`
`U5008995433B2
`
`(12) United States Patent
`Rojas
`
`(10) Patent No.:
`(45) Date of Patent:
`
`US 8,995,433 B2
`*Mar. 31, 2015
`
`(54)
`
`(71)
`
`(72)
`
`(73)
`
`SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR INSTANT VOIP
`MESSAGING
`
`Applicant: Empire 11’ LLC. New York. NY (US)
`
`Inventor: Michael J. Rojas. North Canton. OH
`(US)
`
`Assignee: Empire 11’ LLC. Austin. TX (US)
`
`(*)
`
`Notice:
`
`Subject to any disclaimer. the term of this
`patent is extended or adjusted under 35
`U.S.C. 154(b) by 0 days.
`
`This patent is subject to a terminal dis-
`ciaimer.
`
`(21)
`
`Appl. No.: 14/224,125
`
`(22)
`
`Filed:
`
`Mar. 25, 2014
`
`(65)
`
`(63)
`
`Prior Publication Data
`
`US 2014/0204935 Al
`
`Jul. 24. 2014
`
`Related US. Application Data
`
`Continuation of application No. 13/546673. filed on
`Jul. 11. 2012. now Pat. No. 8.724.622. which is a
`continuation of application No. 12/398063. filed on
`Mar. 4. 2009. now Pat. No. 8.243.723. which is a
`continuation of application No. 10/740030. filed on
`Dec. 18. 2003. now Pat. No. 7.535.890.
`
`(51)
`
`Int. Cl.
`
`(2006.01)
`(2006.01)
`(2006.01 )
`(2006.01)
`(2006.01)
`
`H04L I2/66
`H04]. 12/58
`H0411! 3/533
`H04M 7/00
`H04], 29/06
`US. Cl.
`CPC .............. H04L 51/04 (2013.01): H041. 12/581
`(2013.01 )2 H04M 3/53366 (2013.01 ); H04M
`
`(52)
`
`7/006 (2013.01): H04M 2203/4536 (2013.01):
`H04L 65/40 (2013.01 ): 11041113/533 (2013.01)
`USPC ......................... 370/352; 709/206: 379/8817
`(58) Field of Classification Search
`(‘P(‘ .................. H041. 65/40; H04M 3/533: H04M
`2203/4536
`USPC ........................................... 370/352: 709/206
`See application file for complete search history.
`
`(56)
`
`References Cited
`
`US. PA'l'l-lN'i' iXX‘UMHN'i'S
`
`6.763.226 Bl
`7.013.155 Bl “
`7.133.687 Bl “
`7.317.929 Bi *
`7.535.890 32
`8.199.747 B2
`8.243.723 B2
`200310087632 Al
`200310126207 Al
`200410014456 Al
`200410030046 A1
`200410064317 Al “
`
`7:2004 Mcleia. Jr.
`3:2006 Rufetal.
`...................... 4551466
`1112006 El-Fishawy et a1.
`.. 455.1466
`
`.......... 4551466
`1:2008 El-Fishawy et al.
`5:2009 Rojas
`6201.? Rojas
`8-2012 Rojas
`5.2003 Sagietal.
`7:2003 Creamer etal.
`1:2004 Vaananen
`2:2004 Schulles et a1.
`4-2004 Othmer et al.
`
`................ 7041260
`
`(Continued)
`
`Primary Examiner 7 Creighton Smith
`(74) Attorney. Agent. or Firm — John R. Kasha: Kelly L.
`Kasha; Kasha Law LLC
`
`(57)
`
`ABSTRACT
`
`Methods. systems and programs for instant voice messaging
`over a packet-switched network are provided. A method for
`instant voice messaging may comprise receiving an instant
`voice message having one or more recipients. delivering the
`instant voice message to the one or more recipients over a
`packet-switched network.
`temporarily storing the instant
`voice message ii‘a recipient is unavailable; zuld delivering the
`stored instant voice message to the recipient once the recipi-
`ent becomes available.
