Abstract:
Described herein is a ring tone delivery system and method for previewing and/or buying a ring tone from a wireless service directly through a wireless data processing device. The method comprises: allowing a user to play a ring tone preview; receiving a purchase request from the device; and causing the ring tone associated with the preview to be stored on the device. The system comprises: a ring tone preview module for transmitting a ring tone preview directly from a wireless service to a device; a ring tone catalog application for allowing a user to play back the ring tone preview on the device; and a ring tone purchase/download module to receive a ring tone purchase request directly from the device; wherein the ring tone purchase/download module and/or the ring tone catalog application causes a ring tone associated with the preview to be stored on the device.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates generally to the field of data processing systems. More particularly, the invention relates to a system and method for sampling and purchasing ring tones on a mobile device. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Many current mobile phones provide for the installation of new ring tones. Typically, users must upgrade ring tones by logging in to the Website of the mobile telephone manufacturer and/or service provider and downloading the new ring tones to a personal computer. The ring tones may then be transferred to the mobile telephone via the personal computer. Alternatively, once a ring tone is purchased at the Website, the new ring tone is transmitted to the mobile telephone over the service provider&#39;s network (e.g., using the short message service (“SMS”) protocol). 
     Prior to downloading a ring tone from a Website, the ring tone may be previewed on the personal computer from which the Website is accessed. For example, if the ring tone is in the form of a MIDI file or WAV file, the MIDI file or WAV file (or a portion thereof) may be downloaded and previewed on the user&#39;s personal computer. 
     Several limitations exist with current systems for upgrading ring tones. First, current systems do not allow a user to purchase and download new ring tones directly over the wireless service provider network. Rather, as described above, users must log in to the service provider and/or mobile telephone manufacturer Website from a personal computer. Second, current systems only allow users to preview ring tones on a personal computer. As a result, because the audio subsystems used on personal computers are typically different from the audio subsystems used on mobile devices, the preview of a ring tone may sound noticeably different from the way the ring tone actually sounds when played back on the mobile device. 
     These and other problems associated with prior ring tone systems are solved by the embodiments of the invention described below. 
     SUMMARY 
     A method is described comprising: transmitting a ring tone preview directly from a wireless service to a wireless data processing device in response to a ring tone preview request; allowing a user to play back the ring tone preview on the wireless data processing device a specified number of times prior to purchasing the ring tone; receiving a ring tone purchase request at the wireless service transmitted directly from the wireless data processing device; and causing an actual ring tone associated with the ring tone preview to be stored within a ring tone gallery on the data processing device, the ring tones within the ring tone gallery accessible by applications executed on the data processing device. 
     Also described is a ring tone preview system comprising: a ring tone preview module for transmitting a ring tone preview directly from a wireless service to a wireless data processing device in response to a ring tone preview request; a ring tone catalog application for allowing a user to play back the ring tone preview on the wireless data processing device a specified number of times prior to purchasing the ring tone; and a ring tone purchase/download module to receive a ring tone purchase request at the wireless service transmitted directly from the wireless data processing device; wherein the ring tone purchase/download module and/or the ring tone catalog application causes an actual ring tone associated with the ring tone preview to be stored within a ring tone gallery on the data processing device, the ring tones within the ring tone gallery accessible by applications executed on the data processing device. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       A better understanding of the present invention can be obtained from the following detailed description in conjunction with the following drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a service communicating with a data processing device according to one embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 2  illustrates one embodiment of the invention in which ring tone purchases and ring tone previews are provided directly from a service to a mobile device. 
         FIG. 3  illustrates a ring tone catalog application according to one embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Described below is a system and method for multi-mode user interface for contacting a user. Throughout the description, for the purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without some of these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form to avoid obscuring the underlying principles of the present invention. 
     Embodiments of a Data Processing Service 
     Embodiments of the invention may be implemented on a wireless device  110  which communicates with a data processing service  100  as illustrated generally in  FIG. 1 . Embodiments of a service  100  and data processing device  110  are described in co-pending application entitled N ETWORK  P ORTAL  S YSTEM , A PPARATUS AND  M ETHOD , Ser. No. 09/714,897, filed Nov. 15, 2000, which is assigned to the assignee of the present application and which is incorporated herein by reference. Certain features of the service  100  will now be described followed by a detailed description of a system and method for sampling and purchasing ring tones for a data processing device. 
