FR2844128A1 - Internet multimedia terminal sound content transmission having reference added digital contents/stored digital base and internet/access network passed with speech server recovering sound contents using telephone communications. - Google Patents

Abstract

The sound contents transmission system has a reference added to the contents. The result is stored in a digital word base (2). The digital words are passed across the internet (15) and an access network (16). A speech server recovers the sound contents, and plays the sound contents over the telephone communications.

Description

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  Method and system for sending audio content to a multimedia terminal, referencing server, multimedia content server, multimedia terminal and

corresponding signals.

  The field of the invention is that of multimedia terminals capable of receiving multimedia content via a data network, typically the Internet, and

  an access network to this data network.

  It is recalled that the Internet is an extremely rich source of information. It allows a content provider to make data available, using multimedia content servers (also called WEB servers). Using their multimedia terminals, Internet users can acquire multimedia content as diverse as pages (for example in HTML format) containing hypertext links to other pages, text files, sounds and / or videos, movies, etc.

  More specifically, the invention relates to a method and a system for sending audio content to a multimedia terminal.

  In the state of the art, two different solutions are known for supplying sound content, within multimedia content, to a multimedia terminal.

  The first solution is to download a sound file to the terminal

  multimedia, via the Internet and a network for accessing it.

  The advantage of this first solution is to allow several successive listening of the sound file. Indeed, after downloading to the multimedia terminal,

  the sound file can be played several times locally.

  However, this first solution has several drawbacks. First of all, it requires significant storage capacities on the multimedia terminal. 25 In addition, download times can be very long if the audio content is

  of significant duration (this is for example the case if the sound file contains a song).

  In addition, the download can not be interrupted before its completion and it is therefore necessary to download the entire sound file before you can listen to it and make sure to

the real interest of its content.

  The second solution is known as "audio streaming". It consists of transmitting, by broadcasting within the Internet, sound content in the form

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  a continuous flow, with which the terminal synchronizes in order to be able to process it

also continuously.

  This second solution responds to the aforementioned drawbacks presented by the first solution. However, this second solution is not entirely satisfactory either because it requires a large bandwidth, as well as high capacities for the multimedia terminal (powerful processor, sound card, etc.). In addition, the quality of the sound content received by the multimedia terminal is dependent on traffic on the Internet. Finally, this second solution is hardly compatible with the offer of

  different payment policies (by the act, by duration, etc.).

  Thus, by way of example, neither of the two known solutions mentioned above makes it possible to satisfactorily provide sound content to a multimedia terminal of the mobile type, connected to the Internet network via a radiocommunication network (access network) in accordance with the GSM standard and implementing GPRS mode (for "General Packet Radio Service" in English). Indeed, the speed offered on such a GSM network is barely sufficient for the "audio streaming" solution and few mobile terminals

  have "streaming" client software.

  The object of the invention is in particular to overcome these various drawbacks of the state of the art.

  More specifically, one of the objectives of the present invention is to provide a technique for sending sound content to a multimedia terminal, requiring neither the downloading of a sound file via the Internet nor the streaming of audio. "via the

Internet network.

  The invention also aims to provide such a technique allowing the user to continuously learn about the sound content, so that he can only listen to part of it if his interest is not that expected.

  Another objective of the invention is to provide such a technique requiring only a small adaptation of current multimedia terminals, of the type having no

  particularly high capacities.

  A complementary objective of the invention is to provide such a technique 30 making it possible to offer a quality of reproduction of the sound content by the terminal

  multimedia that is independent of Internet traffic.

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  Yet another objective of the invention is to provide such a technique which does not require significant and costly modification of the existing network infrastructures. Yet another objective of the invention is to provide such a technique which is easy to use for anyone having a multimedia terminal according to the invention; These various objectives, as well as others which will appear subsequently, are achieved according to the invention using a method of sending sound content to a multimedia terminal, characterized in that it comprises the following steps: 10 - assigning a reference to the sound content; storing said reference in a sound database, in association with the sound content; - creation of multimedia content conveying said reference, an identifier of a voice server and a link proposing to listen to the sound content; 15 - sending multimedia content to the multimedia terminal, via a data network and an access network to said data network; if said link is activated by a user of the multimedia terminal, the multimedia terminal establishes a telephone communication with the voice server, thanks to said identifier of the voice server and via a telephone network, and passes said reference to the voice server; - the voice server retrieves the sound content via the sound database, thanks to said reference; the voice server plays the sound content so that, thanks to said

  telephone communication established between the voice server and the multimedia terminal, the multimedia terminal restores the sound content to the user.

