Recipient control of source audio identifiers for digital communications

A method for controlling the presentation of an audio identifier informing a recipient of an arrival of a digital communication from a sender in a communication session, the method comprising:

• receiving a first digital communication from a sender directed to a recipient, the first digital communication being associated with a first audio identifier;
• upon receipt of the first digital communication by the recipient, accessing a sender-designated first audio identifier that identifies the sender to the recipient or sender-related information that identifies the sender to the recipient;
• enabling the recipient to select an option from a set of communication preference options to control presentation of the first audio identifier, the set of communication preference options including:
• (1) a first option selectable to accept a future digital communication from the sender and to enable use of the first audio identifier to inform the recipient of arrival of the future digital communication from the sender, and (2) a second option selectable to accept the future digital communication from the sender but to reject use of the first audio identifier to inform the recipient of arrival of the future digital communication;
• storing a communication preference corresponding to the selected option in a data store;
• receiving, subsequent to receipt of the first digital communication, a second digital communication from the sender directed to the recipient;
• accessing, upon receipt of the second digital communication, the communication preference from the data store;
• enabling the recipient to perceive message contents of the second digital communication;
• conditioned on the communication preference corresponding to the first option, enabling perception by the recipient of the first audio identifier prior to or concurrent with perception of the message contents of the second digital communication;
• and
• conditioned on the communication preference corresponding to the second option, blocking the perception by the recipient of the first audio identifier prior to or concurrent with perception of the message contents of the second digital communication,
• wherein the set of communication preference options further includes a third option selectable to accent a future digital communication from the sender and use a second audio identifier that differs from the first audio identifier in addition to the first audio identifier to inform the recipient of arrival of the future digital communication from the sender.

A computer system for controlling the presentation of an audio identifier informing a recipient of an arrival of a digital communication from a sender in a communication session, the computer system comprising:

• a data store configured to store a sender-designated first audio identifier that identifies the sender to the recipient;
• and
• a digital communication processor configured to:
• receive a first digital communication from the sender directed to a recipient,
• upon receipt of the first digital communication by the recipient, access the first audio identifier from the data store;
• enable the recipient to select an option from a set of communication preference options to control presentation of the first audio identifier, the set of communication preference options including:
• (1) a first option selectable to accept a future digital communication from the sender and to enable use of the first audio identifier to inform the recipient of arrival of the future digital communication from the sender, and (2) a second option selectable to accept the future digital communication from the sender but to reject use of the first audio identifier to inform the recipient of arrival of the future digital communication,
• store a communication preference corresponding to the selected option in the data store,
• receive, subsequent to receipt of the first digital communication, a second digital communication from the sender directed to the recipient;
• access, upon receipt of the second digital communication, the communication preference from the data store;
• enable the recipient to perceive message contents of the second digital communication;
• conditioned on the communication preference corresponding to the first option, enable perception by the recipient of the first audio identifier prior to or concurrent with perception of the message contents of the second digital communication;
• and
• conditioned on the communication preference corresponding to the second option, block the perception by the recipient of the first audio identifier prior to or concurrent with perception of the message contents of the second digital communications,
• wherein the set of communication preference options further includes a third option selectable to accept a future digital communication from the sender and use a second audio identifier that differs from the first audio identifier in addition to the first audio identifier to inform the recipient of arrival of the future digital communication from the sender.

An apparatus for controlling the presentation of an audio identifier informing a recipient of an arrival of a digital communication from a sender in a communication session, the apparatus including one or more computer processing devices and comprising:

• means for receiving a first digital communication from a sender directed to a recipient, the first digital communication being associated with a first audio identifier;
• means for accessing a sender-designated first audio identifier that identifies the sender to the recipient or sender-related information that identifies the sender to the recipient upon arrival of the first digital communication from the sender to the recipient;
• means for enabling the recipient to select an option from a set of communication preference options to control presentation of the first audio identifier, the set of communication preference options including:
• (1) a first option selectable to accept a future digital communication from the sender and to enable use of the first audio identifier to inform the recipient of arrival of the future digital communication from the sender, and (2) a second option selectable to accept the future digital communication from the sender but to reject use of the first audio identifier to inform the recipient of arrival of the future digital communication;
• means for storing a communication preference corresponding to the selected option in a data store;
• means for receiving, subsequent to receipt of the first digital communication, a second digital communication from the sender directed to the recipient;
• means for accessing, upon receipt of the second digital communication, the communication preference from the data store;
• means for enabling the recipient to perceive message contents of the second digital communication;
• means for, conditioned on the communication preference corresponding to the first option, enabling perception by the recipient of the first audio identifier prior to or concurrent with perception of the message contents of the second digital communication;
• and
• means for, conditioned on the communication preference corresponding to the second option, blocking the perception by the recipient of the first audio identifier prior to or concurrent with perception of the message contents of the second digital communication,
• wherein the set of communication preference options further includes a third option selectable to accept a future digital communication from the sender and use a second audio identifier that differs from the first audio identifier in addition to the first audio identifier to inform the recipient of arrival of the future digital communication from the sender.