A mechanism for generating gate-level activity data for use in clock gating efficiency analysis of an integrated circuit (IC) design is provided. Generating the gate-level activity data includes generating a signal behaviour description for inter-register signals, generating a gate-level netlist for the IC design, generating gate-level stimuli based at least partly on the generated signal behaviour description, and performing gate-level simulation using the generated gate-level stimuli to generate gate-level activity data for the IC design. In one embodiment, generating the signal behaviour description includes performing Register Transfer Level (RTL) simulation of the IC design, and generating the gate-level netlist includes performing RTL synthesis. The RTL simulation and RTL synthesis are performed on RTL data for the IC design.

A method for accurately determining the shape of currents in a current spectrum for a circuit design is provided. The method includes determining timing and power consumption characteristics. In one embodiment, timing characteristics are provided through a electronic design automation tool. The timing characteristics yield a current pulse time width. In another embodiment, power consumption characteristics are provided by an EDA tool. The power consumption characteristics yield a current pulse amplitude. The shape of the current pulse is obtained by incrementally processing a power analyzer tool over relatively small time increments over one or more clock cycles while capturing the switching nodes of a simulation of the circuit design for each time increment. In one embodiment, the time increments are one nanosecond or less.

A system, method, and computer program product for containing analog verification IP for circuit simulation. Embodiments introduce analog verification units (“vunits”), and corresponding analog verification files to contain them. Vunits allow circuit design verification requirement specification via text file. No editing of netlist files containing design IP is required to implement static and dynamic circuit checks, PSL assertions, clock statements, or legacy assertions. Vunits reference a top-level circuit or subcircuits (by name or by specific instance), and the simulator automatically binds vunit contents appropriately during circuit hierarchy expansion. Vunits may be re-used for other design cells, and may be easily processed by text-based design tools. Vunits may be provided via vunit_include statements in a control netlist file, command line arguments, or by directly placing a vunit block into a netlist. Vunits may also contain instance statements to monitor or process signals, such as those needed by assertions.

The present disclosure relates a method of performing a design rule checking (DRC) procedure on a multi-tiered integrated chip. In some embodiments, the method is performed by defining layer databases for a plurality of tiers within a multi-tiered integrated chip. The layer databases respectively identify design layers within an associated tier. A DRC (design rule checking) deck is then generated, which defines one or more individual design layer definitions as a function of a plurality of layer databases, so that the one or more individual design layer definitions are defined for a plurality of tiers. One or more design rules for the one or more individual design layer definitions are defined within the DRC deck. Since the individual design layer definitions are defined as functions of the plurality of layer databases, the design rules apply to the plurality of tiers.

A method and system for optical proximity correction (OPC) is disclosed in which a set of shaped beam shots is determined which, when used in a shaped beam charged particle beam writer, will form a pattern on a reticle, where some of the shots overlap, where the pattern on the reticle is an OPC-corrected version of an input pattern, and where the sensitivity of the pattern on the reticle to manufacturing variation is reduced. A method for fracturing or mask data preparation is also disclosed.

A technique for determining whether an integrated circuit design is susceptible to glitches includes identifying storage elements in an original register-transfer level (RTL) file of the integrated circuit design and identifying clock signals for each of the storage elements in the original RTL file. The technique also includes generating respective assertions for each of the identified clock signals and identifying potential glitchy logic in respective clock paths for each of the identified clock signals. Finally, the technique includes inserting, at the potential glitchy logic, glitches in each of the respective clock paths of the original RTL file to provide a modified RTL file and executing an RTL simulation using the modified RTL file and the respective assertions.

Disclosed are methods, systems, and articles of manufactures for implementing physical designs by using multiple force models to iteratively morph a layout decomposition. In addition to attractive force model(s) or repulsive force model(s), the physical implementation also uses a containment force model for grouping multiple design blocks or for confining a node of a cell within the boundary of a container. Another aspect is directed at deriving a first force model at the first hierarchical level from a second force model at the second hierarchical level by directly modifying the second model based at least in part on characteristic(s) of the first hierarchical level and of the second hierarchical level. In a design with multiple hierarchies, a cell-based force model is also used to ensure child nodes of a parent cell stay within a close proximity of the parent node of the parent cell.

Aspects of the invention relate to techniques of defect injection for transistor-level fault simulation. A circuit element in a circuit netlist of a circuit is first selected for defect injection. Next, a defect is determined based on whether the selected circuit element is a design-intent circuit element or a parasitic circuit element. After the defect is determined, the defect is injected into the circuit netlist and then the circuit is simulated.

