CA2290195A1 - System and method for generating audio and/or video communications - Google Patents

Abstract

A computer-based system and method for generating customized audio and/or video communications, such as personalized greetings by celebrities or other famous people. One or more databases are provided, containing pre-stored generic communications recorded by the celebrities. These generic communications contain gaps designed to be filled in by corresponding filler messages, which personalize the message by adding, for example, an individual's name and/or age. Such filler messages from the same celebrities are separately stored in filler databases, and may involve vocabularies of words, video clips and other data. A processor is provided to combine the generic and filler messages in response to customer selection into complete personalized communications by selecting the filler entries in accordance with customer specified personal data. Alternative embodiments provide for using synthetic fillers capable of extending the number and the nature of the available personalized messages. The personalized greeting is then transmitted for storage and/or delivery in any of several available formats including a streaming data format for downloading from the Internet and a video and/or audio format for shipping a cassette containing the message.

Description

SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR GENERATING AUDIO
AND/OR VIDEO COMMUNICATIONS
RELATED APPLICATIONS
The present application claims priority to U.S. provisional patent application No.
60/109,151, filed November 20, 1998.

This invention relates generally to audio and video communications and messaging, ~d more particularly to a. computer-based system and method for generating audio and/or video messages for the purpose of delivering personalized communications to individuals.
It is especially useful in creating personalized greetings from celebrities and famous persons for their fans.

In recent years, popular preoccupation with famous personalities has grown, as evidenced by the increased use of personalities to endorse goods, services, campaigns and charities. Craving even the slightest personal contact, people are willing to pay top dollar for autographs and wait in long lines just for the chance of getting a glimpse of their favorite movie or sports star. Young children and adults alike idolize athletes, musicians and movie stars, donning their jerseys, singing their songs, and buying their products and the products that they endorse.
The increased exposure of famous personalities has made people more interested in them and has fueled a desiire to make these personalities more accessible and approachable, even though they may appear to be; larger than life. Further, in recent years real-life celebrities like Michael Jordan and Cindy Crawford have replaced Peter Pan and Cinderella in the hearts of children, who frequently want to meet them in person.
Meetings with celebrities have become increasingly popular at organizations like the Make A
Wish Foundation, which helps make true: the wishes of children suffering from terminal diseases.
Despite the increased popularity of celebrity outreach programs, all existing alternatives have shortcomings. Perhaps the biggest problem heretofore has been limited resources. For example, while the Make A Wish Foundation and others like it may offer the most intimate and personalized contact for someone wanting to meet a famous person, the limited availability of celebrities' time, as well as travel costs and other factors make such solutions impractical for all but very wealthy or very special fans. The present - 1 - NY2 - 1021358.1 invention offers a technology-driven solution to the prior approaches of rationing the limited time of these highly-demanded or otherwise inaccessible personalities.
Technology has helped meet many of the demands imposed by modern society.
One benefit of the technological boom over the past decade is the increased array of gift and greeting options available to consumers. Technology has made it possible for people to send salutations in innovative ways: traditional singing telegrams have been outdated by easier and less expensive: Internet singing telegrams; express mail has made it possible to say thank you or congratulations with perishable food items from across the globe; and florists have lost some business to multimedia flower bouquets that appear in pristine form, regardless of the season, on peoplle's computer screens and brighten the recipient's day for several days or weeks.
Despite the growth of technologically based alternatives to traditional greetings, there are shortcomings to all existing alternatives. What exists in the present market are simply modern renditions of long-standing methods for sending greetings.
Current offerings allow consumers to use modern technology to do what they have always done in other ways, whether it is to send flowers, provide entertainment, or deliver some other form of gift or greeting. The present invention seeks to improve on all that is available in the market by using the late:~t technologies to do that which was heretofore impossible, namely to create personalized multimedia gifts and greetings that incorporate limited resources without great expense.
SUMMARY OF THE II~,1VENTION
It is an object of i:he present invention to overcome the apparent deficiencies in the prior art by providing a computer-based system and method for generating personalized greetings derived from previously recorded audio and/or visual communications.
It is another object of the present invention to make personalized communications available in large volumc;s and at low costs.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method for storing and delivering personalized ~;reetings that are derived from previously recorded audio and/or video communications.
The method and system of the present invention provide an effective and efficient tool for optimizing personalized l;reetings by utilizing a computer-based system to create a multitude of customized communications from a limited collection of audio and/or visual communications.
Specifically, the present invention provides a computer-based method for generating personalized communications from one or more persons, comprising: storing at least one

