Apparatus and method for editable personalized ring back tone service

• US 20040114732A1
• Filed: 03/28/2003
• Published: 06/17/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: CW Wireless Corporation
• Original Assignee: CW Wireless Corporation
• Inventors: Har, Dongsoo, Choe, Kangil
• Application Number:
  US10/400,695
• Publication Number:
  US 20040114732A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/88.17
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/02 Calling substations, e.g. by ringing selective calling H04Q
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/307 using ringback
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42017 Customized ring-back tones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42161 via computer interface

Abstract

A method and apparatus for an editable personalized ring back tone service in a telephone communication is disclosed in the present invention. The apparatus may include a master content provider server storing at least one personalized ring back message, an internet data center connected to the master content provider server and a participating telephone service provider for retrieving the personalized ring back message when a called party is the subscriber and delivering the personalized ring back message to be heard by a calling party while connecting to the called party, and an authoring tool for generating and editing the personalized ring back message to be uploaded to the master content provider through a public website.

Claims

1. A system for an editable personalized ring back tone service in a telephone communication, the system comprising:

a master content provider server storing at least one personalized ring back message;

an internet data center connected to the master content provider server and a participating telephone service provider for retrieving the personalized ring back message when a called party is identified as a subscriber and delivering the personalized ring back message to be heard by a calling party while connecting to the called party; and

an authoring tool for generating and editing the personalized ring back message to be uploaded to the master content provider through a public website.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the personalized ring back message includes a message block having a user ID message identifying the called party, and a message block body to carry information for the calling party.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the user ID message includes one of a sound, a text, an image, a voice, and any combination thereof.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein the sound and the voice are in a file format including one of wav, pcm, au, aiff, and mp3, the text is in a file format including one of txt, doc, and rtf, and the image is in a file format including one of gif, jpg, jfif, and tiff.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the called party is identified by at least one of the called party'"'"'s own recorded voice, any number of simulated voices, personalized messages and information, and any combination thereof.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the personalized ring back message is created or modified by the subscriber through the authoring tool or by an operator at a customer service call center based on requests by the subscriber through the participating telephone service provider.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the content provider creates or modifies the personalized ring back message comprising a commercial message, a sound, a music, and other multimedia, such as pictures, movie clips, and animations by using the authoring tool.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the personalized ring back message includes a targeted message depending on an identity or a location of the calling party.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the identity of the calling party includes family members, co-workers, and unknown callers.

10. The system according to claim 8, wherein the targeted message is personalized by the subscriber so that a distinct calling party hears a distinct commercial message.

11. The system according to claim 8, wherein the targeted message is personalized by the content provider so that a calling party hears a distinct commercial message based on a specific location of the calling party.

12. The system according to claim 1, wherein the targeted message is personalized by the content provider based on a specific date or time period.

13. The system according to claim 1, wherein the personalized ring back message includes a specific message depending on a scheduled time or a date event.

14. The system according to claim 1, wherein the authoring tool has a scheduler to select a specific date and a period of time by personalizing a specific user ID message to announce important events within the personalized ring back message.

15. The system according to claim 1, wherein the authoring tool has a scheduler to select a specific date or a period of time selected by the called party to incorporate a specific commercial appropriate for a certain date or time period into the personalized ring back message.

16. The system according to claim 1, wherein the personalized ring back message created by using the authoring tool is uploaded to an automatic response system (ARS) accessible through interactive VXML prompts to select predetermined sounds and music.

17. The system according to claim 1, wherein the personalized ring back message is updated by a content provider through a graphic user interface (GUI).

18. The system according to claim 1, wherein the personalized ring back tone service provides the content provider with advertisement statistics and demographics information.

19. The system according to claim 1, wherein the personalized ring back message excludes a commercial message in exchange for a monthly subscription fee.

20. The system according to claim 1, wherein the personalized ring back message is created by the subscriber of the ring back tone service or provided by at least one content provider.

21. The system according to claim 1, wherein the authoring tool includes a telephone number data base, a pre-constructed content data base, a content importing tool, and an on-screen editing tool for voice manipulation and simulation.

22. A method for providing an editable personalized ring back tone service in a telephone communication, comprising:

identifying a telephone communication between a calling party and a called party;

determining whether the called party is a subscriber for the personalized ring back tone service;

retrieving a personalized ring back message from a master content provider server storing at least one ring back message created through an authoring tool in a public website when the called party is the subscriber; and

delivering the personalized ring back message to the calling party as a ring back tone while connecting to the called party.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein the personalized ring back message includes a message block having a user ID message identifying the called party and a message block body to carry information for the calling party.

24. The method according to claim 23, wherein the message block body includes one of a sound, a text, an image, a voice, and any combination thereof.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein the sound and the voice are in a file format including one of wav, pcm, au, aiff, and mp3, the text is in a file format including one of txt, doc, and rtf, and the image is in a file format including one of gif, jpg, jfif, and tiff.

26. The method according to claim 22, wherein the called party is identified by at least one of the called party'"'"'s own recorded voice, any number of simulated voices, personalized messages and information, and any combination thereof.

27. The method according to claim 22, wherein the personalized ring back message is created or modified by the subscriber through the authoring tool or by an operator at a customer service call center based on requests by the subscriber through the participating telephone service provider.

28. The method according to claim 22, wherein the personalized ring back message includes a commercial message, a sound, music, pictures, movie clips, and animations by using the authoring tool.

29. The method according to claim 22, wherein the personalized ring back message includes a targeted message depending on an identity or a location of the calling party.

30. The method according to claim 29, wherein the identity of the calling party includes family members, co-workers, and unknown callers.

31. The method according to claim 29, wherein the targeted message is personalized by the subscriber so that a distinct calling party hears a distinct commercial message.

32. The method according to claim 29, wherein the targeted message is personalized by the content provider so that a calling party hears a distinct commercial message based on a specific location of the calling party.

33. The method according to claim 22, wherein the targeted message is personalized by the content provider based on a specific date or time period.

34. The method according to claim 22, wherein the personalized ring back message includes a specific message depending on a scheduled time or a date event.

35. The method according to claim 22, wherein the authoring tool has a scheduler to select a specific date and a period of time by personalizing a specific user ID to announce important events within the personalized ring back message.

36. The method according to claim 22, wherein the authoring tool has a scheduler to select a specific date or a period of time selected by the called party to incorporate a specific commercial appropriate for a certain date or time period into the personalized ring back message.

37. The method according to claim 22, wherein the personalized ring back message created by using the authoring tool is uploaded to an automatic response system (ARS) accessible through interactive VXML prompts to select predetermined sounds and music.

38. The method according to claim 22, wherein the personalized ring back message is updated by a content provider through a graphic user interface (GUI).

39. The method according to claim 22, wherein the personalized ring back tone service provides a content provider with advertisement statistics and demographics information.

40. The method according to claim 22, wherein the personalized ring back message excludes a commercial message in exchange for a monthly subscription fee.

41. The method according to claim 22, wherein the personalized ring back message is created by the subscriber of the ring back tone service or provided by at least one content provider.