Method and system for providing real time ringback tone, and terminal therefor

• US 20080108334A1
• Filed: 01/03/2008
• Published: 05/08/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Wang, Weijie, Sun, Qian, Liu, Jian, Wang, Zhengwei
• Granted Patent: US 8,478,246 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/651 Text message transmission triggered by call automatic reactions in messaging within packet-switching networks H04L51/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42017 Customized ring-back tones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42093 Notifying the calling party of information on the called or connected party
• 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: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold

Abstract

The invention discloses a method for providing a real time ringback tone in a communication network and the method includes: establishing a call connection between a calling party and a called party according to a received calling request; receiving a ringback tone indication value from the called party; obtaining a corresponding ringback tone according to the ringback tone indication value; and playing the corresponding ringback tone to the calling party. The invention further provides a system for providing a real time ringback tone in a communication network and a terminal therefor. By using the technology of the invention, a different ringback tone can be played to the calling user in real time according to the current situation. Therefore, individualized requirements of the user may be met and the quality of communication service may be further improved.

Claims

1. A method for providing ringback tone in a communication network, comprising:

establishing a call connection between a calling party and a called party according to a received calling request;

receiving a ringback tone indication value from the called party;

obtaining a corresponding ringback tone according to the ringback tone indication value; and

playing the corresponding ringback tone to the calling party.

2. The method for providing ringback tone according to claim 1, further comprising:

playing a default ringback tone or a traditional ringback tone when the corresponding ringback tone obtained according to the ringback tone indication value is null.

3. The method for providing ringback tone according to claim 1, further comprising:

subscribing, by the called party, to a real time ringback tone service and

saving the subscription information in a Home Location Register (HLR) the called party homing to before the establishing a call connection between a calling party and a called party.

4. The method for providing ringback tone according to claim 3, wherein,

the establishing a call connection comprises:

sending, by the calling party, a calling request to the called party via an Originating Mobile Switching Center (O_MSC);

obtaining, by the O_MSC, the subscription information and routing, information of the called party from the HLR; and

sending, by the O_MSC, a calling request to the called party via a Terminating Mobile Switching Center (T_MSC).

5. The method for providing ringback tone according to claim 4, further comprising:

sending, by the called party, the ringback tone indication value to the T_MSC in a Dual Tone Multiple Frequency (DTMF) mode.

6. The method for providing ringback tone according to claim 4, further comprising:

sending, by the called party, the ringback tone indication value to the T_MSC by using a message Start DTMF for one or more times.

7. The method for providing ringback tone according to claim 4, further comprising:

sending, by the called party, the ringback tone indication value to the T_MSC via a User-to-User Signaling (UUS) or a Disconnect message or a Connect message.

8. The method for providing ringback tone according to claim 5, further comprising:

sending, by the T_MSC, the ringback tone indication value directly or indirectly.

9. The method for providing ringback tone according to claim 5, wherein, the ringback tone indication value is input by the called party and sent to the T_MSC;

or,

the ringback tone indication value corresponding to a predetermined terminal state is preset on the called terminal, and the called terminal determines the ringback tone indication value according to the current terminal state and sends the ringback tone indication value to the T_MSC automatically.

10. The method for providing ringback tone according to claim 5, wherein, the T_MSC disconnects or does not disconnect the called party as the ringback tone indication value is sent to the T_MSC.

11. The method for providing ringback tone according to claim 4, further comprising:

instructing, by the O_MSC and/or the T_MSC, a ringback tone unit to play a default ringback tone or a traditional ringback tone before the T_MSC receives the ringback tone indication value;

after the T_MSC receives the ringback tone indication value, the obtaining a corresponding ringback tone according to the ringback tone indication value, and playing the corresponding ringback tone to the calling party comprises;

the T_MSC sends the ringback tone indication value to the ringback tone unit directly or indirectly, and the ringback tone unit obtains the corresponding ringback tone according to the ringback tone indication value; and

the ringback tone unit stops playing the default ringback tone or the traditional ringback tone and plays the corresponding ringback tone to the calling party.

