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`
`US 2{)[)3Ul47512/\1
`
`(19) United States
`(12) Patent Application PllbliCflti0Il
`Ahburi
`
`(10) Pub. No.: US 2003/0147512 A1
`(43) Pub. Date:
`Aug. 7, 2003
`
`(54) AUDIO MESSAGING SYSTEM AND
`METHOD
`
`(52) U.S. Cl.
`
`........................................................ .. 379(s3.22
`
`(75)
`
`Inventor: Rajaseklinr Abliuri, Medina, WA (US)
`
`(5?)
`
`ABSTRACT
`
`Correspondence Address:
`Sl*lNN[Gl‘lR I’()WICRS l.l5AVl'['I‘ AND
`R()l'lI)EI.
`ONE METR()I’0l.I'I'AN SQUARE
`l6'l'H FLOOR
`ST LDUIS, MO 63102 [US]
`
`(73) Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
`
`(21) APPL NM
`
`mmfilsfisfi
`
`(32)
`
`Fjjcd;
`
`[:e|,_ 1, 2002
`
`Publication Classification
`
`(51)
`
`Int. Cl.7 .................................................... .. H04-M H64
`
`A system and method by which individuals can send and
`receive audio messages using telephone devit:eS andmr
`computer devices. Upon receiving an audio message on
`het*ialt' of an intended recipient, the system accesses a uaer
`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
`hilt: nded recipient of the received audio message. The audio
`message is then delivered to the intended recipient in audio
`form through either it computer device or a telephone device.
`A person may thus send a voice or other audio message to
`an intended recipient using either a eoniputer device or a
`telephone device, at
`the sender's Option, and the audio
`message maybe promptly delivered to the intended recipient
`in audio form via either a computer device or a telephone
`device. at the recipient's option.
`
`/100
`
`ii RECEIVE Auoio (e-.g., voice)
`MESSAGE ON BEHALF OF
`I
`INTENDED RECIPIENT
`
`:
`
`1°
`
`104
`
`STORE RECEIVED AUDIO
`MESSAGE
`___ _____
`
`105‘!
`
`ACCESS USER PROFILE
`FOR INTENDED RECIPENT
`
`:I:
`NOTIFY INTENDED RECIPE?-
`108
`\— OF RECEIVED AUDIO
`MESSAGE
`
`
`
`110'\
`
`DELIVER RECEIVED AUDIO
`MESSAGE To INTENDED
`RECIPIENT
`
`PROVIDE DELIVERY
`CONFIRMATION TO SENDER '
`OF RECEIVED AUDIO
`MESSAGE
`
`_/’
`
`112
`
`DELITE AUDIO MESSAGE
`FROM STORAGE
`
`/"
`114
`
`001
`°°‘
`
`Apple 1005
`Apple 1005
`U.S. Pat. 8,995,433
`U.S. Pat. 8,995,433
`
`

`
`Patent Application Publication
`
`Aug. 7, 2003 Sheet 1 of 4
`
`Us 2003/0147512 A1
`
`FIG. 1
`
`f
`
`I RECEIVE AUDIO (e.g., Voice)
`MESSAGE ON BEHALF OF
`INTENDED RECIPIENT
`
`102
`
`
`
`STORE RECEIVED AUDIO
`
`M ESSAGE
`
`104
`
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`ACCESS USER PROFILE
`FOR INTENDED RECIPENT
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`§|_I
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`108
`
`NOTIFY INTENDED RECIPIENT
`
`MESSAGE
`
`I
`\ OF RECEIVED AUDIO
`L1__'__%
`DELIVER RECEIVED AUDIO
`\ MESSAGE TO INTENDED
`RECIPIENT
`
`110
`
`J'|
`
`112
`
`PROVIDE DELIVERY
`CONFIRMATION TO SENDER I
`OF RECEIVED AUDIO
`MESSAGE
`I
`
`J
`-
`
`DELETE AUDIO MESSAGE
`
`114/"
`
`FROM STORAGE
`
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`Patent Application Publication
`
`Aug. 7, 2003 Sheet 3 of 4
`
`Us 2003/0147512 A1
`
`FIG. 3
`
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`

`
`US 2003/01475'l2 Al
`
`Aug. 7, 2003
`
`AUDIO MESSAGING SYSTEM AND METHOD
`
`TECI-INICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
`
`[0001] The present invention relates generally to messag-
`ing systems and methods, and more particularly to audio
`(including voice) messaging between individuals through
`telecommunications andfor computer networks.
