DEUTSCHER AKADEMISCHER AUSTAUSCHDIENST
Programm des Projektbezogenen Personenaustauschs (PPP) mit
Project Based Personnel Exchange Programme
with
der SLOWAKISCHEN REPUBLIK
..........................................................................
Antragsformular für deutsche und slowakische
Antragsteller/Application Form for Slovak and German Applicants
- bitte in deutscher oder englischer Sprache und unbedingt gemäß
länderspezifischer Hinweise ausfüllen -
- Please complete in German (or English)
and in accordance with the instructions given for the country concerned
-
Neuantrag New Application |
x |
Verlängerungsantrag Application for Extension |
r |
|
|
|
2. Projektjahr/Year
2 of project 3. Projektjahr/Year
3 of project |
r r |
|
1.Titel des gemeinsamen Projekts/ Title of joint project:: |
Audio-Speech
Interface for Mobile Devices (ASIMD) |
2. Fachblock/Subject
block: |
Communications |
3. Fachrichtung/Field
of specialisation: |
Multimedia Processing |
4. Slowakische Institution / Slovak institution: x Hochschule/Institution of higher education r Außeruniversitäre
Forschungseinrichtung/Non- university research institution |
Slovak University of
Technology, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology |
Institut/Name of institute: |
Department of Telecommunications |
Postfach/Strasse/P.O.Box/Street |
Ilkovicova 3 |
PLZ/Ort/Postcode/Town: |
81219 Bratislava |
Telefon/Telephone no.: |
+421-2-68279414 |
Telefax/Fax no.: |
+421-2-68279601 |
E-Mail: |
Gregor.Rozinaj@stuba.sk |
Projektverantwortlicher/Project leader: (Hochschullehrer bzw. leitender
Wissenschaftler einer außeruniversitären Forschungseinrichtung/university
professor or academic in leading
position in non-university institution, as appropriate) |
Assoc. Prof. Gregor
Rozinaj |
Stellung/Current position: |
Academic Teacher |
5. Deutsche Institution / German institution: x Hochschule/Institution of higher education r Außeruniversitäre
Forschungseinrichtung/ Non- university research institution
|
Hochschule
Heilbronn |
|
Institut/Name of institute: |
Faculty T1 – Mechanics and Electronics |
|
Postfach/Strasse/P.O. Box/Street: |
Max-Planck-Str.
39 |
|
PLZ/Ort/Postcode/Town: |
D-74081
Heilbronn, Germany |
|
Telefon/Telephone no.: |
+49-7131-504-307 |
|
Telefax/Fax no.: |
+49-7131-504-14-307-2 |
|
E-Mail: |
gruhler@hs-heilbronn.de |
|
Projektverantwortlicher/Project leader: |
Prof.
