User driven voice interaction

• US 8,693,377 B1
• Filed: 02/16/2011
• Issued: 04/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Songbird Tech LLC
• Original Assignee: Robert Joseph Hazy
• Inventors: Hazy, Robert Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Chi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hom, Shick
• Application Number:
  US13/028,232
• Time in Patent Office: 1,147 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/270
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/016 After-sales
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5191 interacting with the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53341 Message reply
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53366 Message disposing or creating aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/003 Click to dial services

Abstract

A computer implemented method and system is provided for exchanging voice messages between a sender and a recipient. A client component that allows the sender to create, address, and render the voice messages to the recipient using a graphical user interface is provided. A messaging server that enables interaction between the sender and the recipient is also provided. The sender records one or more voice messages and addresses the recorded voice messages on the client component by entering a recipient address or an arbitrary address. The client component transmits the recorded voice messages, the recipient address or the arbitrary address, and a client identifier to the messaging server. The messaging server resolves a recipient delivery address based on the arbitrary address. The messaging server transmits a delivery message comprising the recorded voice messages to the resolved recipient delivery address. The recipient responds to the recorded voice messages with response messages.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for sending voice messages from a sender to a recipient, comprising:

providing a client component, said client component rendering a graphical user interface;

providing a messaging server that enables interaction between said sender and said recipient for said exchanging of said voice messages;

receiving inputs from said sender for recording one or more of said voice messages on said client component;

receiving inputs for addressing said recorded one or more voice messages on said client component, wherein said inputs received for addressing each of said recorded one or more voice messages comprises one of a recipient address and an arbitrary address;

transmitting said recorded one or more voice messages, said one of said recipient address and said arbitrary address, and a client identifier associated with said client component to said messaging server via a communication network;

resolving, at said messaging server, a recipient delivery address based on said recipient address or said arbitrary address for delivering each of said recorded one or more voice messages to said recipient, wherein said resolved recipient delivery address is one of said recipient address, a predefined delivery address of said recipient, a predefined electronic mail address of said recipient, a default recipient address, and a predefined identification number of said recipient; and

transmitting, from said messaging server, a delivery message comprising one or more of said recorded one or more voice messages to said resolved recipient delivery address.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein said client component is one of a standalone application provided on a computing device of said sender and said recipient, and a browser based application provided on a web hosting service.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 1 further comprises responding to said one or more of said recorded one or more voice messages in said delivery message with one or more response messages, wherein said one or more response messages are transmitted to one of an electronic mail address of said sender, a predefined identification number of said sender, and said client component of said sender via said messaging server by said recipient using said client component accessed via a computing device of said recipient.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein said delivery message further comprises a web address, optional explanatory text, and a session identifier, wherein said web address provides a link that allows said recipient to download said client component from said messaging server, and wherein said session identifier allows continuity of said exchange of said voice messages between said sender and said recipient by routing said one or more response messages of said recipient to said sender.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising storing said recorded one or more voice messages on said messaging server.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein said recorded one or more voice messages are anonymously transmitted to said recipient via said messaging server.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein said recorded one or more voice messages are non-anonymously transmitted to said recipient via said messaging server.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein said transmission of said delivery message from said messaging server comprises one of:

delivering said recorded one or more voice messages as one or more audio file attachments to said resolved recipient delivery address; and

delivering a web address and a session identifier associated with said recorded one or more voice messages to said resolved recipient delivery address, wherein said web address provides a link to said messaging server for downloading said client component and retrieving said recorded one or more voice messages, and wherein said session identifier allows continuity of said exchange of said voice messages between said sender and said recipient by routing one or more response messages of said recipient to said sender.

9. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising registering said sender with said messaging server for maintaining an account for sending said recorded one or more voice messages to said recipient and receiving one or more response messages from said recipient.

10. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein said resolving of said recipient delivery address based on said arbitrary address comprises one or more of:

matching said arbitrary address with a predefined delivery address of said recipient;

matching said arbitrary address with one of a predefined electronic mail address and a predefined identification number of said recipient; and

matching said arbitrary address with a default recipient address.

11. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising sending a notification to said client component accessed via a computing device of said sender on transmitting said recorded one or more voice messages to said resolved recipient delivery address by said messaging server.

12. A computer implemented system for sending voice messages from a sender to a recipient, comprising:

a client component comprising;

a graphical user interface that receives inputs from said sender to create, address, and render said voice messages to said recipient;

a recording module that records one or more of said voice messages; and

a first message transmission module that transmits said recorded one or more voice messages, one of a recipient address and an arbitrary address received by said client component, and a client identifier associated with said client component to a messaging server; and

said messaging server in communication with said client component via a communication network, wherein said messaging server comprises;

an address resolution module that resolves a recipient delivery address based on said arbitrary address for delivering each of said recorded one or more voice messages to said recipient, wherein said address resolution module resolves said recipient delivery address based on said arbitrary address by performing one or more of;

matching said arbitrary address with a predefined delivery address of said recipient;

matching said arbitrary address with one of a predefined electronic mail address and a predefined identification number of said recipient; and

matching said arbitrary address with a default recipient address;

a message delivery module that transmits a delivery message comprising one or more of said recorded one or more voice messages to said resolved recipient delivery address.

