Audio message exchange system

Apparatus for exchanging information relating to a plurality of subject matter topics between a plurality of participants located remotely from one another, said apparatus comprising, in combination:

• an electronic data communications network interconnecting said participants,
• one or more audio recording units coupled to said network for recording audio messages spoken by each of said participants,
• means for persistently storing each given one of said audio messages with identification data designating one or more of said subject matter topics to which said given audio message relates,
• means for providing to a requesting participant an identification of previously stored messages relating to a subject matter topic specified in a request for information, and
• an audio playback unit for reproducing stored messages specified in said identification.

Apparatus for obtaining information responsive to request for information request which comprises, in combination,

• means for recording said request for information as an audio recording containing a spoken request prompt and a recorded request marker specifying a position in said audio recording subsequent to said request prompt,
• playback means for reproducing said spoken request prompt for a listener,
• input means initiated by said recorded request marker for temporarily suspending the operation of said playback means while accepting a spoken response from said listener, and
• recording means for storing said spoken response together with identification data designating said request.

A method for producing and processing an audio questionnaire comprising, in combination, the steps of:

• storing an electronically readable file of text characters consisting of natural language text and at least one response request marker indicating a position relative to said natural language text where a response is to be inserted by a human listener,
• using speech synthesis processing to convert said electronically readable file of text characters into a corresponding audio file of spoken natural language,
• converting said response request marker in said file of text characters into timing data indicating said position in said audio file,
• reproducing said audio file for said human listener,
• temporarily suspending the reproduction of said audio file at said position in said audio file indicated by said timing data, and
• accepting and recording a spoken response from said listener while said reproduction is temporarily suspended.