Abstract:
A system for introducing individuals over the internet to establish an acquaintance for the purpose of dating includes a first processor, a database and a second processor. The first processor maintains an internet website that interfaces with a plurality of computing devices via a first network comprising the internet. The internet website receives a plurality of personal advertisements, receives search criteria, identifies personal advertisements meeting the search criteria, transmits the identified personal advertisements, receives a response to a selected personal advertisement, stores the response in the database in a mailbox assigned to the selected advertiser, receives a password from the selected advertiser and communicates the response to the selected advertiser. The second processor is also adapted to receive a password from the selected advertiser via a second network comprising a telephone network and to communicate the response via the second network to the selected advertiser.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This application is a continuation of co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 08/965,367 filed Nov. 6, 1997, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 08/744,879, filed on Nov. 8, 1996, now abandoned. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     The present invention relates, in general, to introducing individuals for the purpose of dating and, in particular, to a system and method for introducing individuals using the Internet and the telephone system to establish an acquaintance for the purpose of dating.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     Personal advertisements, or “personal ads”, which are available in most newspapers, are a popular way for previously-unacquainted people to become acquainted. In certain services, an advertiser may call a live operator via a telephone network and place a text personal ad. The personal ads are then published in a newspaper. An advertiser may also call voicemail system and record 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. A personal ad generally includes a telephone number and a mailbox number permitting a caller to listen to an advertiser&#39;s voice greeting. A caller can respond to a personal ad by recording a reply voice mail message for the advertiser. An advertiser retrieves a message by calling the system and entering a password given at the time of ad placement. In other situations, an advertiser may place a personal advertisement without speaking to a live operator. An advertiser may, for example, record an audio greeting which is later reviewed by a transcriber, who then writes a text summary of each 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 HTML (HyperText Markup Language) page. An Internet user may respond to a personal ad by sending an advertiser a message via electronic mail. One type of Internet personals service allows a person to place a text personal advertisement to which other on-line users may respond via electronic mail.  
         [0005]     Certain systems have integrated traditional personal ads services with the Internet. Using this approach, a newspaper can publish personal ads in both the newspaper and on the Internet. Callers may be asked to provide information about themselves in the form of input data that is used to match them with other advertisers. Each personal ad includes a telephone number and an ad mailbox number permitting a caller to listen to an advertiser&#39;s voice greeting. Other advertisers can, in turn, respond to ads by calling a telephone number and leaving messages which are then accessed and listened to by advertisers. In another format, text ads are taken from newspaper and television personals programs and published on the Internet. Each personal advertisement also contains a number and an associated telephone number. By calling the telephone number and entering an advertisement&#39;s number, a caller can hear a voice recording of the advertiser and respond to the ad, if desired.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006]     According to a first aspect, the present invention is a system for introducing individuals over the internet in order to establish an acquaintance for the purpose of dating. The system includes a first processor maintaining an internet website adapted to interface with a plurality of computing devices, to receive personal advertisements comprising images, age information and gender information from advertisers via a first network comprising the internet, to receive search criteria from individuals via the first network, to identify personal advertisements meeting the search criteria and to transmit at least a portion of the personal advertisements identified according to the search criteria and to receive via the first network a response to a personal advertisement. The present invention also includes a database operably connected to the internet website and adapted to store at least one response to a personal advertisement in an advertiser&#39;s mailbox. The system includes a second processor, operably connected to the database and a second network comprising a telephone network, the second processor being adapted to receive a password from an advertiser via the second network and to communicate to the advertiser, via the second network, at least one response stored in the advertiser&#39;s mailbox.  
         [0007]     According to certain embodiments, the internet website is adapted to receive contact information from an advertiser and to notify the advertiser using the contact information when a response is received to that advertiser&#39;s personal advertisement. The contact information may include an email address. The response may include a text message, and the text message may be converted to audio via a text-to-speech algorithm. The response may also include an audio message. In certain embodiments, at least a portion of the telephone network may include a portion of the publicly-switched telephone network, and may be the publicly-switched telephone network.  
