FORKED-CALL RINGBACK REPLACEMENT SYSTEM
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A system for customizing a communications network, said system comprising:
- a first communications station associated with a calling party;
a second communications station associated with a called party;
a storage device containing at least one announcement;
a ringback system for receiving information regarding a first proximity location of said first communications station and for receiving information regarding a second proximity location of said second communications station; and
a communications device for initiating a forked or forwarded call to locate said called party at said second communications station;
wherein said forked or forwarded call is initiated by said calling party,wherein said system determines whether said first proximity location is associated with at least one announcement of said plurality of announcements, andwherein said system replaces at least a portion of a call signal with at least a portion of said at least one announcement upon a positive determination that said at least one announcement is associated with said first proximity location,wherein said at least one announcement is played to said calling party after said initiation of said forked or forwarded call,wherein said ringback system determines that said at least one announcement is associated with said first proximity location,wherein said at least one announcement is chosen by said called party and is associated with a telephone number of said calling party,wherein said portion of said call signal is replaced after said initiation of said forked or forwarded call but prior to active communication with said called party, andwherein said call signal is selected from a group consisting of ringback signals, busy signals, network redirect signals, call progress signals, network announcement signals, and dial tone signals.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A ringback replacement system for modifying or replacing certain communications network signals and tones in a roaming, forked-call, forwarded-call, or mobility environment is disclosed. Communications devices activate and interact with the ringback replacement system to allow for modification of the network service.
-
Citations
35 Claims
-
1. A system for customizing a communications network, said system comprising:
-
a first communications station associated with a calling party; a second communications station associated with a called party; a storage device containing at least one announcement; a ringback system for receiving information regarding a first proximity location of said first communications station and for receiving information regarding a second proximity location of said second communications station; and a communications device for initiating a forked or forwarded call to locate said called party at said second communications station; wherein said forked or forwarded call is initiated by said calling party, wherein said system determines whether said first proximity location is associated with at least one announcement of said plurality of announcements, and wherein said system replaces at least a portion of a call signal with at least a portion of said at least one announcement upon a positive determination that said at least one announcement is associated with said first proximity location, wherein said at least one announcement is played to said calling party after said initiation of said forked or forwarded call, wherein said ringback system determines that said at least one announcement is associated with said first proximity location, wherein said at least one announcement is chosen by said called party and is associated with a telephone number of said calling party, wherein said portion of said call signal is replaced after said initiation of said forked or forwarded call but prior to active communication with said called party, and wherein said call signal is selected from a group consisting of ringback signals, busy signals, network redirect signals, call progress signals, network announcement signals, and dial tone signals. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
-
-
11. A system for customizing a communications network, said system comprising:
-
a first communications station associated with a calling party; a second communications station associated with a called party; a ringback system for receiving information regarding a first proximity location of said first communications station and for receiving information regarding a second proximity location of said second communications station;
a storage device containing at least one announcement; anda communications device for initiating a forked or forwarded call to locate said called party at said second communications station; wherein said forked or forwarded call is initiated by said calling party, and further wherein at least a portion of a call signal is replaced with at least a portion of said at least one announcement, and further wherein said at least one announcement is played to said calling party after said initiation of said forked or forwarded call, wherein said ringback system determines that said at least one announcement is associated with said first proximity location, wherein said at least one announcement is chosen by said called party and is associated with a telephone number of said calling party, and further wherein said portion of said call signal is replaced after said initiation of said forked or forwarded call but prior to active communication with said called party, wherein said information regarding a second proximity location is transmitted to said first communications station prior to said active communication with said called party, wherein said second communications station is selected from the group consisting of a telephone, a wireless telephone, a cellular telephone, a video telephone, a mobile computer, a personal digital assistant, and a multimedia handset. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
-
-
21. A system for customizing a communications network, said system comprising:
-
a first communications station associated with a calling party; a second communications station associated with a called party; a storage device containing a plurality of announcements; and a communications device for initiating a forked or forwarded call to locate said called party at said second communications station; wherein said forked or forwarded call is initiated by said calling party, wherein said system receives information regarding a first proximity location of said first communications station and receives information regarding a second proximity location of said second communications station, wherein said system determines whether said first proximity location is associated with at least one announcement of said plurality of announcements, and wherein said system replaces at least a portion of a call signal with at least a portion of said at least one announcement upon a positive determination that said at least one announcement is associated with said first proximity location, further wherein said at least a portion of said at least one announcement is played to said calling party after said initiation of said forked or forwarded call, wherein said at least one announcement is chosen by said calling party and is associated with a telephone number of said calling party, wherein said at least a portion of said call signal is replaced after said initiation of said forked or forwarded call but prior to active communication with said called party, and wherein said communications network is selected from the group consisting of a circuit-switched network, a packet-based network, the Internet, a local area network, a wide area network, a virtual private network, a metropolitan area network, a broadcast network, a wireless network, and a cellular network. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25)
-
-
26. A method for replacing at least a portion of a call signal with at least a portion of an announcement, comprising:
-
placing a call by a calling party from a first communications device; locating a second communications device via a forked or forwarded call; accessing a storage device containing announcement plurality of announcements; playing at least a portion of said at least one announcement to said first communications device as a call signal; and terminating the playing of said at least a portion of said at least one announcement to said first communications device; wherein said system receives information regarding a first proximity location of said first communications device and receives information regarding a second proximity location of said second communications device, wherein said system determines whether said first proximity location is associated with at least one announcement of said plurality of announcements, and wherein said system replaces at least a portion of a call signal with at least a portion of said at least one announcement upon a positive determination that said at least one announcement is associated with said first proximity location, wherein said at least one announcement is chosen by said called party and is associated with a telephone number of said calling party, wherein said at least a portion of said at least one announcement is played after the placing of the call but prior to active communication with the second communications device, and wherein said call signal is selected from the group consisting of ringback signals, busy signals, network redirect signals, call progress signals, network announcement signals, and dial tone signals. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28)
-
-
29. The method for customizing a communications network, said method comprising the steps of:
-
establishing communication with a system capable of replacing at least a portion of a call signal with at least one announcement, wherein said at least one announcement is selected from the group consisting of audio, video, data, and a combination of audio, video, or data; accessing a storage device containing said at least one announcement; associating a first geographical location with said at least one announcement; determining a second geographical location of a communications device; delivering at least a portion of said at least one announcement as a call signal while a communications device is located via a forked or forwarded call, wherein said at least a portion of said at least one announcement is delivered if said first geographical location matches said second geographical location; wherein said at least one announcement is chosen by said called party and is associated with a telephone number of said calling party; and wherein said at least a portion of said at least one announcement is delivered after establishing the communication with said system but prior to active communication with the communications device. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
-
Specification