Showing papers by "Panasonic published in 1999"

The Effect of Social Information on the Perception of Sociolinguistic Variables

Abstract: Forty-one Detroit-area residents were given perceptual tests in which they were asked to choose from a set of resynthesized vowels the tokens that they felt best matched the vowels they heard in the speech of a fellow Detroiter. Half of the respondents were told that the speaker was from Detroit, whereas half were told that she was from Canada. Respondents given the Canadian label chose raised-diphthong tokens as those present in the dialect of the speaker, whereas those given the Michigan label did not. Respondents given the Michigan label chose vowels that were quite different from the Northern Cities Chain-Shifted variety present in the speaker’s dialect. Because the “speaker’s” perceived nationality was the only aspect that varied between the two groups of respondents, this label alone must have caused the difference in the selection of tokens. This indicates that listeners use social information in speech perception.

Method and device for segmenting hand gestures

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a method of segmenting hand gestures which automatically segments hand gestures to be detected into words or apprehensible units structured by a plurality of words when recognizing the hand gestures without the user's presentation where to segment. Transition feature data in which a feature of a transition gesture being not observed during a gesture representing a word but is described when transiting from a gesture to another is previously stored. Thereafter, a motion of image corresponding to the part of body in which the transition gesture is observed is detected (step S 106 ), the detected motion of image is compared with the transition feature data (step S 107 ), and a time position where the transition gesture is observed is determined so as to segment the hand gestures (step S 108 ).

Method and apparatus for natural language parsing using multiple passes and tags

Abstract: A computer-implemented speech parsing method and apparatus for processing an input phrase. The method and apparatus include providing a plurality of grammars that are indicative of predetermined topics. A plurality of parse forests are generated using the grammars. Tags are associated with words preferably according to a scoring scheme utilizing the generated parse forests while parsing the input phrase. The tags that are associated with the words are used as a parsed representation of the input phrase.

Optical disk, an optical disk barcode forming method, an optical disk reproduction apparatus, a marking forming apparatus, a method of forming a laser marking on an optical disk, and a method of manufacturing an optical disk

Abstract: Disclosed is an optical disk barcode forming method wherein, as information to be barcoded, position information for piracy prevention, which is a form of ID, is coded as a barcode and is recorded by laser trimming on a reflective film in a PCA area of an optical disk. When playing back the thus manufactured optical disk on a reproduction apparatus, the barcode data can be played back using the same optical pickup.

Operation indication outputting device for giving operation indication according to type of user's action

Abstract: A motion detecting unit detects a motion of an operation indication outputting device. A motion analyzing unit analyzes a direction, strength, and number of occurrence of the detected motion. A user action analyzing unit analyzes a type of a user's action by obtaining a frequency distribution from the detected motion. An operation determining unit includes a storing unit which stores operation indications that each correspond to a type of the user's action and a direction and other attributes of a motion of the operation indication outputting device caused by the user's action, and outputs an operation indication corresponding to the analysis results by the motion analyzing unit and user action analyzing unit to an information processing apparatus.

System and method for accessing TV-related information over the internet

Abstract: The system retrieves information from the internet using multiple search engines that are simultaneously launched by the search engine commander. The commander is responsive to a speech-enabled system including a speech recognizer and natural language parser. The user speaks to the system in natural language requests, and the parser extracts the semantic content from the user's speech, based on a set of goal oriented grammars. The preferred system includes a fixed grammar and an updatable or downloaded grammar, allowing the system to be used without extensive training and yet capable of being customized for a particular user's purposes. Results obtained from the search engines are filtered based on information extracted from an electronic program guide and from prestored user profile data. The results may be displayed on screen or through synthesized speech.

Voice activated controller for recording and retrieving audio/video programs

Abstract: The system includes a database of program records representing A/V programs which are available for recording. The system also includes an A/V recording device for receiving a recording command and recording the A/V program. A speech recognizer is provided for receiving the spoken request and translating the spoken request into a text stream having a plurality of words. A natural language processor receives the text stream and processes the words for resolving a semantic content of the spoken request. The natural language processor places the meaning of the words into a task frame having a plurality of key word slots. A dialogue system analyzes the task frame for determining if a sufficient number of key word slots have been filled and prompts the user for additional information for filling empty slots. The dialogue system searches the database of program records using the key words placed within the task frame for selecting the A/V program and generating the recording command for use by the A/V recording device.

