Method, communication device and computer-readable media for conveying an audio element to a user of a communication device during an outgoing call

• US 8,737,587 B2
• Filed: 12/31/2010
• Issued: 05/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BCE Incorporated
• Original Assignee: BCE Incorporated
• Inventors: Clark, David William, Murray, Sean MacLean
• Primary Examiner(s): SMITH, CREIGHTON H
• Application Number:
  US12/983,206
• Publication Number:
  US 20110176668A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,243 Days
• Field of Search: 379/201.01, 379/207.16
• US Class Current: 379/207.16
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42017 Customized ring-back tones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1225 Details of core network interconnection arrangements

Abstract

The present invention discloses numerous implementations for conveying an audio element to a source device initiating an outgoing call while a user of the source device is waiting for a user of a destination device to answer the call. A call processing system receives a call request message from the source device, determines an audio element from a plurality of audio elements to convey to the source device and initiates conveyance of the audio element to the source device in response to receiving the call request message. The system then causes establishment of a media connection between the source and destination devices and terminates conveyance of the audio element to the source device prior to or substantially simultaneous with the establishment of the media connection between the source and destination devices. In various implementations, the source device may be implemented within the PSTN and/or an IP network. The audio element may comprise an audio file, an audio stream, scheduling information or other audio content. A subscriber associated with the source device may pre-configure the selection of the audio element to be conveyed in replace of the traditional ring tone. A communication device may also implement a method to convey an audio element to a user of the communication device during establishment of an outgoing call.

Claims

1. A method implemented by an end-user communication device operable to originate telephonic calls comprising:

receiving a selection of an audio element of a plurality of audio elements from a user of the communication device prior to initiation of an outgoing call from the communication device to a destination device;

initiating conveyance of the audio element to the user of the communication device in response to detecting the initiation of the outgoing call to the destination device; and

terminating conveyance of the audio element to the user of the communication device prior to or substantially simultaneous with establishment of the call between the communication device and the destination device.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the receiving the selection of the audio element from the user of the communication device comprises offering a plurality of potential audio elements to the user and receiving selection information from the user, the selection information comprising an indication of at least one of the plurality of potential audio elements.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the receiving the selection of the audio element from the user comprises receiving an indication of an audio file.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein the receiving the indication of the audio file comprises accessing an application on the communication device in which the user has selected at least one audio file.

5. A method according to claim 4, wherein the application on the communication device comprises at least one playlist of audio files and the receiving the indication of the audio file further comprises receiving an indication of one or more audio files within the playlist.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the receiving the selection of the audio element from the user comprises receiving an indication of at least one audio stream broadcast on a data network.

7. A method according to claim 3, wherein the indication of the audio file comprises a location of the audio file within a database local to the communication device;

and wherein the initiating conveyance of the audio element to the user of the communication device comprises accessing the audio file within the database local to the communication device and playing the audio file to the user of the communication device.

8. A method according to claim 3, wherein the indication of the audio file comprises a location of the audio file within a database remote from the communication device;

and wherein the initiating conveyance of the audio element to the user of the communication device comprises transmitting a request to the remote database to play the audio file over a media connection between the remote database and the communication device.

9. A method according to claim 6, wherein the indication of the audio stream comprises a location on the data network of an audio stream source that broadcasts the audio stream;

and wherein the initiating conveyance of the audio element to the user of the communication device comprises transmitting a request to the audio stream source to transmit the audio stream over a media connection between the audio stream source and the communication device.

10. A method according to claim 6, wherein the audio stream comprises at least one of a radio broadcast, an audio portion of a television broadcast, a playlist of songs, a service announcement broadcast, a set of one or more advertisement messages and a reading of information.

11. A method according to claim 1, wherein the receiving the selection of the audio element from the user of the communication device comprises receiving a selection of an audio element associated with a particular destination device;

and the initiating conveyance of the audio element to the user of the communication device occurs if the destination device of the outgoing call is the particular destination device.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein the audio element comprises a message for the user of the communication device associated with a user of the destination device.

13. A method according to claim 1, wherein the receiving the selection of the audio element from the user of the communication device comprises receiving a selection of a plurality of audio elements and an indication to use a random algorithm to select audio elements to convey to the user of the communication device during establishment of outgoing calls.