     In one embodiment, the service  100  converts standard applications and data into a format which each wireless data processing device  110  can properly interpret. Thus, as illustrated in  FIG. 1 , one embodiment of the service  100  includes content conversion logic  120  for processing requests for Internet content  140 . More particularly, the service  100  acts as a proxy for the data processing device  110 , forwarding Internet requests  140 ,  141  to the appropriate Internet site  130  on behalf of the data processing device  110 , receiving responses  142  from the Internet site  130  in a standard Internet format (e.g., Web pages with embedded audio/video and graphical content, e-mail messages with attachments, . . . etc), and converting the standard Internet responses  142  into a format which the data processing device  110  can process (e.g., bytecodes as described in the co-pending applications). 
     For example, the conversion logic  120  may include a hypertext markup language (“HTML”) rendering module (not shown) for interpreting HTML code and downloading any embedded content in the HTML code (e.g., graphics, video, sound, . . . etc) to the service  100 . The conversion logic  120  may then combine the HTML code and embedded content and generate a set of bytecodes for accurately reproducing the requested content on the data processing device  110 . As described above, in one embodiment, the bytecodes may be Java bytecodes/applets. However, the conversion logic  120  may generate various other types of interpreted and/or non-interpreted code, depending on the particular type of data processing device  110  being used (e.g., one with an interpreter module or one without). 
     Because one embodiment of the service  100  maintains an intimate knowledge of the capabilities/configuration of each data processing device  110  (e.g., screen size, graphics/audio capabilities, available memory, processing power, user preferences, . . . etc) it can reconstruct the requested Internet content accurately, while at the same time minimizing the bandwidth required to transmit the content to the device  110 . For example, the conversion logic  120  may perform pre-scaling and color depth adjustments to the requested content so that it will be rendered properly within the data processing device&#39;s  110 &#39;s display. In making these calculations, the conversion may factor in the memory and processing power available on the data processing device  110 . In addition, the conversion logic  120  may compress the requested content using a variety of compression techniques, and thereby preserve network bandwidth. 
     System and Method for Previewing and Purchasing Ring Tones for a Mobile Device 
     Unlike prior systems which required users to preview and install new ring tones via a personal computer, one embodiment of the invention allows users to preview and install new ring tones directly from a mobile device. This type of direct interaction is possible due in part to the close relationship between the mobile data processing device  110  and the service  100 , as described above with respect to  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 2  illustrates one particular embodiment of a service  100  for providing ring tones previews  211  and new ring tones  212  directly to end users&#39; mobile data processing devices  110 . The service  100  includes a ring tone preview module  221  for retrieving ring tone previews  211  from a ring tone database  225  and providing the ring tone previews  211  to the mobile data processing device  110  in response to ring tone preview requests  210 . The exemplary service  100  also includes a ring tone download module  220  for retrieving purchased ring tones  212  from the ring tone database  225  and providing the purchased ring tones  212  to the mobile data processing device  110  in response to ring tone purchase requests  213 . Although illustrated in  FIG. 2  as separate modules, it will be appreciated that the ring tone preview module  221  and ring tone purchase/download module  220  may actually be implemented within the same functional module. 
     In one embodiment, the ring tone previews  211  provided by the ring tone preview module  221  are truncated versions of the actual ring tones  212 . Alternatively, in one embodiment, the ring tone previews  211  are the same as the actual ring tones  212  but are processed and stored differently than the actual ring tones  212  on the mobile data processing device  110 . For example, as illustrated in  FIG. 3 , in one embodiment, ring tone previews  211  are processed and stored within a ring tone catalog application  310 . Once a ring tone preview  211  is downloaded to the ring tone catalog application  310 , an end user may play back the ring tone preview  211  a specified number of times (e.g., 5 times) before making a decision on whether to purchase the actual ring tone  212 . Alternatively, in one embodiment, the ring tone catalog application  310  will allow the end user to play back the ring tone preview  211  an unlimited number of times, but only from within the ring tone catalog application  310 . For example, other applications  315  such as telephony applications or email applications will not be permitted to access the ring tone preview  211 . 
