Abstract: Provided is a recommendation system including: a user data acquisition module that acquires, for each of a plurality of users, user data indicating an interest of a user; an item data acquisition module that acquires item data indicating a feature of each item; a multifaceted similarity calculation module that calculates a user-to-user similarity indicating a similarity between a target user and another user on a basis of the user data and calculates an item-to-item similarity indicating a similarity between items on a basis of the item data; an unexpectedness evaluation value calculation module that calculates an unexpectedness evaluation value indicating unexpectedness of each item for the target user on a basis of the user-to-user similarity and the item-to-item similarity; and a recommendation module that recommends, to the target user, an item selected on a basis of the unexpectedness evaluation value that has been calculated.

Abstract: To provide a system capable of improving the possibility of updating user information to user information (a user profile) matching the tastes and preferences of a user himself or herself. A recommendation system includes a user information acquisition unit that acquires user information indicating an interest of a user in a content to be provided, an output unit that outputs request information requesting the user to input information related to a content with a relatively small amount of information as compared with a predetermined comparison target in information for each content recorded in a recording medium as the user information, and an update unit that updates the user information on the basis of information input by the user in response to the request information.

Abstract: A system and method for performing an operation based on a contextual command, which operation further comprises interactively searching for information, comprising: receiving an input in a context, returning a result in respect of the received context by at least one of reducing, relaxing, and location handling in respect of the input value, and performing an operation based upon the context of the input criteria. Reducing comprises narrowing the total number of results by their contextual relevance, wherein the narrowing is comprised in dynamically generated real-time interactions. Relaxing further comprises, when an exact result is not found, broadening the input search criteria automatically, and where appropriate, obtaining a result. The location handling further comprises disambiguating addresses and locations where there are conflicts based on an input history, and establishing relationships within addresses based upon the input history.

Abstract: The invention provides a system and method for improving speech recognition. A computer software system is provided for implementing the system and method. A user of the computer software system may speak to the system directly and the system may respond, in spoken language, with an appropriate response. Grammar rules may be generated automatically from sample utterances when implementing the system for a particular application. Dynamic grammar rules may also be generated during interaction between the user and the system. In addition to arranging searching order of grammar files based on a predetermined hierarchy, a dynamically generated searching order based on history of contexts of a single conversation may be provided for further improved speech recognition.

Abstract: The invention provides a system and method for improving speech recognition. A computer software system is provided for implementing the system and method. A user of the computer software system may speak to the system directly and the system may respond, in spoken language, with an appropriate response. Grammar rules may be generated automatically from sample utterances when implementing the system for a particular application. Dynamic grammar rules may also be generated during interaction between the user and the system. In addition to arranging searching order of grammar files based on a predetermined hierarchy, a dynamically generated searching order based on history of contexts of a single conversation may be provided for further improved speech recognition.

Abstract: The invention provides a system and method for improving speech recognition. A computer software system is provided for implementing the system and method. A user of the computer software system may speak to the system directly and the system may respond, in spoken language, with an appropriate response. Grammar rules may be generated automatically from sample utterances when implementing the system for a particular application. Dynamic grammar rules may also be generated during interaction between the user and the system. In addition to arranging searching order of grammar files based on a predetermined hierarchy, a dynamically generated searching order based on history of contexts of a single conversation may be provided for further improved speech recognition.

Abstract: The invention provides a system and method for improving speech recognition. A computer software system is provided for implementing the system and method. A user of the computer software system may speak to the system directly and the system may respond, in spoken language, with an appropriate response. Grammar rules may be generated automatically from sample utterances when implementing the system for a particular application. Dynamic grammar rules may also be generated during interaction between the user and the system. In addition to arranging searching order of grammar files based on a predetermined hierarchy, a dynamically generated searching order based on history of contexts of a single conversation may be provided for further improved speech recognition.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for administering an on-line customer loyalty reward program through the use of a browser extension installed on a client computer system. The browser extension is capable of detecting special text (e.g., Extensible Markup Language (“XML”)) embedded in a comment block or data island of a HyperText Markup Language (“HTML”) document, which embedded text may be dynamically generated by a server computer system to describe an on-line purchase, or statically created to identify and describe electronic coupons (“e-Coupons”) or other promotions. The browser extension processes the special text (e.g., XML) to register e-Coupons and/or on-line purchases in the customer loyalty reward program. One or more registered e-Coupons may be automatically applied to any applicable on-line purchase.