Methods, systems, devices, and products for providing ring backs

• US 7,889,853 B2
• Filed: 07/27/2004
• Issued: 02/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sutcliffe, Geoff
• Primary Examiner(s): Matar; Ahmad F
• Assistant Examiner(s): GAY, SONIA L
• Application Number:
  US10/899,925
• Publication Number:
  US 20060023862A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,394 Days
• Field of Search: 379/88.17, 379/88.33, 379/142.01, 379/201.01, 379/207.02, 379/207.08, 379/377, 379/114.13, 379/373.01, 379/373.02, 379/373.03, 379/67, 379/211.01, 379/207.16, 370/310, 370351-356, 370/329, 370/377, 455/567, 455/91
• US Class Current: 379/207.16
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42017 Customized ring-back tones

Abstract

Methods, systems, devices, and products are disclosed for providing ring backs to a calling party'"'"'s communications device. The ring backs are selected by the called party and can be delivered to the calling party in many ways, such as by delivering a file, a pointer, or a command. The ring backs allow the called party to personalize the experience for a calling party when that calling party attempts a communication with the called party. The ring backs can be audio, visual, tactile or any such combination.

Claims

1. A method of providing a ring back to a calling party'"'"'s communications device during a wait time, the wait time occurring after a communication request is received at a called party'"'"'s communications device and before the calling party'"'"'s communications device receives a resolution of the communication request, the method comprising:

receiving the communication request from the calling party'"'"'s communications device;

diverting the communication request to a server;

querying a database accessible to the server for a called party;

retrieving financial data;

querying the database for the financial data and for a calling party; and

retrieving the ring back associated with the financial data, with the called party, and with the calling party;

sending the communication request from the server to the called party'"'"'s communications device; and

routing the ring back from the server for delivery to a calling party,

wherein the called party specifies the ring back to be played on the calling party'"'"'s communications device during the wait time.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising associating a telephone number of the called party to the ring back.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising associating an email address of the calling party to the ring back.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising querying the database for the calling party.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising forwarding a name of the ring back from the server to the calling party'"'"'s communications device.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising playing the ring back to the calling party'"'"'s communications device.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

retrieving weather conditions associated with the calling party;

querying the database for the weather conditions and for the calling party; and

retrieving the ring back associated with the weather conditions, with the called party, and with the calling party.

8. A method of providing a ring back to a calling party'"'"'s communications device, comprising:

sending a communication request from the calling party'"'"'s communications device to initiate a communication with a called party'"'"'s communications device;

receiving an indicator of a ring back file associated with current weather conditions at the called party'"'"'s communications device that has been selected by a called party for presentation to the calling party;

retrieving the ring back file from a local memory of the calling party'"'"'s communications device; and

playing the ring back on the calling party'"'"'s communications device during a wait time occurring after the communication request is received at the called party'"'"'s communications device and before the calling party'"'"'s communications device receives a resolution of the communication request,

wherein the called party specifies the ring back to be played on the calling party'"'"'s communications device.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein receiving the indicator of the ring back file comprises receiving a filename.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein receiving the indicator of the ring back file comprises receiving pointer to the local memory where the ring back is stored.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the pointer identifies a location of the ring back.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein the indicator comprises a command for retrieving the ring back.

13. The method according to claim 8, wherein the ring back comprises an audio file.

14. The method according to claim 8, wherein the ring back comprises an image file.

15. The method according to claim 8, wherein the ring back comprises a video file.

16. A communications device that allows selection of a ring back, comprising:

circuitry for communicating a communication request and for presenting a ring back during a wait time, the wait time occurring after the communication request is received at a called party'"'"'s communications device and before a calling party'"'"'s communications device receives a resolution of the communication request;

a ring back module stored in a memory device, the ring back module providing a selection of ring backs for presentation to a calling party during the wait time; and

a processor communicating with the memory device and with the circuitry, the processor receiving an indication of the ring back associated with current weather conditions at the called party'"'"'s communications device that has been selected by a called party to be retrieved from the memory device of the calling party'"'"'s communications device, the processor retrieving the ring back from the memory device and presenting the ring back during the wait time.

17. The communications device according to claim 16, wherein when the ring back is not retrievable from the memory device of the calling party'"'"'s communications device, then the processor retrieves a different ring back selected by the calling party, thus allowing the calling party to censor the ring back selected by the called party.

18. The communications device according to claim 16, wherein the circuitry and the processor permit wireless downloading of additional ring backs.