U.S. patent number 7,248,900 [Application Number 10/720,029] was granted by the patent office on 2007-07-24 for compound ring tunes.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Nokia Corporation. Invention is credited to Douglas Deeds.
United States Patent |
7,248,900 |
Deeds |
July 24, 2007 |
Compound ring tunes
Abstract
A manner of providing ring-tune alerts to announce the arrival
of incoming communications at a communication device such as a
mobile station operable in a wireless communication network. When
notification an incoming communication arrives at the mobile
station, the mobile station detects the type and origin of the
communication and then composes a ring tune enhanced to provide
incoming call information to the subscriber. The enhancement may
include temporarily compounding the ring tune, tonal or stylistic
enhancement, applying compound accompaniment, or applying tempo
variation. The ring-tune components may be installed by the
manufacturer or distributor of the instrument, or may be downloaded
by the subscriber. The communication device may also be a personal
computer operable to communicate through a communication network
such as the Internet.
Inventors: |
Deeds; Douglas (Bedford,
TX) |
Assignee: |
Nokia Corporation (Espoo,
FI)
|
Family
ID: |
34574696 |
Appl.
No.: |
10/720,029 |
Filed: |
November 18, 2003 |
Prior Publication Data
|
|
|
|
Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
|
US 20050107128 A1 |
May 19, 2005 |
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
455/567;
379/142.01; 379/373.02; 455/412.1; 455/412.2; 455/414.1; 455/466;
455/514 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04M
19/041 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
H04B
1/38 (20060101); H04M 1/00 (20060101) |
Field of
Search: |
;455/567,414.1,412.1,2,466,514 ;379/142.01,373.02,373.03 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: D'Agosta; Steve M.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Alston & Bird LLP
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A method for providing a ring-tune alert in a communication
device operable to receive communications via a communication
network, said method comprising: detecting an incoming
communication; determining at least one communication
characteristic of the incoming communication; associating a first
ring-tune enhancement with the at least one communication
characteristic; and generating a composite ring-tune alert by
appending the first ring tune enhancement to a base ring tune,
wherein the at least one communication characteristic comprises a
plurality of communication characteristics and associating a
predetermined ring-tune enhancement with each of a plurality of the
plurality of communication characteristics, wherein the first
ring-tune enhancement comprises appending a secondary ring-tune to
the base ring tune.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of
annunciating the enhanced ring tune.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein the annunciation is audible.
4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of
initializing a ring-tune database by storing the first ring-tune
enhancement and the base ring tune.
5. The method of claim 4, wherein the initializing step comprises
downloading ring-tune information from an Internet-based
server.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the secondary ring-tune is a
preamble appended in front of the base ring tune.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first ring-tune enhancement
comprises the addition of at least one accompaniment part to the
base ring tune.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first ring-tune enhancement
comprises application of a tonal adjustment to the base ring
tune.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first ring-tune enhancement
comprises application of a stylistic adjustment to the base ring
tune.
10. The method of claim 1, wherein the base ring tone is one of a
plurality of base ring tunes selectable for application.
11. The method of claim 10, wherein the selection of a base ring
tune from the plurality of base ring tunes is a function of the at
least one communication characteristic of the incoming
communication.
12. The method of claim 1, wherein this step of determining at
least one communication characteristic comprises the step of
transmitting a request for communication-characteristic
information.
13. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of
receiving a response to the request for
communication-characteristic information.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein the response contains
communication-characteristic information and further comprising the
step of storing the communication-characteristic information for
future use in associating ring-tune enhancements with communication
characteristics.
15. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication device is a
mobile station operable within a wireless communication
network.
16. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication device is a
computer operable to receive communications via a connection to the
Internet.
17. The method of claim 1, wherein the base ring tune comprises a
plurality of base ring tunes, and wherein the first ring tune is
only appended to a first base ring tune among the plurality of base
ring tunes which are periodically rung.
18. The method of claim 1, wherein the composite ring-tune
comprises inserting the first ring tune into the base ring tune,
the base ring tune being divided into a plurality of pieces.
19. A method for providing a ring-tune alert in a communication
device operable to receive communications via a communication
network, said method comprising: detecting an incoming
communication; determining at least one communication
characteristic of the incoming communication; associating a first
ring-tune enhancement with the at least one communication
characteristic; generating a composite ring-tune alert by appending
the first ring tune enhancement to a base ring tune; and generating
a designated ring-tune alert for indicating the arrival of an
incoming communication for which no communication characteristic
could be associated with a ring-tune enhancement.