         [0008]     According to other aspects, the present invention includes methods for introducing individuals over the internet in order to establish an acquaintance for the purpose of dating.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS  
       [0009]     For a more complete understanding of the features and advantages of the present invention, reference is now made to the detailed description of the invention along with the accompanying figures in which corresponding numerals in the different figures refer to corresponding parts and in which:  
         [0010]      FIG. 1  shows a schematic representation of the present invention;  
         [0011]      FIG. 2  shows a table of the fields used for storing personal data, including a brief description of the particular fields;  
         [0012]      FIG. 3  shows a table of the fields used for storing greetings data, including a brief description of the particular fields;  
         [0013]      FIG. 4  shows a table of the fields used for storing response data, including a brief description of the particular fields;  
         [0014]      FIG. 5  shows a flow diagram of an exemplary operation of the present invention, more specifically placing an ad via a telephone network;  
         [0015]      FIG. 6  shows a flow diagram of an exemplary operation of the present invention, more specifically placing an ad through the Internet;  
         [0016]      FIG. 7  shows a flow diagram of an exemplary operation of the process of reviewing and summarizing ads as accomplished by the present invention;  
         [0017]      FIG. 8  shows personal ads as they would appear in a local newspaper;  
         [0018]      FIG. 9  shows a flow diagram of an exemplary operation of the process of responding to an ad via a telephone network as accomplished by the present invention;  
         [0019]      FIG. 10  shows a flow diagram of an exemplary operation of the process of responding to an ad through the Internet as accomplished by the present invention;  
         [0020]      FIG. 11  shows a maximized personal ad as seen by the Internet user who chooses to expand the ad to full-page size;  
         [0021]      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 ad with, audio, video or a photograph;  
         [0022]      FIG. 13  shows a flow diagram of an exemplary operation of the process of retrieving responses via a telephone network as accomplished by the present invention;  
         [0023]      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;  
         [0024]      FIG. 15  shows a flow diagram of an exemplary operation of the process of searching for ads via a telephone network as accomplished by the present invention; and  
         [0025]      FIG. 16  shows a flow diagram of an exemplary operation of the process of searching for ads through the Internet as accomplished by the present invention.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0026]     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.  
         [0027]     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 a telephone network, in this case the public telephone network PTN. The indicated computer terminals CT 1 -CTn represent the multitude of computer terminals connected to the Internet.  
         [0028]     Public telephone network 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 callers may use the individual telephone stations T 1  through Tn to interface the IVR through the public telephone network PTN. Individual users at computer terminals CT 1  through CTn may use the Internet to interface the Internet Web Server. Telephone callers and Internet users may record digital audio messages, which can be retrieved via any of the remote telephone terminals T 1 -Tn or remote computer terminals CT 1 -CTn. Users may leave digital text messages, which may be retrieved via any of the remote telephone terminals T 1 -Tn or remote computer terminals CT 1 -CTn via computer monitor.  
         [0029]     Considering the system of  FIG. 1  in somewhat greater detail, it is to be understood that public telephone network PTN has multiplexing capability in order to individually couple 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 for individually connecting the computer terminals CT 1 -CTn to the Internet Web Server. In the 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.  
         [0030]     As noted, public telephone network PTN is coupled to an Internet Voice Response system (IVR). In the disclosed embodiment, multiple lines are connected from public telephone network PTN to the IVR and, accordingly, the IVR may accommodate multiple simultaneous calls from public telephone network PTN. The IVR contains a processor, an exemplary form of which is an INTEL® PENTIUM® Processor. The lines from public telephone network PTN are connected to the processor though an interface  15 , an exemplary form of which is a series of commercially available interface cards. The interface may incorporate modems, tone decoders, switching mechanisms, DNIS and ANI capability. Generally, DNIS capability is a function of public telephone network PTN to provide digital data indicating the called number. ANI capability is a similar function whereby the digital data indicates the calling number.  
         [0031]     The Internet Web Server (IWS) is coupled to the Internet. The IWS and the Internet may be connected by a line between the IWS and a local Internet provider service. The IWS may accommodate a multitude of simultaneous Internet users. As represented, the IWS is a computer programmed for Internet information server operations. The IWS contains a processor and Internet server software, exemplary forms of which are an INTEL® PENTIUM® Processor and MICROSOFT® Server software.  
