Log-based ringtone service

• US 20060003743A1
• Filed: 07/27/2004
• Published: 01/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Inventors: Seligmann, Doree Duncan, Moody, Taryn
• Granted Patent: US 7,308,253 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/412.200
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/575 Means for retrieving and displaying personal data about calling party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/576 associated with a pictorial or graphical representation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/04 the ringing-current being generated at the substations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/048 Arrangements providing optical indication of the incoming call, e.g. flasher circuits

Abstract

An apparatus and methods are disclosed for enabling a telecommunications terminal to notify its user of the arrival of a message via a ringtone whose properties are based on information from one or more call logs. A network infrastructure element (e.g., a switch, a server, etc.) receives a message directed to a terminal and establishes property values for a ringtone (e.g., tempo, volume, pitch, rhythm, etc.) based on information from a call log (e.g., how many times the caller has called today, whether an earlier call from this caller was returned, etc.). In a first illustrative embodiment the network infrastructure element sends the message and the instantiated ringtone to the terminal, while in a second illustrative embodiment the network infrastructure element sends the message and the property values to the terminal, and the terminal plays a locally-stored ringtone in accordance with the property values.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

(a) receiving at a telecommunications terminal

(i) a message, and

(ii) a first signal representing an instance of a musical composition; and

(b) outputting an acoustic second signal based on said first signal to notify the user of said telecommunications terminal of the arrival of said message;

wherein the value of a property of said instance is based on information from one or more call logs; and

wherein said property is a property of music that is independent of melody.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said first signal is one of an audio clip and a Musical Instrument Digital Interface file.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said property is one of volume and tempo.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said information comprises the number of times the sender of said message has attempted to contact the user of said telecommunications terminal during a time interval.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said property is one of pitch and timbre.

5. A method comprising:

(a) receiving a message directed to a telecommunications terminal; and

(b) sending said message and a signal representing an instance of a musical composition to said telecommunications terminal;

wherein said instance is for notifying the user of said telecommunications terminal of the arrival of said message; and

wherein the value of a property of said instance is based on information from one or more call logs; and

wherein said property is a property of music that is independent of melody.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein said first signal is one of an audio clip and a Musical Instrument Digital Interface file.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein said information comprises the time at which the sender of said message most recently sent a prior message to the user of said telecommunications terminal.

10. The method of claim 5 wherein said one or more logs comprises a first call log associated with said telecommunications terminal and a second call log associated with another telecommunications terminal.

8. A method comprising:

(a) receiving at a telecommunications terminal

(i) a message, and

(ii) a value for a property of music; and

(b) playing a musical composition in accordance with said value to notify the user of said telecommunications terminal of the arrival of said message;

wherein said value is based on information from one or more call logs; and

wherein said property of music is independent of melody.

11. A method comprising:

(a) receiving a message directed to a telecommunications terminal;

(b) determining, based on information from one or more call logs, the value of a property of music; and

(c) sending said message and said value to said telecommunications terminal;

wherein said property of music is independent of melody.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said value is for a ringtone that is played at said telecommunications terminal to indicate the arrival of said message.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein said determining said value is also based on an attribute of said message.

14. A method comprising:

(a) receiving at a telecommunications terminal

(i) a message, and

(ii) a first signal representing an instance of an image; and

(b) outputting a visual second signal based on said first signal to notify the user of said telecommunications terminal of the arrival of said message;

wherein the value of a property of said instance is based on information from one or more call logs; and

wherein said property is a property of images that is independent of human recognition of images.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein said property is one of brightness and contrast.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein said information comprises the number of times the sender of said message has attempted to contact the user of said first telecommunications terminal during a time interval.

17. A method comprising:

(a) receiving a message directed to a telecommunications terminal; and

(b) sending said message and a signal representing an instance of an image to said telecommunications terminal;

wherein said instance is for notifying the user of said telecommunications terminal of the arrival of said message; and

wherein the value of a property of said instance is based on information from one or more call logs; and

wherein said property is a property of images that is independent of human recognition of images.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein said property is one of size and resolution.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein said information comprises the time at which the sender of said message most recently sent a prior message to the user of said telecommunications terminal.

20. A method comprising:

(a) receiving at a telecommunications terminal

(i) a message, and

(ii) a value for a property of images; and

(b) displaying an image in accordance with said value to notify the user of said telecommunications terminal of the arrival of said message;

wherein said value is based on information from one or more call logs; and

wherein said property of images is independent of human recognition of images.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein said property of images is at least one of:

whether said image is animated, the manner in which said image is animated, and the speed at which said image is animated.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein said one or more logs comprises a first call log associated with said telecommunications terminal and a second call log associated with another telecommunications terminal.

23. A method comprising:

(a) receiving a message directed to a telecommunications terminal;

(b) determining, based on information from one or more call logs, the value of a property of images; and

(c) sending said message and said value to said telecommunications terminal;

wherein said property of images is independent of human recognition of images.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein said value is for an image that is displayed at said telecommunications terminal to indicate the arrival of said message.

25. The method of claim 23 wherein said determining said value is also based on an attribute of said message.

26. A method comprising:

(a) receiving at a telecommunications terminal

(i) a message, and

(ii) a value for a property of text; and

(b) displaying a text string in accordance with said value to notify the user of said telecommunications terminal of the arrival of said message;

wherein said value is based on information from one or more call logs; and

wherein said property of text is independent of content.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein said property is one of font type, font style, font size, and font color.

28. The method of claim 26 wherein said information comprises the number of times the sender of said message has attempted to contact the user of said telecommunications terminal during a time interval.

29. A method comprising:

(a) receiving a message directed to a telecommunications terminal;

(b) determining, based on based on information from one or more call logs, the value of a property of text; and

(c) sending said message and said value to said telecommunications terminal;

wherein said property of text is independent of content.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein said information comprises the time at which the sender of said message most recently sent a prior message to the user of said telecommunications terminal.

31. The method of claim 29 wherein said one or more logs comprises a first call log associated with said telecommunications terminal and a second call log associated with another telecommunications terminal.

32. The method of claim 29 wherein said determining said value is also based on an attribute of said message.