audio archive layer.

Abstract: A system and method for building compressed biometric models and performing biometric identification using such models. The use of the compressed biometric models results in a significant decrease in the storage requirements for biometric models in conventional biometric systems. A given number of L reference biometric models are built. The L reference models are randomly divided into M subsets. During user enrollment, distance measurements between a temporary biometric model and each of the reference models in the M subsets are computed.

Abstract: Systems and methods for conversational computing and, in particular, to systems and methods for building distributed conversational applications using a Web services-based model wherein speech engines (e.g., speech recognition) and audio I/O systems are programmable services that can be asynchronously programmed by an application using a standard, extensible SERCP (speech engine remote control protocol), to thereby provide scalable and flexible IP-based architectures that enable deployment of the same application or application development environment across a wide range of voice processing platforms and networks/gateways (e.g., PSTN (public switched telephone network), Wireless, Internet, and VoIP (voice over IP)). Systems and methods are further provided for dynamically allocating, assigning, configuring and controlling speech resources such as speech engines, speech pre/post processing systems, audio subsystems, and exchanges between speech engines using SERCP in a web service-based framework.

Abstract: A new application programming language is provided which is based on user interaction with any device which a user is employing to access any type of information. The new language is referred to herein as a “Conversational Markup Language (CML). In a preferred embodiment, CML is a high level XML based language for representing “dialogs” or “conversations” the user will have with any given computing device. For example, interaction may comprise, but is not limited to, visual based (text and graphical) user interaction and speech based user interaction. Such a language allows application authors to program applications using interaction-based elements referred to herein as “conversational gestures.” The present invention also provides for various embodiments of a multimodal browser capable of supporting the features of CML in accordance with various modality specific representations, e.g.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for the rapid adaptation of classification systems using small amounts of adaptation data. Improvements in classification accuracy are attainable when conditions similar to those that present in adaptation are observed. The attendant methods and apparatus are suitable for a wide variety of different classification schemes, including, e.g., speaker identification and speaker verification.

Abstract: Application development tools and method for building multi-channel, multi-device and multi-modal applications, and in particular, to systems and methods for developing applications whereby a user can interact in parallel with the same information via a multiplicity of channels and user interfaces, while a unified, synchronized views of the information are presented across the various channels or devices deployed by the user to interact with the information. In a preferred embodiment, application frameworks and development tools are preferably based on a MVC (Model-View-Controller) design paradigm that is adapted to provide synchronized multi-modal interactions. Multi-channel authoring can be developed using a similar methodology.

Abstract: A method for generating a hierarchical speaker model tree. In an illustrative embodiment, a speaker model is generated for each of a number of speakers from which speech samples have been obtained. Each speaker model contains a collection of distributions of audio feature data derived from the speech sample of the associated speaker. The hierarchical speaker model tree is created by merging similar speaker models on a layer by layer basis. Each time two or more speaker models are merged, a corresponding parent speaker model is created in the next higher layer of the tree. The tree is useful in applications such as speaker verification and speaker identification. A speaker verification method is disclosed in which a claimed ID from a claimant is received, where the claimed ID represents a speaker corresponding to a particular one of the speaker models. A cohort set of similar speaker models associated with the particular speaker model is established.

Abstract: A system and method for providing conversational computing via a protocol for automatic dialog management and arbitration between a plurality of conversational applications, and a framework for supporting such protocol, in a multi-modal and/or multi-channel environment. A DMAF (dialog manager and arbitrator facade) interfaces with one or more applications, and a hierarchical DMA architecture enables arbitration across the applications and within the same application between various sub-dialogs.

Abstract: A system and method for intelligent caching and network management includes contextual information representing needs of a user. A contextual system determines settings based on the contextual information and determines services and devices available for the user, in accordance with the contextual information. A predictor receives the contextual information, the settings, the services available and the devices available and predicts the needs of the user to make resources available to the user in accordance with predictions.

Abstract: Systems and methods for building speech-based applications using reusable dialog components based on VoiceXML (Voice eXtensible Markup Language). VoiceXML reusable dialog components can be used for building a voice interface for use with multi-modal, multi-channel and conversational applications that offer universal access to information anytime, from any location, using any pervasive computing device regardless of its I/O modality. In one embodiment, a framework for reusable dialog components built within the VoiceXML specifications is based on the <subdialog> tag and ECMAScript parameter objects to pass parameters, configuration and results. This solution is interpreted at the client side (VoiceXML browser). In another embodiment, a framework for reusable dialog components is based on JSP (Java Server Pages) and beans that generate VoiceXML subdialogs. This solution can be evaluated at the server side. These frameworks can be mixed and matched depending on the application.