WO2011036379A1

WO2011036379A1 - Method for configuring the ringtone of a terminal and device suitable for implementing said method

Info

Publication number: WO2011036379A1
Application number: PCT/FR2010/051920
Authority: WO
Inventors: Philippe Besombe; François Toutain
Original assignee: France Telecom
Priority date: 2009-09-22
Filing date: 2010-09-16
Publication date: 2011-03-31
Also published as: EP2481205A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for configuring the ringtone of a terminal (UB), which can be carried out by an application server placed across the flow on a signalling path in an IMS network. The invention comprises: a step (E20, E40) of receiving and sending a first call message intended for the terminal; a step (E80) of detecting a predetermined event; a step (E90) of waiting for a time period (T) counted from said detection; and a step (El00) of sending the terminal (UB), at the end of said time period (T), a second call message comprising information for defining a ringtone for said terminal (UB). The second call message is an INVITE message according to the SIP protocol.

Description

Method for setting the ringing tone of a terminal and equipment capable of implementing this method

Background of the invention

The present invention is in the field of setting the ringing tone of a telecommunication device, for example a mobile phone.

WO 2008/110218 discloses a method for setting the ringing tone of a mobile telephone in an Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) in which an Application Server (AS) inserts into an SIP compliant INVITE message (Session Initiation Protocol) for a terminal, information to define the ringing of this terminal. This information can be constituted by the ringtone itself or by a link allowing the terminal to download the ringtone.

This method has a major disadvantage because, in many cases, the user accustomed to his ring, does not react quickly enough when his terminal returns the ringtone defined by the application server, so that the call is lost.

OBJECT AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to a method for setting the ringing tone of a terminal. This method can be implemented by equipment placed in flux cutoff on a signaling path in a telecommunication network.

This process comprises:

a step of receiving and transmitting a first call message intended for the terminal;

a step of detecting a particular event;

a step of waiting for a time counted from this detection; and

a step of sending the terminal, at the expiration of the duration, of a second call message including information to define a ringing of the terminal. Correlatively, the invention relates to equipment that can be placed in flux cutoff on a signaling path in a telecommunication network, this equipment comprising:

means for receiving and transmitting a first call message intended for a terminal;

means capable of detecting a given event and waiting for a time counted from said detection; and

means capable of sending the terminal, at the end of this duration, a second call message including information to define a ringing of the terminal.

In this document, a "call message" is a message capable of triggering a ringing tone by the called terminal.

In accordance with the invention, the called terminal therefore receives two successive call messages spaced in the time of the aforementioned duration, namely the first call message sent by the calling terminal, then, at the end of the aforementioned duration, a second message including information to define the ringing of the called terminal.

The called terminal therefore restores its usual ringing tone on receipt of the first message, then after the aforementioned duration, in the event of no answer, the ringing defined in the second call message.

Therefore, the user has time to recognize his usual ring before his terminal returns the second ring.

The ring setting method and the equipment according to the invention therefore does not have the disadvantages of the prior art.

In a particular embodiment of the invention:

the telecommunication network is an IMS network;

the second call message is an INVITE message conforming to the SIP protocol; and

- The information is included in an Alert Info header field of this message.

This field is defined in the document RFC3261 of IIETF and in particular provided to include information to define the ringing of a terminal. In a particular embodiment of the invention, the information defining the ringing of the called terminal is a link to download this ring.

In a particular embodiment of the invention, this information is a file including the ringtone, for example a file in .wav format.

In a particular embodiment, the equipment according to the invention comprises means capable of generating this file, for example a speech synthesis module.

This embodiment provides a service to the caller, the voice message can be an advertising message or a personalized message chosen by the caller.

This embodiment also makes it possible to offer a service to the called party, the voice message being able to consist of a voice message including a caller's identifier, for example his name or his telephone number.

In other words, the ring tone defined in the second call message is selected or preconfigured by the caller or called party.

In one embodiment of the invention, the aforementioned duration is fixed.

But preferably, the aforementioned duration is variable.

It can in particular be set according to a parameter defined by the user of the called terminal.

In one embodiment of the invention, the event that triggers the countdown of the duration is the reception, by the equipment according to the invention, of a message indicating that the terminal has begun to ring, under receiving the first call message.

