# US 2010/0136950 A1 · Controlling sound characteristics of alert tunes that signal receipt of messages responsive to content of the messages > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2010/0136950 A1 - Document ID: US20100136950A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 12/327,198 - Filed: 2008-12-03 - Published: 2010-06-03 - Earliest claimed: 2008-12-03 - Assignees: Sony Ericssor Mobile Communications AB - Inventors: Erik Johan Vendel Backlund; Andreas Kristensson; Par-Anders Aronsson - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20100136950A1 ## CPC - H04M 1/72436: for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails - H04M 19/041: {Encoding the ringing signal, i.e. providing distinctive or selective ringing capability} - H04M 19/042: {with variable loudness of the ringing tone, e.g. variable envelope or amplitude of ring signal} - H04M: TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION (circuits for controlling other apparatus via a telephone cable and not involving telephone switching apparatus G08) ## Abstract A communication terminal includes a transceiver and a controller. The transceiver receives electronic messages from another communication terminal. The controller responds to receipt of each of the messages by examining content of the message according to at least one defined rule and to control sound characteristics of an alert tune that is played through a speaker responsive to the examined message content. The controller may attempt to match text from the message to a stored list of words and/or phrases, and to control the sound characteristics of the alert tune in response to an outcome of the matching. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A communication terminal comprising: a transceiver that is configured to receive electronic messages from another communication terminal; and a controller that is configured to respond to receipt of each of the messages by examining content of the message according to at least one defined rule and to control sound characteristics of an alert tune that is played through a speaker responsive to the examined message content. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The communication terminal of claim 1, wherein: the controller is further configured to attempt to match text from the message to a stored list of words and/or phrases, and to control the sound characteristics of the alert tune in response to an outcome of the matching. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The communication terminal of claim 2, wherein: the controller is further configured to select among a plurality of alert tunes stored in the communication terminal and having different sound characteristics in response to successfully matching text from the message to one or more stored words and/or phrases that are associated with different ones of the alert tunes, and to play the selected alert tune. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The communication terminal of claim 2, wherein: the controller is further configured to regulate pitch of the played alert tune in response to matching text from the message to one or more of the stored words and/or phrases. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The communication terminal of claim 4, wherein: the controller is further configured to carry out one of increasing and decreasing pitch of the played alert tune in response to matching text from the message to one or more of the stored words and/or phrases that are known to indicate that a positive emotion is being conveyed in the message text, and to carry out the other one of increasing and decreasing pitch of the played alert tune in response to matching text from the message to one or more of the stored words and/or phrases that are known to indicative that a negative emotion is being conveyed in the message text. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The communication terminal of claim 4, wherein: the controller is further configured to increase pitch of the played alert tune in response to matching text from the message to one or more of the stored words and/or phrases that are known to indicate that an urgent situation is being conveyed in the message text. ### Claim 7 (depends on 4) The communication terminal of claim 4, wherein: the controller is further configured to regulate pitch of the played alert tune in response to how many words of the text from the message are determined to match the stored words and/or phrases. ### Claim 8 (depends on 2) The communication terminal of claim 2, wherein: the controller is further configured to regulate volume of the played alert tune in response to matching text from the message to one or more of the stored words and/or phrases. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The communication terminal of claim 8, wherein: the controller is further configured to increase volume of the played alert tune in response to matching text from the message to one or more of the stored words and/or phrases that are known to indicate that a positive emotion is being conveyed in the message text, and to decrease volume of the played alert tune in response to matching text from the message to one or more of the stored words and/or phrases that are known to indicate that a negative emotion is being conveyed in the message text. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The communication terminal of claim 8, wherein: the controller is further configured to increase volume of the played alert tune in response to matching text from the message to one or more of the stored words and/or phrases that are known to indicate that an urgent situation is being conveyed in the message text. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The communication terminal of claim 8, wherein: the controller is further configured to regulate volume of the played alert tune in response to how many words of the text from the message are determined to match the stored words and/or phrases. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The communication terminal of claim 8, wherein: when a song is continuing to be played from the communication terminal when a message arrives, the controller is further configured to change sound characteristics of the song in response to matching text from the message to one or more of the stored words and/or phrases. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The communication terminal of claim 12, wherein: when a song is continuing to be played from the communication terminal when a message arrives, the controller is further configured to repetitively increase and decrease pitch and/or volume of the song being played to create an audible alert while playing the song in response to matching text from the message to one or more of the stored words and/or phrases. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The communication terminal of claim 12, wherein: when a song is continuing to be played from the communication terminal when a message arrives, the controller is further configured to increase a rate at which the pitch and/or the volume of the played song is repetitively increased and decreased in response to matching text from the message to one or more of the stored words and/or phrases that are known to indicate that a positive emotion is being conveyed in the message text, and to decrease a rate at which the pitch and/or the volume of the played song is repetitively increased and decreased in response to matching text from the message to one or more of the stored words and/or phrases that are known to indicate that a negative emotion is being conveyed in the message text. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The communication terminal of claim 1, wherein: wherein the controller is further configured to play the alert tune in response to the matching text from the message to a stored list of words and/or phrases and to not play the alert tune in response to not matching the text from the message to the stored list of words and/or phrases. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The communication terminal of claim 1, wherein: the controller is further configured to assemble a song from a sequence of alert tune segments that are selected in response a sequence of message words and/or phrases that are matched to different entries in a stored list of words and/or phrases, wherein the order in which the alert tune segments are played may correspond to the order of occurrence of the matched words and/or phrases in the message text. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The communication terminal of claim 1, wherein: the controller is further configured to regulate pitch and/or volume of the played alert tune in response to whether the message contains picture data and/or video data. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The communication terminal of claim 17, wherein: the controller is further configured to analyze an image contained within picture data and/or video data of the message to determine whether the image contains an object that matches characteristics that have been previously defined in the communication terminal, and to regulate pitch and/or volume of the played alert tune in response to an outcome of the image analysis. ### Claim 19 A communication terminal comprising: a transceiver that is configured to receive electronic messages from another communication terminal; and a controller that is configured to respond to receipt of each of the messages by examining content of the message to attempt to match message text to a stored list of words and/or phrases, and to play through a speaker an alert tune have sound characteristics that are controlled in response to an outcome of the matching, wherein the controller is configured to carry out one of increasing and decreasing pitch and/or volume of the played alert tune in response to matching the message text to one or more of the stored words and/or phrases that are known to indicate that a positive emotion is being conveyed in the message text, and to carry out the other one of increasing and decreasing pitch and/or volume of the played alert tune in response to matching the message text to one or more of the stored words and/or phrases that are known to indicative that a negative emotion is being conveyed in the message text. ### Claim 20 A method of operating a communication terminal, the method comprising: receiving electronic messages from another communication terminal; responding to receipt of each of the messages by analyzing an image contained within picture data and/or video data content of the message to determine whether the image contains an object that matches characteristics that have been previously defined in the communication terminal; playing through a speaker an alert tune have sound characteristics that are controlled in response to an outcome of the image analysis.