Hewlett-packard Development Company, L.p.

Timothy Alan Heath Wilkinson

David Trevor Cliff

Martin Warwick Beale

Andrew Arthur Hunter

Stephen John Hinde

Ian Robert Johnson

Robert Castle

Stephen B Pollard

Voice-controlled apparatus is provided which minimises the risk of activating more than one such apparatus at a time where multiple voice-controlled apparatus exist in close proximity. To start voice control of the apparatus, a user needs to be looking at the apparatus when speaking. Preferably, after the user stops looking at the apparatus, continuing voice control can only be effected whilst the user continues speaking without breaks longer than a predetermined duration. Detection of whether the user is looking at the apparatus can be effected in a number of ways including by the use of camera systems, by a head-mounted directional transmitter, and by detecting the location and direction of facing of the user.

Enabling voice control of voice-controlled apparatus using a head mounted camera system

A network adapter capable of receiving data from a network, said adapter arranged to receive data at at least a lowest and a highest rate; said adapter comprising: sampling means arranged to sample said data; an equalizer arranged to receive, and equalize, said data samples, and said equalizer capable of being trained to equalize data, at at least, each of said lowest and highest data rates; and training means capable of training said equalizer to equalize data; wherein; said adapter is initially arranged to train said equalizer to receive data at said lowest data rate allowing data to be decoded and if upon decoding said adapter determines that said equalizer has been trained to equalise data at the incorrect rate to retrain said equalize to equalize data at the correct rate.

Networking

A portable apparatus for monitoring the reaction of a user to a performance contains one or more sensors for detecting an indirect user response to the performance and a user interface enabling the user to provide a direct user response to the performance. A processor in the portable apparatus is programmed to provide a user reaction signal comprising a combination of the indirect user response and the direct user response to the performance. This user reaction signal may be transmitted to to remote apparatus. A monitoring system using such portable apparatus, and a music playing system using such a monitoring system, are also described.

Monitoring of user response to performances

Monitoring apparatus and methods for monitoring the reaction of people to a performance use two or more monitoring devices of different types. Output signals from the monitoring devices are combined to produce at least one crowd reaction signal indicative of the reaction of those people to the performance. Particularly appropriate types of monitoring device are described, as is automatic performance generating apparatus, such an automatic DJ, adapted to use crowd reaction signals to modify performances.

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Bristol, United Kingdom

Timothy Alan Heath Wilkinson