An accessibility method is performed by an electronic device with a display and a touch-sensitive surface. The method includes: displaying a plurality of user interface elements on the display; in response to detecting a first user interface navigation gesture by a finger on the touch-sensitive surface, navigating in the plurality of user interface elements in accordance with a current navigable unit type; in response to detecting a first user interface navigation setting gesture on the touch-sensitive surface: changing the current navigable unit type from the first navigable unit type to a second navigable unit type; and outputting accessibility information about the second navigable unit type; after changing the current navigable unit type, in response to detecting a second user interface navigation gesture by the finger on the touch-sensitive surface, navigating in the plurality of user interface elements in accordance with the current navigable unit type.

Devices, Methods, and Graphical User Interfaces for Accessibility Using a Touch-Sensitive Surface

Neuromorphic systems are gaining increasing importance in an era where CMOS digital computing techniques are meeting hard physical limits. These silicon systems mimic extremely energy efficient neural computing structures, potentially both for solving engineering applications as well as understanding neural computation. Towards this end, the authors provide a glimpse at what the technology evolution roadmap looks like for these systems so that Neuromorphic engineers may gain the same benefit of anticipation and foresight that IC designers gained from Moore's law many years ago. Scaling of energy efficiency, performance, and size will be discussed as well as how the implementation and application space of Neuromorphic systems are expected to evolve over time.

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Finding a roadmap to achieve large neuromorphic hardware systems.

Systems and methods for providing fast and efficient data compression using a combination of content independent data compression and content dependent data compression. In one aspect, a method for compressing data comprises the steps of: analyzing a data block of an input data stream to identify a data type of the data block, the input data stream comprising a plurality of disparate data types; performing content dependent data compression on the data block, if the data type of the data block is identified; performing content independent data compression on the data block, if the data type of the data block is not identified.

Content independent data compression method and system

A system, method and apparatus for maximizing the effectiveness and efficiency of learning, retaining and retrieving knowledge and skills includes a main engine having a Learn Module, a Review Module and a Test Module. Each of the Learn, Review and Test Modules are capable of operating independently but are preferably arranged to operate interactively such that operation of each of the Learn, Review and Test Modules are changed based on a user's past performance within one or more of the three modules. In addition, the main engine may also include a Schedule Module for flexibly scheduling learning, reviewing and retrieving knowledge and skills based on various factors and input information. The main engine also may include a Progress Module which monitors a user's performance on any of the Learn, Review and Test Modules and changes the future operation of each module based on the monitored performance. The main engine also may include a Help Module to provide assistance with any of the other modules.

System, apparatus and method for maximizing effectiveness and efficiency of learning, retaining and retrieving knowledge and skills

A word recognition system can: respond to the input of a character string from a user by limiting the words it will recognize to words having a related, but not necessarily the same, string; score signals generated after a user has been prompted to generate a given word against words other than the prompted word to determine if the signal should be used to train the prompted word; vary the number of signals a user is prompted to generate to train a given word as a function of how well the training signals score against each other or prior models for the prompted word; create a new acoustic model of a phrase by concatenating prior acoustic models of the words in the phrase; obtain information from another program running on the same computer, such as its commands or the context of text being entered into it, and use that information to vary which words it can recognize; determine which program unit, such as an application program or dialog box, currently has input focus on its computer and create a vocabulary state associated with that program unit into which vocabulary words which will be made active when that program group has the focus can be put; detect the available computational resources and alter the instructions it executes in response; test if its ability to respond to voice input has been shut off without user confirmation, and, if so, turn that ability back on and prompt the user to confirm if that ability is to be turned off, store both a first and a second set of models for individual vocabulary words and enable a user to selectively cause the recognizer to disregard the second set of models for a selected word; and/or score a signal representing a given word against models for that word from different word model sets to select which model should be used for future recognition.

