A distributed voice applications system includes a voice applications rendering agent and at least one voice applications agent that is configured to provide voice applications to an individual user. A management system may control and direct the voice applications rendering agent to create voice applications that are personalized for individual users based on user characteristics, information about the environment in which the voice applications will be performed, prior user interactions and other information. The voice applications agent and components of customized voice applications may be resident on a local user device which includes a voice browser and speech recognition capabilities. The local device, voice applications rendering agent and management system may be interconnected via a communications network.

A distributed voice applications system includes a voice applications rendering agent and at least one voice applications agent that is configured to provide voice applications to an individual user. A management system may control and direct the voice applications rendering agent to create voice applications that are personalized for individual users based on user characteristics, information about the environment in which the voice applications will be performed, prior user interactions and other information. The voice applications agent and components of customized voice applications may be resident on a local user device which includes a voice browser and speech recognition capabilities. The local device, voice applications rendering agent and management system may be interconnected via a communications network.

A method and system are disclosed for determining the geographic location of a user communicating on a communications network such as the Internet. In one embodiment, a provider of a product or service: (a) receives the user's phone number (or other identification for contacting the user's station), and (b) supplies the user's station with a distinctive identifier. The provider then supplies a location determining service with the user's phone number (or other identification). A phone call is made to the phone number by the location determining service for retrieving the distinctive identifier from the network station having the phone number. If the distinctive identifier is retrieved and the location determining service determines that the user's station is within an appropriate geographical area (or not within an inappropriate area), then the provider can provide the requested product or service to the user.

A method and system are disclosed for determining the geographic location of a user communicating on a communications network such as the Internet. In one embodiment, a provider of a product or service: (a) receives the user's phone number (or other identification for contacting the user's station), and (b) supplies the user's station with a distinctive identifier. The provider then supplies a location determining service with the user's phone number (or other identification). A phone call is made to the phone number by the location determining service for retrieving the distinctive identifier from the network station having the phone number. If the distinctive identifier is retrieved and the location determining service determines that the user's station is within an appropriate geographical area (or not within an inappropriate area), then the provider can provide the requested product or service to the user.

A technique for user notification involves receiving an event notification related to an event associated with user notification by a user; providing the event notification from a stored array to a process executed by a processor; using the event notification as a first title used for the process; providing a second title from the stored array to the process; and using the second title to identify the process to the user.

A technique for user notification involves receiving an event notification related to an event associated with user notification by a user; providing the event notification from a stored array to a process executed by a processor; using the event notification as a first title used for the process; providing a second title from the stored array to the process; and using the second title to identify the process to the user.

An apparatus including a server is disclosed for providing data-communications services to and configuring contact lists for a plurality of Internet-enabled devices. The apparatus includes a data server communicatively connected to the plurality of user-communications devices. In response to receiving a first data message, from a first device not included in the plurality of devices, that includes contact information and identifies one of the plurality of devices, the device management circuit adds a new contact having the contact information to the respective contact list of the identified one of the plurality of devices.

A system for playback of messages. Context appropriate messages for an environment may be played back. Messages may be user behavior interactive and subject to user behavior initiated message playback conditions. User generated environment events may be automatically analyzed and user behavior interactive messages may be automatically coordinated. An automated themed message playback apparatus may have a self-contained housing within which a stored themed message, an in situ user generated environment event sensor, and an automated themed message playback device are housed. User generated environment events may be automatically sensed in situ.

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for using frames for performing tasks. One of the methods includes receiving a first request to perform a task, the first request comprising user speech identifying the task; generating a frame associated with the task, wherein the frame comprises one or more types of values necessary to perform the task, and wherein each type of value can be satisfied by a respective value; receiving a second request to provide information related to a question, the second request comprising user speech identifying the question; providing information identifying the question to a search engine, and receiving a response identifying one or more terms; determining that at least one term can satisfy a type of value necessary to perform the task; and storing the at least one term in the frame.

A captioned telephone service system having the text-to-speech and answer assistance functions includes a captioner, a text-to-speech system, and an answer assistance system. The captioner provides captions to a user during a phone call between the user and a peer by receiving the peer’s voice from a peer device, transcribing the peer’s voice into caption data, and transferring the caption data to the user device. The text-to-speech system is configured to receive text data from the user device, convert the text data into speech, and transfer the voice of the speech to the peer device via the voice path in real time. The answer assistance system is configured to receive the caption data from the captioner, analyze the caption data to identify a question, analyze the question to generate answer suggestions, and forward the answer suggestions to the user device for review, editing, and selection.