WO2001061551A1

WO2001061551A1 - System and method for creating audio forums from e-mail

Info

Publication number: WO2001061551A1
Application number: PCT/US2001/005393
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jonathan B. Blossom; Anthony S. Jones; Richard Kong; James Poekle
Original assignee: Multitude, Inc.
Priority date: 2000-02-18
Filing date: 2001-02-20
Publication date: 2001-08-23
Also published as: AU2001241591A1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system and method for creating an audio forum in a communications network that includes the step of receiving an audio forum request from a recipient of an e-mail (62). A viewable audio forum invitation (7) is then transmitted over a communications network to designated individuals identified in the audio forum request. Audio forum acceptances (4, 6) are then acquired from the communications network from selected individuals of the designated individuals. The recipient and selected individuals are then linked in an audio forum facilitated by the communications network.

Description

SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CREATING AUDIO FORUMS FROM E-mail

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention discloses a system and method for creating multiparty audio conference calls, or "forums," using a networked system of computers or other communication devices. More particularly, this invention relates to a system and method for creating audio forums using e-mail software in conjunction with a forum controller that is accessible by each computer within the system.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED DOCUMENTS

The present invention is related to the subject matter disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 5,764,900 ("System and Method for Communicating Digitally-Encoded Ncoustic Information Ncross a Network between Computers"), U.S. Patent Npplication Serial No. 09/358,877 ("Apparatus and Method for Creating Audio Forums"), and U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 09/358,878 ("Apparatus and Method for Establishing an Audio Conference in a Networked Environment"). Each of these documents is assigned to the assignee of the present application and incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

E-mail has become a ubiquitous method of communication in the home and in the office. In many respects, e-mail has revolutionized communications; however, email does have its limitations. For example, when replying to e-mail, users are, within the context of the e-mail software, limited to replying with e-mail. FIG. 1 illustrates an e-mail message displayed by an Internet browser. Note that the response options available to the recipient of the e-mail are limited to new e-mail messages. Specifically, the options include the recipient clicking Reply button 4, Reply All button 6, or Forward button 7. FIG. 2 illustrates an e-mail message displayed by an e-mail client software module. Here too, the recipient's options include clicking Reply button 10, Reply All button 12, or Forward button 14. These responses are generally text responses. Sometimes however, text-based e-mail is not the desired means of communication. Some times, users prefer to talk instead of type. In fact, software packages-allow users to record voice messages and send them via e-mail as e-mail attachments. Recipients can play the voice message whenever they access the e-mail message. However, there is still a fundamental drawback - users do not communicate synchronously in real-time. Additionally, current options for real-time communication initiated in response to e-mail include telephonic conference calls. While this technology is valuable, it too has drawbacks. First, establishing a telephonic conference call requires separate manual or automated access to a phone by the user. Additionally, this is problematic for users with only one available phone line, a phone line that is probably used to access e-mail. Second, this technology often requires users to lookup candidate participants' contact information. Both drawbacks make telephonic conference calls less desirable in certain situations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Thus, an object of this invention is to provide a method of creating an audio forum in a communications network that enables an e-mail recipient to create an audio forum having the sender and designated recipients of the e-mail as potential audio forum participants. This method includes the step of receiving an audio forum request from a recipient of an e-mail. A viewable audio forum invitation is then transmitted over a communications network to designated individuals identified in the audio forum request. Audio forum acceptances are then acquired from the communications network from selected individuals of the designated individuals. The recipient and selected individuals are then linked in an audio forum facilitated by the communications network.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the e-mail recipient is provided with the option to create an audio forum in a software module window displaying the email. Upon selecting the option, software modules developed according to the invention identify and contact the sender of the e-mail, and optionally, the other designated recipients, to prompt them to join an audio forum with the e-mail recipient.

In other embodiments of the invention, the e-mail recipient is provided with the option to create an audio forum in a software module window displaying the e-mail. Prior to the e-mail recipient viewing the e-mail, software modules developed according to the invention identify the sender of the e-mail and the designated recipients for purposes of establishing an audio forum. Later when the e-mail recipient opts to create an audio forum, software modules developed according to the invention contact the sender of the e-mail, and optionally, the other designated recipients, to prompt them to join an audio forum with the e-mail recipient. In yet another embodiment, the e-mail recipient is provided with the option to create an audio forum in a software module window displaying the e-mail. When the e-mail recipient opts to create an audio forum, software modules developed according to the invention contact the sender of the e-mail, and optionally, the other designated recipients, to prompt them to join an audio forum with the e-mail recipient.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will be understood and appreciated more fully from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates an e-mail message displayed in a prior art Internet browser window. FIG. 2 illustrates an e-mail message displayed in a prior art e-mail client software module window.

FIG. 3 illustrates a computer system capable of enabling one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 4 illustrates a forum GUI window according to one embodiment of the invention. FIG. 5 illustrates an e-mail message displayed in an Internet browser window in accordance with one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 6 illustrates Web page commands according to one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 7 illustrates Web page commands according to one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 8 illustrates processing steps used to establish an audio forum according to one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 9A illustrates processing steps used to establish an audio forum according to one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 9B illustrates processing steps used to establish an audio forum according to one embodiment of the invention. FIG. 10 illustrates a forum GUI window according to one embodiment of the invention. FIG. 11 illustrates an e-mail message displayed in an e-mail client software module window according to one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 12 illustrates processing steps used to establish an audio forum according to one embodiment of the invention. FIG. 13 illustrates processing steps used to establish an audio forum according to one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 14 illustrates an e-mail message composition form displayed in an Internet browser window;

FIG. 15 illustrates Web page commands according to one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 16 illustrates processing steps used to establish an audio forum according to one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 17 illustrates processing steps used to establish an audio forum according to one embodiment of the invention. FIG. 18 illustrates processing steps used to establish an audio forum according to one embodiment of the invention.

