Patent Grant
8121267
The invention relates generally to the customization of a communications network and, more particularly, to the customization of a communications network including replacement ringback announcements and the system for delivering replacement ringback content in a forked-call or mobility/roaming environment.
Most conventional communications networks today, particularly existing telephone networks, provide a calling party with an audible ringback signal when an intended called network address or station line is idle and a busy signal when the intended called network address or station line is already in use (i.e., the telephone or other device at the called network address is being used). Conventional networks also provide a calling party with an audible dial tone signal when the telephone or other device at the calling station signals the network that they wish to initiate a call or network communication and a line is available. Most conventional communications networks today, particularly existing telephone networks, also provide advanced features, such as call waiting. The call-waiting feature allows a station or device already connected to another station or device to temporarily disconnect from a first call and receive a second incoming call, and then switch between the calling parties.
For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,557,658, 5,428,670, and 5,321,740 to Gregorek et al., incorporated herein by reference, disclose the selective modification or replacement of at least a portion of a call progress signal, including the conventional aforementioned ringback signal, dial tone, busy signal, call-waiting signal, and call waiting idle time, with prerecorded announcements and/or audio/video programming. These announcements and/or programming provide more information to a calling party. The replacement announcements and tones can be tailored to a specific calling party and can be associated with a calling party's unique network address or telephone number.
Custom ringback announcements allow for an additional level of flexibility and personalization of a user's communications network service. To customize the system, a user of a replacement ringback system, the network provider, or a third party might wish to deliver, for example, audio/video programming, music, interactive games, jokes, personalized messages, or informational messages to a calling party to supplement and/or replace the conventional ringback tones played to the calling party. Furthermore, replacement content can be customized for a specific calling party or group of calling parties. The replacement ringback system offers a convenient and simple way to extend a caller's communication experience and takes advantage of a previously unutilized call transmission period.
In addition, replacement ringback tones and announcements offer almost limitless applications in the marketing industry. Typically, a caller experiences a rather large amount of unused idle time when waiting for a called party to answer his or her telephone. A caller may also be put on hold for several minutes while the called party answers another inbound call (e.g., a called party may place an initial caller on call-waiting or hold to answer a second inbound call). Since ringback tones can be played to all parties, regardless of the called party's or calling party's own carrier or calling transmission means (i.e., whether the caller is calling from a wireless link or land line, etc.), replacement ringback tones are an ideal medium for advertising. Substantial revenue can be gained by taking advantage of this idle time to deliver advertisements pertaining to consumer goods, products, services, etc. provided by a particular corporation or individual. Further, since communication devices are virtually ubiquitous and universally used, ringback tones have the potential to reach a large, targeted audience very quickly and efficiently. For example, businesses may use replacement ringback tones to deliver company slogans, jingles, and promotions to increase exposure and publicity.
As the adoption of the technology identified in the above-referenced application is emerging, certain drawbacks in the user interface for enabling the functionality of the application are arising. For example, a subscriber is usually required to notify the network provider in advance, if the subscriber desires a new ringback replacement association via a Short Message Service (SMS) message, email, or telephone call to the communications network's voice response system or call center. This advance notification, for example, usually contains at least the network address or addresses to be associated with the new ringback content and an identification of the desired replacement ringback content. Alternatively, a communications network may utilize a website designed to facilitate interaction with the network's ringback replacement system. After an authentication and identification process, a user of a replacement ringback website may specify new ringback content to be added to the user's ringback service via a user-friendly web interface and a series of graphical prompts and menus. The desired ringback content may be already stored on the communications network (or a third party location) or the user may select local content to be transferred to a storage location accessible by the communications network. The website may utilize standard HTTP upload functionality, File Transfer Protocol (FTP), or any other data transfer or upload mechanism to initiate the transfer of the replacement ringback content to the communications network. The network provider then makes the necessary changes to the subscriber's service to associate the appropriate network address or addresses with the desired ringback content.
