Social networking-based teleconferencing system and method
A system and method for creating and posting voice messages via a social networking service. A social networking service includes a website for receiving a voice message, post the voice message to the social networking service by storing the voice message as an audio file to a server, and transmit the post to a mobile device each associated with a follower of the social networking service. A client application running on each mobile device receives a notification of the post from the social networking service, and includes a control interface to enable an associated follower to access the voice message.
1. A system hosting a social networking service for providing a voice communication feature, the system comprising:
a webpage of the social networking service, the webpage configured for receiving a voice message from a user of the social networking service, and for configuring the voice message for transmission from the social networking service to one or more followers of the user via a communication network, the configuring including posting the voice message as an audio file to the social networking service and generating a graphical representation of the audio file for the transmission, the graphical representation being configured as a link to the social networking service to access the audio file; and
a client application running on a mobile device associated with each of the one or more followers, the client application being configured for receiving the transmission from the social networking service via the communication network, displaying the graphical representation of the audio file, and, upon selection of the graphical representation of the audio file by a follower of the one or more followers, accessing and playing the audio file to deliver the voice message to the follower.
2. The system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the client application is configured to cause the mobile device to play the audio file.
3. The system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the selection of the graphical representation of the audio file by a follower includes a single touch of the graphical representation by the follower in a display of the social networking service by the client application.
4. The system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the social networking service includes a social networking website that is displayable by the client application.
5. The system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the social networking service is further configured to manage the one or more followers of the user.
6. A social networking service comprising:
a server hosting a social networking website, the social networking website providing an interactive voice response system to receive, from a user of the social networking service, a voice message, the interactive voice response system being further configured to store the voice message as an audio file on the server, and to generate a post of the audio file to the social networking website, the post including a graphical representation of the audio file for transmission from the server to one or more followers of the user; and
one or more client devices connectable with the server via a communication network, each of the one or more client devices being associated with at least one of the one or more followers and hosting a client application that is configured to receive the transmission from the server via the communication network, display the graphical representation of the audio file on an associated client device, and, upon selection of the graphical representation of the audio file by the at least one follower of the one or more followers, access and play the audio file to deliver the voice message to the at least one follower.
7. The social networking service in accordance with claim 6 , wherein the client application is configured to cause the mobile device to play the audio file.
8. The social networking service in accordance with claim 6 , wherein the selection of the graphical representation of the audio file by a follower includes a single touch of the graphical representation by the follower in a display of the social networking service by the client application.
9. The social networking service in accordance with claim 6 , wherein the social networking service includes a social networking website that is displayable by the client application.
10. The social networking service in accordance with claim 6 , wherein the social networking service is further configured to manage the one or more followers of the user.