Integrated audiotext-internet personal ad services

• US 20020123929A1
• Filed: 08/20/2001
• Published: 09/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/1996
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Netdate of Texas LLC (Netdate)
• Original Assignee: Gregory J. Speicher
• Inventors: Speicher, Gregory J.
• Granted Patent: US 6,697,786 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0271 Personalized advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/60 Medium conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4878 Advertisement messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4938 comprising a voice browser which renders and interprets, e.g. VoiceXML
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0054 where the data service is an electronic mail service

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for delivering personal ad services which substantially eliminate or reduce the disadvantages and problems associated with prior systems that deliver such personal ad services. In the use of such services, the need is recognized for improved capability regrding the features available to Internet users, and the integration of audiotex personal ad services and Internet personal ad services. Several objects and advantages of the present invention are the following:

(a) to allow an Internet user via a computer connected to the Internet to listen to an audio greeting from a audiotex personal ad system;

(b) to allow an Internet user to record an audio greeting via a computer connected to the Internet that can be listened to by other Internet users via the Internet;

(c) to allow an advertiser to record an audio greeting via a computer connected to the Internet that can be listened to from a telephone;

(d) to allow an advertiser to place a personal ad via a telephone and receive a message on the Internet via electronic mail;

(e) to allow a telephone caller to access a text personal ad placed on the Internet using text-to-speech whereby a computer uses a synthesized voice to speak text over a telephone;

(f) to allow a telephone caller to respond to a personal ad that is placed via the Internet, where said response can be retrieved via the Internet;

(g) to allow a telephone caller to do a key word full-text search of personal ads;

(h) to allow a telephone caller to retrieve a text message left in response to her personal ad by an Internet user by using text-to-speech whereby a computer uses a synthesized voice to speak text over a telephone;

(i) to allow a telephone caller to retrieve an audio message left in response to her personal ad where said audio response is left via a computer connected to the Internet; and

(j) to allow an advertiser to have virtually no limit on the number of words in his text personal ad by publishing personal ads on the Internet.

Further objects and advantages are to allow an advertiser to include a photograph and video clip with his personal ad by submitting a file via a computer connected to the Internet. With the present invention, a personal ad published in a newspaper includes graphical icons which denote if an ad has additional text or multimedia files (a photograph or a video clip) available on the Internet. With respect to personal ad services, the present invention provides the needed improved capability regarding the features available to Internet users, and the integration of audiotex personal ad services and Internet personal ad services.

Claims

1. A method for storing an audio file and listening to said audio file via the Internet, said method comprising:

a means for storing an audio file in digital memory;

a means for transferring said audio file to an Internet access node;

a means for controling said transfer;

wherein said means for transferring said audio file formats said audio message for output into humanly perceivable form.

2. An apparatus for storing audio files and transferring said audio files to the Internet comprising:

a digital information storage device;

a transfer means;

an Internet access node;

wherein said digital information storage device stores phonemes indicative of audio and wherein said transfer means formats said digital information for output in humanly perceivable form via said Internet access node.