Apparatuses and methods for training and operating speech recognition systems

A didactic device for providing a learning experience and/or entertainment by serving as a learning aid to improve penmanship and drawing skills. The didactic device combines an optical image processing system with a speech synthesis system, wherein a drawing surface is provided in registration with the field of view of an optical imager. The user of the didactic device is requested either visually via a display mounted on the housing of the didactic device in proximity to the drawing surface or verbally via speech synthesis electronics to write or draw something on the drawing surface. When the user has completed the assignment by drawing indicia on the drawing surface, the image processing system, which includes an imager chip, a matrix memory in which signal data output from the imager chip is stored, and a data processor having an object recognition comparator, is actuated. The imager views the indicia as drawn by the user on the drawing surface and provides a signal data output indicative of the appearance of the indicia. The drawn indicia is then compared via the recognition comparator with the particular object configuration stored in memory and corresponding to the drawing instruction given to the user. Based upon the comparison, the speech synthesis system then gives an audible verbal response critiquing the writing or drawing of the user on the drawing surface and may be accompanied by visual showing of the correct drawing on the display.

Didactic device to improve penmanship and drawing skills

Disclosed is an integrated circuit device or chip which digitally synthesizes human speech using a linear predictive filter. This device may be implemented using conventional processing techniques. For instance, when implemented in conventional P-channel MOS technology, the disclosed device or chip has an active area of approximately 45,000 square mils.

Speech synthesis integrated circuit device

Speech synthesis system implementable in an integrated circuit device capable of converting frames of speech data at a variable frame rate into analog signals representative of human speech. The frames of speech data comprise digital representations of values of pitch, energy, filter coefficients and coded frame rate data. The speech synthesis system includes a linear predictive coding filter as a speech synthesizer which utilizes the speech data at a varying frame rate to produce digital speech signals representative of human speech. Frames of digital speech data including coded frame rate data are received by an input, with the frame rate data being decoded to control both the rate at which the incoming variable-length frames of speech data are accepted by the speech synthesizer and the number of interpolation calculations required to define interpolated speech values between adjacent incoming frames of speech data. A frame control circuit accomplishes the foregoing utilization of speech data at a variable frame rate by the speech synthesizer by providing for a variable number of interpolation calculations between adjacent speech frames from last implemented speech data in which the number of interpolation calculations in a given instance is determined by the frame rate data. A microprocessor controls the access of selected speech data which is stored in a memory. The system also includes a digital-to-analog converter for converting the digital speech signals produced by the filter into analog signals and a speaker for generating audible sounds in the form of synthesized human speech from the analog signals provided by the digital-to-analog converter.

Speech synthesis system utilizing variable frame rate

A system using a digital filter for generating complex waveforms, such as human speech. The filter has a multiplier, an adder coupled to the output of the multiplier and various delay circuits coupled to the output of the adder. A latch memory is coupled to the output of one of the delay circuits. Switching circuits are provided for the output of the delay and the latch memory to inputs of the multiplier and the adder to selected times. Coefficients of the filter are preferably stored in a memory coupled to another input of the multiplier. The excitation signal is coupled to the adder in one embodiment and to the multiplier in another embodiment.

System using digital filter for waveform or speech synthesis

A digital filter of the type which may be used in circuits for generating complex waveforms, such as human speech. The filter has a multiplier, an adder coupled to the output of the multiplier and various delay circuits coupled to the output of the adder. A latch memory is coupled to the output of one of the delay circuits. Switching circuits are provided for the output of the delay and the latch memory to inputs of the multiplier and the adder to selected times. Coefficients of the filter are preferably stored in a memory coupled to another input of the multiplier. The excitation signal is coupled to the adder in one embodiment and to the multiplier in another embodiment. In either embodiment, the digital filter may be implemented on a single integrated circuit chip.

Richard H. Wiggins

Papers

Didactic device to improve penmanship and drawing skills

Speech synthesis integrated circuit device

Speech synthesis system utilizing variable frame rate

System using digital filter for waveform or speech synthesis

Lattice filter for waveform or speech synthesis circuits using digital logic