Dipl.- Phys. Gerhard Gruhler |
|
Stellung/Current position: |
Academic Teacher |
|
|
||
6. Geplante Gesamtlaufzeit des beantragten
Projekts/Proposed
duration of project/ (Nur bei Neuanträgen
auszufüllen/Only to be completed for new projects): |
||
Beginn/Start: 01.01.2010 |
Ende/End:
31.12.2011 |
|
|
||
7. Förderung des Erstantrags/First Year Funding
(Nur bei Verlängerungsanträgen auszufüllen/Only to be
completed for applications for an extension): |
||
Kalenderjahr/Year |
Verbrauchte Mittel/ Funding expended |
Bewilligte Mittel/Funding granted |
|
DM/EUR |
DM/EUR |
|
DM/EUR |
DM/EUR |
8. Angaben zur Drittmittelförderung außer DAAD(Projekt-, Personal- und Reisemittel auf
deutscher Seite Details of non-DAAD third party funding (Funding for
projects, personnel and travel expenses): |
|
Es besteht keine Drittmittelförderung/No third party funding x |
|
Drittmittelförderung besteht oder wurde
beantragt (Bei Bedarf zusätzliches Blatt
beifügen) r Third party funding
in existence or applied for (where necessary, please complete on a
separate sheet) |
|
Drittmittelgeber/Third party funding
provider: |
|
Mittelumfang/Amount: |
|
Verwendungszweck/Purpose: |
|
Laufzeit/Duration: |
|
9.a) Frühere Förderung im Rahmen von PPP/Previous funding under PPP:
x |
|
Jahr/Year: |
|
Slowakischer
Projektverantwortlicher/ Slovak
project leader: |
|
Deutscher
Projektverantwortlicher/ German project leader: |
|
Förderungslaufzeit/Duration of support: |
|
Titel des gemeinsamen Projektes/ Title of joint project: |
|
9.b) Wiederbewerbung nach Ablehnung/ Re-application following earlier
rejection:x |
|
Jahr/Year: |
|
Slowakischer Projektverantwortlicher/ Slovak project leader: |
|
Deutscher Projektverantwortlicher/ German project leader: |
|
Beantragte
Förderungslaufzeit/ Length of support
applied for: |
|
Titel des gemeinsamen Projektes/ Title of joint project: |
|
12.
Projektbeschreibung für den Neuantrag/Description of project for new applications
The aim of the project
is to develop an optimized acoustic user interface for mobile devices suitable
for the needs of the 50+ generation. Main objectives are:
· to work out specifications for an optimized
acoustical feedback of on-screen control elements
· to implement synthesized acoustical
feedback to touch-screens of mobile devices
· to optimize multilingual speech output
focussed on intelligibility for elderly and hearing-impaired users
· to examine increase of performance of
untrained users in comparison to standard devices
· to optimize the database needed for
speech-synthesis
The increasing
complexity of modern personal electronic devices as well as the emergence of
new types of these devices requires high flexibility of the potential users.
Due to the demographic change in the population, the typical users tend to be
older. There is already a market for mobile phones aimed at a relatively old
group of users. These telephones often are limited to basic functions and
feature large control elements and displays.
Furthermore a trend of
convergence of several mobile devices can be observed. However, devices which
can be used for more than one task tend to be more difficult to use than
bespoke devices since either numerous control elements or a complex menu
structure are required to make use of different functionalities. The usage of
touch screens provides a possible solution for this challenge. The benefit of a touch screen solution is
that only buttons which are actually needed for the current functions have to
be shown and use up space. Almost the entire footprint of the device is
available as display area (for example for map display on a navigation device),
while the same area can be used for input as well (i.e. address input on a
navigation device or dialling on a mobile phone). However, a big disadvantage
of virtual buttons is their lack of feedback. While a mechanical button
provides the user with tactile and acoustical feedback, the user of a touch
screen device has to rely on the visual feedback on the display to ensure that
a button has been successfully pressed. Providing tactile feedback would
require the usage of additional expensive actors, while loudspeakers usable for
acoustical feedback are typically present on most mobile devices.
Synthesized speech
output on the other hand makes it possible to read relatively long texts like
e-mails to the user instead displaying it in either a very small font or with
the need of scrolling.
The speech synthesis
will be developed in Java as a diphone synthesis. The stress will be given to
the optimization of the speech database. A novel algorithm for database
compression based on sinusoidal parameterization of the diphones is planned in
this application.
The current market for
mobile phones aimed at the generation 50+ mainly consists of very simple devices
with small displays and large control elements. This project's aim of combining
the advantages of modern smartphone-type devices with a comprehensible
interface would open this technology to new groups of people. The choice of
Java platform for the implementation results in an easy implementation on
various vendors devices.
The Digital Signal
Processing Lab of the Institute of Applied research (IAF) at Heilbronn
University is working since 2005 on the development of acoustic measurement
strategies and systems for control elements in the human machine interface.