`
`BACKGROUND OF Tl-IE INVENTION
`
`[0002] More messaging devices and systems are available
`today than perhaps ever before, providing individuals with
`numerous ways to communicate and exchange messages
`with one another. In addition to (or in lieu ol) some of the
`earliest messaging options, including personal messengers,
`telegrams, telcgraphs, and mail systems, individuals today
`can communicate and exchange messages via telephone
`answering machines and voice mail systems, email, pagers,
`etc. An even more recent development is the instant mes-
`saging system, where online users can exchange pop—up text
`messages over the Internet in near real time (thus the term
`“instant“).
`
`[0003] Nevertheless, there are limitations to the elTective-
`ness and convenience of these messaging options, as rec-
`ognized by the inventor hereof. For example, if one party
`calls another by phone with the intention of leaving a voice
`message,
`the call may actually be answered before an
`answering machine or voice mail system is reached, possi-
`bly resulting in a lengthy (and perhaps unwanted) phone
`conversation. Further. even if the answering machine or
`voice mail system is reached as desired, the resulting voice
`message might not be retrieved by the intended recipient for
`an extended period of time. Alternatively, a party could send
`a text message via email or an instant messaging system,
`provided that party has Internet access. In the case of instant
`messaging, however, the intended recipient must typically
`have a presence on the Internet at
`the time the instant
`message is to be sent. Otherwise, the party seeking to send
`the message may be forced to use another communication
`option, such as email. Similar to voice mail, however, an
`email message may sit idle in the rccipient’s inbox for an
`extended period of time before the recipient checks for new
`messages.
`
`[0004] The advent of unified messaging and similar sys-
`tems overcame some of these shortcomings. For example, a
`unified messaging system may receive and record a voice
`message from a caller on behalf of a user, and then notify
`and provide the received voice message to the user via one
`or more user-specified communication devices, such as a
`personal computer connected to the Internet, possibly after
`converting the received voice message into a text message or
`electronic file.
`
`[0005] As recognized by the inventor, however, the ability
`to conveniently record and send voice and other audio
`messages via any desired type of communication device
`(eg, from computer devices in addition to phone devices},
`and to promptly receive such messages in audio form via any
`desired type of communication device, is still lacking.
`
`SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
`
`ments in messaging by which individuals can send and
`receive voice and other audio messages, in audio form, using
`telephone devices located on a telecommunications network
`andfor computer devices located on a widely distributed
`computer network. Upon receiving an audio message on
`behalf of an intended recipient, the system accemes 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 notilies 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 located on the widely
`distributed computer network or a telephone device located
`on the telecommunications network. In this manner, a person
`may 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
`reeipient’s option.
`
`[0007] According to one aspect of the invention, a method
`uses 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 includes receiving a plurality of
`voice messages from remote users of devices located on the
`network, where each received voice message includes infor-
`mation identifying at
`least one intended recipient. The
`method further includes, for each received voice message,
`accessing a user profile for its intended recipient. The user
`profile specifies one or more communication devices
`(including at least one of a telephone device and a computer
`device) located on the network by which such intended
`recipient should receive delivery or notification of voice
`messages directed to such intended recipient. The method
`further includes notifying the intended recipients of the
`received voice messages according to their respective user
`profiles, 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 a tele-
`phone device specified in the user profile of the intended
`recipient, and delivering at least one other of the received
`voice messages to its intended recipient in audio forrn using
`the computer server and a computer device specified in the
`user profile of the intended recipient.
`
`[0008] According to another aspect of the invention, an
`apparatus for recording and sending audio messages to one
`or more remote devices includes a processor, a memory
`device, computer instructions stored in the memory device,
`a microphone, and an interface to a communications net-
`work. The computer instructions configure the processor to
`record in an audio lile, in response to input from a user, an
`audio message provided by the user to the microphone, and
`to transfer the audio tile in which the audio message is
`recorded to the communications network via said interface.
`whereby the audio message recorded in the audio lile may be
`transmitted through the communications network for deliv-
`ery to said one or more remote devices.
`
`In order to solve these and other needs in the art,
`[0006]
`the inventor hereof has succeeded at designing improve-
`
`[0009] According to a further aspect of the invention, a
`method for recording and sending an audio message to one
`
`006
`006
`
`

`
`US 2003/01475'l2 Al
`
`Aug. 7, 2003
`
`or more remote devices using a computer device having a
`microphone and a network interface includes receiving the
`audio message from a user through the microphone, record-
`ing the received audio message in an audio file, and sending
`the audio file to the network interface for delivery to said one
`or more remote devices through a com munications network.