20. For use in a mobile station operable in a wireless
communication network, an improvement of apparatus for alerting a
user to the arrival of an incoming call notification, said
apparatus comprising: a ring-tune database for storing at least one
ring-tune enhancement; a detector for detecting communication
characteristics, if any, associated with an incoming call; a
ring-tune controller for associating a detected communication
characteristic with the at least one ring tune enhancement stored
in the ring-tune database; and a ring-tune generator for generating
an enhanced composite ring tune by appending the at least one
ring-tune enhancement to a base ring tune, wherein the detected
communication characteristic comprises a plurality of communication
characteristics and wherein the ring-tune generator associates a
predetermined ring-tune enhancement with each of a plurality of the
plurality of communication characteristics.
21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the mobile station comprises
a vibration generator, and wherein the first ring-tune enhancement
comprises the addition of a vibrating effect to the base
ring-tune.
22. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the least one ring tune
enhancement stored in the ring-tune database comprises a plurality
of ring-tune enhancements for associating with communication
characteristics.
23. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the detector detects the
communication characteristics by querying a user of a terminal to
provide additional information relating to a previously received
incoming call.
24. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the base ring tune comprises
a plurality of base ring tunes, and wherein the at least one
ring-tune is only appended to a first base ring tune among the
plurality of base ring tunes which are periodically rung.
25. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the enhanced composite ring
tune comprises inserting the at least one ring-tune into the base
ring tune, the base ring tune being divided into a plurality of
pieces.
26. A system for use in a wireless communication network having
network infrastructure, for alerting a network subscriber to the
arrival of an incoming call notification, said system comprising:
at least one mobile station for use by the subscriber; a base
station for handling wireless communications between the at least
one mobile station and the network infrastructure; a ring-tune
database assessable to the base station for storing at least one
ring-tune enhancement; a detector for detecting communication
characteristics, if any, associated with a network communication
directed at the at least one mobile station; a ring-tune controller
for associating a detected communication characteristic with the at
least one ring tune enhancement stored in the ring-tune database;
and a ring-tune generator for generating an enhanced composite ring
tune including the at least one ring-tune enhancement appended to a
base ring tune, wherein the detected communication characteristic
comprises a plurality of communication characteristics and wherein
the ring-tune generator associates a predetermined ring-tune
enhancement with each of a plurality of communication
characteristics.
27. The system of claim 26, wherein the ring-tune generator is
resident in the at least one mobile station and wherein the ring
tune controller is not located in the mobile station, and further
comprising means for the ring-tune controller to direct the
ring-tune generator, via wireless communication, to generate the
enhanced ring tone.
28. The system of claim 26, wherein the at least one enhancement is
a tempo enhancement.
29. The system of claim 28, wherein the system monitors the number
of incoming-call notifications from the same source, and wherein
the tempo enhancement is a function of the number of unsuccessful
call attempts made by the same source.
30. The system of claim 26, wherein the base ring tune comprises a
plurality of base ring tunes, and wherein the at least one
ring-tune is only appended to a first base ring tune among the
plurality of base ring tunes which are periodically rung.
31. The system of claim 26, wherein the enhanced composite ring
tune comprises inserting the at least one ring-tune into the base
ring tune, the base ring tune being divided into a plurality of
pieces.
32. The system of claim 26, wherein the base ring tune comprises a
plurality of ring tunes, and wherein the at least one ring-tune is
appended periodically to the plurality of base ring tunes after a
predetermined number of rings.
33. A computer program product for providing a ring-tune alert in a
communication device operable to receive communications via a
communication network, said computer program product comprising a
computer-usable storage medium having computer-readable program
code portions stored therein, the computer-readable program code
portions comprising: a first executable code portion for detecting
an incoming communication; a second executable code portion for
determining at least one communication characteristic of the
incoming communication; a third executable code portion for
associating a first ring-tune enhancement with the at least one
communication characteristic; and a fourth executable code portion
for generating a composite ring-tune alert by appending the first
ring tune enhancement to a base ring tune, wherein the at least one
communication characteristic comprises a plurality of communication
characteristics, and further comprising a fifth executable code
portion for associating a predetermined ring-tune enhancement with
each of a plurality of the plurality of communication
characteristics.
34. The computer program product of claim 33, wherein the
communication device is a mobile station operable within a wireless
communication network.