Furthermore, a rapid
prototyping system for the acoustical feedback of control elements has been
developed. This system enables human test subjects to individually design
acoustic feedback sounds according to the subject's taste. The system has been
originally designed to gather psycho-acoustically meaningful data to establish
specifications for mechanical switches. The used synthesis algorithms however
can be used to add meaningful auditory icons to graphical user interfaces as
well as to facilitate the use of virtual buttons on a touch screen.
A test environment for
subjective evaluation of the acoustic impression of control elements has been
established. The test environment can be configured to perform numerous
standard test procedures such as paired comparisons or magnitude estimation.
The system can also be used for performance measurements in which the subject
has to perform a task with varying user interfaces. The subjects speed and
rate-of-error are observed.
The Slovak partner has
been oriented to the research field of speech recognition and synthesis for
approx. 15 years. Gregor Rozinaj, the leader of the Slovak research team has
obtained several international patents in speech processing techniques. The
partner in Slovakia provides a fully functional speech interface for mobile
devices. It is based on diphone synthesis. It includes a talking-head application
which is currently optimized for Slovak language. However, the interface can be adapted to
German and other languages with relatively little effort. Furthermore the
Slovak partners provide a web-based tool for subjective evaluation of the
quality of speech-synthesis.
German side has
gathered know-how in sound-design for human machine interfaces. Furthermore,
rapid-prototyping systems for usability tests and subjective evaluation exist
in the German laboratory. The Slovak side also provides tools for subjective
evaluation, but their main tool is a website for quick online survey of a
relatively large number of subjects with limited possibilities regarding the
control of the test environment and the modalities which can be simulated.
However, the combination of online tests for quick pre-tests and the controlled
laboratory environment in Heilbronn for in-depth evaluation of a prototype
system increases the effectivity of subjective tests.
The Slovak side
provides a highly developed and platform independent speech synthesizer for the
output of long texts. Experience in transforming the synthesizer to other
European languages (Italian, Greek and Romanian) promises a straightforward development
of German speech synthesizer, too. The know-how on the German side regarding
the perceived acoustic quality of control elements on the other hand optimizes
the user input.
Except from the
respective project leaders the work on both sides is done by PhD-students as
well as students working on their Master or Bachelor thesis.
The growing demand for
mobile devices (phones, navigation devices, ...) for the generation 50+ arises
the need for comprehensible user interfaces. This project provides practically
implementable solutions for this challenge. The implementation will be achieved
using platform-independent JAVA programming.
While the teams in
both countries achieved already advanced solutions in their specific fields,
the aim of optimization of the acoustic user interface of mobile devices can
only be achieved by cooperation and knowledge transfer. The German side gains
broader knowledge especially in the field of speech synthesis. This fits into
the general focus of the German team regarding improvements in the
human-machine-interface.
The co-operation
should enhance the mobilities in between the both partners also on student
level. For the next step it is planned to apply to EU grants in the field of
the IKM projects.
13. Projektbeschreibung für den
Verlängerungsantrag/Description of project
for applications for an extension
14. Anlagen/Annexes
·
CV and publication list of the Slovak Project leader
15. Hinweis/Notes
Die Hinweise in der
Ausschreibung und im Merkblatt zur Anfertigung des Antrags zum Projektbezogenen
Personenaustausch habe ich zur Kenntnis genommen, insbesondere, daß mein Antrag
aus formalen Gründen nicht bearbeitet werden kann, wenn der ausländische Partner
nicht termingerecht seinen Antrag bei der Partnerorganisation vorgelegt hat.
Auch ein in wesentlichen Teilen unvollständiger Antrag kann aus formalen
Gründen abgelehnt werden.
I have taken account of the notes contained
in the scholarship offer and the information sheet concerning the
completion of the application for funding
under PPP, in particular, that my application will not be processed if the
foreign partner’s application is not handed in by due date, and that incomplete
applications may be rejected on formal grounds.