`
`[0010] According to yet another aspect of the invention, a
`method of supporting messaging between individuals over a
`widely distributed computer network includes providing an
`instant messaging system by which individuals having a
`presence on the widely distributed computer network at the
`same time can send pop-up text messages to one another,
`and providing a voice messaging option within said instant
`messaging system by which individuals can record and send
`voice messages to one another through the widely distrib-
`uted computer network.
`
`[0011] A method according to still another aspect of the
`invention includes receiving a voice message on hehalfof an
`intended recipient from a remote device over a communi-
`cations network, storing the received voice message, deter-
`mining whether the intended recipient has a presence on a
`widely distributed computer network, and, if the intended
`recipient has a presence on the widely distributed computer
`network, sending an electronic message to the intended
`recipient via the widely ‘distributed computer network, the
`electronic message notifying the intended recipient of the
`received voice message.
`
`[0012] A method according to yet another aspect of the
`invention includes receiving a voice message on behalf of an
`intended recipient, storing the received voice message, and
`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.
`
`further aspect of the
`[0013] A method according to a
`invention includes receiving a telephone call from a user
`having a predelined group of contacts, determining whether
`said contacts currently have a presence on a widely distrib-
`uted computer network, and advising the user through said
`telephone call regarding which of said contacts were deter-
`mined to currently have a presence on the widely distributed
`computer network.
`
`[0014] A method according to still another aspect of the
`invention includes receiving information Irom 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, and receiving the audio
`message from the user via the second device.
`
`[0015] Other features and advantages of the invention will
`be in pan apparent and in pan pointed out below.
`
`BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
`
`[0016] FIG. 1 is a flow diagram illustrating a method of
`supporting audio messaging between individuals according
`to one embodiment of the present invention.
`
`[0017] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an exemplary system
`for implementing the method of FIG. 1.
`
`[0018] FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a user device con-
`ligured to locally record and then transmit an audio message
`to a remote device.
`
`[0019] FIG. 4 is a block diagram of an exemplary com-
`puter device for use in the present invention.
`
`[0020] Corresponding reference characters indicate corre-
`sponding features throughout the several views of the draw-
`ings.
`
`DETAILED DESC‘RIP'I'ION OI? PREFERRED
`EMBODIMENTS
`
`[0021] A method of supporting audio mess-ttgittg between
`individuals according to one embodiment of the invention is
`illustrated in FIG. 1 and designated generally by reference
`character 100. As shown in FIG. 1, the method 100 includes
`receiving, at block 102, an audio (e.g., voice) message on
`behalfof an intended recipient (i.e., on behalf of the party to
`whom the message is directed), and storing the received
`audio message at block 104. At block 106, a user prolile for
`the intended recipient of the message is accessed to deter-
`mine how to contact
`the intended recipient (eg, via a
`particular phone device,
`a computer device, etc). The
`intended recipient
`is then notified of the received audio
`message at block 108. At block 110,
`the received audio
`message is delivered to the intended recipient, such as by
`audio streaming of the message through a telecommunica-
`tions andfor computer network. At block 112, confirmation
`that the audio message has been delivered to the intended
`recipient is provided to the message sender. The received
`audio message is then deleted from storage, as indicated in
`block 114 of FIG. 1.
`
`[0022] As described further below, the audio message may
`be received from a variety of device types. including tele-
`phone and computer devices. and a variety of device types
`can be used to notify the intended recipient that the audio
`message has been received, and to deliver the audio message
`to the intended recipient. For instance, the audio message
`may be received from the message sender via a telephone
`device. the intended recipient may be notified of the received
`message via a computer device such as a personal computer
`connected to the Internet, and the audio message may be
`delivered to the intended recipient via a telephone device
`specified by the intended recipient. Thus,
`it should be
`understood that the method 100 allows users to send and
`receive audio messages using any type of communication
`device(s) available to or selected by those users. It should
`also be understood that some of the steps illustrated in FIG.
`I may be eliminated andior performed in a sequence other
`than that described above, if desired for any given imple-
`mentation, without departing from the scope of the inven-
`tion.
