Abstract:
The present invention relates to an electronic advertising system. More specifically, the present invention provides a computer based psychographic matching system that is significantly more effective and convenient for the advertiser. In the present invention, when a person places a personal ad on the system, either via a telephone or via the Internet, the person creates a personal psychographic profile (a subjective makeup of preferences) of himself by selecting his preference for various items, such as musical pieces, environmental sounds, poetry selections, etc. At the conclusion of the profiling process, the system automatically finds other advertisers (whether they placed their ad via audiotext or the Internet) whose profiles match the new advertiser&#39;s profile. The system then gives the new advertiser information on how to contact all of the recorded matches.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 08/744,879, filed Nov. 8, 1996. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     The present invention relates to audiotext systems designed to provide full access to traditional databases and telecommunications systems, such as local area networks, the Internet, other external databases, telephones and fax machines, etc., and more specifically to audiotext personal ad services.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     Audiotext personal ad services are a popular way for people to meet, and are available in most newspapers and on many cable television systems. In a typical service, an advertiser calls a live operator and places a text personal ad. An advertiser then calls an audiotext system and records an audio message, often referred to as a greeting, which expands upon the advertiser&#39;s text ad by describing in more detail the advertiser and the type of person he is seeking. Personal ads are then published in a newspaper. A personal ad includes a 900 telephone number and an ad mailbox number permitting a caller to listen to an advertiser&#39;s voice greeting. A caller can respond to an ad by recording a reply voice mail message for the advertiser. An advertiser retrieves a message by calling the audiotext system and entering a password given at the time of ad placement. In another format, live operators are not used. Instead, an advertiser first records an audio greeting via telephone. An operator then listens to the audio greeting off-line and writes a text summary of the audio greeting for publication in the newspaper.  
         [0004]     With the expansion of the Internet and other on-line services, personal ad services have been created to take advantage of this new medium. A typical service allows an advertiser to place a text personal ad that is published on the Internet on an HyperText Markup Language (HTML) page. An Internet user may respond to a personal ad by sending an advertiser a message via electronic mail. The limitation of this approach is that an Internet user cannot listen to an audio recording of an advertiser, a feature that is the central to audiotext personal ad services. Another limitation is that telephone users cannot exchange messages with Internet users. Another limitation is that many people do not have Internet access, thus limiting the number of advertisers and respondents.  
         [0005]     In another format, an attempt is made to integrate audiotext personal ads services with the Internet. Using this approach, a newspaper publishes personal ads in both the newspaper and on the Internet. Each personal ad includes a 900 telephone number and an ad mailbox number permitting a caller to listen to an advertiser&#39;s voice greeting. This approach still has the disadvantage of not allowing an Internet user to listen to an advertiser&#39;s voice greeting via the Internet. Moreover, an Internet user can only respond to a personal ad via a telephone.  
         [0006]     To summarize, existing Internet personal ad services are limited in that they lack many of the features available on audiotext personal ad services. Also, existing personal ad services do not provide a means for those using an audiotext personal ad service to effectively communicate with those using an Internet personal ad service and visa versa. Therefore, there is a need for a personal ad system that seamlessly integrates an audiotext system with an Internet server, allowing straightforward communication between those using a telephone and those on the Internet. Such a system has been proposed in detail by the present inventor which comprises application Ser. No. 08/744,879. However, there is still the need to address some of the problems inherent in an integrated audiotext and Internet based personal ad service.  
         [0007]     A basic problem with the prior services is that when a person places an ad, he must wait for his ad to be published and then for someone to respond to it in order to meet someone. Another problem is that if an advertiser wants to meet someone by responding to other personal ads, he must scan a large number of ads to identify a relatively small number of ads that meet his criteria. In addition, if an advertiser does not locate a suitable ad on a given day, the advertiser must in general do a complete search on the following day, since ads are generally not segregated based upon whether they have been newly placed. Moreover, since new ads can be placed both via an audiotext system and via the Internet, the advertiser might need to scan both the audiotext system and the Internet to find new ads. Finally, advertisers are not notified when they receive a response to their ad, thus requiring advertisers to check their mailbox frequently so as not to miss a message.  
         [0008]     Because of their popularity, a personal ads service published in a newspaper or cable television system can attract several hundred or more advertisers at any given time. Because of the quantity of ads in a given service, it can be difficult and tedious to search all the ads to find a compatible person. Several attempts have been made to deal with this problem. The most common approach is to match individuals based on demographic criteria such as gender, race, age, religion, etc. One such system has been proposed by the present inventor which comprises application Ser. No. 08/799,537. In spite of the benefits of this type of matching, users of personal ad services continue to seek better and more effective ways of meeting compatible individuals.  
         [0009]     The limitation, however, of demographic-based matching is that it does not take into account the subjective, “psychographic”, makeup of the individual, such as an individual&#39;s preference for visual images (photographs or paintings), writing (prose and poetry), or audio (music, sounds), etc. which are more in line with an individual&#39;s personality. Many individuals find compatibility in these areas far more relevant to predicting the success of a relationship than rigid demographic categories, such as race, gender, religion and age. Therefore, there is a need for a personal ad service that incorporates this psychographic profiling in the matching process.  
         [0010]     This approach has been used by at least one Internet based personal ad service. In such a service, the Internet user is presented with a series of sets of two photographs in an “A/B” fashion. The user “clicks” on a given photograph to indicate his preference. The series of photographs selected by the user are then stored in a database and used to match the user with other users who selected the same photographs. The limitation of this approach is that there is no way for telephone users to participate, thereby excluding a large percentage of potential matches.  
         [0011]     To be effective, a psychographic profiling service must accommodate users of both traditional audiotext-based personal ad services as well as Internet-based personal ad services. Since large numbers of individuals continue to use each type of service on a more or less exclusive basis, failure to integrate the two environments significantly limits the database pool of potential matches. The current invention accommodates these needs by incorporating a matching feature based on psychographic profiling. Users are asked to indicate their preference for certain individual audio and/or visual elements which are presented in a series. A user&#39;s preferences are then stored in a database where they can be used to match with other users. In addition, the present invention allows both telephone and Internet users to take the same psychographic inventory and to match it with the psychographic profile of other individuals regardless of the medium (telephone or Internet) through which they enter the system. The benefit of this invention is that it provides a more powerful basis for matching individuals than has been available in the art while maximizing the pool of potential matches through the deployment of the service on a fully integrated Internet/audiotext platform.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0012]     The present invention relates to an electronic advertising system. More specifically, the present invention provides a computer based psychographic matching system that is significantly more effective and convenient for the advertiser. In the present invention, when a person places a personal ad on the system, either via a telephone or via the Internet, the person creates a personal psychographic profile (a subjective makeup of preferences) of himself by selecting his preference for various items, such as musical pieces, environmental sounds, poetry selections, etc. At the conclusion of the profiling process, the system automatically finds other advertisers (whether they placed their ad via audiotext or the Internet) whose profiles match the new advertiser&#39;s profile. In addition, during the ad taking process, a person is asked to input a telephone number and an e-mail address. Thereafter, whenever a new personal ad comes on to the system that matches the person&#39;s profile (whether the ad originates on the audiotext system or on the Internet), the person is notified of the new ad and given instructions of how to contact the new match. Also, each time a person responds to a personal ad, the system automatically finds and presents other personal ads with similar characteristics to save the user time in finding an appealing ad. Finally, each time someone responds to a personal ad, the advertiser is automatically notified both via telephone and via electronic mail.  
         [0013]     The significant advantages provided by the present invention are apparent from the above description. The present invention provides a more effective means of matching individuals than previous demographic style matching systems. Also, the system of the present invention does not require the advertiser to scan large numbers of ads, or to repeatedly scan for new ads. In addition, new advertisers can meet someone faster because they are automatically matched with other advertisers at the time of ad placement and notified when someone responds to their ad. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
       [0014]     For a more complete understanding of the present invention, reference is made to the following drawings, in which:  
         [0015]      FIG. 1  shows a schematic representation of the present invention.  
