Messaging response system
First Claim
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1. A method of providing a service to a first party using an instant communications client, the method comprising:
- receiving indication from the first party that the first party desires to establish instant communications with a messaging response system, the messaging response system providing a service related to establishing communications;
receiving information from the first party relating to how charges for the service will be paid, wherein an account of the first party is identified by both a screen name of the first party and a service provider identifier associated with a service provider of the first party, and wherein the service provider is one of a plurality of service providers that can be used to access the messaging response system;
receiving from the first party an identifier which identifies, to the message response system, a second party;
receiving a request from the first party to have communications established involving the first party and the second party;
providing communications among the first party and the second party; and
receiving from the first party textual information to be converted into corresponding audio information to be provided to the second party;
wherein an aspect of how the textual information is converted into corresponding audio information is affected by preference information pertaining to at least one of the first party, the second party and the instant communications client and the aspect relates to a voice characteristic imparted to synthesized speech in the audio information.
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Abstract
A messaging response system is disclosed wherein a service providing system provides services to users via messaging communications. In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, multiple respondents servicing users through messaging communications may appear to simultaneously use a common “screen name” identifier.
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Citations
52 Claims
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1. A method of providing a service to a first party using an instant communications client, the method comprising:
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receiving indication from the first party that the first party desires to establish instant communications with a messaging response system, the messaging response system providing a service related to establishing communications; receiving information from the first party relating to how charges for the service will be paid, wherein an account of the first party is identified by both a screen name of the first party and a service provider identifier associated with a service provider of the first party, and wherein the service provider is one of a plurality of service providers that can be used to access the messaging response system; receiving from the first party an identifier which identifies, to the message response system, a second party; receiving a request from the first party to have communications established involving the first party and the second party; providing communications among the first party and the second party; and receiving from the first party textual information to be converted into corresponding audio information to be provided to the second party; wherein an aspect of how the textual information is converted into corresponding audio information is affected by preference information pertaining to at least one of the first party, the second party and the instant communications client and the aspect relates to a voice characteristic imparted to synthesized speech in the audio information. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. A method of providing service to first party via a telephony connection, the method comprising the steps of:
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providing indication that a second party using an instant communications client desires to communicate with the first party using a messaging response system; providing communications among the first party and the second party, wherein the first party engages in communication using audio information via the telephony connection; receiving information from the first party relating to how charges associated with the use of the service are to be billed, wherein an account of the first party is identified by both a screen name of the first party and a service provider identifier associated with a service provider of the first party, and wherein the service provider is one of a plurality of service providers that can be used to access the messaging response system; and providing to the first party audio information corresponding to textual information from the second party, wherein an aspect of providing the audio information corresponding to the textual information is affected by preference information pertaining to at least one of the first party, the second party and the instant communications client and the aspect relates to a voice characteristic imparted to synthesized speech in the audio information. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50)
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51. A method comprising:
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receiving indication from a first party that the first party desires to establish instant communications with a messaging response system, the messaging response system providing a service related to establishing communications; receiving information from the first party relating to how charges for the service will be paid, wherein an account of the first party is identified by both a screen name of the first party and a service provider identifier associated with a service provider of the first party, and wherein the service provider is one of a plurality of service providers that can be used to access the messaging response system; receiving from the first party an identifier which identifies, to the message response system, a second party; receiving a request from the first party to have communications established involving the first party and the second party; and providing to the first party textual information corresponding to audio information from the second party, wherein the textual information comprises rich text and an attribute of the rich text is varied in response to a characteristic of the audio information.
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52. A method comprising:
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receiving indication from a first party that the first party desires to establish instant communications with a messaging response system, the messaging response system providing a service related to establishing communications; receiving information from the first party relating to how charges for the service will be paid, wherein an account of the first party is identified by both a screen name of the first party and a service provider identifier associated with a service provider of the first party, and wherein the service provider is one of a plurality of service providers that can be used to access the messaging response system; receiving from the first party an identifier which identifies, to the message response system, a second party; and receiving a request from the first party to have communications established involving the first party and the second party; providing to the first party textual information corresponding to audio information from the second party, wherein the textual information comprises a pattern of symbols responsive to a characteristic of the audio information, wherein the characteristic of the audio information includes at least one of;
pitch, loudness, emphatic speech signals or soft-spoken speech signals.
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Specification