IP Library Patent Application 14375934
Patent Application
App. No. 14/375,934

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING NEIGHBORHOOD-BASED RINGTONE ADVERTISEMENTS

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Patent No.
US None
App. No.
14/375,934
Abstract

An approach is provided for sending a neighborhood-based ringtone advertisement. The approach involves receiving a ringtone request from a mobile communication device, wherein contextual information of the mobile communication device is determined and processed. The approach also involves determining the neighboring mobile communication devices, and then determining and processing the contextual information associated with the neighboring mobile communication devices. The approach further involves determining a ringtone that has the best influence on the users of the request sending mobile communication device, and the users of the neighboring mobile communication devices. Then, a neighborhood-based ringtone advertisement is selected.

Claims (65)

1 - 38 . (canceled)

39 . A method comprising:

determining contextual information associated with at least one device and one or more neighboring devices; and

processing and/or facilitating a processing of the contextual information to determine at least one ringtone for the at least one device.

40 . A method of claim 39 , further comprising:

determining ringtone playback capability information associated with the at least one device;

processing and/or facilitating a processing of the ringtone playback capability information to determine at least one ringtone playback range; and

determining the one or more neighboring devices based, at least in part, on the at least one ringtone playback range.

41 . A method of claim 40 , further comprising:

processing and/or a facilitating a processing of the contextual information to determine ambient noise information,

wherein the at least one ringtone playback range is further based, at least in part, on the ambient noise information.

42 . A method of claim 39 , further comprising:

processing and/or facilitating a processing of the contextual information to cause, at least in part, a ranking of the one or more neighboring devices based, at least in part, on a physical proximity, a social proximity, or a combination thereof to the at least one device; and

determining one or more weighting values for the one or more neighboring devices based, at least in part, on the ranking,

wherein the processing of the contextual information to determine the at least one ringtone is further based, at least in part, on the ranking.

43 . A method of claim 39 , further comprising:

processing and/or a facilitating a processing of the contextual information to determine one or more lists of one or more candidate ringtones for the at least one device, the one or more neighboring devices, or a combination thereof; and

causing, at least in part, a selection of the at least one ringtone from the one or more lists.

44 . A method of claim 43 , further comprising:

causing, at least in part, a monitoring of the contextual information from the at least one device, the one or more neighboring devices, or a combination thereof continuously, periodically, according to a schedule, on demand, or a combination thereof; and

causing, at least in part, an updating of the one or more lists, the at least one ringtone, or a combination thereof based, at least in part, on the monitoring.

45 . A method of claim 43 , further comprising:

determining popularity information associated with the one or more candidate ringtones, wherein the determining of the at least one ringtone is further based, at least in part, popularity information.

46 . A method of claim 39 , further comprising:

determining a ringtone playback request for the at least one device; and

causing, at least in part, an initiation of the determining of the contextual information, the processing of the contextual information to determine the at least one ringtone, or a combination thereof based, at least in part, on the ringtone playback request.

47 . A method of claim 39 , further comprising:

processing and/or facilitating a processing of the contextual information to determine advertisement information,

wherein the at least one ringtone includes, at least in part, the advertisement information.

48 . An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code for one or more programs, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following, determine contextual information associated with at least one device and one or more neighboring devices; and

process and/or facilitate a processing of the contextual information to determine at least one ringtone for the at least one device.

49 . An apparatus of claim 48 , wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

determine ringtone playback capability information associated with the at least one device;

process and/or facilitate a processing of the ringtone playback capability information to determine at least one ringtone playback range; and

determine the one or more neighboring devices based, at least in part, on the at least one ringtone playback range.

50 . An apparatus of claim 49 , wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

process and/or a facilitate a processing of the contextual information to determine ambient noise information,

wherein the at least one ringtone playback range is further based, at least in part, on the ambient noise information.

51 . An apparatus of claim 48 , wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

process and/or facilitate a processing of the contextual information to cause, at least in part, a ranking of the one or more neighboring devices based, at least in part, on a physical proximity, a social proximity, or a combination thereof to the at least one device; and

determine one or more weighting values for the one or more neighboring devices based, at least in part, on the ranking,

wherein the processing of the contextual information to determine the at least one ringtone is further based, at least in part, on the ranking.

52 . An apparatus of claim 48 , wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

process and/or a facilitate a processing of the contextual information to determine one or more lists of one or more candidate ringtones for the at least one device, the one or more neighboring devices, or a combination thereof; and

cause, at least in part, a selection of the at least one ringtone from the one or more lists.

53 . An apparatus of claim 52 , wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

cause, at least in part, a monitoring of the contextual information from the at least one device, the one or more neighboring devices, or a combination thereof continuously, periodically, according to a schedule, on demand, or a combination thereof; and

cause, at least in part, an updating of the one or more lists, the at least one ringtone, or a combination thereof based, at least in part, on the monitoring.

54 . An apparatus of claim 52 , wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

determine popularity information associated with the one or more candidate ringtones, wherein the determining of the at least one ringtone is further based, at least in part, popularity information.

55 . An apparatus of claim 48 , wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

determine a ringtone playback request for the at least one device; and

cause, at least in part, an initiation of the determining of the contextual information, the processing of the contextual information to determine the at least one ringtone, or a combination thereof based, at least in part, on the ringtone playback request.

56 . An apparatus of claim 48 , wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

process and/or facilitate a processing of the contextual information to determine advertisement information,

wherein the at least one ringtone includes, at least in part, the advertisement information.

57 . A computer program product including one or more sequences of one or more instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause an apparatus to at least perform the steps:

determining contextual information associated with at least one device and one or more neighboring devices; and

processing and/or facilitating a processing of the contextual information to determine at least one ringtone for the at least one device.

58 . A computer program product of claim 57 , wherein the apparatus is caused, at least in part, to further perform:

determining ringtone playback capability information associated with the at least one device;

processing and/or facilitating a processing of the ringtone playback capability information to determine at least one ringtone playback range; and

determining the one or more neighboring devices based, at least in part, on the at least one ringtone playback range.

Assignments (6)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 1, 2021
From: WSOU INVESTMENTS, LLC
To: OT WSOU TERRIER HOLDINGS, LLC
Reel/Frame 056990/0081 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 21, 2019
From: OCO OPPORTUNITIES MASTER FUND, L.P. (F/K/A OMEGA CREDIT OPPORTUNITIES MASTER FUND LP
To: WSOU INVESTMENTS, LLC
Reel/Frame 049246/0405 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 25, 2017
From: NOKIA TECHNOLOGIES OY
To: WSOU INVESTMENTS, LLC
Reel/Frame 043953/0822 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Sep 21, 2017
From: WSOU INVESTMENTS, LLC
To: OMEGA CREDIT OPPORTUNITIES MASTER FUND, LP
Reel/Frame 043966/0574 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 25, 2015
From: NOKIA CORPORATION
To: NOKIA TECHNOLOGIES OY
Reel/Frame 035253/0134 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 21, 2014
From: CHOW, LIK HANG; XUE, WENWEI
To: NOKIA CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 034229/0158 →