The present invention is directed to provide a resist remover composition for semiconductor substrate which enables to remove a resist simply and easily in the photolithography process in the semiconductor field, and a method for removing a resist comprising that the composition is used. The present invention relates to a resist remover composition for semiconductor substrate, comprising [I] a carbon radical generating agent, [II] an acid, [III] a reducing agent, and [IV] an organic solvent, and having pH of lower than 7, and a method for removing a resist, comprising that the composition is used.

The present invention is a solid rinse aid composition and methods of making and using the same. Applicants have surprisingly found that the crystal modifier sodium xylene sulfonate (short chain alkyl benzene or alkyl naphthalene sulfonates) at higher percentage can act as a solidification agent. The solid rinse aid composition generally includes an short chain alkyl benzene or alkyl naphthalene sulfonates solidification agent and an effective amount of a surfactant which can include a sheeting agent component, defoamer component and/or association disruption agent. The solid rinse aid composition may be phosphate-free, aminocarboxylate-free, and GRAS if desired.

A cleansing composition for cosmetic or household use may include an ampholytic polymer; a crosslinked cationic polymer; a surfactant component selected from the group consisting of anionic surfactants, amphoteric surfactants, cationic surfactants, nonionic surfactants, and zwitterionic surfactants; and an aqueous and/or organic carrier.

A new general purpose foaming agent having application as drilling fluid foaming agents or as any foaming agent needed an a wide variety of applications is disclosed, where the agent includes at least one anionic surfactant, at least one cationic surfactant, and mixtures thereof and one or more zwitterionic compounds. A method for using the foaming agent in capillary coiled tubing application is also disclosed. The foaming agents can also include additive to augment the properties of the foaming agent for a given application.

A method for softening laundry employs a softening composition, which includes at least one thickener containing a cationic polymer obtained by polymerization: of a cationic monomer;of a monomer with a hydrophobic nature, of formula (I): wherein R1=H or CH3 R2=alkyl chain having at least 16 carbon atomsX═O, m≧5, y=z=0, orX═NH, m≧z≧5, y=0, orX═NH, m≧y≧5, z=0, of a nonionic monomer.

Disclosed are topical skin compositions and corresponding methods of their use that include an extract from Artabotrys hexapetalus, an extract from Sassafras tzumu, and an extract from Prunus salicina.

An elongated segmented soap bar is segmented longitudinally into a plurality of soap bodies separate and discrete from one another. Adjacent soap bodies are movable with respect to one another between at least two different configurations including at least an arc configuration with the plurality of soap bodies disposed in an arc. At least one coupler couples the plurality of soap bodies together to allow the adjacent soap bodies to move with respect to one another between the at least two different configurations.

A process for preparing a particle defoamer. The particle defoamer of 55%-75% of a carrier, 15%-35% of a silicone emulsion, 3%-10% of a texturing agent and 2%-10% of a solvent, based on the total weight of the particle defoamer; the process for preparing the particle defoamer is: (1)first adding a carrier A1 into a mixer, and then adding thereto a silicone emulsion B1, and stirring uniformly; (2)adding a carrier component A2 to the mixture obtained in (1), and stirring uniformly; (3)adding a silicone emulsion B2 to the mixture obtained in (2), and, after uniformly stirring, adding the solvent thereto and stirring uniformly; and (4)pelleting and drying by baking the mixture obtained in(3), so as to produce the product.

This invention relates to extend the benefits of using hypochlorite compounds such as sodium hypochlorite to clean and disinfect articles while reducing or eliminating the side effects of treating an article with a strong oxidant material. The invention relates to a single step process involving mixing of precursor compositions of a suitable hypohalite or hypohalous acid with a solution of a reducing agent. Optionally a buffer may be present in either or both precursor compositions, such that at time of use such active hypohalous acid concentration in the resulting aqueous mixture remains at a sufficient activity level to effect one or more desired benefits against a target substrate for a desired period of time. The oxidant is substantially consumed by reaction with the reducing agent after the time needed for achieving the desired benefit has passed.

A non-aqueous liquid cleaning composition for applicators used for applying non-aqueous hair removal compositions to the skin. The composition includes a solubilizing oil effective for solubilizing the non-aqueous hair removal composition, e.g., mineral oil, and an effective antibacterial amount of an antibacterial agent, e.g., triclosan. The composition may also include fragrances and additional bacteriocides, e.g., phenoxyethanol. When the applicator is contacted with the heated cleaning composition any hair removal composition and bacteria on the applicator are removed therefrom and the applicator is ready for reuse. It is preferred to use surgical stainless steel applicators. Also provided are methods of using these compositions and kits containing, among other items, such compositions and applicators.