  The general principle of the invention therefore consists in not using the same communication network for multimedia content and for sound content (which is usually a part of this multimedia content). More specifically, the invention proposes to use two separate networks, namely: - a data network (typically of the Internet type) which the multimedia terminal accesses via an access network, for the transmission of content

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  multimedia to the multimedia terminal. It is important to note that this multimedia content does not contain the audio content, but only a reference to this audio content. Consequently, only this reference passes through the data network and the access network; - a telephone network, for the transmission of sound content to the terminal

  multimedia. The audio content is that the reference of which has previously been transmitted to the multimedia terminal via the data network and the access network. The telephone network is more suitable for the transmission of sound content. In a conventional manner, the sound content is for example a sound file or a reference to a streamed stream.

  The reference associated with the sound content is of course preferably of reduced size, in order not to overload the multimedia content. It can be a series of

  numbers and / or letters identifying the sound content in a certain and unique way.

  It will be noted that the passage of the reference, from the multimedia terminal to the voice server, can be made at the time of the establishment of the telephone communication (that is to say at the time of the call) or after that Communication

  telephone call has been established (i.e. during the call).

  Preferably, the step of assigning a reference to the sound content is carried out by a reference server. Said referencing server also performs a step of sending a first reference couple I content, and / or a second reference couple / address content, to a sound database, for the storage of said first couple and / or of said second pair by the sound database, said address of the content being an address for locating the content on a

communication network.

  Preferably, the steps of creating multimedia content and sending multimedia content to the multimedia terminal are carried out at least in part by a

multimedia content server.

  Thus, in terms of infrastructure, the present invention requires only the addition (inexpensive) of a referencing server, a sound database and a voice server, as well as the adaptation (limited and inexpensive) of the multimedia terminal and

of the multimedia content server.

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  Advantageously, prior to the step of creation by the multimedia content server of multimedia content conveying said reference, an identifier of a voice server and a link proposing to listen to the sound content, the method comprises the following steps - the multimedia content server sends to the referencing server a request specifying at least one field and / or at least one attribute of at least one given sound content;

  in response, for each given sound content, the referencing server transmits to the multimedia content server a description of said given sound content, said description comprising the reference assigned to said

  given sound content, as well as the voice server identifier. Preferably, said data network is an Internet type network.

  In one preferred embodiment, said access network and said

  telephone network are confused.

  It is clear, however, that the invention also relates to the variant in which the access network (to the data network) is not confused with the telephone network. References assigned to sound content can include a limited number of characters. In this case, the number of references available is limited. One way to increase it is to increase the number of characters, in other words the size, of the references. However, this solution is not satisfactory because the references may then overload the multimedia content. The invention also aims to alleviate

this disadvantage.

  To this end, and advantageously, said reference is provisionally assigned to the sound content.

  According to an advantageous characteristic, one assigns one after the other references, belonging to a finite set of references, to sound contents and, after exhaustion of the references of the set, said references are again attributed to sound contents , by substituting new audio content for the 30 old audio content associated with said references.

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  Advantageously, as a variant or in combination with the preceding characteristic, a period of validity is assigned to each reference.

  In a first advantageous embodiment of the invention, storing said reference in the sound database, in association with the sound content, consists in storing said reference with the associated sound content. In a second advantageous embodiment of the invention, storing said reference in the sound database, in association with the sound content, consists in storing said reference with a location address, on a

  communication network, associated sound content.

  Preferably, said location address is an address on said

data network.

  In a particular embodiment of the invention, in order to carry out the steps of establishing a telephone communication with the voice server, of passing said reference to the voice server and of restoring the sound content to the user, the terminal multimedia uses an internal telephony function.

  According to an advantageous variant, to carry out the steps of establishing a telephone communication with the voice server, passing said reference to the voice server and restoring the sound content to the user, the multimedia terminal 20 uses a telephone with which he cooperates.

  Preferably, the steps of establishing a telephone communication with the voice server, passing said reference to the voice server and restoring the sound content to the user, are carried out completely.

  automatic by the multimedia terminal.

  For example, the user just has to click on the link offering to listen to the

sound content.

  Preferably, in parallel with the consultation of said sound content via the telephone network, the user of the multimedia terminal can continue the consultation, via the data network and the access network, of the other constituent elements of said multimedia content, and / or at least one other multimedia content.