35. The computer program product of claim 33, wherein the
communication device is a computer operable to receive
communications via a connection to the Internet.
36. The computer program product of claim 33, wherein the first
ring-tune enhancement comprises appending a secondary ring tune to
the base ring tune.
37. The computer program product of claim 33, wherein the first
ring-tune enhancement comprises application of a tonal adjustment
to the base ring tune.
38. The computer program product of claim 33, wherein the first
ring-tune enhancement comprises the addition of at least one
accompaniment part the base ring tune.
39. The computer program product of claim 33, wherein the first
ring-tune enhancement comprises application of a stylistic
adjustment to the base ring tune.
40. The computer program product of claim 23, wherein the base ring
tune comprises a plurality of base ring tunes, and wherein the
first ring tune is only appended to a first base ring tune among
the plurality of base ring tunes which are periodically rung.
41. The computer program product of claim 33, wherein the composite
ring-tune comprises inserting the first ring tune into the base
ring tune, the base ring tune being divided into a plurality of
pieces.
42. The computer program product of claim 33, wherein the base ring
tune comprises a plurality of ring tunes, and wherein the first
ring tune is appended periodically to the plurality of base ring
tunes after a predetermined number of rings.
43. A method for providing a ring-tune alert in a communication
device operable to receive communications via a communication
network, said method comprising: detecting an incoming
communication; determining at least one communication
characteristic of the incoming communication; associating a first
ring-tune enhancement with the at least one communication
characteristic; and generating a composite ring-tune alert by
appending the first ring tune enhancement to a base ring tune, and
wherein the base ring tune comprises a plurality of ring tunes, and
wherein the first ring tune is appended periodically to the
plurality of base ring tunes after a predetermined number of
rings.
44. For use in a mobile station operable in a wireless
communication network, an improvement of apparatus for alerting a
user to the arrival of an incoming call notification, said
apparatus comprising: a ring-tune database for storing at least one
ring-tune enhancement; a detector for detecting communication
characteristics, if any, associated with an incoming call; a
ring-tune controller for associating a detected communication
characteristic with the at least one ring tune enhancement stored
in the ring-tune database; and a ring-tune generator for generating
an enhanced composite ring tune by appending the at least one
ring-tune enhancement to a base ring tune, and wherein the base
ring tune comprises a plurality of ring tunes, and wherein the at
least one ring-tune is appended periodically to the plurality of
base ring tunes after a predetermined number of rings.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to radio telephony, and
more specifically to a method and system for using compound ring
tunes to identify to the user of a mobile station communicating
through wireless communications network certain characteristics of
an incoming call.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Mobile communication is rapidly increasing in popularity.
Originally, mobile communication was available only in specialized
applications such as ship-to-shore radio, police radio, or short
range walkie-talkies. The advent of the modern mobile network,
however, has made this form of communication much more available,
practical, and affordable to large segments of the global
population. In some locations, it is even more popular and reliable
than standard wireline telephone systems. Naturally, the mobile
nature of this form of communication has contributed to its
popularity.
A mobile telecommunication system is one that uses a wireless
channel to establish the connection between an individual
subscriber and a communication network. The wireless network
infrastructure is typically, though not necessarily a series of
fixed switches, routers, and other hardware interconnected in a
hierarchical fashion. In this sense, it may resemble a traditional
wireline system. Calls to or from a subscriber are routed through
this hardware to their destination. Calls to or from other networks
leave and enter through gateways, so that the wireless network
subscribers can connect to almost any other device connected to a
publicly accessible telephone or computer network.
FIG. 1 is functional block diagram illustrating the relationship of
selected components of a typical wireless communication network
100, such as one that might advantageously be used in accordance
with an embodiment of the present invention. Base stations 105-110
are each shown to be connected with an antenna 111-116. Each
antenna is intended to handle communications within a selected
area, sometimes referred to as a cell. (For this reason the
portable subscriber radios used in such a network are often called
"cellular" or simply "cell" phones.) For example, in FIG. 1 cell
phones 11, 12, and 13 are shown to be in communication with
antennas 111, 112, and 113, via radio channels 1, 2, and 3,
respectively.
The broken lines in FIG. 1 represent cell boundaries. These
boundaries do not represent the precise range of their associated
antennae, of course, and are not always regular in shape or
consistent in size. And although only six cells are delineated,
there are typically many more in the network coverage area. Cell
phones may and often do move from cell to cell, and their network
communications are generally transferred from one network antenna
to another though a process called handover.