16. Datum/Date |
|
Unterschrift des slowakischen Projektverantwortlichen/ Signature
of Slovak Project Leader |
17. Datum/Date |
|
Unterschrift des deutschen Projektverantwortlichen/ Signature
of German Project Leader |
18. Sichtvermerk der Verwaltungen der Hochschulen/Forschungseinrichtungen
Die Verwaltung erklärt
sich bereit, im Falle einer Förderung des o.g. Projekts die Einzelabrechnung
der Förderleistungen für alle Projektteilnehmer zu gewährleisten.
The management declares itself willing,
should funding for the above project be granted, to provide separate accounts
of assistance payments to all project participants.
Datum/Date |
|
Unterschrift
der Hochschule/Forschungseinrichtung/ Signature of university/research institution management |
|
Siegel/Stamp |
Datum/Date |
|
Unterschrift
der Hochschule/Forschungseinrichtung/ Signature of university/research institution management |
|
Siegel/Stamp |
Assoc. Prof. Gregor Rozinaj,
Slovak project leader
Gregor
Rozinaj received his M. Sc., Ph.D. and Assoc. Prof. degrees in
telecommunications from the Slovak University of Technology (STU), Bratislava,
Slovakia in 1981, 1990 and 1998, respectively. He has been a lecturer at STU
since 1981. In 1992-1994 he worked on speech recognition at Alcatel in
Stuttgart, Germany. From 1994 to 1996 he was with the University of Stuttgart,
Germany. Since 1997 he has been Head of the DSP group at the STU, Bratislava.
He is an author of 3 international patents on digital speech recognition and 1
patent on fast algorithms for DSP. Dr. Rozinaj is a member of IET. His
main research interest is oriented to fast algorithms for DSP and speech
processing.
Research Projects
Running Projects
Algorithms and Methods of Multimedia Signal
Processing for Human Machine Interface
Rozinaj Gregor, VEGA 1/0718/09, (2009-2011)
Prosody and Modification of Speech
Rozinaj Gregor, APVV LPP-078-06, (2007-2010)
IQ Kiosk - Intelligent Terminal
Rozinaj Gregor, AV 4/0020/07, (2007-2009)
Finished Projects
Nonlinear Processing of Multimedia and
Biomedical Signals in Telecommunications
Rozinaj Gregor, VEGA 1/3110/06, (2006-2008)
Measurement and Diagnostics of Speech Signal
Prosody
Rozinaj Gregor, AV 123/06, (2006-2008)
Analysis and Processing of Low-level ECG
Signals with Diagnostics in Practice
Rozinaj Gregor, VTP 18/2004 (2004-2006)
The Intelligent Speech Communication Interface,
State Program of the Research and Development - Building of the Information
Society
Rozinaj Gregor (university coordinator), 2003
SP 20 028 01 03 (2003-2006)
Audio, Video and Biomedical Signal Processing
Using Non-Standard Forms of DSP Algorithms
Rozinaj Gregor VEGA 0147/2003 (2003-2006)
Virtual Reality of Multimedia Speech Synthesis
Rozinaj Gregor VTP 1003/2003 (2003-2006)
Selected Patents:
Rozinaj,G., Fesseler,P.:
Method and Circuit Arrangement for Detecting
Speech in a Telephone Terminal from a Remote Speaker
U.S. Pat. Nr. US5818928, 6. Oct. 1998, Can.
Pat. Nr. CA2187812, 6. Oct. 1998
Hörmann,Th., Rozinaj,G.:
Start-Endpunkt-Detektion zur Worterkennung,
(Detection of the start/end of words for word
recognition)
Europ. Pat. Nr. EP0690436, 3. Jan. 1996.
Kopp,D., Rozinaj,G., Thierer,G.:
Pattern and Speech Recognition using
Gradient-Based Dynamical Reduction of DP Matching Search Area
U.S. Pat. Nr. US5737722, 7. Apr. 1998
Selected publications:
Marcek, A.; Kotuliaková, J.; Rozinaj, G.:New Approach Of Fast ICT And MICT
Algorithms Development IEEE ICECS '96, Rodos, Greece, Oct. 13-16, 1996, pp.