- 2 - rrvz-~ozi3ss.~

incomplete generic connnunication from a person in a first memory; storing a plurality of message filler elements from a person in a second memory, the filler elements providing alternative content for completing said at least one generic communication;
providing input data specifying a selection of filler elements for completing said at least one generic communication; generating a personalized communication from said at least one generic communication stored in the first memory and the specified selection of filler elements stored in the second memory; arid outputting the generated personalized communication in a pre-selected data format. In a preferred embodiment the generic communications) and the message filler elemt:nts may comprise audio, video or other types of recordings, and any combination thereof. In a preferred embodiment the input data may further specify which generic communication stored in the first memory should be selected.
In one variation of this embodiment, a plurality of generic communications and filler messages are stored in a known association with a plurality of persons. In this case the input data used in the rr.~ethod further specifies which person and which generic 1 S communication is selected. In a preferred embodiment the input data is used to generate a personalized communication in which an incomplete generic communication from a specified person is completed with message filler elements from the same person. In accordance with the invention the pre-selected data format mentioned above may be a video cassette recording (i.e., standard VHS recording), an audio cassette recording, a CD-ROM
or DVD recording, or a multi-media file.
In another aspect, the invention is computer-based system for generating personalized communications from one or more persons, comprising: a first memory storing at least one incomplete generic communication from said one or more persons; a second memory storing message filler elements from said one or more persons; a data entry device for selecting an incomplete generic communication and corresponding message filler elements; and a processor integrating a select incomplete generic communication with one or more select message filler elements to generate a personalized communication. In a specific embodiment the generic communications) and the message filler elements may comprise audio and/or video communications. In a preferred embodiment the system further comprises a storage mediium for storing the generated personalized communication for transmission to a recipient. In a specific embodiment, the storage medium used for transmission to a recipif;nt may be a video cassette, an audio cassette, a CD-ROM or DVD
disc, a standard floppy diskette (i.e., a 3.5 inch diskette), or a file server accessible from the recipient's location. Also in this. embodiment, the first memory may store a plurality of generic communications from a known person or a plurality of known persons.
The second

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memory may store message filler elements from multiple known persons. The message filler elements may further comprise numbers, names, and phonemes.
In still another aspect, the: invention is a computer-based system for generating personalized communications from at least one person comprising: a web site accessible via a communications network; a first memory storing one or more incomplete generic communications from said at least one person; a second memory storing message filler elements; a data entry device for selecting an incomplete generic communication and corresponding message iiiller elements; and a processor integrating a select incomplete generic communication with one or more select message filler elements to generate a personalized communication. In this embodiment, the personalized communication may be transferred to the user via the communications network. The message parameters may comprise a selection of a~ known lperson, a selection of a generic communication, and a selection of personalizat:ion parameters. The communications network may be the Internet.
A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Fig. 1 illustrates :in a bloclk diagram form the system in a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
Fig. 2 is a block <iiagram of the steps in the method of the present invention.
Fig. 3 is a flow diagram of a customer's selection-entry process in a specific embodiment.
Fig. 4 is a depiction of a preferred embodiment of the system in which customers are connected to the system using a Web server.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The present invention is directed to customized and personalized greetings from celebrities in sports, entertainment, music, politics, and/or animation. The personalized greeting system and method of the present invention are based on a computer-based application capable of delivering the desired personalized greetings from a desired person to the customer in one of several different formats. The present invention, also designated next as "Star Greetings" in a specific implementation discussed in more detail below, may be used as a party-planning resource available on either the Internet or other communications networl~a or media for customers that are seeking party planning advice, information services, or l;reetings. Star Greetings offers in essence the next best thing to having someone's favorite celebrity show up at his or her party. Without limitation it will