Base station controllers (BSCs) 120 and 125 are in communication
with, and generally control the operations of base stations 105-107
and 108-110, respectively. The base station controllers are in turn
connected with a mobile switching center (MSC) 130, which handles
call routing and provides a connection to other network MSCs (not
shown) and gateway MSCs such as G-MSC 135. A visitor location
register, here VLR 140, maintains information relating to cell
phones in the area services by the associated MSC. (A home location
register (HLR) (not shown), may be provided to track the location
and other information related to all network subscribers.)
The "wireless" part of a wireless network is therefore the
connection between the subscriber and the network infrastructure
though which calls to or from the subscriber are routed. This
connection is normally made through radio channels, meaning that
each subscriber will be equipped with a device having a radio
transmitter and receiver. A mobile telephone is simply a radio for
engaging in voice communication through a wireless network. Despite
being radios, however, mobile telephones do not ordinarily
communicate directly with one another but rather through the
network. The network will employ at least one, any normally a great
many base stations for connecting with subscriber devices.
At this point, it should also be noted that as the terms for radio
telephones, such as "cellular (or cell) phone" and "mobile phone"
are often used interchangeably, they will be treated as equivalent
herein. Both, however, are a sub-group of a larger family of
devices that also includes, for example, computers and personal
digital assistants (PDAs) that are also capable of wireless radio
communication in a radio network. In the context of the present
invention, being able to communicate with a wireless network
connotes the ability to receive a call intended for one or more
mobile stations, although in some but not all embodiments the
mobile station will require as well the ability to transmit and to
initiate calls. This family of devices will for convenience be
referred to as "mobile stations" (regardless of whether a
particular device is actually moved about in normal operation).
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a mobile station 200 such as one
that might advantageously be used in accordance with an embodiment
of the present invention. Mobile station 200 is a radio
telecommunication device for use in a radio telecommunication
network such as the one described above in reference to FIG. 1. The
internal circuitry and components (not shown in FIG. 2) of mobile
station 200 are contained in a casing, or enclosure, that typically
includes two or more sections, which are sometimes referred to as
covers. Referring to FIG. 2, mobile station 200 has an enclosure
201 that includes front cover 220 and back cover 222, which are
removably fastened together at joint 205 when the phone is
assembled. Attached battery 224 provides a portable power source,
and antenna 226 aids in transmitting and receiving radio signals. A
plurality of small openings 242 formed in front cover 220 serve as
a port for the voice-communication speaker (not shown), which is
mounted beneath them. At the opposite end of mobile station 200,
microphone port 244 likewise permits entry of sound directed at the
actual microphone (not shown) mounted inside. Power port 246 is for
plugging in an external power adaptor and headphone port 248 for
connecting an external headset and perhaps a microphone for
hands-free operation.
The keypad 210 is a user interface including a plurality of
openings, through which protrude keys such as alphanumeric keys
211, call control keys 212 (CALL) and 213 (END), scroll key 214 and
function keys 215 and 216. As their names imply, these keys perform
various duties in the phone's operation, with the alphanumeric keys
211 having a standard telephone keypad role, and the function and
scroll keys used in connection with display 234. That is, the
functions of the function keys and the scroll keys are variable and
determined by the application state that the mobile phone is in,
which is often translated into a word or icon displayed next to the
key on display 234. Keys having a function that may be changed in
this way are often called `softkeys`. Other keys shown in FIG. 2
are power switch 219 and volume control key 217.
Display 234 is typically a liquid-crystal display (LCD) device. The
LCD itself is protected by a plastic window pane 232, which is
mounted to cover the display and protrude into window 230, an
opening formed in front cover 220. As illustrated in FIG. 2,
display 234 presents to the user such information as current
softkey functions, telephone numbers, signal strength, and other
information useful to the operation being performed. The protective
window pane 232 is typically a component separate from the LCD, its
chassis, and other portions of the internal assembly.
FIG. 3 is a flow diagram illustrating an exemplary method 300 of
providing an incoming call alert according to the prior art. At
START, it is presumed that a mobile station such as the one shown
in FIG. 2 is operable to communicate with a wireless network such
as the mobile station 200 shown in FIG. 1. The process begins when
the alert, or ring-tune database is initialized (step 305). In most
cases, this is done by the manufacturer, or by another along the
distribution chain and before the instrument is provided to the
user (sometimes also referred to as a wireless-service subscriber).
