Methods, systems, and computer program products for providing tone services

• US 20060177044A1
• Filed: 01/21/2005
• Published: 08/10/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: O'Neil, Douglas, Alston, Douglas
• Application Number:
  US11/040,509
• Publication Number:
  US 20060177044A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/373.20
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72406 by software upgrading or downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/02 Calling substations, e.g. by ringing selective calling H04Q
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42068 where the identifier is used to access a profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1205 where the types of switching equipement comprises PSTN/ISDN equipment and switching equipment of networks other than PSTN/ISDN, e.g. Internet Protocol networks

Abstract

Methods, systems, and computer program products for providing tone services are provided. Methods include associating a tone with a communications address and storing results of the associating in a profile record. In response to receiving an incoming call directed to the communications address, the methods include accessing the profile record to find the tone and delivering the tone along with the incoming call to a communications device associated with the communications address.

Claims

1. A method for providing tone services, comprising:

associating a tone with a communications address;

storing results of the associating in a profile record; and

in response to receiving an incoming call directed to the communications address, accessing the profile record to find the tone and delivering the tone along with the incoming call to a communications device associated with the communications address.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

associating distinctive ring functions to the communications address;

storing results of the associating distinctive ring functions in the profile record; and

in response to receiving an incoming call directed to the communications address, accessing the profile record to find the distinctive ring functions and implementing the distinctive ring functions along with the incoming call to a communications device associated with the communications address.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the tone includes at least one of:

a ring tone;

a video tone; and

a ring back tone.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a change to the profile record, the change including at least one of a change to a selected tone and a change to a distinctive ring function setting; and

implementing the change on the communications device during call set up.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the distinctive ring functions include at least one of:

applying a selected tone to incoming calls of the communications device;

applying a selected tone to outgoing calls initiated by the communications device;

applying a selected tone as a ring back tone; and

establishing priorities for selected distinctive ring functions associated with the communications device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the communications device includes at least one of:

a personal computer;

a laptop computer;

a cellular telephone;

a Session Initiated Protocol-enabled cordless telephone;

a Session Initiated Protocol-enabled wireline telephone; and

a pager.

7. A system for providing tone services, comprising:

a processor executing a tone service manager application, the processor in communication with a communications device via a network, the ring tone service manager application performing;

associating a tone with a communications address;

storing results of the associating in a profile record; and

in response to receiving an incoming call directed to the communications address, accessing the profile record to find the tone and delivering the tone along with the incoming call to a communications device associated with the communications address.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the tone service manager application further performs:

associating distinctive ring functions to the communications address;

storing results of the associating distinctive ring functions in the profile record; and

in response to receiving an incoming call directed to the communications address, accessing the profile record to find the distinctive ring functions and implementing the distinctive ring functions along with the incoming call to a communications device associated with the communications address.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the tone includes at least one of:

a ring tone;

a video tone; and

a ring back tone.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the tone service manager application further performs:

receiving a change to the profile record, the change including at least one of a change to a selected tone and a change to a distinctive ring function setting; and

implementing the change on the communications device during call set up.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the distinctive ring functions include at least one of:

applying a selected tone to incoming calls of the communications device;

applying a selected tone to outgoing calls initiated by the communications device;

applying a selected tone as a ring back tone; and

establishing priorities for selected distinctive ring functions associated with the communications device.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the communications device includes at least one of:

a personal computer;

a laptop computer;

a cellular telephone;

a Session Initiated Protocol-enabled cordless telephone;

a Session Initiated Protocol-enabled wireline telephone; and

a pager.

13. The system of claim 7, wherein the network includes:

a serving call session control function;

a home subscriber system;

an interrogating call session control function;

a media gateway control function; and

a proxy call session control function.

14. A computer program product for providing tone services, the computer program product including instructions for performing:

associating a tone with a communications address;

storing results of the associating in a profile record; and

in response to receiving an incoming call directed to the communications address, accessing the profile record to find the tone and delivering the tone along with the incoming call to a communications device associated with the communications address.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, further comprising instructions for performing:

associating distinctive ring functions to the communications address;

storing results of the associating distinctive ring functions in the profile record; and

in response to receiving an incoming call directed to the communications address, accessing the profile record to find the distinctive ring functions and implementing the distinctive ring functions along with the incoming call to a communications device associated with the communications address.

16. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the tone includes at least one of:

a ring tone;

a video tone; and

a ring back tone.

17. The computer program product of claim 14, further comprising instructions for performing:

receiving a change to the profile record, the change including at least one of a change to a selected tone and a change to a distinctive ring function setting; and

implementing the change on the communications device during call set up.

18. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the distinctive ring functions include at least one of:

applying a selected tone to incoming calls of the communications device;

applying a selected tone to outgoing calls initiated by the communications device;

applying a selected tone as a ring back tone; and

establishing priorities for selected distinctive ring functions associated with the communications device.

19. A communications device for providing tone services, comprising:

a synchronization protocol enabled on the communications device; and

a tone client application executing on the communications device, the tone client application performing;

downloading a tone on the communications device;

applying distinctive ring settings to the communications device;

automatically transmitting the tone and the distinctive ring settings to an other communications device via the synchronization protocol; and

implementing the tone on the communications device.