         [0016]      FIG. 2  shows a table of the fields used for storing personal data, including a brief description of the particular fields.  
         [0017]      FIG. 3  shows a table of the fields used for storing greeting data, including a brief description of the particular fields.  
         [0018]      FIG. 4  shows a table of the fields used for storing response data, including a brief description of the particular fields.  
         [0019]      FIG. 5  shows a flow diagram of an exemplary operation of the present invention, more specifically placing an advertisement through a telephone.  
         [0020]      FIG. 6  shows a flow diagram of an exemplary operation of the present invention, more specifically placing an advertisement through the Internet.  
         [0021]      FIG. 7  shows a flow diagram of an exemplary operation of the process of reviewing and summarizing advertisements as accomplished by the present invention.  
         [0022]      FIG. 8  shows personal advertisements as they would appear in a local newspaper.  
         [0023]      FIG. 9  shows a flow diagram of an exemplary operation of the process of responding to an advertisement through a telephone as accomplished by the present invention.  
         [0024]      FIG. 10  shows a flow diagram of an exemplary operation of the process of responding to an advertisement through the Internet as accomplished by the present invention.  
         [0025]      FIG. 11  shows a maximized personal advertisement as seen by the Internet user who chooses to expand the advertisement to full-page size.  
         [0026]      FIG. 12  shows a flow diagram of the response confirmation process, including the Response Confirmation Form which gives the Internet user instructions on how to enhance a response to an advertisement with, audio, video or a photograph.  
         [0027]      FIG. 13  shows a flow diagram of an exemplary operation of the process of retrieving responses through a telephone as accomplished by the present invention.  
         [0028]      FIG. 14  shows a flow diagram of an exemplary operation of the process of retrieving responses through the Internet as accomplished by the present invention.  
         [0029]      FIG. 15  shows a flow diagram of an exemplary operation of the process of psychographic matching via a telephone as accomplished by the present invention.  
         [0030]      FIG. 16  shows a flow diagram of the psychographic profiling process, including the Psychographic Profile Form which provides the options for the Internet user to choose from in order to create the user&#39;s psychographic profile. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0031]     As required, a detailed illustrative embodiment of the present invention is disclosed herein. However, telephone techniques, physical communication systems, data formats and operating structures in accordance with the present invention may be embodied in a wide variety of forms and modes, some of which may be quite different from those in the disclosed embodiment. Consequently, the specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are merely representative, yet in that regard, they are deemed to afford the best embodiment for purposes of disclosure and to provide a basis for the claims herein which define the scope of the present invention.  
         [0032]     Referring initially to  FIG. 1 , a series of remote telephone terminals T 1 -Tn are represented. In addition, a series of remote computer terminals CT 1 -CTn are represented. The indicated terminals T 1 -Tn represent the multitude of telephone terminals existing in association with the public telephone network (PTN). The indicated computer terminals CT 1 -CTn represent the multitude of computer terminals connected to the Internet.  
         [0033]     The PTN, which accommodates the individual terminals T 1 -Tn, is coupled to an Interactive Voice Response System (IVR). The Internet, which accommodates individual computer terminals CT 1 -CTn, is coupled to an Internet Web Server (IWS)—Individual telephone callers use the individual telephone stations T 1  through Tn to interface the IVR through the PTN. Individual Internet users at computer terminals CT 1  through CTn use the Internet to interface the IWS. Both telephone callers and Internet users may record digital audio messages that can be listened to from any of the remote telephone terminals T 1 -Tn or from any of the remote computer terminals CT 1 -CTn. Internet users may leave digital text messages that may be accessed from any of the remote telephone terminals T 1 -Tn using text-to-speech or from the remote computer terminals CT 1 -CTn via a computer monitor.  
         [0034]     First, considering the system of  FIG. 1  in somewhat greater detail, it is to be understood that the PTN has multiplexing capability for individually coupling the terminals T 1 -Tn to the IVR on request. In the illustrative embodiment of the system, the individual terminals T 1 -Tn take the form of existing traditional or conventional telephone instruments. It is also to be understood that the Internet has the capability to individually connect the computer terminals CT 1 -CTn to the IWS. In this illustrative embodiment of the system, the individual computer terminals CT 1 -CTn take the form of personal computers that comprise a central processing unit CPU, modem, monitor, keyboard, hard drive, sound card, and microphone.  
         [0035]     Second, considering the IVR in somewhat greater detail, the PTN is coupled to an IVR (see  FIG. 1 ). In the disclosed embodiment, forty-eight lines are connected to the IVR from the PTN, and, accordingly, the IVR may accommodate up to forty-eight simultaneous calls from the PTN. The IVR contains a processor, an exemplary form of which is an Intel 166 MHz Pentium Processor. The forty-eight lines from the PTN are connected to the processor though an interface  15 , an exemplary form of which is a series of commercially available Dialogic (D240SC-T 1 ) cards. The interface incorporates modems, tone decoders, switching mechanisms, and DNIS and ANI capability. The Dialogic card stores audio information in the Dialogic VOX format.  
         [0036]     Generally, DNIS capability is a function of the PTN in order to provide digital data indicating the called number. ANI capability is a similar function whereby the digital data indicates the calling number.  
         [0037]     Third, considering the IWS in somewhat greater detail, the IWS is coupled to the Internet via a DS 1  line to a local Internet provider service. The IWS may accommodate a multitude of simultaneous Internet users. As represented, the IWS is a micro computer programmed for Internet information server operations. The IWS contains a processor and Internet server software, exemplary forms of which are an Intel 166 Mhz Pentium Processor and Microsoft Internet Information Server software.  
         [0038]     The IWS is also loaded with RealAudio Server software from Progressive Network. RealAudio allows a Microsoft Windows .WAV file to be converted into a RealAudio RA file, a compressed format that allows play back over the Internet in real time, as opposed to first downloading a file and then listening to it. RealAudio accomplishes this by playing an audio file while it is still downloading, using a process called data streaming.  
         [0039]     The IWS is also loaded with VDOLive Server software. VDOLive allows a video clip in the Microsoft Windows AVI, Apple Quicktime, or MPEG video file formats to be converted into a VDOLive .VDO format, a compressed format that allows play back over the Internet in real time, as opposed to first downloading a file and then listening to it. VDOLive also utilizes data streaming.  
         [0040]     The IVR and the IWS are coupled to a Database Server (DBS) via an Ethernet hub as shown in  FIG. 1 . The system includes one or more Operator Workstations (OWS) OW 1 -OWn, through which an operator can interact with and control the DBS, IVR and IWS.  
         [0041]     The DBS is a computer programmed for database operations. In the illustrated embodiment, the DBS manages a personal Ad Database which is comprised of multiple tables that manage the creation of advertisement files, audio greeting files, advertisement response files, and photograph and video files. The Ad Database comprises an electronic equivalent of the personal classified advertisements placed via telephone and the Internet, and responses placed to the advertisements.  
         [0042]     In addition, the DBS converts audio files received via telephone into the RealAudio RA format for real time retrieval via the Internet. Conversely, the DBS converts audio files received via the Internet into Dialogic VOX files for retrieval via telephone. Audio file conversions are done through audio file conversion software, an exemplary form of which is Vox Studio by Xentec.  
         [0043]     The DBS contains a processor and a Structured Query Language (SQL) relational database software, exemplary forms of which are the Intel 166 Mhz Pentium Processor and Microsoft SQL Server.  
         [0044]     The OWS is a conventional personal computer equipped with a sound card capable of playing the audio data and a video display capable of displaying digitally stored photographs and videos. An exemplary form of the OWS is a microcomputer equipped with an Intel 166 Mhz Pentium Processor and a Creative Labs Sound Blaster sound card. Operators review all incoming advertiser files—text, audio, photograph, and video—to insure that their content is appropriate. Also, operators use advertisers&#39; text messages and audio recordings to create summary text advertisements for publication in a newspaper.  
