Patent ID: 8761382

Claim:
A method of providing customized prior-to-answer services in a telephony service using the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), the method comprising: receiving SIP signaling information relating to a first incoming call directed to a subscriber from a calling party, the first incoming call being directed to the subscriber from the calling party via a network-based telephony switching node which is capable of generating default media content to be transmitted to the calling party prior to the first incoming call being answered; transmitting, from subscriber equipment associated with the subscriber to the network-based telephony switching node, a SIP signaling message indicating that the network-based telephony switching node should not be sending default media content to the calling party prior to the first incoming call being answered, and further indicating that media content is to be transmitted from the subscriber equipment to the calling party prior to the first incoming call being answered; and after the SIP signaling message is transmitted, sending the media content from the subscriber equipment associated with the subscriber to the network-based telephony switch in order to begin playback of an item of media content to the calling party while the first incoming call is in a prior-to-answer signaling state, wherein the item of media content is stored in the subscriber equipment, wherein the item of media content comprises media content customized by the subscriber, wherein the customized media content is different from the default media content, wherein the subscriber equipment is located at a subscriber location, wherein the playback is originated from the subscriber equipment.