Also, notification and confirmation by external means are often required to update or change the ringback content for an already-existing ringback association. For example, an exchange of emails may be required to effect the change in service, or a visit to a website may be necessary to modify replacement ringback functionality. This often inconvenient and time-consuming method of updating or adding new ringback content to a user's service discourages subscribers of a ringback replacement service from frequently modifying or adding new ringback replacement associations, thus reducing potential revenue by deterring regular and repeated ringback content purchasing and utilization.
In addition, call transfer is one of the most commonly used services in modern communications networks. When a call is transferred, handed off, or forwarded to another network service provider, replacement ringback content is usually overridden by the ringback signals of the terminating network service provider. For example, a subscriber in a mobility environment can specify calls to be forwarded in various situations. When the CFU (Call Forwarding Unconditional) service is activated, for example, all calls destined to the subscriber are forwarded to a given number, which may be inside or outside the current service provider's coverage area. In the CFB (Call Forwarding on Busy) service, calls are forwarded if the called subscriber is busy. By activating the CFNRy (Call Forwarding on No Reply) service, the subscriber can instruct calls to be forwarded after a predetermined series of unanswered ringback tones. Call forwarding for mobile/roaming subscribers may take the form of the CFNRc (Call Forwarding on Not Reachable) service. Using the CFNRc service, calls are forwarded if the subscriber is not in the coverage area of the communications network, or if the subscriber has turned his or her mobile station off. Typically, in these call forwarding situations, custom replacement ringback content is lost.
Further, as is common in the art, many communications networks contain servers, which contain multi-location identification information for subscribers of the communications network. A user participating in this multi-location feature provides potential callers with a single network address that the callers may use to reach the subscriber. The communications network server containing the multi-location identification information responds to incoming calls on the multi-location number by initiating to what is known to those skilled in the art as a forked-call. A forked-call is actually several simultaneous calls initiated by the communications network server to a predetermined number of network addresses in hope of locating the desired subscriber. For example, a forked-call may try to locate the subscriber at the subscriber's home telephone number, wireless telephone number, vacation house telephone number, and PDA network address simultaneously. The incoming caller is usually connected to the first simultaneous call that is answered, at which time all other outbound calls are typically terminated.
During a forked-call or forwarded call, each end-point is likely responding with its own ringback signaling. The communications network server initiating the forked or forwarded-call usually disregards these ringback announcements and provides its own announcement indicating that the system is attempting to locate the called subscriber. Alternatively, the communications network server may simply provide conventional ringback announcements to the calling party.
It would be advantageous if the subscribers of a ringback replacement service could choose certain custom replacement ringback announcements to be delivered to incoming callers calling on a multi-location network address regardless of which location (i.e. network service provider or device) terminates or answers the call. It would also be advantageous if the same subscribers could utilize a simple system for modifying or adding replacement ringback content to the subscriber's network service. Thus, a seamless service is needed for delivering uniform custom replacement ringback content on behalf of a subscriber across various network communication services. A system is further needed for easily customizing this service using a familiar means, such as the menu or prompt systems already integrated with a handset or station or a user-friendly web-interface.
The invention comprises a ringback replacement system for delivering replacement ringback content in a roaming, forked-call, forwarded-call, or mobility environment. The invention provides for the delivery of uniform ringback content across a user's various network communication services. Ringback content or announcements could comprise audio (e.g., music, jingles, sound effects, advertisements or promotional material, or live or prerecorded voice), video (e.g., interactive games, movie clips, video advertisements or promotional material, or live or prerecorded video), data (e.g., pictures, computer screen shots, electronic documents, spreadsheets, databases, etc.) or a combination of audio, video, and data, as well as other programming material. The invention is also directed toward a system for adding ringback associations directly from a subscriber's handset or station. Ringback associations are simple logic used to determine what ringback content is played to which incoming callers. For example, a ringback association might specify that a certain advertisement is to be played to all incoming callers calling from the “212”—New York City area code. Another ringback association might specify the playing of The Star-Spangled Banner to all incoming callers calling on July 4 of each year. In the invention, the ringback replacement system is accessed via hard or soft keys on a user's handset, an attachable keypad or keyboard, a voice-activated speech recognition module, or the like modes of access. Based on the input, the system may connect to a storage device for the subscriber to select a desired ringback announcement (for example, a video clip, music, an advertisement, an interactive game, news footage, or some other programming material). Then the subscriber either manually inputs or automatically chooses by speaking predetermined voice commands translated to common phonemes a desired network address or telephone number to be associated with the previously selected ringback announcement. As a result, the user's communications network (or a third party contracted to provide ringback services on behalf of the user's communications network) requests the ringback system to play the newly associated announcement to the calling party whenever the selected network address or telephone number calls the subscriber or the subscriber's multi-location network address. Users of the invention include any end user, such as subscribers to the network service provider, as well any originating, terminating, or intermediate network service providers themselves, and third party users, such as advertisers.