         [0045]     The following sections describe in greater detail the interaction between the IVR, DBS, IWS, and OWS.  
         [0000]     Placing an Ad Through a Telephone  
         [0046]     An exemplary operation of the system with regard to a specific telephone caller placing a personal advertisement will now be treated to accomplish the process as indicated in  FIG. 5 . First, suppose a telephone caller at terminal T 1  initiates a call to place a personal advertisement in response to an advertisement in XYZ newspaper. The assumed call involves the telephone caller actuating the buttons to input the number, for example, 1-8-0-0-5-5-5-3-3-3-3. As a result, signals are provided to the public telephone network resulting in a connection from the remote terminal T 1  to the IVR. Using standard DNIS techniques, the IVR associates the called number, 1-8-0-0-5-5-5-3-3-3-3 with a specific format, for example, a voice personals advertisement taking format.  
         [0047]     The caller is first prompted to create a profile of himself by answering a series of questions using the buttons on his touch tone phone. The profile contains data on the advertiser and the type of person the advertiser wishes to meet. Referring initially to  FIG. 5 , upon receiving a call, the IVR cues the caller to enter his telephone number  801 . The IVR stores the telephone number  802  in the field AD_PHONE  203 . Next, the IVR cues the caller to enter his gender  803 . For example: “If you are a woman, press 1. If you are a man, press 2. ” The IVR stores the caller&#39;s gender  804  in the field AD_GENDER 207. Next, the IVR cues the caller for his marital status  805 . For example: “If you are single, press 1. If you are divorced, press 2. If you are widowed, press 3. ” The caller responds and the IVR stores the caller&#39;s marital status  806  in the field AD_MARITAL STATUS  208 . Next, the IVR cues the caller for his age  807 . For example: “Please enter your age.” The caller&#39;s age is then stored  808  in the field AD_AGE  209 .  
         [0048]     Next, the caller is prompted to indicate the type of person he wishes to meet. The IVR first cues the caller for the martial status of the person he is seeking  825 . For example: “If you wish to meet someone who is single, press 1. If you wish to meet someone who is divorced, press 2. If you wish to meet someone who is widowed, press 3. ” The martial status sought is then stored  826  in the field AD_MARITAL_SOUGHT  212 . Next, the IVR cues the caller to enter the lowest age of the person he wishes to meet  827 . For example: “Please enter the lowest age of the person you wish to meet.” The low age sought is them stored  828  in the field LOW_AGE_SOUGHT  213 . Finally, the IVR cues the caller to enter the highest age of the person he wishes to meet  829 . For example: “Please enter the highest age of the person you wish to meet.” The high age sought is them stored  830  in the field HIGH_AGE_SOUGHT  213 . It is to be understood that the actual questions asked about the caller and the person he is seeking are merely illustrative. The actual questions could vary greatly in both number and kind.  
         [0049]     Next, the IVR cues the caller to record an audio greeting  812 . The advertiser&#39;s audio greeting is then stored to a disk file on the IVR  813  and the Ad Database is updated  809 . Specifically, the AD_REVIEW_FLAG  210  in the AD_PERSONAL_TABLE (see  FIG. 2 ) is set to FALSE indicating that the ad must be reviewed by an operator. In addition, a new record is created in the AD_GREETINGS_TABLE (see  FIG. 3 ) and the field GR_REVIEW_FLAG  303  is set to FALSE to indicate that the audio greeting has not been reviewed. In the new record, the fields GR_MAILBOX_NUMBER  301 , GR_TYPE  302 , GR_FILENAME  304 , GR_DATE_TIME  305  in the AD_GREETINGS_TABLE (see  FIG. 3 ) are also populated to indicate the advertiser&#39;s mailbox number, the format of the audio file, the location of the audio file on the IVR, and the date and time the greeting was recorded. The field GR_TYPE is set to VOX to indicate that the audio recording is in the Dialogic VOX file format. Finally, the field GR CONVERSION FLAG is set to FALSE to indicate that the audio file must be converted from the Dialogic VOX format to create a new audio file in the RealAudio RA format for playback on the Internet.  
         [0050]     The IVR then cues the caller to indicate if he wishes to record an e-mail address 816. For example: “Press 1 to input an e-mail address. Press 2 to decline.” If the caller elects to leave an e-mail address, the IVR cues the caller to record his e-mail address  817 . The audio recording is stored to a disk file on the IVR  818  and the field AD_EMAIL_FILENAME  205  in AD_PERSONAL_TABLE (see  FIG. 2 ) is set, indicating that an e-mail audio file exists and listing its location on the IVR.  
         [0051]     Next, the IVR assigns the advertiser a five digit mailbox number  819 . For example: “Your 5-digit mailbox number is 12345. ” The mailbox number is then stored  820  in the field AD_MAILBOX_NUMBER  201 . The IVR then cues the caller to enter a five digit password  821 . The password is stored  822  in the field AD_PASSWORD  202 . This allows only the caller to recall messages stored in the mailbox which the caller created.  
         [0052]     In addition, the IVR stores the date the advertisement is taken in the field AD_DATE_TIME  206 , and updates the field AD_ORIGIN  211  to indicate that the personal advertisement originated on the telephone  823 . Finally, the IVR creates an electronic mailbox for the advertiser on the IWS  824 , using the mailbox number stored in the field AD_MAILBOX_NUMBER  201  as the electronic mailbox address. This allows respondents to submit audio, video and photographic files in response to the advertiser&#39;s advertisement.  
         [0053]     Finally, the IVR queries the Ad Database to determine if there are other existing advertiser&#39;s whose profile matches that of the new advertiser  831 . More specifically, there is a match if the values in the field AD_MARITAL_STATUS  208  and the values in the field AD_MARITAL_SOUGHT  212  match for each advertiser, and if the value in the field AD_AGE  209  for each advertiser is within the range of values in the fields AD_LOW_AGE_SOUGHT  213  and AD_HIGH_AGE_SOUGHT  214  for the other advertiser. If the query finds one or more ads that match, the IVR speaks the number of matching ads to the caller  832 . For example: “The number of ads that match your preferences is 5. ” The caller is then given both a 900 number  833  and an Internet address  834  that can be used to retrieve the matches, and the call is terminated  835 . If no matches are found, the IVR tells the caller that no matches were found, and the call is terminated  835 .  
         [0054]     In addition, the mailbox numbers of matching advertisements are placed in a notification queue  835 , together with delivery information corresponding to the matching advertisement so that the existing advertisers can be notified that a new personal advertisement has come onto the system that matches the existing advertisers&#39; profile. The delivery information includes the telephone number and e-mail address, if available, of the existing advertiser which is to be notified, together with the mailbox number of the new advertisement coming onto the system.  
         [0000]     Placing an Ad Through the Internet  
         [0055]     An exemplary operation of the system with regard to a specific Internet user placing a personal advertisement will now be treated to accomplish the process as indicated in  FIG. 6 . First, suppose a Internet user at terminal CT 1  connects to the Internet to place a personal advertisement in response to an advertisement in XYZ newspaper. The assumed Internet user connects to the Internet and inputs a Uniform Reference Locator (URL), for example: http://www.personal_ads.com, resulting in a connection from the remote terminal CT 1  to a Home Page  1001  on the IWS.  
         [0056]     Referring to  FIG. 6 , from the Home Page  1001  on the IWS, the Internet user selects an Ad Placement Form  1002 . The Ad Placement Form  1002  contains the following input fields corresponding to fields in the Ad Database as indicated:  
                                                       Gender 1003   AD_GENDER 207           Marital Status 11004   AD_MARITAL_STATUS 208           Age 1005   AD_AGE 209           Martial Sought 1034   AD_MARTIAL_SOUGHT 212           Low Age Sought 1035   AD_LOW_AGE_SOUGHT 213           High Age Sought 1036   AD_HIGH_AGE_SOUGHT 214           E-mail address 1006   AD_EMAIL_ADDRESS 204           Phone Number 1007   AD_PHONE 203           Password 1008   AD_PASSWORD 202           Greeting Text 1014   GR_FILENAME 304.                      