At its most basic level this step involves programming the mobile
station to ring when a call notification is received from the
network. That is, once the network has identified that a call to
one of its subscribers has been initiated and determined the
current location of the subscriber, a call notification is sent
that the mobile station must acknowledge before the call can
actually be terminated. The ring tune is an alert that the mobile
station will actuate to let the subscriber know that a call is
being placed.
Assuming this basic case, that the ring tune is established when
the subscriber first obtains the mobile station, certain user
options are still available. For example, the user may wish to have
a silent alert for incoming call notification. This option is
useful when knowledge of calls is desired even though the user is
in a location or setting where an audible alert would be
inappropriate. The silent alert is normally accomplished using a
vibrating function resident in the mobile station, although a light
on the mobile station or other visible device may be used as well.
Of course, the silent and the audio alert may be used at the same
time. In another example, the audio alert function may be adjusted
from loud to soft, or set to sound once but not continuously.
Typically, these alert preferences may be changed from time to time
by the subscriber, and may form part of a `profile` or set of
preferences, that the user may optionally select as a group. (For
simplicity, however, in the context of the present disclosure the
set of preferences constituting the profile may contain only a
single element.)
The next step 310 in the process therefore is to receive a profile
selection. Again, the profile may be set by the manufacturer as a
default selection, and is in this sense received before the
subscriber first obtains the mobile station. In practice, however,
many subscribers frequently use their ability to switch from one
profile to the other. The process continues as the user actually
receives notification from the network that an incoming call is
being received (step 315). Note that this notification may come
directly from the subscriber's network, or if the subscriber is
outside of its network coverage area then through whatever network
is being used to complete the call. When an incoming call is
detected, the appropriate ring is generated (step 320) according to
the current profile selection. The ring tune is generated until the
user accepts the call or until a predetermined ring time has
elapsed.
Contemporary mobile stations are frequently provided with the
ability to generate a variety of different ring tunes, each having
a different pattern. The user is able to select one, and to change
their selection as desired. Often such selections are assigned to a
profile, as mentioned above. Whatever ring tune has been selected
is then used when an incoming call is received. To switch ring
tunes, the user simply selects another from those available or
switches profiles. In some applications, the user may even select a
number of ring tunes and associate them with different callers or
call groups. In this way, for example, a caller may be able to
discern from the different ring whether an incoming call is
business-related or personal.
As alluded to above, however, mobile stations may be used for
functions other than ordinary phone calls. They may also be used to
send and receive text or voice messages that are delivered when the
message target is available (and are not frustrated by lack of
immediate availability). Facsimile transmission may also be
accomplished, as can other types of data communication such as
retrieval of Internet-accessible Web sites. A subscriber who uses
their mobile station for both business and personal communications
(as many do) may be inundated with calls that, if announced
identically, represent a significant distraction as they are sorted
through. Even assigning diverse ring tones to certain call groups
may not provide a satisfactory call-management aid; there are only
so many tunes available and where there are many their selected
association may be difficult to remember. Needed therefore is a way
to provide incoming-call alerts that are capable of provide the
user with information regarding the incoming call that is as
comprehensive as possible. The present invention provides just such
a solution.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In one aspect, the present invention is a method of providing an
enhanced ring-tune alert that provides information to a subscriber
regarding the communication characteristics of an incoming call,
the method including the steps of detecting an incoming call and
the communication characteristics, such as call type and call
origin associated with the call, associating one or more of these
characteristics with a specific ring-tune enhancement, and
generating an enhanced ring-tune by applying the enhancement to a
base ring tune. Note the enhancement, and for that matter the base
ring tune may be audible or may include or even be limited to other
alert effects such as vibration.
Varying types of ring-tune enhancement may be used, either alone or
in combination. In a temporally-compounded enhanced ring tune, a
secondary ring-tune segment associated with a particular
communication characteristic of the incoming call is appended to
the beginning or the end (or both) of the base ring tune, and of
course even more than two such appendages may be applied where
appropriate. A tonal enhancement involves modifying or adjusting
the quality of the base ring tune, such as by changing voices,
without altering its recognizable nature. Applying an accompaniment
enhancement, on the other hand, involves the addition (or in some
cases the subtraction) of accompanying parts to the base ring tune.