The present system is also directed to a ringback replacement system which is capable of modifying currently associated network addresses or telephone numbers with new ringback announcements (or revert to conventional tones) directly from a user's handset or station. The subscriber selects the currently associated network address or telephone number and then chooses a new replacement ringback announcement. The ringback system then plays the newly-associated announcement to the calling party whenever the calling party calls the subscriber (or the subscriber's multi-location network address) from the selected network address or telephone number. For example, a user, who knows that one of the user's frequent callers has an affinity for classical music, might update the ringback association for that frequent caller as new classical releases become available.
The present system is also directed to a ringback replacement system, which is capable of modifying currently associated network addresses or telephone numbers with new ringback announcements based on a determination of the physical location (i.e., a geographical location) of the calling and called parties' communication devices. The communications devices may include, but not limited to, wireless or wired handsets, PDAs, smartphones, computers, landline phones, VoIP software clients, iPods, iPads, Netbooks, cable or fiber TV set-top boxes, and media servers. Accordingly, the system may include a physical location determination capability (e.g., GPS, radio frequency triangulation, other processing mechanism, etc.) that may communicate with any communications device to provide information related to the physical location of the communication devices. This information related to the physical location may be provided to or from the communications devices and any communications network either directly from information provided by the communications devices, by information provided by the communications network or via a database, or via a separate remote processing system that can determine the physical location of the communications devices. Also, the physical location determination capability may be implemented in the communications devices or in the communications network.
The present system is also directed to a ringback replacement system capable of modifying not only standard call processing signals with alternate audio or video content, but may also communicate and interact with software programs resident on computer readable medium on communications devices to provide and process location-based information and corresponding ringback replacement content or additional content as determined by the subscriber to the calling telephone number (or equivalent network location), the network provider(s), third parties, or the subscriber to the called telephone number (or equivalent network location).
A further understanding of the invention can be obtained by reference to a preferred embodiment as set forth in the illustrations of the accompanying drawings. Although the illustrated embodiment is merely exemplary of systems for carrying out the invention, both the organization and method of operation of the invention, in general, together with further objectives and advantages thereof, may be more easily understood by reference to the drawings and the following description. The drawings are not intended to limit the scope of this invention, which is set forth with particularity in the claims as appended or as subsequently amended, but merely to clarify and exemplify the specific methods and instrumentalities disclosed.
For a more complete understanding of the invention, reference is now made to the following drawings in which:
As required, a detailed illustrative embodiment of the invention is disclosed herein. However, techniques, systems, and operating structures in accordance with the invention may be embodied in a wide variety of forms and modes, some of which may be quite different from those in the disclosed embodiment. Consequently, the specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are merely representative, yet in that regard, they are deemed to afford the best embodiment for the purposes of disclosure and to provide a basis for the claims herein, which define the scope of the invention. The following presents a detailed description of a preferred embodiment (as well as some alternative embodiments) of the invention.
Referring to the drawings wherein like numerals indicate like elements throughout, there is shown in
The call from the calling party is received by second switch 110 located at second local central office 101 which determines the status of second telephone 104 (i.e., whether second telephone 104 is in a busy state or in an idle state). Attached network signaling system service node 111 can also determine the busy/idle status of the called network address or station line. The specific procedure by which second switch 110 or attached network signaling system service node 111 determines the busy/idle status of the called network address or station line is common and well-known to those skilled in the art.