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  In other words, the multimedia consultation can be extended while the telephone communication allowing the transmission of the sound content is engaged.

  Advantageously, said multimedia content and / or at least one other multimedia content conveys at least one other reference, attributed to another sound content and stored in the sound database in association with said other sound content, and at least one other link. offering to listen to said other sound content. If the user activates said other link after the multimedia terminal has established said communication with the voice server: the multimedia terminal passes said other reference to the voice server, via said communication; - the voice server retrieves said other sound content via the sound database, thanks to said other reference; the voice server plays said other sound content so that, thanks to said telephone communication established between the voice server and the multimedia terminal, the multimedia terminal restores said other sound content to the user.

  In this way, several audio contents can be transmitted during the same telephone call.

  Advantageously, the following steps which result from the activation by the user of said other link: - passage of said other reference to the voice server and - restitution to the user of said other sound content, are carried out immediately, without waiting for the end of execution of the following steps which result from the activation by the user of said link 25 - passage of said reference to the voice server and

  - restitution to the user of the sound content.

  Thus, the user of the multimedia terminal can start listening to other sound content, even if he has not fully listened to the previous sound content.

  The invention also relates to a system for sending audio content to a multimedia terminal, this system comprising: a referencing server comprising:

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  * means of assigning a reference to the sound content; * means for sending a first reference / content pair, and / or a second reference / content pair, to a sound database, for the storage of said first pair and / or said second pair through the sound database; - a multimedia content server comprising: * means for creating multimedia content conveying said reference, an identifier of a voice server and a link proposing to listen to the sound content * means for sending multimedia content to the terminal multimedia, via a data network and an access network to said data network; said multimedia terminal comprising: * means for detecting the activation of said link by a user of the multimedia terminal; * means for establishing a telephone communication with the voice server, using said identifier of the voice server and via a telephone network; * means for passing said reference to the voice server and said voice server comprising: * means for recovering sound content by means of the sound database, thanks to said reference; * means for playing the sound content so that, thanks to said telephone communication established between the voice server and the multimedia terminal, the multimedia terminal returns the user the

sound content.

  The invention also relates to a referencing server, for implementing the above method of sending sound content to a multimedia terminal. According to the invention, said referencing server comprises: means for assigning a reference to the sound content;

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  - means for sending a first reference / content pair, and / or a second

  reference / address couple of the content, to a sound database, for the storage of said first couple and / or of said second couple by the sound database.

  The invention also relates to a multimedia content server, for setting up

  implementation of the above method of sending sound content to a multimedia terminal.

  According to the invention, said multimedia content server comprises: - means for creating multimedia content carrying a reference assigned to the sound content, an identifier of a voice server and a link 10 proposing to listen to the sound content; - Means for sending multimedia content to the multimedia terminal, via a data network and an access network to said data network. The invention also relates to a multimedia terminal, for the implementation of the above method of sending sound content to said multimedia terminal. According to the invention, said multimedia terminal comprises: - means for receiving, via a data network and an access network to said data network, a multimedia content carrying a reference attributed to the sound content, an identifier for a voice server and a link offering to listen to the sound content; means for detecting the activation of said link by a user of the multimedia terminal; and said multimedia terminal comprises or cooperates with a telephone comprising: means for establishing a telephone communication with the voice server, thanks to said identifier of the voice server and via a telephone network; 25 - means for passing said reference to the voice server;

  - means of restitution to the user, thanks to said telephone communication established between the voice server and the multimedia terminal or the telephone, of the sound content played by the voice server after the voice server has recovered the sound content via from the sound database 30, using said reference.

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  The invention also relates to a voice server, for implementing the above method of sending sound content to a multimedia terminal. According to the invention, said voice server comprises: - means for receiving, via a telephone communication established with the multimedia terminal, a reference assigned to the sound content and passed through the multimedia terminal; means for recovering the sound content by means of a sound database, thanks to said reference; - Means for playing the sound content so that, thanks to said telephone communication established between the voice server and the multimedia terminal, the multimedia terminal restores the sound content to the user. The invention also relates to a signal transmitted from a multimedia content server to a multimedia terminal, during the implementation of the above method of sending sound content to said multimedia terminal. According to the invention, said signal 15 carries multimedia content carrying a reference assigned to sound content, an identifier of a voice server and a link proposing to listen to the sound content. The invention also relates to a signal transmitted from a multimedia terminal to a voice server, during the implementation of the above method of sending audio content to said multimedia terminal. According to the invention, said signal is transmitted during or after the establishment of a telephone communication between the multimedia terminal and the voice server, and carries a reference assigned to a

sound content.

  Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear on reading the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, given by way of

  of indicative and nonlimiting example, and of the appended drawings, in which: - Figure 1 shows a block diagram of a first particular embodiment of the system according to the invention; - Figure 2 shows a functional block diagram of the referencing server 30 appearing in Figure 1; it 2844128 - Figure 3 shows a functional block diagram of the multimedia content server appearing in Figure 1; - Figure 4 shows a functional block diagram of the multimedia terminal and the telephone appearing in Figure 1; - Figure 5 shows a functional block diagram of the voice server appearing in Figure 1; - Figure 6 shows a flowchart of a particular embodiment of the method according to the invention; - Figure 7 shows a block diagram of a second particular embodiment of the

system according to the invention.

  The invention therefore relates to a method and a system for sending sound content to a multimedia terminal.

  In the first particular embodiment illustrated in the block diagram of FIG. 1, the system according to the invention comprises an referencing server 1, a sound database 2, a multimedia content server 3 and a voice server 6. Each

  user has a multimedia terminal 4 cooperating with a telephone 5.

  The referencing server 1 is directly connected to the sound database 2 which it manages. It also communicates with the multimedia content server 3 and the

  voice server 6 via the Internet 15 (data network).

  The telephone 5 communicates with the voice server 6 via a telephone network 16, for example a radiocommunication network conforming to the

GSM standard.

  The multimedia terminal 4 cooperates with the telephone 5 to communicate with the multimedia content server 3, via the Internet network 15 and the telephone network 25. In other words, in this first embodiment, the telephone network 16 constitutes the access network to the Internet 15, for the telephone 5 and the multimedia terminal 4 with which the latter cooperates. Conventionally, in the aforementioned case of a radiocommunication network conforming to the GSM standard, the telephone 5 has two operating modes: a "data mode", as defined in the GSM standard, when it communicates with the multimedia content server 3, and a

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  "voice mode", as defined in the GSM standard, when communicating with the server

vocal 6.

  We now detail, in relation to FIGS. 2 to 5, each of the aforementioned elements and referenced 1 to 6.

  In the particular embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2, the referencing server 1 comprises: - means 10 for assigning a reference to a sound content, this sound content itself being a file or a reference to a streamed content ; means 11 for sending a "reference / content address" couple to the sound database 2, with a view to memorizing by it the couple it receives. The address of the content is for example a URL address ("Uniform Resource Locator") within the Internet network 15; means 12 for receiving a request, for example of the http type, originating from the multimedia content server 3 and specifying at least one field and / or at least one attribute (metadata) of a given sound content ( that the multimedia content server 3 wishes to include, indirectly, in multimedia content);

  - 13 means for generating a response to the above request. This response, for example in XML, includes a description of the given sound content, itself comprising the reference previously assigned to this sound content.

  given, as well as an identifier of the voice server 6; means 14 for transmitting the aforementioned response over the Internet 15 to the multimedia content server 3. In the particular embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3, the multimedia content server 3 comprises: means 31 transmitting the request already discussed above, on the Internet 15, to the referencing server 1. It is recalled that this request specifies at least one field and / or at least one attribute of a given sound content , that the multimedia content server 3 wishes to include, indirectly, in multimedia content;

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  - Means 32 for receiving the response to this request. It is recalled that this response includes the reference of the given sound content, as well as an identifier of the voice server 6; means 33 for creating multimedia content (for example an HTML page) which can convey, in a conventional manner, text data and / or image data and / or video data and / or sound data, and conveying , according to the invention: * the reference of the given sound content (that is to say the reference extracted from the response sent by the referencing server 1), 10 * an identifier of a voice server (for example its number phone), * a link offering to listen to this audio content;

  - Means 34 for sending multimedia content, over the Internet 15, to the multimedia terminal 4. It will be recalled that in the first embodiment discussed here the multimedia terminal 4 accesses the Internet 15 15 through the telephone network 16 , which constitutes the access network.

  In the particular embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4, the multimedia terminal 4, for example a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), comprises: - means 40 for receiving multimedia content (created by the multimedia content server 3 and discussed below above), via the Internet 15, the telephone network 16 (as an access network) and the telephone 5 (operating in "data mode"); - Means 41 for detecting the activation, by a user of the multimedia terminal 4, of the link (conveyed by the multimedia content received) proposing to listen to the sound content; means 42 for cooperation with the telephone 5, with a view to: * establishing a telephone communication between the telephone (operating in "voice mode") and the voice server 6, using a telephone number of the voice server 6 ( conveyed by the multimedia content received) and * the passage of the reference of the sound content (conveyed by the content

  received multimedia) to the voice server 6.

