Optimizing a ringtone for audibility

• US 10,003,699 B1
• Filed: 03/29/2017
• Issued: 06/19/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Myers, Andrew C., Tkac, Vincent
• Primary Examiner(s): Gesesse, Tilahun B
• Application Number:
  US15/472,334
• Time in Patent Office: 447 Days
• Field of Search: 4554141, 455567, 455 5
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/32 the control being dependent upon ambient noise level or sound level
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/044 according to the level of ambient noise
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/11 Transducers incorporated or for use in hand-held devices, e.g. mobile phones, PDA's, camera's
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/00 Circuits for transducers , loudspeakers or microphones

Abstract

Approaches presented herein enable optimizing a ringtone on a mobile communication device so that it may be audible to a user among ambient music. Specifically, an incoming communication (e.g., phone call) or other event (e.g., incoming notification, alarm, etc.) that is associated with a ringtone is detected. Any ambient music is detected and identified. A waveform associated with the ringtone and a waveform associated with the ambient music are analyzed. Based on the analysis, the ringtone is initiated. For example, a peak of the ringtone waveform may be aligned with a trough of the ambient music waveform to determine a point to initiate the ringtone among the ambient music.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for optimizing a ringtone, the method comprising:

detecting, in response to an event to initiate the ringtone on a recipient communication device, an ambient music within a vicinity of the recipient communication device;

retrieving, based on an identification of the ambient music, a waveform associated with the ambient music;

analyzing a waveform associated with the ringtone and the retrieved waveform associated with the ambient music; and

initiating, based on the analysis, the ringtone on the recipient communication device that maximizes an audibility of the ringtone within the vicinity,

wherein the event includes an incoming communication that is selected from a group consisting of a voice call, video call, short message service message, multimedia messaging service message, instant message, and push message from a mobile application.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein analyzing a waveform associated with the ringtone includes locating a peak in the waveform.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein analyzing the retrieved waveform associated with the ambient music includes locating a trough in the retrieved waveform.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein the trough is located in a point in the ambient music following a time the incoming communication is detected.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, further comprising initiating the ringtone includes aligning the peak with the trough to determine a point to initiate the ringtone among the ambient music.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising increasing a volume of the ringtone based on the analysis.

7. A computer program product for optimizing a ringtone, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage device, and program instructions stored on the computer readable storage device which, when executed by a computer device, cause the computer device to:

detect, in response to an event to initiate the ringtone on a recipient communication device, an ambient music within a vicinity of the recipient communication device;

detect an ambient music within a vicinity of the recipient communication device;

retrieve, based on an identification the ambient music, a waveform associated with the ambient music;

analyze a waveform associated with the ringtone and the retrieved waveform associated with the ambient music; and

initiate, based on the analysis, the ringtone on the recipient communication device that maximizes an audibility of the ringtone within the vicinity,

wherein the event includes an incoming communication that is selected from a group consisting of a voice call, video call, short message service message, multimedia messaging service message, instant message, and push message from a mobile application.

8. The computer program product of claim 7, further comprising program instructions to analyze a waveform associated with the ringtone includes locating a peak in the waveform.

9. The computer program product of claim 8, further comprising program instructions to analyze the retrieved waveform associated with the ambient music includes locating a trough in the retrieved waveform.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the trough is located in a point in the ambient music following a time the incoming communication is detected.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, further comprising program instructions to initiate the ringtone includes aligning the peak with the trough to determine a point to initiate the ringtone among the ambient music.

12. The computer program product of claim 7, further comprising program instructions to increase a volume of the ringtone based on the analysis.

13. A computer system for optimizing a ringtone, the computer system comprising:

a memory comprising program instructions;

a bus coupled to the memory medium; and

a processor for executing the program instructions, the instructions causing the system to;

detect, in response to an event to initiate the ringtone on a recipient communication device, an ambient music within a vicinity of the recipient communication device;

detect an ambient music within a vicinity of the recipient communication device;

retrieve, based on an identification the ambient music, a waveform associated with the ambient music;

analyze a waveform associated with the ringtone and the retrieved waveform associated with the ambient music; and

initiate, based on the analysis, the ringtone on the recipient communication device that maximizes an audibility of the ringtone within the vicinity,

wherein the event includes an incoming communication that is selected from a group consisting of a voice call, video call, short message service message, multimedia messaging service message, instant message, and push message from a mobile application.

14. The computer system of claim 13, further comprising program instructions to analyze a waveform associated with the ringtone includes locating a peak in the waveform.

15. The computer system of claim 13, further comprising program instructions to analyze the retrieved waveform associated with the ambient music includes locating a trough in the retrieved waveform, wherein the trough is located in a point in the ambient music following a time the incoming communication is detected.

16. The computer system of claim 15, further comprising program instructions to initiate the ringtone includes aligning the peak with the trough to determine a point to initiate the ringtone among the ambient music.

17. The computer system of claim 13, wherein the event is selected from a group consisting of an incoming communication, incoming notification, and alarm.