Method and system for enhanced call notification and treatment

A system for handling calls in a telecommunications system, comprising:

• a Ring Back Tone (RBT) service platform having an application server/service control point and a database, the database storing call treatment options;
• an exchange interacting with the service platform, the exchange is configured to:
• receive a call signal;
• determine whether call treatment based on called party preference is to be invoked;
• if not, then performing conventional call processing;
• if call treatment based on called party preference is to be invoked, then contacting the RBT service platform, where the called party had previously subscribed to a RBT service;
• the RBT service platform is configured to:
• notify the called party that a call is being signaled;
• prompt the called party to provide an input for treatment of the call based on call treatment options stored in the database, while the call treatment options are presented and acted upon by the called party the call itself is not presented to the called party;
• if input from the called party is received, provide the selected treatment;
• if input from the called party is not received, provide a default treatment, wherein the default treatment is either a network option applicable to all subscribers or is previously selected or specified by the called party;
• and
• interact with the exchange to connect a call to a media server to play a RBT for the calling party after the RBT service platform is contacted and while the called party is selecting a call treatment option, where the played RBT content was previously selected by the called party.

A Ring Back Tone (RBT) service platform, comprising:

• an application server/service control point and a database, the database storing call treatment options;
• a computer program embodied on a non-transitory computer readable medium executed by computer hardware to:
• notify a called party that a call from a calling party is being signaled, where the called party had previously subscribed to a RBT service;
• prompt the called party to provide an input for treatment of the call based on call treatment options stored in the database, while the call treatment options are presented and acted upon by the called party the call itself is not presented to the called party;
• if input from the called party is received, provide the selected treatment;
• if input from the called party is not received, provide a default treatment, wherein the default treatment is either a network option applicable to all subscribers or is previously selected or specified by the called party;
• and
• interact with an exchange to connect a call to a media server to play a RBT for the calling party after the step of contacting the RBT service platform while the called party is selecting a call treatment option, where the played RBT content was previously selected by the called party.

A method implemented by a Ring Back Tone (RBT) service platform for handling a call in a telecommunication system, the method comprising the steps of:

• notifying a called party that a call from a calling party is being signaled, where the called party had previously subscribed to a RBT service;
• prompting the called party to provide an input for treatment of the call based on call treatment options stored in the database, while the call treatment options are presented and acted upon by the called party the call itself is not presented to the called party;
• if input from the called party is received, providing the selected treatment;
• if input from the called party is not received, providing a default treatment, wherein the default treatment is either a network option applicable to all subscribers or is previously selected or specified by the called party;
• and
• interacting with an exchange to connect a call to a media server to play a RBT for the calling party after the step of contacting the RBT service platform while the called party is selecting a call treatment option, where the played RBT content was previously selected by the called party.