 
         [0057]     This process largely parallels the process of placing a personal advertisement via a telephone. The password  1008  is used by the advertiser to retrieve messages and the e-mail address  1006  and telephone number  1007  are used to contact the advertiser. The gender  1003 , age  1005 , and marital status  1004  fields create a demographic profile of the advertiser. The marital sought  1034 , low age sought  1035  and high age sought  1036  fields complete the advertiser&#39;s demographic profile by indicating the type of person the advertiser wishes to meet. Finally, the field Greeting Text  1014  comprises the advertiser&#39;s text personal advertisement.  
         [0058]     The Internet user completes the Ad Placement Form  1002  and presses the “Submit” button to submit her ad. The form is checked by the IWS for completeness  1016 . If the form is incomplete, the user is returned to the Ad Placement Form  1002 . If the form is complete, the IWS updates the Ad Database  1017 . This includes assigning the user a five digit mailbox number and storing it in the field AD_MAILBOX_NUMBER  201 . In addition, the advertiser&#39;s profile, contact information, password and greeting are added to the Ad Database. Also, the advertiser&#39;s text greeting is stored to a disk file on the IWS. Next, the AD_REVIEW_FLAG 210 in the AD_PERSONAL_TABLE (see  FIG. 2 ) is set to FALSE indicating that the advertisement must be reviewed by an operator  10 , a new record is created in the AD_GREETINGS_TABLE (see  FIG. 3 ), and the field GR_REVIEW_FLAG  303  is set to FALSE to indicate that the text greeting has not been reviewed. In the new record, the fields GR_MAILBOX_NUMBER  301 , GR_TYPE  302 , GR_FILENAME  304 , GR_DATE_TIME  305  in the AD_GREETINGS_TABLE (see  FIG. 3 ) are also populated to indicate the advertiser&#39;s mailbox number, the file format, the location of the text file on the IWS, and the date and time the greeting was placed. Specifically, the field GR_TYPE is set to TEXT. Finally, the field GR_CONVERSION_FLAG is set to TRUE to indicate that the text does not need to be converted to a different format.  
         [0059]     Next, the IWS queries the Ad Database to determine if there are other existing advertiser&#39;s whose profile matches that of the new advertiser  1018 . The IWS then creates an Ad Confirmation Page  1020 . If the query finds one or more advertisements that match, the Ad Confirmation Page displays a text message of the number of matching advertisements  1027 . The text message is displayed as a hyper-link which can be followed by a browser to the actual matching ads. In addition, the Ad Confirmation Page  1020  confirms the advertiser&#39;s mailbox number  1021 , and gives the advertiser instructions on how to include an audio greeting  1022 , photograph  1023 , or video clip  1024  with her personal advertisement. Also, the IWS stores the date and time when the advertisement is taken in the field AD_DATE_TIME  206 , and updates the field AD_ORIGIN  211  to indicate that the personal advertisement originated on the Internet  1025 . Finally, the IWS creates an electronic mailbox for the advertiser  1026 , using the mailbox number stored in the field AD_MAILBOX_NUMBER as the electronic mail address. This allows respondents to submit audio, video and photographic files in response to the advertiser&#39;s advertisement.  
         [0060]     In addition, the mailbox numbers of matching ads are placed in a notification queue  1038 , together with delivery information corresponding to the matching advertisement so that the existing advertisers can be notified that a new personal advertisement has come onto the system that matches the existing advertisers&#39; demographic profile. The delivery information includes the telephone number and e-mail address, if available, of the existing advertiser to be notified, together with mailbox number of the new advertisement coming onto the system. Enhancing an Internet Ad with Audio, Photograph and Video  
         [0061]     A more detailed explanation of how an advertiser submits an audio greeting, photograph, or video clip via CT 1  will now be given. To submit an audio greeting, the advertiser first makes an audio recording using a WAV file editor and then saves the file using her five digit mailbox number as the file name  1030  (see  FIG. 6 ), for example: 44567.wav. The advertiser then submits the audio file using e-mail to an audio greeting electronic mailbox  1031 , for example: audio_greeting@personals.com. The advertiser&#39;s audio recording is then stored to a disk file on the IWS.  
         [0062]     In addition, a new record is created in the AD_GREETINGS_TABLE (see  FIG. 3 ) and the Ad Database is updated  1032 . Specifically, the field GR_REVIEW_FLAG  303  is set to FALSE to indicate that the audio greeting has not been reviewed. Also, the fields GR_MAILBOX_NUMBER  301 , GR_TYPE  302 , GR_FILENAME  304 , GR_DATE_TIME  305  in the AD_GREETINGS_TABLE (see  FIG. 3 ) are populated to indicate the advertiser&#39;s mailbox number, the format of the audio file, the location of the audio file on the IWS, and the date and time the greeting was placed. The field GR_TYPE is set to WAV to indicate that the audio recording is in the Microsoft .WAV file format. Finally, the field GR_CONVERSION_FLAG is set to FALSE to indicate that the audio file must be converted from the Microsoft .WAV format to create two new audio files: one in the RealAudio RA format for playback on the Internet, and another in the Dialogic VOX format for playback via the telephone.  
         [0063]     To enhance a personal advertisement with a photograph, the advertiser first digitizes a photograph using a scanner or takes a photograph with a digital camera and then saves the image to a .GIF file using her five digit mailbox number as the file name  1037 , for example: 44567.gif. The advertiser then submits the graphic file using e-mail to an photograph electronic mailbox, for example: photo@personals.com  1031 .  
         [0064]     The advertiser&#39;s photo is stored to a disk file on the IWS and the Ad Database is updated  1032 . Specifically, a new record is created in the AD_GREETINGS_TABLE (see  FIG. 3 ) and the field GR_REVIEW_FLAG  303  is set to FALSE to indicate that the graphic file has not been reviewed. In each new record, the fields GR_MAILBOX_NUMBER  301 , GR_TYPE  302 , GR_FILENAME  304 , GR_DATE_TIME  305  in the AD_GREETINGS_TABLE (see  FIG. 3 ) are also populated to indicate the advertiser&#39;s mailbox number, the format of the graphic file, the location of the graphic file on the IWS, and the date and time when the photograph was received. The field GR_TYPE  302  is set to GIF to indicate that the graphic file is in the GIF file format. Finally, the field GR CONVERSION_FLAG  306  is set to TRUE to indicate that no file conversion is necessary as GIF is the graphic file format used by the IWS. If other graphic formats were accepted, they might have to be converted to a GIF format, depending on the file formats supported by the IWS. If file conversion is necessary, the field GR_CONVERSION_FLAG  306  would be set to FALSE.  
         [0065]     To enhance a personal advertisement with video clip, the advertiser first digitizes the video clip and then saves the image to a Microsoft AVI file using her five digit mailbox number as the file name  1036 , for example: 44567.avi. Other video formats such as Apple Quicktime, or MPEG video could also be used. The advertiser then submits the graphic file using e-mail to an electronic mailbox, for example: video@personals.com  1031 .  
         [0066]     The advertiser&#39;s video clip is stored to a disk file on the IWS and the Ad Database is updated  1032 . Specifically, a new record is created in the AD_GREETINGS_TABLE (see  FIG. 3 ) and the field GR_REVIEW_FLAG  303  is set to FALSE to indicate that the video file has not been reviewed. In each new record, the fields GR_MAILBOX_NUMBER  301 , GR_TYPE  302 , GR_FILENAME  304 , GR_DATE_TIME  305  in the AD_GREETINGS_TABLE (see  FIG. 3 ) are populated to indicate the advertiser&#39;s mailbox number, the format of the video file, the location of the video file on the IWS, and the date and time when the video was received. Specifically, the field GR_TYPE  302  is set to AVI to indicate that the video clip is in the Microsoft AVI file format. Finally, the field GR_CONVERSION FLAG  306  is set to FALSE to indicate that the video file must be converted to the VDOLive format for real time playback on the Internet.  