`
`27 Claims. 9 Drawing Sheets
`
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`LG/I-IUAWEI EXHIBIT 1101
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`US 8,995,433 B2
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`* cited by examiner
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`References Cited
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`US. pATENT DOCUMENTS
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`5/2004 Kwag etal.
`2004/0085456 A1
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`6/2004 Goodman etal.
`2004/0122906 A1
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`2004/0128356 A1
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`2004/0179092 A1
`11/2004 Bear etal.
`2004/0223599 A1
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`11/2004 Dahod et a1.
`2004/0224678 A1
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`2004/0225524 A1* 11/2004 Narasunhanetal.
`2004/0252679 A1
`12/2004 Williams et a1.
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`2005/0053230 A1
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`............. 705/1
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`1
`SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR INSTANT VOIP
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`MESSAGING
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`CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED
`
`
`APPLICATION
`
`
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`
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`This application is a continuation of US. patent applica-
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`tion Ser. No. 13/546,673, filed Jul. 11, 2012, which is a
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`Mar. 4, 2009, now US. Pat. No. 8,243,723, issued Aug. 14,
`
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`2012, which is a continuation of US. application Ser. No.
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`10/740,030 filed on Dec. 18, 2003, now US. Pat. No. 7,535,
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`890, issued May 19, 2009, the entire content and disclosure of
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`which is incorporated by reference.
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`BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
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`1. Technical Field of the Invention
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`The present invention generally relates to Internet tele-
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`phony (IP telephony). More particularly, the present inven-
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`tion is directed to a system and method for enabling local and
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`global instant VoIP messaging over an IP network, such as the
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`Internet, with PSTN support.
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`2. Description of the Prior Art
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`Traditional telephony is based on a public switched tele-
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`phone network (i.e., “PSTN”). In the PSTN, a telephone
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`terminal is electrically connected to a conventional or legacy
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`switch. The telephone terminal and the legacy switch com-
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`municate via a proprietary protocol, which may be different
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`depending on the vendor of the legacy switch. Circuit switch-
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`ing provides a communicationpath (i.e., dedicated circuit) for
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`a telephone call from the telephone terminal to another device
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`over the PSTN, including another telephone terminal. During
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`the telephone call, voice communication takes place over that
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`communication path.
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`An alternative to the PSTN is Voice over Internet Protocol
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`(i.e., “VoIP”), also known as IP telephony or Internet tele-
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`phony. In the IP telephony, a VoIP terminal device is con-
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`nected to a packet-switched network (e. g., Internet) and voice
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`communication from the VoIP terminal device is digitized,
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`packetized and transmitted over the packet-switched network
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`to a destination VoIP terminal device, which reconstructs the
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`packets and audibly plays, stores or otherwise processes the
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`transmission. The VoIP terminal device may be a VoIP tele-
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`phone or a general-purpose personal computer (PC) enabled
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`for IP telephony. More specifically, the PC is programmed
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`with the software and equipped with audio input/output
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`devices (e.g., a combination of microphone and speaker or a
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`headset) to serve as aVoIP terminal device. The PC so enabled
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`and equipped will herein be referred to as a VoIP terminal
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`device or a VoIP softphone.
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`FIG. 1 is an illustrative example of a prior art IP telephony
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`system 100. The IP telephony system 100 comprises a packet-
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`switched IP network 102, such as the Internet, which trans-
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`mits VoIP traffic from and to a plurality of terminal devices
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`104, 106 and 110. Terminal device 104 is a VoIP softphone
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`that is enabled for IP telephony over the network 102. Termi-
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`nal device 106 is aVoIP telephone, which is connected to the
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`network 102 via a softswitch 108. The VoIP softswitch 108 is
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`disposed on the packet-switched network (e.g., Internet) 102
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`between an origination terminal device (such as VoIP soft-
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`phone 104) and a destination terminal device (such as VoIP
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`telephone 106), and routes packets over the packet-switched
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`IP network 102. The softswitch 108 may also manage and
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`perform administrative functions for the terminal device or
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`devices (e.g., VoIP telephone 106) to which it is connected.
