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Large-scale analysis of formant frequency estimation variability in conversational telephone speech

Published in:
INTERSPEECH 2009, 6-10 September 2009.

Summary

We quantify how the telephone channel and regional dialect influence formant estimates extracted from Wavesurfer in spontaneous conversational speech from over 3,600 native American English speakers. To the best of our knowledge, this is the largest scale study on this topic. We found that F1 estimates are higher in cellular channels than those in landline, while F2 in general shows an opposite trend. We also characterized vowel shift trends in northern states in U.S.A. and compared them with the Northern city chain shift (NCCS). Our analysis is useful in forensic applications where it is important to distinguish between speaker, dialect, and channel characteristics.
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Summary

We quantify how the telephone channel and regional dialect influence formant estimates extracted from Wavesurfer in spontaneous conversational speech from over 3,600 native American English speakers. To the best of our knowledge, this is the largest scale study on this topic. We found that F1 estimates are higher in cellular...

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The MIT Lincoln Laboratory 2008 speaker recognition system

Summary

In recent years methods for modeling and mitigating variational nuisances have been introduced and refined. A primary emphasis in this years NIST 2008 Speaker Recognition Evaluation (SRE) was to greatly expand the use of auxiliary microphones. This offered the additional channel variations which has been a historical challenge to speaker verification systems. In this paper we present the MIT Lincoln Laboratory Speaker Recognition system applied to the task in the NIST 2008 SRE. Our approach during the evaluation was two-fold: 1) Utilize recent advances in variational nuisance modeling (latent factor analysis and nuisance attribute projection) to allow our spectral speaker verification systems to better compensate for the channel variation introduced, and 2) fuse systems targeting the different linguistic tiers of information, high and low. The performance of the system is presented when applied on a NIST 2008 SRE task. Post evaluation analysis is conducted on the sub-task when interview microphones are present.
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Summary

In recent years methods for modeling and mitigating variational nuisances have been introduced and refined. A primary emphasis in this years NIST 2008 Speaker Recognition Evaluation (SRE) was to greatly expand the use of auxiliary microphones. This offered the additional channel variations which has been a historical challenge to speaker...

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Time-varying autoregressive tests for multiscale speech analysis

Published in:
INTERSPEECH 2009, 10th Annual Conf. of the International Speech Communication Association, pp. 2839-2842.

Summary

In this paper we develop hypothesis tests for speech waveform nonstationarity based on time-varying autoregressive models, and demonstrate their efficacy in speech analysis tasks at both segmental and sub-segmental scales. Key to the successful synthesis of these ideas is our employment of a generalized likelihood ratio testing framework tailored to autoregressive coefficient evolutions suitable for speech. After evaluating our framework on speech-like synthetic signals, we present preliminary results for two distinct analysis tasks using speech waveform data. At the segmental level, we develop an adaptive short-time segmentation scheme and evaluate it on whispered speech recordings, while at the sub-segmental level, we address the problem of detecting the glottal flow closed phase. Results show that our hypothesis testing framework can reliably detect changes in the vocal tract parameters across multiple scales, thereby underscoring its broad applicability to speech analysis.
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Summary

In this paper we develop hypothesis tests for speech waveform nonstationarity based on time-varying autoregressive models, and demonstrate their efficacy in speech analysis tasks at both segmental and sub-segmental scales. Key to the successful synthesis of these ideas is our employment of a generalized likelihood ratio testing framework tailored to...

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Variability compensated support vector machines applied to speaker verification

Published in:
INTERSPEECH 2009, Proc. of the 10th Annual Conf. of the Internatinoal Speech Communication Association, 6-9 September 2009, pp. 1555-1558.

