Systems, methods and computer program products for associating announcement files with electronic messages

• US 20070220169A1
• Filed: 03/16/2006
• Published: 09/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Carter, Sharon, Moore, Darryl, Silver, Edward
• Application Number:
  US11/377,326
• Publication Number:
  US 20070220169A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/246
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

A system for associating at least one announcement file with attributes of electronic messages sent from the system. The system includes a source announcement files library storing a plurality of source announcement files, the announcement files configured for playing at a recipient terminal upon the recipient terminal receiving the electronic message. An announcement file assembler is configured to select one or more attributes of an electronic message and to associate with the one or more selected attributes one or more announcement files selected from the source announcement files to form associated announcement files and further configured to store the associated announcement files in an associated announcement files library. An announcement file associator is configured to send associated announcement files from the associated announcement files library with the electronic messages having matching attributes. A composer is configured to receive media input from an input device and to store the media input as a source announcement file in the source announcement files library.

Claims

1. A system for associating at least one announcement file with attributes of electronic messages sent from the system, the system comprising:

a source announcement files library storing a plurality of source announcement files, the announcement files configured for playing at a recipient terminal upon the recipient terminal receiving the electronic message;

an announcement file assembler configured to select one or more attributes of an electronic message and to associate with the one or more selected attributes one or more announcement files selected from the source announcement files to form associated announcement files and further configured to store the associated announcement files in an associated announcement files library;

an announcement file associator configured to send associated announcement files from the associated announcement files library with the electronic messages having matching attributes; and

a composer configured to receive media input from an input device and to store the media input as a source announcement file in the source announcement files library.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the input device includes at least one of a microphone, a keyboard and a camera.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the composer further comprises:

an encoder for converting the media input for the input device into an announcement file format.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the file format includes at least one of an audio, video or text format.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein input media from the camera is converted into a video format.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein input media from the keyboard is converted into an audio or text format.

7. The system of claim 2, wherein the input media from the microphone is converted into an audio or text format.

8. A system for associating at least one announcement file with attributes of electronic messages sent from the system, the system comprising:

a first source announcement files library located on a terminal storage device and storing a first plurality of source announcement files, the announcement files configured for playing at a recipient terminal upon the recipient terminal receiving the electronic message;

a second source announcement files library located remote from the terminal storage device and storing a second plurality of source announcement files, the announcement files configured for playing at a recipient terminal upon the recipient terminal receiving the electronic message;

an announcement file assembler configured to select one or more attributes of an electronic message and to associate with the one or more selected attributes one or more announcement files selected from the first and second source announcement files to form associated announcement files and further configured to store the associated announcement files in an associated announcement files library; and

an announcement file associator configured to send associated announcement files from the associated announcement files library with the electronic messages having matching attributes.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the second source announcement files library is located on a terminal of an intended recipient of the electronic message.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the second plurality of source announcement files are associated through path identifiers to locations on a storage device of the recipient terminal.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the second plurality of source announcement files are associated through category identifiers to locations on a storage device of the recipient terminal.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the second source announcement files library is located on a terminal of a third party other than the sender or the intended recipient of the electronic message.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the second plurality of source announcement files are associated through hyperlink and/or path identifiers to locations on a storage device of the third party terminal.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the second plurality of source announcement files are associated through category identifiers to locations on a storage device of the third party terminal.

15. The system of claim 8, wherein the second plurality of source announcement files include a third plurality of source announcement files and a fourth plurality of source announcement files;

and wherein the third plurality of source announcement files is located on a terminal of an intended recipient of the electronic message and the fourth plurality source announcement files is located on a terminal of a third party other than the sender or the intended recipient of the electronic message.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the second plurality of source announcement files are associated through at least one of the group consisting of a path identifier to locations on a storage device of the recipient terminal, category identifiers to locations on a storage device of the recipient terminal and hyperlink and/or path identifiers to locations on a storage device of the third party terminal.