Abstract: An apparatus and methods are disclosed for enabling a telecommunications terminal to notify its user of the arrival of a message via an acoustic or visual signal whose properties are based on attributes of the message. A network infrastructure element (e.g., a switch, a private branch exchange [PBX], a server, etc.) receives a message directed to a terminal and sets the values of ringtone properties (e.g., tempo, volume, pitch, rhythm, etc.) based on attributes of an incoming message (e.g., the sender, a priority, a subject, the location from which the message was sent, etc.). In a first illustrative embodiment the network infrastructure element sends the message and the instantiated ringtone to the terminal, while in a second illustrative embodiment the network infrastructure element sends the message and the property values to the terminal, and the terminal plays a locally-stored ringtone in accordance with the property values.

Abstract: An apparatus and methods are disclosed for enabling a telecommunications terminal to notify its user of the arrival of a message via an acoustic or visual signal whose properties are based on attributes of the message. A network infrastructure element (e.g., a switch, a private branch exchange [PBX], a server, etc.) receives a message directed to a terminal and sets the values of ringtone properties (e.g., tempo, volume, pitch, rhythm, etc.) based on attributes of an incoming message (e.g., the sender, a priority, a subject, the location from which the message was sent, etc.). In a first illustrative embodiment the network infrastructure element sends the message and the instantiated ringtone to the terminal, while in a second illustrative embodiment the network infrastructure element sends the message and the property values to the terminal, and the terminal plays a locally-stored ringtone in accordance with the property values.

Abstract: An apparatus and methods are disclosed for enabling a telecommunications terminal to notify its user of the arrival of a message via an acoustic or visual signal whose properties are based on attributes of the message. A network infrastructure element (e.g., a switch, a private branch exchange [PBX], a server, etc.) receives a message directed to a terminal and sets the values of ringtone properties (e.g., tempo, volume, pitch, rhythm, etc.) based on attributes of an incoming message (e.g., the sender, a priority, a subject, the location from which the message was sent, etc.). In a first illustrative embodiment the network infrastructure element sends the message and the instantiated ringtone to the terminal, while in a second illustrative embodiment the network infrastructure element sends the message and the property values to the terminal, and the terminal plays a locally-stored ringtone in accordance with the property values.

Abstract: An apparatus and methods are disclosed for enabling a telecommunications terminal to notify its user of the arrival of a message via an acoustic or visual signal whose properties are based on attributes of the message. A network infrastructure element (e.g., a switch, a private branch exchange [PBX], a server, etc.) receives a message directed to a terminal and sets the values of ringtone properties (e.g., tempo, volume, pitch, rhythm, etc.) based on attributes of an incoming message (e.g., the sender, a priority, a subject, the location from which the message was sent, etc.). In a first illustrative embodiment the network infrastructure element sends the message and the instantiated ringtone to the terminal, while in a second illustrative embodiment the network infrastructure element sends the message and the property values to the terminal, and the terminal plays a locally-stored ringtone in accordance with the property values.

Abstract: An apparatus and methods are disclosed for enabling a telecommunications terminal to notify its user of the arrival of a message via an acoustic or visual signal whose properties are based on attributes of the message. A network infrastructure element (e.g., a switch, a private branch exchange [PBX], a server, etc.) receives a message directed to a terminal and sets the values of ringtone properties (e.g., tempo, volume, pitch, rhythm, etc.) based on attributes of an incoming message (e.g., the sender, a priority, a subject, the location from which the message was sent, etc.). In a first illustrative embodiment the network infrastructure element sends the message and the instantiated ringtone to the terminal, while in a second illustrative embodiment the network infrastructure element sends the message and the property values to the terminal, and the terminal plays a locally-stored ringtone in accordance with the property values.

Abstract: An apparatus and methods are disclosed for enabling multiple telecommunications terminals that are associated with a common user to notify their user of the arrival of an incoming message via a ringtone, where the ringtone is: (i) coordinated across the terminals, and (ii) customized for each terminal based on one or more attributes of the terminal. In particular, in the illustrative embodiments a network infrastructure element (e.g., a switch, a wireless base station, a server, etc.) that receives a message directed to a telecommunications terminal sets the values of one or more properties of a ringtone (e.g., tempo, timbre, pitch, rhythm, etc.) based on one or more attributes of the telecommunications terminal (e.g., terminal type, etc.).