`
`[0023] One system for implementing the method 100 of
`FIG. 1 is illustrated in FIG. 2 and designated generally by
`reference character 200. The system 200 includes a com-
`puter server 202 (e.g., a Web server}, a user profile store 204,
`an audio message store 206 and an interactive voice
`response {IVR) system 208. As shown in FIG. 2,
`the
`computer server 202 and the IVR system 208 are connected
`to a widely distributed computer network 210 (eg, the
`Internet) and a telecommunications network 212 (e.g., the
`public telephone system), respectively, as well as to each
`other. The computer server 202 is also shown connected to
`the telecommunications network 212 for sending messages
`and notilications to andfor receiving messages from tele-
`phony devices capable of exchanging information with the
`
`007
`007
`
`

`
`US 2003/0147512 A1
`
`Aug. 7, 2003
`
`DJ
`
`computer server 202 directly using a suitable protocol, such
`as the wireless application protocol (WAP}. Additionally, the
`computer server 202 and the IVR system 208 are each
`connected to the user profile store 204 and the audio
`message store 206. As a result of these various connections,
`and logic (e.g., computer—executable instructions) stored in
`the computer server 202 and the IVR system 208, the system
`20!) can receive audio messages front and send audio
`messages to any device connected to the computer network
`210 or the telecommunications network 212, including but
`not limited to a pager 214, a mobile phone 216, a conven-
`tional telephone 218, a desktop computer 220, a handheld
`computer 222, and the like, as shown illustratively in FIG.
`2. While only a limited number of devices 214-222 are
`shown connected to the networks 210, 212 in FIG. 2, it
`should be understood that a large number of such devices
`can be supported by the system 200.
`
`[0024] Although only one computer server 202, user pro-
`file store 204, audio message store 206 and IVR system 208
`are shown in FIG. 2, it should be understood that more than
`one of each such component may be necessary or desired for
`any particular implementation of the invention. Further,
`while devices 2'14-222 are shown connected to either the
`computer network 210 or the teiecornrnunications network
`212,
`those skilled in the art will appreciate that certain
`devices will communicate with the system 200 through both
`the computer network and the telecommunications network.
`For example, the personal computer device 220 can connect
`to the computer network 220 using the telecommunications
`network 212 and a modem. Further, while the computer
`network 210 and the telecommunications network 212 are
`illustrated in FIG. 2 as distinct from one another, this is not
`a requirement of the invention. The computer network 210
`and the telecommunications network 212 may instead be
`integrated in a single communications network.
`
`[0025] Referring again to FIG. 1, the particular mode(.s)
`used to notify an intended recipient of a received audio
`message in block 108, and to deliver such audio message to
`the intended recipient in block 110, are specified in one
`embodiment by the intended recipient in advance and stored
`in the user profile store 204 of FIG. 2. Thus, the user profile
`store 204 contains configuration settings for each user of the
`system 200. Similarly, the mode(s) used to provide delivery
`confirmation to a message sender are specified in a user
`profile for the message sender in this embodiment.
`
`If a message is received by the system 200 on
`[0026]
`behalf of a user having no profile stored in the user profile
`store 204,
`the system 200 may refuse the message or,
`alternatively, require the message sender to provide infor-
`mation for addressing a communication device associated
`with the intended recipient, such as a telephone number or
`email address. In the latter case, the system 200 may use the
`provided phone number or email address for contacting the
`intended recipient and delivering the received audio mes-
`sage.
`
`for
`If an intended recipient’s profile specifies,
`[0027]
`example, several devices for contacting that user, the system
`attempts to notify the user of a received audio message
`through each such device, either sequentially or contempo-
`raneously as specified in the user's profile, until the user is
`reached. If the system 200 cannot confirm that the intended
`recipient has been reached, the default may be to leave a
`
`voice message for the intended recipient at a particular
`telephone number, or to send an electronic message, etc, as
`specified in the user’s profile. The user’s profile may also
`specify the order in which certain devices should be con-
`tacted by the system, andfor when to use a particular device
`(e.g., use the mobile telephone number during specified
`commute times, use the business phone number during
`specified business hours, use the pager number during
`specified evening hours, etc.).
`
`lo one embodiment, the system 200 of FIG. 2 also
`[0028]
`employs heuristics to determine how it should attempt to
`contact a particular user when necessary. For instance, the
`system 200 learns, over time, that a particular user is nearly
`always accessible via her mobile phone during certain hours
`of the day and adjusts the user's profile accordingly. Simi-
`larly, the system 200 may attempt to contact a user via the
`device most
`recently used by the system 200 to make
`successful contact, etc.
