Abstract: A method for providing a health break while using computers, for those aspects of health that are impacted by use of computers for sustained periods of time. These health aspects are those which cause strain and fatigue of muscles in the neck, hand and back areas. Another, important health aspect is the strain on the ciliary muscles in the eye used for focussing. These muscles are strained by sustained visualization of the video screen. The method requires the operating system to pause the application, display a health related break message and an eye related health message at different rates for preset times. This message illustrates the purpose of break and what should be done during the break. The user has the features to delay or cancel the health related break message.

Abstract: A speech recognizing device performing speech syllable recognition and language word identification. The speech syllable recognition is performed on an ensemble composed of nearly one thousand syllables formed by the human vocal system, which allows for variations caused by language dialects and speech accents. For syllable recognition, the nearly one thousand speech syllables, using a spectrogram-feature-based approach, are parsed in a hierarchical structure based on the region of the vocal system from where the syllable emanated from, root syllable from that vocal region, vowel-caused variation of the root syllable, and syllable duration. The syllable's coded representation includes sub-codes for each of the levels of this hierarchical structure. For identification, speech words composed of sequences of coded syllables are mapped to known language words and their grammatical attribute, using a syllabic dictionary where the same words spoken differently map to a known language word.