Method, apparatus and system for playing ring back tone

• US 8,189,758 B2
• Filed: 01/08/2009
• Issued: 05/29/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Xue, Guohai
• Primary Examiner(s): Elahee, Md S
• Assistant Examiner(s): BEZUAYEHU, SOLOMON G
• Application Number:
  US12/350,533
• Publication Number:
  US 20090116624A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,237 Days
• Field of Search: 379/179, 379/207.16, 379/256
• US Class Current: 379/207.16
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2072 Schedules, e.g. personal calendars
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42017 Customized ring-back tones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42068 where the identifier is used to access a profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42093 Notifying the calling party of information on the called or connected party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42102 Making use of the called party identifier

Abstract

A method, apparatus and system for playing a Ring Back Tone are provided, and the method includes: determining, according to a call request initiated by a calling party, whether a called party has customized a called-party Ring Back Tone service; further determining, if the called party has customized a called-party Ring Back Tone service, whether the calling party has customized a Ring Back Tone; and playing, if the calling party has customized a Ring Back Tone, a ring tone to the calling party, according to the Ring Back Tone customized by the calling party. According to the above technical solution, the calling party can accurately receive the ring tone selected by the calling party himself in the case that the called party has customized a Ring Back Tone service.

Claims

1. A method for playing a Ring Back Tone, comprising:

determining, according to a call request initiated by a calling party, whether a called party has customized a called-party Ring Back Tone service;

further determining, if the called party has customized a called-party Ring Back Tone service, whether the calling party has customized a Ring Back Tone;

determining, if the calling party has customized a Ring Back Tone, whether a combination playing identifier is set in a ring tone parameter identifier corresponding to the calling party; and

playing, if the combination playing identifier is set, to the calling party the Ring Back Tone customized by the calling party in combination with the Ring Back Tone customized by the called party.

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

obtaining a Ring Back Tone service identifier of the called party.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the obtaining the Ring Back Tone service identifier of the called party comprises:

obtaining the Ring Back Tone service identifier by a local query.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the obtaining the Ring Back Tone service identifier of the called party further comprises:

obtaining the Ring Back Tone service identifier by a whole-network query.

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

receiving a donation request message, obtaining a ring tone subscription identifier of a donator and adding the ring tone subscription identifier into a ring tone subscription identifier parameter corresponding to a donee.

11. A non-transitory computer program product, comprising a computer program code, wherein the computer program code can make a computer to execute a step of claim 1 when executed by the computer.

6. A Ring Back Tone apparatus, comprising:

a combination setting unit, configured to add, according to a ring tone selection request message, a combination playing identifier into a ring tone parameter identifier corresponding to a user terminal sending the ring tone selection request message, wherein the combination playing identifier is used to indicate playing to the calling party the Ring Back Tone customized by the calling party in combination with the Ring Back Tone customized by the called party;

a called party query unit, configured to query the Ring Back Tone apparatus for a Ring Back Tone service identifier of a called party; and

a generating unit, configured to generate, according to the combination playing identifier set by the combination setting unit and a call request message, a playing command message containing ring tone playing information.

7. The Ring Back Tone apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising:

a donation unit, adapted to obtain, according to a donation request message, a ring tone subscription identifier and add the ring tone subscription identifier into a ring tone subscription identifier parameter corresponding to a donation target terminal.

8. The Ring Back Tone apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising:

a donation confirmation unit, adapted to make confirmation to the donation target terminal whether a donation is accepted;

wherein the donation unit is further adapted to decide, according to a confirmation result of the donation confirmation unit, whether to execute a donation operation.

9. A Ring Back Tone system, comprising a Ring Back Tone apparatus for determining, according to a call request initiated by a calling party, whether a called party has customized a called-party Ring Back Tone service;

further determining, if the called party has customized a called-party Ring Back Tone service, whether the calling party has customized a Ring Back Tone;

determining, if the calling party has customized a Ring Back Tone, whether a combination playing identifier is set in a ring tone parameter identifier corresponding to the calling party; and

playing, if the combination playing identifier is set, to the calling party the Ring Back Tone customized by the calling party in combination with the Ring Back Tone customized by the called party.

10. The Ring Back Tone system according to claim 9, wherein the Ring Back Tone apparatus comprises:

a combination setting unit, adapted to add, according to a ring tone selection request message, a combination playing identifier into a ring tone parameter identifier corresponding to a user terminal sending the ring tone selection request message;

a called party query unit, adapted to query the Ring Back Tone apparatus for a Ring Back Tone service identifier of the called party; and

a generation unit, adapted to generate, according to the combination playing identifier set by the combination setting unit and a call request message, a playing command message containing ring tone playing information.