         [0000]     Reviewing and Summarizing Ads  
         [0067]     All new personal advertisements are reviewed by an operator at OWS OW 1  to insure that their content is appropriate. Also, each greeting submitted by an advertiser, whether it be an audio greeting recorded by an advertiser via a telephone or a text greeting placed by an advertiser via the Internet, is summarized by an operator to create a short, approximately twenty word, classified text advertisement for publication in a newspaper. The twenty word limit is a function of newspaper imposed space limitations. It should be noted that space limitations, if they exist at all, may vary widely from newspaper to newspaper. In another format, text advertisements that are published in the newspaper are first placed with a live operator via a telephone, precluding the need to summarize an audio recording.  
         [0068]     An exemplary operation of the process of reviewing and summarizing advertisements with regard to a specific operator at OP 1  will now be treated to accomplish the process as indicated in  FIG. 10 . The operator first queries the Ad Database to determine if there are new advertisements to review  1800 . Specifically, the query looks for all ads in the AD PERSONAL TABLE(see  FIG. 2 ) where the field AD_REVIEW_FLAG  210  is set to FALSE. If the query finds a new advertisement, the operator first reviews the advertiser&#39;s greeting  1801  as found in the AD GREETINGS TABLE (see  FIG. 3 ). If the advertisement was placed via telephone, this consists of listening to the advertiser&#39;s audio greeting. If the advertisement was placed via the Internet, this consists of reading the text greeting. The operator then determines if the greeting&#39;s content is appropriate  1802 . If the greeting&#39;s content is inappropriate, the advertisement is deleted, the record is purged from the database  1803  and the operator is returned to block  1800  to select another new advertisement to review. If the greeting&#39;s content is appropriate, the operator writes a twenty word summary of the greeting  1804 . The operator then queries the database to determine if the advertiser recorded an e-mail address  1805 . If an e-mail address audio recording is found, the operator transcribes the e-mail address  1806 . The operator then updates the Ad Database  1807 .  
         [0069]     Specifically, the advertiser&#39;s twenty word text summary is stored to a disk file on the IWS. The AD_REVIEW_FLAG  210  in the AD_PERSONAL_TABLE (see  FIG. 2 ) is set to TRUE indicating that the ad has been reviewed. In addition, a new record for the text summary is created in the AD_GREETINGS_TABLE (see  FIG. 3 ) and the field GR_REVIEW_FLAG  303  is set to TRUE indicating that the record has been reviewed. In the new record, the fields GR_MAILBOX_NUMBER  301 , GR_TYPE  302 , GR_FILENAME  304 , GR_DATE_TIME  305  in the AD_GREETINGS TABLE (see  FIG. 3 ) are also populated to indicate the advertiser&#39;s mailbox number, the file format, the location of the text file on the IWS, and the date and time. The field GR_TYPE is set to TEXT. Finally, the field GR_CONVERSION_FLAG 306 is set to TRUE to indicate that the text does not need to be converted to a different format.  
         [0070]     The operator then returns to block  1800  to select another advertisement to review in order to continue processing advertisements. If no new advertisements are found, the operator queries the Ad Database to determine if any multimedia files (audio, video, or photo) have been submitted via the Internet to enhance a personal advertisement  1808 . Specifically, the query looks for all advertisements in the AD_PERSONAL_TABLE (see  FIG. 2 ) where the field AD_REVIEW_FLAG  210  is set to TRUE that has files in the AD_GREETING_TABLE (see  FIG. 3 ) where the GR_REVIEW_FLAG  303  is set to FALSE. If the query finds a multimedia file, the operator first reviews the file  1809 . If it is an audio file, this consists of listening to the advertiser&#39;s audio greeting. If it is a video or graphic file, this consists of viewing the file. The operator then determines if the greeting&#39;s content is appropriate  1810 . If the greeting&#39;s content is inappropriate, the filed is deleted and the record purged from the database  1811 . The operator is then returned to block  1808  to continue processing multimedia files. If the file&#39;s content is appropriate, the operator approves the file  1812  and updates the database  1813 . Specifically, this consists in setting the field GR_REVIEW_FLAG  303  to TRUE to indicate that the file has been reviewed.  
         [0071]     If the file is an audio file, the OWS converts the file to create a new RealAudio RA file and stores the file on the IWS. The OWS also converts the file to create a Dialogic VOX file and stores the file on the IVR. For each new audio file, a new record is created in the AD_GREETINGS_TABLE (see  FIG. 2 ) and the fields GR_MAILBOX_NUMBER  301 , GR_TYPE  302 , GR_DATE_TIME  305 , and GR_FILENAME  304  are populated to indicate the mailbox number of the advertiser, the format of the file, the date and time, and the location of the audio file on the IVR. Also, the field GR_REVIEW_FLAG  303  is set to TRUE to indicate that the file has been reviewed. Finally, the field GR_CONVERSION_FLAG is set to TRUE to indicate that the audio file does not need to be converted.  
         [0072]     If the file is a video file, the OWS converts the Microsoft AVI file to create a new VDOLive file and stores the file on the IWS. Also, a new record is created in the AD GREETINGS TABLE (see  FIG. 2 ) and the fields GR_MAILBOX_NUMBER  301 , GR_TYPE  302 , GR_DATE_TIME  305 , and GR_FILENAME  304  are populated to indicate the mailbox number of the advertiser, the format of the file, the date and time, and the location of the video file on the IVR.  
         [0073]     Also, the field GR_REVIEW_FLAG  303  is set to TRUE to indicate that the file has been reviewed. Finally, the field GR_CONVERSION_FLAG  306  is set to TRUE to indicate that the video file does not need to be converted.  
         [0074]     The operator then returns to block  1808  to continue processing multimedia files. If no new multimedia files are found, the session is terminated  1814 .  
         [0000]     Publishing Ads in the Newspaper  
         [0075]     Each week, all the twenty-word summary text advertisements from personal advertisements submitted via telephone and via the Internet are published in a newspaper along with their five digit mailbox numbers.  FIG. 8  depicts personal advertisements as they would appear in the local newspaper. Icons are included in each advertisement that represent the origin of an advertisement (via telephone or via the Internet) and what additional information or multimedia, if any, is available on the Internet. For example, an advertisement placed via the telephone contains a telephone icon  2001 ; an advertisement placed via the Internet contains a computer icon  2002 . If there is additional text on the Internet, an advertisement contains an icon denoting additional text  2004 . The presence of a photo or video clip is indicated respectively by a still camera  2004  and video camera  2005  icons.  
         [0000]     Responding to an Ad Through a Telephone  
         [0076]     An exemplary operation of the system with regard to a telephone caller responding to a personal advertisement will now be treated to accomplish the process as indicated in  FIG. 9 . First, suppose a telephone caller at terminal T 1  places a call to respond to a personal advertisement advertised in XYZ newspaper. The assumed call involves the telephone caller actuating the buttons to input the number 1-9-0-0-7-7-7-3-3-3-3, for example. As a result, signals are provided to the PTN resulting in a connection from the remote terminal T 1 i to the IVR. Using standard DNIS techniques, the IVR associates the called number 1-9-0-0-7-7-7-3-3-3-3 with a specific format, for example, a voice personals response format. s Referring to  FIG. 9 , upon receiving a call, the IVR sets the “invalid mailbox number count” equal to zero  2301 . The IVR then increments the “invalid mailbox number count” by one  2302  and cues the caller for a mailbox number  2303 . Upon the caller entering a mailbox number, the IVR queries the field AD_MAILBOX_NUMBER  201  to determine if the mailbox number is valid  2304 . If the mailbox number is invalid, the IVR determines if the caller has exceeded the maximum number of attempts allowed  2305 . If the caller has exceeded the maximum number of attempts allowed, the call is terminated  2306 . If the maximum number of attempts allowed has not been exceeded, the IVR increments the “invalid mailbox number count” by one  2302  and again cues the caller for a mailbox number  2303 .  
