Personalization content sharing system and method

• US 8,041,401 B2
• Filed: 05/07/2007
• Issued: 10/18/2011
• 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: Goldfarb, David Elliot
• Primary Examiner(s): LY, NGHI H
• Application Number:
  US11/744,917
• Publication Number:
  US 20080026732A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,625 Days
• Field of Search: 455/567, 455/414.1, 455/419, 455/3.06, 379/82, 379/297.16, 379/252, 379/375.01
• US Class Current: 455/567
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• 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 1/72442 for playing music files
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/50 Telephonic communication in combination with video communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/06 the calling signal being supplied from the subscriber's line circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42017 Customized ring-back tones
• 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 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 previously downloading, to a device of a user, media content chosen by a buddy of the user and an indication that it is to be associated with the buddy, passing the downloaded media content to the device as the media content to be associated in a contact list with the buddy and playing the media content in response to an identification of the buddy.

Claims

1. A device to initiate play of media content thereon by a buddy of the user of the device, the device having a native operating environment, the device comprising:

a personalization unit external to said native operating environment, the unit comprising;

a downloading unit to download at least video ringtones associated with video sharing buddies of said user to a storage unit with an indication of which buddy they are to be associated with; and

an associator to provide said downloaded video ringtones to a contact list application, said contact list application forming part of the native operating environment of said device, as video ringtones to be associated with said buddy in said contact list;

a communications unit to receive a triggering event related to said buddy; and

a media player to play said associated video ringtones of one said buddy in response to said triggering event related to said user and said one buddy.

2. The method according to claim 1 and wherein said video ringtone comprises at least one of:

a video clip, a silent video clip, an animation, or a combination thereof.

3. The device according to claim 1 and wherein said triggering event is associated with a telephone communication.

4. The device according to claim 3 and wherein said triggering event is one of the following events:

call initiation, call ringing, end of call, a busy signal, a “

fast busy”

signal, and a call waiting signal.

5. A method implemented by an application external to the native operating environment of a communication device of a user for playing video ringtones, the method comprising initiating play of a video ringtone associated with a buddy in response to a triggering event associated with said buddy, wherein the improvement comprises:

said application receiving a download of a shared video ringtone of said buddy and an indication that it is to be associated with said buddy; and

said application providing said shared video ringtone to a contact list application, said contact list application forming part of said native operating environment, for association with said buddy, such that upon said triggering event said contact list application initiates play of said video ringtone.

6. The method according to claim 5 and wherein said identification is a caller id.

7. The method according to claim 5 and wherein said video ringtone comprises at least one of:

a video clip, a silent video clip, an animation, or a combination thereof.

8. The method according to claim 5 and wherein said adding comprises invoking an application programming interface (API) for access to said contact list application.

9. The method of claim 5 and wherein said identification is associated with said triggering event.

10. The method according to claim 9 and wherein said triggering event is associated with a telephone communication.

11. The method according to claim 10 and wherein said triggering event is one of the following events:

call initiation, call ringing, end of call, a busy signal, a “

fast busy”

signal, and a call waiting signal.