Like reference numerals refer to corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 3 illustrates a network 20 that may be operated according to the present invention. The network 20 includes at least one user computer 22, at least one server computer 24, and in some embodiments, at least one e-mail server computer 72. The user computer 20, server computer 24, and e-mail server computer 72 are connected by transmission channel 26, which may be any wired or wireless transmission channels. A firewall may optionally separate user computer 22 and transmission channel 26, server computer 24 and transmission channel 26, and/or e-mail server computer 72 and transmission channel 26. The firewall serves to protect user computer 22, server computer 24, and/or e-mail server computer 72 from unwanted traffic. However, the firewall also limits the way in which user computers 22 may access each other across transmission channel 26. The user computer 22 is any device that includes a Central Processing Unit (CPU) 30 connected to a memory (primary and/or secondary) 32, a network connection 36, and a set of user input/output ("i/o") devices as described below 38. Memory 32 typically stores computer programs, which may include a graphical user interface ("GUI") 34, an Internet browser 62, an Internet browser extension 63, a preferred contact database 64, a user profile database 68, an e-mail client 69, an e-mail client extension 70, and a communications module 71. GUI 34 can be used in part to display audio forum participants in forum participant window 304 (FIG. 4). In addition, GUI 34 can also be used as a convenient means to obtain information about audio forum participants, invite users to become audio forum participants, or communicate with an audio forum participant separately. Internet browser 62 is used in some embodiments to view Web pages related to e-mail. Internet browser extension 65 is used in some embodiments of the invention to enable communications between Internet browser 62 and communications module 71. Contact database 64 is used in some embodiments to maintain a personalized list of preferred user contact information by a particular user. User profile database 68 includes pertinent information about a user, including at least an audio forum user identifier and a user label. Additional information, however, may be included in user profile database 68 in alternate embodiments. E-mail client 69 is the client portion of a client/server e-mail system. E-mail client extension 70 is used in some embodiments of the invention to enable communications between e-mail client 69 and communications module 71. Communications module 71 is a program used in some embodiments to coordinate the creation of audio forums. The user profile of a person is transmitted to forum controller 100 from the user profile database when the user logs into forum controller 100 from user computer 22. User computer 22 also has i/o device 38, including a visual output device (e.g., a computer monitor) for displaying GUI 34 and other devices such as a keyboard and mouse for entering data. The user i/o device 38 also includes a microphone and one or more speakers to enable audio communication between other audio forum participants. In a preferred embodiment, user i/o device 38 includes a full-duplex sound card so that the user can listen to other audio forum participants while the user is speaking. The server computer 24 includes standard server components, including a network connection device 40, a CPU 42, and a memory (primary and/or secondary) 44. The memory 44 stores a set of computer programs and files to implement the processing associated with the invention. In particular, a forum list 46, an active user database 60, a forum controller 100, a registered user database 102, and an Internet browser extension 63 are maintained in memory 44. The forum controller 100 controls forum list 46 as will be described in further detail below. Active user database 60 contains information about each user that is logged into forum controller 100. Registered user database 102 contains information about each user that is registered to log into forum controller 100. In a preferred embodiment, a registered user is defined as a person who has been assigned a unique audio forum user identifier and has designated a descriptive user label. Internet browser extension 63 is available for download to user computer 22.

Forum list 46 comprises a list of forums 48 that are present in system 20. At least one user, associated with a user computer 22, participates in each forum 48. Thus, in this sense, at least one user computer 22 is associated with each forum. When a user computer 22 is associated with a forum, the user computer is capable of broadcasting audio, visual, and/or text data to all other forum participants. When no user computer 22 is associated with a forum, it follows that there is no user participating in the forum. When this occurs, the forum is terminated and removed from forum list 46 by forum controller 100. Each forum 48 in forum list 46 includes information such as, for example, the name of the forum 50, an indicator 52 as to whether the forum is public or private, a forum password 54, a forum category 56, and the audio forum user identifier of each forum participant 58. Each participant in each forum is associated with a user computer 22 present in system 20.

In a preferred embodiment, each participant field 58 contains an audio forum user identifier that represents a participant in the corresponding forum 48. The audio forum user identifier serves as a pointer to a table entry in active user database 60. Table entries in active user database 60 include more detailed information about each forum participant. The table entries may include, for example, the E-mail address of each active user and/or the Internet Protocol that must be used to communicate with each user. Note that in some embodiments of the invention, the e-mail address is the audio forum user identifier. In addition, further information about each user may be stored in an entry found in registered user database 102. Forums 48 that have indicator 52 set to "public" are designated public forums and forums 48 that have indicator 52 set to "private" are designated private forums. Private forums are hidden in the sense that they are not listed by GUI 34. Forums 48 having a password in password field 54 are password protected forums. A user that wants to become a participant in forum 48 must provide the corresponding password 54 if the forum is password protected. Category field 56 is used to indicate the subject matter of the forum.

As previously pointed out, system 20 may include more than one server 24. Server 24 is defined herein as any computer in system 20 that includes a forum controller 100 having access to forum list 46. In some embodiments, active user database 60 may be an integral part of forum list 46 and there is no registered user database 102. However, as a practical matter, the method of the present invention is best advanced on systems in which active user database 60 is not an integral part of forum list 48 and there is a registered user database 102. In such embodiments, forum controller 100 preferably has access to active user database 60 and registered user database 102. In typical systems 20, registered user database 102 is maintained on a separate server 24, or possibly even on a user computer 22 to minimize the load on any particular computer and to maximize the overall performance of system 20. In some embodiments of system 20, the log in process to the forum list controller from a user computer 22 may be controlled by a routing routine. The routing routine determines which server 24 the log in request will be directed to based on any number of rational criteria, including the relative load of each available server 24, disk space availability, time of day, or a round-robin type algorithm. The use of a routing routine is transparent to the person logging into forum controller 100 from user computer 22.

The e-mail server computer 72 includes standard server components, including a network connection device 40, a CPU 42, and a memory (primary and/or secondary) 44. The memory 44 stores a set of computer programs and files to implement the processing associated with a typical e-mail server computer. In particular, an e-mail controller 78 and e-mail list 80. The e-mail controller controls e-mail list 80. E-mail list 80 lists e-mail for users of the e-mail server. Users can access the e-mail server, and the e-mail messages and services contained therein, using either Internet browser 62 or e-mail client 69. In addition, system 20 may include more than one e-mail server computer 72 as defined herein. Audio Forums

Audio forums have numerous embodiments as described in the U.S. Patents and U.S. Patent Applications incorporated herein by reference. However, only certain aspects of audio forums are relevant to this invention, so to the extent that audio forums are described, only that which is necessary to this invention shall be included in the description.

As noted above, users participating in an audio forum can exchange audio, visual, and/or text data to all other audio forum participants. Several methods of creating an audio forum are available. In one embodiment, a user begins by logging into forum controller 100 from user computer 22. When the user logs in, user profile 68 is transferred from user computer 22 to the forum controller 100. User profile 68 preferably includes a unique audio forum user identifier and a user label. The transferred profile is used by forum controller 100 to update active user database 60 by adding a record corresponding to the user to active user database 60. GUI 34, as illustrated in FIG. 4, is a means for users to interact with forum controller 100. Commands submitted via GUI 34 are processed by communications module 71 and forwarded to forum controller 100. Similarly, data sent to user computer 22 are intercepted by communications module 71 and conveyed when necessary to users through GUI 34.

In a preferred embodiment, GUI 34 includes forum participant window 304, contacts list 306, and Hang Up button 825. A user right-clicking on a selected user entry in contacts list 306 with a mouse pointer is presented with several options for establishing an audio forum. These options include inviting the selected user to join the user in a conference call. Note that a conference call is a type of audio forum that unlike other types of audio forums is not named by the user creating the forum nor listed publicly (i.e., so that other users can access and join without an invitation). If the conference call option is selected, an invitation is sent through communications module 71 to forum controller 100, which preferably uses the name listed in contacts list 306 to determine the invitee's audio forum user identifier and associated user computer 22, and then forwarded to the invitee's associated user computer 22. If the invitation is accepted, forum controller 100 will modify forum list 46 to indicate that a new forum 48 has been created and that the original user and invitee are participants. Additionally, at least a portion of forum list 46 is sent to the participants for display in forum participant window 304. Note that other users can be invited to join the audio forum at any point during the audio forum. Ead time a new participant joins or withdraws, at least a portion of updated forum list 46 is broadcast to all forum participants. Again, the participants of the conference call can exchange audio, visual, and/or text data with all other audio forum participants by means of i/o devices 38 (keyboard, mouse, display, speakers, microphone, etc.). Audio, visual, and/or text data input is passed by communications module 71 to forum controller 100, which forwards the data to the other forum participants. Data sent to user computer 22 is received by communications module 71 and output via i/o devices 38. Additionally, this process is conducted so that forum participants can communicate synchronously in real-time. Users can withdraw from a conference call by pressing Hang Up button 825. This action directs forum controller 100 to remove the user's entry from forum list 46. When no forum participants remain, the forum entry is removed from forum list 46.

