Personalized audio/video invitations for phone calls

A method for providing the identity of a call initiator prior to acceptance of a call by a call recipient, comprising:

• a call recipient's communication device receiving a call request message including a personalized audio or video invitation from the call initiator and call completion information needed to provide real-time communication with the call initiator's communication device prior to and after acceptance of the call;
• the call recipient's communication device presenting the personalized audio or video invitation for review to determine whether or not to accept a request for a call from the call initiator;
• providing an indication of acceptance of the request for the call to the call initiator;
• and
• enabling a voice connection between the call initiator and call recipient using the call completion information.

A method for providing the identity of a call initiator prior to acceptance of a call by a call recipient, comprising:

• a server receiving a call request message including a personalized audio or video invitation from the call initiator and call completion information needed to provide real-time communication between the call initiator to the call recipient prior to and after acceptance of the call;
• the server parsing the call request message and uploading the call completion information and the personalized audio or video invitation to a storage device;
• the server providing the call request message to the call recipient for evaluation;
• upon receipt of an indication of acceptance by the call recipient of the call initiator's request for a call, notifying the call initiator that the call recipient has accepted the call in response to the personalized audio or video invitation;
• and
• enabling a live voice connection between the call initiator and call recipient using the call completion information.

A communication system that provides the identity of a call initiator prior to acceptance of a call by a call recipient, comprising:

• a call initiating communication device adapted to record a personalized audio or video invitation from the call initiator and, upon completion of the recording, to initiate the call by providing a call request message including the personalized audio or video invitation from the call initiator and call completion information needed to provide real-time communication with the call recipient's communication device prior to and after acceptance of the call;
• a call receiving communication device adapted to enable the call recipient to review the personalized audio or video invitation to determine whether to accept the call;
• and
• a server adapted to manage communication between the call initiating communication device and the call receiving communication device during evaluation of the personalized audio or video invitation prior to establishment of the call and to enable a live voice connection between the call initiator and call recipient using the call completion information upon acceptance of the call by the call recipient.