Summary

Speaker verification using SVMs has proven successful, specifically using the GSV Kernel [1] with nuisance attribute projection (NAP) [2]. Also, the recent popularity and success of joint factor analysis [3] has led to promising attempts to use speaker factors directly as SVM features [4]. NAP projection and the use of speaker factors with SVMs are methods of handling variability in SVM speaker verification: NAP by removing undesirable nuisance variability, and using the speaker factors by forcing the discrimination to be performed based on inter-speaker variability. These successes have led us to propose a new method we call variability compensated SVM (VCSVM) to handle both inter and intra-speaker variability directly in the SVM optimization. This is done by adding a regularized penalty to the optimization that biases the normal to the hyperplane to be orthogonal to the nuisance subspace or alternatively to the complement of the subspace containing the inter-speaker variability. This bias will attempt to ensure that inter-speaker variability is used in the recognition while intra-speaker variability is ignored. In this paper we present the theory and promising results on nuisance compensation.
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Summary

Speaker verification using SVMs has proven successful, specifically using the GSV Kernel [1] with nuisance attribute projection (NAP) [2]. Also, the recent popularity and success of joint factor analysis [3] has led to promising attempts to use speaker factors directly as SVM features [4]. NAP projection and the use of...

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Beam combining of quantum cascade laser arrays

Published in:
Opt. Express, Vol. 17, No. 18, 31 August 2009, pp. 16216-16224.

Summary

Wavelength beam combining was used to co-propagate beams from 28 elements in an array of distributed-feedback quantum cascade lasers (DFB-QCLs). The beam-quality product of the array, defined as the product of near-field spot size and far-field divergence for the entire array, was improved by a factor of 21 by using wavelength beam combining. To demonstrate the applicability of wavelength beam combined DFB-QCL arrays for remote sensing, we obtained the absorption spectrum of isopropanol at a distance of 6 m from the laser array.
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Summary

Wavelength beam combining was used to co-propagate beams from 28 elements in an array of distributed-feedback quantum cascade lasers (DFB-QCLs). The beam-quality product of the array, defined as the product of near-field spot size and far-field divergence for the entire array, was improved by a factor of 21 by using...

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High density plasma etching of titanium nitride metal gate electrodes for fully depleted silicon-on-insulator subthreshold transistor integration

Published in:
J. Vacuum Sci. Technol. B, Microelectron. Process. Phenon., Vol. 27, No. 6, p. 2472-2479.

Summary

Etching of TiN metal gate materials as a part of an integrated flow to fabricate fully depleted silicon-on-insulator ultralow-power transistors is reported. TiN etching is characterized as a function of source power, bias power, gas composition, and substrate temperature in a high density inductively coupled plasma reactor. Under the conditions used in this work, the TiN etch rate appears to be ion flux limited and exhibits a low ion enhanced etching activation energy of 0.033 eV. Notching of the polysilicon layer above the TiN may occur during the polysilicon overetch step as well as the TiN overetch step. Notching is not significantly affected by charging of the underlying gate dielectric under the conditions used. By optimizing the plasma etch process conditions, TiN:SiO2 selectivity of nearly 1000:1 is achieved, and a two-step TiN main etch and TiN overetch process yields well-defined metal gate structures without severe gate profile artifacts.
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Summary

Etching of TiN metal gate materials as a part of an integrated flow to fabricate fully depleted silicon-on-insulator ultralow-power transistors is reported. TiN etching is characterized as a function of source power, bias power, gas composition, and substrate temperature in a high density inductively coupled plasma reactor. Under the conditions...

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New generation of digital microfluidic devices

Published in:
J. Microelectromech. Syst., Vol. 18, No. 4, August 2009, pp. 845-851.

Summary

This paper reports on the design, fabrication, and performance of micro-sized fluidic devices that use electrowetting to control and transport liquids. Using standard microfabrication techniques, new pumping systems are developed with significantly more capability than open digital microfluidic systems that are often associated with electrowetting. This paper demonstrates that, by integrating closed microchannels with different channel heights and using electrowetting actuation, liquid interfaces can be controlled, and pressure work can be done, resulting in fluid pumping. The operation of two different on-chip pumps and devices that can form water drops is described. In addition, a theory is presented to explain the details of single-electrode actuation in a closed channel.
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Summary

This paper reports on the design, fabrication, and performance of micro-sized fluidic devices that use electrowetting to control and transport liquids. Using standard microfabrication techniques, new pumping systems are developed with significantly more capability than open digital microfluidic systems that are often associated with electrowetting. This paper demonstrates that, by...

