Abstract:
Methods, systems, and products determine ring tones to be applied to calls. A called party may configure different ring tones that annunciate calls for different types of calls from calling numbers. A network database determines a type of each call and annunciates the corresponding ringtone to a called party.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 12/257,027, filed Oct. 23, 2008, and now issued as U.S. Pat. No. X,XXX,XXX. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to a telephone system where a calling party can select a ringtone to be played at a telephone or the like of a called party. More particularly, the present invention relates to a telephone service enabled by the called party to allow the calling party to select a ringtone to be played. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    In recent years, a number of new telephone service features have been provided by an Advanced Intelligent Network (AIN). The AIN evolved out of a need to increase the capabilities of the telephone network architecture in order to meet the growing needs of telephone customers or users. Additionally, as the number of people who rely on the Internet for communication increases, so does the demand for the electronic transfer of data. 
         [0004]    Referring now to  FIG. 1 , it is seen that an AIN-based network arrangement is provided within and/or in conjunction with each of several wire line telephone system LATAs (Local Access and Transport Area)  101 , each of which defines a calling service area. Note that a similar arrangement is also provided with and/or in conjunction with a wireless telephone system. Each LATA  101  (only one being shown in  FIG. 1 ) includes stations (i.e. telephone lines and telephone equipment at the ends thereof)  103  and corresponding service switching points (SSPs)  105  at end offices or central offices. The SSPs  105  are each programmable switches which: recognize AIN-type calls; launch queries to service control points (SCPs)  107  (only one being shown in  FIG. 1 ); and receive commands and data from SCPs  107  to further process and route AIN-type calls within and between the LATAs  101 . A signal transfer point (STP)  109  may be employed to route signals between the SSPs  105 , the SCPs  107 , and other network elements. When one of the SSPs  105  is triggered by an AIN-type call, the triggered SSP  105  formulates an AIN service request for a particular AIN element such as an SCP  107 , sends the request to the element, receives a response including call processing instructions from the element, and acts in accordance with the received call processing instructions. 
         [0005]    An AIN trigger may be associated with a called party and an SSP  105  thereof or a called party and an SSP  105  thereof. One type of event that may be arranged to set off an AIN trigger in an SSP  105  or the like is a call from a calling party to a called party where the called party has arranged for a telephone service to be performed prior to having the call put through. Here, the trigger is associated with the SSP  105  of the called party, and the service may be any sort of service, such as for example a service to check first to see if the line of the called party is busy, and if so to forward the call to an alternate number or an answering service. 
         [0006]    Typically, a call when put through to a called party causes a signal to be annunciated (a ringtone to be played, e.g.) at the telephone or the like of the called party, whereby the signal/ringtone (hereinafter, ‘ringtone’) alerts the called party to the call and the called party may answer same. In the case of a wire line telephone system, the ringtone is typically generated by the end office or central office associated with the called party, and in the case of a wireless telephone system, the ringtone is typically generated at the telephone or the like in response to a ringtone generation command from a switching center or the like. Typically, the ringtone played is always the same ringtone regardless of the nature of the telephone call, even when the called party can select the ringtone. 
         [0007]    When a calling party calls a called party, then, the called party is presented with the same ringtone regardless of whether the call is routine, special, urgent, an emergency, or the like. As should be appreciated, however, the called party may instead wish to be presented with a different ringtone for each of several types of calls, so that the called party may have an opportunity to decide to answer each call based on the nature of the call as represented by the ringtone presented for such call. 
         [0008]    Accordingly, a need exists for a method and mechanism by which the called party can in fact be provided with a different ringtone for each of several types of calls, and may indeed have an opportunity to decide to answer each call based on the nature of the call as represented by the ringtone presented for such call. More particularly, a need exists for such a method and mechanism by which the calling party is given an opportunity to specify a type for the call, and based on the type specified a particular ringtone is presented to the called party. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0009]    The present invention satisfies the aforementioned need by providing a ringtone system implemented as a ringtone service to a called party by a telephone service provider of the called party. The called party wishes to have a particular ringtone annunciated for each of several types of calls from calling parties and subscribes to the ringtone service as provided by the telephone service provider. The ringtone service determines the type of each call and annunciates the corresponding ringtone to the called party. 