Abstract: An apparatus and methods are disclosed that enable a first user of a telecommunications terminal to receive, upon placing a call to a second user, a ringback signal that is based on information that is extrinsic to the telecommunications system that handles the call (i.e., information that is independent of the state of the telecommunications system). Such extrinsic information might include: entries in a user schedule (e.g., from a groupware application such as Lotus Notes® that is hosted on a server, from a personal digital assistant [PDA] calendar, etc.); environmental parameters at the first and/or second user's terminal (e.g., temperature, ambient sound pressure, ambient luminosity, etc.); physiological parameters of the first and/or second users (e.g., heart rate, respiration rate, body temperature, brain activity, etc.); stock ticker information; weather forecasts; sports scores; updated election results; and so forth.

Abstract: An apparatus and methods are disclosed that enable a caller to specify one or both of (i) the content of a ringback signal that is generated when placing a call, and (ii) one or more properties of the ringback signal. In the first illustrative embodiment of the present invention, a “far” data-processing system that is closer to the called terminal than to the calling terminal (e.g., a terminating switch, an edge switch that is close to the terminating switch, etc.) generates a ringback signal based on preferences or rules of the caller that are stored in a database. In the second illustrative embodiment of the present invention, a “near” data-processing system that is closer to the calling terminal than to the called terminal (e.g., an originating switch, an edge switch that is close to the originating switch, etc.) generates a ringback signal based on caller rules and preferences.

Abstract: An apparatus and methods are disclosed for enabling a telecommunications terminal to notify its user of the arrival of a message via an acoustic or visual signal whose properties are based on attributes of the message. A network infrastructure element (e.g., a switch, a private branch exchange [PBX], a server, etc.) receives a message directed to a terminal and sets the values of ringtone properties (e.g., tempo, volume, pitch, rhythm, etc.) based on attributes of an incoming message (e.g., the sender, a priority, a subject, the location from which the message was sent, etc.). In a first illustrative embodiment the network infrastructure element sends the message and the instantiated ringtone to the terminal, while in a second illustrative embodiment the network infrastructure element sends the message and the property values to the terminal, and the terminal plays a locally-stored ringtone in accordance with the property values.

Abstract: An apparatus and methods are disclosed for enabling a telecommunications terminal to notify its user of the arrival of a message via an acoustic or visual signal whose properties are based on attributes of the message. A network infrastructure element (e.g., a switch, a private branch exchange [PBX], a server, etc.) receives a message directed to a terminal and sets the values of ringtone properties (e.g., tempo, volume, pitch, rhythm, etc.) based on attributes of an incoming message (e.g., the sender, a priority, a subject, the location from which the message was sent, etc.). In a first illustrative embodiment the network infrastructure element sends the message and the instantiated ringtone to the terminal, while in a second illustrative embodiment the network infrastructure element sends the message and the property values to the terminal, and the terminal plays a locally-stored ringtone in accordance with the property values.

Abstract: An apparatus and methods are disclosed for enabling multiple telecommunications terminals that are associated with a common user to notify their user of the arrival of an incoming message via a ringtone, where the ringtone is: (i) coordinated across the terminals, and (ii) customized for each terminal based on one or more attributes of the terminal. In particular, in the illustrative embodiments a network infrastructure element (e.g., a switch, a wireless base station, a server, etc.) that receives a message directed to a telecommunications terminal sets the values of one or more properties of a ringtone (e.g., tempo, timbre, pitch, rhythm, etc.) based on one or more attributes of the telecommunications terminal (e.g., terminal type, etc.).

Abstract: An apparatus and methods are disclosed for enabling multiple telecommunications terminals that are associated with a common user to notify their user of the arrival of an incoming message via a ringtone, where the ringtone is: (i) coordinated across the terminals, and (ii) customized for each terminal based on one or more attributes of the terminal. In particular, in the illustrative embodiments a network infrastructure element (e.g., a switch, a wireless base station, a server, etc.) that receives a message directed to a telecommunications terminal sets the values of one or more properties of a ringtone (e.g., tempo, timbre, pitch, rhythm, etc.) based on one or more attributes of the telecommunications terminal (e.g., terminal type, etc.).

Abstract: A method is disclosed for determining properties of an output signal that notifies a user of an incoming message, based on information that is available to and associated with the user's telecommunications terminal. In particular, in the illustrative embodiment one or more properties of a musical composition, such as tempo, volume, pitch, rhythm, etc., are varied accordingly in value (e.g., faster versus slower, louder versus softer, etc.). One or more properties of a notifying image or text, if selected, are also varied accordingly.

