Abstract:
A handset user defines a ring tone for a wireless communications handset. The user outputs a master recording and designates ring tone start and stop times. A ring tone file is defined between the start and stop designations, and the defined ring tone file is stored for selection by the user.

Description:
STATEMENT OF RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]     This application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/479,092, filed Jun. 16, 2003, entitled “User-Defined Ring Tone File,” which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND  
       [0002]     1. Field of Invention  
         [0003]     The invention relates to call signal generating, and more specifically to defining ring tone files used to alert handset users.  
         [0004]     2. Related Art  
         [0005]     A ringing bell traditionally alerted a telephone system subscriber of an incoming call. Handsets (e.g., cellular telephony wireless handsets, pagers, personal digital assistants with wireless communication capability, and other communications terminals) typically use an electronic data file (a “ring tone file”) to simulate a ringing or other sound that alerts a communications system subscriber (a “user”) of an inbound communication or of an alarm of some sort. The use of an electronic ring tone file allows the user to select a desired audio output to be the ring tone. Users may designate, for example, various ringing bell patterns, songs, sound effects, animal noises, etc. that the handset will output. Although a large number of such ring tone files and associated ring tones exist, users are not able to easily create custom ring tones and make such custom ring tones available for use on their handsets.  
       SUMMARY  
       [0006]     In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a handset receives an electronic data file that includes a master recording. The user will use a portion of the master recording as a ring tone on the handset. The handset receives (for example, a user enters) a ring tone start designation as the master recording is output. The handset also receives (for example, the user also enters) a ring tone stop designation. In one instance the stop designation is an elapsed time after the entered start designation. In another instance the user enters the stop designation during the master recording output. The start and stop designations are used to create a ring tone file that corresponds to a portion of the master recording data file. The created ring tone file is made available for selection by a user. The electronic data file may be received via a wireless signal, and the ring tone file may be associated with an input communication source, such as a paging system or a telephone system.  
         [0007]     In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a computer-readable storage medium is encoded with a computer program which, when loaded into a processor, implements on or more aspects of the foregoing method.  
         [0008]     In accordance with a further aspect of the present invention, a handset, which may be a wireless handset such as a cellular phone, personal digital assistant, or a pager, includes a processor, a memory coupled to the processor, a user interface coupled to the processor, and a user-defined ring tone file stored in the memory. The stored ring tone file is defined by the user entering a ring tone start designation for a master recording data file and by the user entering a ring tone stop designation for the master recording data file. The ring tone stop designation may be an elapsed time after the ring tone start designation. The user-defined ring tone file may be associated with an input communication source, such as a paging system or a telephone system. The telephone system may be a multiline telephone system.  
         [0009]     According to a still further aspect of the present invention, a method of manufacturing a wireless handset includes the acts of: configuring the handset to receive (for example, via a wireless signal) an electronic data file comprising a master recording; configuring the handset to receive a first user input, wherein the first user input enables the user to input a ring tone start designation for a first time during an output of the master recording; configuring the handset to receive a second user input, wherein the second user input enables the user to input a ring tone stop designation for a second time during the output of the master recording; configuring the handset to create a ring tone file from a portion of the electronic data file defined by the start designation and the stop designation; and configuring the handset to make the ring tone file available for selection by the user.  
         [0010]     The ring tone ring tone stop designation may be an elapsed time after the ring tone start designation. The user-defined ring tone file may be associated with an input communication source, such as a paging system or a telephone system. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS  
       [0011]      FIG. 1  is a diagrammatic view of a wireless handset.  
         [0012]      FIG. 2  is a diagrammatic view of a ring tone file creation method.  
         [0013]      FIG. 3  is a diagrammatic view of a second ring tone file creation method. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0014]     It will be understood that many well-known features (e.g., power supplies) have been omitted from the description and the accompanying drawing so as to more clearly illustrate embodiments of the invention. Software coding (e.g., using a version of the “C” programming language) will be routine in light of this description.  
         [0015]      FIG. 1  is a diagrammatic view of a handset  10  (e.g., cellular telephony wireless handset, personal digital assistant with wireless communication ability, paging device, etc.) in accordance with the invention. As shown in  FIG. 1 , processor  12  (e.g., microprocessor/microcontroller), cellular telephone wireless tuner  14 , memory  16  (e.g., programmable non-volatile memory), input port  18 , output driver  19 , and user interface  20 , are coupled via data bus  22 . User interface  20  is, in one embodiment, a liquid crystal display (LCD) and keypad combination as found in conventional cellular telephony wireless handsets. Data bus  22  is illustrative of many interconnection topologies among the handset  10  components that may be used in various embodiments. Antenna  24  is coupled to tuner  14 . Speaker  25  is coupled to, and is driven by, output driver  19 .  