         [0010]    In the ringtone system, for a call from a calling party, the calling party is prompted to identify the type of the call. The type of the call is received from the calling party, and if no type is received, the call is typed in a particular manner. A list of types of calls with respect to and as specified by the called party is maintained, where each type of call on the list has a corresponding ringtone specified therefor. The typed call is processed by determining from the list of types of calls for the called party the corresponding ringtone specified for the typed call, and by putting the call through to the called party with the determined ringtone. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]    The foregoing summary as well as the following detailed description of the present invention will be better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings. For the purpose of the illustrating the invention, there are shown in the drawings embodiments which are presently preferred. As should be understood, however, the invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown. In the drawings: 
           [0012]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram showing a typical AIN-based telephone network such as may be employed in connection with the present invention; 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram showing a calling party calling a called party by way of a telephone service provider of the called party, where the called party subscribes to a ringtone system in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; and 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  is a flow diagram showing steps performed in connection with the call from the calling party to the called party of  FIG. 2 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0015]    Referring to the drawings in detail, wherein like numerals are used to indicate like elements throughout, there is shown in  FIG. 2  a ringtone system  10  for providing a ringtone service that identifies each of several different types of calls to a called party  12  from any calling party  14  by presenting a particular ringtone or other annunciation to the called party based on the type of call. Typically, the ringtone system  10  is implemented as a service to the called party  14  by the telephone service provider  16  of the called party  14 , and is at least partially implemented at an SSP  105  or central office administered by the telephone service provider  16 . The ringtone system  10  may be AIN-based or non-AIN based without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. 
         [0016]    Notably, and as mentioned above, a ringtone is merely one category of annunciation that may be employed. In fact, any other category of annunciation may also be employed without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. For example, the annunciation may be any sort of sound including bells, whistles, spoken material, etc., any sort of visual presentation including lights of one or more colors and or sequences, etc., or the like. Significantly, the annunciation or ringtone, whatever it may be (hereinafter, ‘ringtone’), has the effect of alerting the called party to the call and the called party may thereby decide to answer same. 
         [0017]    Also notably, and as also mentioned above, the ringtone may be generated by at an end office/central office/switching center or the like or may be generated at the telephone or the like in response to a ringtone generation command from an end office/central office/switching center or the like without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. 
         [0018]    In one embodiment of the present invention, when a calling party  12  calls a called party  14 , the ringtone system  10  determines what type the call may be classified as and based on the type of call presents the called party  14  with a ringtone corresponding to such type of call. Note that each type of call may be any type of call without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, and may be defined by the called party  14  and/or the ringtone system  10 . For example, the types of calls may include normal calls, urgent calls, emergency calls, non-urgent calls, calls from relatives and/or friends, calls from business associates, calls from strangers, calls from telemarketers, calls from solicitors, and the like. 
         [0019]    Correspondingly, each corresponding ringtone may be any appropriate ringtone without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, and may be defined by the called party  14  and/or the ringtone system  10 . For example, the ringtone for a normal call may be a normal trill or warble, while the ringtone for an emergency or urgent call may be an extended trill and the ringtone for a non-emergency or non-urgent call may be a shortened trill. Similarly, the ringtone for calls from relatives and/or friends and/or business associates may include a crescendo sound while the ringtone for calls from strangers, telemarketers, solicitors, and the like may include a doom sound. Accordingly, and based on the ringtone presented with a particular call, the called party  14  may have an opportunity to decide to answer the call based on the type of the call as represented by the ringtone presented for such call. 
         [0020]    In the case where the called party  14  defines the ringtone for each type of call, such called party  14  may so define and modify the ringtones in any appropriate manner without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. For example, each called party  14  may define or have defined therefor a corresponding list  18  of the ringtones and corresponding types of calls by way of a computer connected to the ringtone system  10  over a network such as the Internet (not shown), or may define the list  18  by accessing the ringtone system  10  over the telephone network by way of a specified telephone number. Likewise, the ringtones themselves may be defined by the called party  14  and/or may be selected by the called party  14  from pre-defined ringtones established by the telephone service provider  16  and/or the ringtone system  10 . 
         [0021]    In one embodiment of the present invention, ringtone system  10  itself determines the type of a particular call, at least in some instances. For example, the ringtone system  10  may determine from available information that a call is coming from a doctor, a hospital, a police station, or the like, and automatically identify the call as an emergency call. Similarly, the ringtone system  10  may determine from available information that a call is coming in from a long distance during the dinner hour from behind a private switch and automatically identify the call as coming from a stranger, a solicitor, or a telemarketer. 
         [0022]    In one embodiment of the present invention, the ringtone system  10  determines that a call is from a calling party  12  previously identified by the called party  14  as being a friend or acquaintance, and automatically identifies the call as coming therefrom. To enable such a situation, it may be that each called party  14  can define a corresponding list  20  of privileged calling parties  12 , again by way of a computer connected to the ringtone system  10  over a network such as the Internet (not shown), or by accessing the ringtone system  10  over the telephone network by way of a specified telephone number. 
