Patent ID: 7908630

Claim:
A method of transmitting an audio/visual (A/V) file from a sender to a recipient using a voice communication network and a data network, the voice communication network independent of the data network, the method comprising the steps of: establishing a voice connection on the voice communication network between the sender and the recipient, the recipient having a voice communication network address; determining a recipient data network address based on an association between the recipient data network address and the recipient's voice communication network address, the recipient data network address being uniquely associated with a CATV subscriber channel of the recipient; downloading the A/V file and storage restriction control information related to the A/V file from the sender to a server associated with the recipient data network address via the data network during the voice connection; transmitting the A/V file from the server associated with the recipient data network address to the CATV subscriber channel of the recipient receiving a dual-tone multi-frequency (DTMF) signal encoding navigation instructions at a senders computer to navigate through the A/V file from the recipient via the voice connection; and synchronously switching between the A/V file associated with the sender and an additional A/V file associated with an additional sender in response to switching between the voice connection associated with the sender and an additional voice connection associated with the additional sender.