Abstract: A system and an associated method for responding to a user's voice inquiry are disclosed. The system accepts the voice inquiry and obtains personal data regarding the user. The system then identifies potential subjects of interest in the voice inquiry from media content currently provided to the user through a device which has captured the voice inquiry, media content present in or capturing the user's surroundings, or media content previously provided to the user as responses to previous voice inquiries by the user. Next, the system determines at least one subject of interest based on at least one of the personal data and the user's previous voice inquiries. The system then presents a response related to the determined subject of interest to the user's voice inquiry.

Abstract: A system and an associated method for responding to a user's voice inquiry are disclosed. The system accepts the voice inquiry and obtains personal data regarding the user. The system then identifies potential subjects of interest in the voice inquiry from media content currently provided to the user through a device which has captured the voice inquiry, media content present in or capturing the user's surroundings, or media content previously provided to the user as responses to previous voice inquiries by the user. Next, the system determines at least one subject of interest based on at least one of the personal data and the user's previous voice inquiries. The system then presents a response related to the determined subject of interest to the user's voice inquiry.

Abstract: A system and an associated method for responding to a user's voice inquiry are disclosed. The system accepts the voice inquiry and obtains personal data regarding the user. The system then identifies potential subjects of interest in the voice inquiry from media content currently provided to the user through a device which has captured the voice inquiry, media content present in or capturing the user's surroundings, or media content previously provided to the user as responses to previous voice inquiries by the user. Next, the system determines at least one subject of interest based on at least one of the personal data and the user's previous voice inquiries. The system then presents a response related to the determined subject of interest to the user's voice inquiry.

Abstract: A recommendation system communicates with end user devices over a computer communications network and includes a recommendations engine that communicates with the network from behind a firewall that inhibits unauthorized communications from the network, a data file system that receives disposition update data in response to purchase actions initiated by an end user device and receives ingested user activity data in response to activity at a network storefront initiated by an end user device, and a database system that updates a recommendation model for the end user device in response to receiving the disposition update data and ingested user activity data. The recommendations engine generates a recommendation for the end user device in response to the update of the recommendation model.

Abstract: A system and with an associated method for preloading advertisements from a server to a user's device is disclosed. In response to inquiries made by members of a user group, user devices of the members present advertisements to the members and the server keeps a record of these presentations. Next, the server identifies those advertisements which have been frequently presented to the members, and preloads the identified advertisements to the device of a user who belongs to the user group. Subsequently, upon receiving a specific inquiry by the user's device, the server determines a response to the specific inquiry. When the determined response contains one of the preloaded advertisements, the server sends an instruction to the user's device to present the preloaded advertisement to the user.

Abstract: A system with an associated method for preloading advertisements by a server to a user's device is disclosed. In response to inquiries made by members of a user group, the system presents advertisements to the members and keeps a record of these presentations. Next, the system identifies those advertisements which have been frequently presented to the members, and preloads the identified advertisements on the device of a user who belongs to the user group. Subsequently, upon receiving a specific inquiry from the user's device, the system determines a response to the specific inquiry. When the determined response contains one of the preloaded advertisements, the system sends an instruction to the user's device to present the preloaded advertisement to the user.

Abstract: An automated communication system with an associated method for presenting customized voices is disclosed. The system which performs a predetermined task accepts information regarding an intended user indicating the intended user's identity, preferences, etc. Next, the system customizes one or more voices for the intended user based on the accepted information. The system then presents to the intended user one or more audible communications converted from text associated with a predetermined task performed by the system using the one or more customized voices.

Abstract: A system and with an associated method for preloading advertisements from a server to a user's device is disclosed. In response to inquiries made by members of a user group, user devices of the members present advertisements to the members and the server keeps a record of these presentations. Next, the server identifies those advertisements which have been frequently presented to the members, and preloads the identified advertisements to the device of a user who belongs to the user group. Subsequently, upon receiving a specific inquiry by the user's device, the server determines a response to the specific inquiry. When the determined response contains one of the preloaded advertisements, the server sends an instruction to the user's device to present the preloaded advertisement to the user.

Abstract: A system and an associated method for responding to a user's voice inquiry are disclosed. The system accepts the voice inquiry and obtains personal data regarding the user. The system then identifies potential subjects of interest in the voice inquiry from media content currently provided to the user through a device which has captured the voice inquiry, media content present in or capturing the user's surroundings, or media content previously provided to the user as responses to previous voice inquiries by the user. Next, the system determines at least one subject of interest based on at least one of the personal data and the user's previous voice inquiries. The system then presents a response related to the determined subject of interest to the user's voice inquiry.

Abstract: An automated communication system with an associated method for presenting customized voices is disclosed. The system which performs a predetermined task accepts information regarding an intended user indicating the intended user's identity, preferences, etc. Next, the system customizes one or more voices for the intended user based on the accepted information. The system then presents to the intended user one or more audible communications converted from text associated with a predetermined task performed by the system using the one or more customized voices.

Abstract: A system with an associated method for preloading advertisements by a server to a user's device is disclosed. In response to inquiries made by members of a user group, the system presents advertisements to the members and keeps a record of these presentations. Next, the system identifies those advertisements which have been frequently presented to the members, and preloads the identified advertisements on the device of a user who belongs to the user group. Subsequently, upon receiving a specific inquiry from the user's device, the system determines a response to the specific inquiry. When the determined response contains one of the preloaded advertisements, the system sends an instruction to the user's device to present the preloaded advertisement to the user.

Abstract: A recommendation system communicates with end user devices over a computer communications network and includes a recommendations engine that communicates with the network from behind a firewall that inhibits unauthorized communications from the network, a data file system that receives disposition update data in response to purchase actions initiated by an end user device and receives ingested user activity data in response to activity at a network storefront initiated by an end user device, and a database system that updates a recommendation model for the end user device in response to receiving the disposition update data and ingested user activity data. The recommendations engine generates a recommendation for the end user device in response to the update of the recommendation model.

Abstract: A method and system for ranking relevancy of metadata associated with media on a computer network, such as multimedia and streaming media, include categorizing the metadata into sets of metadata. The categories are broad categories relating to areas such as who, what, when, and where, such as artist, media type, and creation date, creation location. Weights are assigned to each set of metadata. Weights are related to technical information such as bit rate, duration, sampling rate, frequency of occurrence of a specific term, etc. A score is calculated for ranking the relevancy of each set of metadata. The score is calculated in accordance with the assigned weight and category. This score is available for search systems (e.g., search engines) and/or users to determine the relative ranking of search results.