         [0032]     The IWS may also be loaded with REALAUDIO® Server software from PROGRESSIVE NETWORK®. REALAUDIO® allows MICROSOFT® WINDOWS®.WAV files to be converted into a REALAUDIO®.RA file, a compressed format which allows playback over the Internet streamed in real time, as opposed to first downloading a file and then listening to it. REALAUDIO® accomplishes this by playing a first portion of an audio file while a subsequent portion is still downloading.  
         [0033]     The IWS may also be loaded with VDOLIVE® Server software. VDOLIVE® allows a video clip in the MICROSOFT® WINDOWS® AVI, APPLE® QUICKTIME®, or MPEG video files formats to be converted into a VDOLIVE®.VDO format, a compressed format that allows streaming playback over the Internet in real time, as opposed to first downloading a file and then listening to it.  
         [0034]     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 OW 1 -OWn, through which an operator can interact with and control the DBS, IVR and IWS. The database server 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 ad creation, the audio greeting files, ad response files, photograph and video files and keyword searching of ads. The Ad Database comprises electronic personal classified ads and responses placed to ads.  
         [0035]     In addition, the DBS converts audio files received via telephone into the REALAUDIO®.RA format for real time retrieval via the Internet. The DBS may also convert audio files 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®. The DBS contains a processor and an SQL (Structured Query Language) relational database software, exemplary forms of which are the INTEL® PENTIUM® Processor and MICROSOFT® SQL Server®.  
         [0036]     The Operator Workstation (OWS) is a conventional personal computer capable of playing the audio data and capable of displaying digitally stored photographs and movies. An exemplary form of the OWS is a microcomputer equipped with an INTEL® PENTIUM® Processor and a Creative Labs® Sound Blaster® sound card. Operators may review incoming advertiser files, including text, audio, photograph, and video, to insure that their content is appropriate. Also, operators may use advertisers&#39; text messages and audio recordings to create summary text ads for publication in a newspaper.  
         [0037]     The following sections describe in greater detail the interaction between the IVR, the DBS, the IWS, and the OWS.  
         [0000]     Placing a Personal Ad Via a Telephone Network  
         [0038]     According to certain embodiments of the present invention, an individual can place a personal advertisement via a telephone network. An illustrative embodiment of this process is depicted in  FIG. 5 . According to this method, an individual at terminal T 1  makes a call over a telephone network to the IVR in order to place a personal advertisement. Using standard DNIS techniques, the IVR associates the called number with a specific function, in this case receiving personal advertisements via telephone.  
         [0039]     In the process of placing a personal advertisement, an advertiser will generally be prompted to assist in generating a profile of himself or herself by answering a series of questions using the buttons on his phone. Upon receiving a call, the IVR cues the advertiser to enter his telephone number  801 . The IVR stores the telephone number  802  in the field AD_PHONE  203 . Next, the IVR cues the advertiser 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 advertiser&#39;s gender  804  in the field AD_GENDER  207 . Next, the IVR cues the advertiser for his marital status  805 . For example: AIf you are single, press 1. If you are divorced, press 2. If you are widowed, press 3.” The advertiser responds and the IVR stores the advertiser&#39;s marital status  806  in the field AD_MARITAL_STATUS  208 . Next, the IVR cues the advertiser for his age  807 . For example: “Please enter your age.” The advertiser&#39;s age is then stored  808  in the field AD_AGE  209 .  
         [0040]     Next, the IVR cues the caller to record an audio greeting  812 . The advertiser&#39;s audio greeting is then stored to a file on the IVR  813  and 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  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 table AD_GREETINGS (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.  
         [0041]     The IVR then cues the advertiser to indicate if he wishes to record contact information, in this case an e-mail address  816 . The contact information may be used notify the advertiser when someone responds to his or her personal ad. For example: “Press 1 to input an e-mail address. Press 2 to decline.” If the caller elects to leave contact information, the IVR cues the advertiser to record the contact information, in this case an e-mail address  817 . The audio recording is stored to a file on the IVR  818  and the field AD_EMAIL_FILENAME  205  in table AD PERSONAL (see  FIG. 2 ) is set, indicating that an e-mail audio file exists and identifying its location on the IVR.  
