Audio file delivery system

Abstract

An audio file delivery system is disclosed that provides user recorded audio files and/or stock audio files selected by the user to a designated recipient. A user accessing a user interface may select one or more stock audio files from audio files stored in memory of an audio file server. The user may also record an audio file with a spoken greeting that is saved to server memory. The server storing the audio files may call the user to record the spoken greeting. At a specified time the server connects to a phone of a recipient and replays the files selected and recorded by the user. The audio file delivery may be associated with purchase and/or delivery of merchandise.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a diagram of an example audio file delivery system including a user computer and user phones, recipient phones and a audio file server system connected to the internet and a phone network and including a modem server, a www server, application server and files stored in memory.

FIG. 2 is a diagram of an example audio file delivery system including a user computer and user phones, recipient phones and an audio file server system connected to the internet.

FIG. 3 is a diagram of an example audio file delivery system including a user computer and user phones, recipient phones, a audio file server system connected to the internet and a phone network and a delivery person associated with a point of sale system for selling merchandise also connected to the internet.

FIG. 4 is a diagram of an example of a web page stored on a server system with an example file system and a user computer showing how a user interface displayed on the computer may provide for selection of stock audio files stored in server system memory.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart of steps to establish an account for audio file delivery including entering data and selecting audio files.

FIG. 6 is a flow chart of steps for delivering an audio file as part of an audio file delivery system.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart of example steps for recording a user recorded audio file that may be delivered with other selected audio files.

Claims

1. An audio file delivery system for recording, selecting and delivering audio files comprising: a point of sale server connected a network and including memory and configured to: record in memory a user merchandise purchase;record in memory user specified data including a first phone number;an audio file server connected to the network and including: memory for storing software commands, stock audio files, user recorded audio files, ancillary audio files and user specified data; anda processor for executing software commands;the audio file server configured to: connect to the point of sale server over the network;receive the user specified data from the point of sale server;record in server memory user specified data received from the point of sale server;present at a user interface stock audio files available for user selection;record in server memory a reference to the at least one user selected stock audio file and a user supplied recipient phone number;record a user spoken audio message;save the recorded audio message to a user recorded audio file in server memory;select the user recorded audio file and the user selected stock audio file from server memory;initiate a voice connection to a recipient phone using the user supplied recipient phone number; andreplay the user recorded audio file and the user specified stock audio file at the recipient phone.

2. The audio file delivery system of claim 1 wherein the user supplied first phone number recorded in point of sale server memory is a user phone number associated with a user phone.

3. The audio file delivery system of claim 2 wherein the server system is further figured to initiate a connection to the user phone with the user phone number received from the point of sale server.

4. The audio file delivery system of claim 3 wherein the user records the spoken message saved to the user recorded audio file over the phone connection initiated by the audio file server and the user supplied recipient phone number is entered over the same connection.

5. The audio file delivery system of claim 1 where the first phone number recorded at the point of sale server is the recipient phone number.

6. The audio file delivery system of claim 1 wherein the merchandise purchase transaction includes delivery of the merchandise and a delivery person sends completion of merchandise delivery data to the audio file server and in response to receiving the delivery data the server system initiates a voice connection to the recipient phone and replays the audio files.

7. The audio file delivery system of claim 1 wherein user supplied data is entered and the user selected audio file is accessed and selected at a user interface that is resident on the audio file server.

8. The audio file delivery system of claim 1 wherein user supplied data is entered and the user selected audio file is accessed and selected at a user interface that is resident on the point of sale server.

9. An audio file delivery system for recording, selecting and delivering audio files comprising: an audio file server connected to a network and including:memory for storing audio files, user entered data and software commands and a user interface for selecting stock audio files stored in memory and entering data including a field for entering a user phone number associated with a user phone: anda processor for executing software commands;a user device connected the network and configured to:connect to the audio file server over the network;access the user interface resident on the audio file server, andaccept data entered at the user interface by the user including one or more selected stock audio files and the user phone number;send the entered data to the audio file server;wherein the audio file server is configured to:record in memory data entered at the user interface including the user phone number;initiate a voice connection to the user phone using the user phone number;record an audio message spoken into the user phone device;save the spoken audio message to a user recorded audio file in server memory;record in memory a user supplied recipient phone number associated with a recipient phone;select the user recorded audio file and the one or more selected stock audio files from server memory;initiate a voice connection with the recipient phone using the user supplied recipient phone number; andreplay the user recorded audio file and the one or more user selected stock audio files at the recipient phone.

10. The server system of claim 9 wherein the user supplied recipient phone number is entered at the user interface.

11. The server system of claim 9 wherein the user supplied recipient phone number is entered at the user phone while connected to the audio file server.

12. The server system of claim 9 wherein the system further comprises a point of sale server that records a user merchandise purchase and user supplied data and the point of sale server is configured to send data over the network to the audio file server.

13. The server system of claim 12 where the merchandise purchase includes delivery of the user purchased merchandise and delivery data is sent from the point of sale server at the time of delivery and in response to the delivery data sent at the time of delivery, the audio file server initiates the voice connection and replays at least a user selected stock audio file at the recipient phone.

14. A method for audio file recording and delivery comprising: purchasing merchandise where the purchase includes delivery of the merchandise;recording user supplied data at the time of purchase in a point of sale server connected to a network;making a network connection from the point of sale server to an audio file server storing a plurality of stock audio files in memory;presenting to the user at least a representation of the plurality of stock audio files stored in audio file server memory and available for selection.selecting one or more audio files from the available server memory stored audio files;receiving user specified data at the audio file server from the point of sale server;recording in audio file server memory the user specified data received from the point of sale server;recording in server memory a reference to the at least one user selected stock audio file;recording in server memory a user supplied recipient phone number;recording a user spoken audio message;saving the recorded audio message to a user recorded audio file in server memory;receiving a notice of delivery of merchandise at the audio file server;selecting the user recorded audio file and the at least one user selected stock audio file from server memory;initiating a voice connection to a recipient phone associated with the user supplied recipient phone number in response to receiving the notice of delivery of merchandise; andreplaying the user recorded audio file and the user specified stock audio file at the recipient phone.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein presenting the available stock audio files includes accessing a user interface at a user device connected to the network and the recipient phone number is entered in a field of the user interface and the stock audio files are selected at the user interface.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein presenting the available stock audio files includes accessing a user interface at the point of sale server and the recipient phone number is entered in a field of the user interface and the stock audio files are selected at the user interface.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein recording a user spoken audio message includes speaking into a microphone operably connected to the user device and transmitting at least a representation of the audio signal through the network connection to the audio file server.

18. The system of claim 14 further comprising recording in audio file server memory a user supplied user phone number associated with a user phone; and initiating a connection from the server to the user phone for recording the user spoken audio message.

19. The system of claim 14 further comprising initiating a connection from a user phone to the server for recording the user spoken audio message.