The present invention is directed to provide a semiconductor surface treating agent; composition which is capable of stripping an anti-reflection coating layer, a resist layer, and a cured resist layer in the production process of a semiconductor device and the like easily and in a short time, as well as a method for treating a semiconductor surface, comprising that the composition is used. The present invention relates to a semiconductor surface treating agent; composition, comprising [I] a compound generating a fluorine ion in water, [II] a carbon radical generating agent; , [III] water, [IV] an organic solvent, and [V] at least one kind of compound selected from a group consisting of hydroxylamine and a hydroxylamine derivative represented by the general formula [1], as well as a method for treating the semiconductor surface, comprising that the composition is used: (wherein R1 represents a linear, branched or cyclic C1-6 alkyl group, or a linear or branched C1-4 substituted alkyl group having 1 to 3 hydroxyl groups; R2 represents a hydrogen atom, a linear, branched or cyclic C1-6 alkyl group, or a linear or branched C1-4 substituted alkyl group having 1 to 3 hydroxyl groups).

Compositions and methods for treating biofilm formation and growth on a substrate are provided. The composition comprises 1 ppb to 1,000 ppm of at least one D-amino acid and 1 ppm to 60,000 ppm of at least one biocide. The method comprises contacting the substrate with 1 ppb to 1,000 ppm of at least one D-amino acid and 1 ppm to 60,000 ppm of at least one biocide. The compositions and methods are effective for preventing, reducing or eliminating biofilm formation or biofilm growth or both, as well as eradicating established, recalcitrant biofilms, particularly biofilms comprising sulfate reducing bacteria that are known to cause microbiologically influenced corrosion, biofouling, or both.

A mixture of surfactants from alkylene oxide adducts with different degrees of alkoxylation is used in a urea solution to be added to an exhaust stream for reduction of nitrous gases.

An apparatus and method for moving a wire along its own axis against a high resistance to its motion causing a substantial uniaxial compression stress in the wire without allowing it to buckle. The apparatus consists of a wire gripping and moving drive wheel and guide rollers for transporting the moving wire away from the drive wheel. Wire is pressed into a peripheral groove in a relatively large diameter, rotating drive wheel by a set of small diameter rollers arranged along part of the periphery causing the wire to be gripped by the groove.

The present disclosure relates to a superconducting rotating electrical machine and a manufacturing method for a high temperature superconducting film thereof. The superconducting rotating electrical machine includes a stator, and a rotor rotatable with respect to the stator, the rotor having a rotary shaft and a rotor winding. Here, the rotor winding includes tubes disposed on a circumference of the rotary shaft and each forming a passage for a cooling fluid therein, superconducting wires accommodated within the tubes, and a cooling fluid flowing through the inside of the tubes. This configuration may allow for direct heat exchange between the superconducting wires and a refrigerant, resulting in improvement of heat exchange efficiencies of the superconducting wires.

A persistent-mode High Temperature Superconductor (HTS) shim coil is provided having at least one rectangular shaped thin sheet of HTS, wherein the thin sheet of HTS contains a first long portion, a second long portion parallel to first long portion, a first end, and a second end parallel to the first end. The rectangular shaped thin sheet of high-temperature superconductor has a hollow center and forms a continuous loop. In addition, the first end and the second end are folded toward each other forming two rings, and the thin sheet of high-temperature superconductor has a radial build that is less than 5 millimeters (mm) and able to withstand very strong magnetic field ranges of greater than approximately 12 Tesla (T) within a center-portion of a superconducting magnet of a superconducting magnet assembly.

A method for manufacturing a base material 2 for a superconductive conductor which includes: a conductive bed layer forming process of forming a non-oriented bed layer 24 having conductivity on a substrate 10; and a biaxially oriented layer forming process of forming a biaxially oriented layer 26 on the bed layer 24.

A superconducting magnet device is configured to include: a refrigerant circulation flowpath in which a refrigerant (R) circulates; a refrigerator for cooling vapor of the refrigerant (R) in the refrigerant circulation flowpath; a superconducting coil cooled by the circulating refrigerant (R); a protective resistor thermally contacting the superconducting coil and having an internal space (S); a high-boiling-point refrigerant supply section for supplying a high-boiling-point refrigerant having a higher boiling point than the refrigerant (R) and frozen by the refrigerant (R) to the internal space (S) in the protective resistor; and a vacuum insulating container for at least accommodating the refrigerant circulation flowpath, the superconducting coil, and the protective resistor.