744-747 (citations 8/6)
Rozinaj, G.; Polec, J.; Kotuliaková, J.; Podhradský , P.; Marcek, A.;
Marchevský, S.:Digital Signal Processing II (in Slovak) FABER Bratislava 1997,
ISBN 80-967503-5-6, 155 pp. (citations 10/8)
Kacur,J.; Rozinaj,G.; Herrera,S.:Word Boundary Detection Based on Global
Variatiation Maesuring of CLPC Vectors Using Cepstral Matrices, International
Conference on Telecommunications ICT'2000, Acapulco, Mexico, May 22-25, 2000,
pp. 691-695
Rozinaj, G.: Frequency Acquisition in a Signal with Few Sinusoids Using
Effective Fourier Transform Turkish
Journal of Physics, Vol. 20, Num. 4, 1996, ISSN 1300-0101, pp.324-330
Macho, D.; Nadeu, C.; Jancovic, P.; Rozinaj, G.; Hernando,J.: Comparison of
Time & Frequency Filtering and Cepstral-Time Matrix Approaches in ASR In:
EUROSPEECH'99, Budapest, Hungary, 5. Sept. , 1999, pp. 77-80 (citations 6/5)
Kaèur, J., Rozinaj, G.: Word Boundary Detection in Stationary Noises Using
Cepstral Matrices, Journal of Electrical Engineering, Volume 54, 2003
Kaèur, J., Rozinaj, G., Herrera-Garcia, S.: Speech Signal Detection in the
Noisy Environment Using Neural Networks and Cepstral Matrices, Journal of Electrical Engineering, Volume 55,
2004
Turi Nagy, M., Rozinaj, G.: An Analysis/Synthesis System of Audio Signal
with Utilization of an SN model, In: Radioengineering Vol.13, pp.51-57, December 2004
Vajaš, M., Rozinaj, G.: Facial Animation During Speech Performance, IASTED
International Conference on Communications, Internet and Information Technology
(CIIT 2004),November 22-24, 2004, St. Thomas, USA
Development of Slovak GALAXY/VoiceXML Based
Spoken Language Dialogue system to Retrieve Information from the Internet, In: INTERSPEECH 2006 : 9th International Conference on
Spoken Language Processing. Pittsburgh, USA, 17.-21.9.2006. - CD-Rom
Juhar, Jozef - Cizmar, Anton - Rusko, Milan -
Trnka, Marian - Rozinaj, Gregor – Jarina, Roman: Voice Operated Information
System in Slovak, In: Computing and Informatics, Volume 26, 2007, Number 6,
ISSN 1335-9150
Talafová, Renata - Rozinaj, Gregor – Cepko
Jozef - Vrabec, Ján: Multimedia SMS Reading in Mobile Phone, In: INTERNATIONAL
JOURNAL of MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTERS IN SIMULATION, Issue 1, Volume 1, 2007,
ISSN 1998-0159
Oravec, Milos - Beszedes, Marian - Rozinaj,
Gregor: Detection and Recognition of Human Faces and Facial Features In:
Prasad, Bhanu; Prasanna, S.R.M. (Eds.): Speech, Audio, Image and Biomedical
Signal Processing using Neural Networks, Springer Verlag, 2008, X, 420 p.,
Hardcover, ISBN: 978-3-540-75397-1, pp.: 283-305
Rozinaj, Gregor - Vrabec, Ján - Cepko Jozef -
Talafová, Renata: Terminals for the Smart Information Retrieval
In: Ismail Khalil Ibrahim (Ed.): Handbook of
Research on Mobile Multimedia, Second Edition, Chapter XIX, IGI Global
Publishing, 2008, ISBN: 978-1-60566-046-2, 451 pp.