Method for sending multi-media messages with customized audio

• US 9,536,544 B2
• Filed: 12/01/2015
• Issued: 01/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property II LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ostermann, Joern, Civanlar, Mehmet Reha, Buda, Barbara, Lande, Claudio
• Primary Examiner(s): JACKSON, JAKIEDA R
• Application Number:
  US14/955,173
• Publication Number:
  US 20160086620A1
• Time in Patent Office: 399 Days
• Field of Search: 704/278, 704/260, 704/270, 704/275
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 21/009 Teaching or communicating with deaf persons G09B21/04 takes precedence; deaf and dumb persons G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/00 Speech synthesis; Text to speech systems
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 21/10 Transforming into visible information

Abstract

A system and method of creating a customized multi-media message to a recipient is disclosed. The multi-media message is created by a sender and contains an animated entity that delivers an audible message. The sender chooses the animated entity from a plurality of animated entities. The system receives a text message from the sender and receives a sender audio message associated with the text message. The sender audio message is associated with the chosen animated entity to create the multi-media message. The multi-media message is delivered by the animated entity using as the voice the sender audio message wherein the mouth movements of the animated entity conform to the sender audio message.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, from a user, a selection of a non-textual emoticon;

inserting, via a processor, the non-textual emoticon into text at a position in the text selected by the user;

transmitting, over a network and based on the non-textual emoticon, a plurality of animated entities to the user;

receiving, from the user, a choice of one of the plurality of animated entities, to yield a chosen animated entity; and

transmitting, over the network, a multi-media message based on the text and the chosen animated entity to a recipient device, wherein the chosen animated entity exhibits, on the recipient device, animations at a timing associated with a position of the non-textual emoticon in the text, and wherein the animations begin, on the recipient device, at a first point corresponding to a first predetermined amount of time before the non-textual emoticon and end at a second point corresponding to a second predetermined amount of time after the non-textual emoticon.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the multi-media message is transmitted as one of an email, an instant message, and a short messaging service message to the recipient device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the text is generated by converting speech into text.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the multi-media message further comprises video.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting, via a multicast delivery, the multi-media message and the chosen animated entity to a plurality of devices.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the animated entity, when animated, has movements which conform to an audio portion of the multi-media message.

7. The method of claim 1, the non-textual emoticon increases an effect of an audio portion of the multi-media message.

8. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

receiving, from a user, a selection of a non-textual emoticon;

inserting, via a processor, the non-textual emoticon into text at a position in the text selected by the user;

transmitting, over a network and based on the non-textual emoticon, a plurality of animated entities to the user;

receiving, from the user, a choice of one of the plurality of animated entities, to yield a chosen animated entity; and

transmitting over the network, a multi-media message based on the text and the chosen animated entity to a recipient device, wherein the chosen animated entity exhibits, on the recipient device, animations at a timing associated with a position of the non-textual emoticon in the text, and wherein the animations begin, on the recipient device, at a first point corresponding to a first predetermined amount of time before the non-textual emoticon and end at a second point corresponding to a second predetermined amount of time after the non-textual emoticon.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the multi-media message is transmitted as one of an email, an instant message, and a short messaging service message to the recipient device.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the text is generated by converting speech into text.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the multi-media message further comprises video.

12. The system of claim 8, the computer-readable storage medium having additional instructions stored which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising transmitting, via a multicast delivery, the multi-media message and the chosen animated entity to a plurality of devices.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the animated entity, when animated, has movements which conform to an audio portion of the multi-media message.

14. The system of claim 8, the non-textual emoticon increases an effect of an audio portion of the multi-media message.

15. A computer-readable storage device having instructions stored which, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:

receiving, from a user, a selection of a non-textual emoticon;

inserting, via a processor, the non-textual emoticon into text at a position in the text selected by the user;

transmitting, over a network and based on the non-textual emoticon, a plurality of animated entities to the user;

receiving, from the user, a choice of one of the plurality of animated entities, to yield a chosen animated entity; and

transmitting over the network, a multi-media message based on the text and the chosen animated entity to a recipient device, wherein the chosen animated entity exhibits, on the recipient device, animations at a timing associated with a position of the non-textual emoticon in the text, and wherein the animations begin, on the recipient device, at a first point corresponding to a first predetermined amount of time before the non-textual emoticon and end at a second point corresponding to a second predetermined amount of time after the non-textual emoticon.

16. The computer-readable storage device of claim 15, wherein the multi-media message is transmitted as one of an email, an instant message, and a short messaging service message to the recipient device.

17. The computer-readable storage device of claim 15, wherein the text is generated by converting speech into text.

18. The computer-readable storage device of claim 15, wherein the multi-media message further comprises video.

19. The computer-readable storage device of claim 15, having additional instructions stored which, when executed by the computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations comprising transmitting, via a multicast delivery, the multi-media message and the chosen animated entity to a plurality of devices.

20. The computer-readable storage device of claim 15, wherein the animated entity, when animated, has movements which conform to an audio portion of the multi-media message.