Audio Forum/E-mail Integration As noted above, this invention relates to the integration of standard e-mail and audio forums. At a very basic level, this invention allows an e-mail recipient to initiate audio forums from an e-mail module window with the sender and other designated recipients of the e-mail being potential audio forum participants. Thus, instead of selecting a user from contacts list 306 as described above, a user interested in initiating a conference call interacts with the e-mail client as described below to invite the sender and/or other designated recipients to join an audio forum.

Part of this process includes passing an invitee's identification from a user's email system to audio forum controller 100, which as described above uses this information to route an invitation to a user computer 22 associated with the invitee. In a preferred embodiment, forum controller 100 uses the invitee's e-mail address, which can be extracted from the e-mail, instead of using the name listed in contacts list 306 to determine an invitee's audio forum user identifier.

The process of searching for an invitee's audio forum user identifier can take place during four distinct phases of an "e-mail cycle." Persons skilled in the art will recognize that at a high level of abstraction, the delivery of an e-mail includes the following phases: 1) client X requests delivery of an e-mail to client Y; 2) client X's email service provider responds to the request and delivers the e-maitto client Y; 3) client Y's e-mail service provider receives and processes the e-mail on client Y's behalf; and 4) client Y requests to view the e-mail and create an audio forum. The audio forum user identifier lookup can take place during any of these four phases. An audio forum user identifier lookup taking place during either phase 1 or 4 may be considered to take place on the client side since processes running on user computer 22 would initiate the audio forum user identifier lookup, while phases 2 and 3 might be considered to take place on the server side since processes running on e-mail server computer 72 initiate the audio forum user identifier lookup. It is with reference to these four phases that a detailed description of several embodiments of this invention will be provided.

User Computer Based Audio Forum User Identifier Integration

One aspect of this invention includes audio forum user identifier / e-mail integration initiated by processes running on user computer 22. Some embodiments of the invention include audio forum user identifier lookup steps that take place before an e-mail is delivered (i.e., by the sender of an e-mail), while others include audio forum user identifier lookup steps that take place after an e-mail has been delivered to user computer 22 (i.e., by a recipient of an e-mail).

Audio forum user identifier lookup after delivery of e-mail to user computer 22: One embodiment of this invention includes the use of an Internet-based e-mail service provider. FIG. 5 shows a typical Internet browser 62, such as Internet Explorer, displaying an e-mail according to an embodiment of this invention. Note the inclusion of Call button 16 and Call All button 18 with the other standard e-mail option buttons in the Web page displayed in FIG. 1. By clicking Call button 16, an e-mail recipient can initiate an audio forum with the sender of the e-mail. Alternatively, the e-mail recipient can initiate an audio forum with the sender of the e-mail and the other designated recipients of the e-mail by clicking Call All button 18. This is accomplished in a preferred embodiment through the use of Web page commands and Internet browser extension 63, which work in conjunction to pass the e-mail address of the sender of the e-mail, and optionally, the other designated recipients of the e-mail, to communications module 71. Included with the one or more e-mail addresses is preferably a request for communications module 71 to establish an audio forum having the recipient, the sender of the e-:mail, and optionally, the other designated recipients of the e-mail as participants. After processing this information, communications module 71 interacts with forum controller 100 to establish the audio forum as described below.

As FIG. 5 indicates, the e-mail service provider in this example is Hotmail. Persons skilled in the art will recognize that Hotmail is just one of many e-mail service providers accessible via Internet browser 62. Persons skilled in the art will also recognize that most if not all of these e-mail service providers provide a similar array of features including the ability to send e-mail, receive e-mail, forward received e-mail, send a reply e-mail to the sender of a received e-mail, and send a reply e-mail to the sender and other designated recipients of a received e-mail. Other features are of course available, but are not relevant to this invention.

As noted above, Web page commands and Internet browser extension 63 preferably work in conjunction to enable Call button 16 and Call All button 18 to pass information to communications module 71. For this to occur, Web page commands must be incorporated into or referenced from the Web page containing the e-mail content. Persons skilled in the art will recognize that such Web pages are provided, in the case of Internet-based e-mail service providers, by computer devices associated with the e-mail service providers. Accordingly, the Web page commands are referenced or incorporated by a computer under the direction of the e-mail service provider, rather than by a program module running on the recipient's computer. Regarding Web page command languages such as Javascript, persons skilled in the art recognize that it is a compact, object-based scripting language for developing client and server Internet applications. Additionally, remotely located files containing Javascript can be referenced by a program statement within a Web page. For example, consider FIG. 6, which illustrates relevant portions of the Web page commands, which when viewed with the aid of Internet browser 62, produce the Web page displayed in FIG. 5. Specifically, line 612 of FIG. 6 indicates 1) that the scripting language employed in that Web page is Javascript and 2) that the Javascript functions referenced in that Web page are located in file FTWL.js, which resides on www.firetalk.com. Further, Javascript statements embedded in an Web page can recognize and respond to user events such as mouse clicks (the onClick event). Referring back to FIG. 6, lines 624 and 626 direct Internet browser 62 to execute function

FTCallEmailQ in response to a user clicking Call button 16 or Call All button 18 respectively. Note that lines 624 and 626 also direct Internet browser 62 to display Call button 16 and Call All button 18 respectively. Further, function FTCallEmail() is defined in FTWL.js as indicated by line 612. In addition, persons skilled in the art will recognize that there can be more than two designated recipients, as illustrated in FIG. 5. Thus, function FTCallEmail() is preferably configured to pass more than two e-mail addresses to Internet browser extension 63.

Regarding Internet browser extensions 63 (e.g., plug-ins, Active X controls, Java applets, etc.) it is widely appreciated that they are software programs that extend the capabilities of Internet browsers 62 (e.g., Netscape Navigator, Internet Explorer, etc.) in specific ways. Specifically, Internet browser extensions 63 can provide functions accessible by Javascript embedded in or referenced from a Web page displayed in Internet browser 62. For this to occur however, the Internet browser extension must be available.

