Method and apparatus for providing ringback tones

• US 7,613,287 B1
• Filed: 11/15/2005
• Issued: 11/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Tellme Networks Incorporated ([24]7.ai, Inc.)
• Inventors: Surapaneni, Rao S., Stifelman, Lisa J., Chinthakunta, Madhusudan, Clayton, Gary
• Primary Examiner(s): SMITH, CREIGHTON H
• Application Number:
  US11/274,945
• Time in Patent Office: 1,449 Days
• Field of Search: 379/215.01
• US Class Current: 379/215.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42017 Customized ring-back tones

Abstract

A method of providing a ringback tone to a calling party. The method includes receiving a call directed to a subscriber from the calling party. At least one of an adaptive ringback tone and an actionable ringback tone is provided to the calling party. The adaptive ringback tone is based on state data.

Claims

1. A method of providing an adaptive ringback tone to a calling party, the method comprising:

receiving a call to a subscriber from the calling party;

providing an adaptive ringback tone to the calling party based on state data;

storing a playback position in the state data, die playback position indicative of when the calling party stopped listening to the adaptive ringback tone in a previous call.

2. The method according to claim 1, further including:

maintaining a database for storing the state data.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the call includes ANI information having a phone number of the calling party, the method further comprising performing a reverse lookup in a database using the phone number of the calling party so as to locate the state data of the calling party.

4. The method according to claim 3, further including:

wherein the database is a personal address book related to the subscriber.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the adaptive ringback tone is based on one of a progressive ringback tone, a message ringback tone, a list-based ringback tone, and a dynamic ringback tone.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the adaptive ringback tone is divided into a plurality of segments.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the playback position includes a segment position indicative of the last segment heard by the calling party.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein providing the adaptive ringback tone includes:

playing the adaptive ringback tone as a function of the playback position.

9. A method of providing an adaptive ringback tone to a calling party, the method comprising:

receiving a call to a subscriber from the calling party;

providing an adaptive ringback tone to the calling party based on state data;

wherein providing the adaptive ringback tone includes;

maintaining a list of ringback tones;

selecting one of the ringback tones based on the state data;

wherein the state data includes a history of ringback tones provided to the calling party, and wherein selecting the ringback tone is a function of the history;

providing the selected ringback tone.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the list of ringback tones includes one or more categories of ringback tones.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the category is based on at least one of a movie theme, a musical theme, and a sport.

12. A method of providing an adaptive ringback tone to a calling party, the method comprising:

receiving a call to a subscriber from the calling party;

providing an adaptive ringback tone to the calling party based on state data;

wherein the adaptive ringback tone is associated with a file stored in a ringback tone database, and wherein the file includes data that is dynamic between one or more calls from the subscriber.

13. A system for providing an adaptive ringback tone to a calling party, the system comprising:

a call module for receiving a call to a subscriber from the calling party;

a ringback tone module for providing an adaptive ringback tone to the calling party based on state data;

wherein the state data includes a playback position, the playback position indicative of when the calling party stopped listening to the adaptive ringback tone in a previous call, and wherein the ringback tone module provides the adaptive ringback tone starting as a function of the playback position.

14. The system according to claim 13, further including:

a database for storing the state data.

15. The system according to claim 13, further comprising a reverse lookup module for performing a reverse lookup in a database using caller id information received in the call, so as to locate the state data associated with the calling party.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein the database is a personal address book.

17. The method according to claim 13, wherein the adaptive ringback tone is based on one of a progressive ringback tone, a message ringback tone, a list-based ringback tone, and a dynamic ringback tone.

18. The system according to claim 13, wherein the adaptive ringback tone is divided into segments.

19. The system according to claim 18, wherein the playback position includes a segment position indicative of the last segment heard by the calling party, and wherein the ringback tone module provides the adaptive ringback tone as a function of the segment position.

20. The system according to claim 13, wherein the ringback tone module includes:

a list of ringback tones, and

a ringback tone selection module for selecting, based on the state data, one of the ringback tones in the list to be provided to the calling party.

21. The system according to claim 20, wherein the list of ringback tones includes one or more categories of ringback tones.

22. The system according to claim 21, wherein the category is at least one of a movie theme, a musical theme, and a sport.

23. A system for providing an adaptive ringback tone to a calling party, the system comprising:

a call module for receiving a call to a subscriber from the calling party;

a ringback tone module for providing an adaptive ringback tone to the calling party based on state data;

wherein the ringback tone module includes;

a list of ringback tones;

a ringback tone selection module for selecting, based on the state data, one of the ringback tones in the list to be provided to the calling party;

wherein the state data includes a history of ring back tones provided to the calling party, the selection module selecting the ringback tone as a function of the history.

24. A system for providing an adaptive ringback tone to a calling party, the system comprising:

a call module for receiving a call to a subscriber from the calling party;

a ringback tone module for providing an adaptive ringback tone to the calling party based on state data;

wherein the adaptive ringback tone is associated with a file stored in a ringback tone database, and wherein the file includes data that is dynamic between one or more calls from the subscriber.