         [0077]     If the mailbox number is valid, the IVR queries the field AD_ORIGIN  211  to determine whether the advertisement originated on the Internet or on the telephone  2307 . If the advertisement originated on the telephone, the IVR plays the advertiser&#39;s audio greeting  2311 . If the advertisement originated on the Internet, the IVR uses text to speech to play the advertiser&#39;s text greeting as placed on the Internet  2308 . The IVR then queries the AD_GREETINGS_TABLE (see  FIG. 2 ) to determine if the Internet advertiser also submitted an audio greeting  2309 . If the query does not find an audio greeting  2310 , the IVR prompts the caller to indicate if he wishes to respond to the advertisement  2312 . If the query finds an audio greeting  2310 , the IVR plays the audio greeting  2311 . The IVR then prompts the caller to indicate if he wishes to respond to the advertisement  2312 .  
         [0078]     If the caller elects not to respond to the advertisement, he is given the option of having the IVR find other advertisements that are similar to the one he just listened to  2325 . If the caller elects to respond to the advertisement, the IVR first cues him to record his response  2319 . The IVR then stores the response to a disk file and updates the Ad Database  2321 . Specifically, the IVR creates a new record in the AD_RESPONSE_TABLE (see  FIG. 4 ) and populates the fields RSP_MAILBOX_NUMBER  501 , RSP_DATE_TIME  503 , RSP_TYPE  504 , and RSP_FILENAME  505  to indicate the mailbox number of the advertisement responded to, the date and time of the response, the format of the response, and the location of the response file on the IVR. The field RSP_TYPE  504  is set to VOX to indicate that the audio recording is in the Dialogic VOX file format. Finally, the field RSP_CONVERSION_FLAG  506  is set to FALSE to indicate that the audio must be converted from the Dialogic VOX format to create a new audio file in the RealAudio RA format for playback on the Internet.  
         [0079]     The IVR also creates a new RealAudio RA file from Dialogic .VOX file and stores the RealAudio file to a disk file on the IWS. Specifically, the IVR creates a new record in the AD_RESPONSE_TABLE (see  FIG. 4 ) and populates the fields RSP_MAILBOX_NUMBER  501 , RSP_DATE_TIME  503 , RSP_TYPE  504 , and RSP_FILENAME  505  to indicate the mailbox number of the advertisement responded to, the date and time of the response, the format of the response, and the location of the response file on the IVR. The field RSP_TYPE  504  is set to RA to indicate that the audio recording is in the RealAudio RA file format. Finally, the field RSP_CONVERSION_FLAG  506  is set to TRUE for both the audiotext VOX file and the RealAudio .RA file to indicate that the audio files do not need to be converted.  
         [0080]     In addition, the mailbox number of the personal advertisement responded to is placed in a notification queue  2322 , together with delivery information corresponding to the advertisement, so that the advertiser can be notified that a response has been left for her advertisement. The delivery information includes the telephone number and e-mail address, if available, of the advertiser who is to be notified.  
         [0081]     The caller is then asked if he wants the IVR to automatically find other ads that are similar to the one he just responded to  2325 . If the caller declines this option, the call is terminated  2326 .  
         [0000]     Responding to an Ad Through the Internet  
         [0082]     An exemplary operation of the system with regard to a specific Internet user responding to a personal advertisement via the Internet will now be treated to accomplish the process as indicated in  FIG. 10 . First, suppose an advertiser at terminal CT 1  connects to the Internet to respond to a personal advertisement advertised in XYZ newspaper. The assumed Internet user connects to the Internet and inputs a URL, for example: http://www.personal_ads.com, resulting in a connection from the remote terminal CT 1  to a Home Page on the IWS.  
         [0083]     Referring to  FIG. 10 , from the Home Page  2401  on the IWS, the Internet user selects an Ad Response Form  2402 . The Ad Response Form instructs the Internet user to enter the five digit mailbox number of the advertisement she wishes to respond to  2403 . Upon the Internet user entering her mailbox number, the IWS queries the field AD_MAILBOX_NUMBER in the Ad Database to determine if the mailbox number is valid  2404 . If the mailbox number is invalid, the Internet user is presented with an Invalid Mailbox Number Form  2405 .  
         [0084]     If the mailbox number is valid, the IWS presents the Internet user with a Results Form  2406 . The Results Form  2406  shows the advertisement the Internet user selected. Specifically, the Results Form shows the twenty word text advertisement that appears in the newspaper  2407 . In addition, the advertisement contains one or more icons that represent additional text or multimedia files (audio, video, photograph) related to the advertisement that are available on the IWS, and indicates a path to other advertisements which match the advertisement to which the Internet user is responding. These icons include an audio icon  2408  to denote the advertiser&#39;s audio greeting, a still camera icon  2409  to denote a photograph of the advertiser, a video camera icon  2410  to denote a video clip of the advertiser, a paper icon  2411  to denote the advertiser&#39;s full text greeting, if the advertisement was placed on the Internet and a “matching” icon to denote that the IWS has identified other advertisements that are similar to the one being responded to  2415 . It is to be understood that these icons are merely representative and that many other possibilities exist to denote the existence of text and multimedia files. By clicking on an icon, the Internet user can view or listen to the associated file. In addition, by selecting a maximize bar  2412 , the Internet user can expand an advertisement to full page size (see  FIG. 11 ). The Internet user responds to an advertisement by selecting the “Respond” button  2413 .  
         [0085]     When the Internet user selects the respond button, she is presented with an Ad Response Form  2414 . The Internet user creates a response by completing a response text field  2416 . After completing the Ad Response Form, the Internet user submits the form by pressing the “Submit” button  2422 . The advertiser is then presented with a Response Confirmation Form  2423 . The Response Confirmation Form gives the advertiser information on enhancing her response with an audio message, photograph, or video clip.  
         [0086]     The IWS then stores the response to a disk file and updates the Ad Database  2424 . Specifically, the IWS creates a new record in the AD_RESPONSE_TABLE (see  FIG. 4 ) and populates the fields RSP_MAILBOX_NUMBER  501 , RSP_DATE_TIME  503 , RSP_TYPE  504 , and RSP_FILENAME  505  to indicate the mailbox number of the advertisement responded to, the date and time of the response, the format of the response, and the location of the response file on the IWS. The field RSP_TYPE  504  is set to TEXT. Finally, the field RSP_CONVERSION_FLAG  506  is set to TRUE to indicate that the text does not need to be converted to a different format.  
         [0000]     Enhancing a Response with Audio, Photograph and Video  
         [0087]     As already indicated, after a text response has been submitted via the Internet, the Internet user is shown a Response Confirmation Form  1501  (see  FIG. 12 ). The response confirmation form gives the Internet user instructions on how to enhance a response to an advertisement with audio, video, or a photograph.  
         [0088]     A more detailed explanation of how a respondent submits an audio response, photograph, or video clip via CT 1  will now be given. To submit an audio response, the Internet user first makes an audio recording using a WAV file editor and then saves the file using her five digit mailbox number as the file name  1503 , for example: 44567.wav. The Internet user then submits the audio file using e-mail to the recipient&#39;s electronic mailbox on the IWS  1504 , for example: 22345@personals.com  1512 . The Internet user&#39;s audio response is stored to a disk file on the IWS and the Ad Database is updated  1505 .  
         [0089]     Specifically, the IVR creates a new record in the AD_RESPONSE_TABLE (see  FIG. 4 ) and populates the fields RSP_MAILBOX_NUMBER  501 , RSP_DATE_TIME  503 , RSP_TYPE  504 , and RSP_FILENAME  506  to indicate the mailbox number of the advertisement responded to, the date of the response, the format of the audio file, and the location of the audio file on the IVR. The field RSP_TYPE  504  is set to WAV to indicate that the audio recording is in the Microsoft .WAV file format. Also, the field RSP_CONVERSION_FLAG  506  is set to FALSE to indicate that the audio file must be converted from the Microsoft .WAV format to create two new audio response files: one in the RealAudio RA format for playback on the Internet, and another in the Dialogic .VOX format for playback via the telephone.  
