Patent ID: 8300776

Claim:
A computer-implemented voice mail method, comprising: obtaining an electronic audio file of a recorded user message directed to a telephone user, the audio file including words spoken by a caller; automatically generating a transcript of the recorded user message; identifying locations in the transcript in coordination with timestamps in the recorded user message so that successive portions of the transcript can be highlighted in coordination with playing of the recorded user message, and metadata that represents, individually or in combination, speed, inflection, or tone of the recorded user message; identifying one or more characteristics of the message using the metadata, relating to the recorded user message, includes identifying a group of contiguous words in the transcript that make up a commom topic; and storing the recorded user message, the information about the identified locations in the transcript of the recorded user message, and the metadata that represents speed, inflection, or tone of the recorded user message, wherein the information about the identified locations in the transcript of the recorded user message is arranged sequentially in an order that corresponds to an order of the words spoken by the caller in the audio file, so that portions of the transcript can be highlighted in parallel with the words being spoken in the audio file, and wherein the metadata that represents speed, inflection, or tone of the recorded user message is arranged to provide annotations to the transcript that visually indicate, independent of playing of the recorded user message, speed, inflection, or tone of the recorded user message; and receiving a user command and performing the user command on the group of contiguous words, without receiving an identification by the user of any one of the contiguous words.