System for identifying and adapting a TV-user profile by means of speech technology

Abstract: Speech input supplied by the user is evaluated by the speaker verification/identification module, and based on the evaluation, parameters are retrieved from a user profile database. These parameters adapt the speech models of the speech recognizer and also supply the natural language parser with customized dialog grammars. The user's speech is then interpreted by the speech recognizer and natural language parser to determine the meaning of the user's spoken input in order to control the television tuner. The parser works in conjunction with a command module that mediates the dialog with the user, providing on-screen prompts or synthesized speech queries to elicit further input from the user when needed. The system integrates with an electronic program guide, so that the natural language parser is made aware of what programs are available when conducting the synthetic dialog with the user.

Information recording medium, apparatus and method for recording or reproducing data thereof

Abstract: An information recording medium suitable for optical discs such as DVD-RAM is provided for integrated management of data as objects in different kinds of AV formats. Also apparatus is provided for data recording and playing to the medium. The medium stores management information including program chain information (PGC information) defining the playback order of the objects, and object information containing information relevant to the objects. The object information has general information of the object, attribute information and a map associating a playback time point of the object with an address on the optical disc of a component of the object to be played. The PGC information has cell information including information about type of object, identification information. The order of the cell information in the PGC information corresponds to the order in which the objects are played back.

Radio communication device and method of controlling transmission rate

Abstract: The communication terminal apparatus measures reception quality and reports the measurement result to the base station apparatus, and the base station apparatus switches the transmission rate based on the reported result of the reception quality. In this way, the transmission rate is switched starting at the point in time at which the reception quality of the communication terminal apparatus deteriorates. Furthermore, the transmission rate is switched so that the amount of interference with others is within the allowable range according to the channel condition between the communication terminal apparatus and base station apparatus.

System and method for allowing family members to access TV contents and program media recorder over telephone or internet

Abstract: Users of the system can access the TV contents and program media recorder by speaking in natural language sentences. The user interacts with the television and with other multimedia equipment, such as media recorders and VCRs, through the unified access controller. A speaker verification/identification module determines the identity of the speaker and this information is used to control how the dialog between user and system proceeds. Speech can be input through either a microphone or over the telephone. In addition, the user can interact with the system using a suitable computer attached via the internet. Regardless of the mode of access, the unified access controller interprets the semantic content of the user's request and supplies the appropriate control signals to the television tuner and/or recorder.

Information recording medium, information recording method, information recording apparatus and information reproducing apparatus

Abstract: An information recording medium of the present invention includes: a volume space in which user data is recorded; a spare area including a replacement area which may be used in place of a defective area included in the volume space; and a defect management information area in which defect management information for managing the defective area is recorded. The defect management information includes status information indicating whether the defective area is replaced by the replacement area.

Method of manufacturing liquid crystal display device

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device includes forming a first substrate including first display regions, forming a second substrate including second display regions, forming seal members of a loop shape around the first or second display regions, dropping a liquid crystal material onto the first or second display regions surrounded by the seal members, and bonding the first and second substrates to each other by the seal members such that the first display regions oppose the second display regions In the dropping, a greater amount of liquid crystal material is dropped onto display regions close to ends of the first or second substrate, than onto display regions close to a center of the first or second substrate

Speaker verification and speaker identification based on eigenvoices

Abstract: Speech models are constructed and trained upon the speech of known client speakers (and also impostor speakers, in the case of speaker verification). Parameters from these models are concatenated to define supervectors and a linear transformation upon these supervectors results in a dimensionality reduction yielding a low-dimensional space called eigenspace. The training speakers are then represented as points or distributions in eigenspace. Thereafter, new speech data from the test speaker is placed into eigenspace through a similar linear transformation and the proximity in eigenspace of the test speaker to the training speakers serves to authenticate or identify the test speaker.