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`Whether the terminal device is aVoIP softphone 104 or aVoIP
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`telephone 106, the terminal device is connected to the IP
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`network 102 via a networking standard such as Ethernet,
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`Bluetooth, IEEE 1394 (also known as “Firewire”), IEEE
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`802.11 (also known as “WiFi”), or networking over serial
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`communication channels such as the Universal Serial Bus
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`(i.e., “USB”). Data communication over the network then
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`takes place using a connection protocol, e. g., transfer control
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`protocol/Internet protocol (i.e., “TCP/IP”).
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`Further regarding FIG. 1, terminal device 110 is a legacy
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`telephone that is connected to a legacy switch 112 for (circuit-
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`switched) voice communications over the PSTN 116 with
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`other terminal devices. A media gateway 114 may be pro-
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`vided between the legacy switch 112 and the packet-switched
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`network 102 to enable IP telephony between the legacy tele-
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`phone 110 and a VoIP terminal device, such as a VoIP soft-
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`phone 104 or VoIP telephone 106. More specifically, the
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`media gateway 114 converts the audio signal carried over
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`PSTN to packets carried over the packet-switched IP network
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`102. In addition, a media gateway 118 may be disposed over
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`the PSTN 116 and connected to a softswitch 120 to convert
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`the audio signal from the legacy telephone 110 to packets
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`routed over the IP network 102 via the softswitch 120.
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`Voice messaging in both the VoIP and PSTN is known.
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`More specifically, the foregoing systems may be provided
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`with a facility to allow users to leave voice messages for
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`recipients, which is a feature that is familiar to anyone who
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`uses a telephone. Conventionally, leaving a voice message
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`involves dialing the recipient’s telephone number (often
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`without knowing whether the recipient will answer), waiting
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`for the connection to be established, speaking to an operator
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`or navigating through a menu of options, listening to a greet-
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`ing message, and recording the message for later pickup by
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`the recipient. In that message, the user must typically identify
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`himself or herself in order for the recipient to return the call.
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`Instant text messaging is likewise known. More specifi-
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`cally, a user is provided with a client terminal, which is
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`typically a general-purpose PC programmed with instant text
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`messaging software and in data communication over an IP
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`network with an instant text-messaging server. The instant
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`text-messaging server presents the user, via the client termi-
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`nal, with a list of persons who are currently “online” and
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`ready to receive text messages on their own client terminals.
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`The user then uses the client terminal to select one or more
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`persons to whom the message will be sent and types in a text
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`message. The text message is sent immediately via the text-
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`messaging server to the selected one or more persons and is
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`displayed on their respective client terminals.
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`However, notwithstanding the foregoing advances in the
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`VoIP/PSTN voice communication and voice/text messaging,
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`there is still a need in the art for providing a system and
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`method for providing instant VoIP messaging over an IP
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`network. More particularly, there is a need in the art for
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`providing local and global instant voice messaging over VoIP
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`with PSTN support.
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`SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
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`The present invention is directed to a system and method
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`for enabling local and global instant VoIP messaging over an
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`IP network, such as the Internet.
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`According to an embodiment of the present invention,
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`there is provided an instant voice messaging system for deliv-
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`ering instant messages over a packet-switched network, the
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`system comprising: a client connected to the network, the
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`client selecting one or more recipients, generating an instant
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`voice message therefor, and transmitting the selected recipi-
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`ents and the instant voice message therefor over the network;
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`4
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`US 8,995,433 B2
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`and a server connected to the network, the server receiving the
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`selected recipients and the instant voice message therefor, and
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`delivering the instant voice message to the selected recipients
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`over the network, the selected recipients being enabled to
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`audibly play the instant voice message.
