INTERRUPTIBLE, CONTEXTUALLY LINKED MESSAGING SYSTEM WITH AUDIBLE CONTRIBUTION INDICATORS

• US 20120148034A1
• Filed: 06/14/2011
• Published: 06/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gibberin, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Gibberin, Inc.
• Inventors: Ferguson, David Dwight Carter
• Granted Patent: US 9,065,925 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/88.14
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72433 for voice messaging, e.g. dictaphones for answering incoming calls H04M1/64
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/60 logging of communication history, e.g. outgoing or incoming calls, missed calls, messages or URLs
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems

Abstract

Systems and methods for providing a method of recording, delivering, reviewing and responding to messages such that the context of responses to the messages are recorded in the form of a message index to enable linking of messages and responses in a meaningful fashion for review by a user. The flow of conversation on a topic initiated in an original message is preserved in one or more conversation threads. Also incorporated is a method to indicate the party (user or entity) responsible for posting a response in the form of a brief audible icon overlaid on the original message and heard upon review, the icon also to be used to indicate affiliation with third parties at the option of the user or as a means to subsidize the cost of providing the messaging service.

Claims

1. A messaging system, comprising:

a messaging service application operative to control the storage and transmission of messages between a plurality of users;

a first application operative for execution on a first device of a first user, the first application operative to permit the first user to record a first message, and to send the first message to a second device of a second user via the messaging service application; and

a second application operative for execution on the second device, the second application being operative to playback the first message, and to interrupt playback of the first message to permit the second user to either record a new message in response to the first message, or to review a response message to the first message that was previously recorded and linked to the first message.

2. The messaging system of claim 1, wherein the second application is operative to generate audible icons during playback of the first message indicative of either the existence of a response message at a specific time index of the first message by a particular user, or the affiliation with an external entity.

3. The messaging system of claim 2, wherein the external entity comprises a corporation, a sports franchise, or an educational institution.

4. The messaging system of claim 2, wherein the association of the external entity is dependent on the identity of the first user or the second user.

5. The messaging system of claim 1, wherein the first device and the second device are different types of devices, and wherein the first application and the second application are each customized for the respective types of devices of the first and second devices.

6. The messaging system of claim 1, wherein the first application is operative to allow the first user to record and address a message to another user account or accounts, or to mark a message as publicly available wherein it is accessible by a group of user accounts.

7. The messaging system of claim 1, wherein when the second user records a new message in response to the first message, the first application is operative to link the new message to the first message at a time index corresponding to the point in time when playback of the first message was interrupted by the second user.

8. The messaging system of claim 1, wherein the first message is in an audio format.

9. The messaging system of claim 1, wherein the messaging service application is operative to link a plurality of messages together, wherein each message is linked to another message at a particular time index such that the plurality of messages form one or more conversation threads.

10. The messaging system of claim 1, wherein the first device comprises a mobile phone, a computer, or a conventional telephone and the second device comprises a mobile phone, a computer, or a conventional telephone.

11. The messaging system of claim 1, wherein the second application is operative to cause the second device to display a graphical timeline of the first message, and wherein a response message to the first message is graphically depicted by an icon on the timeline at a position that corresponds to a time index of the first message to which the response message is linked, and wherein the response message is played when the second user activates the icon.

12. The messaging system of claim 11, wherein when the second user selects the icon of the response message, the second application permits the second user to review the response message, and to record a new message in response to the response message.

13. The messaging system of claim 1, wherein the first application is further operative to permit the first user to link media to the first message such that the linked media is delivered to the second user in tandem with the first message.

14. The messaging system of claim 1, wherein the first and second applications are configured to support voice commands and operation.

15. The messaging system of claim 1, wherein the first and second applications are operative to convert textual messages into an audio format.