A stylistic enhancement may also be used so that a recognizable
base tune is annunciated in a style that can be separately
recognized and provide an indication to the user of one or more
communication characteristics. A tempo enhancement involves varying
the tempo of the base ring tune, or of an otherwise enhanced ring
tune, to identify a communication characteristic. As should be
apparent, these various enhancements may also be used in
combination with each other.
Ring-tune enhancements may be provided with a mobile station to the
subscriber, or may be downloaded to the mobile station though a
wireless connection or to another device connected to an Internet
based server. In some instances existing mobile stations may be
modified at services centers to be able to operate according to the
present invention.
In another aspect, the present invention is an apparatus for
providing an alert to the user of a mobile station including a
ring-tune database for storing ring-tune enhancements, a detector
for detecting incoming calls and determining communication
characteristics associated with them, and a controller for
associating incoming-call communication characteristics with ring
tune and directing a ring-tune generator to generate a ring-tune
alert based on the association.
In yet another aspect, the present invention is a system for
providing an alert including at least one mobile station operable
to communicate with the infrastructure of a wireless network
through a network base station, including a ring-tune database
accessible by the base station, which monitor calls directed at the
mobile station and determines their communication characteristics
so that a ring-tune controller may associate the communication
characteristics with one or more ring-tune enhancements from the
ring tune database and direct a ring-tune generator to generate an
enhanced ring tune. In one embodiment, the ring-tune database and
ring-tune controller are part of the network infrastructure, and
provide instructions to a ring-tune generator located in a mobile
station in order to effect application of the appropriate
enhancement based on the network's knowledge of the communication
characteristics off a call directed to the mobile station.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
For a more complete understanding of the present invention, and the
advantages thereof, reference is made to the following drawings in
the detailed description below:
FIG. 1 is functional block diagram illustrating the relationship of
selected components of a typical wireless communication network,
such as one that might advantageously be used in accordance with an
embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a mobile station such as one that
might advantageously be used in accordance with an embodiment of
the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a flow diagram illustrating an exemplary method of
providing an incoming call alert according to the prior art.
FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram of a mobile station
illustrating selected components for use in providing enhanced ring
tunes in accordance with an embodiment of the present
invention.
FIG. 5 is a flow diagram illustrating a method of providing a
ring-tune alert according to an embodiment of the present
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
FIGS. 1-5, discussed herein, and the various embodiments used to
describe the present invention are by way of illustration only, and
should not be construed to limit the scope of the invention. Those
skilled in the art will understand the principles of the present
invention may be implemented in any similar mobile stations, in
addition to those specifically discussed herein.
The present invention presents an innovative manner of effecting
call alerts to provide easily understandable information regarding
the nature of incoming calls. Various embodiments for practicing
the present invention will now be described.
FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram of mobile station 200 of FIG.
2 illustrating selected internal components for use in providing
enhanced ring tunes in accordance with an embodiment of the present
invention. Mobile station 200 includes transmit circuitry 405 and
receive circuitry 410 for sending and receiving a variety of
different types of communications through antenna 226. Although for
simplicity only one set of circuitry is shown for each of these
respective functions, however, the mobile station 200 may be
capable of communicating in a plurality of ways, such as with a
wireless network and also with nearby Bluetooth devices.
A controller 415 is provided for controlling the operation of
transmit circuitry 410 and receive circuitry 415 and other
operations of mobile station 200 as well. In an alternate
embodiment (not shown) separate coordinated controllers may be
provided to deal with selected functions. Database 420 is a memory
storage device and in this illustration is intended to include both
short-term and long-term memory functions. Database 420, for
example, may be used to store contact information such as the
telephone numbers of individuals and organizations, and other
associated information such as addresses, email addresses,
facsimile numbers, and so forth.
Ring-tune database 425 may also be incorporated into database 420,
but in FIG. 4 is shown separately for the purposes of illustration.
In accordance with the present invention, ring-tune database 425 is
used for storing ring-tune components. These ring-tune components
(such as a base ring tune and ring-tune enhancements), will now be
described in more detail.
A ring tune is a device, usually but not necessarily audible, that
is used to announce the receipt on an incoming call. If audible,
the sound is produced by a speaker in, or connected with the mobile
station. Preferably separate speakers are used for reproducing
voice information and for producing ring tones, but this disclosure
focuses on the speaker that annunciates ring-tones and it is
immaterial whether it is used for voice as well. Receipt of an
incoming call is signaled by a network notification message that is
ordinarily acknowledged by the mobile station. Some form of
acknowledgement is desirable as the network will otherwise have
some difficulty determining that the target mobile station is
operating in a given area and powered up to received a call.
