Audio messaging system and method
First Claim
1. A method of using an interactive voice response (IVR) system and a computer server connected to a communications network to support voice messaging between individuals accessible through telephone devices located on the network and individuals accessible through computer devices located on the network, the method comprising:
- receiving a plurality of voice messages from remote users of devices located on the network, each received voice message including information identifying at least one intended recipient;
for each received voice message, accessing a user profile for its intended recipient, said user profile specifying one or more communication devices located on the network by which such intended recipient should receive delivery or notification of voice messages directed to such intended recipient, said communication devices including at least one of a telephone device and a computer device;
determining, for each of the intended recipients, a preferred one of the specified communication devices by which such intended recipient should receive delivery or notification of voice messages directed to such intended recipient as a function of a time period during which the voice messages are received and updating the respective user profile accordingly;
notifying the intended recipients of the received voice messages at the preferred communication devices according to their respective user profiles, said notifying including notifying the intended recipient of the received voice messages via the preferred device; and
delivering the received voice messages to their intended recipients in audio form, including delivering at least one of the received voice messages to its intended recipient in audio form using the IVR system and the preferred communication device specified in the user profile of the intended recipient.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method by which individuals can send and receive audio messages using telephone devices and/or computer devices. Upon receiving an audio message on behalf of an intended recipient, the system accesses a user profile to determine how the intended recipient should be contacted. The system then contacts the intended recipient in accordance with his or her user profile and notifies the intended recipient of the received audio message. The audio message is then delivered to the intended recipient in audio form through either a computer device or a telephone device. A person may thus send a voice or other audio message to an intended recipient using either a computer device or a telephone device, at the sender'"'"'s option, and the audio message may be promptly delivered to the intended recipient in audio form via either a computer device or a telephone device, at the recipient'"'"'s option.
139 Citations
43 Claims
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1. A method of using an interactive voice response (IVR) system and a computer server connected to a communications network to support voice messaging between individuals accessible through telephone devices located on the network and individuals accessible through computer devices located on the network, the method comprising:
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receiving a plurality of voice messages from remote users of devices located on the network, each received voice message including information identifying at least one intended recipient; for each received voice message, accessing a user profile for its intended recipient, said user profile specifying one or more communication devices located on the network by which such intended recipient should receive delivery or notification of voice messages directed to such intended recipient, said communication devices including at least one of a telephone device and a computer device; determining, for each of the intended recipients, a preferred one of the specified communication devices by which such intended recipient should receive delivery or notification of voice messages directed to such intended recipient as a function of a time period during which the voice messages are received and updating the respective user profile accordingly; notifying the intended recipients of the received voice messages at the preferred communication devices according to their respective user profiles, said notifying including notifying the intended recipient of the received voice messages via the preferred device; and delivering the received voice messages to their intended recipients in audio form, including delivering at least one of the received voice messages to its intended recipient in audio form using the IVR system and the preferred communication device specified in the user profile of the intended recipient. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. An apparatus for recording and sending audio messages to an interactive voice response (IVR) system coupled to a communications network for delivery to a recipient, the apparatus comprising:
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a processor; a memory device; computer instructions stored in the memory device; a microphone; and an interface to the communications network, said computer instructions configuring the processor to record in an audio file, in response to input from a user, an audio message provided by the user to the microphone, and to transfer the audio file in which the audio message is recorded to the communications network via, said interface, whereby the audio message recorded in the audio file may be transmitted through the communications network to the IVR system for delivery to the recipient via one or more remote devices specified in a profile of the recipient, and said computer instructions further configuring the processor to determine a preferred one of the one or more remote communication devices specified in the profile of the recipient at which to deliver the audio message as a function of a time period during which the audio message is provided by the user and to deliver the audio message to the intended recipient at the preferred communication device. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A method for recording and sending an audio message to an interactive voice response (IVR) system coupled to a communications network for delivery to a recipient using a computer device having a microphone and a network interface, the method comprising:
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receiving the audio message from a user through the microphone; recording the received audio message in an audio file; determining a preferred one of the one or more remote communication devices specified in a user profile associated with the recipient as a function of a time period during which the audio message is transferred to the audio file, said user profile specifying communication devices by which such recipient should receive delivery or notification of audio messages directed to the recipient, and updating the respective user profile accordingly; and sending the audio file to the network interface for delivery to the recipient at the preferred communication device via said IVR system through the communications network. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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37. A method comprising:
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receiving a voice message on behalf of an intended recipient; storing the received voice message; determining a preferred one of one or more remote communication devices specified in a profile associated with the recipient as a function of a time period during which the voice message is received, said user profile specifying communication devices by which such recipient should receive delivery or notification of voice messages directed to the recipient, and updating the respective user profile accordingly; sending an electronic message to the intended recipient, the electronic message including a hyperlink to the stored voice message, whereby the intended recipient can retrieve the stored voice message by selecting the hyperlink; receiving information from the intended recipient specifying a device through which the intended recipient desires to receive the voice message; contacting the device specified by the intended recipient; and delivering the voice message to the intended recipient through the specified device. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39)
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40. A method comprising:
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receiving information from a first device associated with a user indicating the user'"'"'s desire to record and send an audio message; contacting the user via a second device associated with the user; receiving the audio message from the user via the second device; determining whether an intended recipient of the received audio message has a presence on a widely distributed computer network at a particular time and, if so, contemporaneously sending a pop-up text message to the intended recipient, the pop-up text message notifying the intended recipient of the received audio message; learning over time which one of a plurality of remote communication devices specified in a profile associated with the intended recipient is preferred at which to notify the intended recipient of the received audio message based on a time period during which previous audio messages have been successfully received by the intended recipient at each of the plurality of remote communication devices; and updating the profile associated with the intended recipient accordingly. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43)
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Specification