Server-coordinated ringtones

• US 8,433,295 B2
• Filed: 07/15/2008
• Issued: 04/30/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Arlington Technologies, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Inventors: Moody, Taryn, Seligmann, Doree Duncan
• Primary Examiner(s): BALAOING, ARIEL A
• Application Number:
  US12/173,708
• Publication Number:
  US 20080280596A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,750 Days
• Field of Search: 4554141-416, 379/207.15, 379/373.01, 379/47
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/04 the ringing-current being generated at the substations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/02 Calling substations, e.g. by ringing selective calling H04Q
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42051 where the notification is included in the ringing tone
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4211 where the identifier is used to access a profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42263 where the same subscriber uses different terminals, i.e. nomadism

Abstract

An apparatus and methods are disclosed for enabling multiple telecommunications terminals that are associated with a common user to notify their user of the arrival of an incoming message via a ringtone, where the ringtone is: (i) coordinated across the terminals, and (ii) customized for each terminal based on one or more attributes of the terminal. In particular, in the illustrative embodiments a network infrastructure element (e.g., a switch, a wireless base station, a server, etc.) that receives a message directed to a telecommunications terminal sets the values of one or more properties of a ringtone (e.g., tempo, timbre, pitch, rhythm, etc.) based on one or more attributes of the telecommunications terminal (e.g., terminal type, etc.).

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a network infrastructure element, an incoming message directed to a user who is associated with a first telecommunications terminal and with a second telecommunications terminal;

determining, by the network infrastructure element, a first alert-mode value and a second alert-mode value that are both based on whether audible notification of incoming messages is in effect at the first telecommunications terminal, wherein the first alert-mode value and the second alert-mode value each indicates an alert mode that is to be used at the first telecommunications terminal and the second telecommunications terminal, respectively, in notifying the user of the incoming message; and

transmitting, by the network infrastructure element, i) the first alert-mode value to the first telecommunications terminal and ii) the second alert-mode value to the second telecommunications terminal.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first alert-mode value indicates a flashing icon.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the first alert-mode value indicates a flashing light.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the first alert-mode value indicates vibration.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the second alert-mode value indicates a flashing icon.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the second alert-mode value indicates a flashing light.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

transmitting i) a first signal that represents a first instance of a predetermined musical composition to the first telecommunications terminal, the predetermined musical composition being characterized by a predetermined melody, and ii) a second signal that represents a second instance of the predetermined musical composition to the second telecommunications terminal;

wherein the first instance and the second instance are for notifying the user of the incoming message when audible notification is to be used at the first telecommunications terminal and second telecommunications terminal, respectively; and

wherein a first value of a first musical property defines the first instance and is based on an attribute of the first telecommunications terminal; and

wherein a second value of the first musical property defines the second instance and is based on an attribute of the second telecommunications terminal.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the first musical property is independent of the predetermined melody.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the attribute is the terminal type.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining

i) a first value of a first musical property, wherein the first value is based on an attribute of the first telecommunications terminal, and wherein the first value indicates that the first telecommunications terminal is to play a predetermined musical composition in a first fashion when audible notification is to be used at the first telecommunications terminal, the predetermined musical composition being characterized by a predetermined melody, and

ii) a second value of the first musical property, wherein the second value is based on an attribute of the second telecommunications terminal, and wherein the second value indicates that the second telecommunications terminal is to play the predetermined musical composition in a second fashion when audible notification is to be used at the second telecommunications terminal; and

transmitting i) the first value of the first musical property to the first telecommunications terminal, and ii) the second value of the first musical property to the second telecommunications terminal.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the first musical property is independent of the predetermined melody.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the attribute is the terminal type.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the first alert-mode value was previously received by the network infrastructure element from the first telecommunications terminal.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein, before transmitting the first signal and the second signal, the network infrastructure element sets the second alert-mode value to be coordinated with the first alert-mode value.

15. A method comprising:

receiving, by a network infrastructure element, a message directed to a user who is associated with a first telecommunications terminal and with a second telecommunications terminal, wherein the user has activated a non-acoustic alert mode at the first telecommunications terminal;

setting, by the network infrastructure element, a first alert-mode value for the second telecommunications terminal that is consistent with the non-acoustic alert mode activated by the user at the first telecommunications terminal, wherein the first alert-mode value is to be used by the second telecommunications terminal in alerting the user of the message; and

transmitting, by the network infrastructure element, the first alert-mode value to the second telecommunications terminal.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

transmitting, by the network infrastructure element to the second telecommunications terminal, a notification of the message, wherein the first alert-mode value causes the second telecommunications terminal to alert non-acoustically.

17. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

when the user de-activates the non-acoustic alert mode at the first telecommunications terminal, receiving, by the network infrastructure element, an updated alert-mode status from the first telecommunications terminal that indicates that non-acoustic alerting has been de-activated; and

setting, by the network infrastructure element, a second alert-mode value for the second telecommunications terminal that is consistent with the updated alert-mode status at the first telecommunications terminal.

18. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

transmitting, by the network infrastructure element, i) a first signal that represents a first instance of a predetermined musical composition to the first telecommunications terminal, the predetermined musical composition being characterized by a predetermined melody, and ii) a second signal that represents a second instance of the predetermined musical composition to the second telecommunications terminal;

wherein the first instance and the second instance are for notifying the user of the incoming message when audible notification is to be used at the first telecommunications terminal and second telecommunications terminal, respectively; and

wherein a first value of a first musical property defines the first instance and is based on an attribute of the first telecommunications terminal; and

wherein a second value of the first musical property defines the second instance and is based on an attribute of the second telecommunications terminal.

19. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

determining, by the network infrastructure element;

i) a first value of a first musical property, wherein the first value is based on an attribute of the first telecommunications terminal, and wherein the first value indicates that the first telecommunications terminal is to play a predetermined musical composition in a first fashion when audible notification is to be used at the first telecommunications terminal, the predetermined musical composition being characterized by a predetermined melody, and

ii) a second value of the first musical property, wherein the second value is based on an attribute of the second telecommunications terminal, and wherein the second value indicates that the second telecommunications terminal is to play the predetermined musical composition in a second fashion when audible notification is to be used at the second telecommunications terminal; and

transmitting i) the first value of the first musical property to the first telecommunications terminal, and ii) the second value of the first musical property to the second telecommunications terminal.