Method for providing custom ring-back tones

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9531870-B2
Application number	US-201414292117-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 30, 2014
Priority date	Aug 15, 2006
Publication date	Dec 27, 2016
Grant date	Dec 27, 2016

Abstract

A method is provided for providing customized ring-back tones to callers on a wireline network such as a public switched telephone network having an advanced intelligent network or a VoIP network. When a call request is received from a calling party to connect to a called party through a wireline telephone network it is determined if the calling party is identified in a screening list for the called party. If so, then a customized audible ring-back tone is played to the calling party until the called party is connected to the calling party or until the call request is terminated.

First claim

That which is claimed:

1. A method comprising:
receiving, by way of a ring-back tone application server, a message requesting initiation of a call between a calling party and a called party;
determining, based on a screening list established by the called party with a user interface, which one of a standard ring-back tone and a customized ring-back tone is specified by the called party for playing to the calling party;
determining a ring-back tone preference associated with the called party and that specifies the customized ring-back tone to be played to the calling party;
sending a message from the ring-back tone application server to instruct a media server to play the customized ring-back tone specified by the called party;
establishing a real-time transport protocol stream between the media server and the calling party for playing the customized ring-back tone;
establishing a second real-time transport protocol stream between the called party and the calling party when the called party answers the call; and
providing, by way of a ring-back tone web server, the user interface for managing the ring-back tone preferences of the called party.

2. A method, comprising:
accessing, by a called party with a user interface, a web site on a web server configured to facilitate configuration of customized ring-back tone service;
obtaining a level of authorized access to a screening list associated with a subject call identifier via the web site, the screening list being established by the called party with the user interface and specifying which one of a standard ring-back tone and a customized ring-back tone is for playing to a caller; and
associating, by the called party with the user interface, the caller in the screening list with the customized ring-back tone specified by the called party such that when the caller in the screening list calls the subject call identifier, the caller is played the customized ring-back tone over a real-time transport protocol stream established between a media server and the calling party, and when the called party answers the call, a second real-time transport protocol stream is established between the called party and the calling party.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein said screening list is further configured to identify at least one of a recorded song, a portion of a recorded song, a single tone, a series of tones, a recorded announcement, music, and a recorded voice message as the customized ring-back tone associated with the caller in the screening list.

4. The method of claim 2 , further comprising storing said customized ring-back tone on the media server.

5. The method of claim 2 , further comprising associating a second caller in the screening list with a second customized ring-back tone such that when the second caller in the screening list calls the subject telephone number, the second caller is played the second customized ring-back tone.

6. The method of claim 2 , further comprising associating said caller in said screening list with different customized ring-back tones depending upon one or more of an hour of a day and a day of a week.

7. The method of claim 2 , wherein the subject call identifier is a telephone number.

8. A method comprising:
receiving, by way of a ring-back tone application server from a media gateway controller, a voice over internet protocol invite message requesting initiation of a call between a calling party and a called party;
determining, based on a screening list established by the called party with a user interface, which one of a standard ring-back tone and a customized ring-back tone is specified by the called party for playing to the calling party during call ring-back;
accessing a web site on a web server configured to facilitate configuration of customized ring-back tone service; and
modifying the screening list associated with the called party to alter the customized ring-back tone specified for playing to the calling party; and
when a customized ring-back tone is specified:
sending a voice over internet protocol message to the media gateway controller to instruct a media server to play the customized ring-back tone specified by the called party;
establishing a real-time transport protocol stream between the media server and the calling party for playing the customized ring-back tone;
notifying the ring-back application server that the calling party answered the call;
establishing a second real-time transport protocol stream between the called party and the calling party when said called party answers the call.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising storing said customized ring-back tone on the media server.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising associating, with the user interface by the called party, the calling party with the screening list and the customized ring-back tone.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the screening list is configured to identify at least one of a recorded song, a portion of a recorded song, a single tone, a series of tones, a recorded announcement, music, and a recorded voice message as the customized ring-back tone associated with the calling party in the screening list.

12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising obtaining a level of authorized access to the screening list associated with a subject call identifier, wherein the subject call identifier is a telephone number.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising associating a second calling party with a second customized ring-back tone such that when the second calling party calls the called party, the second caller is played the second customized ring-back tone.

14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising associating said calling party with different customized ring-back tones depending upon one or more of an hour of a day and a day of a week.

15. The method of claim 8 , further comprising storing said customized ring-back tone on the media server.

16. The method of claim 8 , further comprising associating the calling party with the screening list and the customized ring-back tone specified by the called party.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the screening list is configured to identify at least one of a recorded song, a portion of a recorded song, a single tone, a series of tones, a recorded announcement, music, and a recorded voice message as the customized ring-back tone associated with the calling party.

18. The method of claim 16 , further comprising obtaining a level of authorized access to the screening list associated with a subject call identifier, wherein the subject call identifier is a telephone number.

19. The method of claim 8 , further comprising associating a second calling a second customized ring-back tone such that when the second calling party calls the called party, the second calling party is played the second customized ring-back tone.

20. The method of claim 8 , further comprising associating said calling party with different customized ring-back tones depending upon one or more of an hour of a day and a day of a week.

Assignees

• Verizon Services Corp
• Verizon Patent & Licensing Inc

Inventors

• Haley James E
• Jones Douglas R
• Wurster John H
• Middleswarth Susan M

Classifications

• H04M7/129

  Details of providing call progress tones or announcements · CPC title

• H04M3/42017 Primary

  Customized ring-back tones · CPC title

• H04M3/42068

  where the identifier is used to access a profile · CPC title

• H04M7/006

  Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer (H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42) · CPC title

• H04M3/436

  Arrangements for screening incoming calls {, i.e. evaluating the characteristics of a call before deciding whether to answer it (based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; diversion H04M3/54)} · CPC title