14. A method according to claim 1, wherein the receiving the selection of the audio element from the user of the communication device comprises receiving a selection of a plurality of audio elements and an indication to use a predetermined order to select audio elements to convey to the user of the communication device during establishment of outgoing calls.

15. A method according to claim 1, wherein the receiving the selection of the audio element from the user of the communication device comprises receiving a selection of a plurality of audio elements and an indication to use temporal information to select audio elements to convey to the user of the communication device during establishment of outgoing calls.

16. A method according to claim 1, wherein the initiating conveyance of the audio element to the user of the communication device replaces a traditional conveyance of a tone to the user of the communication device during initiation of an outgoing call, the tone being received from a network component.

17. A method according to claim 1 further comprising causing establishment of a media connection between the communication device and the destination device in response to detecting the initiation of the call to the destination device by the user of the communication device.

18. A method according to claim 17, wherein the causing establishment of the media connection between the communication device and the destination device comprises transmitting Dual Tone Multi-Frequency (DTMF) tones to a Service Switching Point (SSP).

19. A method according to claim 17, wherein the causing establishment of the media connection between the communication device and the destination device comprises transmitting a call request message to a call processing system via a data network.

20. A method according to claim 17, wherein the causing establishment of the media connection between the communication device and the destination device comprises causing initiation of a media connection with the destination device and detecting acceptance from the destination device of the outgoing call.

21. A method according to claim 20, wherein the terminating conveyance of the audio element to the user of the communication device is in response to detecting the acceptance from the destination device of the outgoing call.

22. A method according to claim 20 further comprising determining a minimum time period to convey the audio element;

and wherein the causing initiation of the media connection with the destination device is in response to the minimum time period expiring.

23. A method according to claim 22, wherein the terminating conveyance of the audio element to the user of the communication device is in response to detecting the acceptance from the destination device of the outgoing call.

24. A method according to claim 1 further comprising determining a time period to convey the audio element;

and wherein the terminating conveyance of the audio element to the user of the communication device is in response to the time period expiring.

25. A method according to claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a selection of a media element from the user of the communication device to convey to a display within the communication device;

wherein the media element is to be conveyed to the display during establishment of the outgoing call; and

initiating conveyance of the media element to the display within the communication device in response to detecting the initiation of the outgoing call to the destination device.

26. A method according to claim 25, wherein the media element comprises at least one of a video element, an image element and a text element.

27. An end-user communication device comprising:

a network interface operable to be coupled to a network over which the communication device may initiate an outgoing call to a destination device; and

a processing entity operable to receive a selection of an audio element of a plurality of audio elements from a user of the communication device prior to initiation of an outgoing call from the communication device to a destination device;

to initiate conveyance of the audio element to the user of the communication device in response to detecting the initiation of the outgoing call to the destination device; and

to terminate conveyance of the audio element to the user of the communication device prior to or substantially simultaneous with establishment of the call between the communication device and the destination device.

28. A communication device according to claim 27, wherein, to receive the selection of the audio element from the user, the processing entity is operable to offer a plurality of potential audio elements to the user and to receive selection information from the user, the selection information comprising an indication of at least one of the plurality of potential audio elements.

29. A communication device according to claim 27, wherein, to receive the selection of the audio element from the user, the processing entity is operable to receive an indication of an audio file.

30. A communication device according to claim 29, wherein, to receive the indication of the audio file, the processing entity is operable to access an application on the communication device in which the user has selected at least one audio file.

31. A communication device according to claim 30, wherein the application on the communication device comprises at least one playlist of audio files and, to receive the indication of the audio file, the processing entity is further operable to receive an indication of one or more audio files within the playlist.

32. A communication device according to claim 27, wherein, to receive the selection of the audio element from the user, the processing entity is operable to receive an indication of at least one audio stream broadcast on a data network.

33. A communication device according to claim 29 further comprising a database;

and wherein the indication of the audio file comprises a location of the audio file within the database; and

wherein, to initiate conveyance of the audio element to the user of the communication device, the processing entity is operable to access the audio file within the database and to play the audio file to the user of the communication device.

34. A communication device according to claim 29, wherein the indication of the audio file comprises a location of the audio file within a database remote from the communication device;

and wherein, to initiate conveyance of the audio element to the user of the communication device, the processing entity is operable to transmit a request to the remote database to play the audio file over a media connection between the remote database and the communication device.

