Creating and Purchasing Ringtones

• US 20080167993A1
• Filed: 09/04/2007
• Published: 07/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Jobs, Steve, Wasko, Timothy, Robbin, Jeffrey L., Cue, Eddy, David, Heller
• Application Number:
  US11/849,975
• Publication Number:
  US 20080167993A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/51
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/04 the ringing-current being generated at the substations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2543 Billing , e.g. for subscription services payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; e-commerce G06Q30/00; arrangements for billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/21
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4143 embedded in a Personal Computer [PC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4402 involving reformatting operations of video signals for household redistribution, storage or real-time display details of conversion of video standards at pixel level H04N7/01; video transcoding H04N19/40; adapting incoming signals to the display format of the display terminal G09G5/005; media handling at the source in data packet switching networks H04L65/764
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4621 Controlling the complexity of the content stream or additional data, e.g. lowering the resolution or bit-rate of the video stream for a mobile client with a small screen arrangements for using the results of monitoring on user's side in broadcast systems H04H60/65; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4627 Rights management associated to the content security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6334 for authorisation, e.g. by transmitting a key wireless communications network key management H04W12/04; wireless communications network access security H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6581 Reference data, e.g. a movie identifier for ordering a movie or a product identifier in a home shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8106 involving special audio data, e.g. different tracks for different languages

Abstract

Techniques for creating and purchasing ringtones for use in electronic devices, such as mobile phones (e.g., cellular phones) or other telephone-enabled devices (e.g., Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), multi-function devices) are disclosed. These techniques can use a media management application and/or an online media store to browse, create, edit, purchase, and/or download ringtones for use in mobile phones or other telephone-enabled devices. Further, these techniques can be used to manage ringtones on one or more devices, including personal computers, mobile phones, and telephone-enabled devices.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for creating a ringtone, comprising:

identifying a media asset;

creating a ringtone from the identified media asset, the creating including receiving a selection of a portion of the identified media asset to serve as the ringtone; and

transferring the ringtone to a communication device.

2. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1, wherein said method further comprises:

purchasing the ringtone after the creating of the ringtone and before the transferring of the ringtone to the communication device.

3. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 2, wherein said method further comprises:

previewing the ringtone following the creating of the ringtone.

4. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1, wherein the creating of the ringtone comprises displaying a user interface control that overlays a graphical waveform representation of the identified media item.

5. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 4, wherein the user interface control has a length commensurate with a duration of the ringtone being created.

6. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 4, wherein the user interface control is translucent.

7. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 4, wherein the creating of the ringtone further comprises displaying at least one fade control for use to fade the beginning or end of the ringtone.

8. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 4, wherein the creating of the ringtone further comprises looping control to control how the ringtone repeats.

9. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1, wherein the communication device is a mobile communication device.

10. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1, wherein the creating of the ringtone comprises:

selecting a point in the identified media asset for use as a starting point for the ringtone; and

selecting a point in the identified media asset for use as an ending point for the ringtone.

11. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1, wherein the creating of the ringtone comprises choosing a default ringtone that is available for the identified media asset.

12. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1, wherein the transferring of the ringtone occurs using a synchronization process with a host computer.

13. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 12, wherein the host computer is a personal computer.

14. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1, wherein the creating of the ringtone further comprises encoding the ringtone with a Digital Rights Management (DRM) protection scheme.

15. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 14, wherein the identified media asset is a DRM protected media asset.

16. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1,

wherein the selected portion of the identified media asset is described by position information, and

wherein said method further comprises sending the position information to a remote computing device that stores position information for ringtones created by a plurality of different users.

17. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 16, wherein the remote computing device hosts an online media store, and wherein the identified media asset is one of a plurality of media assets available for acquisition from the online media store.

18. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 16, wherein said method further comprises:

analyzing the position information from the plurality of different users.

19. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 18, wherein said analyzing comprises dynamically determining at least one of:

a default portion, a most popular portion, a cost of ringtone, or a royalty payment due for ringtone.

20. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1, wherein said creating the ringtone comprises:

displaying a visual representation of the identified media item;

receiving an identification of a segment of the visual representation of the identified media item to be used as the ringtone; and

forming the ringtone from the segment of the visual representation that has been selected.

21. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 20, wherein said receiving of the identification of the segment of the visual representation of the identified media item comprises:

receiving a first selected point on the visual representation of the identified media item for use as a starting point for the segment; and

receiving a second selected point on the visual representation of the identified media item for use as an ending point for the segment.

22. A computer readable medium including at least tangible program code executable by a machine, said computer readable medium comprising:

program code for identifying a media item;

program code for creating the ringtone, the creating including selecting a portion of the identified media item to serve as the ringtone, the selected portion of the selected media asset being described by position information, and

program code for sending the position information to a remote computing device that stores position information for ringtones created by a plurality of different users.

23. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 22, wherein said computer readable medium further comprises:

program code for copying ringtone data pertaining to the ringtone to a mobile electronic device having wireless communication capabilities.

24. A computer readable medium including at least tangible program code executable by a machine, said computer readable medium comprising:

program code for identifying a media item;

program code for creating a ringtone from the identified media item, the creating including a user selection of a portion of the identified media asset to serve as the ringtone; and

program code for copying ringtone data pertaining to the ringtone to a mobile electronic device having wireless communication capabilities.