Illuminating apparatus, display panel, view finder, video display apparatus, and video camera mounting the elements

Abstract: Light emitted from a white LED 15 is converted by a lens 11 into light having an excellent directionality. The light illuminates a display panel 863 from the direction of an angle θ k . The display panel 863 is a polymer dispersed liquid crystal display panel in a normally white mode. The display panel 863 modulates incident light by scattering it, the scattered light is incident on a magnification lens 866 , and light from the magnification lens reaches an eye 21 of the observer. Light which passes straight through a liquid crystal layer in the display panel 863 is absorbed by an optical absorbing film 12 . The observer fixedly positions his/her eye 21 to an eyepiece cover 852 and observes the displayed image.

Speech synthesis employing prosody templates

Abstract: Prosody templates, constructed during system design, store intonation (F0) and duration information based on syllabic stress patterns for the target word. The prosody templates are constructed so that words exhibiting the same stress pattern will be assigned the same prosody template. The prosody template information is preferably stored in a normalized form to reduce noise level in the statistical measures. The synthesizer uses a word dictionary that specifies the stress patterns associated with each stored word. These stress patterns are used to access the prosody template database. F0 and duration information is then extracted from the selected template, de-normalized and applied to the phonemic information to produce a natural human-sounding prosody in the synthesized output.

Digital television status display

Abstract: A television receiver which receives an ATSC multi-program stream for a single major channel and generates a status display which displays the major channel identifier and a plurality of indicators, each corresponding to a respective one of the minor channels associated with the major channel. The indicator corresponding to the minor channel that is currently selected is highlighted with respect to the other indicators. The television receiver includes an image format converter and the status display also includes information concerning the format of the received signal and any format conversion that is currently being performed. The television receiver is also coupled to a digital VCR via a digital communications link. The digital television receiver generates a control panel for the digital VCR on the display device of the television receiver, and includes a facility for receiving commands for the digital VCR, sending the commands to the digital VCR via the digital communications link displaying the current status of the digital VCR. The television receiver maintains the status display for the digital VCR, by sending a status change request to the digital VCR immediately after receiving any status change information, whereby the VCR responds to the status change request only on a subsequent change in its operational status.

Method and apparatus for displaying a synthesized image viewed from a virtual point of view

Abstract: An image generating apparatus comprising: a camera or a plurality of cameras; space reconstructing means for mapping the input image from said camera, into a predetermined space model of a predetermined three-dimensional space; point-of-view converting means of synthesizing an image viewed from an arbitrary virtual point of view in said predetermined three-dimensional space by referencing to said space data mapped by said space reconstructing means; and displaying means of displaying the image converted by said point-of-view converting means.

Speech recognition training for small hardware devices

Abstract: A distributed speech processing system for constructing speech recognition reference models that are to be used by a speech recognizer in a small hardware device, such as a personal digital assistant or cellular telephone. The speech processing system includes a speech recognizer residing on a first computing device and a speech model server residing on a second computing device. The speech recognizer receives speech training data and processes it into an intermediate representation of the speech training data. The intermediate representation is then communicated to the speech model server. The speech model server generates a speech reference model by using the intermediate representation of the speech training data and then communicates the speech reference model back to the first computing device for storage in a lexicon associated with the speech recognizer.

Apparatus for monitoring

Abstract: In a monitoring device, a camera controller controls each of cameras, a display controller controls at least one display to show thereon a picture taken by at least one of the cameras to be monitored by an operator and controls a picture recorder to record the picture therein, and a condition data recording controller controls a recording of at least one of a condition data of the at least one of the cameras while taking the picture and a condition data of the display while showing the picture, into a condition data memory device.

Formant-based speech synthesizer employing demi-syllable concatenation with independent cross fade in the filter parameter and source domains

Abstract: The concatenative speech synthesizer employs demi-syllable subword units to generate speech. The synthesizer is based on a source-filter model that uses source signals that correspond closely to the human glottal source and that uses filter parameters that correspond closely to the human vocal tract. Concatenation of the demi-syllable units is facilitated by two separate cross face techniques, one applied in the time domain in the demi-syllable source signal waveforms, and one applied in the frequency domain by interpolating the corresponding filter parameters of the concatenated demi-syllables. The dual cross fade technique results in natural sounding synthesis that avoids time-domain glitches without degrading or smearing characteristic resonances in the filter domain.