         [0042]     Next, the IVR assigns the advertiser a 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 password  821 . The password is stored  822  in the field AD_PASSWORD  202 .  
         [0043]     In addition, the IVR stores the date the ad is taken in the field AD_DATE_TIME  206 , and updates the field AD_ORIGIN  211  to indicate that the personal ad was received via a telephone network  823 . Finally, the IVR creates an electronic mailbox for the advertiser on the IWS  824  and stores it in the field AD_MAILBOX_NUMBER  201  to allow respondents to submit audio, video and photographic files in response to the advertiser&#39;s personal ad.  
         [0000]     Placing an Ad Via the Internet  
         [0044]     Although certain embodiments may employ a telephone network to place a personal advertisement as described above, it is anticipated that the majority of personal advertisements will be placed using the Internet, with a telephone network being employed for subsequent querying and maintenance activities. The use of the Internet to place a personal advertisement is depicted in  FIG. 6 . According to this method, an advertiser at terminal CT 1  connects to the Internet to place a personal advertisement. The advertiser connects to the Internet and then to a Home Page  1001  on the Internet Web Server IWS.  
         [0045]     From the Home Page  1001  on the IWS, the advertiser selects an Ad Placement Form  1002  as shown in  FIG. 6 . 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 1004   AD_MARITAL_STATUS 208           Age 1005   AD_AGE 209           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                      
 
         [0046]     The process of placing a personal advertisement via the Internet largely parallels the process of placing a personal advertisement via a telephone network. Password  1008  is used by the advertiser to retrieve messages and e-mail address  1006  and telephone number  1007  are used to contact the advertiser. The gender  1003 , age  1005 , and marital status  1004  fields contribute to the profile of the advertiser. Finally, the Greeting Text  1014  field can be used to describe the advertiser and/or the person he or she is seeking.  
         [0047]     The advertiser completes the Ad Placement Form  1002  and presses the “Submit” button to submit her personal ad. The form is checked by the IWS for completeness  1016 . If the form is incomplete, the advertiser may be returned to the Ad Placement Form  1002 . If the form is complete, the IWS assigns the advertiser a mailbox number  1021  and stores it in the field AD_MAILBOX_NUMBER  201 . The advertiser&#39;s profile, contact information, password and greetings are then stored in their respective fields, as indicated above.  
         [0048]     The advertiser&#39;s text greeting is then stored to a file on the IWS and the Ad database is updated  1017 . Specifically, the AD_REVIEW_FLAG  210  in the AD_PERSONAL_TABLE (see  FIG. 2 ) is set to FALSE indicating that the ad has not been reviewed by an operator  10 . 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 table AD_GREETINGS (see  FIG. 3 ) are also populated to indicate the advertiser&#39;s mailbox number, the file format, and 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.  
         [0049]     Lastly, the Internet Web Server creates an Ad Confirmation Page  1020 . The Ad Confirmation Page  1020  performs two functions: (1) it confirms the advertiser&#39;s mailbox number  1021 , and (2) it gives the advertiser instructions on how to include an audio greeting  1022 , photograph  1023 , or video clip  1024  with her personal ad. Finally, the Internet Web Server stores the date and time the ad is taken in the field AD_DATE_TIME  206 , and updates the field AD_ORIGIN  211  to indicate that the personal ad originated on the Internet  1025 . In addition, the IWS creates an electronic mailbox for the advertiser and stores it in the field AD_MAILBOX_NUMBER  1026  to allow respondents to submit audio, video and photographic files in response to the advertiser&#39;s ad.  
         [0000]     Enhancing an Internet Ad with Audio, Photograph and Video  
         [0050]     Although a text-only personal advertisement may communicate basic information about an individual, the present invention provides an individual with the ability to enhance his or her personal advertisement with an audio clip, a photograph and/or a video clip as well. To submit an audio greeting, the advertiser first makes an audio recording using, for example, a .WAV file editor, and then saves the file using his or her mailbox number as the file name  1030 . The advertiser then submits the audio file using e-mail to an audio greeting electronic mailbox  1031 . The advertiser&#39;s audio recording is then stored to a file on the Internet Web Server.  