Function SetupFTWL() included in line 614 of FIG. 6 is utilized in preferred embodiments of this invention to ensure that Internet browser extension 63 is available to Internet browser 62. The text of SetupFTWL(), which according to line 612 is stored in

FTWL.js, is displayed in FIG. 7. Line 704 of FIG. 7 includes a line of function SetupFTWL() that directs Internet browser 62 (Internet Explorer) to include Internet browser extension 63 (Active X control) in the Web page being displayed by Internet browser 62. Persons skilled in the art will recognize that being "included in the Web page" essentially means that Internet browser extension 63 is loaded into memory and its functions accessible to Web page commands. Line 704 also directs Internet browser 62 (Internet Explorer) to download and install Internet browser extension 63 (Active X control) from the specified URL (http://www.firetalk.com/mfl/) if it is not already available to be included in the Web page being displayed. Line 706 of FIG. 7 directs Internet browser 62 (Netscape Navigator) to include Internet browser extension 63 (plug-in) in the Web page being displayed. Line 706 also directs Internet browser 62 (Netscape Navigator) to download and install Internet browser extension 63 (plug-in) from the specified URL

(ftp://multitude.www.conxion.com/pubfMFT/) if it is not already available to be included in the Web page being displayed. As noted, Internet browser extensions 63 can provide functions accessible by

Javascript embedded in or referenced from a Web page displayed in Internet browser 62. In preferred embodiments of this invention, FTCallEmail(), which is included in lines 624 and 626 of FIG. 6, is used to pass a command and one or more e-mail addresses to communications module 71. The text of function FTCallEmail() is defined in FTWL.js, as indicated by line 612 of FIG. 6, and illustrated in FIG. 7. Persons skilled in the art will recognize that function FTCallEmail does the following: 1) determines the version Internet browser 62; 2) determines from what type of Internet browser 62 the function call originated; and 3) directs Internet browser 62 to execute a function call to Internet browser extension 63. Persons skilled in the art will also recognize that if Internet browser 62 is the Internet Explorer version, the function call will preferably be directed to an Active X version of Internet browser extension 63. Conversely, persons skilled in the art will also recognize that if Internet browser 62 is the Netscape Navigator version, the function call will preferably be directed to a plug-in version of Internet browser extension 63.

The general nature of this embodiment has now been disclosed. Attention now turns to a more detailed discussion of processing steps capable of implementing this embodiment of the invention on system 20 (FIG. 3). FIG. 8 illustrates processing steps that are used in accordance with such an embodiment of this invention. In the first processing step, an e-mail recipient associated with user computer 22-1 makes a request to view an e-mail (step 800). In response to this request, e-mail controller 78 generates and delivers, via transmission channel 26 an e-mail message comprised in a Web page (step 802). This Web page is then viewed through the use of Internet browser 62 as illustrated in FIG. 5 (step 804). As described above, Web page commands accessed from, or embedded in, the Web page determine if the necessary Internet browser extension 63 is available (step 806) when the Web page is loaded. If Internet browser extension 63 is not available, it is downloaded from forum controller 100 as described above (step 808). Once received, Internet browser extension 63 is installed on user computer 22-1 (step 810).

Upon viewing the Web page, the e-mail recipient has the option of clicking Call button 16 or Call All button 18 (step 812). As described above, clicking Call button 16 will initiate processing steps to establish an audio forum with the e-mail recipient (jon_blossom@hotmail.com as illustrated in FIG. 5) and the sender (ajones@firetalk.com as illustrated in FIG. 5) as participants beginning with a call to function FTCallEmail(). Clicking Call All button 18. will however, initiate processing steps to establish an audio forum with the designated e-mail -recipients (jon_blossom@hotmail.com and nedlerner@multitude.com as illustrated in FIG. 5) and the sender (ajones@firetalk.com as illustrated in FIG. 5) as participants beginning with a call to function FTCallEmail().

The FTCallEmail function directs Internet browser extension 63 to write a command and the one or more e-mail addresses to a file accessible by communications module 71 (step 816). Following that, Internet browser extension 63 sends a message to communications module 71 directing it to process the contents of the newly created file (step 818).

Persons skilled in the art will recognize that this message can take many forms, all of which are within the scope of this invention. For example, Internet browser extension 63 can utilize Dynamic Data Exchange ("DDE") messages. Persons skilled in the art will recognize that DDE messages are methods provided by the Microsoft Win32 application programming interface ("API"). DDE messages can be employed to exchange data between applications using shared memory.

In particular, this embodiment can utilize the DDE message DDEInitiate to initiate a communications channel. If successful, the DDEInitiate message begins a DDE conversation between Internet browser extension 63 and communications module 71. Internet browser extension 63 can then utilize a DDE message such as DDEExecute to send a command to communications module 71 instructing it to process the file containing the command and the one or more e-mail addresses. If however, the DDE message DDEInitiate returns an error message indicating that communications module 71 is not running (step 820), Internet browser extension 63 can then launch communications module 71 using, for example, the CreateProcess() or WinExec() functions (step 822). Persons skilled in the art will recognize that DDE messages, the CreateProcess functions, and the WinExec function are used in a Microsoft Windows operating system; however, these are merely examples and are not meant to limit the. scope of the invention to a Microsoft Windows operating system environment. Following the launch of communications module 71, Internet browser extension 63 can make another attempt to send a command to communications module 71 (step 818). Persons skilled in the art will recognize that Internet browser extension 63 can utilize DDE messages to send the command and one or more e-mail addresses directly to communications module 71 instead of writing this information to a file and requesting communications module 71 to process the file. Both options are within the scope of this invention. Once communications module 71 has processed the command and one or more e-mail addresses, it preferably determines if the e-mail recipient is logged onto forum controller 100 (step 900) (FIG. 9A). If the e-mail recipient is not logged onto forum controller 100, the e-mail recipient is prompted for login information (step 902). Next, data obtained from user profile database 68 (step 904), the login information supplied in step 902, and a login request are sent to forum controller 100 (step 906). Forum controller 100 responds to this request by logging in the e-mail recipient and updating active user database 60 (step 908).

Communications module 71 then sends a request to forum controller 100 for audio forum user identifiers corresponding to the one or more e-mail addresses (step 910). Forum controller 100 responds by searching registered user database 102 for the requested information (step 912). If multiple matches are found, forum controller 100 can preferably search active user database 60 to determine which of several audio forum user identifiers matching a given e-mail address is active or prompt the e-mail recipient to make a selection. Once all available audio forum user identifiers have been obtained, forum controller 100 sends the audio forum user identifiers to communications module 71 (step 914).

Additionally, forum controller 100 can, if the e-mail recipient so desires, send an e-mail message to persons without an entry in registered user database 102 requesting that he or she register with forum controller 100.

