System and method for ringtone shuffle

• US 8,145,278 B2
• Filed: 12/17/2007
• Issued: 03/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Embarq Holdings Company LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sweeney, Jeffrey M., Lumbirt, Charles E., Morrill, Robert J., Robinson, Michael C., Rooks, SR., Kelsyn D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Milord, Marceau
• Application Number:
  US12/002,462
• Publication Number:
  US 20090156265A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,562 Days
• Field of Search: 455/567, 455/414.1, 455/418, 455/466, 455/419, 455/566, 455/556.1, 455/41.2, 709/201, 707/101
• US Class Current: 455/567
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/04 the ringing-current being generated at the substations
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/00 User notification, e.g. alerting and paging, for incoming communication, change of service or the like

Abstract

A system and method for shuffling ringtones. An identifier associated with a calling party is received. A selection of ringtones is received. The identifier is associated with the selection of ringtones. A communication is received from the calling party. Playback of one of the selection of ringtones is initiated on a communications device based on a user preference in response to determining the communication is associated with the identifier.

Claims

1. A method for shuffling ringtones, the method comprising:

receiving a selection of an identifier associated with a communicating party on a receiving device;

receiving a selection of a plurality of ringtones;

associating the identifier with the plurality of ringtones on the receiving device in response to user input;

receiving a communication from the communicating party; and

initiating playback of one of the plurality of ringtones on the receiving device based on user preferences in response to determining the communication is associated with the identifier, the user preferences enable the selection of the plurality of ringtones to be played (1) randomly, and (2) sequentially.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the identifier is any of a caller identification, phone number, email address, user name, and IP address.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the selection of the plurality of ringtones identifies a performance artist.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the selection of the plurality of ringtones identifies a music genre.

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

automatically updating the selection of the plurality of ringtones based on a criteria, the updating is enabled to be performed from ringtones on the receiving device and ringtones available through a network connection.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein automatically updating further comprises:

downloading the plurality of ringtones to the communications device at a specified interval.

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

playing one of the plurality of ringtones for a call, email, text message, and other electronic messages associated with the identifier according to the user preferences.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the user preferences are configured to play a different portion of each of the plurality of ringtones for a plurality of communications including the communication until all portions of the plurality of ringtones have been played thereby avoiding repetition.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of ringtones are played sequentially in a user-selected order or in an automatically determined order.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of ringtones includes one or more of an artist, songwriter, composer, compact disk, album, genre, era, rating, chart record, musical category, and user-defined category.

11. A communication system for shuffling ringtones, the system comprising:

a server in communication with a user interface and a receiving wireless device, the user interface configured to receive one or more identifiers associated with a communicating party, and associate the one or more identifiers with a selection of a plurality of ringtones;

the receiving wireless device configured to communicate with the server through a wireless network, wherein the receiving wireless device receives a communication, and plays one of the plurality of ringtones based on user preferences in response to determining the communication is associated with the identifier, the user preferences enable the selection of the plurality of ringtones to be played (1) randomly, and (2) sequentially.

12. The system according to claim 11, further comprising:

a database in communication with the server, the database configured to store and update the selection of the plurality of ringtones utilizing one or more criteria, wherein the plurality of ringtones and the user preferences entered through the user interface are uploaded to the receiving wireless device.

13. The system according to claim 11, wherein the one or more identifiers and the selection of the plurality of ringtones are associated and then synchronized between the server and the receiving wireless device based on input received from the user.

14. The system according to claim 11, wherein the plurality of ringtones includes ringtones separated by any of artist, album, era, and music type.

15. The system according to claim 11, wherein the selection of the plurality of ringtones is enabled to be played for communications including a phone call, text message, email message, chat message, and voicemail message, and wherein the user preferences are configured to play a different portion of each of the plurality of ringtones for the communication until all portions of the plurality of ringtones have been played thereby avoiding repetition.

16. A wireless device configured for ringtone shuffle, said device comprising:

a processor for executing a set of instructions; and

a memory for storing the set of instructions, wherein the set of instructions are configured to receive an identifier associated with a communicating party, associate the identifier with a selection of a plurality of ringtones, receive a communication from the communicating party, and play one of the plurality of ringtones on a communications device based on user preferences in response to determining the communication is associated with the identifier, wherein the user preferences enable the selection of the plurality of ringtones to be played (1) randomly, and (2) sequentially, and wherein the user preferences are configured to play a different portion of each of the plurality of ringtones for communications from the communicating party until all portions of the plurality of ringtones have been played thereby avoiding repetition.

17. The wireless device according to claim 16, wherein the set of instructions:

automatically updates the selection of the plurality of ringtones through a communications network as specified by the user preferences.

18. The wireless device according to claim 16, wherein the communication is a phone call, and wherein each of a plurality of contacts and associated identifiers are associated with one or more selections of ringtones.

19. The wireless device according to claim 16, wherein the selection of the plurality of ringtones is enabled to be played for communications including a phone call, text message, chat message, email message, picture message, and voicemail message.