METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PROVIDING A RING BACK TONE IN A COMMUNICATION NETWORK

• US 20090214003A1
• Filed: 04/16/2009
• Published: 08/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2007
• 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: YAN, Yongfu
• Granted Patent: US 8,442,211 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/87
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/14 Delay circuits; Timers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/02 Calling substations, e.g. by ringing selective calling H04Q
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42017 Customized ring-back tones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42051 where the notification is included in the ringing tone
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42102 Making use of the called party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4211 where the identifier is used to access a profile

Abstract

A method and system for implementing an interactive Ring Back Tone service are disclosed, and the method includes: obtaining (S101), when connecting a call, subscription information of an interactive Ring Back Tone service subscribed by a user; issuing (S102), when a called terminal is idle, to the called terminal a first subscription identifier for identifying an interactive Ring Back Tone service subscription of the user, where the first subscription identifier is for instructing the terminal to wait for playing of an interactive Ring Back Tone; and playing (S103), according to the interactive Ring Back Tone service subscribed by the user, the interactive Ring Back Tone to the called user.

Claims

1. A method for providing a Ring Back Tone in a communication network, comprising:

obtaining, when connecting a call, subscription information of an interactive Ring Back Tone service subscribed by a user;

issuing, when a callee is idle, to the callee a first subscription identifier for identifying an interactive Ring Back Tone service subscription of the user, wherein the first subscription identifier instructs the callee to wait for playing of an interactive Ring Back Tone; and

playing, according to the subscription information of the interactive Ring Back Tone service subscribed by the user, the interactive Ring Back Tone to the callee.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the subscription information of the interactive Ring Back Tone service subscribed by the user comprises subscription information of an interactive Ring Back Tone service subscribed by at least one of a caller and the callee.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the process of playing, according to the subscription information of the interactive Ring Back Tone service subscribed by the user, the interactive Ring Back Tone to the callee comprises:

determining, if the subscription information of the interactive Ring Back Tone service subscribed by the caller and that subscribed by the callee are obtained, the interactive Ring Back Tone to be played according to a priority set in the subscription information of the interactive Ring Back Tone service subscribed by the user.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

the process of obtaining subscription information of an interactive Ring Back Tone service subscribed by a user comprises;

obtaining, by a first switching device, from a Home Location Register the subscription information of the interactive Ring Back Tone service subscribed by the user; and

the process of issuing to the callee a first subscription identifier comprises;

issuing, by a second switching device, the first subscription identifier to the callee.

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising:

issuing, by the first switching device, a second subscription identifier to the second switching device according to the subscription information of the interactive Ring Back Tone service, wherein the second subscription identifier identifies the interactive Ring Back Tone service subscription of the user.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising:

connecting, by the first switching device, a session between a caller and an interactive Ring Back Tone service platform according to a callee idle message returned by the second switching device, and instructing the interactive Ring Back Tone service platform to play the interactive Ring Back Tone to the caller.

7. The method according to claim 5, further comprising:

connecting, by the second switching device, a session between the callee and an interactive Ring Back Tone service platform, and instructing the interactive Ring Back Tone service platform to play the interactive Ring Back Tone to the callee.

8. The method according to claim 4, further comprising:

routing, by the first switching device, the subscription information of the interactive Ring Back Tone service to an interactive Ring Back Tone service platform; and

issuing, by the interactive Ring Back Tone service platform, a second subscription identifier to the second switching device according to the subscription information of the interactive Ring Back Tone service.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising:

connecting, by the interactive Ring Back Tone service platform, a session with the callee according to a callee idle message returned from the second switching device, and playing the interactive Ring Back Tone to the callee.

10. The method according to claim 5, wherein the second subscription identifier comprises a redirection information parameter and is carried in an Initial Address Message.

11. The method according to claim 8, wherein the second subscription identifier comprises a redirection information parameter and is carried in an Initial Address Message.

12. One or more computer readable media, comprising computer readable program code executed by one or more digital processor for providing a Ring Back Tone in a communication network the computer readable program code including:

instructions for obtaining subscription information of an interactive Ring Back Tone service subscribed by a user;

instructions for issuing, when a callee is idle, to the callee a first subscription identifier for identifying an interactive Ring Back Tone service subscription of the user, wherein the first subscription identifier instructs the callee to wait for playing of an interactive Ring Back Tone; and

instructions for playing, according to the subscription information of the interactive Ring Back Tone service subscribed by the user, the interactive Ring Back Tone to the callee.

13. A system for providing a Ring Back Tone in a communication network, comprising:

a switching device, adapted to issue, when a callee is idle, to the callee a first subscription identifier, wherein the first subscription identifier instructs the callee to wait for playing of an interactive Ring Back Tone;

to connect a session between the callee and an interactive Ring Back Tone service platform; and

to instruct the interactive Ring Back Tone service platform to play the interactive Ring Back Tone to the callee,

wherein the interactive Ring Back Tone service platform plays, according to subscription information of an interactive Ring Back Tone service subscribed by a user, the interactive Ring Back Tone to the callee.

14. A switching device, comprising:

an interactive Ring Back Tone subscription information obtaining unit for obtaining subscription information of an interactive Ring Back Tone service subscribed by a user;

an interactive Ring Back Tone subscription identifier issuing unit for issuing to a callee a first subscription identifier, wherein the first subscription identifier instructs the callee to wait for playing of an interactive Ring Back Tone; and

an interactive Ring Back Tone service triggering unit for routing the subscription information of the interactive Ring Back Tone service to an interactive Ring Back Tone service platform to trigger the interactive Ring Back Tone service.

15. The switching device according to claim 14, further comprising:

a storing unit for storing the subscription information of the interactive Ring Back Tone service subscribed by the user, wherein;

the interactive Ring Back Tone subscription information obtaining unit obtains from the storing unit the subscription information of the interactive Ring Back Tone service subscribed by the user.

16. The switching device according to claim 14, further comprising:

a session connecting unit for connecting a communication session between the interactive Ring Back Tone service platform and a terminal.

17. The switching device according to claim 15, further comprising:

a session connecting unit for connecting a communication session between the interactive Ring Back Tone service platform and a terminal.

18. An interactive Ring Back Tone service platform, comprising:

a receiving unit for receiving subscription information of an interactive Ring Back Tone service transmitted from a switching device; and

a playing unit for playing an interactive Ring Back Tone to a user according to service information and the subscription information of the interactive Ring Back Tone service.

19. The interactive Ring Back Tone service platform according to claim 18, further comprising:

a storing unit for store the service information of the interactive Ring Back Tone service.

20. The interactive Ring Back Tone service platform according to claim 18, further comprising:

an issuing unit for issuing, according to the subscription information of the interactive Ring Back Tone service, to a switching device a second subscription identifier, wherein the second subscription identifier identifies an interactive Ring Back Tone service subscription of a user.

21. The interactive Ring Back Tone service platform according to claim 19, further comprising:

an issuing unit for issuing, according to the subscription information of the interactive Ring Back Tone service, to a switching device a second subscription identifier, wherein the second subscription identifier identifies an interactive Ring Back Tone service subscription of a user.

22. A terminal for implementing an interactive Ring Back Tone service, comprising:

a receiving unit for receiving a first subscription identifier for identifying an interactive Ring Back Tone service subscription of a user, wherein the first subscription identifier instructs a callee to wait for playing of an interactive Ring Back Tone; and

a shielding unit for shielding, according to the first subscription identifier, a ring tone of the terminal.