SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PLAYING A RINGTONE ON A COMMUNICATION DEVICE

• US 20120178504A1
• Filed: 03/16/2012
• Published: 07/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Embarq Holdings Company LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sweeney, Jeffrey M., Rooks, Kelsyn D. Sr., Robinson, Michael C., Morrill, Robert J., Lumbirt, Charles E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,478,355 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/567
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/04 the ringing-current being generated at the substations
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/00 User notification, e.g. alerting and paging, for incoming communication, change of service or the like

Abstract

Embodiments of the disclosed inventions include a method for playing ringtones on a communication device. The method includes associating a plurality of ringtones with an identifier of a calling device. The method also includes receiving a user preference indicating a desired method for selecting a ringtone from the plurality of ringtones. In response to the communication device receiving a communication from the calling device associated with the identifier, the method selects the ringtone from the plurality of ringtones based on the user preference indicating the desired method for selecting the ringtone from the plurality of ringtones and initiates the playing of a selected ringtone on the communication device.

Claims

1. A method for playing ringtones on a communication device, the method comprising:

associating a plurality of ringtones with an identifier of a calling device;

receiving a user preference indicating a desired method for selecting a ringtone from the plurality of ringtones;

in response to the communication device receiving a communication from the calling device associated with the identifier, selecting the ringtone from the plurality of ringtones based on the user preference indicating the desired method for selecting the ringtone from the plurality of ringtones; and

initiating the playing of a selected ringtone on the communication device.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the identifier is any of a caller identification, phone number, email address, user name, and IP address.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the selection of plurality of ringtones is made automatically based on a criterion.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the criterion is a particular artist.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein the criterion is a music genre.

6. The method according to claim 3, wherein the criterion is popularity based on a weekly ranking of songs.

7. The method according to claim 3, further comprising:

automatically updating the plurality of ringtones.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein automatically updating further comprises:

downloading the selection of ringtones to the communications device at a specified interval.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the desired method for selecting the ringtone from the plurality of ringtones is random.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the desired method for selecting the ringtone from the plurality of ringtones is sequential.

11. A method for playing ringtones on a communication device, the method comprising:

receiving a user preference indicating a desired method for playing a ringtone;

in response to the communication device receiving a communication, playing the ringtone based on the desired method for playing the ringtone.

12. The method for playing the ringtone according to claim 11, wherein the desired method for playing the ringtone is randomly playing any portion of the ringtone.

13. The method for playing the ringtone according to claim 11, wherein the desired method for playing the ringtone is playing a user-specified portion of the ringtone.

14. The method for playing the ringtone according to claim 11, further comprising:

storing an indication of a last played endpoint of the ringtone; and

wherein the desired method for playing the ringtone is playing the ringtone at the last played endpoint of the ringtone in response to the communication device receiving the communication.

15. A communication device configured to play a selected ringtone, the communication device comprising:

a processor for executing a set of instructions; and

a memory for storing the set of instructions, wherein the set of instructions when executed is configured to;

associate a plurality of ringtones with an identifier of a calling device;

receive a user preference indicating a desired method for selecting a ringtone from the plurality of ringtones;

select the ringtone from the plurality of ringtones based on the user preference indicating the desired method for selecting the ringtone from the plurality of ringtones in response to the communication device receiving a communication from the calling device associated with the identifier; and

initiate the playing of the selected ringtone on the communication device.

16. The communication device according to claim 15, wherein the selection of plurality of ringtones is made automatically based on a criterion.

17. The communication device according to claim 15, wherein the desired method for selecting the ringtone from the plurality of ringtones is random.

18. The communication device according to claim 15, wherein the desired method for selecting the ringtone from the plurality of ringtones is sequential.

19. The communication device according to claim 15, wherein the desired method for selecting the ringtone from the plurality of ringtones is based on a weekly popularity ranking.

20. The wireless device according to claim 15, wherein the desired method for selecting the ringtone from the plurality of ringtones is based on a music genre associated with an age of a caller associated with the calling device.