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Roadmap for weather integration into Traffic Flow Management Modernization (TFM-M)

Published in:
MIT Lincoln Laboratory Report ATC-347

Summary

This report provides recommendations for aligning new Collaborative Air Traffic Management Technologies (CATM-T) with evolving aviation weather products to improve NAS efficiency during adverse (especially severe) weather conditions. Key gaps identified include 1. Improving or developing pilot convective storm avoidance models as well as models for route blockage and capacity in severe weather is necessary for automated congestion prediction and resolution. 2. Forecasts need to characterize uncertainty that can be used by CATM tools and, explicitly forecast key parameters needed for translation of weather products to capacity impacts. 3. Time based flow management will require substantial progress in both the translation modeling and in predicting appropriate storm avoidance trajectories. Near term efforts should focus on integration of the Traffic Management Advisor (TMA) with contemporary severe weather products such as the Corridor Integrated Weather System (CIWS). 4. Human factors studies on product design to improve individual decision making, improved collaborative decision making in "difficult" situations, and the use of probabilistic products are also essential. 5. Studies need to be carried out to determine how well en route and terminal capacity currently is being utilized during adverse weather events so as to identify the highest priority areas for integrated weather-CATM system development.
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Summary

This report provides recommendations for aligning new Collaborative Air Traffic Management Technologies (CATM-T) with evolving aviation weather products to improve NAS efficiency during adverse (especially severe) weather conditions. Key gaps identified include 1. Improving or developing pilot convective storm avoidance models as well as models for route blockage and capacity...

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Graphene-on-insulator transistors made using C on Ni chemical-vapor deposition

Published in:
IEEE Electron Device Lett., Vol. 30, No. 7, July 2009, pp. 745-747.
Topic:

Summary

Graphene transistors are made by transferring a thin graphene film grown on Ni onto an insulating SiO2 substrate. The properties and integration of these graphene-on-insulator transistors are presented and compared to the characteristics of devices made from graphitized SiC and exfoliated graphene flakes.
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Summary

Graphene transistors are made by transferring a thin graphene film grown on Ni onto an insulating SiO2 substrate. The properties and integration of these graphene-on-insulator transistors are presented and compared to the characteristics of devices made from graphitized SiC and exfoliated graphene flakes.

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The Route Availability Planning Tool (RAPT): evaluation of departure management decision support in New York during the 2008 convective weather season

Published in:
8th USA/Europe Air Traffic Management Research and Development Sem., ATM 2009, 29 June - 2 July 2009.

Summary

Severe weather avoidance programs (SWAP) due to convective weather are common in many of the busiest terminal areas in the US National Airspace System (NAS). In order to make efficient use of available airspace in rapidly evolving convective weather, it is necessary to predict the impacts of the weather on key resources (e.g., departure and arrival routes and fixes), with frequent updates as the weather changes. Currently, this prediction is a mental process that imposes a significant cognitive burden on air traffic managers. As a result, air traffic management in SWAP is often inconsistent and decisions result in less than optimal performance. The Route Availability Planning Tool (RAPT) is a prototype automated decision support tool, intended to help air traffic managers in convective weather SWAP, by predicting the impacts of convective weather on departure routes. Originally deployed in New York in August, 2002, RAPT has recently undergone two field evaluations (2007 and 2008) in order to test and refine its concept of operations, evaluate the accuracy and usefulness of its decision guidance, and estimate observed and potential delay reduction benefits that may be achieved as a result of its use. This paper presents the results of the 2008 performance evaluation, focusing on the concept of operations and the quality of decision support guidance. A second paper [1] presents analyses of delay reduction benefits and the operational decision making environment in which RAPT is deployed.
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Summary

Severe weather avoidance programs (SWAP) due to convective weather are common in many of the busiest terminal areas in the US National Airspace System (NAS). In order to make efficient use of available airspace in rapidly evolving convective weather, it is necessary to predict the impacts of the weather on...

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