`
`[0029] Regardless of the mode used to deliver a message
`or notillcation to an intended recipient,
`the system 200
`provides the recipient with various options to act on such
`message, including, e.g., acknowledging receipt of the mes-
`sage, saving the audio message on the system 200, down-
`loading the audio message for storage by the recipient,
`replaying, replying to or forwarding the received audio
`message. initiating a new audio message, etc.
`
`[0030] As alluded to above, a person interested in sending
`a voice or other audio message to a particular individual may
`dial into the IVR system 208 using a telephone device. In
`one embodiment, the particular phone number (eg, local or
`toll—free) employed for
`this purpose is a unique phone
`number provisioned by the system 200 to the intended
`recipient of the message. Alternatively, a general phone
`number for the IVR system 208 is employed, with the caller
`then identifying the intended recipient of the message, such
`as by punching in the name of the intended recipient or a
`particular extension number using DTMF keys, speaking the
`name ofthe intended recipient. providing such input through
`a computer device connected to the computer network 210,
`etc. The caller may also be required to authenticate himself
`via a personal identification number, voice recognition, etc.,
`unless the user profile for the caller provides for caller-ID to
`serve as adequate identification. The caller may further
`specify a computer or telephone device to which any replies
`to the message should be directed.
`
`[0031] Once (or before) the intended recipient is specified,
`the caller may speak or otherwise provide an audio message
`to the IVR system 208. This audio message is stored by the
`IVR system 208 in the audio message store 206. The IVR
`system 208 then accesses a user profile for the intended
`recipient, stored in the user profile store 204, to detennine
`how to notify the intended recipient of the received audio
`message. If. for example, the user profile indicates that the
`intended recipient should receive an email notification, the
`IVR system 208 sends appropriate information to the com-
`puter server 202, which then produces and sends the email
`notification, typically through the computer network 210.
`Alternatively, if the user profile indicates that the intended
`recipient should he notified of the received audio message
`by phone, the [VR system 208 places a telephone call to the
`intended recipient through the telecommunications network
`212, and then notifies the intended recipient ofthe received
`
`008
`008
`
`

`
`US 2003/0147512 A1
`
`Aug. 7, 2003
`
`message using, e.g., prerecorded or synthesized speech. The
`audio message may he delivered to the intended recipient at
`the same time as the message notification. Aiternatively, the
`intended recipient may subsequently access the computer
`server 202 (e-.g., using a computer device executing a web
`browser function) or the IVR system 208 (e.g., using a
`conventional
`telephone device) to initiate delivery of the
`audio message stored in the audio message store 206.
`
`[0032] Audio messages are delivered to intended recipi-
`ents in one embodiment via audio streaming through the
`computer network 210 or the telecommunications network
`212. Alternatively, system 200 delivers an audio message to
`its intended recipient as, e.g., an electronic audio file which
`the recipient can store and subsequently playback at his or
`her option.
`
`In one embodiment of the invention, an electronic
`[0033]
`message (eg, an email message) notification sent
`to an
`intended recipient of an audio message includes a hyperlink
`for initiating delivery of the audio message. Thus, when the
`recipient clicks on or otherwise selects the hyperlink, the
`computer server 202 retrieves the audio message from the
`audio message store 206 and streams the audio message to
`the same device used by the intended recipient to activate the
`link. Additionally, when activating the hyperlink,
`the
`intended recipient may optionally specify a dilfcrent output
`device to which the audio message should be delivered. As
`an example, if the intended recipient activates the hyperlink
`and specifies his or her business phone as the output device,
`the computer server 202 prompts the IVR system 208 to call
`that business phone number and provide the audio message
`by phone through the telecommunications network 212.
`
`[0034] A person interested in sending a voice or other
`audio message to one or more individuals may also do so by
`accessing the computer server 202 through the computer
`network 210 using, for example, a personal computer having
`a web browser application. After (or before) identifying one
`or more individuals (or a predefined group of individuals)
`who should receive the audio message, the user may speak
`(or otherwise provide) the audio message to his or her
`computer’s microphone for transmission to and recording by
`the system 200. Assuming the profile stored for an intended
`recipient of this message indicates that the message should
`be delivered to the intended recipient via a telephone device,
`the computer server 202 prompts the IVR system 208 to call
`such telephone device and deliver the message. When the
`phone device is answered, the IVR system 208 signals that
`an audio message has been received for the intended recipi-
`ent by, for example, playing an introductory musical note,
`followed by synthesized (or prerecorded, by the message
`sender or another individual) speech identifying the sender
`andfor the intended recipient of the message. The intended
`recipient may then hear playback of the audio message
`through the phone device, or may optionally specify another
`output device to which the message should be delivered.