         [0051]     In addition, a new record is created in the AD_GREETINGS_TABLE (see  FIG. 3 ) and the Ad database is updated  1033 . 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 also populated to indicate the advertiser&#39;s mailbox number, the format of the audio file, and the location of the audio file on the IWS, and the date and time the greeting 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 a telephone network.  
         [0052]     To enhance a personal ad 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 mailbox number as the file name  1036 . The advertiser then submits the graphic file using e-mail to a photograph electronic mailbox  1031 . The advertiser&#39;s photo is stored to a 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  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 table AD_GREETINGS (see  FIG. 3 ) are also populated to indicate the advertiser&#39;s mailbox number, the format of the graphic file, and the location of the graphic file on the IWS, and the date and time 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 were necessary, the field GR_CONVERSION_FLAG  306  would be set to FALSE.  
         [0053]     To enhance a personal ad with video, the advertiser first digitizes a video clip and then saves the image to a file, for example a MICROSOFT®.AVI file, using her five digit mailbox number as the file name  1036 . 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  1031 . The advertiser&#39;s video clip is stored to a 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  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 table AD_GREETINGS (see  FIG. 3 ) are populated to indicate the advertiser&#39;s mailbox number, the format of the video file, and the location of the video file on the IWS, and the date and time 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  
         [0054]     New personal ads may be reviewed by an operator at an Operator Workstation to insure that their content is appropriate. Also, greetings submitted by an advertiser, whether they be audio greetings or text greetings, may be summarized by operators to create classified text ads for publication. In certain embodiments, text ads to be published may be placed with a live operator rather than via a recording.  
         [0055]      FIG. 7  depicts one embodiment of a process for reviewing and summarizing personal ads. An operator first queries the database to determine if there are new ads to review  1800 . Specifically, the query looks for all ads in the AD_PERSONAL table (see  FIG. 2 ) where the field AD_REVIEWED  210  is set to FALSE. If the query finds a new ad, the operator first reviews the ad&#39;s greeting  1801  as found in the AD_GREETINGS table (see  FIG. 3 ). This step consists of either listening to or reading the ad&#39;s greeting depending on the format in which it is stored. The operator then determines if the greeting&#39;s contents are appropriate  1802 . If the greeting&#39;s contents are inappropriate, the ad is deleted, the record is purged from the database  1803  and the operator is returned to block  1800 . If the greeting&#39;s contents are appropriate, the operator writes a summary of the greeting  1804 . The operator then queries the database to determine if the advertiser recorded contact information, such as 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 database  1807 .  
         [0056]     The advertiser&#39;s text summary is subsequently stored to a 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  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 table AD_GREETINGS (see  FIG. 3 ) are also populated to indicate the advertiser&#39;s mailbox number, the file format, and 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.  
         [0057]     The operator then returns to block  1800  to continue processing ads. If no new ads are found, the operator queries the database to determine if any multimedia files (audio, video, or photo) have been submitted via the Internet to enhance a personal ad  1808 . Specifically, the query looks for all ads in the AD_PERSONAL table (see  FIG. 2 ) where the field AD_REVIEWED  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 ad&#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 contents are appropriate  1810 . If the greeting&#39;s contents are 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 contents are 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.  
         [0058]     If the file is an audio file, the Operator Workstation converts the file to create a new REALAUDIO®.RA file and stores the file on the IWS. The Operator Workstation 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.  
         [0059]     If the file is a video file, the Operator Workstation converts the MICROSOFT®.AVI file to a 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. 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. 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 Via the Newspaper  
         [0060]     Each week, text ads submitted via a telephone network and via the Internet may be published in a newspaper along with their mailbox numbers.  FIG. 8  depicts personal ads as they may appear in a local newspaper. Icons are included in each ad that represent the origin of an ad (via a telephone network or via the Internet) and what additional information or multimedia, if any, is available on the Internet. For example, an ad placed via a telephone network contains a telephone icon  2001 ; an ad placed via the Internet contains a computer icon  2002 . If there is additional text on the Internet, an ad contains an icon denoting additional text  2003 . The presence of a photo or video clip is indicated respectively by a still camera  2004  and/or video camera  2005  icon, respectively.  