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`According to another embodiment ofthe present invention,
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`there is provided an instant voice messaging system for deliv-
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`ering instant messages over a packet-switched network
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`enabling public switched telephone network (PSTN) support,
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`the system comprising: a PSTN telephone connected to the
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`network for providing input audio; a client connected to the
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`network, the client selecting one or more recipients, generat-
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`ing an instant voice message therefor using the input audio
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`provided by the PSTN telephone, and transmitting the
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`selected recipients and the instant voice message therefor
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`over the network; a server connected to the network, the
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`server receiving the selected recipients and the instant voice
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`message therefor, and delivering the instant voice message to
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`the selected recipients over the network, the selected recipi-
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`ents being enabled to audibly play the instant voice message.
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`According to a further embodiment of the present inven-
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`tion, there is provided an instant voice messaging system for
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`delivering instant messages over a packet-switched network,
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`the system comprising: a voice-over-internet-protocol (VolP)
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`telephone connected to the network for providing input audio;
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`a client connected to the network, the client selecting one or
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`more recipients, generating an instant voice message therefor
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`using the input audio provided by the VolP telephone, and
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`transmitting the selected recipients and the instant voice mes-
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`sage therefor over the network; a server connected to the
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`network, the server receiving the selected recipients and the
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`instant voice message therefor, and delivering the instant
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`voice message to the selected recipients over the network, the
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`selected recipients being enabled to audibly play the instant
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`voice message.
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`According to still another embodiment of the present
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`invention, there is provided an instant voice messaging sys-
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`tem for delivering instant messages over a plurality ofpacket-
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`switched networks, the system comprising: a client con-
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`nected to a local network, the client selecting one or more
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`external recipients connected to an external network outside
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`the local network, generating an instant voice message there-
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`for, and transmitting the selected recipients and the instant
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`voice message therefor over the local network and the exter-
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`nal network; and a server connected to the external network,
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`the server receiving the selected recipients and the instant
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`voice message therefor, and delivering the instant voice mes-
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`sage to the selected recipients over the external network, the
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`selected recipients being enabled to audibly play the instant
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`voice message.
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`According to yet another embodiment ofthe present inven-
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`tion, there is provided an instant voice messaging system for
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`delivering instant messages over a plurality of packet-
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`switched networks enabling public switched telephone net-
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`work (PSTN) support, the system comprising: a PSTN tele-
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`phone connected to a local network for providing input audio;
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`a client connected to the local network, the client selecting
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`one or more external recipients connected to an external
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`network outside the local network, generating an instant
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`voice message therefor using the input audio provided by the
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`PSTN telephone, and transmitting the selected recipients and
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`the instant voice message therefor over the local network and
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`the external network; a server connected to the external net-
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`work, the server receiving the selected recipients and the
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`instant voice message therefor, and delivering the instant
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`voice message to the selected recipients over the external
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`network, the selected recipients being enabled to audibly play
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`the instant voice message.
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`According to yet a further embodiment of the present
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`invention, there is provided an instant voice messaging sys-
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`tem for delivering instant messages over a plurality ofpacket-
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`switched networks, the system comprising: a voice-over-in-
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`temet-protocol
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`telephone connected to a local
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`network for providing input audio; a client connected to the
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`local network, the client selecting one or more external recipi-
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`ents connected to an external network outside the local net-
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`work, generating an instant voice message therefor using the
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`input audio provided by the VolP telephone, and transmitting
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`the selected recipients and the instant voice message therefor
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`over the local network and the external network; an server
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`connected to the external network, the external server receiv-
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`ing the selected recipients and the instant voice message
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`therefor, and delivering the instant voice message to the
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`selected recipients over the external network, the selected
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`recipients being enabled to audibly play the instant voice
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`message.
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`According to still a further embodiment of the present
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`invention, there is provided an instant voice messaging sys-
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`tem for delivering instant messages over a plurality ofpacket-
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`switched networks, the system comprising: a client con-
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`nected to an external network, the client selecting one or more
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`recipients connected to a local network, generating an instant
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`voice message therefor, and transmitting the selected recipi-
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`ents and the instant voice mes sage therefor over the external
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`network; an external server system connected to the external
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`network, the external server system receiving the selected
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`recipients and the instant voice message, and routing the
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`selected recipients and the instant voice message over the
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`external network and the local network; a local server con-
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`nected to the local network, the local server receiving the
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`selected recipients and the instant voice message therefor, and
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`delivering the instant voice message to the selected recipients
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`over the local network, the selected recipients being enabled
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`to audibly play the instant voice message.