13. The computer implemented system of claim 12, wherein said client component is one of a standalone application provided on a computing device of said sender and said recipient, and a browser based application provided on a web hosting service.

14. The computer implemented system of claim 12, wherein said client component accessible via a computing device of said recipient comprises a second message transmission module that transmits one or more response messages of said recipient to one of an electronic mail address of said sender, a predefined identification number of said sender, and said client component of said sender via said messaging server.

15. The computer implemented system of claim 12, wherein said messaging server further comprises a message storage module that stores said recorded one or more voice messages.

16. The computer implemented system of claim 12, wherein said messaging server further comprises a notification module that sends a notification to said client component accessed via a computing device of said sender on transmitting said recorded one or more voice messages to said resolved recipient delivery address.

17. The computer implemented system of claim 12, wherein said messaging server further comprises a registration module that registers said sender with said messaging server for maintaining an account for sending said recorded one or more voice messages to said recipient and receiving one or more response messages from said recipient.

18. A computer program product comprising computer executable instructions embodied in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium, wherein said computer program product comprises computer program codes for:

providing a client component, said client component rendering a graphical user interface;

receiving inputs from said sender for recording one or more of said voice messages on said client component;

receiving inputs for addressing said recorded one or more voice messages on said client component, wherein said inputs received for addressing each of said recorded one or more voice messages comprises one of a recipient address and an arbitrary address;

transmitting said recorded one or more voice messages, said one of said recipient address and said arbitrary address, and a client identifier associated with said client component to a messaging server via a communication network;

resolving, at said messaging server, a recipient delivery address based on said arbitrary address for delivering each of said recorded one or more voice messages to said recipient, wherein said resolved recipient delivery address is one of said recipient address, a predefined delivery address of said recipient, a predefined electronic mail address of said recipient, a default recipient address, and a predefined identification number of said recipient, wherein said computer program codes for resolving said recipient delivery address based on said arbitrary address perform one or more of;

matching said arbitrary address with said predefined delivery address of said recipient;

matching said arbitrary address with one of said predefined electronic mail address and said predefined identification number of said recipient; and

matching said arbitrary address with said default recipient address;

transmitting, from said messaging server, a delivery message comprising one or more of said recorded one or more voice messages to said resolved recipient delivery address.

19. A computer implemented method for sending voice messages from a sender to a recipient, comprising:

providing a client component, said client component rendering a graphical user interface;

providing a messaging server that enables interaction between said sender and said recipient for said exchanging of said voice messages;

receiving inputs from said sender for recording one or more of said voice messages on said client component;

receiving inputs from said sender via said graphical user interface for addressing said recorded one or more voice messages on said client component, wherein said inputs received for addressing each of said recorded one or more voice messages comprises one of a recipient address and an arbitrary address;

transmitting said recorded one or more voice messages, said one of said recipient address and said arbitrary address, and a client identifier associated with said client component to said messaging server via a communication network;

resolving, at said messaging server, a recipient delivery address based on said arbitrary address for delivering each of said recorded one or more voice messages to said recipient; and

transmitting, from said messaging server, a delivery message comprising one or more of said recorded one or more voice messages to said resolved recipient delivery address, wherein said delivery message further comprises a web address, optional explanatory text, and a session identifier, wherein said web address provides a link that allows said recipient to download said client component from said messaging server, and wherein said session identifier allows continuity of said exchange of said voice messages between said sender and said recipient by routing said one or more response messages of said recipient to said sender.

20. A computer implemented method for sending voice messages from a sender to a recipient, comprising:

providing a client component, said client component rendering a graphical user interface;

providing a messaging server that enables interaction between said sender and said recipient for said exchanging of said voice messages;

receiving inputs from said sender for recording one or more of said voice messages on said client component;

receiving inputs from said sender via said graphical user interface for addressing said recorded one or more voice messages on said client component, wherein said inputs received for addressing each of said recorded one or more voice messages comprises one of a recipient address and an arbitrary address;

transmitting said recorded one or more voice messages, said one of said recipient address and said arbitrary address, and a client identifier associated with said client component to said messaging server via a communication network;

resolving, at said messaging server, a recipient delivery address based on said arbitrary address for delivering each of said recorded one or more voice messages to said recipient, wherein said resolving of said recipient delivery address based on said arbitrary address by said messaging server comprises one or more of;

matching said arbitrary address with a predefined delivery address of said recipient;

matching said arbitrary address with one of a predefined electronic mail address and a predefined identification number of said recipient; and

matching said arbitrary address with a default recipient address;

transmitting, from said messaging server, a delivery message comprising one or more of said recorded one or more voice messages to said resolved recipient delivery address.