         [0090]     The IWS determines if conversion of audio files is needed  1506 , and then creates a new RealAudio RA file and Dialogic VOX file from the Microsoft .WAV file  1507 . The RealAudio file is stored on the IWS and the Dialogic file is stored on the IVR. The IWS also updates the Ad Database  1508 . Specifically, for each new audio file, the IWS creates a new record in the AD_RESPONSE_TABLE (see  FIG. 4 ) and populates the fields RSP_MAILBOX_NUMBER  501 , RSP_DATE_TIME  503 , RSP_TYPE  504 , and RSP_FILENAME  505  to indicate the mailbox number of the ad responded to, the date of the response, the format of the response, and the location of the response file on the IWS. Finally, the field RSP_CONVERSION_FLAG  506  is set to TRUE for both the source audio file (.WAV) and the target audio files (.VOX and RA) to indicate that the audio files do not need to be converted  1509 .  
         [0091]     To send a photograph in response to an ad, the Internet user first digitizes a photograph using a scanner or takes a photograph with a digital camera and then saves the image to a .GIF file using her five digit mailbox number as the file name  1510 , for example: 44567.gif. The respondent then submits the graphic file using e-mail to the recipient&#39;s electronic mailbox, for example: 22345@personals.com  1504 . The respondent&#39;s photo is stored to a disk file on the IWS and the Ad Database is updated  1505 .  
         [0092]     Specifically, the IWS creates a new record in the AD_RESPONSE_TABLE (see  FIG. 4 ) and populates the RSP_MAILBOX_NUMBER  501 , RSP_DATE_TIME  503 , RSP_TYPE  504 , and RSP_FILENAME  505  to indicate the mailbox number of the advertisement responded to, the date of the response, the file format of the photograph, and the location of the file on the IWS. The field RSP_TYPE  504  is set to GIF to indicate that the graphic file is in the GIF file format. Finally, the field RSP_CONVERSION_FLAG  506  is set to TRUE to indicate that no file conversion is necessary as GIF is the graphic file format used by the IWS  1506 . It should be noted that file conversion may or may not be necessary depending on what file formats are supported by the IWS and IVR and in what formats the system allows users to submit files.  
         [0093]     To send an advertiser a video clip, the Internet user first digitizes a video clip and-then saves the image to a Microsoft AVI file using her five digit mailbox number as the file name  1510 , for example: 44567.avi. Other video formats such as Apple Quicktime, or MPEG video could also be used. The respondent then submits the graphic file using e-mail to the recipient&#39;s electronic mailbox, for example: 22345@personals.com  1504 . The respondent&#39;s video is stored to a disk file on the IWS and the Ad Database is updated  1505 .  
         [0094]     Specifically, the IVR creates a new record in the AD_RESPONSE_TABLE (see  FIG. 4 ) and populates the fields RSP_MAILBOX_NUMBER  501 , RSP_DATE_TIME  503 , RSP_TYPE  504 , and RSP_FILENAME  505  to indicate the mailbox number of the advertisement responded to, the date of the response, the file format of the video clip, and the location of the video file on the IWS. Specifically, the field RSP_TYPE  504  is set to AVI to indicate that the audio recording is in the Microsoft AVI file format. Finally, the field RSP_CONVERSION_FLAG  506  is set to FALSE to indicate that the VDOLive file must be converted to the VDOLive format for real time playback on the Internet.  
         [0095]     The IWS determines that the video file must be converted to VDOLive format  1506 . The IWS creates a new VDOLive file from the Microsoft AVI file and stores the new file to a disk file  1507  on the IWS and updates the Ad Database  1508 . A new record in the AD_RESPONSE_TABLE (see  FIG. 4 ) is created and the IWS populates the RSP_MAILBOX_NUMBER  501 , RSP_DATE_TIME  503 , RSP_TYPE  504 , and RSP_FILENAME  505  fields to indicate the mailbox number of the advertisement responded to, the date and time of the response, the format of the video file, and the location of the video file on the IWS. Finally, the field RSP_CONVERSION_FLAG  506  is set to TRUE for both record formats (AVI and VDOLive) in the Ad Database to indicate that the video file(s) does not need to be converted  1509 .  
         [0000]     Retrieving Responses Through a Telephone  
         [0096]     An exemplary operation of the system with regard to an advertiser retrieving responses to his personal advertisement will now be treated to accomplish the process as indicated in  FIG. 13 . First, suppose an advertiser at terminal T 1  places a call to retrieve messages left in response to his advertisement. The assumed call involves the advertiser actuating the buttons to input the number 1-9-0-0-7-7-7-4-4-4-4, for example. As a result, signals are provided to the PTN resulting in a connection from the remote terminal T 1  to the IVR. Using standard DNIS techniques, the IVR associates the called number 1 900 777 4444 with a specific format, for example, a message retrieval format.  
         [0097]     Referring to  FIG. 13 , upon receiving a call, the IVR sets the “logon attempts” equal to zero  2501 . The IVR then increments the “logon attempts” by one  2502  and cues the caller for a mailbox number  2503  and password  2504 . The IVR then queries the Ad Database to determine if the mailbox number and password are valid  2505 . If the entries are not valid, the IVR determines if the caller has exceeded the maximum number of logon attempts allowed  2506 . If the caller has exceeded the maximum number of logon attempts allowed, the call is terminated  2507 . If the maximum number of logon attempts allowed has not been exceeded, the IVR increments the “logon attempts” by one  2502  and again cues the caller for a mailbox number  2503  and password  2504 .  
         [0098]     If the entries are valid, the IVR then queries the AD_RESPONSE_TABLE to determine if the advertiser has any responses messages  2508 . If the advertiser has no response messages, the call is terminated  2507 . If the IVR finds a response, the IVR plays the text  2513  and audio  2514  messages from the respondent. If a response is in text form, the IVR uses text-to-speech to play the message. If there are additional responses, the caller is returned to block  2513 . Otherwise, the call is terminated  2507 .  
         [0000]     Retrieving Messages Through the Internet  
         [0099]     An exemplary operation of the system, with regard to an advertiser retrieving her messages via the Internet will now be treated to accomplish the process as indicated in  FIG. 14 . First, suppose an advertiser at terminal CT 1  connects to the Internet to retrieve messages. The assumed Internet user connects to the Internet and inputs a URL, for example: http://www.personal_ads.com, resulting in a connection from the remote terminal CT 1  to a Home Page  1701  on the IWS.  
         [0100]     Referring to  FIG. 14 , from the Home Page  1701  on the IWS, the advertiser selects a Message Retrieval Form  1702 . The Message Retrieval Form  1702  instructs the advertiser to enter a mailbox number  1703  and password  1704 . The IWS then queries the Ad Database to determine if the mailbox number and password are valid  1705 . If the entries are not valid, the Internet user is presented with an Invalid Mailbox and Password Form  1706 . If the entries are valid  1705 , the IWS queries the Ad Database  1707  to find responses to the advertiser&#39;s ad.  
         [0101]     If there are no responses, the IWS presents the advertiser with a No Responses Form  1709 . If the IWS finds one or more responses, the IWS presents the advertiser with a Personal Ad Messages Form  1710 . The Personal Ad Messages Form  1709  shows any messages that were stored for the advertiser. Each message shows the date  1712  and time  1713  the message was received and contains one or more icons that represent the contents of the message. A text icon  1714  denotes a text message; an audio icon  1715  denotes an audio message; a still camera icon  1716  denotes a photograph; a video camera icon  1717  denotes a video clip. By clicking on an icon, the advertiser can view or listen to the associated file.  