This embodiment makes it possible to properly adjust the duration during which the called terminal restores the usual ringing of the called party before switching to the second ring.

In a particular embodiment, the various steps of the ring parameterization method are determined by computer program instructions.

Consequently, the invention also relates to a computer program on an information medium, this program being capable of being implemented in an equipment or more generally in a computer, this program comprising instructions adapted to the implementation of the steps of the ring parameterization method as mentioned above.

This program can use any programming language, and be in the form of source code, object code, or intermediate code between source code and object code, such as in a partially compiled form, or in any other form desirable shape.

The invention also relates to a computer-readable information medium, comprising instructions of a computer program as mentioned above.

The information carrier may be any entity or device capable of storing the program. For example, the medium may comprise storage means, such as a ROM, for example a CD ROM or a microelectronic circuit ROM, or a magnetic recording medium, for example a floppy disk or a disk. hard.

On the other hand, the information medium may be a transmissible medium such as an electrical or optical signal, which may be conveyed via an electrical or optical cable, by radio or by other means. The program according to the invention can be downloaded in particular on an Internet type network.

Alternatively, the information carrier may be an integrated circuit in which the program is incorporated, the circuit being adapted to execute or to be used in the execution of the method in question.

Brief description of the drawings

Other features and advantages of the present invention will emerge from the description given below, with reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate an embodiment having no limiting character. In the figures:

FIG. 1 represents, in flowchart form, the main steps of a ring parameterization method according to a particular mode of implementation of the invention; and - Figure 2 shows an equipment according to a particular embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AN EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION In this embodiment of the invention, one places oneself in the context of an IMS network, the invention being implemented by an application server AS (in English Application Server).

FIG. 1 represents the main steps of a ring parameterization method according to the invention.

During a first step E10, a UA terminal wishes to call a terminal UB and sends for this purpose an INVITE invitation message conforming to the SIP protocol.

This message is intercepted by a C-CSCF equipment and transferred to an AS application server equipment placed in flux cutoff in the signaling path of the IMS network during a step E20.

According to the SIP protocol, the application server AS acknowledges receipt of this message by sending a SIP message "100 TRYING" to the equipment C-CSCF during a step E30.

The application server AS then sends the INVITE message to the equipment C-CSCF (step E40) which transmits it to the destination terminal UB (step E50).

On receipt of this message, and in accordance with the SIP protocol, the destination terminal UB triggers its usual ringing, and acknowledges (step E60) the receipt of the INVITE message by sending the equipment C-CSCF a SIP message "180 RINGING".

The SIP message "180 RINGING" is transmitted by the C-CSCF equipment to the calling terminal UA, via the application server AS, the latter being, according to the invention, placed in a flow cut in the signaling path (step E70).

In the embodiment described here, the receipt of the message

"180 RINGING" by the application server AS constitutes an event within the meaning of the invention, this event being detected by the application server AS during a step (E80).

According to the invention, the application server AS expects a duration T counted from the detection of the aforementioned event (step E90). In the embodiment described here, this duration is a duration variable defined by a user of the terminal UB and obtained in a database BD in association with an identifier of the terminal called UB.

Then, at the expiration of this duration T, the application server AS sends a second INVITE invitation message to the destination terminal UB (step Ε10Ό), this INVITE message comprising information to define a ringing of the terminal UB. This message is intercepted and relayed by the C-CSCF equipment.

In the embodiment described here, this information is a F file in .wav format generated by a voice synthesis module MSV of the application server AS, from a fixed text "incoming message from" and the identifier "UA" of the calling terminal, during a step E95, during the duration T.

In the embodiment described here, this file F is included in an ALERT INFO header field of the second invitation message INVITE.

Upon receipt of this second INVITE invitation message, and in accordance with the SIP protocol, the destination terminal UB stops the return of the usual ringing current and starts ringing with the ring consisting of the file F.

The destination terminal UB acknowledges (step El 10) the receipt of the second message INVITE by sending the equipment C-CSCF a SIP message "180 RINGING", this message being transmitted by the equipment C-CSCF to the application server AS .

FIG. 2 represents an AS application server according to the invention in an IMS network 10, this network comprising, as in a known way, a C-CSCF equipment.

In this example, a calling terminal UA and a terminal called UB are connected to the IMS network 10.

