Personalization content sharing system and method

• US 7,761,816 B2
• Filed: 10/10/2006
• Issued: 07/20/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: InfoMedia Services Limited
• Original Assignee: XpresSpa Group, Inc. (f/k/a FORM Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Medved, Jonathan William, Goldfarb, David Elliot
• Primary Examiner(s): Lo; Weilun
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran; Tuyetlien T
• Application Number:
  US11/544,938
• Publication Number:
  US 20070190983A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,379 Days
• Field of Search: 715/716, 715/751, 715/756, 715/753, 715/864, 709/204, 379/373.01, 379/373.02
• US Class Current: 715/864
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1094 Inter-user-equipment sessions transfer or sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1096 Supplementary features, e.g. call forwarding or call holding systems providing special services or facilities to telephony subscribers H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/57 Arrangements for indicating or recording the number of the calling subscriber at the called subscriber's set at the operator set in a manual exchange H04M5/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72442 for playing music files
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72448 with means for adapting the functionality of the device according to specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/04 the ringing-current being generated at the substations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42017 Customized ring-back tones
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

A method includes enabling a user to define his/her buddies from among members of a community and enabling the user to select media content to be played on devices of his/her buddies. Another method includes providing media content chosen by a first user to be played by a media player on a device of a second user in response to an identification of the first user.

Claims

1. A method for an add-on personalization content manager to play video ringtones on a communication device of a user, the communication device having a phone application as part of its feature set, the method comprising:

the add-on personalization content manager receiving a video ringtone shared by a video sharing buddy with said user;

the add-on personalization content manager receiving a call-related triggering event related to said buddy; and

in response to said call-related triggering event, the add-on personalization content manager prioritizing playing of said shared video ringtone of said video sharing buddy for said call-related triggering event over ringtone playing by said phone application.

2. The method according to claim 1 and wherein said call-related triggering event is one of the following events:

end of call, a busy signal, a fast busy signal, and a call waiting signal.

3. The method according to claim 1 and wherein said communication device is one of:

a soft phone, a mobile telephone, a device capable of at least of voice communication, media playing and local storage, and a device capable of at least instant messaging, media playing and local storage, and a device capable of at least identifying another party of a communication, media playing and local storage.

4. The method according to claim 1 and wherein said communication device is one of the following devices:

a mobile telephone, a smart phone, a programmable device, a device that allows instant messaging, a voice over internet protocol (VoIP) device, an outside screen on a laptop, an internet protocol (IP) phone with a media screen, and a caller identification (id) pop up on a television.

5. The method according to claim 1 and also comprising previously downloading said video ringtone from a server.

6. The method according to claim 1 and also comprising playing a different video ringtone chosen by said user for said user prior to, concurrent with, or after playing of said video ringtone of said video sharing buddy.

7. The method according to claim 1 and also comprising:

identifying a triggering event and a buddy associated with said triggering event; and

selecting said video ringtone of said identified buddy for said identified triggering event.

8. The method according to claim 7 and wherein said identifying comprises:

monitoring the status of said device to determine when said triggering event occurs; and

determining said identification associated with said triggering event.

9. The method according to claim 1 and also comprising:

upon receiving a communication triggering event not related to said video sharing buddy;

prioritizing the playing of a default video ringtone over ringtone playing by said phone application.

10. The method according to claim 1 and wherein said prioritizing comprises increasing the z-order of a window for said playing.

11. The method according to claim 1 and wherein said prioritizing comprises providing a higher process priority to said add-on personalization content manager than that of a ringtone playing process of said phone application.

12. The method according to claim 1 and wherein said receiving comprises storing said video ringtone in a ringtone storage unit.

13. The method according to claim 1 and wherein said call-related triggering event is call initiation.

14. The method according to claim 1 and wherein said call-related triggering event is call ringing.

15. A communication device comprising:

an add-on video ringtone storage unit to store video ringtones shared by video sharing buddies of a user of said device;

a phone application;

a media player; and

an add-on personalization content manager to prioritize playing of a video ringtone of one buddy over ringtone playing by said phone application upon receiving a communication triggering event related to said user and said one buddy.

16. The device according to claim 15 and also comprising means for receiving a download of at least one video ringtone of at least one buddy.

17. The device according to claim 15 and wherein said add-on personalization content manager comprises:

a triggering event unit to identify a triggering event and a buddy associated with said triggering event; and

a play initiator to select said video ringtone of said identified buddy for said identified triggering event and to provide said selected video ringtone to said media player.

18. The device according to claim 15 which is one of the following devices:

a mobile telephone, a smart phone, a programmable device, a device that allows instant messaging, a voice over internet protocol (VoIP) device, an outside screen on a laptop, an internet protocol (IP) phone with a media screen, and a caller identification (id) pop up on a television.

19. The device according to claim 15 which is one of:

a soft phone, a mobile telephone, a device capable of at least of voice communication, media playing and local storage, and a device capable of at least instant messaging, media playing and local storage, and a device capable of at least identifying another party of a communication, media playing and local storage.