25. A method of providing an actionable ringback tone to a calling party, the method comprising:

receiving a call directed towards a subscriber from the calling party;

providing an actionable ringback tone to the calling party;

receiving a response to the actionable ringback tone from the calling party;

performing an action based on the response;

wherein the actionable ringback tone includes a voice prompt.

26. The method according to claim 25, further comprising:

the subscriber answering the call; and

interrupting the actionable ringback tone provided to the calling party.

27. The method according to claim 25, wherein interrupting the actionable ringback tone includes continuing to play the ringback tone until a predetermined stopping point is reached.

28. The method according to claim 25, wherein the actionable ringback tone includes at least one of a question, an advertisement, a survey request, a transaction, and an inquiry as to whether the calling party wishes to purchase the ringback tone.

29. The method according to claim 25, wherein performing the action includes logging the response in a database.

30. The method according to claim 25, further comprising the calling party providing the response by at least one of providing a voice response and pressing one or more DTMF keys.

31. The method according to claim 30, wherein providing the actionable ringback tone includes inquiring as to whether the calling party wishes to purchase the ringback tone.

32. A system for providing an actionable ringback tone to a calling party, the system comprising:

a call module for receiving a call directed towards a subscriber from the calling party;

a ringback tone module for providing the actionable ringback tone to the calling party;

a response module for receiving a response to the actionable ringback tone from the calling party;

an action module for performing an action based on the response;

wherein the ringback tone module interrupts the actionable ringback tone provided to the calling party upon the subscriber answering the call;

wherein the ringback tone module interrupts the actionable ringback tone by continuing to play the ringback tone until a predetermined stopping point is reached.

33. A system for providing an actionable ringback tone to a calling party, the system comprising:

a call module for receiving a call directed towards a subscriber from the calling party;

a ringback tone module for providing the actionable ringback tone to the calling party;

a response module for receiving a response to the actionable ringback tone from the calling party;

wherein the actionable ringback tone includes a voice prompt.

34. The system according to claim 33, wherein the action module includes a database for logging the response.

35. The system according to claim 33, wherein the response module includes a speech enabled media module for receiving a voice response from the calling party.

36. The system according to claim 33, wherein the response module monitors pressing of one or more DTMF keys.

37. A system for providing an actionable ringback tone to a calling party, the system comprising:

a call module for receiving a call directed towards a subscriber from the calling party;

a ringback tone module for providing the actionable ringback tone to the calling party;

a response module for receiving a response to the actionable ringback tone from the calling party;

wherein the actionable ringback tone includes at least one of a question, an advertisement, a survey request, a transaction, and an inquiry as to whether the calling party wishes to purchase the ringback tone.

38. A method of providing a progressive ringback tone to a calling party, the method comprising:

defining a plurality of data segments;

receiving a call to a subscriber from the calling party;

selecting one of the plurality of segments based on state data associated with the call; and

providing the selected segment to the calling party.

39. The method according to claim 38, wherein each segment includes at least one of audio data, video data, and text data.

40. The method according to claim 38, wherein the state data includes a playback position indicative of the last segment heard by the calling party.

41. The method according to claim 38, wherein the state data includes a history of the segments already heard by the calling party in the call.

42. The method according to claim 38, further comprising:

repeatedly selecting and providing until the subscriber answers the call.

43. The method according to claim 42, wherein each segment providing to the calling party is separated by a sound separator.

44. The method according to claim 43, wherein the sound separator is a period of silence.

45. A system for providing a progressive ringback tone to a calling party, the system comprising:

a plurality of data segments representing a ringback tone;

a call receive module for receiving a call to a subscriber from the calling party;

a segment selector for selecting one of the segments based on state data associated with the call; and

a call provide module for providing the selected segment to the calling party.

46. The system according to claim 45, wherein each segment includes at least one of audio data, video data, and text data.

47. The system according to claim 45, wherein the state data includes a playback position indicative of the last segment heard by the calling party.

48. The system according to claim 45, wherein the state data includes a history of the segments already heard by the calling party in the call.

49. The system according to claim 45, wherein the call receive module and the segment selector repeatedly select and provide one of the segments until the subscriber answers the call.

50. The system according to claim 49, wherein each segment provided to the calling party is separated by a sound separator.

51. The system according to claim 50, wherein the sound separator is a period of silence.

52. A method of providing a dynamic ringback tone to a calling party;

the method comprising;

receiving a text feed;

concatenating speech segments based on the text feed to form a ringback tone;

receiving a call to a subscriber from the calling party;

providing the ringback tone to the calling party.

53. The method according to claim 52, wherein the text feed received changes between calls received by the subscriber from the calling party.

54. A method of providing a dynamic ringback tone to a calling party;

the method comprising;

receiving a text feed;

converting the text to speech to form a ringback tone;

receiving a call to a subscriber from the calling party; and

providing the ringback tone to the calling party.

55. The method according to claim 54, wherein the text feed received changes between calls received by the subscriber from the calling party.