Method for providing custom ring-back tones

• US 20080063168A1
• Filed: 08/15/2006
• Published: 03/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Services Corporation (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Haley, James E., Middleswarth, Susan M., Wurster, John H., Jones, Douglas R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,126,126 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/201.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42017 Customized ring-back tones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42068 where the identifier is used to access a profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/436 Arrangements for screening incoming calls , i.e. evaluating the characteristics of a call before deciding whether to answer it based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; diversion H04M3/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/129 Details of providing call progress tones or announcements

Abstract

A method is provided for providing customized ring-back tones to callers on a wireline network such as a public switched telephone network having an advanced intelligent network or a VoIP network. When a call request is received from a calling party to connect to a called party through a wireline telephone network it is determined if the calling party is identified in a screening list for the called party. If so, then a customized audible ring-back tone is played to the calling party until the called party is connected to the calling party or until the call request is terminated.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving over a wireline telecommunications network from a calling party a call comprised of a first communication including a subject telephone number of a called party;

in response to said first communication, retrieving selected audio data associated with the subject telephone number from a database;

sending said selected audio data in a response message via the wireline telecommunications network to said calling party until said called party answers said call or said calling party ends said call.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireline telecommunications network includes a public switched telephone network having an advanced intelligent network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireline telecommunications network include a VoIP network.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein retrieving selected audio data associated with the subject telephone number from a database comprises retrieving and playing an audio file from a database associated with an intelligent peripheral device.

5. A method comprising:

accessing a web site on a web server via an Internet browser computer application;

obtaining a level of authorized access to a screening list associated with a subject telephone number via said web site;

including one or more callers to said subject telephone number in said screening list and storing said screening list on said web server; and

associating said one or more callers in said screening list with one or more audio data files such that when said one or more callers in said screening list call said subject telephone number over a wireline telecommunications network, said one or more callers are played said one or more audio data files over said wireline telecommunications network.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said screening list is configured to identify said one or more callers to said subject telephone number by a telephone number of each of said one or more callers and said screening list is further configured to associate a separate audio data file with each of said caller'"'"'s telephone numbers such that each said caller to said subject telephone number is capable of hearing a different customized audible ring-back tone through said wireline telecommunications network.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the screening list includes all callers to said subject telephone number such that all callers to the subject telephone number hear the same customized audible ring-back tone.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein associating said one or more callers in said screening list with one or more audio data files comprises associating one or more callers in said screening list with one or more audio data files which may be different audio data files depending upon one or more of the hour of the day, the day of the week, or the caller'"'"'s telephone number.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein associating said one or more callers in said screening list with one or more audio data files comprises associating said one or more callers with an identifier of said one or more audio files.

10. The method of claim 5, wherein the wireline telecommunications network includes a public switched telephone network having an advanced intelligent network.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising storing said screening list on a service control point associated with said advanced intelligent network.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising storing said one or more audio data files on an intelligent peripheral device associated with said advanced intelligent network.

13. The method of claim 5, wherein the wireline telecommunications network is a VoIP network.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising storing said screening list on an application server associated with said VoIP network.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising storing said one or more audio data files on a media server associated with said VoIP network.

16. A method, comprising

receiving a call request from a calling party to connect to a called party through a wireline telephone network;

determining if said calling party is identified in a screening list for said called party;

if said calling party is in the screening list for said called party, then;

playing a customized audible ring-back tone to said calling party until said called party is connected to said calling party or until said call request is terminated; and

if said calling party is not in the screening list for said called party, then;

playing a standard ring-back tone to said calling party until said called party is connected to said calling party or until said call request is terminated.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the wireline telephone network includes a public switched telephone network having an advanced intelligent network.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the wireline telephone network is a voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) network.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein said customized audible ring-back tone is one or more of a recorded song, a portion of a recorded song, a single tone, a series of tones, a recorded announcement;

music, a recorded voice message from the called party, or combinations thereof.