Depending upon the configuration of the network, either first audible signal generator 105 and first message generator 106 or second audible signal generator 108 and second message generator 109 can transmit the call progress signals to the user of first telephone 102. For the purposes of discussion, when a user of first telephone 102 initiates a communication session with second telephone 104, second audible signal generator 108 and second message generator 109 may provide signals and/or announcements to the user of first telephone 102. Second message generator 109 is connected to second switch 110 and is capable of supplementing and/or replacing the signals generated by second audible signal generator 108. Second switch 110 or attached network signaling system service node 111 determines whether second audible signal generator 108 or second message generator 109 is activated. When a user of first telephone 102 initiates a communication session with second telephone 104, second switch 110 or attached network signaling system service node 111 activates second audible signal generator 108 to provide a conventional audible ringback signal and activates second message generator 109 to play a series of prerecorded announcements (i.e., replacement ringback content) to the user of first telephone 102. First telephone 102 may also be attached to display 103 for the transmission of video signals. It is to be understood that the signal generation functions of second audible signal generator 108 and second message generator 109 could alternatively be provided by third party or outside audible signal and message generators as required by the communications network.
In most wireless, cellular, and trunked telephone networks, upon network access the transmission of a dial tone by first switch 107 is suppressed. In addition, typically the busy/idle status of second telephone 104 determines if a caller to a wireless or cellular station is automatically transferred to a network voice mail system; if a user's communications station is busy, off-line, powered off, or cannot be located, a caller is most often redirected to a network voice mail box in lieu of the transmission of a busy signal. Message generator 109 may similarly deliver announcements to users calling wireless, cellular, or trunked stations before, after, or during any transfer to a network voice mail service.
Announcements are enabled by inserting a software subroutine into the call processing software of the network. The various mechanisms for incorporating software into the call processing system of the network are well known to those skilled in the art. The software subroutine causes call processing procedures to be modified and allows first message generator 106, second message generator 109, or a third-party message generator to become an integral part of the call completion sequence.
Second message generator 109 can also play certain messages based on the time of day, day of week, month of year, or any other time frame reference. An integrated or external clock may be synchronized with second message generator 109 for monitoring the time of day, day of week, and month of year. When a call is placed to second telephone 104 from first telephone 102, and second message generator 109 has been signaled to initiate a message sequence, the information from the clock is read by second message generator 109 and is compared to information located in a look-up table in the memory of second message generator 109 to determine which messages are to be played. For example, a user of the present system, the network provider, or a third party could specify a prerecorded video to be transmitted to a calling party calling the user from video-telephone number “212-555-1212” on January 25 of each year (the user's birthday, for example) whenever video-telephone “212-555-1212” calls the user on January 25. As another example, a user, the network provider, or a third party could specify a certain holiday music clip to be delivered to all callers calling on Christmas Day, and a different music clip to be transmitted on all other days. Second message generator 109 retrieves designated messages until second telephone 104 is answered or the calling party abandons the call. It should be appreciated that, if desired, live announcements may be provided under the control of second message generator 109.
If second message generator 109 is set to determine which announcements are to be played based upon the area code and telephone number of first telephone 102, second message generator 109 can read the telephone number of the calling party as provided by the telephone network (e.g., second message generator 109 can use an automatic number identification (ANI) system or similar identification system(s) which are well-known in the art to identify the area code, telephone number, or other characteristics of the calling party) and determine the geographical location of the calling party by matching the telephone number with a location provided by an updateable look-up table linked to second message generator 109 and maintained by the central office, an affiliate thereof, or other third party. Second message generator 109 determines which announcements are designated for a particular area code and telephone exchange and plays the appropriate prerecorded messages until second telephone 104 is answered or until the calling party abandons the call.
It should also be appreciated that the invention is not limited to traditional telephone networks (for example, PSTN or the like). With the evolution of enhanced services and the convergence of telephony with data interfaces, today's networks are increasingly merging with standard Internet protocols for signaling and media. It is now common in the art for some of these networks to allow for the separation of the signaling from the media transport. For example, an increasing number of Competitive Local Exchange Carriers (CLECs) and Internet Telephony Service Providers (ITSPs) are offering such services as local and long distance telephony, Voice over IP (VoIP), presence and instant messaging, push-to-talk, rich media conferencing, and more, based on Session Initiation Protocol (SIP). Unlike traditional telephone networks, users of SIP-based networks can locate and contact one another regardless of media content and the number of participants.