     As mentioned above, because the ring tone preview  211  is played back on the mobile device as opposed to a personal computer, the playback of the ring tone preview  211  sounds exactly as it will if the user decides to purchase the ring tone. For example, if the ring tone is a musical instrument digital interface (“MIDI”) ring tone, the same MIDI wave tables will be used to generate the ring tone. By contrast, the user&#39;s personal computer may be configured with a different set of wave tables (or, at least, a different speaker system). 
     In one embodiment, after the ring tone preview  211  has been played back a designated number of times, the ring tone catalog application  310  locks the ring tone preview  211  or, alternatively, deletes the ring tone preview  211  from the data processing device  110 , thereby making the ring tone preview  211  inaccessible to the end user. When the user purchases the ring tone, a ring tone purchase request  213  is transmitted to the service  100 , which registers the purchase (i.e., for billing purposes) and transmits the actual ring tone  212  to the mobile data processing device  110 . The mobile data processing device  110  then stores the new ring tone  212  within a ring tone gallery  225  which it is accessible by all applications  315  executed on the mobile data processing device  110  (e.g., voice telephony applications to indicate incoming calls, email applications to indicate new email messages, instant messaging applications to indicate new instant messages, . . . etc). 
     Alternatively, if the ring tone preview  211  is the same as the actual ring tone  212 , as described above, then the ring tone catalog application  310  may simply transfer the ring tone preview  211  directly to the ring tone gallery  225  (as indicated by the dotted arrow in  FIG. 3 ). In one embodiment, the ring tone application  310  transfers the ring tone preview  211  to the ring tone gallery  225  in response to a command provided by the ring tone purchase/download module  220 ). 
     In one embodiment, the ring tone preview  211  is actually stored within the ring tone gallery  225  from the start (e.g., in response to the ring tone preview request  210 ), but is designated as a “preview” as opposed to an actual ring tone. As such, due to its designation as a “preview,” the ring tone preview  211  may only be accessed by specified applications (e.g., such as the ring tone catalog applications  310 ) and/or may be played back by any application, but only a specified number of times. 
     Embodiments of the invention may include various steps as set forth above. The steps may be embodied in machine-executable instructions which cause a general-purpose or special-purpose processor to perform certain steps. Alternatively, these steps may be performed by specific hardware components that contain hardwired logic for performing the steps, or by any combination of programmed computer components and custom hardware components. 
     Elements of the present invention may also be provided as a machine-readable medium for storing the machine-executable instructions. The machine-readable medium may include, but is not limited to, floppy diskettes, optical disks, CD-ROMs, and magneto-optical disks, ROMs, RAMs, EPROMs, EEPROMs, magnetic or optical cards, propagation media or other type of media/machine-readable medium suitable for storing electronic instructions. For example, the present invention may be downloaded as a computer program which may be transferred from a remote computer (e.g., a server) to a requesting computer (e.g., a client) by way of data signals embodied in a carrier wave or other propagation medium via a communication link (e.g., a modem or network connection). 
     Throughout the foregoing description, for the purposes of explanation, numerous specific details were set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the invention. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art that the invention may be practiced without some of these specific details. For example, although the invention was described in the context of specific types of applications (e.g., telephony applications, email, instant messaging, . . . etc), the underlying principles of the invention are not limited to any particular type of application. In addition, while the embodiments described above discuss particular formats for ring tones (e.g., MIDI, WAV), the underlying principles of the invention are not limited to any particular ring tone audio format. For example, in one embodiment, the ring tones are audio files compressed according to the MP3 compression format. 
     Moreover, the “ring tones” described herein may be used in a variety of different circumstances other than to notify the user of an incoming telephone call. For example, the ring tones may be played back under any set of circumstances while still complying with the underlying principles of the invention (e.g., in response to a manual “playback” request entered by the user). 
     Accordingly, the scope and spirit of the invention should be judged in terms of the claims which follow.