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Abstract

An audio visual e-mail system and method are presented. The audio visual e-mail system of the invention reduces the complexity of sending and receiving audio visual e-mail messages to a level that allows a user to send and receive audio visual e-mail with a minimum of inconvenience. The prior art paradigm of selecting e-mail addresses from a list of long and complex e-mail addresses is replaced by selecting a thumbnail image of the intended recipient. Instead of trying to guess the identity of the sender of an e-mail message, an e-mail message created according to the invention is automatically 'signed' by a thumbnail image of the sender. Instead of sending long written descriptions that are prone to misunderstanding and difficult to read, the sender of an e-mail message according to the invention can send a photo of the object to be described together with a verbal, audio description. In one embodiment, a user uses a television-type remote control as a command interface to create audio visual messages containing a picture, a verbal description in the user's own words, and a thumbnail portrait of the user.

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First Claim