12. The method for providing ringback tone according to claim 4, further comprising:

in a scheduled time period after the T_MSC learns that the called terminal is in idle state, determining, by the T_MSC and/or O_MSC, whether the called party sends a ringback tone indication value without playing any ringback tone to the calling party;

if the T_MSC receives the ringback tone indication value in the scheduled time period, the obtaining a corresponding ringback tone according to the ringback tone indication value and playing the corresponding ringback tone to the calling party will be performed, otherwise, a ringback tone unit will be instructed to play a default ringback tone or a traditional ringback tone to the calling party;

the obtaining a corresponding ringback tone according to the ringback tone indication value, and playing the corresponding ringback tone to the calling party comprise;

the T_MSC sending the ringback tone indication value to the ringback tone unit directly or indirectly, and the ringback tone unit obtaining the corresponding ringback tone according to the ringback tone indication value; and

the ringback tone unit playing the corresponding ringback tone to the calling party.

13. The method for providing ringback tone according to claim 11, wherein, the O_MSC and/or the T_MSC instructs the ringback tone unit to stop playing the default ringback tone or the traditional ringback tone and terminates the call connection as the ringback tone unit plays the default ringback tone or the traditional ringback tone for a scheduled time period and the called party does not send any ringback tone indication value, or the called party does not answer, or the calling party does not hang up.

14. The method for providing ringback tone according to claim 4, wherein,

the O_MSC and/or the T_MSC instructs a ringback tone unit to stop playing the corresponding ringback tone and terminates the call connection as the calling party hangs up;

or

the O_MSC and/or the T_MSC instructs a ringback tone unit to stop playing the corresponding ringback tone and connects a speech path between the calling party and the called party as the called party answers;

or

the O_MSC and/or the T_MSC instructs a ringback tone unit to stop playing the corresponding ringback tone and terminates the call connection after the ringback tone unit plays the corresponding ringback tone for a scheduled time period.

15. The method for providing ringback tone according to claim 1, wherein, the ringback tone indication value is a ringback tone ID or a cause value.

16. The method for providing ringback tone according to claim 15, wherein,

when the ringback tone indication value is a cause value, a cause value-ringback tone correspondence table is saved in a ringback tone unit, and each cause value in the correspondence table corresponds to a different ringback tone ID;

the cause values and the ringback tone IDs in the cause value-ringback tone correspondence table are set for all the calling parties, and the ringback tone ID is determined according to the cause value;

or

the cause values and the ringback tone IDs in the cause value-ringback tone correspondence table are set for individual calling parties, and a column of calling terminal IDs is added to the correspondence table, and the ringback tone ID is determined according to the calling terminal ID and the cause value;

or,

the cause values and ringback tone IDs in the cause value-ringback tone correspondence table are set for all the called parties, and for any called party, the ringback tone ID is determined according to the cause value;

or

the cause values and the ringback tone IDs in the cause value-ringback tone correspondence table are set for individual called parties, and a column of called terminal IDs is added to the correspondence table, and the ringback tone ID is determined according to the called terminal ID and the cause value.

17. The method for providing ringback tone according to claim 15, wherein, the cause value represents a rejection reason of the called party or the current state of the called party.

18. A system for providing ringback tone in a communication network, comprising:

a ringback tone unit that is configured to;

store ringback tones;

receive a ringback tone indication value sent from a terminal;

obtain a corresponding ringback tone according to the ringback tone indication value;

play the corresponding ringback tone to a calling party.

19. The system for providing ringback tone according to claim 18, wherein, the ringback tone unit is configured in a Terminating Mobile Switching Center (T_MSC) or an Originating Mobile Switching Center (O_MSC);

or the ringback tone unit is an independent Ringback Tone Server (RBTS).

20. The system for providing ringback tone according to claim 18, wherein, the ringback tone indication value is a ringback tone ID or a cause value.

21. A terminal, comprising:

an information transceiving unit, capable of delivering received information to a master control unit and sending information to the outside under the control of the master control unit;

the master control unit, capable of performing a call connection operation when determining that a calling request is received, and sending a notification to a ringback tone indicating unit; and

the ringback tone indicating unit, capable of sending a ringback tone indication value via the information transceiving unit according to the notification.

22. The terminal according to claim 21, wherein, the ringback tone indication value is a ringback tone ID or a cause value.