Asynchronous discrete manageable instant voice messages
View Patent ↗Asynchronous voice messaging is employed to enable individuals to send voice clips back and forth over a network. In at least some embodiments, the voice clips reside in the form of discrete, manageable objects that can be easily managed by the user. In addition, some embodiments described provide hand-free/eyes-free functionality that can permit a user to create and send (or receive and play) a voice message without having to physically enter an intended recipient's address or otherwise digitally manipulate the device over which the message is sent or received.
1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:
presenting a user interface that permits a user to create a voice clip object;
assigning the voice clip object a unique identifier;
sending the unique identifier to an intended recipient of the voice clip object using an instant messaging connection with the intended recipient;
receiving, from the intended recipient, a request for the voice clip object that includes the unique identifier, the request received using a peer-to-peer connection; and
asynchronously sending the voice clip object to the intended recipient using the peer-to-peer connection.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the presented user interface includes instrumentalities that permit the user to manage the voice clip object.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein at least some of the instrumentalities permit the user to listen to voice clip objects and save voice clip objects.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the presenting is performed by an instant messaging application that can permit text messages to be created and sent to the recipients.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the presented user interface includes instrumentalities that permit the user to receive and listen to voice clip objects received from others.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the presenting comprises:
presenting an icon that indicates that recording is taking place, and
a user interface component that indicates how much time is left to record a voice clip.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the presenting comprises presenting multiple conversation windows that permit the user to send different voice clip objects to different recipients.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the presenting comprises presenting a conversation window that permit a user to send the same voice clip object to multiple recipients.
9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising presenting in the user interface instrumentalities that permit the user to cancel recording of a voice clip object.
10. A computer-implemented method, comprising:
creating a voice clip object;
assigning the voice clip object a unique identifier;
sending the unique identifier to one or more intended recipients of the voice clip object using an instant messaging connection between the one or more intended recipients;
receiving, from the one or more of the intended recipients, the unique identifier;
sending the corresponding voice clip object to the one or more intended recipients from which the unique identifier was received using a peer-to-peer connection;
receiving from the one or more intended recipients a second voice clip object, the second voice clip object received using the peer-to-peer connection;
automatically playing the second voice clip object; and
pausing playing of the second voice clip object responsive to minimizing an instant messaging conversation window that includes a representation of the second voice clip object.
11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising presenting, in the user interface, a conversation window that enables pausing a conversation by minimizing the conversation window.
12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising receiving and listening to a voice clip object even though the user was not at an associated computer that received the voice clip object.
13. A computer-implemented method, comprising:
receiving a verbal indication that a voice message is desired to be sent to one or more intended recipients;
ascertaining one or more intended recipients of the voice message and delivery information associated with the one or more intended recipients;
recording the voice message;
receiving a verbal command to send the voice message to the one or more intended recipients;
assigning the voice message a unique identifier;
selecting a codec to compress the voice message based on a type of device the one or more intended recipients is using;
sending the unique identifier to the one or more intended recipients of the voice message using an instant messaging connection with the one or more intended recipients;
receiving, from the one or more intended recipients, a request for the voice clip object that includes the unique identifier, the request received using a peer-to-peer connection; and
sending the compressed voice message to the one or more intended recipients from which the unique identifier was received using the peer-to-peer connection.
14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising receiving and playing a voice message in an eyes-free, hands-free manner.
15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the delivery information comprises one or more recipient email addresses.
16. The method of claim 13 further comprising prior to the act of recording, audibly prompting a user to record the voice message.
17. The method of claim 13 , wherein the acts of receiving a verbal indication, ascertaining, recording, receiving a verbal command, and sending are performed by a mobile device.
18. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
detecting if no sound is being recorded during a time when a user thinks that he or she is making a recording, and
notifying the user that no sound was recorded.
19. The method of claim 1 , further comprising selecting a codec to compress the voice clip object based on the type of device an intended recipient is using.