Communications module 71 then sends a request to create an audio forum, the returned audio forum user identifiers, and the e-mail recipient's audio forum user identifier to forum controller 100 (step 916). Initially, forum controller 100 creates the requested forum and adds the recipient to the list of participants in the newly created forum (step 918) and adds an entry for the newly created forum in forum list 46 (step 920). Additionally, forum controller 100 sends messages to the users associated with the audio forum user identifiers supplied by communications module 71 inviting them to join an audio forum (step 922) (FIG. 9B). Users accepting the invitation are added to the audio forum (step 924). Forum controller 100 then updates the forum list to reflect the new users (step 926) and distributes the updated forum list to the new participants (step 928). The updated forum list is received by communications module 71, which saves the data (step 930) and updates forum participant window 304 (step 932). Illustrated in FIG. 4 and described above, GUI 34 illustrates one embodiment of the e-mail recipient in this example clicking Call button 16: Note that only the recipient and the sender of the e-mail are listed in forum participant window 304. FIG. 10 illustrates an embodiment of GUI 34, as described above, in which the e-mail recipient in this example clicked Call All button 18. Note that an entry for the other designated recipient of the e-mail is included in forum participant window 304. Another embodiment of this invention includes the use of an e-mail client program module ("e-mail client"). FIG. 11 shows an exemplary e-mail client GUI 8. The main distinction between this embodiment and the one illustrated in FIG. 5 is that this embodiment uses a program module that provides access to e-mail services exclusively and does not utilize Web page documents to display e-mail content. Recall that the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 5 uses Web page documents displayed in Internet browser 62, which can also be used to view Web page content not related to email. Also note the distinction between the e-mail client displayed in FIG. 11, which includes Call button 1100 and Call All button 1102, and the prior art e-mail client displayed in FIG. 2, which does not have Call button 1100 and Call All button 1102. By clicking Call button 1100, an e-mail recipient can initiate an audio forum with the sender of the e-mail. Alternatively, the e-mail recipient can initiate an audio forum with the sender of the e-mail and the other designated recipients of the e-mail by clicking Call All button 1102. This is accomplished in a preferred embodiment through the use of e-mail client extension 70 working in conjunction with e-mail client 69. E-mail client GUI 8 illustrated in FIG. 11 is a Microsoft Outlook product, which refers to e-mail client extension 70 as an "add- in." Although this example is explained with reference to Microsoft Outlook and add-in modules, persons skilled in the art will recognize that other types of e-mail client software are available, and that each might use different terminology and implementations while remaining within the scope of this invention. Similar to the first embodiment described above, the e-mail client 69 and e-mail client extension 70 work in conjunction to pass the e-mail address of the sender of the e-mail, and optionally, the other designated recipients of the e-mail, to communications module 71. Included with the one or more e-mail addresses is preferably a request for communications module 71 to establish an audio forum having the recipient of the email, the sender of the e-mail, and optionally, the other designated recipients of the email as participants. After processing this information, communications module 71 interacts with forum controller 100 to establish the audio forum as described above.

Referring back to e-mail client extension 70, it is important to note that e-mail client extension 70 is preferably not part of e-mail client 69. Rather e-mail client extension 70 is a type of program module designed to load at specified instances when e-mail client 69 is loaded into memory. For example, e-mail client extension 70 can be configured to load only when an e-mail recipient presses Call button 1100 or Call All button 1102. Once loaded and connected to e-mail client 69, functions included in email client extension 70 are available for use by e-mail client 69. The pool of development tools for an e-mail client extension 70, such as an add-in module, includes Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications ("VBA"), Microsoft Visual Basic, and Microsoft Visual C++.

FIG. 12 illustrates processing steps that are used in accordance with an embodiment of this invention. In the first processing step, an e-mail recipient associated with user computer 22-1 makes a request to view an e-mail (step 1200). The user then has the option of pressing Call button 1100 or Call All button 1102 to establish an audio forum between the sender of the e-mail and the recipient ("jblossom@firetalk.com" and "ajones@firetalk.com" as illustrated in FIG. 5) or the sender of the e-mail and each designated recipient ("jblossom@firetalk.com," "ajones@firetalk.com," and "nedlemer@firetalk.com" as illustrated in FIG. 10) respectively (step 1202). In response to the e-mail recipient clicking Call button 1100 or Call All button 1102, e-mail client 69 loads e-mail client extension 70 (step 1204). E-mail client then executes a function call that includes the one or more e-mail addresses from the e-mail message as parameters to direct e-mail client extension 70 to interact with communications module 71 in order to establish an audio forum (step 1206). The function call executed by e-mail client 69 directs e-mail client extension 70, in a preferred embodiment, to write a command and the one or more e-mail addresses to a file accessible by communications module 71 (step 1208). The function call also direct e-mail client extension 70 to send a message to communications module 71 directing it to process the contents of the newly created file (step 1210). Persons skilled in the art will recognize that this message can take many forms, all of which are within the scope of this invention. For example, e-mail client extension 70 can utilize Dynamic Data Exchange ("DDE") messages. In particular, this embodiment can utilize the DDE message DDEInitiate to initiate an audio forum. If successful, the DDEInitiate message begins a DDE conversation between e-mail client extension 70 and communications module 71. E-mail client extension 70 can then utilize a DDE message such as DDEExecute to send a command to communications module 71 instructing it to process the file containing the command and the one or more e-mail addresses. If however, the DDE message DDEInitiate returns an error message indicating that communications module 71 is not running (step 1202), e-mail client extension 70 can then launch communications module 71 using, for example, the CreateProcess or WinExec functions (step 1214). Following the launch of communication module 71, e-mail client extension 70 can make another attempt to send a command to communications module 71 (step 1210). Persons skilled in the art will also recognize that e-mail client extension 70 can utilize DDE messages to send the command and one or more e-mail addresses directly to communications module 71 instead of writing this information to a file and requesting communications module 71 to process the file. Both options are within the scope of this invention.

The remainder of the processing steps in this embodiment of the invention are identical to those described in the first embodiment and illustrated in steps 900 of FIG. 9A through 932 of FIG. 9B.

In FIG. 4, GUI 34, as described above, illustrates one embodiment of the e-mail recipient in this example clicking Call button 16 after the complection of step 932 as described above. Note that only the recipient and the send of the e-mail are listed in forum participant window 304. FIG. 10 illustrates an embodiment of GUI 34, as described above, in which the e-mail recipient in this example clicked Call All button 18. Note that an entry for the other designated recipient of the e-mail is included in forum participant window 304. Audio forum user identifier lookup before delivery of e-mail from user computer 22:

As noted, other embodiments of this invention, include audio forum user identifier lookup steps that are initiated on user computer 22 before the e-mail is delivered to the e-mail recipients. One such embodiment of the invention includes the user of an Internet-based e-mail service provide. A user preferably composes an e-mail message using known techniques; however, when the user requests delivery of the e-mail, processes running on user computer 22 initiate an audio forum user identifier lookup. The audio forum user identifier(s) obtained dare embedded in thee-mail before the e-mail service provider processes the delivery request.

The general nature of this embodiment has now been disclosed. Attention now turns to a more detailed discussion of processing steps capable of implementing this embodiment of the invention on system 20 (FIG. 3). FIG. 13 illustrates processing steps that are used in accordance with an embodiment of this invention, which includes the use of Internet browser 62. In the first processing step, an e-mail recipient associated with user computer 22-1 make a request to compose an e-mail (step 1300). E-mail controller 78 responds to this request by generating and delivering a Web page designed to facilitate e-mail composition (step 1302). FIG. 14 illustrates Internet browser 62 displaying a Web page designed in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. Note "Send (Forum IDs)" button 1400, Send button 1402, and e-mail address text boxes 1404. "Send (Forum IDs)" button 1400 will trigger an audio forum user identifier lookup prior to completing the delivery request. Send button 1402, which is not included in other embodiments of this invention, will respond to a delivery request without executing an audio forum user identifier lookup. E-mail address text boxes 1404 allow the sender to specify the recipients of the e-mail.

FIG. 15 illustrates a portion of the Web page commands capable of producing the Web page displayed in FIG. 14. Web page commands such as those illustrated in lines 1512 are preferably included in this Web page to designate a remote source of Javascript functions. Additionally, line 1514 calls function SetupFTWL(), which as described above, 1) determines if Internet browser extension 63 is installed (step 1304) (FIG. 13), 2) requests the delivery of Internet browser extension 63 if it is not installed (step 1306), and 3) installs Internet browser extension 63 if necessary (step 1308).