         [0000]     Responding to a Personal Ad Via a Telephone Network  
         [0061]      FIG. 9  depicts one embodiment of a method by which an individual at terminal T 1  may respond to a personal advertisement via a telephone network. After dialing of the appropriate telephone number, a connection is established from the remote terminal T 1  to the IVR. Using standard DNIS techniques, the IVR associates the called number with a specific function, in this case a voice personals response function.  
         [0062]     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 user for a mailbox number  2303 . Upon receipt of a mailbox number from the user, 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 user has exceeded the maximum number of attempts allowed  2305 . If the user 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 user for a mailbox number  2303 .  
         [0063]     If the mailbox number is valid, the IVR queries the field AD_ORIGIN  211  to determine if the ad originated on the Internet  2307 . If the ad originated from a telephone network, the IVR plays the ad&#39;s audio greeting  2311 . If the ad originated on the Internet, the IVR may employ a text to speech function to recite the ad&#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 user to indicate whether he or she wishes to respond to the ad  2312 . If the query finds one or more audio greetings  2310 , the IVR plays the audio greetings  2311 . The IVR then prompts the user to indicate whether he or she wishes to respond to the ad  2312 .  
         [0064]     If the user elects not to respond to the ad, the call is terminated  2306 . If the user elects to respond to the ad, the IVR next cues him to record his response  2319 . The IVR then stores the response to a file  2320  and updates the 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 ad 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.  
         [0065]     The IVR creates a new REALAUDIO®.RA file from DIALOGIC®.VOX file and stores the REALAUDIO® file to a file  2322  on the IWS and updates the database  2323 . 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 ad 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 audiotex VOX file and the REALAUDIO®.RA file to indicate that the audio files do not need to be converted  2324 . The caller is then prompted to respond to another ad  2325 . If the caller chooses to respond to another ad, the IVR continues processing at block  2303 , otherwise the call is terminated  2326 .  
         [0000]     Responding to a Personal Ad Via the Internet  
         [0066]      FIG. 10  depicts the process by which a user at terminal CT 1  may respond to a personal ad via the Internet. The user connects to the Internet and then to a Home Page on the Internet Web Server IWS. From Home Page  2401 , the user selects an Ad Response Form  2402 . The Ad Response Form instructs the user to enter  2403  the mailbox number of the ad to which he or she wishes to respond. Upon receipt of the 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 user is presented with an Invalid Mailbox Number Form  2405 .  
         [0067]     If the mailbox number is valid, the IWS presents the user with a Results Form  2406 . The Results Form  2406  shows the ad selected by the user, including at least some portion of the ad&#39;s text  2407 . In addition, the ad may contain one or more icons that represent any additional text or multimedia files (audio, video, photograph) for the ad that are available on the IWS. These icons include an audio icon  2408  to denote the ad&#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, or a paper icon  2411  to denote additional text. 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 user can view and/or listen to the associated file. In addition, by selecting a maximize bar  2412 , the user can expand an ad to full page size, as shown in  FIG. 11 . The user can then respond to an ad by selecting the “Respond” button  2413 .  
         [0068]     When the user selects the respond button, she is presented with an Ad Response Form  2414 . The user creates a response by completing a response text field  2416 . After completing the Ad Response Form, the 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.  
         [0069]     The IWS then stores the response to a file and updates the 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 ad 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  
         [0070]     As already indicated, after a text response has been submitted, the user is shown a Response Confirmation Form  1501  (see  FIG. 12 ). Response Confirmation Form  1501  gives the user instructions on how to enhance a response to an ad with audio, video, or a photograph. To submit an audio response, the user first makes an audio recording using an audio file editor and then saves the file using her mailbox number as the file name  1503 . The user then submits the audio file using e-mail to the recipient&#39;s electronic mailbox  1512  on the IWS  1504 . The user&#39;s audio response is stored to a file on the IWS and the Ad Database is updated  1505 .  
         [0071]     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 ad 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 a telephone network.  