         [0023]    Such list  20  may be based on the telephone number or telephone numbers of each privileged calling party  12 , and may specify a type of call for the privileged calling party  12 . Alternatively, being on the list  20  may in itself type the call in a particular manner. Thus, the telephone number of the calling party  12  as presented to the telephone service provider  16  of the called party  14  may be forwarded to the ringtone system  10  and compared to the list  20  of the called party  14  to determine whether the calling party  12  has been specified by the called party  12  as being privileged, and if so a corresponding ringtone may be presented to the called party. Of course, the list  20  may be based on indicia other than the telephone number of the calling party  12  without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. 
         [0024]    In the instance where the ringtone system  10  cannot or does not determine a particular type of a call from a calling party  12 , the ringtone system  10  may prompt the calling party  12  to identify such a type, perhaps by an audio prompt, and the calling party  12  may identify the type of the call, perhaps by keying in a menu selection on a telephone keypad. Notably, if the calling party  14  refuses to identify a type for the call, the ringtone system  10  may choose to type the call in a predetermined manner, such as of a low priority, or may choose to refuse to put the call through. As may be appreciated, such handling may be defined by the calling party  14 . 
         [0025]    In one embodiment of the present invention, and referring now to  FIG. 3 , a method for processing a call from a calling party  12  to a called party  14  by way of the ringtone system  10  and the list  20  is as follows: 
         [0026]    The process begins when a calling party  12  places a call to a called party  14  at a telephone service provider  16 , where the called party  14  subscribes to the ringtone system  10  and may maintain the lists  18  and/or  20  such as were set forth above (step  301 ). In the normal course, the call is routed to the telephone service provider  18  of the called party  14  (step  303 ), where it is noted by way of a trigger or the like that the called party  14  subscribes to the ringtone system  10  (step  305 ). Accordingly, and in accordance with the ringtone system  10 , the call is examined to determine a type therefor (step  307 ). 
         [0027]    In particular, the ringtone system  10  may determine whether the type of the call can be identified by from available information (step  307   a ). If so, the typed call is processed, and if not, the ringtone system  10  determines whether the call is from a calling party  12  previously identified by the called party  14  in the list  20  for such called party  14  (step  307   b ). If so, the call is typed according to the calling party  12  being on the list  20  and is processed, and if not, the ringtone system  10  prompts the calling party  12  to identify such a type, perhaps by an audio prompt (step  307   c ). If the calling party  12  identifies the type of the call, perhaps by keying in a menu selection on a telephone keypad, the typed call is processed, and if not, the ringtone system  10  un-typed call is processed by being typed in a particular manner, such as for example of a low priority, or by being terminated (step  309 ). 
         [0028]    In any event, once the ringtone system  10  types a call, the typed call is processed by determining from the list  18  for the called party  14  a particular ringtone to be employed to annunciate the call to the called party  14  by way of a telephone or the like thereof (step  311 ). Thereafter, the ringtone system  10  puts the call through to the called party  14  with the particular ringtone (step  313 ). In the case where the ringtone is generated by the end office, central office, switching center, or the like associated with the called party  14 , the ringtone system  10  sends a ringtone generation command to such end office, central office, switching center, or the like to generate the ringtone, and in the case where the ringtone is generated at the telephone or the like, the ringtone system  10  sends the ringtone generation command to the telephone of the called party  14  by way of such end office, central office, switching center, or the like. In either instance, the receiver of the generation command should be configured to understand and obey the command. 
         [0029]    The programming necessary to effectuate the processes performed in connection with the present invention is relatively straight-forward and should be apparent to the relevant programming public. Accordingly, such programming is not attached hereto. Any particular programming, then, may be employed to effectuate the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. 
         [0030]    In the foregoing description, it can be seen that the present invention comprises a new and useful method and mechanism by which the called party  14  subscribing to the ringtone system  10  or service can identify privileged calling parties  12  that are not required to be screened by the privacy service  10 . More particularly, the present invention comprises a new and useful ringtone system  10  and method by which a called party  14  can be provided with a different ringtone for each of several types of calls, and therefore has an opportunity to decide to answer each call based on the nature of the call as represented by the ringtone presented for such call. The calling party  12  is wither typed or is given an opportunity to specify a type for the call, and based on the type a particular ringtone is presented to the called party  14 . It should be appreciated that changes could be made to the embodiments described above without departing from the inventive concepts thereof. Notably, the present invention is equally applicable to wire line and wireless telephone systems. It should be understood, therefore, that this invention is not limited to the particular embodiments disclosed, but it is intended to cover modifications within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.