In the embodiment described here, the application server AS has the hardware architecture of a computer. It comprises a processor 11, a random access memory 12 of RAM type, a read-only memory ROM 13 and communication means 14.

The communication means 14 are constituted by hardware means (network card, etc.) and software (drivers, etc.) enabling the application server to communicate with the other equipment of the IMS network. 10, in particular according to the SIP protocol, and in particular with the C-CSCF equipment.

The application server AS is placed in flux cutoff on a signaling path of the IMS network 10, more precisely between the equipment C-CSCF and the terminal UB.

The read-only memory 13 constitutes a recording medium in the sense of the invention. In particular, it stores a PG computer program in accordance with the invention, this program including instructions allowing the processor 11 to execute the steps of the ring parameterization method described above with reference to FIG. 1.

In particular, the processor 11 is able to receive a control of the communication means 14 to receive, via the C-CSCF equipment, an invitation message INVITE sent by the terminal UA and relay this invitation message INVITE, via the C-CSCF equipment at the UB terminal.

In the embodiment described here, the processor 11 is able to detect the reception of a SIP message "180 RINGING" by the communication means 14, for example by programming an interrupt associated with this event.

In the embodiment described here, the processor 11 is able to read, in a database BD, a duration T associated with an identifier of the terminal UB.

In the embodiment described here, the server AS comprises a clock TIM for counting a duration T from the receipt of the SIP message "180 RINGING".

In the embodiment described here, the server AS comprises an MSV speech synthesis module capable of generating a voice file F in the .wav format, from a fixed text "Incoming message" and the identifier "UA". of the UA terminal.

In the embodiment described here, the processor 11 is able to control the communication means 14 so that they send to the terminal UB, via the equipment C-CSCF, an invitation message INVITE comprising the file F in a field Alert Info header. Other embodiments In the embodiment described above, the Alert Info field contains the ring tone to be returned by the terminal UB.

As a variant, this field may include a link enabling the terminal UB to download the ringing tone from an SS ringing server, as represented in FIG. 2.

In the embodiment described above, the event that triggers the countdown of the duration is the reception at step E80, by the application server AS, of the message 180 RINGING indicating that the terminal UB has started to restore its ringing tone. usual.

Alternatively, the duration may be counted from another event, for example the reception (step E20) of the invitation message sent by the calling party UA.

Claims

1. Equipment (AS) which can be placed in flux cutoff on a signaling path in a telecommunication network and comprising:

means (11, 14) adapted to receive and transmit a first call message intended for a terminal (UB);

means (11) capable of detecting a given event and waiting for a duration (T) counted from said detection; and

- Means (11, 14) adapted to send to said terminal (UB), at the expiration of said duration (T), a second call message comprising information (F) to define a ringing of said terminal (UB).

2. Equipment (AS) according to claim 1, characterized in that: - said network (10) is an IMS network;

said second call message is an INVITE message conforming to the SIP protocol; and

said information (F) is included in an Alert Info header field of this message.

3. Equipment (AS) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said information is a link for downloading said ringtone.

4. Equipment (AS) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said information is a file (F) comprising said ring.

5. Equipment (AS) according to claim 4, characterized in that it comprises means (MSV) capable of generating said file.

6. Equipment (AS) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that said duration (T) is variable.

7. Equipment (AS) according to claim 6, characterized in that it comprises a database (DB) in which said variable duration is defined according to a parameter chosen by a user of said terminal (UB).

8. Equipment (AS) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that said event is the receipt, by said equipment (AS), a message indicating that said terminal (UB) has begun to ring.

9. A method for parameterizing the ringing of a terminal (UB) that can be implemented by a device (AS) placed in flux cutoff on a signaling path in a telecommunication network, this method comprising:

a step (E20, E40) for receiving and transmitting a first call message intended for said terminal (UB);

a step (E80) of detecting a given event;

a step (E90) waiting for a duration (T) counted from said detection; and

- A step (E100) of sending to said terminal (UB), at the expiration of said duration (T), a second call message comprising information to define a ringing of said terminal (UB).

A computer program comprising instructions for performing the steps of the ring setting method according to claim 9 when said program is executed by a computer.

A computer-readable recording medium on which a computer program is recorded including instructions for performing the steps of the ring parameterization method according to claim 9.