         [0072]     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 .  
         [0073]     To send a photograph in response to an ad, the Internet users 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 mailbox number as the file name  1510 . The respondent then submits the graphic file using e-mail to the recipient&#39;s electronic mailbox  1504 . The respondent&#39;s photo is stored to a file on the IWS and the database is updated  1505 .  
         [0074]     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 ad 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 what formats the system allows users to submit files in.  
         [0075]     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 . 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  1504 . The respondent&#39;s video is stored to a file on the IWS and the AD database is updated  1505 .  
         [0076]     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 ad 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.  
         [0077]     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 audio file to a 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 ad 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 database to indicate that no video files need to be converted  1509 .  
         [0000]     Retrieving Responses Via a Telephone Network  
         [0078]     A user can retrieve responses via a telephone network, as indicated in  FIG. 13 . First, an advertiser at terminal T 1  places a call over a telephone network to retrieve messages left for him or her. As a result, a connection is established from the remote terminal T 1  to the IVR. Using standard DNIS techniques, the IVR associates the called number with a specific function, in this case a message retrieval function.  
         [0079]     Upon receiving the user&#39;s call, the IVR sets the “logon attempts” equal to zero  2501 . The IVR then increments the “logon attempts” by one  2502  and cues the user for a mailbox number and password  2503 . The IVR then queries the AD database to determine if the mailbox number and password are valid. If the entries are not valid, the IVR determines if the user has exceeded the maximum number of logons attempts allowed  2505 . If the user has exceeded the maximum number of logon attempts allowed, the call is terminated  2506 . 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 and password  2503 .  
         [0080]     If the entries are valid, the IVR then queries the AD_RESPONSE table to determine if the user has any responses  2507 . If the user has no responses, the call is terminated  2506 . If the IVR finds a response, the IVR presents the text  2513  and audio  2514  messages from the respondent. If a response is in text form, the IVR may use a text to speech process to play the message audibly. If there are additional responses, the user is returned to block  2513 . Otherwise, the call is terminated  2506 .  
         [0000]     Retrieving Responses Via the Internet  
         [0081]     A user can retrieve responses via the Internet, as indicated in  FIG. 14 . First, a user at terminal CT 1  connects to the Internet to retrieve messages. The user connects to the Internet and then to a Home Page  1701  on the Internet Web Server. From the Home Page  1701  on the Internet Web Server, the user selects a Message Retrieval Form  1702 . The Message Retrieval Form  1702  instructs the user 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 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 directed to the user.  
         [0082]     If there are no responses, the IWS presents the user with a No Responses Form  1709 . If the IWS finds one or more responses, the IWS presents the user with a Personal Ad Messages Form  1710 . The Personal AD Messages Form  1709  shows any messages for the user. 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 user can view or listen to the associated file.  
         [0000]     Searching for Personal Ads Via a Telephone Network  
         [0083]     A user can search for personal ads via a telephone network, as indicated in  FIG. 15 . First, a user at terminal T 1  places a call to search personal advertisements. As a result, a connection is established from the remote terminal T 1  to the IVR over a telephone network. Using standard DNIS techniques, the IVR associates the called number with a specific function, in this case a voice personals ad searching format.  
         [0084]     The user is first prompted to indicate his preferences regarding the type of person he or she wishes to meet. Referring to  FIG. 15 , the IVR cues the user to enter the gender of the person he or she wishes to meet  2101 . Next, the IVR cues the user to enter the lowest age of the person he or she wishes to meet  2102 . Next, the IVR cues the user to enter the highest age of the person he or she wishes to meet  2103 . Finally, IVR cues the user for the marital status of the person he or she wishes to meet  2104 .  
         [0085]     Next, the IVR queries the database to find ads that match the user&#39;s preferences  2114 . If the query does not find any ads, the call is terminated  2133 . If the query returns one or more ads, the IVR queries the field AD_ORIGIN  211  to determine if the ad originated on the Internet  2117 . If the ad originated from a telephone network, the IVR plays the ad&#39;s audio greeting  2119 . If the ad originated on the Internet, the IVR presents the ad&#39;s text greeting, and may employ a text to speech function to play the ad&#39;s text greeting  2118 . The IVR then queries the AD_GREETING_TABLE to determine if the Internet advertiser also submitted an audio greeting  2120 . If the query does not find an audio greeting  2120 , the IVR prompts the user to indicate if he wishes to respond to the ad  2122 . If the query finds an audio greeting  2120 , the IVR plays the audio greetings  2121 . The IVR then prompts the user to indicate if he wishes to respond to the ad  2122 .  
