User customizable reverse ring tone

• US 8,880,035 B1
• Filed: 05/06/2004
• Issued: 11/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Afiniti Ltd
• Original Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Inventors: Beck, Alexander John Gray, Blair, Colin, Thambiratnam, David Preshan, Wan, James K.
• Primary Examiner(s): AJIBADE AKONAI, OLUMIDE
• Application Number:
  US10/841,037
• Time in Patent Office: 3,834 Days
• Field of Search: 455/563, 455/566, 455/418, 455/550.1, 455/412.1, 455/412.2, 455/413, 455/414.1, 455/414.4, 455/417, 455/567, 455/415, 455/422.1, 379/418, 379/67.1, 379/68, 379/69, 379/70, 379/75, 379/88.11, 379/88.12, 379/88.24, 379/14.01, 379/142.07, 379/88.22, 379/88.23
• US Class Current: 455/412.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42017 Customized ring-back tones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42093 Notifying the calling party of information on the called or connected party

Abstract

An improved system and method to provide important information either, as voice, text, picture, holographic image or video from the called party to a calling party before the called party answers a telephone. The information may be a recorded voice, text, image or video message. The called party may send a voice message, for example, and send it along with a call alerting message. The voice message may be recorded beforehand. Instead of the calling party'"'"'s telephone playing a ringback signal, the recorded voice message is played or a data/bearer stream is heard. The calling party hears the voice message instead of the ringback tone normally heard when there is an incoming telephone call. If the calling and called party have telephones, such as mobile phones, IP phones, IP softphones, PDA with telephony capabilities, etc., which allow for multimedia messages such as text, images and video messages, the called party'"'"'s recorded voice message may include text, images or video.

Claims

1. A communication method between communication devices, comprising:

receiving, at a calling communication device and as part of a call establishment message, at least one of a voice, text, a picture, a video, and a holographic message from a first user of a called communication device to a second user of the calling communication device, the at least one of a voice, text, a picture, a video, and a holographic message being associated with a pending call from the second user of the calling communication device and relating to at least one of the first and second users, wherein the at least one of a voice, text, a picture, a video, and a holographic message is a personal message from the first user; and

before the call is answered by the first user, the calling communication device playing said at least one of a voice, text, a picture, a video, and a holographic message for the second user, wherein the calling communication device plays the at least one of a voice, text, a picture, a video, and a holographic message instead of playing a reverse ring tone; and

playing, by the calling communication device, a unique introductory ring tone immediately prior to the calling communication device providing the second party with the at least one of a voice, text, a picture, a video, and a holographic message.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one of a voice, text, a picture, a video, and a holographic message is a prerecorded message related to the first user and wherein the called communication device comprises a plurality of different at least one of a voice, text, picture, video, and holographic messages for a plurality of calling communication devices.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein, when the first user answers the call, one or more call connect messages are exchanged between the calling and called communication devices, wherein the at least one of a voice, text, a picture, a video, and a holographic message comprises a picture, and wherein the at least one of a voice, text, a picture, a video, and a holographic message is sent after the calling and called communication devices negotiate multimedia capabilities.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one of a voice, text, a picture, a video, and a holographic message is received by the calling communication device before a call connect message is forwarded to the calling communication device, wherein the message is multi-media, and wherein the at least one of a voice, text, a picture, a video, and a holographic message is sent after the calling and called communication devices negotiate multimedia capabilities.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one of a voice, text, a picture, a video, and a holographic message is included in an alerting message sent by the called communication device, wherein the at least one of a voice, text, a picture, a video, and a holographic message comprises video, and wherein the at least one of a voice, text, a picture, a video, and a holographic message is sent after the calling and called communication devices negotiate multimedia capabilities.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the at least one of a voice, text, a picture, a video, and a holographic message is forwarded to the calling communication device after a call set-up message is received by the called communication device from the calling communication device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein, at any one time, a plurality of introductory ring tones corresponding to a plurality of called addresses are stored by the calling communication device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one of a voice, text, a picture, a video, and a holographic message is sent by the called communication device and received by the calling communication device in-band and wherein the at least one of a voice, text, a picture, a video, and a holographic message is a text message and further comprising:

converting the text message to speech before the step of playing the at least one of a voice, text, a picture, a video, and a holographic message for the second user.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of playing the at least one of a voice, text, a picture, a video, and a holographic message for the second user is repeated until the call is answered by the first user, wherein the number of times the step of playing the at least one of a voice, text, a picture, a video, and a holographic message for the second user is repeated depends on the identity of the called communication device, wherein the at least one of a voice, text, a picture, a video, and a holographic message comprises a holographic image, and wherein the at least one of a voice, text, a picture, a video, and a holographic message is sent after the calling and called communication devices negotiate multimedia capabilities.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the called communication device receiving a call setup message from the calling communication device; and

determining whether to return to the calling communication device the at least one of a voice, text, a picture, a video, and a holographic message or an alerting message requesting playback of a ringback tone, wherein whether or not the at least one of a voice, text, a picture, a video, and a holographic message or an alerting message is returned is determined by on the identity of the calling communication device.