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`According to an embodiment of the present invention,
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`there is provided a method for instant voice messaging over a
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`packet-switched network, the method comprising: selecting
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`one or more recipients for instant voice messaging at a client;
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`generating an instant voice message for the selected recipi-
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`ents at the client; transmitting the selected recipients and the
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`instant voice message therefor over the network from the
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`client to a server; receiving the selected recipients and the
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`instant voice message therefor at the server; delivering the
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`instant voice message from the server to the selected recipi-
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`ents over the network; and audibly playing the instant voice
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`message at the selected recipients.
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`According to another embodiment ofthe present invention,
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`there is provided a method for instant voice messaging over a
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`packet- switched network enabling public switched telephone
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`network (PSTN) support, the method comprising: providing
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`input audio via a PSTN telephone connected over the net-
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`work; selecting one or more recipients for instant voice mes-
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`saging at a client; generating an instant voice message using
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`the input audio from the PSTN telephone for the selected
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`recipients at the client; transmitting the selected recipients
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`and the instant voice message therefor over the network from
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`the client to a server; receiving the selected recipients and the
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`instant voice message therefor at the server; delivering the
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`instant voice message from the server to the selected recipi-
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`ents over the network; and audibly playing the instant voice
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`message at the selected recipients.
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`Page 13 of 24
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`US 8,995,433 B2
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`5
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`According to a further embodiment of the present inven-
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`tion, there is provided a method for instant voice messaging
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`over a packet-switched network, the method comprising: pro-
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`viding input audio Via a voice-over-intemet-protocol (VoIP)
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`telephone connected over the network; selecting one or more
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`recipients for instant voice messaging at a client; generating
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`an instant voice message using the input audio from the VoIP
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`telephone for the selected recipients at the client; transmitting
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`the selected recipients and the instant voice message therefor
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`over the network from the client to a server; receiving the
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`selected recipients and the instant voice message therefor at
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`the server; delivering the instant voice message from the
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`server to the selected recipients over the network; and audibly
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`playing the instant voice message at the selected recipients.
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`According to still another embodiment of the present
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`invention, there is provided a method for instant voice mes-
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`the
`saging over a plurality of packet-switched networks,
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`method comprising: selecting one or more external recipients
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`for instant voice messaging at a client connected to a local
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`network, the one or more external recipients connected to an
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`external network outside the local network; generating an
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`instant voice message for the selected external recipients at
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`the client; transmitting the selected external recipients and the
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`instant voice message therefor over the local network and the
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`external network; receiving the selected external recipients
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`and the instant voice message therefor at an external server
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`connected to the external network; delivering the instant
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`voice message to the selected external recipients over the
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`external network; and audibly playing the instant voice mes-
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`sage at the selected external recipients.
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`According to yet another embodiment ofthe present inven-
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`tion, there is provided a method for instant voice messaging
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`system over a plurality ofpacket- switched networks enabling
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`public switched telephone network (PSTN) support,
`the
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`method comprising: providing input audio via a PSTN tele-
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`phone connected to a local network; selecting one or more
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`external recipients for instant voice messaging at a client, the
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`one or more external recipients connected to an external
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`network outside the local network; generating an instant
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`voice message for the one or more external recipients using
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`the input audio provided by the PSTN telephone; transmitting
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`the selected recipients and the instant voice message therefor
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`over the local network and the external network; receiving the
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`selected recipients and the instant voice message therefor at a
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`server connected to the external network; delivering the
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`instant voice message to the selected recipients from the
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`server over the external network; and audibly playing the
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`instant voice message at the selected recipients.
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`According to still a further embodiment of the present
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