For example,
Next, SIP proxy server 206 delivers the session invitation to user agent 207. If the session invitation is acceptable to user agent 207, user agent 207 creates an acknowledgment reply and forwards the reply back to SIP proxy server 206. Finally, SIP proxy server 206 forwards the acknowledgment back to SIP proxy server 204 located in first domain 200. SIP proxy server 204 then relays the acknowledgment back to the initiating user agent 203. User agents 203 and 207 may then create a point-to-point communication connection (e.g., using Real-Time Transport Protocol (RTP) or any other protocol or delivery method supported by user agents 203 and 207) enabling the two user agents to interact. Once a point-to-point connection is established, replacement ringback announcements may be delivered to user agent 203 from a variety of sources. For example, replacement ringback announcements may be delivered directly from user agent 207 when the underlying protocol signals user agent 207 to deliver its ringback announcement. Alternatively, replacement ringback announcements may be delivered to user agent 203 on behalf of user agent 207 from a network server, application server, media server, dedicated ringback server, or from a third-party server.
Now referring to
Still referring to
Calling telephone 301 could also be connected to (or comprise an integrated) video display unit 302, such as a computer terminal, video terminal, LCD screen, LED display, plasma display, telephone monitor, or matrix display for the transmission of video signals. It is to be understood by those skilled in the art that ringback replacement system 304 is not limited to access from a conventional wireless telephone device. For example, the ringback replacement system 304 can be accessed from any state of the art communications device, including web-enabled wireless telephones, video telephones, mobile and desktop computers, and digital personal assistants or hybrid devices with telephony or communications capabilities.
Ringback replacement system 304 is also in communication with network call server 310 that provides forwarded and forked-call functionality on behalf of subscribers of the communications network. Network call server 310 may comprise any network control point, proxy server, telephony server, network controller, communications network traffic switching and control mechanism, signaling network control point, service control point, or service switching point or system, which handles, places, or controls calls over a communications network. In packet-based, VoIP, or like networks, the functionality of network call server 310 may be embedded in calling telephone 301. When calling telephone 301 attempts to communicate with called telephone 308, network call server 310 may attempt to locate the called party across various network communication services by placing a forked-call or a series of forwarded calls. Network call server 310 providing the forwarded or forked-call functionality negotiates with ringback replacement system 304 to provide uniform replacement ringback content regardless of which location or device answers the call.
Ringback replacement system 304 monitors all call initiation requests with called telephone 308. When calling telephone 301 attempts to initiate communication with called telephone 308, ringback replacement system 304 analyzes the incoming station identification. As is common in the art, incoming station identification is specific to the underlying communications network and can include a network address (e.g., an IP address), a Uniform Resource Locator (URL), a telephone number obtained from “caller ID” or automatic number identification (ANI), or any other station identifying means capable of being ascertained by the communications network or called telephone 308. For example, SIP signaling messages, Q.931 signaling messages, or packet headers might be analyzed for calling party address information. Simple logic within ringback replacement system 304 compares this incoming identification information with all the replacement ringback associations created by the user of called telephone 308, the network provider, or a third party. If an association matches an incoming network address or telephone number, message generator 305 plays the appropriate replacement ringback content to calling telephone 301 while network call server 310 initiates a forward or forked-call to locate the user of called telephone 308 until called telephone 308 is answered or calling telephone 301 abandons the call.
In another embodiment, ringback replacement system 304 may include a capability to determine the physical location of a communications device (for example, calling telephone 301 and called telephone 308), such as, in one non-limiting embodiment, GPS, radio frequency triangulation, or other similar types of location determination capability in order to determine the location of communication devices within any network. As such, the system may communicate and provide location-related information to any communications device from any communications network and also communicate location related information from any communications device to any communications network. The system 304 may process and communicate this information by receiving location information directly from the communications devices or by receiving information from any communications network that is associated with the communications devices. In other embodiments, a separate database or processing system (not shown) is utilized to transmit information in order to determine the physical location of the communications devices on a plurality of communications network. The physical location determination capability may be implemented within the communications network or within the communications devices. It should be appreciated that the communications devices may include but are not limited to wireless or wired handsets, PDAs, smartphones, computers, landline phones, VoIP software clients, iPods, iPads, netbooks, cable/fiber TV set-top boxes, media servers, or other similar types of devices.