- 4 - NY2 - 1021358.1 be assumed below that the personalized greeting is made for a specific occasion, such as a birthday, anniversary, graduation, or others. It will be appreciated that the personalized greeting need not be generated by someone who is a celebrity in the generally accepted sense of the word, but rather could be generated by any person (or even cartoon character) having special meaning t:o the receiver.
Star Greetings in particuhtr offers personalized video and/or audio greetings from a celebrity, who in a specific embodiment using both audio and video media may look at the recipient, address him or her by name, talk about the special occasion, and may optionally mention the person's age: (if it is a birthday party) or other personal characteristics. In a preferred embodiment, each greeting can last between 15 seconds to several minutes and can speedily be downloaded from a customized website having a Star Greetings server, or delivered overnight in a video cassette form. In other embodiments of the invention, the personalized greeting may be delivered over a radio, or in audio cassette format. The party giver can then play back the personalized message on a computer monitor, television or a 1 S cassette deck at the appropriate time during the party.
In a preferred embodiment, Star Greeting's application features all types of celebrities: athletes, actors, musicians, models, corporate leaders, politicians, local heroes, and animated characters. There can be greetings for a variety of different occasions:
birthdays, anniversaries, bachelor parties, Christmas, and other occasions.
For example, a typical birthday greeting for an eight-year-old boy from his favorite basketball star might be, in a specific embodiment, as follows:
"Hey, Alexander! Happy Birthday, pal. I hear you're eight years old today and having a party to celebrate. I sure; wish I could be there with you and your pals - I know it's gonna be a good time. H:ey, listen up: you guys be good, have fun and, remember: if you really want to be a star, study hard in school, practice every chance you get, and mind your parents! And, oh yeah, don't for~;et to root for the Bulls!"
Figure 1 illustratc;s in a block diagram form the system in a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Broadly, the system comprises one or more generic message databases 20 for storing ;;ener-ic audio or video messages (or message templates) from one or more celebrities or otter famous people. These generic messages are supplemented with communication fillers selected from one or more databases 30 containing audio and/or video messages that correspond to and are designed to supplement the generic messages stored in database 20. Both generic messages databases) 20 and filler databases) 30 are accessible and communicate with processor 40, the operation of which is described next.
In a preferred embodiment, the system of the present invention also comprises an output

- 5 - NY2 - 1021358.1 device 50 for rendering t:he finalized personalized greeting in one of several different formats, as specified by the customer.
The system of the present invention further comprises one or more input devices designated generally as fi0. As shown in the figure, customers 80 use one or more input devices 60, which preferably include a graphical user interface (GLJI), to communicate their desires to processor 40 fir the generation of a personalized message based on the pre-stored messages contained in databases 20 and 30. Based on the user input, processor 40 selects an incomplete generic message, preferably associated with a particular (famous) person, and integrates into it one or more message fillers to generate a complete personalized message.
Finally, the output from output device SO is forwarded to the customer via block 70, which generally designates one or more storage and/or transmission media.
Turning to the individual .components of the system, database 20 contains generic messages recorded by one or more individuals, which in a preferred embodiment of the present invention are celebrities o~r famous people having name recognition or being of personal importance to the custonner, in this case to the message receiver. In a specific embodiment of the present invention the generic message recorded in database 20 may comprise either video or audio material or any combination thereof, that conveys a generic greeting message. In the: example; given above, the entire message except for "Alexander"
and "eight" can be stored as a generic message. In the template of this message are left blanks that correspond to fillers designed to personalize the message.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the databases) 20 can be implemented by any commercial database design, such as those provided by Microsoft Corporation and Oracle, among others. Further, in a different embodiment, there can be only one database: that contains links to different generic messages provided by different celebrities. The; specific implementation of the database 20 in accordance with the present invention is not important, as long as it provides the capability of linking a specific recording person to one car more generic-type messages stored for him. In a preferred embodiment it may cont;~in either video or audio or both types of inputs.
In one embodiment of the present invention, database 30 contains a number of message fillers, either in video or audio format or both, which correspond to the (incomplete) generic messages contained in database 20 and are recorded by the same celebrities. In a specific embodiment of this invention, database 30 may be implemented as part of database 20, therefore the separation illustrated in Figure 1 is for conceptual clarity only. More particularly, database: 30 contains a pre-selected number of fillers, which are intended to be inserted into the blanks in the generic messages contained in database 20.