In accordance with the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4, an
incoming call detector 430 is provided to detect the receipt of an
incoming call notification. Directed by controller 415,
incoming-call detector determines as much information regarding the
incoming call as it is able, for example the type of communication
being received and the identity of the caller. (Of course it is
able to do so at this point only when such information is provided
in the call notification.) Message generator 435 will then generate
a return message acknowledging that the incoming-call notification
message has been received. Ring-tune generator 440, which may be
incorporated with controller 415 or may be a separate component,
then generates a ring-tune alert appropriate to the communication
information. The generation of a ring-tune, in accordance with an
embodiment of the present invention, involves preparing whatever
signal or instructions are required to cause the annunciation of
the desired ring-tune. Device interface 445 provides the interface
between the ring-tune generator 440 and the device or devices that
will be performing the annunciation. These devices (not shown)
typically include a speaker, often a separate one from that used
for voice communication, and a vibration generator.
Incoming-call information may include the type and source of the
call. The communication type simply indicates the form of
communication being attempted, for example a standard telephone
call. Or the incoming communication may be a page message, a
short-message service (SMS) message, or some other form of text or
voice message. In contrast to a telephone call, however, these
types of communication may be accepted for delivery automatically
instead of waiting for the subscriber's indication of willingness
to have the call terminated (that is, connected). The communication
type may also be a facsimile transmission or an email message.
These recited types, of course, are illustrative rather then
exclusive, and there may be others as well. It is expected though
not required that the communication type will be determinable from
the notification message because the recipient device will have to
at some point be prepared to receive and process the communication
itself.
The communication source indicates the origin of the intended
communication. The origin may be determinable as to the specific
device or person calling, or may be generally determined as with
calls from a certain company or area. The communication source will
generally be determined in one of a number of ways. First, the
notification message may include standard caller-ID information
such as a telephone number. In that case, the caller-ID information
identifies the source device specifically, and may be used to
identify the caller as well. That is, the caller-ID information may
be compared to information stored in database 420, which will
associate identifiers such as telephone numbers or email addresses
with names of persons or organizations. Even if there is no such
stored information, of course, the caller-ID information provides
at least some indication of the call source, and may be more
comprehensive than simply a telephone number alone.
Another way of obtaining call-source information is from the
incoming-call notification itself if it in fact contains more
detailed source information than what is provided with caller-ID.
In this case, a distinctive enhanced ring tune may be generated
from the information provided based on the ring-tune information
stored in ring-tune database 425. In one embodiment, a caller is
able to provide this information for inclusion in the incoming-call
notification message so that the correct enhanced ring-tune results
even if they are calling from an unknown telephone number. Third, a
query may be formulated by message generator 435 to ask for more
information about incoming communication if the system permits such
inquiries. In this case, the mobile station may store any received
information in the database 420 for future reference and to
eliminate the need for redundant future inquiries. Storage of
information retrieved in this way may be accomplished
automatically, without any further action by the subscriber, or
alternately such information may be retained only if the subscriber
responds affirmatively when queried.
However the incoming-communication information is obtained, the
ring-tune generator 425 generates a specific ring tune based upon
the information available to it. In accordance with the present
invention, the ring tune generator 425 is operable to assemble
enhanced ring tunes in order to efficiently signal to the user
known information regarding the incoming call. The various
enhancements will now be described in more detail. In this
description, the term `base ring tune` will be used to describe a
ring that would typically be used absent application of the present
invention. This may be but is not necessarily the default ring
initially set by the manufacturer or seller. The base ring tune may
be used on its own we well, for example where no incoming-call
information is available. In addition, there may be any number of
base ring tunes that are selectable by the user.
A first type of enhanced ring tune is the temporally-compounded
ring. In this embodiment, a preamble may be appended to the ring
tune in order to indicate something about the nature of the call.
This preamble is a secondary ring tune that is distinguishable from
the base. For example, a specific communication type may always
cause generation of a certain preamble, regardless of its origin.
In this way the user immediately knows that the incoming call is an
email as opposed to a phone call. The advantage of employing the
distinguishing preamble is that the base ring tune itself may be
varied to indicate other call information, such as origin.
Naturally, the preamble could also be used to identify the origin
and the base ring tone varied to indicate type. In another
embodiment, the secondary ring tune could be appended to sound
after the base ring tune.