Provided are a substrate for a superconducting compound and a method for manufacturing the substrate which can realize the excellent adhesive strength simultaneously with high orientation of copper. An absorbed material on a surface of a copper foil to which rolling is applied at a draft of 90% or more is removed by applying sputter etching to the surface of the copper foil, sputter etching is applied to a nonmagnetic metal sheet, the copper foil and the metal sheet are bonded to each other by applying a pressure to the copper foil and the metal sheet using reduction rolls, crystals of the copper in the copper foil are oriented by heating a laminated body formed by such bonding, copper is diffused into the metal sheet by heating with a copper diffusion distance of 10 nm or more, and a protective layer is laminated to a surface of the copper foil of the laminated body.

A tape-shaped superconducting film-forming substrate is disclosed, which includes a film-forming face for forming a laminate including a superconducting layer thereon, a rear face that is a face at a side opposite to the film-forming face, a pair of end faces connected to the film-forming face and the rear face, and a pair of side faces connected to the film-forming face, the rear face, and the pair of end faces, in which each of the pair of side faces includes a spreading face that spreads toward an outer side in an in-plane direction of the film-forming face from an edge part of the film-forming face toward the rear face side. A superconducting wire and a superconducting wire manufacturing method are also disclosed.

An electrochemical finishing system for super conducting radio frequency (SCRF) cavities including a low viscosity electrolyte solution that is free of hydrofluoric acid, an electrode in contact with the electrolyte solution, the SCRF cavity being spaced apart from the electrode and in contact with the electrolyte solution and a power source including a first electrical lead electrically coupled to the electrode and a second electrical lead electrically coupled to the cavity, the power source being configured to pass an electric current between the electrode and the workpiece, wherein the electric current includes anodic pulses and cathodic pulses, and wherein the cathodic pulses are interposed between at least some of the anodic pulses. The SCRF cavity may be vertically oriented during the finishing process.

A ceramic substrate includes a substrate body formed of ceramic and having a pair of surfaces each assuming a rectangular shape as viewed in plane, and a metallization layer formed on the surface of the substrate body and adapted to braze a metal frame thereon. A composite material layer is disposed between the surface of the substrate body and the metallization layer and is formed such that a ceramic portion, a metal portion 10m formed of a metal similar to a metal component of the metallization layer or a metal which, together with a metal component of the metallization layer, forms an all proportional solid solution, and a glass portion exist together. The thickness of the composite material layer is thinner than that of the metallization layer. A plating layer is deposited on the surface of the metallization layer.

Techniques for protecting a superconducting (SC) article are disclosed. The techniques may be realized as an apparatus for protecting a superconducting (SC) article. The apparatus may comprise a porous sleeve configured to fit around the superconducting (SC) article. The porous sleeve may be made of non-conductive, dielectric material.

A device for the high pressure densification of superconducting wire from compacted superconductor material or superconductor precursor powder particles, has four hard metal anvils (5, 6, 7, 8) with a total length (L2) parallel to the superconducting wire, the hard metal anvils borne in external independent pressure blocks (9, 10, 11), which are in turn either fixed or connected to high pressure devices, preferably hydraulic presses. At least one of the hard metal anvils is a free moving anvil (6) having clearances of at least 0.01 mm up to 0.2 mm towards the neighboring hard metal anvils (5, 8), so that no wall friction occurs between the free moving anvil and the neighboring anvils. This allows for high critical current densities Jc at reduced pressure applied to the hard metal anvils.

A method for producing a superconductive conductor includes: a base material preparation process of preparing a base material having a groove formed on at least one face thereof; a superconducting layer formation process of forming a superconducting layer on a surface of the base material at a side at which the groove is formed; and a cutting process of cutting completely through the base material along the groove.

Quantum annealing may include applying and gradually removing disorder terms to qubits of a quantum processor, for example superconducting flux qubits of a superconducting quantum processor. A problem Hamiltonian may be established by applying control signals to the qubits, an evolution Hamiltonian established by applying disorder terms, and annealing by gradually removing the disorder terms. Change in persistent current in the qubits may be compensated. Multipliers may mediate coupling between various qubits and a global signal line, for example by applying respective scaling factors. Two global signal lines may be arranged in an interdigitated pattern to couple to respective qubits of a communicatively coupled pair of qubits. Pairs of qubits may be communicatively isolated and used to measure a response of one another to defined signals.