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In a specific embodiment,. these fillers may contain several hundred first names, preferably the most popular names used in the country. Another set of fillers may contain the numbers from 1 to 100 pronounced by the recording person. Other fillers may be used as appropriate. In another embodiment of the present invention database 30 may contain video clips of the celebrity or the famous person announcing the audio fillers or portions thereof that correspond t~o the missing entries in the generic image messages contained in database 20.
In an alternative preferred embodiment of the present invention, databases) 30 contains a vocabulary or a lexicon of audio or video clips of the selected person that can be manipulated by a computer to generate any number of desired message fillers from a library of available phonemes, sounds, words, images, etc. Methods of synthesizing words and units of less than a word (i.e., phonemes, diphones, triphones) to create a smoothed delivery are known and described, for example, in U.S. Patent 5,978,764 to Lowry et al., which is incorporated hereby by reference for all purposes. In particular, the Lowry patent describes how the amplitude of different portions of a speech waveform can be adjusted to more closely match a predetermined reference level, resulting in smoother sounding and more natural speech. With reference to delivery of video fillers, methods of recording and manipulating speech related facial features and movements are also knowm and described, for example, in U.S. Pate:nt 5,826,234 to Lyberg and U.S. Patent 5,771,306 to Stork et al., which are also hereby incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.
The Lyberg patent, in particular, describes how speech related facial features corresponding to specific: words o~r sub-words (i.e., phonemes, diphones, triphones), may be recorded using a compute°r for purposes of translating recorded speech into a different language. The recording or "registration" of the movement patterns is made by measuring ?~ movement at a number of measuring points on the face or body of the speaker, where the measurements are made ;~t the same time as a number of polyphones are recorded. As an example, this measurement may be accomplished by having the speaker wear very small reflective devices (i.e., mirrors) about the mouth and face, and using a laser light to record the movements of the different reflectors, and, therefore, the movements of the speaker's mouth and face as the speaker recites different words or subwords. In this manner, different speech units are linked to their corresponding facial movements. Later, if unrecorded words or names need to be generated, the necessary speech units, and their corresponding facial movements, may be extracted from the databases and combined to form the needed word or phrase.
In a specific embodiment of the present invention, recording of the generic messages and message fillers can be performed in a studio or some environment, in which the person