11. A non-transitory computer readable medium encoded with processor executable instructions to perform the steps of claim 1.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the message comprises a request to open a bearer channel from the called communication device to the calling communication device and is played to the second user.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the call establishment message is sent out-of-band relative to a channel to be used for signaling and/or voice transmission.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one of a voice, text, a picture, a video, and a holographic message contains information unique to the second user.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein, at a selected time, the called communication device is configured to select a different at least one of a voice, text, a picture, a video, and a holographic message for different calling parties.

16. A communication method between communication devices, comprising:

a called communication device receiving, from a calling communication device, a call set-up message associated with a first party, the calling communication device being associated with a second party;

the called communication device determining whether to return to the calling communication device a call establishment message or an alerting message requesting playback of a ringback tone, wherein the call establishment message comprises at least one of (i) a personal message from the first party to the second party, the at least one of a personal message relates to at least one of the first and second users, and (ii) a request to open a bearer channel from the calling communication device to the called communication device, wherein the at least one of a personal message and request to open a bearer channel comprises at least one of voice, text, picture, video, and holograph, and wherein the determining step applies the following rules;

when the address of a calling communication device is associated with a personal message, a call establishment message including the at least one of (i) a personal message and (ii) a request to open a bearer channel is returned to the calling communication device; and

when the address of a calling communication device is not associated with a personal message, a call establishment message is not returned to the calling communication device and

the called communication device sending a call establishment message to the calling communication device, wherein the at least one of a personal message and request to open a bearer channel is played by the calling communication device to the second party before a bi-directional communication path is established between the first and second parties.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the personal message is recorded before the call establishment message is sent and wherein the called communication device comprises a plurality of different at least one of a voice, text, picture, video, and holographic messages for a plurality of calling communication devices.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the personal message is sent by the called communication device and received by the calling communication device out-of-band using a channel different from a channel used for transmission of the call set-up message.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the at least one of a personal message and request to open a bearer channel is the request to open a bearer channel.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the calling communication device plays the at least one of a voice message and request to open a bearer channel instead of playing a ringback tone.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the call establishment message is transmitted using the channel used for transmission of the call set-up message.

22. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

playing, by the calling communication device, an introductory ring tone immediately prior to the calling communication device providing the second party with the at least one of a personal message and request to open a bearer channel.

23. The method of claim 16, wherein the calling communication device is configured to play the at least one of a personal message and request to open a bearer channel repeatedly until the call is answered by the second user, wherein a number of times the at least one of a personal message and request to open a bearer channel is played is selected by the second user, and wherein the number of times the at least one of a personal message and request to open a bearer channel is played varies based upon the identity of the called communication device.

24. A non-transitory computer readable medium encoded with processor-executable instructions to perform the steps of claim 16.

25. The method of claim 16, wherein the message contains information unique to the second party.

26. A communication device, comprising:

memory; and

a Reverse Ring Message Service (RRTMS) agent operable to send at least one of a voice, text, picture, video, and holographic message from a first user of a called communication device to a second user of a calling communication device, the message being associated with a pending call from the second user to the first user and relating to one of the first and second users; and

, before the call is answered by the first user, to play said message for the second user, wherein the message is received by the called communication device after a call setup message is forwarded to the called communication device and before a call connect message is forwarded to the calling communication device and wherein the memory comprises a plurality of messages corresponding to differing calling communication device addresses.

27. The device of claim 26, wherein the calling communication device plays the message instead of playing a ringback tone.

28. The device of claim 26, wherein the message is included in a call establishment message sent by the called communication device and wherein the at least one of a voice, text, picture, video, and holographic message is sent to the calling communication device using a channel different from the channel used for transmission of a call set-up message for the pending call.

29. The device of claim 26, wherein the message is forwarded to the calling communication device after a call alerting message is received by the calling communication device.