35. A communication device according to claim 32, wherein the indication of the audio stream comprises a location on the data network of an audio stream source that broadcasts the audio stream;

and wherein, to initiate conveyance of the audio element to the user of the communication device, the processing entity is operable to transmit a request to the audio stream source to transmit the audio stream over a media connection between the audio stream source and the communication device.

36. A communication device according to claim 32, wherein the audio stream comprises at least one of a radio broadcast, an audio portion of a television broadcast, a playlist of songs, a service announcement broadcast, a set of one or more advertisement messages and a reading of information.

37. A communication device according to claim 27, wherein, the selection of the audio element comprises an audio element associated with a particular destination device;

and the processing entity is operable to only initiate conveyance of the audio element to the user of the communication device if the destination device of the outgoing call is the particular destination device.

38. A communication device according to claim 37, wherein the audio element comprises a message for the user of the communication device associated with a user of the destination device.

39. A communication device according to claim 27, wherein, to receive the audio element from the user of the communication device, the processing entity is operable to receive a selection of a plurality of audio elements and an indication to use a random algorithm to select audio elements to convey to the user of the communication device during establishment of outgoing calls.

40. A communication device according to claim 27, wherein, to receive the audio element from the user of the communication device, the processing entity is operable to receive a selection of a plurality of audio elements and an indication to use a predetermined order to select audio elements to convey to the user of the communication device during establishment of outgoing calls.

41. A communication device according to claim 27, wherein, to receive the audio element from the user of the communication device, the processing entity is operable to receive a selection of a plurality of audio elements and an indication to use temporal information to select audio elements to convey to the user of the communication device during establishment of outgoing calls.

42. A communication device according to claim 27, wherein the processing entity is operable to replace a traditional conveyance of a tone received from a network component to the user of the communication device during initiation of the outgoing call with the conveyance of the audio element to the user of the communication device.

43. A communication device according to claim 27, wherein the network interface is operable to cause establishment of a media connection between the communication device and the destination device in response to detecting the initiation of the call to the destination device by the user of the communication device.

44. A communication device according to claim 43, wherein, to cause establishment of the media connection between the communication device and the destination device, the network interface is operable to transmit Dual Tone Multi-Frequency (DTMF) tones to a Service Switching Point (SSP).

45. A communication device according to claim 43, wherein, to cause establishment of the media connection between the communication device and the destination device, the network interface is operable to transmit a call request message to a call processing system via a data network.

46. A communication device according to claim 43, wherein, to cause establishment of the media connection between the communication device and the destination device, the processing entity is operable to cause initiation of a media connection with the destination device and to detect acceptance from the destination device of the outgoing call.

47. A communication device according to claim 46, wherein the processing entity is operable to terminate conveyance of the audio element to the user of the communication device in response to detecting the acceptance from the destination device of the outgoing call.

48. A communication device according to claim 46, wherein the processing entity is further operable to determine a minimum time period to convey the audio element;

and wherein the processing entity is operable to cause initiation of the media connection with the destination device in response to the minimum time period expiring.

49. A communication device according to claim 48, wherein the processing entity is operable to terminate conveyance of the audio element to the user of the communication device in response to detecting the acceptance from the destination device of the outgoing call.

50. A communication device according to claim 27, wherein the processing entity is further operable to determine a time period to convey the audio element;

and wherein the processing entity is operable to terminate conveyance of the audio element to the user of the communication device in response to the time period expiring.

51. A communication device according to claim 27, wherein the network over which the communication device may initiate the outgoing call to the destination device comprises an Internet Protocol (IP) network.

52. A communication device according to claim 27, wherein the network over which the communication device may initiate the outgoing call to the destination device comprises the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN).

53. A communication device according to claim 27, wherein the network over which the communication device may initiate the outgoing call to the destination device comprises the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) and the network interface is further operable to communicate over a data network.

54. A communication device according to claim 53, wherein the selection of the audio element comprises a location of the audio file within a database within the data network;

and wherein, to initiate conveyance of the audio element to the user of the communication device, the processing entity is operable to transmit a request to the database to play the audio file over the data network to the communication device.