Abstract: An apparatus and methods are disclosed for enabling a telecommunications terminal to notify its user of the arrival of a message via a ringtone whose properties are based on information from one or more call logs. A network infrastructure element (e.g., a switch, a server, etc.) receives a message directed to a terminal and establishes property values for a ringtone (e.g., tempo, volume, pitch, rhythm, etc.) based on information from a call log (e.g., how many times the caller has called today, whether an earlier call from this caller was returned, etc.). In a first illustrative embodiment the network infrastructure element sends the message and the instantiated ringtone to the terminal, while in a second illustrative embodiment the network infrastructure element sends the message and the property values to the terminal, and the terminal plays a locally-stored ringtone in accordance with the property values.

Abstract: An apparatus and methods are disclosed for enabling multiple telecommunications terminals that are associated with a common user to notify their user of the arrival of an incoming message via a ringtone, where the ringtone is: (i) coordinated across the terminals, and (ii) customized for each terminal based on one or more attributes of the terminal. In particular, in the illustrative embodiments a coordinating terminal that receives a message also directed to another telecommunications terminal sets the values of one or more properties of a ringtone (e.g., tempo, timbre, pitch, rhythm, etc.) based on one or more attributes of the other telecommunications terminal (e.g., terminal type, etc.).

Abstract: An apparatus and methods are disclosed that enable a first user of a telecommunications terminal to receive, upon placing a call to a second user, a ringback signal that is based on one or more geo-locations (e.g., the geo-location of the first user, the geo-location of the second user, etc.), and optionally on one or more of the following: the identity of the first user; the identity of the second user; the first user's telecommunications terminal (e.g., whether it is a cell phone, wireline telephone, payphone, soft phone, etc.); and the second user's telecommunications terminal.

Abstract: An apparatus and methods are disclosed that enable a first user of a telecommunications terminal to receive, upon placing a call to a second user, a ringback signal that is based on information from one or more call logs. Such information might include: the number of times that the first user has attempted to call the second user during a particular time interval; the time of the most recent call from the second user to the first user; etc. A data-processing system (e.g., an originating switch, a terminating switch, a wireless base station, a server, etc.) that receives a call-setup signal consults one or more call logs and generates a ringback signal that is based on the contents of the logs. Such call logs might include a log for a telecommunications terminal, a log for a user, a log associated with a particular private branch exchange; etc.

Abstract: An apparatus and methods are disclosed that enable a first user of a telecommunications terminal to receive, upon placing a call to a second user, a ringback signal that is based on one or more geo-locations (e.g., the geo-location of the first user, the geo-location of the second user, etc.), and optionally on one or more of the following: the identity of the first user; the identity of the second user; the first user's telecommunications terminal (e.g., whether it is a cell phone, wireline telephone, payphone, soft phone, etc.); and the second user's telecommunications terminal.

Abstract: An apparatus and methods are disclosed that enable a first user of a telecommunications terminal to receive, upon placing a call to a second user, a ringback signal that is based on information that is extrinsic to the telecommunications system that handles the call (i.e., information that is independent of the state of the telecommunications system). Such extrinsic information might include: entries in a user schedule (e.g., from a groupware application such as Lotus Notes® that is hosted on a server, from a personal digital assistant [PDA] calendar, etc.); environmental parameters at the first and/or second user's terminal (e.g., temperature, ambient sound pressure, ambient luminosity, etc.); physiological parameters of the first and/or second users (e.g., heart rate, respiration rate, body temperature, brain activity, etc.); stock ticker information; weather forecasts; sports scores; updated election results; and so forth.

Abstract: An apparatus and methods are disclosed that enable a caller to specify one or both of (i) the content of a ringback signal that is generated when placing a call, and (ii) one or more properties of the ringback signal. In the first illustrative embodiment of the present invention, a “far” data-processing system that is closer to the called terminal than to the calling terminal (e.g., a terminating switch, an edge switch that is close to the terminating switch, etc.) generates a ringback signal based on preferences or rules of the caller that are stored in a database. In the second illustrative embodiment of the present invention, a “near” data-processing system that is closer to the calling terminal than to the called terminal (e.g., an originating switch, an edge switch that is close to the originating switch, etc.) generates a ringback signal based on caller rules and preferences.