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  In the particular embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4, the telephone 5 comprises: - means 50 for cooperation with the multimedia terminal 4; - Means 51 for establishing a telephone communication with the voice server 5, via the telephone network 16, when the telephone 5 operates in "voice mode". For this, the multimedia terminal 4 communicates before the telephone 5 the telephone number of the voice server 6; - Means 52 for passing the reference of the sound content to the voice server 6. For this, the multimedia terminal 4 communicates the reference beforehand to the telephone 5;

  means 53 for restitution to the user, thanks to the telephone communication established between the voice server 6 and the telephone 5, of the sound content played by the voice server 6 (after the voice server 6 has recovered the sound content by 'through the sound database 2, using the reference). Typically, these restitution means 53 comprise a speaker.

  The means 42, 50 for cooperation between the multimedia terminal 4 and the telephone are for example based on the AT command set (for "ATTENTION command" in English). For more details concerning the latter, reference may be made on the one hand to the ETSI standard "GSM 07.07" and on the other hand to the ITU-T recommendation V25ter, which are inserted here by reference. . In this case, these AT commands are used to allow the multimedia terminal 4 (playing the role of third-party equipment, or TE for "Terminal Equipment") to require the telephone 5 (playing the role of the radiocommunication terminal) to '' execute certain predetermined actions, and in particular the dialing of the telephone number of the voice server 6 then the

  numbering of the reference in DTMF ("Dual Tone Multi-Frequency").

  It is clear that other embodiments, for example according to the technique

  "Bluetooth" (through the telephone service), means 42, 50 for cooperation between the multimedia terminal 4 and the telephone 5 can be envisaged without departing from the scope of the present invention.

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  In the particular embodiment illustrated in FIG. 5, the voice server 6 comprises: - means 60 for receiving, via the telephone communication established with the telephone 5 (which cooperates with the multimedia terminal 4), the reference of the sound content passed by phone 5; - Means 61 for recovering sound content thanks to its reference. These recovery means 61 interrogate the referencing server 1, for example by request of the http type indicating the reference. The referencing server I retrieves from the sound database 2 the URL address which is stored in association with this reference, and transmits this URL address to the voice server 6. It is recalled that this URL address is either the address of a sound file, the address of a reference to streamed content; means 62 for playing the sound content, by virtue of the URL address provided by the referencing server 1, so that, thanks to the telephone communication established between the voice server 6 and the telephone 5,

  the latter restores the sound content to the user. We now present, in relation to the flowchart of FIG. 6, a particular embodiment of the method according to the invention.

  In the step referenced 71, the referencing server 1 assigns a reference to sound content, then sends a "reference / URL address" pair.

  sound content "to the sound database 2.

  In the step referenced 72, the sound database 2 stores this pair "reference / URL address of the sound content". The two above steps 71, 72 being carried out for a plurality of sound contents, the sound database 2 contains a plurality of pairs "reference / URL address of the sound content".

  Several reference management policies can be envisaged. A first reference management policy consists in definitively assigning a reference to sound content. The disadvantage of this policy is that to have a large number of references, you have to increase the size 30 (that is to say the number of characters) of these references, which overloads the contents

multimedia that convey them.

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  A second reference management policy, when a finite set of references is available, consists in temporarily assigning a reference to sound content. For this, a first technique consists in assigning references to sound contents one after the other. Then, after exhaustion of the references of the set, to assign to new (for example cyclically) these references to new sound contents, by replacing these new sound contents with the old sound contents associated with the same references. A second technique consists in assigning a period of validity to each reference. In this case, a reference becomes available again when its period of validity, after having been assigned to an audio content, has elapsed. We can even consider combining these first and second techniques. In this case, after having been assigned to a sound content, a reference can either be reassigned to another sound content if there is no more reference available, or become available again when its period of validity has elapsed without it had to be

  reassigned during this period of validity.

  In the step referenced 73, it is assumed that the multimedia content server 3 wishes to generate multimedia content indirectly containing, according to the mechanism of the invention, a given sound content. The multimedia content server 3 sends to the referencing server 1, via the Internet 15, a request relating to a certain

  number of fields or attributes (metadata) of the sound content sought.

