Patent ID: 8233598

Claim:
A communication system, comprising: a gateway node, coupled to a communication network through an interface, the gateway node configured to progressively receive and progressively store streaming media associated with a conversation forwarded by a first participant of the conversation using a first communication device and intended for a second participant of the conversation using a telephone or radio, the storage of the streaming media at the gateway node occurring automatically without receiving store instructions from the second participant to store the streaming media; a user interface configured to receive conversation control instructions from the second participant of the conversation using the telephone or radio, the conversation control instructions directing the gateway node to selectively and progressively forward the streaming media over the communication network to the telephone or radio (i) as the streaming media is progressively received at the gateway node and (ii) out of storage at a selected time after the streaming media was received and progressively stored; and a converter configured to translate, as needed, the streaming media between the media formats used by the gateway node and the communication network.