         [0086]     If the user elects not to respond to the ad, the IVR determines if there are additional matches  2132 . If the there are no additional matches, the call is terminated  2133 . If there are additional matches, the user is returned to block  2116 .  
         [0087]     If the user elects to respond to the ad, the IVR next cues him to record his or her response  2129 . The IVR then stores the response to a file  2130  and updates the database  2131 . Specifically, a new record in the AD_RESPONSE table (see  FIG. 4 ) is created and the IVR 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 ad 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 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.  
         [0088]     The IVR creates a new REALAUDIO®.RA file from DIALOGIC®.VOX file and stores the REALAUDIO® file to a file  2130  on the IWS and updates the database  2131 . A new record in the AD_RESPONSE table  FIG. 4  is created and the IVR 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 ad 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 files (.VOX and .RA) to indicate that the audio file does not need to be converted.  
         [0089]     Next, the IVR determines if there are additional matches  2132 . If the there are no additional matches, the call is terminated  2133 . If there are additional matches, the user is returned to block  2116  to continue.  
         [0000]     Searching for Ads Via the Internet  
         [0090]     A user can search for personal ads via the Internet, as indicated in  FIG. 16 . First, a user at terminal CT 1  connects to the Internet to search for ads that match her preferences. The user connects to the Internet and then to a Home Page  2201  on the Internet Web Server. From the Home Page  2201  on the IWS, the user selects an Ad Searching Form  2202 . The Ad Searching Form instructs the user to indicate preferences, including the gender  2203 , low age  2204 , high age  2205 , and marital status  2206  of the person she wishes to meet. When the form is complete, the user submits it by pressing the “Submit” button  2208 . The IWS then checks the submitted form for completeness  2209 . If the form is incomplete, the user is returned to the Ad Searching Form  2202 . If the form is complete, the IWS queries the database to find ads that match the user&#39;s preferences  2210 . If the query returns no matches  2212 , the user is presented with a No Matches Page  2213 . If the query returns matches for one or more ads  2212 , the IWS presents the user with a Results Form  2214 .  
         [0091]     The Results Form  2214  shows the ads that match the user&#39;s preferences. Specifically, the Results Form shows a text ad of the type that appears in the newspaper  2215 . In addition, each ad contains one or more icons that represent any additional text or multimedia files (audio, video, photograph) for the ads that are available on the IWS. These icons include an audio icon  2216  to denote the ad&#39;s audio greeting, a still camera icon  2217  to denote a photograph of the advertiser, a video camera icon  2218  to denote a video clip of the advertiser or a paper icon  2219  to denote additional ad text. 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 user can view or listen to the associated file. In addition, by selecting a maximize bar  2220 , the user can expand the ad to a full page size  FIG. 11 .  
         [0092]     The user responds to an ad by selecting the “Respond” button  2221 . When the user selects the respond button, she is presented with an Ad Response Form  2222 . The user creates a response by typing in a response text field  2225 . After completing the Ad Response Form, the user submits the form by pressing the “Submit” button  2230 . The user is then presented with a Response Confirmation Form  2231 . The Response Confirmation Form gives the user information on enhancing her response with an audio message, photograph, or video clip.  
         [0093]     The IWS then stores the response to a file and updates the database  2232 . Specifically, the IWS creates a new record in the AD_RESPONSE table (see  FIG. 4 ) and then 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 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. The user can then return to the Results Form at any time by using the “Back” key on her browser.  
         [0094]     The foregoing has been a disclosure of certain illustrative embodiments of the present invention. As noted above, telephone techniques, 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 the specific examples disclosed herein. Consequently, the specific structural and functional details disclosed above are merely representative and should not be considered as limiting the invention as recited in the following claims.