         [0016]     In one instance antenna  24  receives wireless signal  26 . Wireless signal  26  includes a master recording data file (compressed or uncompressed)  28 . Master recording data file  28  is an audio media content item (e.g., a musical composition, sound effect, animal noise, or other sound recording). After receipt, master recording data file  28  is stored in memory  16 .  
         [0017]     In a second instance, master recording data file  28  is received via input port  18  and is stored in memory  16 .  
         [0018]     In some instances, two or more unique master recording data files  28  are received and stored in memory  16 . In such instances, each unique master recording data file  28  is a unique audio media content item. An indication (e.g., a title) of the content of the one or more stored master recording data files is displayed for selection by the handset  10  user on the display portion of interface  20 .  
         [0019]      FIG. 2  is a diagrammatic view of a method of creating a ring tone file. At  100 , an illustrative master recording data file  29  is received and stored in memory  16 . An indication (e.g., title) of the stored master recording data file  28  content is displayed (e.g., via LCD) on user interface  20 .  
         [0020]     At  102 , the user operates (e.g., manipulates one or more keypad buttons) user interface  20  to select a stored master recording data file  28  for output via output driver  19  and speaker  25 .  
         [0021]     At  104 , the user operates (e.g., manipulates one or more keypad buttons) user interface  20  to enter a desired elapsed time (e.g., number of seconds) for the ring tone. This elapsed time functions as a ring tone stop designation.  
         [0022]     At  106 , the user operates (e.g., manipulates one or more keypad buttons) user interface  20  to begin output of master recording data file  28  via speaker  25 .  
         [0023]     At  108 , as master recording data file  28  is output, the user listens to the output and operates (e.g., manipulates one or more keypad buttons) user interface  20  to enter a ring tone start designation.  
         [0024]     At  110 , processor  12  uses the elapsed time entered at  104  to determine the ring tone file stop point. Accordingly, the user&#39;s desired ring tone is defined between the start designation entered at  108  and the end designation entered at  104 . Processor  12  then identifies the portion of master recording data file  28  that corresponds to the user&#39;s defined ring tone, and then creates a ring tone file  30  ( FIG. 1 ) to be stored (compressed or uncompressed) in memory  16 . In some instances, the user can output the defined ring tone file  30  and either approve the defined file for storage in memory  16 , or repeat the method from  106  to  110  as described above. A computer-readable storage medium, such as memory  16 , may be encoded with a computer program which, when loaded into a processor, such as processor  12 , implements on or more aspects of the foregoing method.  
         [0025]     In embodiments in which two or more ring tone files  30  are defined, a list of available ring tone files is output on user interface  20  (e.g., via LCD).  
         [0026]     At  112  the user operates (e.g., manipulates one or more keypad buttons) user interface  20  to select the ring tone file to be output as the handset  10  ring tone.  
         [0027]     In some instances the user can select and delete one or more ring tone files  30  from memory  16 .  
         [0028]      FIG. 3  is a diagrammatic view of a second method of creating a ring tone file. As shown in  FIG. 3, 100 ,  102 ,  106 , and  108  are executed, but  104  is skipped. Instead, after the user enters a ring tone start designation, at  202  the user operates user interface  20  to enter a ring tone end designation at a desired time during master recording data file  28  output.  
         [0029]     At  204 , processor  12  identifies the portion of master recording data file  28  that corresponds to the user&#39;s defined ring tone, and then defines ring tone file  30  to be stored in memory  16  as described above. The user then selects the stored ring tone file as described above in  112 .  
         [0030]     In some instances handset  10  is configured to allow the user to associate two or more unique ring tone files (and hence the associated unique ring tone output) to various unique input communication types. For instance, an inbound communication from a first party or source (e.g., telephone system) is associated with one ring tone and an inbound communication from a second party or source (e.g., paging system) is associated with a second ring tone. Alternatively, separate user-defined ring tones may be used for multiline systems. A computer-readable storage medium, such as memory  16 , may be encoded with a computer program which, when loaded into a processor, such as processor  12 , implements on or more aspects of the foregoing method.  
         [0031]     The invention has been described in terms of specific embodiments. It is understood, however, that many variations of the described embodiments exist. Therefore, the invention is limited only by the following claims.