The ringback replacement system 304 may not only replace standard call processing signals with alternate audio or video content, but may also communicate and interact with software programs residing in a computer-readable medium on these communications devices to provide and process location-based information of the communications devices and corresponding ringback replacement content or other replacement content as determined by the subscriber to the calling telephone number (or equivalent network location), the network provider(s), third parties, or the subscriber to the called telephone number (or equivalent network location).
In one example, if a calling party associated with a calling telephone 301 establishes a communication session from the corner of 42nd Street and 8th Avenue in NYC with a called party associated with called telephone 308, the calling party may hear an advertisement, receive a text message or an email containing a coupon code or similar promotional content for a coffee location within the proximity of the calling party in lieu of a busy or a ringback signal or a ringback tone. The ringback replacement system 304 provides this information after the system 304 determines the location of the calling party through GPS, RF triangulation, etc and cross-checks this location information against a sponsorship database and has determines that a certain coffee location is located within a certain proximity to the calling party. In another embodiment, the calling party may pre-register with calling party's service provider requesting to receive promotions via text message or email from the certain coffee location when appropriate.
In another example, the calling party associated with a calling telephone 301 may try to establish a communications sessions from the corner of 42nd Street and 8th Avenue in NYC, and during the time that the calling party would normally receive a busy or a ringback signal or a ringback tone, the calling party instead may hear an announcement or see a visual cue in the calling party's communication device's screen-based application, such as a dropping pin icon or receive a text message or email that the called party's subscriber's phone 308 is located at 33rd and 7th Avenue in NYC. The ringback replacement system 304 provides this information after the system 304 determines the location of the called party's communication device 308 through GPS, RF triangulation, etc and has determined that the calling subscriber has requested to be notified of the called party's location whenever that information is available. In another embodiment, the system 304 could initiate a map application on the calling party's telephone 301, and additionally a map application on the called party's telephone 308 during the ringback cycle, or send a text message or send an email providing the current location of both parties, as well as the distance separating the two parties. Alternatively and additionally, the system could initiate a map application on one or both of the communication devices related to mass transit, which would show the nearest subway station and identify the subway line that either party could use to go to meet the other party.
As shown in
Now referring to
In addition, if the user's account is determined to be presently delinquent, authorization stage 501 requests the user to provide immediate payment information via help screen 504 and subscription input stage 505 in order to bring the user's account into good standing. This may be achieved by authorizing an automatic one-time debit of the user's credit or checking account linked with the user's account, or by presenting the user with subscription input screen 505 so that the user might type, touch, or speak the user's billing information into the system. If the user's account is not determined to be in good standing at the conclusion of subscription input screen 505, the user is returned to the calling system at stage 506.
On the other hand, an authorized user, or a user who has presently become authorized or subscribed, is presented with welcome display 502 indicating that the user has successfully activated the ringback replacement system. Welcome display 502 may additionally be supplemented to display targeted content to the user accessing the ringback replacement system. The targeted content may be selected based on the current location of the user accessing the system (determined by the user's network address or telephone number or through physical location determination, such as GPS, radio frequency triangulation, or other processing mechanism), or targeted content may be determined based on user-supplied or user-derived interests. For example, a user accessing the system from a New York City area code might be presented with local advertising, music, news, or information important to New York City residents or visitors or the system may present the user with advertisements or promotional materials from a local business within a narrower geographical location that the user is located because the system has determined the location of the user through GPS, radio frequency triangulation, or other similar types of location determination and has cross-checked that information against a sponsorship database to determine that the local business is located within a certain radius from the location of the user. In another example, a user who has expressed an interest in outdoor cycling via an online survey might receive content regarding bicycles and related supplies at welcome display 502. Additionally, welcome display 502 might alert the user to new replacement ringback content available on the network since the user last accessed the system. The ringback system includes logic for determining a genre or category of content preferred by the current user (based on previous content selections or user-supplied information) and automatically alerts the user to new content matching the user's interests. At view or add association stage 503, the user next chooses whether to view or add a ringback association. In one embodiment, the user enters the appropriate key (e.g., selects “1”) to view or update a ringback association, and the user enters a distinct appropriate key (e.g., selects “2”) to add a new association. In another embodiment, at view or add association stage 503 the user presses a soft key on the user's handset to highlight and select “CHANGE” or “ADD” on the station's integrated display.