- 7 - hY2 - 1021358.1 from whom the messages come feels comfortable. In a preferred embodiment, each person can record one or more messages corresponding to a variety of situations that may occur in life.
Turning next to processor block 40, in a specific embodiment it can be implemented $ as a software application gunning on a personal computer, a workstation or a Web server.
Processor 40 communicates with the databases) 20 and 30, with input devices) 60 and output devices) 50. In one embodiment, the computer-based system 10 of the present invention is implemented on a personal computer incorporating a Pentium, Pentium II or Pentium III microcompressor. Other computer systems known in the art can be employed as hardware platforms for the system of this invention. Such computer systems, as known in the art, comprise a central processing unit (CPU), memory (RAM, ROM, etc.), input and output devices and user interfaces.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, processor block 40 is implemented as a server on the worldwide web ("WWW"), which can be accessed by Internet consumers.
In accordance with the present invention input devices) 60 may comprise a graphical user interface that is standard on personal computers, workstations, or other data entry devices and should preferably be capable of providing input using menu driven options. In a specific embodiment the input menu should identify at least: (a) the occasion;
and (b) the speaker (i.e., tJze celebrity person who will deliver the greeting). The user of the system may navigate the menu by selecting items in a drop-down menu. For example, if the occasion is the birthday of an eight-year-old boy, called Alex, the user will select from the menu option "birthday" and view the list of persons delivering "birthday"
messages.
Once the desired person who will deliver the message is selected, the user will be shown a personalize option menu, including, for example, the name of the receiver, and his or her age. At that stage in this particular embodiment the user will have entered sufficient information to generate a personalized message. Next, the user can be prompted to select a message delivery option, which may include audio and/or video cassette, or a multimedia file. Finally the user will be prompted for payment information, as known in the art. In a preferred embodiment, the: option menu may include a message delivery time table, specifying when the message should be delivered, and the specific media.
In accordance with the present invention output device 50 may take one of several different forms dependent on the customer's selection of desired media that can store or transmit the desired personalized greeting(s). In a specific embodiment of the present invention, the output device can simply be a video cassette recorder, in which the personalized greetings generated firom processor 40 using databases 20 and 30 can be stored

8 - r,-~z-~ozi3ss.i in a video cassette format. In alternative embodiments of the present invention, the personalized greeting can be stored in digital format as a streaming audio or video data file for delivery to the custorr~er location. Various alternative media can be used in other embodiments of the invention.
Finally, storage and transmission block 70 indicates one of several different output media in which a personalized greeting can be stored from the output of the output device.
The Method of the Present Invention Figure 2 illustrates in a block diagram the main steps in the method of the present invention. The method involves t~,vo branches, one on the left side created off line and generally related to the recording of a series of templates or (incomplete) generic messages stored by the celebrities, and the other main portion of the method on the right side of Figure 2 relating to the execution of the personalized greetings ordered.
In the off line branch, a ceifebrity or a group of celebrities or famous people are 1 S selected (step 200) who will recorci the variety of different messages. At step 210, a series of generic messages are generated for each celebrity at a time. These messages can be kid's birthdays, adult birthdays., anniversaries, and other occasions and contain an actual message with which the person feels most comfortable. At step 220, the person also records a series of different fillers, which in a particular embodiment, may be the several hundred most popular names in the country, the numbers 1-100, and various other text suitable for filling the blanks that were left intentionally in the generic messages. In accordance with the present invention, the generic messages and fillers can be recorded in a studio, in the person's home, or in other places vrhere the celebrity feels comfortable.
These steps are expected and designed to last about 4-S hours.
As discussed above, differc;nt methods of recording sounds and facial movements may be employed, but onc; possible method involves the use of small reflectors attached to the face and mouth of the celebrity. A laser light is then used to measure and record the movements of the face and mouth for different speech units. U.S. Patent 5,826,234 to Lyberg describes such a method and is incorporated herein for all purposes.
Finally, at step 230, both the generic messages and the fillers are stored in one or more databases, in which the celebrity's name is associated vvith the messages and fillers that were recorded. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the database is capable of indicating in a list format the types of messa3;es available for the particular celebrity.
Furthermore, the messages that can be generated can be either in a video or audio or some other media format, dependent on the needs of the customers.