`
`[0035] As an alternative to inputting the audio message to
`the system 200 using a microphone associated with the
`sender’s personal computer, as noted above, the sender may
`optionally select a different device for inputting the message,
`such as a telephone device. In response, the system 200
`prompts the IVR system 208 to call the designated phone
`device and, once answered, capture the audio message from
`the sender.
`In this manner, the sender may conveniently
`
`initiate an audio message via a computer device even if the
`computer device does not have a microphone, or in lieu of
`dialing into the IVR system 208 using a phone number
`which the message sender may have lost or forgotten, etc.
`
`[0036] When specifying, in their user profiles, the particu-
`lar output devices which the system 200 should contact for
`delivering messages and notifications, users may optionally
`designate each such output device as "private" or "shared."
`if a particular output device is marked as "shared,” the
`system 200 will first perform an authentication process (e.g..
`via keyed input of a personal identification number (PIN),
`voice recognition, etc.) prior to delivering the audio message
`to the intended recipient through the shared device. Further,
`if the shared device is a telephone device which is answered
`by an answering machine or voice mail system, the system
`200 may leave a message merely indicating that an audio
`message has been received for the intended recipient, and
`possibly specifying the sender of the message, if desired.
`Alternatively, the system 200 may be configured, via the
`user profile stored for the intended recipient, not to leave any
`message on a shared telephone device. On the other hand, if
`the system calLs a “private" phone device which is answered
`by an answering machine or voice mail system, the system
`may be configured to leave a message which includes some
`or all of the received audio message.
`
`[0037] Similarly, when initiating an audio message using
`the system 290, the message sender may optionally desig-
`nate the message as “private." In such a case, if the system
`attempts to deliver the audio message to a telephone device
`which is answered by an answering machine or voice mail
`system, the system 200 is configured to leave a message
`which includes some or all of the received audio message
`only if the telephone device is a “private“ device, and not a
`"shared” device. The system 200 may also be configured not
`to allow a message recipient to forward an audio message
`marked by the sender as "private" to any other party.
`
`[0038] FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary user device 300 for
`providing a voice or other audio message to the system 200
`for delivery of the message to its intended recipient[s). As
`shown in FIG. 3, the device 300 includes a processor 302.
`a memory device 304 (which, itself, may comprise one or
`more static andtor dynamic memory elements), a user inter-
`face 306, an audio speaker 308, and a network interface 310
`for interfacing the device 300 with the computer network
`210 andfor the telecommunications network 212. The user
`interface 306 includes, for example, a microphone 312 by
`which a user can input a spoken or other audio message for
`recording. In one embodiment, the microphone 312 is also
`used to receive spoken instructions from the user, with the
`processor 302 configured to implement speech recognition
`functionality using suitable computer—executable instruc-
`tions stored in the memory device 304. The user interface
`306 may also include, as desired, an alphanumeric keypad,
`a touch screen, a visual display with menu buttons, a mouse,
`a keyboard andior any other user input device necessary or
`desirable for a given application of the device 300.
`
`In operation, the user can initiate the sending of an
`[0039]
`audio message through appropriate input to the user inter-
`face 306. This input from the user includes information
`identifying one or more intended recipients of the audio
`message, possibly through a selection of such individuals
`from a contact
`list stored in the memory device 304.
`
`009
`009
`
`

`
`US 20t33/0147512 A1
`
`Aug. 7, 2003
`
`Alternatively, such a contact list may be stored on the system
`200. In one embodiment, when the user initiates the sending
`of an audio message, the device 300 connects to the system
`200 through the computer network 210 or the telecommu-
`nications network 212. The user provides the audio message
`to the microphone 310. The audio message is routed through
`the network interface 310 and transmitted through the com-
`puter network 210 andfor the telecommunications network
`212 to the system 200 for recording, storage and delivery to
`the intended recipient(s).
`
`[0040] Rather than transmitting the audio message to the
`system 200 for recording as the message is received by the
`device 300, the device 300 may be configured to record the
`audio message locally (e.g., into an audio tile), and then
`transmit
`this prerecorded message to the system. For
`instance, device 300 in one embodiment records an audio
`message provided by the user into a WAV file, compresses
`the file, and then routes it to the network interface 310 for
`transmission to the system 200.
`
`[0041] The user device 300 shown illustrati