Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a system to receive a response generated by a media processor based on an analysis of a communication exchange between a user and an avatar having characteristics that correspond to a user profile. The system can identify from the response a requirement for initiation of a communication session with a content source. An avatar profile is received from the content source, including gesture information based on gestures utilized by a character supplied by the content source. An adapted avatar is generated based on the avatar profile by adapting in part the characteristics of the avatar to have a first characteristic that duplicates a gesture of the character supplied by the content source, while retaining a second characteristic corresponding to the user profile. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for generating speech. One variation of the method is from a server side, and another variation of the method is from a client side. The server side method, as implemented by a network-based automatic speech processing system, includes first receiving, from a network client independent of knowledge of internal operations of the system, a request to generate a text-to-speech voice. The request can include speech samples, transcriptions of the speech samples, and metadata describing the speech samples. The system extracts sound units from the speech samples based on the transcriptions and generates an interactive demonstration of the text-to-speech voice based on the sound units, the transcriptions, and the metadata, wherein the interactive demonstration hides a back end processing implementation from the network client. The system provides access to the interactive demonstration to the network client.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and computer-readable storage devices for processing audio signals. An example system configured to practice the method receives audio at a device to be transmitted to a remote speech processing system. The system analyzes one of noise conditions, need for an enhanced speech quality, and network load to yield an analysis. Based on the analysis, the system determines to bypass user-defined options for enhancing audio for speech processing. Then, based on the analysis, the system can modify an audio transmission parameter used to transmit the audio from the device to the remote speech processing system. The audio transmission parameter can be one of an amount of coding, a chosen codec, an amount of coding, or a number of audio channels, for example.

Abstract: A system that incorporates the subject disclosure may perform, for example, operations including determining a representative trajectory of a number of mobile devices relative to a media presentation device, such as a digital billboard. An audience of the number of mobile devices is identified and user characteristics are obtained of the audience. A representative interest of the audience is determined from the user characteristics of the audience, and a media content item is selected according to the representative interest and the representative trajectory. The media content item is presented at the media presentation device to expose the audience to the media content item. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for generating speech. One variation of the method is from a server side, and another variation of the method is from a client side. The server side method, as implemented by a network-based automatic speech processing system, includes first receiving, from a network client independent of knowledge of internal operations of the system, a request to generate a text-to-speech voice. The request can include speech samples, transcriptions of the speech samples, and metadata describing the speech samples. The system extracts sound units from the speech samples based on the transcriptions and generates an interactive demonstration of the text-to-speech voice based on the sound units, the transcriptions, and the metadata, wherein the interactive demonstration hides a back end processing implementation from the network client. The system provides access to the interactive demonstration to the network client.

Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a processor that causes a STB to present an avatar. The processor can receive from the STB a response of the user, detect from the response a change in an emotional state of the user, adapt a search for media content according to the change in the emotional state of the user, and adapt a portion of the characteristics of the avatar relating to emotional feedback according to the change in the emotional state of the user. The processor can cause the STB to present the adapted avatar presenting content from a media content source identified from the adapted search for media content. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, an avatar engine having a controller to retrieve a user profile, cause a presentation device to present a user an avatar having characteristics that correlate to the user profile, detect one or more responses of the user, identify from the one or more responses a need to communicate with a merchant system, establish a communication session with the merchant system, receive a notification from the merchant system of a merchant avatar engine, establish communication with the merchant avatar engine, adapt the characteristics of the avatar at least in part according to instructions supplied by the merchant avatar engine, and cause the presentation device to present the user the adapted avatar. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a processor that causes a STB to present an avatar. The processor can receive from the STB a response of the user, detect from the response a change in an emotional state of the user, adapt a search for media content according to the change in the emotional state of the user, and adapt a portion of the characteristics of the avatar relating to emotional feedback according to the change in the emotional state of the user. The processor can cause the STB to present the adapted avatar presenting content from a media content source identified from the adapted search for media content. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, an avatar engine having a controller to retrieve a user profile of a user, present the user an avatar having characteristics that correlate to the user profile, detect one or more responses of the user during a communication exchange between the avatar and the user, identify from the one or more responses a need to engage in an e-commerce transaction, engage in a commercial exchange with a merchant system according to the e-commerce transaction, identify a commercial status of the e-commerce transaction from the commercial exchange with the merchant system, and present the user by way of the avatar the commercial status of the e-commerce transaction. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a system to receive a response generated by a media processor based on an analysis of a communication exchange between a user and an avatar having characteristics that correspond to a user profile. The system can identify from the response a requirement for initiation of a communication session with a content source. An avatar profile is received from the content source, including gesture information based on gestures utilized by a character supplied by the content source. An adapted avatar is generated based on the avatar profile by adapting in part the characteristics of the avatar to have a first characteristic that duplicates a gesture of the character supplied by the content source, while retaining a second characteristic corresponding to the user profile. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, an avatar engine having a controller to retrieve a user profile of a user, present the user an avatar having characteristics that correlate to the user profile, detect one or more responses of the user during a communication exchange between the avatar and the user, identify from the one or more responses a need to engage in an e-commerce transaction, engage in a commercial exchange with a merchant system according to the e-commerce transaction, identify a commercial status of the e-commerce transaction from the commercial exchange with the merchant system, and present the user by way of the avatar the commercial status of the e-commerce transaction. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) system having a controller to retrieve a user profile associated with a user of the IPTV system, cause a set-top box (STB) operating in the IPTV system to present an avatar having characteristics that correlate to the user profile, receive from the STB one or more responses of the user, wherein the one or more responses are collected by the STB from a communication exchange between the avatar and the user, identify from the one or more responses a need to communicate with a content source, establish a communication session with the content source, receive from the content source an avatar profile, adapt the characteristics of the avatar to correlate at least in part to the avatar profile, and cause the STB to present the adapted avatar. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a first computing device having a controller to present an avatar having characteristics that correlate to a user profile and that conform to operating characteristics of the first computing device, and transmit to a second computing device operational information associated with the avatar for reproducing at least in part the avatar at said second computing device. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a method for controlling a steering of a plurality of cameras to identify a plurality of potential sources, identifying the plurality of potential sources according to image data provided by the plurality of cameras, assigning a beam of a plurality of beams of a plurality of microphones to each of the plurality of potential sources, detecting a first command comprising one of a first audible cue based on signals from a portion of the plurality of microphones, a first visual cue based on image data from one of the plurality of cameras, or both for controlling a media center, and configuring the media center according to the first command. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a processor that causes a STB to present an avatar. The processor can receive from the STB a response of the user, detect from the response a change in an emotional state of the user, adapt a search for media content according to the change in the emotional state of the user, and adapt a portion of the characteristics of the avatar relating to emotional feedback according to the change in the emotional state of the user. The processor can cause the STB to present the adapted avatar presenting content from a media content source identified from the adapted search for media content. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a first computing device having a controller to present an avatar having characteristics that correlate to a user profile and that conform to operating characteristics of the first computing device, and transmit to a second computing device operational information associated with the avatar for reproducing at least in part the avatar at said second computing device. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for generating speech. One variation of the method is from a server side, and another variation of the method is from a client side. The server side method, as implemented by a network-based automatic speech processing system, includes first receiving, from a network client independent of knowledge of internal operations of the system, a request to generate a text-to-speech voice. The request can include speech samples, transcriptions of the speech samples, and metadata describing the speech samples. The system extracts sound units from the speech samples based on the transcriptions and generates an interactive demonstration of the text-to-speech voice based on the sound units, the transcriptions, and the metadata, wherein the interactive demonstration hides a back end processing implementation from the network client. The system provides access to the interactive demonstration to the network client.

Abstract: A method and system are disclosed that train a text-to-speech synthesis system for use in speech synthesis. The method includes generating a speech database of audio files comprising domain-specific voices having various prosodies, and training a text-to-speech synthesis system using the speech database by selecting audio segments having a prosody based on at least one dialog state. The system includes a processor, a speech database of audio files, and modules for implementing the method.

Abstract: A method and system are disclosed that train a text-to-speech synthesis system for use in speech synthesis. The method includes generating a speech database of audio files comprising domain-specific voices having various prosodies, and training a text-to-speech synthesis system using the speech database by selecting audio segments having a prosody based on at least one dialog state. The system includes a processor, a speech database of audio files, and modules for implementing the method.

Abstract: A system, method and computer readable medium that trains a text-to-speech synthesis system for use in speech synthesis is disclosed. The method may include recording audio files of one or more live voices speaking language used in a specific domain, the audio files being recorded using various prosodies, storing the recorded audio files in a speech database; and training a text-to-speech synthesis system using the speech database, wherein the text-to-speech synthesis system selects audio selects audio segments having a prosody based on at least one dialog state and one speech act.