Customized ring tones for mobile phones based on context information

• US 20090311999A1
• Filed: 06/11/2008
• Published: 12/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sarkar, Shantanu, Burton, Joseph Brian
• Granted Patent: US 8,977,249 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/415
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/02 Calling substations, e.g. by ringing selective calling H04Q
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42042 Notifying the called party of information on the calling party details within substation equipment H04M1/57, signalling details H04Q3/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42051 where the notification is included in the ringing tone

Abstract

A method in one embodiment includes receiving, by a mobile client device, an incoming call sent by a caller, a caller ID being associated with the incoming call. A node connected to a packet-based network is accessed to obtain information about the caller. Information about the caller is then received from the node by the mobile client device. This information is applied to a set of client rules that selects a specific ring tone from a plurality of ring tones stored on the mobile client device. Finally, the specific ring tone is generated on the mobile client device to announce the incoming call.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a mobile client device, an incoming call sent by a caller, a caller ID being associated with the incoming call;

accessing a node connected to a packet-based network to obtain information about the caller;

receiving, by the mobile client device, the information about the caller from the node;

applying the information to a set of client rules to select a specific ring tone from a plurality of ring tones stored on the mobile client device; and

generating the specific ring tone on the mobile client device to announce the incoming call.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the node comprises a server.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the node comprises a provider edge (PE) device of the packet-based network.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the packet-based network comprises a 3G network, the caller ID being received by the mobile client device via a non-voice data channel.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the information about the caller includes a business organization affiliation of the caller.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the accessing of the node comprises performing a lookup to a directory embedded within or coupled to the node.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the information about the caller comprises a one or more tags that indicate a call context of the incoming call.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the call context includes a call type.

9. A method comprising:

receiving, by a mobile client device, an incoming call sent by a caller, information including at least a caller ID being associated with the incoming call;

performing, by the mobile client device, a lookup to a server based on the information;

receiving, by the mobile client device, a message from the server that includes one or more tags obtained in response to the lookup, the one or more tags identifying the incoming call as belonging to a specific call category;

validating the one or more tags against a set of client rules to select a presentation of the incoming call on the mobile client device, the presentation including a ring tone; and

playing the ring tone on the mobile client device.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising, after the receiving of the incoming call, sending device type information from the mobile client device to the server.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the device type information includes a manufacturer and model number of the mobile client device.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the device type information includes a list of stored ring tone media files.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein the server is located on a packet-based network and the information including at least the caller ID is transmitted on a non-voice data channel of the packet-based network.

14. The method of claim 9 wherein the information about the caller includes a business organization affiliation of the caller.

15. The method of claim 9 wherein the presentation of the incoming call comprises an audio/visual presentation.

16. The method of claim 9 further comprising receiving, by the mobile client device, a media file attached to the message sent by the server, the media file including the ring tone.

17. Logic encoded in one or more media for execution and when executed is operable to:

send a first message to a server of an Internet Protocol (IP) network responsive to an incoming call received by a mobile client device, the first message including a caller ID and call context information, the server being operable to select a custom ring tone based on the caller ID and the call context information received;

receive a second message that includes an attached audio media file containing the custom ring tone; and

play the custom ring tone on the mobile client device to announce the incoming call.

19. The logic of claim 19 wherein the call context information includes a group affiliation of the caller.

18. The logic of claim 19 wherein the logic, when executed, is further operable to change a current alert mode setting on the mobile client device responsive to the second message.

20. The logic of claim 19 wherein the call context information includes a call type.

21. An apparatus comprising:

one or more nodes of a network running one or more application programs that implement a unified communications (UC) system, the one of the nodes including;

one or more processors; and

a memory comprising one or more instructions executable at the processors, the one or more processors being operable, when executing the instructions, to;

apply a set of logical rules to caller ID and call context information of an incoming call to a mobile client device, the application of the logical rules producing in one or more tags that categorize the incoming call as a specific type of call; and

send the one or more tags to the mobile client device, the mobile client device, responsive to receiving the tag, playing a ring tone to announce the incoming call, the ring tone corresponding to the specific type of call.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the call context information includes a communication thread associated with the incoming call.

23. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the call context information includes a group affiliation associated with the caller ID.