Patent ID: 8036361

Claim:
A method, comprising the steps of: receiving and storing one or more objective ringback tone selection criterion input by a user of a called communication device that indicate to play a default ringback tone to a calling communication device, wherein the objective ringback tone selection criteria comprise one or more of time of day criteria, day of week criteria, day of year criteria, or calling party identity criteria; receiving and storing one or more emotional state ringback tone selection criterion input by the user of a called communication device, said input representing emotional states chosen from a plurality of emoticons displayed on the called communication device, said ringback tone selection criterion including at least associations between one or more characteristics of a calling communication device and one or more emotional states input by the user; storing one or more ringback tone identification repositories, each corresponding to a different emotional state as input by the user of the called communication device; receiving a call from the calling communication device; determining whether one or more characteristics of the calling communication device match stored ringback tone selection criterion; employing the one or more emotional state ringback tone selection criteria to select a ringback tone from the ringback tone identification repository indicative of the emotional state for the call, upon determination that the emotional state is activated for the call; employing the one or more objective ringback tone selection criteria to select the default ringback tone the call, upon determination that the emotional state is not activated for the call; and playing the selected ringback tone.