- 9 - IYY2 - 1021358.1 Turning next to tlhe execution of an order, at step 300, a customer logs onto a computer-based system of the present invention, which may in a preferred embodiment be implemented using a web server. At step 310, the customer enters input information, such as selecting the celebrity and the desired message and filler, and provides payment and shipping information, and specifies the desired output media. In particular embodiments of the present invention, the output c,an be output on a video cassette, on a streaming data, or in any other format which is desirf;d. This step of the method is preferably implemented using a pull-down menu, in which the person may pick his or her choice of a celebrity; can select one of the available, type of ,generic greetings; and he can fill in the blanks with customizing information, such as the name and the age of the person for whom the party is given. In a specific embodiment tile customer may be asked to phonetically spell a name or other components of the filler messages.
At step 320, the order is submitted. Advantageously, the order is submitted after the customer has had a chance to review his order and make certain that it is satisfactory. Next, at step 330, in accordance with thc~ method of the present invention, the system application generates a customized order on the basis of the input entries selected by the customer. At this time, and with reference to Figure l, processor 40 accesses the database to retrieve for the desired celebrity the selected generic message and the specified filler messages. The generic message and filler messagf; are combined then in a seamless fashion into an output message which contains a fully personalized greeting from the celebrity to the intended recipient. Generation of integratedL messages as combination of separately stored messages is presently known in some media, such as video morphing, audio editing and others, and will not be considered in further detail. In a specific embodiment it is intended that filler messages are synthesized from a sE;t of phonemes, which are pre-recorded.
The customized greeting is generated at step 340 in a desired media format, and is provided at step 350 to thf; customs°r. Step 350 may involve simply sending an e-mail to the customer indicating that the order has been filled and should be expected at the desired time. It may also indicate to the user that a personalized greeting has been stored on the web server performing the' Star Grf;eting application function and/or giving the person a delivery number for a video cassette, audio cassette, or the other hard-format delivery, if so selected by the user.
Figure 3 is a flow diagram depicting in greater detail the customer's selection entry process in a specific embodiment of the present invention. At step 400 the customer logs into a computer having access to th.e Star Greeting application. At step 410, the Star Greetings welcome screen menu is shown in a preferred embodiment, this menu indicating a variety of different options available to the user at this time. At step 420 in a specific

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embodiment the user first selects a message which he desires to be delivered to the person for whom the party is given. As shown by the dotted line in the figure, having selected the message in a specific embodiment of the present invention, the customer is capable of changing the choice or the selection for a particular message.
At step 430 the customer is then prompted to select the celebrity to deliver the desired message. The selection of the celebrity may be accomplished using a mouse click from any one of several different options presented to the user on his graphical user interface. Again, the customer is able to change the celebrity's selection, if so desired. In step 440 of the method, t:he custorner selects the personalized portions of the greetings w~ch cannot be pre-stored and must be provided separately. As discussed above, these filler entries may correspond to the recipient's name, age, occasion, or any other entries, which are recipient-specific. Advantageously, the user interface provides message-specific prompts (e.g., a listing of the first names that can be selected or the instruction "insert recipient's age") to facilitate the selection process. Again, the user may be given the option to correct his selection, if'so desired.
In step 460 of the method, the user reviews the entire greeting message including the celebrity, the selected message and the filler entries. As shown in the figure, if the person desires to make a correction, the input may loop back to the initial stage and repeat the process until the desired customized order is generated.
Once the customer is satisfied with the order that was entered, the customer is prompted at step 470 to enter financial and/or shipping information. In a preferred embodiment of the system of this invention, the communication with the processor which will fill the order is acconnplished using a standard 120 bit security browser, such as those available from Netscape (communication or Microsoft Corporation, including the Netscape Navigator and Microsoft's Internet Explorer. The financial data entry is standard in the art and need not be considered in furtlher detail. Once this information is entered, the customer enters his shipping information, if a hard copy is desired for delivering the message includes a video cassette, audio cassette, C17-ROM, DVD, floppy diskette or other tangible objects.
The customer may specify a streaming audio or video data delivery to his personal computer at a desired time. Other methods and platforms available for the delivery of the customized message can he used in alternative embodiments of the present invention, as known in the art.
Finally, the input entry exits at step 490, at which point the entire customer information collected above is transferred to the computer for the fulfillment of the order.
Figure 4 depicts a preferred embodiment of the present invention, in which the Star Greeting application is irr~plemented on a Web server, and customers can log on