According to one embodiment, an oxide superconductor includes an oriented superconductor layer and an oxide layer. The oriented superconductor layer contains fluorine at 2.0×1016-5.0×1019 atoms/cc and carbon at 1.0×1018-5.0×1020 atoms/cc. The superconductor layer contains in 90% or more a portion oriented along c-axis with an in-plane orientation degree (Δφ) of 10 degrees or less, and contains a LnBa2Cu3O7-x superconductor material (Ln being yttrium or a lanthanoid except cerium, praseodymium, promethium, and lutetium). The oxide layer is provided in contact with a lower surface of the superconductor layer and oriented with an in-plane orientation degree (Δφ) of 10 degrees or less with respect to one crystal axis of the superconductor layer. Area of a portion of the lower surface of the superconductor layer in contact with the oxide layer is 0.3 or less of area of a region directly below the superconductor layer.

An additive manufacturing method for forming nearly monolithic SRF niobium cavities and end group components of arbitrary shape with features such as optimized wall thickness and integral stiffeners, greatly reducing the cost and technical variability of conventional cavity construction. The additive manufacturing method for forming an SRF cavity, includes atomizing niobium to form a niobium powder, feeding the niobium powder into an electron beam melter under a vacuum, melting the niobium powder under a vacuum in the electron beam melter to form an SRF cavity; and polishing the inside surface of the SRF cavity.

Methods, systems, and computer program products are provided for email administration for rendering email on a digital audio player. Embodiments include retrieving an email message; extracting text from the email message; creating a media file; and storing the extracted text of the email message as metadata associated with the media file. Embodiments may also include storing the media file on a digital audio player and displaying the metadata describing the media file, the metadata containing the extracted text of the email message.

Methods, apparatus, and computer programs for simulating the source of sound are provided. One method includes operations for determining a location in space of the head of a user utilizing face recognition of images of the user. Further, the method includes an operation for determining a sound for two speakers, and an operation for determining an emanating location in space for the sound, each speaker being associated with one ear of the user. The acoustic signals for each speaker are established based on the location in space of the head, the sound, the emanating location in space, and the auditory characteristics of the user. In addition, the acoustic signals are transmitted to the two speakers. When the acoustic signals are played by the two speakers, the acoustic signals simulate that the sound originated at the emanating location in space.

Current human-to-machine interfaces enable users to interact with a company's database and enter into a series of transactions (e.g., purchasing products/services and paying bills). Each transaction may require several operations or stages requiring user input or interaction. Some systems enable a user to enter a voice input parameter providing multiple operations of instruction (e.g., single natural language command). However, users of such a system do not know what types of commands the system is capable of accepting. Embodiments of the present invention facilitate communications for user transactions by determining a user's goal transaction and presenting a visual representation of a voice input parameter for the goal transaction. The use of visual representations notifies the user of the system's capability of accepting single natural language commands and the types of commands the system is capable of accepting, thereby enabling a user to complete a transaction in a shorter period of time.

Low bit rate audio coding such as BWE algorithm often encounters conflict goal of achieving high time resolution and high frequency resolution at the same time. In order to achieve best possible quality, input signal can be first classified into fast signal and slow signal. This invention focuses on classifying signal into fast signal and slow signal, based on at least one of the following parameters or a combination of the following parameters: spectral sharpness, temporal sharpness, pitch correlation (pitch gain), and/or spectral envelope variation. This classification information can help to choose different BWE algorithms, different coding algorithms, and different postprocessing algorithms respectively for fast signal and slow signal.

An apparatus for processing an audio signal and method thereof are disclosed. The present invention includes receiving a downmix signal and side information; extracting control restriction information from the side information; receiving control information for controlling gain or panning at least one object signal; generating at least one of first multi-channel information and first downmix processing information based on the control information and object information, without using the control restriction information; and, generating an output signal by applying the at least one of the first multichannel information and the first downmix processing information to the downmix signal, wherein the control restriction information relates to a parameter indicating limiting degree of the control information.