The user then composes an e-mail message (step 1310) and requests delivery of the e-mail (step 1312) by pressing "Send (Forum IDs)" button 1400 as illustrated in FIG. 14. Doing so triggers the Web page commands illustrated in line 1524 of FIG. 15. These Web page commands call, for example, procedure SendwithForumUserlD.x, which will 1) extract the e-mail addresses from e-mail address text boxes 1402; 2) forward them to Internet browser extension 63 (step 1314); 3) direct Internet browser extension 63 to write a command and the e-mail addresses to a file accessible by communications module 71 (step 1316); and 4) direct Internet browser extensions 63 to send a message to communications module 71 directing communications module 71 to process the contents of the newly created file (step 13 18). If communications module 71 is not running (step 1320), Internet browser extension 63 will launch communications module 71 (step 1322) and send another message to communications module 71 directing it to process the contents of the newly created file (step 1318).

Once communications module 71 has processed the command and one or more e-mail addresses, it preferably determines if the user is logged onto forum controller 100 (step 1600) (FIG. 16). If the user is not logged onto forum controller 100, the user is prompted for login information (step 1602). Next, data obtained from user profile database 68 (step 1604), the login information supplied in step 1602, and a login request are sent to forum controller 100 (step 1606). Forum controller 100 responds to this request by logging in the user and updating active user database 60 (step 1608). Communications module 71 then sends a request to forum controller 100 for audio forum user identifiers corresponding to the one or more e-mail addresses forwarded by Internet browser extension 63 (step 1610). Forum controller 100 responds by searching registered user database 102 for the audio forum user identifiers (step 1612). If multiple matches are found, forum controller 100 can preferably search active user database 60 to determine which of several audio forum user identifiers matching an e-mail address is active or prompt the user to make a selection. Once all available audio forum user identifiers have been determined, forum controller 100 sends the audio forum user identifiers to communications module 71 (step 1614), which forwards the audio forum user identifiers to Internet browser extension 63. Additionally, forum controller 100 can, if the user so desires, send an e-mail message to persons without an e-mail address entry in registered user database 102 requesting that he or she register with forum controller 100. Internet browser extension 63 then embeds the audio forum user identifiers in the e-mail (step 1324) (FIG. 13). Web page commands then complete the request to deliver the e-mail (step 1326), eventually passing control of the e-mail delivery to email controller 78. Another embodiment of this invention includes the use of an e-mail client software module ("e-mail client"). The main distinction between this embodiment and the one described immediately above is that this embodiment uses a program module that provides access to e-mail services exclusively, while the other uses Internet browser 62, which can be used to view Web page content not related to e-mail.

FIG. 17 illustrates processing steps that are used in accordance with such an embodiment of this invention. In the first processing step, the user composes an e-mail (step 1700). After the composition is completed, the user presses, for example, Reply button 10, Reply All button 12, or Forward button 14 as illustrated in FIG. 11 (step 1702). Note that if a user is not responding to an e-mail, the user may choose to request delivery of an e-mail by clicking, for example, a Send button with similar results. In this embodiment, e-mail client 69 responds by loading e-mail client extension 70 (step 1704). E-mail client 69 then preferably executes a function call that a) sends two or more e-mail addresses to e-mail client extension 70 and b) directs email client extension 70 to return audio forum user identifiers (step 1706).

E-mail client extension 70 preferably responds by writing a command and the two or more e-mail addresses to a file accessible by communications module 71 (step 1708). Following that, e-mail client extension 70 sends a message to communications module 71 directing it to process the contents of the newly created file (step 1710). If communications module 71 is not running, as determined in step 1712, e-mail client extension 70 will launch communications module 71 (step 1714) and send a message to communications module 71 directing it to process the contents of the newly created file (step 1710). Once communications module 71 has processed the command and one or more e-mail addresses, it preferably determines if the user is logged onto forum controller 100 (step 1600) (FIG. 16). If the user is not logged onto forum controller 100, the user is prompted for login information (step 1602). Next, data obtained from user profile database 68 (step 1604), the login information supplied in step 1602, and a login request are sent to forum controller 100 (step 1606). Forum controller 100 responds to this request by logging in the user and updating active user database 60 (step 1608). Communications module 71 then sends a request to forum controller 100 for audio forum user identifiers corresponding to the one or more e-mail addresses forwarded by E-mail client extension 70 (step 1610).

Forum controller 100 responds by searching registered user database 102 for the audio forum user identifiers (step 1612). If multiple matches are found, forum controller 100 can preferably search active user database 60 to determine which of several audio forum user identifiers matching an e-mail address is active or prompt the user to make a selection. Once all available audio forum user identifiers have been determined, forum controller 100 sends the audio forum user identifiers to communications module 71 (step 1614), which forwards the audio forum user identifiers to e-mail client extension 70. Additionally, forum controller 100 can, if the user so desires, send an e-mail message to persons without an e-mail address entry in registered user database 102 requesting that he or she register with forum controller 100.

Once communications module 71 returns the audio forum user identifiers, email client extension 70 passes them to e-mail client extension 70 (step 1716), which embeds the audio forum user identifiers in the e-mail before e-mail client 69 completes the e-mail delivery request (step 1718).

Server Based Audio Forum User Identifier Integration

One aspect of this invention includes audio forum user identifier / e-mail integration initiated by processes running on e-mail server computer 72. Some embodiments of the invention include audio forum user identifier lookup steps that are initiated by e-mail sender's e-mail service provider, while other embodiments include audio forum user identifier lookup steps initiated by an e-mail recipient's e-mail service provider.

In one embodiment, e-mail controller 78 initiates audio forum user identifier lookup steps. Part of this process includes e-mail controller 78 interacting with forum controller 100 to obtain the audio forum user identifiers of the user requesting the delivery of the e-mail (the sender) and the designated recipients of the e-mail. Once the audio forum user identifiers have been obtained, they are embedded in the e-mail.

The general nature of this embodiment has now been disclosed. Attention now turns to a more detailed discussion of processing steps capable of implementing this embodiment of the invention on system 20 (FIG. 3). FIG. 18 illustrates processing steps that are used in accordance with an embodiment of this invention. In a first processing step, e-mail controller 78 receives an e-mail for delivery (step 1800). Email controller 78 then extracts the e-mail addresses of the sender and designated recipients of the e-mail (step 1802). E-mail controller 78 then determines if it is already logged onto forum controller 100 (step 1804). If not, a login request is sent to forum controller 100 (step 1806). In response to this request, forum controller 100 logs in e-mail controller 78 (step 1808). E-mail controller 78 then sends the e-mail addresses extracted in step 1802 along with a request for matching audio forum user identifiers to forum controller 100 (steplδlO). Forum controller 100 responds by searching registered user database 102 for the requested information (step 1812). Once all available audio forum user identifiers have been obtained, forum controller 100 sends the audio forum user identifiers to e-mail controller 78 (step 1814). E-mail controller 78 then embeds the audio forum user identifiers provided by forum controller 100 in the e-mail (step 1816).

