Method for scheduling and transmitting messages

1. A method for scheduling and transmitting messages comprising:

a) storing a plurality of audio files in an audio database;

b) generating a schedule of queued audio messages, each queued audio message including at least one of the plurality of audio files, wherein each queued audio message comprises a plurality of different attributes, the schedule being generated based on the plurality of different attributes, and one of the plurality of different attributes being a priority level of the associated message;

c) transmitting at least one of the queued audio messages based on the schedule;

d) reconfiguring the schedule based on a user interaction, including utilizing the plurality of audio files to generate an ad-hoc audio message from the plurality of audio files based on the user interaction, wherein the ad-hoc audio message is a composite audio message including a plurality of component audio files combined to create the ad-hoc audio message, and reconfiguring the schedule to include the ad-hoc audio message based on the priority level of the ad-hoc audio message; and

e) delivering the queued audio messages and the ad-hoc audio message in accordance with the reconfigured schedule, wherein the queued audio messages and the ad-hoc audio message are played to a store environment for in-store customers, and wherein delivering the queued and ad-hoc audio messages in accordance with the reconfigured schedule includes:

checking for queued and ad-hoc audio messages that are due and processing the due audio messages if appropriate, including determining if feedback is requested, obtaining the requested feedback from at least one of the in-store customers, and processing the requested feedback, and

checking for overdue messages and processing the overdue messages if appropriate, including:

determining if one or more overdue messages should be currently played;

processing the one or more overdue messages as due audio messages if the one or more overdue messages are to be currently played;

determining if the one or more overdue messages should be rescheduled;

modifying the attributes of the overdue messages that are rescheduled;

determining if there are other overdue actions associated with the overdue messages that are rescheduled; and

executing the other overdue actions if appropriate.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the user interaction is initiated via a keypad based device.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the keypad based device comprises a computer.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the keypad based device comprises a telephone.

5. The method of claim 1 in which the generating a schedule comprises:

(b1) building a message structure;

(b2) building a schedule profile for the plurality of audio files; and

(b3) associating a message with the schedule profile.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the ad-hoc audio message has a category, and wherein at least one of the component audio files is a static component that is always used for the category of the ad-hoc audio message, and wherein at least one of the component audio files is a variable component that varies for the category of the ad-hoc audio message, the variable component being selected by the user interaction.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein generating the ad-hoc audio message includes receiving a user selection of a category of message, and receiving user selections of individual variable components of the message which vary for the category of message, the individual variable components combining to form the ad-hoc audio message.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein one of the plurality of attributes is the priority level of the audio message and a different one of the attributes is an interruptability of the audio message.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the ad-hoc message includes a query played to the in-store customers as to whether the in-store customers would like to receive an automatic discount on an item previously identified in a played one of the queued audio messages, wherein the feedback from the in-store customers indicates an answer to the query, and wherein a coupon is generated in the store environment for customers answering the query appropriately.

10. A method for scheduling and transmitting messages comprising the steps of:

a) storing a plurality of audio files in an audio database;

b) generating a schedule of queued audio messages, each queued audio message including at least one of the plurality of audio files, wherein each queued audio message comprises a plurality of different attributes, the schedule being generated based on the plurality of attributes, and one of the plurality of different attributes being a priority level of the associated message, wherein at least one of the queued messages comprises a prompt to obtain feedback, and wherein generating the schedule includes:

utilizing the plurality of audio files to generate an ad-hoc audio message from the plurality of audio files based on the user interaction, wherein the ad-hoc audio message is a composite audio message including a plurality of component audio files combined to create the ad-hoc audio message, and

reconfiguring the schedule to include the ad-hoc audio message based on a priority level of the ad-hoc audio message;

c) transmitting the queued audio messages and the ad-hoc audio message based on the schedule, wherein the queued audio messages and the ad-hoc audio message are played to a store environment for in-store customers, and wherein transmitting the queued and ad-hoc audio messages includes checking for queued and ad-hoc audio messages that are due and processing the due audio messages if appropriate;

d) obtaining the feedback related to the prompt from at least one of the in-store customers and processing the obtained feedback; and

e) checking for overdue messages and processing the overdue messages if appropriate, including:

determining if one or more overdue messages should be currently played;

processing the one or more overdue messages as due audio messages if the one or more overdue messages are to be currently played;

determining if the one or more overdue messages should be rescheduled;

modifying the attributes of the overdue messages that are rescheduled;

determining if there are other overdue actions associated with the overdue messages that are rescheduled; and

executing the other overdue actions if appropriate.

11. The method of claim 10 in which the generating a schedule comprises:

(b1) building a message structure;

(b2) building a schedule profile for the plurality of audio files; and

(b3) associating a message with the schedule profile.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the ad-hoc audio message has a category, and wherein at least one of the component audio files is a static component that is always used for the category of the ad-hoc audio message, and wherein at least one of the component audio files is a variable component that varies for the category of the ad-hoc audio message, the variable component being selected by the user interaction.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein generating the ad-hoc audio message includes receiving a user selection of a category of message, and receiving user selections of individual variable components of the message which vary for the category of message, the individual variable components combining to form the ad-hoc audio message.

14. The method of claim 10 wherein one of the plurality of attributes is the priority level of the audio message and a different one of the attributes is an interruptability of the audio message.

15. The method of claim 10 wherein the ad-hoc message includes a query played to the in-store customers as to whether the in-store customers would like to receive an automatic discount on an item previously identified in a played one of the queued audio messages, wherein the feedback from the in-store customers indicates an answer to the query, and wherein a coupon is generated in the store environment for customers answering the query appropriately.