Apparatus and method for providing customized information

• US 8,724,794 B2
• Filed: 12/27/2006
• Issued: 05/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2005
• 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: Wang, Jun
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang, Fan
• Assistant Examiner(s): BEZUAYEHU, SOLOMON G
• Application Number:
  US11/645,773
• Publication Number:
  US 20070127705A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,694 Days
• Field of Search: 379/207.02, 379/88.22, 379/373.01, 455/406, 455/414.1, 455/550.1, 455/466
• US Class Current: 379/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42017 Customized ring-back tones

Abstract

An apparatus for providing customized information, including: a control unit used for sending a trigger signal to a play unit upon receiving a call request from a caller terminal, an information storage unit used for storing the customized information, and a play unit used for sending the customized information obtained from the information storage unit to the caller terminal. A method for providing customized information, including: obtaining and storing the customized information by the called terminal, and sending the customized information stored to the caller terminal by the called terminal upon receiving a call request from the caller terminal.

Claims

1. An apparatus for providing customized information, wherein, the customized information is provided by a called terminal to a caller terminal, the called terminal has subscribed to a Home Location Register (HLR), to both a customized information service and a Ring Back Tone (RBT) service, and the apparatus comprises:

a control unit being used for determining, upon receiving a call request from the caller terminal, a customized information selection parameter of the called terminal and whether a customized information transmission condition is met according to a customized information transmission condition stored in the called terminal;

the customized information transmission condition comprising at least one of;

a caller terminal identity, period of calling time, and location of the called terminal during the calling;

a play unit being used for sending a notification to a Visited Mobile Switching Center (VMSC) indicating that the called terminal will send the customized information to the caller terminal so that the VMSC forwards the notification to a Mobile Switching Center (MSC) when the called terminal determines that the customized information transmission condition is met, and receiving a customized information identity from the control unit, requesting the customized information that corresponds to the customized information identity, and sending the customized information to the caller terminal; and

an information storage unit being used for storing the customized information, and sending the customized information that corresponds to the customized information identity to the play unit according to the request from the play unit; and

the play unit further being used for sending a notification to the VMSC indicating that the called terminal will not send the customized information to the caller terminal when the called terminal determines the customized information transmission condition is not met, so that the VMSC forwards the notification to an RBT server (RBTS), via the MSC, and the RBTS sends the RBT customized by the called terminal to the caller terminal.

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

a format conversion unit, for receiving the customized information inputted externally, converting format of the customized information inputted externally into a designated transmission format, and sending customized information converted to the information storage unit.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is further used for sending a stop playing signal to the play unit when detecting that a called user answers;

and

the play unit terminates a process of sending the customized information to the caller terminal upon receiving the stop playing signal.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is further used for sending a customized information identity which is set to be a background sound to the play unit when detecting that a called user answers, or sending both the customized information identity which is set to be the background sound and a play-for-the-called signal to the play unit;

and

the play unit is further used for obtaining the customized information that corresponds to the customized information identity from the information storage unit and sending the customized information to the caller terminal, upon receiving the customized information identity; and

upon receiving the play-for-the-called signal, sending the customized information to a speaker of the called terminal.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is further used for storing a sound effect parameter adjustment condition and a standard sound effect parameter and sending the standard sound effect parameter to the play unit upon detecting that the sound effect parameter adjustment condition is met;

and

the play unit is further used for adjusting the customized information sent according to the sound effect parameter, upon receiving the standard sound effect parameter.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a charging unit being used for charging the customized information according to the customized information identity, and charging for a call upon receiving a call response from the called terminal.

7. A method for providing customized information, wherein, the customized information is provided by a called terminal to a caller terminal, the called terminal has subscribed to a Home Location Register (HLR), to both a customized information service and a Ring Back Tone (RBT) service, and the method comprises:

receiving, by the called terminal, a call request from the caller terminal to the called terminal;

determining, by the called terminal, whether a customized information transmission condition is met according to the customized information transmission condition stored in the called terminal;

the customized information transmission condition comprising at least one of;

a caller terminal identity, period of calling time, and location of the called terminal during calling;

sending, by the called terminal, a notification to a Visited Mobile Switching Center (VMSC) indicating that the called terminal will send the customized information to the caller terminal so that the VMSC forwards the notification to a Mobile Switching Center (MSC) when the called terminal determines that the customized information transmission condition is met;

sending, by the called terminal, the customized information stored in the called terminal to the caller terminal; and

sending, by the called terminal, a notification to the VMSC indicating that the called terminal will not send the customized information to the caller terminal, so that the VMSC forwards the notification to an RBT server (RBTS), via the MSC, and the RBTS sends the RBT customized by the called terminal to the caller terminal.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the customized information comprises at least one of voice information, video information and graphic information.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein sending the customized information to the caller terminal comprises:

sending the customized information to the caller terminal via a path that supports a customized information transmission from the called terminal to the caller terminal.

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

setting the called terminal in an automatic connected state; and

sending the customized information to the caller terminal comprising;

sending the customized information to the caller terminal via a bidirectional communication link between the called terminal and the caller terminal.

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

terminating a process of sending the customized information to the caller terminal upon the called terminal detecting that a called user answers.

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

sending the customized information which is set to be a background sound to the caller terminal or the called terminal until the called terminal detects that a called user answers.

13. The method according to claim 7, wherein the called terminal stores a sound effect adjustment condition and a standard sound effect parameter, the method further comprising:

adjusting the customized information sent according to the sound effect parameter stored in the called terminal, upon the called terminal detects that the sound effect parameter adjustment condition is met.

14. The method according to claim 7, wherein the customized information selection parameter comprises at least one of a caller terminal identity, period of calling time and location of the called terminal during the calling.

15. The method according to claim 7, wherein sending the customized information to the caller terminal comprises:

sending the customized information and the customized information identity to the VMSC through the MSC;

sending the customized information to the caller terminal,

notifying a charging unit to charge for the customized information according to the customized information identity and to charge for a call upon receiving a call response from the called terminal.

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

subscribing for call wait services other than the customized information service as well as the customized information service at the same time to the HLR by the called terminal, setting and storing a customized information transmission condition by the called terminal;

sending the customized information to the caller terminal comprising;

sending the customized information to the caller terminal when the called terminal detects that the customized information transmission condition is met.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the customized information transmission condition comprises at least one of a designated caller terminal identity, a designated period of time and a designated location of the called terminal.

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

notifying the MSC that the called terminal sends the customized information to the caller terminal.

19. A method for providing customized information, wherein, the customized information is provided by a called terminal to a caller terminal, and the called terminal has not subscribed to a Home Location Register (HLR), to either a customized information service or a Ring Back Tone (RBT) service, the method comprising:

receiving, by the called terminal, a call request from a caller terminal;

obtaining, by the called terminal, customized information stored in the called terminal in response to the call request;

upon receiving the call request, notifying, by the called terminal, a Mobile Switching Center that the called terminal will send the customized information to the caller terminal; and

sending the customized information to the caller terminal.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein obtaining the customized information stored in the called terminal further comprises:

determining a customized information selection parameter;

searching for a customized information identity corresponding to the customized information selection parameter according to a relationship between the customized information selection parameter and the customized information identity, wherein the relationship is stored in the called terminal; and

obtaining the customized information corresponding to the customized information identity.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein the customized information selection parameter comprises at least one of a caller terminal identity, period of calling time and location of the called terminal during the calling.