55. A communication device according to claim 53, wherein the selection of the audio element comprises a location on the data network of an audio stream source that broadcasts an audio stream;

and wherein, to initiate conveyance of the audio element to the user of the communication device, the processing entity is operable to transmit a request to the audio stream source to transmit the audio stream over the data network to the communication device.

56. A communication device according to claim 27 further comprising a display;

and wherein the processing entity is further operable;

to receive a selection of a media element from the user of the communication device to convey to the display;

wherein the media element is to be conveyed to the display during establishment of the outgoing call; and

to initiate conveyance of the media element to the display in response to detecting the initiation of the outgoing call to the destination device.

57. A communication device according to claim 56, wherein the media element comprises at least one of a video element, an image element and a text element.

58. Non-transitory computer-readable media containing a program element executable by an end-user communication device operable to originate telephonic calls, the program element comprising:

first program code for receiving a selection of an audio element of a plurality of audio elements from a user of the communication device prior to initiation of an outgoing call from the communication device to a destination device;

second program code for initiating conveyance of the audio element to the user of the communication device in response to detecting the initiation of the outgoing call to the destination device by the user of the communication device; and

third program code for terminating conveyance of the audio element to the user of the communication device prior to or substantially simultaneous with establishment of the call between the communication device and the destination device.

59. A method implemented by an end-user communication device operable to originate telephonic calls comprising:

accessing scheduling information associated with a user of the communication device within a source of scheduling information;

initiating conveyance of an audio representation of the scheduling information associated with the user of the communication device to the user of the communication device in response to detecting an initiation of an outgoing call to a destination device by the user; and

terminating conveyance of the audio representation of the scheduling information to the user of the communication device prior to or substantially simultaneous with establishment of the call between the communication device and the destination device.

60. A method according to claim 59, wherein the source of scheduling information is a database local to the communication device which is associated with an application in which the user of the communication device has stored scheduling information;

and wherein the accessing scheduling information associated with the user of the communication device comprises accessing the application in which the user of the communication device has stored scheduling information.

61. A method according to claim 59, wherein the source of scheduling information is a database remote to the communication device in which the user of the communication device has stored scheduling information;

and wherein the accessing scheduling information associated with the user of the communication device comprises accessing the database via a data network.

62. A method according to claim 59 further comprising causing establishment of a media connection between the communication device and the destination device in response to detecting the initiation of the call to the destination device by the user of the communication device.

63. A method according to claim 62, wherein the causing establishment of the media connection between the communication device and the destination device comprises causing initiation of a media connection with the destination device and detecting acceptance from the destination device of the outgoing call.

64. A method according to claim 62, wherein the terminating conveyance of the audio element to the user of the communication device is in response to detecting the acceptance from the destination device of the outgoing call.

65. A method according to claim 62 further comprising determining a minimum time period to convey the audio representation of the scheduling information;

and wherein the causing initiation of the media connection with the destination device is in response to the minimum time period expiring.

66. A method according to claim 65, wherein the terminating conveyance of the audio element to the user of the communication device is in response to detecting the acceptance from the destination device of the outgoing call.

67. A method according to claim 59 further comprising determining a time period to convey the audio representation of the scheduling information;

and wherein the terminating conveyance of the audio element to the user of the communication device is in response to the time period expiring.

68. An end-user communication device comprising:

a network interface operable to be coupled to a network over which the communication device may initiate an outgoing call to a destination device; and

a processing entity operable to access scheduling information associated with the user of the communication device within a source of scheduling information;

to initiate conveyance of an audio representation of the scheduling information associated with the user of the communication device to the user of the communication device in response to detecting an initiation of an outgoing call to the destination device; and

to terminate conveyance of the audio representation of the scheduling information to the user of the communication device prior to or substantially simultaneous with establishment of the call between the communication device and the destination device.

69. A communication device according to claim 68 further comprising a database which is the source of scheduling information, the database being associated with an application in which the user of the communication device has stored scheduling information;

wherein, to access scheduling information associated with the user of the communication device, the processing entity is operable to access the application in which the user of the communication device has stored scheduling information.

70. A communication device according to claim 68, wherein the source of scheduling information is a database remote to the communication device in which the user of the communication device has stored scheduling information;

and wherein, to access scheduling information associated with the user of the communication device, the processing entity is operable to access the database via a data network.