Hold direct

• US 7,937,098 B2
• Filed: 03/05/2004
• Issued: 05/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Clayton B. Burton Jr
• Original Assignee: Clayton B. Burton Jr
• Inventors: Burton, Clayton B. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): MIZRAHI, DIANE D
• Application Number:
  US10/795,125
• Publication Number:
  US 20060150181A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,615 Days
• Field of Search: 707 1- 10, 707100-1041, 707200-206, 381/119, 379/201.2, 379/215.06, 379/88.22, 379/101.01, 379/162, 379/202.01, 455/556, 455/3.02, 455/45, 455/132, 455/503, 713/201
• US Class Current: 455/503
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

A system for providing online access to on-hold messages: an interface by which an end user can access at least one on-hold message from an online database; a system for downloading at least one message as a file to be played on an end user phone answering system. The downloaded message comprises an MP3 file and may be downloaded onto a flash card.

Claims

1. A method comprising the steps of:

(a) accessing a website via the internet;

(b) uploading a plurality of files to a database via the website, the plurality of files having stored thereon different on-hold messages;

(c) downloading a portion of the plurality of files via the website onto a flash drive installed on an end user computer;

(d) removing the flash drive from the end user computer;

(e) attaching the flash drive to a telephone system comprising a player for playing the on-hold messages stored on the flash drive; and

(f) playing at least one of the on-hold messages on the telephone system using the player when a caller to the telephone system is placed on hold.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

editing one of the files stored on the database.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the one of the files uploaded onto the database comprises a script, and the method further comprises the step of:

recording the script in a male or female voice.

4. A method comprising the steps of:

(a) accessing a website via the internet;

(b) uploading a plurality of files to a database via the website, the plurality of files having stored thereon different messages;

(c) downloading a portion of the plurality of files via the website onto a flash drive installed on an end user computer;

(d) removing the flash drive from the end user computer;

(e) attaching the flash drive to a player for playing the messages stored on the flash drive; and

(f) playing at least one of the messages on the player to a caller placing a telephone call to a telephone system on which the player is installed.

5. A method comprising the steps of:

(a) accessing a website via the internet;

(b) composing a script comprising a message and uploading a file comprising the composed script to a database via the website;

(c) downloading the file via the website onto a flash drive installed on an end user computer;

(d) removing the flash drive from the end user computer;

(e) attaching the flash drive to a device comprising a player for playing the message stored on the flash drive; and

(f) playing the message on the player to a caller who communicatively connects to the device.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the message is an on-hold message, the device is a telephone system, and the on-hold message is played on the telephone system using the player when a caller to the telephone system is placed on hold.