To view or update a replacement ringback association, the user follows the interaction depicted in
To add a new ringback replacement association, the user follows the interaction depicted in
At ringback content input 700, the ringback replacement system also includes a search feature to assist the user in finding the correct ringback identification alphanumeric based on the first few letters of the title, genre, or artist of the content. For example, a user entering the letters “REGG” into the search engine might match the “reggae” musical genre, causing the ringback replacement system to display a list of all musical content in the reggae genre available on the network to be used as ringback content. Next, the identification alphanumeric is verified by the system at ringback content validation stage 601. Valid identification alphanumerics consist of all the existing and available ringback announcements on the communications network or the null announcement (for reverting to conventional tones). If an invalid ringback identification is entered, the user repeats ringback content input 700 until a valid identification alphanumeric is entered. After a valid ringback identification is selected, the user next enters the station identification of the calling party that the user wishes to associate with the ringback announcement at station identification input 702. The user may enter a wildcard character (e.g., the number 0) to match all network addresses. Station verification stage 703 verifies that the station identification entered is valid, and the system proceeds to options input 704. If an invalid station identification is entered, the user returns to station identification input 702 until a valid identification is entered. At options input stage 704, the user inputs optional parameters, including a time reference (e.g., the time of day, day of week, day of month, or month of year), for the delivery of the replacement ringback content. Options verification stage 705 checks the configured parameters for correct syntax and commit stage 706 commits the new replacement ringback association to the communications network. Thus, the replacement ringback addition may be added to the system in real-time, or, alternatively, if desired, the associations may be cached by the network for bulk additions at a later time. If the new ringback association specifies a network address that is already associated with a replacement ringback announcement, the new association takes precedence and overwrites the previous association. Lastly, a message is presented to the user at more associations to process stage 707 inquiring if there are more ringback associations to process. An affirmative answer at more associations to process stage 707 restarts the entire process at ringback content input 700 whereas a negative answer at more associations to process stage 707 exits the ringback replacement system and returns the user to the calling system at exit stage 708.
If modifications are desired, the user's interaction with the system is depicted in
In an alternative embodiment of the invention depicted in
In another embodiment of the invention depicted in
An alternative embodiment of the invention, depicted in
In yet another embodiment of the invention, the user, the network provider, or a third party is presented with additional playback options as depicted in
An additional embodiment of the invention allows a sequence of more than one ringback announcement to be selected as depicted in
Another embodiment utilizes the clock located within or synchronized with the message generator for the user to select a time reference or window for the playing of replacement content. Options input 1400 is supplemented by time reference input 1401 of
Another embodiment utilizes the updateable look-up table linked to the message generator for a user, the network provider, or a third-party to specify geographic or network location data for the playing of replacement content. Options input 1500 is supplemented by location input 1501 of
From the foregoing description of the preferred embodiments, which embodiments have been set forth in considerable detail for the purpose of making a complete disclosure of the invention, it can be seen that the invention comprises a system for delivering uniform ringback content on behalf of subscribers across various network communication services. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes could be made to the embodiment described above without departing from the broad inventive concept thereof. It is understood, therefore, that this invention is not limited to the particular embodiment disclosed, but it is intended to cover all modifications that are within the scope and spirit of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
This continuation-in-part application claims the benefit of co-pending Non-Provisional application Ser. No. 11/106,159, filed Apr. 15, 2005, the entire contents of which is herein incorporated by reference.
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| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20100278324 A1 | Nov 2010 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 11106159 | Apr 2005 | US |
| Child | 12705876 | US |