30. The device of claim 26, wherein the calling communication device comprises an RRTMS agent and the RRTMS agent in the calling communication device is operable to play an introductory ring tone immediately prior to the calling communication device providing the second user with the at least one of a voice, text, picture, video, and holographic message.

31. The device of claim 26, wherein the message is sent by the called communication device and received by the calling communication device using the same channel used for a call set-up message associated with the pending call.

32. The device of claim 28, wherein the call establishment message is an alerting message.

33. The device of claim 26, wherein the calling communication device comprises an RRTMS agent and the calling device'"'"'s RRTMS agent is operable to play the message repeatedly until the call is answered by the second user, wherein a number of times the message is played is selected by the second user, and wherein the number of times the message and request to open a bearer channel is played varies based upon the identity of the called communication device.

34. A communication method between communication devices, comprising:

receiving, at a calling communication device and as part of a call establishment message, at least one of a voice, text, a picture, a video, and a holographic message from a first user of a called communication device to a second user of the calling communication device, the at least one of a voice, text, a picture, a video, and a holographic message being associated with a pending call from the second user of the calling communication device and relating to at least one of the first and second users;

playing, by the calling communication device, a unique introductory ring tone immediately prior to the calling communication device providing the second user with the at least one of a voice, text, a picture, a video, and a holographic message and

before the call is answered by the first user, the calling communication device playing said at least one of a voice, text, a picture, a video, and a holographic message for the second user, wherein the calling communication device plays the at least one of a voice, text, a picture, a video, and a holographic message instead of playing a reverse ring tone.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein, at any one time, a plurality of introductory ring tones corresponding to a plurality of called addresses are stored by the calling communication device.

36. A communication method between communication devices, comprising:

receiving, at a calling communication device and as part of a call establishment message, at least one of a voice, text, a picture, a video, and a holographic message from a first user of a called communication device to a second user of the calling communication device, the at least one of a voice, text, a picture, a video, and a holographic message being associated with a pending call from the second user of the calling communication device and relating to at least one of the first and second users; and

before the call is answered by the first user, the calling communication device playing said at least one of a voice, text, a picture, a video, and a holographic message for the second user, wherein the calling communication device plays the at least one of a voice, text, a picture, a video, and a holographic message instead of playing a reverse ring tone, wherein the playing step is repeated until the call is answered by the first user, wherein the number of times the playing step is repeated depends on the identity of the called communication device, wherein the at least one of a voice, text, a picture, a video, and a holographic message comprises a holographic image, and wherein the at least one of a voice, text, a picture, a video, and a holographic message is sent after the calling and called communication devices negotiate multimedia capabilities.

37. A communication method between communication devices, comprising:

receiving, at a called communication device, a call setup message from a calling communication device;

determining, by the called communication device, whether to return to the calling communication device the at least one of a voice, text, a picture, a video, and a holographic message or an alerting message requesting playback of a ringback tone, wherein whether or not the at least one of a voice, text, a picture, a video, and a holographic message or an alerting message is returned is determined by on the identity of the calling communication device;

receiving, at a calling communication device and as part of a call establishment message, at least one of a voice, text, a picture, a video, and a holographic message from a first user of a called communication device to a second user of the calling communication device, the at least one of a voice, text, a picture, a video, and a holographic message being associated with a pending call from the second user of the calling communication device and relating to at least one of the first and second users; and

before the call is answered by the first user, playing, by the calling communication device, said at least one of a voice, text, a picture, a video, and a holographic message for the second user, wherein the calling communication device plays the at least one of a voice, text, a picture, a video, and a holographic message instead of playing a reverse ring tone.

38. A communication method between communication devices, comprising:

a calling communication device sending a call set-up message to a called communication device associated with a first party, the calling communication device being associated with a second party; and

the called communication device sending a call establishment message to the calling communication device, wherein the call establishment message comprises at least one of (i) a personal message from the first party to the second party, the at least one of a personal message relates to at least one of the first and second users, and (ii) a request to open a bearer channel from the calling communication device to the called communication device, wherein the at least one of a personal message and request to open a bearer channel is played by the calling communication device to the second party before a bi-directional communication path is established between the first and second parties, and wherein the personal message is sent by the called communication device and received by the calling communication device out-of-band using a channel different from a channel used for transmission of the call set-up message.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein the at least one of a personal message and request to open a bearer channel is the request to open a bearer channel.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein the call establishment message is transmitted using the channel used for transmission of the call set-up message.