- 11 - rrYZ-~oz~3se.i independently and request their ovvn versions of the personalized greetings.
As shown in the figure, after the personalized message has been generated, one or more delivery services can be used to deliver the message; stored on a video cassette or another format to the user.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the message fillers are synthesized either from pre-recorded filler messages, such as from words selected by the customer, or are synthesized from segments of ;pre-recorded material (including phonemes, isolated words, or other sounds). On the video end, the filler material can be generated automatically from a libr~uy of facial expression, bodily movements, and other imagery available from the recording person. As discussed above, U.S. Patents 5,978,764 to Lowry et al., 5,826,234 to Lyber;; and 5,771,306 to Stork et al. describe methods and systems for s~thesizing speech and/or its associated facial movements. These patents are hereby incorporated by reference for all purposes. In an alternative embodiment, the present invention may use computer animation and graphic art to fill certain blanks in the pre-recorded generic message, as knovvn in the art. Editing engines, implemented as separate software applications, cam be used to compile and store the desired customized seamless co~unication that represent the 1E-mal customized communication.
While the invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that numerous modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. 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 t:he following claims.

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Claims (24)

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. A computer-based method for generating personalized communications from one or more persons, comprising:
storing at least one incomplete generic communication from a person in a first memory;
storing a plurality of message filler elements from a person in a second memory, the filler elements providing alternative content for completing said at least one generic communication;
providing input data specifying a selection of filler elements for completing said at least one generic communication;
generating a personalized communication from said at least one generic communication stored in the first memory and the specified selection of filler elements stored in the second memory; and outputting the generated personalized communication in a pre-selected data format.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said generic communication(s) and said message filler elements comprise audio recordings.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said generic communication(s) and said message filler elements comprise video recordings.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the input data further specifies which generic communication is selected.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the input data further specifies the person corresponding to the selected generic communication.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the input data is used to generate a personalized communication in which an incomplete generic communication from the specified person is completed with message filler elements from the same person.

7. The method of claim 3 wherein said pre-selected data format is a video cassette recording.

8. The method of claim 2 wherein said pre-selected data format is a CD-ROM
recording.

9. The method of claim 2 wherein said pre-selected data format is an audio cassette recording.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein said pre-selected data format is a multimedia file.

11. A computer-based system for generating personalized communications from one or more persons, comprising:
a first memory storing at least one incomplete generic communication from said one or more persons;
a second memory storing message filler elements from said one or more persons;
a data entry device for selecting an incomplete generic communication and corresponding message filler elements; and a processor integrating a select incomplete generic communication with one or more select message filler elements to generate a personalized communication.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein said at least one generic communication and said message filler elements comprise audio communications.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein said at least one generic communication and said message filler elements comprise video communications.

14. The system of claim 11 further comprising a storage medium for storing said personalized communication.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein said storage medium is a video cassette.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein said storage medium is a CD-ROM.

17. The system of claim 14 wherein said storage medium is a floppy diskette.

18. The system of claim 11 wherein said first memory stores a plurality of generic communications from at least one person.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein said second memory stores message filler elements from the same persons.

20. The system of claim 11 wherein said message filler elements are in the group consisting of numbers, names, and phonemes.

21. A computer-based system for generating personalized communications from at least one person comprising:
a web site accessible via a communications network;
a first memory storing one or more incomplete generic communications from said at least one person;
a second memory storing message filler elements;
a data entry device for selecting an incomplete generic communication and corresponding message filler elements; and a processor integrating a select incomplete generic communication with one or more select message filler elements to generate a personalized communication.

22. The system of claim 21 further comprising a storage medium for storing the generated personalized communication for transmission to users via said communications network.

23. The system of claim 21 wherein said communications network is the Internet.

24. The system of claim 21 wherein the data entry device is used for selecting of a person.