  In the step referenced 74, the referencing server 1 sends to the multimedia content server 3, via the Internet network 15, a response to the aforementioned request, comprising the reference of the sound content sought and the telephone number of the

voice server 6.

  In the step referenced 75, the multimedia content server 3 generates multimedia content by combining the reference of the sound content and the telephone number of the voice server 6, as well as a link proposing to listen to the sound content, with text data and / or image data and / or video data, etc. In other words, the multimedia content generated contains indirectly (and not directly) the sound content since it contains information elements 30 (reference, telephone number of the voice server and link proposing to listen to the content

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  audio) which will later allow you to recover and restore this audio content to

  the user of the multimedia terminal 4.

  In the step referenced 76, the multimedia content server 3 transmits the multimedia content (generated during the previous step) to the multimedia terminal 4, 5 via the Internet network 15, the telephone network 16 (as a network of access) and the

phone 5 ,.

  In the step referenced 77, the multimedia terminal 4 detects whether the link proposing to listen to the sound content has been activated by the user, for example by clicking on this

  link. The following steps are performed only if the link is activated.

  In the step referenced 78, the multimedia terminal 4 controls the telephone 5 so that the latter establishes a telephone communication, via the telephone network 16, with the voice server 6 and passes to the voice server 6 the reference of the

sound content.

  In the step referenced 79, the voice server 6 sends to the referencing server 1, via the Internet network 15, a request specifying the reference of the sound content.

  In the step referenced 80, the referencing server 1 retrieves the URL address of the sound content, by interrogating the sound database 2 by indicating the reference of the sound content. Then, the referencing server 1 sends to the voice server 20 6, via the Internet network 15, the URL address of the sound content.

  In the step referenced 81, the voice server 6 plays the sound content for which the referencing server 1 has supplied it with the URL address. Via the telephone communication established between the voice server 6 and the telephone 5, the telephone 5 can thus restore to the user the sound content played by the voice server 25 6.

  It is clear that many other embodiments of the invention can be envisaged.

  One can in particular provide that the steps referenced 71 and 72 are carried out after step 73. In other words, the steps of assigning a reference to a sound content, and of memorizing the couple "reference / URL address content

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  "by the sound database 2, are only performed after the server

  referencing 1 received the request sent by the multimedia content server 3.

  It is also possible to provide that the sound database 2 stores “reference / content” couples instead of the “reference / content address” couples. In this case, 5 during the steps referenced 80 and 81, the referencing server 1 collects the sound content in the sound database 2, then sends it to the voice server 6 which

can play it directly.

  One can also provide that the multimedia terminal 4 integrates a telephony function (as symbolized by the frame referenced 18 in Figures 1 and 7). In this case, the multimedia terminal 4 itself performs the actions performed by the telephone 5 in the steps referenced 78 and 81 and discussed above. In other words, the multimedia terminal 4, without having to cooperate with the telephone 5, establishes a telephone communication with the voice server 6 and passes to the voice server 6 the reference of the sound content. Then, by means of this telephone communication, the multimedia terminal 4 can restore the sound content to the user

played by the voice server 6.

  In the above description, the telephone 5 is for example a mobile telephone which can connect to a radiocommunication network conforming to the GSM standard. It is clear, however, that the invention applies regardless of the type of radio network (DCS, UMTS, etc.). The invention also applies with a

  landline telephone connected to a fixed telephone network (PSTN, ISDN, etc.).

  Likewise, in the above description, the multimedia terminal 4 is a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA). It is clear, however, that the invention applies

  with any type of multimedia terminal, mobile or fixed.

  In yet another alternative embodiment of the invention, the referencing server 1 is directly connected locally (without going through the Internet network 15) to the sound database 2, to the multimedia content server 3 and to the

voice server 6.

  A second particular embodiment of the system according to the invention is now presented, in relation to the block diagram of FIG. 7. The elements common to

  first and second embodiments keep the same reference numerals.

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  This second embodiment differs from the first in that the access network (referenced 17 in FIG. 7) to the Internet network 15 is not confused with the telephone network 16 (via which the telephone 5 communicates with the voice server 6). In addition, the multimedia terminal 4 communicates directly (that is to say without cooperating with the telephone 5) with the multimedia content server 3, via the Internet network 15 and the access network 17. By elsewhere, phone 5

  communicates with the voice server 6 via the telephone network 16.