         [0000]     Psychographic Profiling Via Telephone  
         [0102]     An exemplary operation of the system with regard to psychographic profiling will now be treated to accomplish the process as indicated in  FIG. 15 . First, suppose a telephone caller at terminal T 1  places a call to find other advertisers whose subjective makeup and preferences, or “psychographic” profile matches his own. The assumed call involves the advertiser actuating the buttons to input the number 1-9-0-0-7-7-7-4-4-4-4, for example. As a result, signals are provided to the public telephone network resulting in a connection from the remote terminal T 1  to the IVR. Using standard DNIS techniques, the IVR associates the called number 1-9-0-0-7-7-7-4-4-4-4 with a specific format, for example, a psychographic profiling format.  
         [0103]     Referring to  FIG. 15 , upon receiving a call, the IVR sets the “logon attempts” equal to zero  8001 . The IVR then increments the “logon attempts” by one  8002  and cues the caller for a mailbox number  8003  and password  8004 . The IVR then queries the Ad Database to determine if the mailbox number and password are valid  8005 . If the entries are not valid, the IVR determines if the caller has exceeded the maximum number of logon attempts allowed  8006 . If the caller has exceeded the maximum number of logon attempts allowed, the call is terminated  8007 . If the maximum number of logon attempts allowed has not been exceeded, the IVR increments the “logon attempts” by one  8002  and again cues the caller for a mailbox number  8003  and password  8004 .  
         [0104]     If the entries are valid, the caller is prompted to create his psychographic profile. The following is an illustrative embodiment of the creation of a psychographic profile. The IVR first plays two excerpts of music. The caller is asked to indicate his preference by pressing the “one” key if he prefers the first selection or the “two” key if he prefers the second selection  8008 . Next, the caller is played two recordings of environmental sounds. The caller is asked to indicate his preference by pressing the “one” key if he prefers the first sound selection or the “two” key if he prefers the second selection  8009 . The caller is then read two brief poetry selections. The caller is asked to indicate his preference by pressing the “one” key if he prefers the first selection or the “two” key if he prefers the second selection  8010 . Finally, the caller is referred to the newspaper where two visual images are published. The caller is asked to press the “one” key if he prefers the first visual image or the “two” key if he prefers the second visual image  8011 . The callers answers to these questions are then recorded in the Ad Database in the field AD_PSYCH_PROFILE  213 . It is to be understood that the these psychographic profile questions are merely illustrative. The actual questions could vary greatly in both number and kind. The callers responses are then stored in the Ad Database in the field AD_PSYCH_PROFILE  8012 .  
         [0105]     Next, the IVR queries the Ad Database for ads of existing advertisers who have the same or a similar psychographic profile  8013 . If there are no matches, the call is terminated  8007 . Optionally, if there are no exact matches, a feature may be included whereby the caller could then select the 5, 10, 20, etc. closest matches. On the other hand, if the IVR finds a match, the IVR plays the greeting of the matching advertiser  8014 . If the greeting is in text form, the IVR uses text to speech to play the message. The IVR then prompts the caller to indicate if he wishes to respond to the advertisement  8015 .  
         [0106]     If the caller elects not to respond to the advertisement and there are no additional matches, the call is terminated  8020 . If the caller elects not to respond to the advertisement and there are additional matches, the caller is returned to block  8014 .  
         [0107]     If the caller elects to respond to the advertisement, the IVR next cues him to record his response  8016 . The IVR then stores the response to a disk file  8017  and updates the Ad Database  8018 . Specifically, the IVR creates a new record in the AD_RESPONSE_TABLE (see  FIG. 4 ) and populates the fields RSP_MAILBOX_NUMBER  501 , RSP_DATE_TIME  503 , RSP_TYPE  504 , and RSP_FILENAME  505  to indicate the mailbox number of the advertisement responded to, the date and time of the response, the format of the response, and the location of the response file on the IVR. The field RSP_TYPE  504  is set to VOX to indicate that the audio recording is in the Dialogic VOX file format. Finally, the field RSP_CONVERSION_FLAG  506  is set to FALSE to indicate that the audio must be converted from the Dialogic VOX format to create a new audio file in the RealAudio .RA format for playback on the Internet.  
         [0108]     The IVR creates a new RealAudio RA file from Dialogic VOX file and stores the RealAudio file to a disk file on the IWS and updates the database. Specifically, the IVR creates a new record in the AD_RESPONSE_TABLE (see  FIG. 4 ) and populates the fields RSP_MAILBOX_NUMBER  501 , RSP DATE_TIME  503 , RSP_TYPE  504 , and RSP_FILENAME  505  to indicate the mailbox number of the advertisement responded to, the date and time of the response, the format of the response, and the location of the response file on the IVR. The field RSP_TYPE  504  is set to RA to indicate that the audio recording is in the RealAudio RA file format.  
         [0109]     Finally, the field RSP_CONVERSION_FLAG  506  is set to TRUE for both the audiotext VOX file and the RealAudio RA file to indicate that the audio files do not need to be converted.  
         [0110]     If there are additional matches, the caller is returned to block  8014 . Otherwise, the call is terminated  8020 .  
         [0000]     Psychographic Profiling Via the Internet  
         [0111]     An exemplary operation of the system with regard to psychographic profiling via the Internet will now be treated to accomplish the process as indicated in  FIG. 16 . First, suppose an advertiser at terminal CT 1  connects to the Internet to find existing advertisements that match her psychographic profile. The assumed advertiser connects to the Internet and inputs a Uniform Reference Locator URL, for example: http://www.personal_ads.com, resulting in a connection from the remote terminal CT 1  to a Home Page  9001  the Internet Web Server.  
         [0112]     Referring to  FIG. 16 ., from the Home Page  9001  on the Internet Web Server, the Internet user selects a Match Form  9002 . The Match Form  9002  instructs the advertiser to enter a mailbox number  9003  and password  9004 . Upon submitting the input, the IWS queries the Ad Database to determine if the mailbox number and password are valid  9005 . If the entries are not valid, the Internet user is presented with an Invalid Mailbox and Password Form  9006 . If the entries are valid, the advertiser is passed to a Psychographic Profile page where she is instructed to create her psychographic profile. The advertiser first plays two experts of music by selecting the corresponding music hyperlinks. The advertiser indicates her preference by filling in the appropriate check box  9008 . Next, the advertiser plays two recordings of environmental sounds by selecting the sound hyperlinks. The advertiser indicates her preference by filling in the appropriate check box  9009 . The caller then plays two poetry selections by selecting the poetry hyperlinks. The advertiser again indicates her preference by filling in a check box  9010 . Finally, the advertiser selects a preferred visual image by filling in its corresponding check box  9011 . The advertiser then submits her selections, which are in turn recorded in the Ad Database in the field AD_PSYCH_PROFILE  9012 . It is to be understood that these psychographic profile questions are merely illustrative. The actual questions could vary greatly in both number and kind.  
         [0113]     Next, the IWS queries the Ad Database to find the advertisements of other advertisers who have the same or a similar psychographic profile  9013 . If the query does not find any matching ads, the advertiser is presented with a No Matches Page  9014 . Optionally, if there are no exact matches, a feature may be included whereby the caller could then be presented with a page listing the 5, 10, 20, etc., closest matches. On the other hand, if the query finds one or more matching advertisers, the IWS presents the advertiser with a Psychographic Matches form  9015 . This Psychographic Matches form shows the user with a brief description, including a headline of the matching advertiser or advertisers, presented one at a time. Specifically, the Psychographic Matches form shows the advertisements titles or headline of each matching advertiser  9016 . Each advertiser&#39;s title is a hyperlink that can be followed to the actual advertisement for viewing and responding.  
         [0114]     While the present invention has been described with reference to one or more preferred embodiments, such embodiments are merely exemplary and are not intended to be limiting or represent an exhaustive enumeration of all aspects of the invention. The scope of the invention, therefore, shall be defined solely by the following claims. Further, it will be apparent to those of skill in the art that numerous changes may be made in such details without departing from the spirit and the principles of the invention.