Computer-implemented systems and methods are provided for suggesting emoticons for insertion into text based on an analysis of sentiment in the text. An example method includes: determining a first sentiment of text in a text field; selecting first text from the text field in proximity to a current position of an input cursor in the text field; identifying one or more candidate emoticons wherein each candidate emoticon is associated with a respective score indicating relevance to the first text and the first sentiment based on, at least, historical user selections of emoticons for insertion in proximity to respective second text having a respective second sentiment; providing one or more candidate emoticons having respective highest scores for user selection; and receiving user selection of one or more of the provided emoticons and inserting the selected emoticons into the text field at the current position of the input cursor.

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program products, for extracting information from unstructured text. Fact pairs are used to extract basic patterns from a body of text. Patterns are generalized by replacing words with classes of similar words. Generalized patterns are used to extract further fact pairs from the body of text. The process can begin with fact pairs, basic patterns, or generalized patterns.

The present invention is based on the finding that parameters including: a first set of parameters of a representation of a first portion of an original signal and a second set of parameters of a representation of a second portion of the original signal can be efficiently encoded when the parameters are arranged in a first sequence of tuples and a second sequence of tuples. The first sequence of tuples includes tuples of parameters having two parameters from a single portion of the original signal and the second sequence of tuples includes tuples of parameters having one parameter from the first portion and one parameter from the second portion of the original signal. A bit estimator estimates the number of necessary bits to encode the first and the second sequence of tuples. Only the sequence of tuples, which results in the lower number of bits, is encoded.

A method (700, 800) and apparatus (100, 200) processes audio frames to transition between different codecs. The method can include producing (720), using a first coding method, a first frame of coded output audio samples by coding a first audio frame in a sequence of frames. The method can include forming (730) an overlap-add portion of the first frame using the first coding method. The method can include generating (740) a combination first frame of coded audio samples based on combining the first frame of coded output audio samples with the overlap-add portion of the first frame. The method can include initializing (760) a state of a second coding method based on the combination first frame of coded audio samples. The method can include constructing (770) an output signal based on the initialized state of the second coding method.

An apparatus for decoding data segments representing a time-domain data stream, a data segment being encoded in the time domain or in the frequency domain, a data segment being encoded in the frequency domain having successive blocks of data representing successive and overlapping blocks of time-domain data samples. The apparatus includes a time-domain decoder for decoding a data segment being encoded in the time domain and a processor for processing the data segment being encoded in the frequency domain and output data of the time-domain decoder to obtain overlapping time-domain data blocks. The apparatus further includes an overlap/add-combiner for combining the overlapping time-domain data blocks to obtain a decoded data segment of the time-domain data stream.

An encoder for providing an audio stream on the basis of a transform-domain representation of an input audio signal includes a quantization error calculator configured to determine a multi-band quantization error over a plurality of frequency bands of the input audio signal for which separate band gain information is available. The encoder also includes an audio stream provider for providing the audio stream such that the audio stream includes information describing an audio content of the frequency bands and information describing the multi-band quantization error. A decoder for providing a decoded representation of an audio signal on the basis of an encoded audio stream representing spectral components of frequency bands of the audio signal includes a noise filler for introducing noise into spectral components of a plurality of frequency bands to which separate frequency band gain information is associated on the basis of a common multi-band noise intensity value.

A system and methods for matching at least one word of an utterance against a set of template hierarchies to select the best matching template or set of templates corresponding to the utterance. Certain embodiments of the system and methods determines at least one exact, inexact, and partial match between the at least one word of the utterance and at least one term within the template hierarchy to select and populate a template or set of templates corresponding to the utterance. The populated template or set of templates may then be used to generate a narrative template or a report template.

A speech recognition system, method of recognizing speech and a computer program product therefor. A client device identified with a context for an associated user selectively streams audio to a provider computer, e.g., a cloud computer. Speech recognition receives streaming audio, maps utterances to specific textual candidates and determines a likelihood of a correct match for each mapped textual candidate. A context model selectively winnows candidate to resolve recognition ambiguity according to context whenever multiple textual candidates are recognized as potential matches for the same mapped utterance. Matches are used to update the context model, which may be used for multiple users in the same context.

A method of signal processing according to one embodiment includes calculating an envelope of a first signal that is based on a low-frequency portion of a speech signal, calculating an envelope of a second signal that is based on a high-frequency portion of the speech signal, and calculating a plurality of gain factor values according to a time-varying relation between the envelopes of the first and second signal. The method includes attenuating, based on a variation over time of a relation between the envelopes of the first and second signals, at least one of the plurality of gain factor values. In one example, the variation over time of a relation between the envelopes is indicated by at least one distance among the plurality of gain factor values.