Generally speaking, ring tunes are cyclic, with a chosen sound
sequence repeating itself at regular intervals. Where the base ring
tune operates in this manner, the preamble could be generated to
append to each repetition. Alternately, it may only be appended to
the first ring and the mobile station would thereafter use only the
base ring. In yet another alternative, the preamble could be
appended periodically to the base ring tune, skipping a
predetermined number of rings before being appended again. Note
that as used herein, "appended" refers to the use of a secondary
ring tune that is conjoined or concatenated with the base ring
tune, usually either before or after ("preamble" is set before, and
an "appendix" after). Note also, however, that the secondary ring
tune may also be inserted within the base ring tune, in essence
interrupting it and dividing it into two or more pieces.
A second type of ring-tune enhancement involves applying tonal
variation to the base ring tune according to the known
communication information. Subtle variations may be available but
difficult for the average user to distinguish from one another. A
more pronounced variation may be applied by changing the voice (or
voices) used for annunciating the ring tone. Voices can be thought
if in terms of different musical instruments even though the mobile
station is only using its ring-tone speaker to replicate the sound
characteristics of various instruments. For example, a trumpet
sound may signal an incoming telephone call, while a flute
indicates that an SMS message is being received. The different
voices may also be used to signal call origin as well; a saxophone
indicating a communication from a spouse, for example. More general
categories could also be used, such as an organ sound to signal the
arrival of work-related email.
The enhancements described above may of course be used in
combination to provide more variety for applying ring-tune labels
to certain classes of communication. In addition, there is no
requirement that a single scheme be used. That is, a series of
preambles may be programmed for indicating the communication types
of business-related information, one preamble for faxes, another
for email, and so forth, but no preamble would be applied to
communications from family members, who would instead simply be
identified by using different voices with no regard to
communication type.
Needless to say, the system of ring tune enhancements of the
present invention could get very involved, and trying to uniquely
identify all variations may become so complex that any advantage is
lost. In a preferred embodiment, however, the enhancements could be
applied one at a time. The user would then over time become used to
particular enhancements before adding more. Adjustments could be
made to accommodate changing conditions or needs. Some users would
of course be more adept at remembering the distinctions than
others, so each user is able to create a ring-tune scheme that they
are comfortable with. Unless explicitly claimed, however, there is
no requirement that all of the enhancements described above be
available to each or any subscriber.
In some instances no correlation between incoming-call
characteristics and ring-tune enhancements may be found. This may
be due to the absence of any determinable characteristics, or may
simply occur because no association with the received
characteristics has been requested. Although the un-enhanced base
ring tone could be generated for such instances, in a preferred
embodiment an enhanced ring tone is assigned so that the subscriber
is made aware that an attempt to provide information has been made.
Different enhanced ring tones may be assigned, for example one to
incoming calls providing communication characteristics, and another
to those supplying no communication-characteristic information or
to those refusing to provide such information when requested. By
the same token, certain enhanced ring tones may be associated with
incoming calls for which some, though less than all desirable
information is detectable.
In another embodiment (not shown), the present invention is a
ring-tune alert scheme for use on a computing device such as a
personal computer (PC). While a PC may fall within the definition
of a "mobile station" as that term is used herein, it is also
described here separately for clarity. Although PC users are
generally aware when email is downloading through a dial up
connection, the ring-tune scheme of the present invention may be
implemented to announce the arrival of a text message or VoIP call,
or of an email arriving through a continually-maintained
connection. In this embodiment, the ring-tune may be played at the
computer itself, or at a remote device accessible to the user.
FIG. 5 is a flow chart illustrating a method 500 of providing a
ring-tune alert according to an embodiment of the present
invention. At Start it is presumed that a mobile station operable
in accordance with the present invention is operating in a wireless
network. The ring-tune database 425 is initialized (step 505) so
that appropriate ring-tune enhancements can be made. This step may
be performed when the telephone is manufactured or by the user, and
should be alterable to accommodate the user's changing needs. In
operation, the detector 430 then waits until an incoming call is
detected (step 510). Incoming-communication information is then
determined (step 515), which can be done in a number of ways as
described above. An appropriate enhancement is then applied to the
base ring tune (step 520) and an enhanced ring tune is generated
(step 525). The process then continues and awaits the detection of
another incoming communication.
The preferred descriptions are of preferred examples for
implementing the invention, and the scope of the invention should
not necessarily be limited by this description. Rather, the scope
of the present invention is defined by the following claims.
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