  In a variant (not shown) of the second embodiment, the multimedia terminal 4 cooperates with the telephone 5 to communicate with the multimedia content server 10, via the Internet network 15 and the access network 17. In in other words, the access network 17 is a telephone network distinct from the telephone network 16. The telephone 5 is of the type enabling communication on the one hand via

  the telephone network 16 and on the other hand via the access network 17.

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Claims (27)

  1. Method for sending sound content to a multimedia terminal (4), characterized in that it comprises the following steps: - allocation of a reference to the sound content; - storage of said reference in a sound database (2), in association with the sound content; creation of multimedia content conveying said reference, an identifier of a voice server and a link proposing to listen to the sound content; - sending multimedia content to the multimedia terminal, via a data network (15) and an access network (16; 17) to said data network; - if said link is activated by a user of the multimedia terminal, the multimedia terminal establishes a telephone communication with the voice server (6), thanks to said identifier of the voice server and via a telephone network, and passes said reference to the voice server - the server voice retrieves sound content via the sound database, thanks to said reference - the voice server plays the sound content so that, thanks to said telephone communication established between the voice server and the multimedia terminal, the multimedia terminal restores the sound content to the user. 20 2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the step of assigning a reference to the sound content is carried out by a referencing server (1), and in that said referencing server also performs a step of sending of a first reference / content couple, and / or of a second reference / content couple, to a sound database, with a view to memorizing said first couple and / or said second couple by the sound data, said address of   content being a location address for the content on a communication network.   3. Method according to any one of claims 1 and 2, characterized in that   the steps for creating multimedia content and sending multimedia content to the multimedia terminal are carried out at least in part by a multimedia content server (3). 2 l 2844128   4. Method according to claims 2 and 3, characterized in that, prior to   the step of creation by the multimedia content server of multimedia content conveying said reference, an identifier of a voice server and a link proposing to listen to the sound content, the method comprises the following steps: - the content server multimedia (3) sends to the referencing server (1) a request specifying at least one field and / or at least one attribute of at least one given sound content; - in response, for each given sound content, the referencing server   transmits a description of said given sound content to the multimedia content server, said description comprising the reference assigned to said   given sound content, as well as the voice server identifier.   5. Method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that   said data network (15) is an Internet type network.   6. Method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that   said access network and said telephone network (16) are combined.   7. Method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that   said reference is provisionally assigned to the sound content.   8. A method according to claim 7, characterized in that one after the other assigns references, belonging to a finite set of references, to audio contents and, after exhaustion of the references of the set, again assigns said references to audio content, substituting new audio content   to the old sound contents associated with said references.   9. Method according to any one of claims 7 and 8, characterized in that   that a period of validity is assigned to each reference.   10. Method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that   storing said reference in the sound database, in association with the sound content, consists in storing said reference with the associated sound content.   11. Method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the storage of said reference in the sound database, in association with the sound content, consists in storing said reference with an address of   localization, on a communication network, of the associated sound content. 22 2844128   12. Method according to claim 1 1, characterized in that said address of   location is an address on said data network.   13. Method according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that, in order to carry out the steps of establishing a telephone communication with the voice server, passing said reference to the voice server and returning to   the user of the sound content, the multimedia terminal uses an internal telephony function.   14. Method according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that, for carrying out the steps of establishing a telephone communication with the voice server, passing said reference to the voice server and restoring it to   the user of the sound content, the multimedia terminal (4) uses a telephone (5) with which he cooperates with.   15. Method according to any one of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that the steps of establishing a telephone communication with the voice server, of passing said reference to the voice server and of restoring to the user the contents   sound, are performed completely automatically by the multimedia terminal.   16. Method according to any one of claims 1 to 15 characterized in that, in parallel with the consultation of said sound content via the telephone network, the user of the multimedia terminal can continue the consultation, via the data network and the access network, other components of said multimedia content,   and / or at least one other multimedia content.   17. Method according to any one of claims 1 to 16, characterized in that   said multimedia content and / or at least one other multimedia content conveys: - at least one other reference, assigned to another sound content and stored in the sound database in association with said other sound content, and - at least one other link offering to listen to said other sound content; and in that, if the user activates said other link after the multimedia terminal has established said communication with the voice server: - the multimedia terminal passes said other reference to the voice server, via said communication; 23 2844128   - the voice server retrieves said other sound content via the sound database, thanks to said other reference - the voice server plays said other sound content so that, thanks to said telephone communication established between the voice server and the multimedia terminal 5, the multimedia terminal restores said other sound content to the user. 18. Method according to claim 17, characterized in that the following steps which result from the activation by the user of said other link: - passage of said other reference to the voice server and 10 - restitution to the user of said other sound content , are carried out immediately, without waiting for the end of the execution of the following steps which arise from the activation by the user of said link passage of said reference to the voice server and   - restitution to the user of the sound content.   