Persons skilled in the art will recognize that the above described steps can be executed in part by processes running on an e-mail controller 78 associated with the sender of the e-mail or with an e-mail controller 78 associated with a designated recipient of the e-mail. Further, in some embodiments e-mail controller 78 can be configured to cause Call buttons 16 and 1100 to be "grayed out" (i.e., disabled) or not shown when the audio forum user identifier lookup steps do not produce an audio forum user identifier for the sender of the e-mail. Similarly, Call All buttons 18 and 1102 can be grayed out or not shown when the audio forum user identifier lookup steps do not produce an audio forum user identifier for all or some of the other designated recipients.

In still other embodiments, Call buttons 16 and 1100 and Call All buttons 18 and 1102 can be grayed out or not shown when one or more e-mail addresses is not included in an active user database 60 entry. In these embodiments step 1812 includes a search of active user database 60 instead of, or in addition to, a search of registered user database 102. Thus, step 1814 as described above preferably includes only audio forum user identifiers associated with users logged in to forum controller 100 or includes with normal array of audio forum user identifiers and indication as to which returned audio forum user identifiers are associated with users currently logged in to forum controller 100. In an embodiment that include the use of Internet browser 62, e-mail controller 78 can gray out or not show Call button 16 or Call All button 18 by changing the contents of the web page delivered. For example, Call button 16 and Call All button 18 can be eliminated from the Web page displayed in FIG. 5 by removing lines 624 and 626 from the Web page commands displayed in FIG. 6, which as noted above produces the Web page displayed in FIG. 5 when interpreted by Internet browser 62. In embodiments that include the use of e-mail client 69, e-mail controller 78 can accomplish this by, for example, setting a variable included with the e-mail related data transmitted to e-mail client 69. E-mail client 69 can then display/enable or not display/enable Call button 1100 and Call All button 1102 according to this variable.

Other Embodiments

As noted above, in some embodiments of the invention, the audio forum user identifier is the user's e-mail address. Accordingly, audio forum user identifier lookup steps, as described above, are not needed in these embodiments of the invention. More specifically, step 910 (FIG. 9), which includes sending a request for audio forum user identifiers to forum controller 100, step 912, which includes forum controller 100 searching registered user database, and step 914, which includes forum controller 100 returning audio forum user identifiers to communications module 71, are not needed in these embodiments. Thus, if communications module 71 determines that a user is logged in (step 900) or after a user has been logged in (step 908), communications module 71 can send audio forum user identifiers / e-mail addresses to forum controller 100 with a request to create an audio forum without initiating an audio forum user identifier lookup.

Note however, that even in the embodiments in which a user's e-mail address also serves as an audio forum user identifier, an audio forum user identifier lookup may still be advantageous. For example, an audio forum user identifier lookup can be employed to determine if registered user database 102 includes an entry having a specified e-mail address.

In addition, an audio forum user identifier lookup can be employed to determine if a user associated with an e-mail address is currently logged into forum controller 100. In these embodiments, active user database 60 is searched instead of, or in addition to, registered user database 102 as described in step 912 of FIG. 9 and step 1812 of FIG. 18. These embodiments are particularly useful, since as noted above, the decision to gray out or not show Call buttons 16 and 1100 and Call buttons 18 and 1102 may depend on whether a user associated with an audio forum user identifier / email address is currently logged on to forum controller 100. What is more, some embodiments of this invention do not require and are not limited to "Call" and "Call All" buttons. For example, a button that triggers steps in which the recipient can select specific persons from a group comprised of the sender and other designated recipients of the e-mail with whom to engage in an audio forum is within the scope of this invention. Other variations and combinations of buttons and other techniques of creating an audio forum are possible, and within the scope of this invention. Furthermore, the described embodiments were not intended to imply that the audio forum user identifier lookup steps occur at only one phase of the e-mail delivery process. In fact, the audio forum user identifier lookup steps can occur during any combination of the four above described phases of the e-mail delivery process.

The above described embodiments' inclusion of communications module 71, GUI 34, and Internet browser extension 63 or e-mail client extension 70 were not meant to limit the scope of the invention. For example, persons skilled in the art will recognize that the functionality provided by communications module 71 and GUI 34 can be incorporated into Internet browser extension 63 or e-mail client extension 70. Thus, in FIG. 9A and 9B, for example, steps 900 - 906, 910, 916, and 930 can be performed by either e-mail client extension 70 or Internet browser extension 63 instead of communications module 71.

Additionally, persons skilled in the art will also recognize that the functionality provided by communications module 71, GUI 34, and e-mail client extension 70 can be incorporated into e-mail client 69. Alternatively, some embodiments include an e-mail client 69 that interacts directly with communications module 71, thus eliminating the need for e-mail client extension 70. In such embodiments step 1204 of FIG. 12 can be eliminated and steps 1208 - 1214 of FIG. 12 conducted by e-mail client 69. Other combinations are possible and all are within the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the operation of user computer 22 can be divided among any number of software modules without departing from the scope of this invention.

Conclusion

While the present invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that numerous variations and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. Moreover, while a preferred embodiment regarding the system architecture of the present invention has been disclosed in connection with FIG. 3, in view of the foregoing description, other system architectures that can-carry out one or more of the embodiments of the present invention may also be available, and all such other system architectures are contemplated to be within the scope of the present invention. It should also be noted that the operation of the forum controller 100 and e-mail controller 78 can be divided among a number of computer devices. Accordingly, it should be clearly understood that the embodiments of the invention described above are not intended as limitations on the scope of the invention, which is defined only by the claims that are now or may later be presented.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. A method of creating an audio forum in a communications network, comprising: receiving an audio forum request from a recipient of an e-mail; transmitting a viewable audio forum invitation over a communications network to designated individuals identified in said audio forum request; acquiring audio forum acceptances from said communications network from selected individuals of said designated individuals; and linking said recipient and said selected individuals in an audio forum facilitated by said communications network.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said receiving step includes the step of receiving an audio forum request from a recipient of an e-mail after said e-mail recipient activates a viewable call command.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said transmitting step includes the step of transmitting said viewable audio forum invitation to a set of e-mail addresses corresponding to said designated individuals.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said transmitting step includes the steps of: identifying within a computer database an identifier corresponding to a designated individual; and transmitting to said designated individual said identifier with said viewable audio forum invitation.

5. A method of creating an audio forum, comprising: receiving an audio forum request from a first recipient of an e-mail message, wherein: (i) said e-mail message originates with an e-mail sender and is distributed to one or more e-mail recipients including said first recipient; and (ii) at least one individual -designated by said audio forum request is determined by an identity of said e-mail sender or an identity of one of said one or more e-mail recipients, and an individual designated by said audio forum request is selected from the group consisting of said e-mail sender and any combination of said one or more e-mail recipients; transmitting a viewable audio forum invitation to an individual designated by said audio forum request; acquiring an audio forum acceptance from an individual that received said viewable audio forum invitation as a result of said transmitting step; and linking, in said audio forum, said first recipient and said individual that provided said audio forum acceptance in said acquiring step.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein said audio forum request is obtained in said receiving step from said first recipient of said e-mail message after said first e-mail recipient activates a viewable call command.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein said transmitting step includes the step of sending said viewable audio forum invitation to an e-mail address that corresponds to said individual designated by said audio forum request.

8. The method of claim 5 wherein said transmitting step includes the step of determining an identifier that corresponds to said first recipient; wherein said viewable audio forum invitation includes said identifier.