Network system, network terminal, and method for specifying location of failure in network system

Abstract: In a network of a topology of a loop and a bus, occurrence of a failure is detected and a location of the failure is specified. Occurrence of the failure is detected by detecting that a specific signal pattern to be received at regular time intervals within a fixed time period is not received. A node which has detected occurrence of the failure transmits or receives a specifying signal among the nodes, and decide whether or not the failure has occurred adjacently to itself. A packet indicating a decided location of the failure is transmitted or received among nodes, and thereby respective nodes specify the location of the failure. When the failure has occurred at the master node, a node having a smallest node ID after waiting time according to the node ID operates as the alternative master node.

Resin encapsulated semiconductor device having a reduced thickness and improved reliability

Abstract: A lead frame including signal-connecting leads, a die pad and support leads is provided. A semiconductor chip is bonded to the die pad with an adhesive. The semiconductor chip, electrode pads and the signal-connecting leads are electrically connected to each other with metal fine wires. And these members are encapsulated in a resin encapsulant. The back surface of the die pad is subjected to half etching or the like to form a convex portion and a flange portion surrounding the convex portion. Since a thin layer of the resin encapsulant exists under the flange portion, the resin encapsulant can hold the die pad more strongly and the moisture resistance of the device can be improved with the lower surface of the die pad protruding from the resin encapsulant. As a result, the characteristics of a resin-molded semiconductor device having a die pad exposed on the back surface of a resin encapsulant can be improved.

Digital content protection system

Abstract: The media inherent key storing unit 220 prestores an inherent key Ki, the conversion unit 230 generates an encrypted inherent key Ji from the inherent key read from the media inherent key storing unit 220, the random number generating unit 331 generates a random number R1, the encryption unit 252 generates an encrypted random number S1, the decryption unit 333 generates a random number R'1 from the encrypted random number R1, and the mutual authentication control unit 334 compares the random number R'1 with the random number R1 and, if the random number R'l matches the random number R1, judges that the memory card 200 is an authorized device. If the memory card 200 and the memory card writer have successfully authenticated each other, the memory card writer encrypts a content using a decrypted inherent key. If the memory card 200 and the memory card reader have successfully authenticated each other, the memory card reader decrypts an encrypted content using the decrypted inherent key.

Circuit board and method of manufacturing the same

Abstract: Through holes formed in an electrical insulating substrate having adhesive layers on its both surfaces are filled with a conductor. Then, supporting bases having wiring layers with a predetermined pattern are laminated on both the surfaces of the electrical insulating substrate, which are then heated and pressurized. After that, the supporting bases are removed, thus obtaining a circuit board in which the wiring layers have been embedded in the adhesive layers. The conductor within the through holes are compressed sufficiently, thus forming minute via holes with high reliability.

Multimedia file systems using file managers located on clients for managing network attached storage devices

Abstract: A multi-media file system for conmmunicating information between a multi-media client and a network storage device over a network. The file system includes a cluster that comprises one cluster manager and at least one file manager with each network storage device. The cluster manager is located on a client, includes an admission controller for controlling the admission of a request from a client for a file operation upon a selected file. A network bandwidth request from the admission controller is responded to by a network status determiner included in the cluster manager. The network status determiner determines the available network bandwidth. Each file manager is located on one of the clients. The file managers manage file maintenance procedures of corresponding files located on the network storage device. Each file manager includes a disk status determiner for determining the available disk bandwidth. The disk status determiner responds to a request from the admission controller.

Image communication apparatus, server apparatus, and capability exchanging method

Abstract: An Internet facsimile apparatus as a sender makes inquiry about capability, which a destination Internet facsimile apparatus possesses, to a local server in a local network. When the local server has no capability information of the destination stored, the sender makes inquiry to a DNS server higher than the local server and obtains capability information of the destination from the DNS server. Then, the sender registers the obtained capability information of the destination to a memory, which the local server or the sender has. This realizes that the sender can surely obtain capability information of the destination. Also, this makes it possible to automatically register capability information of the destination to the memory of the local server or the sender.