Source audio identifiers for digital communications
First Claim
1. A method for audibly informing a recipient of an arrival of a digital communication from a sender, the method comprising:
- receiving a digital communication from a sender directed to a recipient;
determining whether the digital communication is associated with an audio identifier that identifies the sender of the digital communication and that is designated by the sender of the digital communication; and
conditioning rendering of the audio identifier for perception by the recipient on whether the digital communication is determined to be associated with the audio identifier, the audio identifier being rendered multiple times in repetition in response to receipt of the digital communication, each of the multiple renderings being prior to or concurrent with perception of the digital communication by the recipient,wherein the sender comprises a caller and the digital communication comprises a phone call,wherein;
receiving a digital communication comprises receiving the phone call directed to the recipient;
determining whether the digital communication is associated with an audio identifier comprises determining whether the phone call is associated with an audio identifier that identifies the caller and that is designated by the caller; and
conditioning rendering of the audio identifier comprises conditioning rendering of the audio identifier on whether the phone call is determined to be associated with the audio identifier, the audio identifier being rendered multiple times in repetition so as to be made perceivable as a ring tone for the phone call,wherein determining whether the digital communication is associated with an audio identifier comprises accessing a data store located at a recipient computer system based on a user identifier of the sender, andwherein the rendering of the audio identifier also is conditioned on whether communication exchange preferences associated with the recipient and stored in the data store allow the recipient to perceive the audio identifier.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Audibly informing a recipient of an arrival of a digital communication from a sender includes receiving a digital communication from a sender directed to a recipient and determining whether the digital communication is associated with an audio identifier that identifies the sender of the digital communication and that is designated by the sender of the digital communication. Perception by the recipient of the audio identifier is conditioned on whether the digital communication is determined to be associated with the audio identifier. The audio identifier is perceived prior to or concurrent with perception of the digital communication by the recipient.
227 Citations
30 Claims
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1. A method for audibly informing a recipient of an arrival of a digital communication from a sender, the method comprising:
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receiving a digital communication from a sender directed to a recipient; determining whether the digital communication is associated with an audio identifier that identifies the sender of the digital communication and that is designated by the sender of the digital communication; and conditioning rendering of the audio identifier for perception by the recipient on whether the digital communication is determined to be associated with the audio identifier, the audio identifier being rendered multiple times in repetition in response to receipt of the digital communication, each of the multiple renderings being prior to or concurrent with perception of the digital communication by the recipient, wherein the sender comprises a caller and the digital communication comprises a phone call, wherein; receiving a digital communication comprises receiving the phone call directed to the recipient; determining whether the digital communication is associated with an audio identifier comprises determining whether the phone call is associated with an audio identifier that identifies the caller and that is designated by the caller; and conditioning rendering of the audio identifier comprises conditioning rendering of the audio identifier on whether the phone call is determined to be associated with the audio identifier, the audio identifier being rendered multiple times in repetition so as to be made perceivable as a ring tone for the phone call, wherein determining whether the digital communication is associated with an audio identifier comprises accessing a data store located at a recipient computer system based on a user identifier of the sender, and wherein the rendering of the audio identifier also is conditioned on whether communication exchange preferences associated with the recipient and stored in the data store allow the recipient to perceive the audio identifier. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 13, 14, 15)
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- 9. The method of claim l, wherein the rendering of the audio identifier is not allowed when the communication exchange preferences explicitly include a setting indicating that the recipient is not allowed to perceive the audio identifier.
- 11. The method of claim l, wherein the rendering of the audio identifier or a rendering of the digital communication is not allowed when the communication exchange preferences explicitly include a setting indicating that the recipient is not allowed to perceive the audio identifier or the digital communication.
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16. A computer system for audibly informing a recipient of an arrival of a digital communication from a sender, the computer system comprising:
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a data store configured to store audio identifiers; and a digital communication processor configured to; receive a digital communication from a sender directed to a recipient, determine whether the digital communication is associated with an audio identifier that identifies the sender of the digital communication and that is designated by the sender of the digital communication, access the audio identifier from the data store and condition rendering of the audio identifier for perception by the recipient on whether the digital communication is determined to be associated with the audio identifier, the audio identifier being rendered multiple times in repetition in response to receipt of the digital communication, each of the multiple renderings being prior to or concurrent with perception of the digital communication by the recipient, wherein the sender comprises a caller and the digital communication comprises a phone call, and wherein the digital communication processor is configured to; receive a digital communication by receiving the phone call directed to the recipient; determine whether the digital communication is associated with an audio identifier by determining whether the phone call is associated with an audio identifier that identifies the caller and that is designated by the caller; and condition rendering of the audio identifier by conditioning rendering of the audio identifier on whether the phone call is determined to be associated with the audio identifier, the audio identifier being rendered multiple times in repetition so as to be made perceivable as a ring tone for the phone call, wherein the digital communication processor is configured to determine whether the digital communication is associated with an audio identifier by accessing a data store located at a recipient computer system based on a user identifier of the sender, and wherein the digital communication processor also conditions the rendering of the audio identifier on whether communication exchange preferences associated with the recipient and stored in the data store located at the recipient computer system allow the recipient to perceive the audio identifier. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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Specification