19. System for sending sound content to a multimedia terminal, characterized in that it comprises: - a referencing server comprising: * means for assigning a reference to the sound content; : * means for sending a first reference / content pair, and / or a second reference / content pair, to a sound database, for the storage of said first pair and / or said second couple by the sound database; - a multimedia content server comprising: * means for creating multimedia content conveying said reference, an identifier of a voice server and a link proposing to listen to the sound content * means for sending multimedia content to the terminal multimedia, via a data network and an access network to said data network; in that said multimedia terminal comprises: 24 2844 128   means for detecting the activation of said link by a user of the multimedia terminal; * means for establishing a telephone communication with the voice server, using said identifier of the voice server and via a telephone network; * means for passing said reference to the voice server and in that said voice server comprises: * means for recovering sound content by means of the sound database, thanks to said reference; 10 * means for playing sound content so that, thanks to said   telephone communication established between the voice server and the multimedia terminal, the multimedia terminal restores the sound content to the user.   20. SEO server, for implementing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 18 for sending sound content to a terminal   multimedia, characterized in that said referencing server comprises: - means for assigning a reference to the sound content; means for sending a first reference / content pair, and / or a second reference / content pair, to a sound database,   view of the memorization of said first couple and / or of said second couple by the sound database.   21. SEO server according to claim 20, characterized in that it further comprises: - means for receiving a request specifying at least one field and / or at least one attribute of at least one given sound content;   means for generating and transmitting a response to said request, said response comprising, for each given sound content, a description of said given sound content, said description comprising a reference assigned to said given sound content, as well as an identifier a server Voice. 2844128   22. Multimedia content server, for implementing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 18 for sending sound content to a terminal   multimedia, characterized in that said multimedia content server comprises: - means for creating multimedia content carrying a reference assigned to the sound content, an identifier of a voice server and a link proposing to listen to the sound content; - Means for sending multimedia content to the multimedia terminal, via a data network and an access network to said data network. 10 23. Multimedia content server according to claim 22, characterized in that it further comprises: - means for transmitting a request specifying at least one field and / or at least one attribute of at least one sound content given; means for receiving a response to said request, said response   including, for each given sound content, a description of said content   given sound content, said description comprising a reference attributed to said given sound content, as well as an identifier of a voice server. 24. Multimedia terminal, for implementing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 18 for sending sound content to said multimedia terminal 20,   characterized in that said multimedia terminal comprises: - means for receiving, via a data network and an access network to said data network, multimedia content carrying a reference assigned to the sound content, an identifier of a server voice and a link proposing to listen to the sound content; means for detecting the activation of said link by a user of the multimedia terminal; and in that said multimedia terminal comprises or cooperates with a telephone comprising: means for establishing a telephone communication with the voice server, thanks to said identifier of the voice server and via a telephone network; 26 2844128   - means for passing said reference to the voice server - means for returning to the user, by means of said telephone communication established between the voice server and the multimedia terminal or the telephone, the sound content played by the voice server after the 5 voice server retrieved sound content via database   sound, using said reference.   25. Voice server, for implementing the method according to any one of   claims 1 to 18 for sending sound content to a multimedia terminal,   characterized in that said voice server comprises: - means for receiving, via a telephone communication established with the multimedia terminal, a reference assigned to the sound content and passed through the multimedia terminal; - means for recovering sound content by means of a sound database, using said reference 15 - means for playing sound content in such a way that, thanks to said   telephone communication established between the voice server and the multimedia terminal, the multimedia terminal restores the sound content to the user. 26. Signal transmitted from a multimedia content server to a multimedia terminal, during the implementation of the method according to any one of claims 20 to 18, of sending sound content to said multimedia terminal,   characterized in that said signal carries multimedia content carrying a reference assigned to audio content, an identifier of a voice server and a link   offering to listen to the sound content.   27. Signal transmitted from a multimedia terminal to a voice server, during the implementation of the method according to any one of the sending claims 1 to 18   sound content to said multimedia terminal, characterized in that said signal is transmitted during or after the establishment of a telephone communication between the multimedia terminal and the voice server, and   carries a reference assigned to sound content.