Method for providing a subscriber-based ringback tone sound stored in a mobile exchanger

• US 7,400,882 B2
• Filed: 08/22/2003
• Issued: 07/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: SK Telecom Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: SK Telecom Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Hahm, Hee Hyeok, Kim, Ki Mun, Lee, Sang Yun, No, Yeong Tae, Park, Jae Young
• Primary Examiner(s): Eng, George
• Assistant Examiner(s): Torres, Marcos L
• Application Number:
  US10/530,020
• Publication Number:
  US 20060109968A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,789 Days
• Field of Search: 455/433, 4554141-4143, 455/432.3, 379/257, 379/207.16, 379372-3743
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/041 Encoding the ringing signal, i.e. providing distinctive or selective ringing capability
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42017 Customized ring-back tones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4211 where the identifier is used to access a profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42153 by subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/20 Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

In a method of providing a caller with a pre-stored sound chosen by a called subscriber instead of a standard RBT (RingBack Tone), an HLR (Home Location Register), when a location request message is received from a call-originating exchanger, furnishes either the call-originating exchanger or a call-terminating exchanger with information on whether or not an RBT is to be replaced for the called terminal. The call-originating exchanger or the call-terminating exchanger then searches, while a trunk connection is established between the exchangers, for a sound code assigned to the called terminal based on the information furnished by the HLR, and provides the caller with a pre-stored RBT-replacing sound associated with the found sound code as an RBT.

Claims

1. A method of providing a predetermined sound as an RBT (RingBack Tone) in a communication network, said method comprising:

an HLR (Home Location Register) furnishing a call-originating exchanger with information on whether or not an RBT is to be replaced for a called terminal through a response message to a location request message received from the call-originating exchanger that sends the location request message to the HLR when a call connection is requested by a caller to the called terminal;

the call-originating exchanger searching for a sound code assigned to the called terminal based on the information included in the response message; and

the call-originating exchanger providing the caller with a pre-stored RBT-replacing sound associated with the found sound code as an RBT while requesting a trunk connection to a call-terminating exchanger associated with the called terminal based on the response message.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein a server separated from the call-originating exchanger and the call-terminating exchanger has a subscriber-code table where subscriber numbers are associated with sound codes individually, and the call-originating exchanger searches for the sound code with the aid of the server.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the call-originating exchanger communicates with the server based on an internet protocol in the code searching operation.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising

locally storing a plurality of RBT-replacing sounds in a database of the call-originating exchanger;

and

the call-originating exchanger searching among the RBT-replacing sounds stored in the database for the RBT-replacing sound associated with the found sound code and providing the found RBT-replacing sound to the caller.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the response message returned from the HLR to the call-originating exchanger includes not only said information but also routing information furnished by the call-terminating exchanger.

2. A method of providing a predetermined sound as an RBT (RingBack Tone) in a communication network, said method comprising:

an HLR (Home Location Register), in response to a location request message received from a call-originating exchanger when a call connection is requested by a caller to a called terminal, furnishing a call-terminating exchanger associated with the called terminal with information on whether or not an RBT is to be replaced for the called terminal through a routing information request message that is sent by the HLR to the call-terminating exchanger;

the call-terminating exchanger, in response to a trunk connection request from the call-originating exchanger, searching for a sound code assigned to the called terminal based on the information; and

the call-terminating exchanger providing the caller, via the call-originating exchanger, with a pre-stored RBT-replacing sound associated with the found sound code as an RBT.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein a server separated from the call-originating exchanger and the call-terminating exchanger has a subscriber-code table where subscriber numbers are associated with sound codes individually, and the call-terminating exchanger searches for the sound code with the aid of the server.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the call-terminating exchanger communicates with the server based on an internet protocol in the code searching operation.

9. The method of claim 2, further comprising

locally storing a plurality of RBT-replacing sounds in a database of the call-terminating exchanger;

and

the call-terminating exchanger searching among the RBT-replacing sounds stored in the database for the RBT-replacing sound associated with the found sound code and providing the found RBT-replacing sound to the caller via the call-originating exchanger.

10. The method of claim 2, further comprising

the HLR maintaining, for each subscriber, a profile that includes information on whether or not an RBT is to be replaced for the subscriber when called.

11. A method of providing a caller with a pre-stored sound chosen by a called subscriber instead of a standard RBT (RingBack Tone), said method comprising:

an HLR (Home Location Register), in response to a location request message received from a call-originating exchanger associated with the caller, furnishing one of (1) a call-terminating exchanger associated with the called subscriber and (2) the call-originating exchanger with information on whether or not an RBT is to be replaced for the called subscriber;

said one of the call-originating and call-terminating exchangers then searching for a sound code assigned to the called terminal based on the information furnished by the HLR;

said one of the call-originating and call-terminating exchangers subsequently providing the caller with an RBT-replacing sound, which is pre-stored locally at said one of the call-originating and call-terminating exchangers and associated with the found sound code, as an RBT; and

the HLR maintaining, for each subscriber, a profile that includes information on whether or not an RBT is to be replaced for the subscriber when called;

wherein

said one of the call-originating and call-terminating exchangers is the call-originating exchanger.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein

said information is returned from the HLR to the call-originating exchanger in a response message which also includes routing information furnished by the call-terminating exchanger.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising

the call-originating exchanger requesting the call-terminating exchanger to establish a trunk connection;

wherein the call-originating exchanger searches for the sound code before requesting the call-terminating exchanger to establish a trunk connection.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein

the call-originating exchanger receives the found sound code before requesting the call-terminating exchanger to establish a trunk connection.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein

the call-originating exchanger requests the call-terminating exchanger to establish a trunk connection and provides the caller with the RBT-replacing sound at the same time.