Recipient control of source audio identifiers for digital communications

• US 8,577,977 B2
• Filed: 07/19/2011
• Issued: 11/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Appelman, Barry, Murphy, Stephen Vaughan
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Hee Soo
• Application Number:
  US13/185,917
• Publication Number:
  US 20120020467A1
• Time in Patent Office: 840 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204, 709/206
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2011 Service processing based on information specified by a party before or during a call, e.g. information, tone or routing selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/6009 Personal information, e.g. profiles or personal directories being only provided to authorised persons
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/02 Calling substations, e.g. by ringing selective calling H04Q
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42017 Customized ring-back tones
• 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 3/4211 where the identifier is used to access a profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42365 Presence services providing information on the willingness to communicate or the ability to communicate in terms of media capability or network connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/436 Arrangements for screening incoming calls , i.e. evaluating the characteristics of a call before deciding whether to answer it based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; diversion H04M3/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53383 Message registering commands or announcements; Greetings

Abstract

Enabling a recipient to control presentation of an audio identifier informing the recipient of an arrival of a digital communication from a sender in a communication session includes receiving a digital communication from a sender directed to a recipient. A sender-designated first audio identifier or sender-related information that identifies the sender to the recipient is accessed upon arrival of the digital communication. The first audio identifier or sender-related information is presented to the recipient contemporaneous with receipt of the digital communication. The recipient is able to specify, upon presentation of the first audio identifier or sender-related information, whether to enable subsequent presentation of the first audio identifier prior to or concurrent with receipt of a future digital communication from the sender.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving a first communication from a sender directed to a recipient;

accessing, using a processor, at least one of a first audio identifier or information that identifies the sender;

presenting, to the recipient and based on receipt of the first communication, at least one of the first audio identifier or the information;

receiving, from the recipient, a selection of one a set of communication preference options for handling future communications received from the sender, the set of communication preference options including;

a first option selectable to accept a future communication from the sender and to enable use of the first audio identifier to inform the recipient of arrival of the future communication from the sender, and a second option selectable to accept the future communication from the sender but to use a second audio identifier instead of the first audio identifier to inform the recipient of arrival of the future communication;

storing, in a data storage medium, a communication preference corresponding to the selected option;

receiving a second communication from the sender directed to the recipient; and

determining, based on the selected option, whether to enable perception of the first audio identifier or the second audio identifier to inform the recipient of the arrival of the second communication, wherein perception of the first audio identifier is enabled when the recipient has selected the first option and perception of the second audio identifier is enabled when the recipient has selected the second option.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second audio identifier is different from the first audio identifier and is designated by the sender.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second audio identifier is different from the first audio identifier and is designated by the recipient.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising presenting the set of communication preference options upon receipt of the first communication.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first communication is received from the sender in a communication session between the recipient and the sender.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting that the first audio identifier has been changed by the sender;

informing the recipient that the first audio identifier has been changed by the sender; and

enabling the recipient to select an option from the set of communication preference options in response to the detected change in the first audio identifier.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein accessing the first audio identifier includes receiving the first audio identifier with the first communication.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein accessing the first audio identifier includes receiving a pointer to a data store storing the first audio identifier and accessing the data store using the pointer to retrieve the first audio identifier.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein accessing the first audio identifier includes receiving a Universal Resource Locator for accessing the first audio identifier from a remote server over the Internet.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first communication is at least one of an instant message, an e-mail, and a voice mail.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the first audio identifier indicates at least one of an identity, a category, and a characteristic of a source of the first communication.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a programmable instructions, which when executed on a processor, causes the processor to perform a method comprising;

receiving a first communication from a sender directed to a recipient;

accessing, using a processor, at least one of a first audio identifier or information that identifies the sender;

presenting, to the recipient and based on receipt of the first communication, at least one of the first audio identifier or the information;

receiving, from the recipient, a selection of one a set of communication preference options for handling future communications received from the sender, the set of communication preference options including;

a first option selectable to accept a future communication from the sender and to enable use of the first audio identifier to inform the recipient of arrival of the future communication from the sender, and a second option selectable to accept the future communication from the sender but to use a second audio identifier instead of the first audio identifier to inform the recipient of arrival of the future communication;

storing a communication preference corresponding to the selected option;

receiving a second communication from the sender directed to the recipient; and

determining, based on the selected option, whether to enable perception of the first audio identifier or the second audio identifier to inform the recipient of the arrival of the second communication, wherein perception of the first audio identifier is enabled when the recipient has selected the first option and perception of the second audio identifier is enabled when the recipient has selected the second option.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the second audio identifier is different from the first audio identifier and is designated by the sender or the recipient.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the first communication is received from the sender in a communication session between the recipient and the sender.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, further comprising:

detecting that the first audio identifier has been changed by the sender;

informing the recipient that the first audio identifier has been changed by the sender; and

enabling the recipient to select an option from the set of communication preference options in response to the detected change in the first audio identifier.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the first communication is at least one of an instant message, an e-mail, and a voice mail.

17. An apparatus for enabling presentation of an audio identifier to a recipient of a communication comprising:

a memory device storing instructions; and

a processor executing the instructions to;

receiving a first communication from a sender directed to a recipient;

accessing, using a processor, at least one of a first audio identifier or information that identifies the sender;

presenting, to the recipient and based on receipt of the first communication, at least one of the first audio identifier or the information;

receiving, from the recipient, a selection of one a set of communication preference options for handling future communications received from the sender, the set of communication preference options including;

a first option selectable to accept a future communication from the sender and to enable use of the first audio identifier to inform the recipient of arrival of the future communication from the sender, and a second option selectable to accept the future communication from the sender but to use a second audio identifier instead of the first audio identifier to inform the recipient of arrival of the future communication;

storing a communication preference corresponding to the selected option;

receiving a second communication from the sender directed to the recipient; and

determining, based on the selected option, whether to enable perception of the first audio identifier or the second audio identifier to inform the recipient of the arrival of the second communication, wherein perception of the first audio identifier is enabled when the recipient has selected the first option and perception of the second audio identifier is enabled when the recipient has selected the second option.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the second audio identifier is different from the first audio identifier and is designated by the sender or the recipient.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the first communication is received from the sender in a communication session between the recipient and the sender.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the first communication is at least one of an instant message, an e-mail, and a voice mail.