Generating a distinctive ring tone for a calling party subscriber within a telecommunications network

A method for providing a distinctive ringing tone towards a calling party subscriber terminal while establishing a call connection towards a particular called party subscriber terminal, said called party subscriber terminal associated with a particular terminal type, said method comprising the steps of:

• originating a call setup signal from an originating telecommunications exchange serving said calling party subscriber terminal to a terminating telecommunications exchange serving said called party subscriber terminal, said originated call setup signal requesting a call connection between said calling party subscriber terminal and said called party subscriber terminal;
• receiving first data indicating the type of subscriber terminal associated with said called party subscriber terminal from said terminating telecommunications exchange;
• determining the type of ringing tone said originating telecommunications exchange desires to generate towards said calling party subscriber terminal;
• and
• transmitting second data indicative of said determined tone type to said terminating telecommunications exchange, said second signal instructing said terminating telecommunications exchange to generate said determined tone over a call connection established between said originating telecommunications exchange and said terminating telecommunications exchange.

A telecommunications exchange for establishing an incoming call connection towards a called party subscriber terminal, said incoming call connection originated by an originating telecommunications exchange serving a calling party subscriber terminal, said telecommunications exchange comprising:

• a traffic control module for receiving said incoming call connection;
• an application module associated with said traffic control module for:
• determining that a distinctive ringing is requested for said incoming call connection from said calling party subscriber;
• determining the type of subscriber terminal associated with said called party subscriber terminal;
• transmitting said determined type to said originating telecommunications exchange;
• and
• receiving data indicative of a tone type to be generated over said incoming call connection towards said calling party subscriber terminal from said originating telecommunications exchange;
• a tone generator for generating said indicated tone type over said incoming call connection over said incoming call connection;
• and
• wherein said traffic control module alerting said called party subscriber terminal of said received incoming call connection.

A terminating telecommunications switch for providing a distinctive ring tone towards a calling party subscriber terminal while establishing a call connection towards a called party subscriber terminal, said calling party subscriber terminal being served by an originating telecommunications switch and said called party subscriber terminal being served by said terminating telecommunications switch, said terminating telecommunications switch comprising:

• means for receiving an incoming call connection from said originating telecommunications switch towards said called party subscriber terminal;
• means for determining the type of a subscriber terminal associated with said called party subscriber terminal;
• means for communicating said determined type to said originating telecommunications switch;
• means for receiving data indicative of a tone type desired by said originating telecommunications switch for said calling party subscriber terminal;
• and
• means for generating said indicated tone over said received incoming call connection towards said calling party subscriber.