41. A communication method between communication devices, comprising:

receiving, by a called communication device from a calling communication device, a call set-up message, the called communication device being associated with a first party and the calling communication device being associated with a second party;

sending, by the called communication device, a call establishment message to the calling communication device, wherein the call establishment message comprises at least one of a personal message from the first party to the second party, the at least one of a personal message relates to at least one of the first and second users, and a request to open a bearer channel from the calling communication device to the called communication device,

playing, by the calling communication device, an introductory ring tone immediately prior to the calling communication device providing the second party with the at least one of a personal message and request to open a bearer channel; and

playing, by the calling communication device, the at least one of a personal message and request to open a bearer channel to the second party before a bi-directional communication path is established between the first and second parties.

42. A communication method between communication devices, comprising:

a calling communication device sending a call set-up message to a called communication device associated with a first party, the calling communication device being associated with a second party; and

the called communication device sending a call establishment message to the calling communication device, wherein the call establishment message comprises at least one of a personal message from the first party to the second party, the at least one of a personal message relates to at least one of the first and second users, and a request to open a bearer channel from the calling communication device to the called communication device, wherein the at least one of a personal message and request to open a bearer channel is played by the calling communication device to the second party before a bi-directional communication path is established between the first and second parties, wherein the calling communication device is configured to play the at least one of a personal message and request to open a bearer channel repeatedly until the call is answered by the second user, wherein a number of times the at least one of a personal message and request to open a bearer channel is played is selected by the second user, and wherein the number of times the at least one of a personal message and request to open a bearer channel is played varies based upon the identity of the called communication device.

43. A communication device, comprising:

memory; and

a Reverse Ring Message Service (RRTMS) agent, in a calling communication device, operable to;

send at least one of a voice, text, picture, video, and holographic message from a first user of a called communication device to a second user of a calling communication device, the message being associated with a pending call from the second user to the first user and relating to one of the first and second users;

before the call is answered by the first user, play said message for the second user; and

play an introductory ring tone immediately prior to the calling communication device providing the second user with the at least one of a voice, text, picture, video, and holographic message.

44. A communication method between communication devices, comprising:

receiving, by a called communication device from a calling communication device a call set-up message, the called communication device being associated with a first party, and the calling communication device being associated with a second party; and

sending, by the called communication device, a call establishment message to the calling communication device, wherein the call establishment message comprises at least one of a personal message from the first party to the second party, the at least one of a personal message relates to at least one of the first and second users, and a request to open a bearer channel from the calling communication device to the called communication device, wherein the at least one of a personal message and request to open a bearer channel is played by the calling communication device to the second party before a bi-directional communication path is established between the first and second parties, wherein the message is included in a call establishment message sent by the called communication device, wherein the at least one of a voice, text, picture, video, and holographic message is sent to the calling communication device using a channel different from the channel used for transmission of a call set-up message for the pending call, and wherein the call establishment message is an alerting message.

45. A communication method between communication devices, comprising:

receiving, by a called communication device from a calling communication device, a call set-up message, the called communication device being associated with a first party, and the calling communication device being associated with a second party; and

sending, by the called communication device, a call establishment message to the calling communication device, wherein the call establishment message comprises at least one of a personal message from the first party to the second party, the at least one of a personal message relates to at least one of the first and second users, and a request to open a bearer channel from the calling communication device to the called communication device, wherein the at least one of a personal message and request to open a bearer channel is played by the calling communication device to the second party before a bi-directional communication path is established between the first and second parties, wherein the calling communication device comprises an RRTMS agent and the calling device'"'"'s RRTMS agent is operable to play the message repeatedly until the call is answered by the second user, wherein a number of times the message is played is selected by the second user, and wherein the number of times the message and request to open a bearer channel is played varies based upon the identity of the called communication device.

46. A communication method between communication devices, comprising:

receiving, at a calling communication device and as part of a call establishment message, at least one of a voice, text, a picture, a video, and a holographic message from a first user of a called communication device to a second user of the calling communication device, the at least one of a voice, text, a picture, a video, and a holographic message being associated with a pending call from the second user of the calling communication device and relating to at least one of the first and second users, wherein the call establishment message is sent out-of-band relative to a channel to be used for signaling and/or voice transmission; and

before the call is answered by the first user, playing, by the calling communication device, said at least one of a voice, text, a picture, a video, and a holographic message for the second user, wherein the calling communication device plays the at least one of a voice, text, a picture, a video, and a holographic message instead of playing a reverse ring tone.