9. The method of claim 5 wherein said individual designated by said audio forum request is identified by an e-mail address associated with said individual, the transmitting step further including the steps of: locating an identifier that corresponds to said individual designated by said audio forum request by matching said e-mail address associated with said individual to an e-mail address in a user profile that corresponds to said individual; determining whether said individual designated by said identifier is logged into a forum controller; wherein, when said individual designated by said identifier is logged into said forum controller, said viewable audio forum invitation is sent to an address associated with said identifier, and when said individual designated by said audio forum is not logged into said forum controller, said individual designated by said identifier is prompted to log into said forum controller.

10. The method of claim 5 wherein said audio forum is a private unlisted forum.

11. A computer program product for use in conjunction with a computer system, the computer program product capable of creating an audio forum in a communications network, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium and a computer program mechanism embedded therein, comprising: instructions for receiving an audio forum request from a first recipient of an e-mail message, wherein: (i) said e-mail message originates with an e-mail sender and is distributed to one or more e-mail recipients including said first recipient; and

(ii) at least one individual designated by said audio forum request is determined by an identity of said e-mail sender or an identity of one of said one or more e-mail recipients, and an individual designated by said audio forum request is selected from the group consisting of said e-mail sender and any combination of said one or more e-mail recipients; instructions for transmitting a viewable audio forum invitation to an individual designated by said audio forum request; instructions for acquiring an audio forum acceptance from an individual that received said viewable audio forum invitation as a result of said transmitting step; and instructions for linking, in an audio forum, said first recipient and said individual that provided said audio forum acceptance.

12. The computer program product of claim 11 further comprising instructions for activating a call command that is viewable by said e-mail recipient, wherein said instructions for activating are executed prior to said instructions for receiving.

13. The computer program product of claim 11 wherein said instructions for transmitting include instructions for sending said viewable audio forum invitation to an e-mail address that corresponds to said individual designated by said audio forum request.

14. The computer program product of claim 11 wherein said instructions for transmitting include instructions for determining an identifier that corresponds to said first recipient, and said viewable audio forum invitation includes said identifier.

15. The computer program product of claim 11 wherein said individual designated by said audio forum request is identified by an e-mail address associated with said individual, the instructions for transmitting further including: instructions locating an identifier that corresponds to said individual designated by said audio forum request by matching said e-mail address associated with said individual to an e-mail address in a user profile that corresponds to said individual; instructions determining whether said individual designated by said identifier is logged into a forum controller; wherein, when said individual designated by said identifier is logged into said forum controller, said instructions for transmitting further include instructions for sending said viewable audio forum invitation to an address associated with said identifier, and when said individual designated by said audio forum is not logged into said forum controller, said instructions for transmitting further include instructions for prompting said individual designated by said identifier to log into said forum controller.

16. The computer program product of claim 11 wherein said audio forum is a private unlisted forum.

17. A computer system for creating an audio forum in a communications network, comprising: a memory to store instructions and data; a processor to execute the instructions stored in memory; a forum controller for hosting an audio forum; the memory storing: instructions for receiving an audio forum request from a first recipient of an e-mail message, wherein:

(i) said e-mail message originates with an e-mail sender and is distributed to one or more e-mail recipients including said first recipient; and

18. The computer system of claim 17 further comprising instructions for activating a call command that is viewable by said e-mail recipient, wherein said instructions for activating are executed prior to said instructions for receiving.

19. The computer system of claim 17 wherein said instructions for transmitting include instructions for sending said viewable audio forum invitation to an e-mail address that corresponds to said individual designated by said audio forum request.

20. The computer system of claim 17 wherein said instructions for transmitting include instructions for determining an identifier that corresponds to said first recipient, and said viewable audio forum invitation includes said identifier.

21. The computer system of claim 17 wherein said individual designated by said audio forum request is identified by an e-mail address associated with said individual, the instructions for transmitting further including: instructions locating an identifier that corresponds to said individual designated by said audio forum request by matching said e-mail address associated with said individual to an e-mail address in a user profile that corresponds to said individual; instructions determining whether said individual designated by said identifier is logged into said forum controller; wherein, when said individual designated by said identifier is logged into said forum controller, said instructions for transmitting further include instructions for sending said viewable audio forum invitation to an address associated with said identifier, and when said individual designated by said audio forum is not logged into said forum controller, said instructions for transmitting further include instructions for prompting said individual designated by said identifier to log into said forum controller.

22. The computer system of claim 17 wherein said audio forum is a private unlisted forum.

23. A client server system for hosting an audio forum in a communications network, comprising: a client computer for providing access to said audio forum, said client computer including: a first memory to store instructions and data; a first processor to execute the instructions stored in said memory; an Internet browser, said Internet browser including an Internet browser extension; and a server computer for hosting said audio forum, said server computer including: a second memory to store instructions and data; a second processor to execute the instructions stored in said memory; a forum controller for regulating said audio forum;

said first memory storing: instructions for receiving an e-mail message, said e-mail message including a web page capable of being viewed by said Internet browser; instructions for loading said web page in said Internet browser; said web page serving as an interface that provides an option to structure a connect request; instructions for processing said connect request; wherein an e-mail address of each individual designated in said connect request is collected into a data structure; and instructions for directing said data structure to said server; and

said second memory storing: instructions for receiving said data structure; instructions for creating a forum; instructions for determining whether an individual that corresponds to an e-mail address in said data structure is logged into said forum controller; wherein when said individual is not logged into said forum controller, said instructions for determining further include instructions for prompting said individual to login to said forum controller; and when said individual is logged into said forum controller, said instructions for determining further include instructions for sending an invitation to join said forum to said individual; and instructions for adding said individual to said forum when said individual accepts an invitation to join said forum.

24. The client/server system of claim 23 wherein said data structure is a dynamic data exchange message.

25. The client/server system of claim 23 wherein said instructions for directing said data structure to said server further include: instructions for sending a DDEInitiate command from said client to said server to initiate a communications channel between said client and said server; and instructions for transmitting a DDEExecute command from said client to said server upon initiation of said communications channel, said DDEExecute command including instructions to process said data structure.

26. The client/server system of claim 23 wherein: said instructions for processing said connect request further include instructions for writing said data structure to a file; and said instructions for directing said data structure to said server include instructions for sending said file to said server.

27. The client/server system of claim 23 wherein said instructions for directing said data structure to said server include instructions for sending a DDE message that includes said data structure.

28. The client server system of claim 23, wherein said second memory include a registered user database; and an active user database; said instructions for receiving said data structure include instructions for identifying a user identifier that corresponds to an e-mail address in said data structure by searching registered user database for a match between said e-mail address and said user identifier; and said instructions for determining whether said individual that corresponds to said e- mail address in said data structure is logged into said forum controller include querying said active user database for said user identifier; wherein when a match is found, said individual is logged into said forum controller and when no match is found, said individual is not logged into said forum controller.

29. The client/server system of claim 23, wherein said instructions for adding said individual to said forum further include instructions for updating a forum list associated with said forum when said individual is added to said forum; and instructions for distributing said forum list to each participant in said forum.

30. The client/server system of claim 23, wherein said option to structure a connect request includes an option to invite only the originator of said e-mail message.

31. The client/server system of claim 23, wherein said option to structure a connect request includes an option to invite each person that received said e-mail message.