16. A messaging system, comprising:

a client application configured for execution on a computing device, the client application being operative to permit a user to record messages, and to send recorded messages to other devices via a messaging service, the client application being further operative to playback messages received from other devices, and to interrupt playback of messages to permit the user to either record a new message in response to a message being played back, or to review a response message to the message being played back that was previously recorded and linked to the message being played back, wherein the new message is linked to a message being played back at a time index corresponding to the point in time when the message being played back was interrupted.

17. The messaging system of claim 16, wherein the client application comprises a user interface that includes a graphical timeline of a message, and wherein one or more response messages to the message are graphically depicted icons on the timeline at positions that correspond to time indices of the message to which the response messages are linked.

18. The messaging system of claim 17, wherein when the user selects an icon of a particular response message, the client application permits the user to review the response message, and to record a new message in response to the response message.

19. A method for providing a messaging system, comprising:

receiving a first message recorded on a first device of a first user;

delivering the first message to a second device of a second user;

receiving a second message recorded on the second device by the second user; and

linking the second message to the first message at a time index of the first message that corresponds to either when the second user interrupted playback of the first message during playback of the first message on the second device, or to the end of the first message if the second user did not interrupt playback of the first message.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

delivering the second message to a third device of a third user;

receiving a third message recorded on the third device, the third message being a response to the second message by the third user; and

linking the third message to the second message at a time index of the second message that corresponds to either when the third user interrupted playback of the second message during playback of the second message on the third device, or to the end of the second message if the third user did not interrupt playback of the second message.

21. A method for providing a messaging system, comprising:

playing a first message on a first device of a user;

receiving an input from the user;

in response to receiving the input, interrupting playback of the first message;

recording a response message from the user on the first device;

linking the response message to the first message at a time index of the first message that corresponds to the point of interruption during playback of the first message; and

resuming playback of the first message.

22. A method for providing a messaging system, comprising:

receiving a recorded message from a sending user'"'"'s device;

receiving metadata for the recorded message that includes delivery information and linkage information;

updating delivery information and linkage information for the recorded message;

delivering a notification to a recipient user'"'"'s device dependent on the received delivery information;

sending the recorded message to the recipient user'"'"'s device for playback; and

playing audible icons at predetermined times on the recipient user'"'"'s device.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising sending a response message linked to the recorded message to the recipient user'"'"'s device for playback.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the audible icons indicate that a response message to the recorded message is available for playback.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein the audible icons indicate an association with an external entity.

26. A computer readable medium having stored thereon computer instructions that cause a computer to:

play a first message;

receive an input from a user;

in response to receiving the input, interrupt playback of the first message;

record a response message from the user;

link the response message to the first message at a time index of the first message that corresponds to the point of interruption during playback of the first message; and

resume playback of the first message.

27. A messaging system, comprising:

a messaging service application operative to control the storage and transmission of messages between a group of users; and

numerous client applications, each of the client applications being associated with a user in the group of users and being configured for execution on a computing device of its associated user, each of the client applications being operative to permit its associated user to record messages, and to send recorded messages to one or more of the other client applications associated with other users in the group of users via the messaging service application, each of the client applications being further operative to receive messages from the other client applications via the messaging service application, to playback messages, and to interrupt playback of messages to record a new response message in response to a message being played back.

28. The messaging system of claim 27, wherein the new response message is linked to the message being played back at a particular time index corresponding to the point in time when the message being played back was interrupted.

29. The messaging system of claim 27, wherein each of the client applications is operative to permit its associated user to review a response message to the message being played back that was previously recorded and linked to the message being played back.

30. The messaging system of claim 29, wherein each of the client applications is operative to permit its associated user to interrupt playback of the response message, and to record a new message in response to the response message, and to send the new message to one or more of the other client applications associated with other users in the group of users via the messaging service application, wherein the new message is linked to the response message at a particular time index corresponding to the point in time when the response message was interrupted.

31. The messaging system of claim 27, wherein each of the client applications is operative to send a message including two or more linked messages to one or more of the other client applications associated with other users in the group of users via the messaging service application.