Sensory Releases Easy-To-Program Speech Recognition Chip and Low-Cost Development Tools.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

SUNNYVALE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 28, 2000

New Voice Extreme(TM) ASSP Designed to Enable

Intuitive Programming of Interactive Speech Applications

for Developers Who are Not Assembly Language Programmers

Sensory, Inc., the world's leading supplier of speech recognition chips and software solutions for consumer electronics, today announced its Voice Extreme(TM) product, a programmable, command-driven IC and set of development tools for building interactive speech applications quickly and easily in mainstream consumer products. The Voice Extreme chip and development tools allow developers to be up and running on the product in an hour and to create an application in a day, making this the ideal solution for corporate users developing prototypes of voice-activated versions of their products, or for applications in the home automation, factory automation, disabled, hobbyist and security markets.

Voice Extreme's ease-of-implementation approach is not found in any other embedded speech recognition product currently on the market. Because Voice Extreme is programmed in a high-level C-like language -- as opposed to the assembly code used with Sensory's RSC family of processors -- anyone with exposure to the C programming language can easily program a Voice Extreme chip.

"There's enormous interest in adding voice activation and recognition to a wide range of products, but one of the major obstacles has been the difficulty of actually programming this technology. We intend Voice Extreme to empower OEM product developers with a fast, simple and inexpensive way to develop voice-activated consumer electronics and bring them to market in record time," said Todd Mozer, Sensory's CEO and president. "With its easier software development and quick synthesis features, Voice Extreme will prove to be an invaluable tool for all product developers who want to integrate speech recognition capabilities into new electronic products."

The Voice Extreme product line includes the Voice Extreme IC; full-featured Development Kit; a low-cost module; and the Voice Extreme Speech Recognition Toolbox -- much like Sensory's popular Voice Direct 364 Speech Recognition Kit.

Innovative New Features

As with all of Sensory's award-winning, Interactive Speech(TM) ICs, Voice Extreme is capable of running a full suite of speech and audio functions. These include wordspotting, an exciting new technology that enables a keyword or phrase to be identified out of the middle of a sentence. Also included in Voice Extreme is speaker independent speech recognition, which allows preprogrammed words to be recognized without training, as well as speaker dependent (user trained) speech recognition. It also includes speaker verification (password protection), record and playback, speech and music synthesis, continuous listening and DTMF generation for phone dialing applications.

In addition to these standard features, Voice Extreme includes a Windows-based Quick Synthesis tool, which allows developers to quickly convert and compress .wav files for use as synthesized responses to verbal commands. A graphical programming tool is currently under development.

Voice Extreme can operate in either slave or stand-alone mode, uses external flash for data and commands and is able to run on Sensory's inexpensive 364 Rapid Prototyping Modules (RPM) and Demo Unit 364. Voice Extreme also includes support for complex flow control through user functions, interactive I/O control (button scan and output toggling), power management functions for battery applications, dual oscillator support and 24-bit memory addressing, allowing highly efficient use of the required external 2 Mb Flash.

The Voice Extreme product adds an important dimension to Sensory's overall IC product line. Voice Extreme is the fastest and easiest way to add voice activation to a wide range of mainstream consumer products. Still, for OEMs who possess assembly language programming skills, Sensory's RSC chips can provide additional design flexibility, as well as lower overall system costs for some applications.

Price and Availability

The Voice Extreme Development Kit is available immediately at a MSRP of $395 through Sensory's worldwide reps and via the Sensory website at www.Voice-Extreme.com. The Voice Extreme IC prices range from $8.00 for a TQFP package in low volumes, to $2.65 for tested die in volumes of 100K.

About Sensory, Inc.

Sensory, Inc., based in Sunnyvale, Calif., is the leading provider of high-quality, low-cost speech recognition technology for consumer products and telephony handsets. Sensory offers a complete line of IC and embedded software solutions. Their Interactive Speech(TM) line of low-cost ICs includes the award-winning RSC Series general-purpose microcontrollers with a comprehensive suite of I/O technologies. Sensory's software products are available on a range of hardware platforms from microcontrollers to DSPs. Sensory's customers include leading companies in the consumer electronics, embedded and Internet markets, such as Hasbro, JVC, Mattel, Sega, Sharper Image, Sony, Toshiba, Uniden, VOS, V-Tech and Westclox. More information is available from Sensory's website at www.voiceactivation.com.

Note to Editors: Voice Extreme is a trademark of Sensory Inc. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.