Ringback update system

• US 20060291639A1
• Filed: 06/10/2005
• Published: 12/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eclips LLC
• Original Assignee: Eclips LLC
• Inventors: Gregorek, Mark R., Radziewicz, Clifford J., Dillow, Jeffrey C.
• Granted Patent: US 8,369,507 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/211.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42017 Customized ring-back tones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42153 by subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/493 Interactive information services, e.g. directory enquiries ; Arrangements therefor, e.g. interactive voice response [IVR] systems or voice portals

Abstract

A ringback replacement update system for creating or modifying ringback associations is disclosed. Communications devices activate and interact with the ringback update system to allow for modifications of the network service.

Claims

1. A system for customizing a communications network, the system comprising:

a communications handset;

a storage device containing at least one announcement;

wherein said communications handset accesses said storage device for the purpose of creating an association between said announcement and at least one parameter; and

,

wherein at least a portion of said announcement is delivered as a call signal to a caller matching said at least one parameter.

2. A system as defined in claim 1 wherein said call signal is selected from the group consisting of ringback signals, busy signals, network redirect signals, call progress signals, network announcement signals, and dial tone signals.

3. A system as defined in claim 1 wherein said announcement is selected from the group consisting of an audio clip, a video clip, a data file, an interactive game, advertising, and programming material.

4. A system as defined in claim 1 wherein said announcement comprises an album of related announcements.

5. A system as defined in claim 1 wherein said communications handset is selected from the group consisting of a telephone, a wireless telephone, a cellular telephone, a video telephone, a mobile computer, a personal digital assistant, and a multimedia handset.

6. A system as defined in claim 1 wherein said communications handset comprises a communications network.

7. A system as defined in claim 1 wherein said communications handset comprises an integrated display unit featuring a menu system.

8. A system as defined in claim 7 wherein said menu system displays announcements available from a communications network.

9. A system as defined in claim 7 wherein said menu system displays announcements available from a communications station.

10. A system as defined in claim 7 wherein said menu system displays stored network addresses.

11. A system as defined in claim 1 wherein said communications network is selected from the group consisting of a circuit-switched network, a packet-based network, the Internet, a local area network, a wide area network, a virtual private network, a metropolitan area network, a broadcast network, a wireless network, and a cellular network.

12. A system as defined in claim 1 wherein said parameter is selected from the group consisting of a telephone number, a network address, a time of day, a day of week, a day of year, an area code, a network address prefix, and a network address suffix.

13. A method for customizing a communications network, the method comprising the steps of:

accessing a storage device from a communications handset;

selecting at least one announcement from said storage device; and

associating said announcement with at least one parameter for the purpose of replacing at least a portion of a call signal with said announcement.

14. A method as defined in claim 13 wherein said call signal is selected from the group consisting of ringback signals, busy signals, network redirect signals, call progress signals, network announcement signals, and dial tone signals.

15. A method as defined in claim 13 comprising the additional step of replacing at least a portion of said call signal with at least a portion of said announcement for at least one caller matching said parameter.

16. A system as defined in claim 13 wherein said parameter is selected from the group consisting of a telephone number, a network address, a time of day, a day of week, a day of year, an area code, a network address prefix, and a network address suffix.

17. A method for customizing a communications network, the method comprising the steps of:

establishing communication with a system capable of replacing at least a portion of a call signal with at least one announcement;

accessing a storage device containing said announcement; and

,

associating at least one parameter with said announcement.

18. A method as defined in claim 17 comprising the additional step of replacing at least a portion of said call signal with at least a portion of said announcement for at least one caller matching said parameter.

19. A method as defined in claim 17 wherein said call signal is selected from the group consisting of ringback signals, busy signals, network redirect signals, call progress signals, network announcement signals, and dial tone signals.

20. A system as defined in claim 17 wherein said parameter is selected from the group consisting of a telephone number, a network address, a time of day, a day of week, a day of year, an area code, a network address prefix, and a network address suffix.